The USC Eco Media Festival is back! The festival—presented by the Arts & Climate Collective and SCA’s Division of Media Arts + Practice—will have a panel with environmental storytellers, screenings of student films from around the world that explore environmental justice, sustainability, climate change, a gallery of media art, and more.
This event is free of charge and open to the public. RSVP is required in order to attend.
Event Schedule (additional info below):
1pm: Panel with environmental artists
2pm: Music performance and media art walkthrough
3pm: Screening block A
4pm: Screening block B
5pm: Networking mixer
6pm: Event ends
Panelist Information:
Laurel Tamayo is an award-winning filmmaker and impact producer passionate about communicating the climate crisis through film & TV. In her role at Rare’s Entertainment Lab, she supports creative teams in integrating climate-friendly behaviors on screen through consultations and workshops. She also directed the short documentary called “Healing Lahaina,” a deeply personal film covering her family's experience with the 2023 Lahaina wildfire, climate change, and community resilience. She was recognized in Forbes’ 68 Climate Leaders Changing The Film and TV Industry and has been profiled in Teen Vogue. She also authored the foreword for the book "Climate, Vulnerability and Health," published in 2025.
Danny O’Malley is an Emmy-, Grammy-, and James Beard–nominated filmmaker recognized for his work as a producer and director. Over the past decade, he has served as a producer on Netflix’s acclaimed series Chef's Table. In 2025, he received a nomination for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary Series. In 2024, his feature documentary Canary—chronicling the life and work of pioneering climate scientist Lonnie Thompson—was honored with the prestigious Jackson Wild Media Award for Best Feature. Danny is the co-founder of End of the Road Films, a production company dedicated to unexpected projects with a focus on quality storytelling. He also writes about the craft and business of documentary filmmaking in his Substack newsletter, Documentary Demystified.
Maksim Snow is a singer/songwriter, facilitator, and climate communicator. After overseeing the global debut of youth-led mental health startup Force of Nature, he went on to create intersectional environmental education, deliver mental health workshops to hundreds of young people, and produce arts + culture events rooted in sustainability in London, LA, and NYC. Maksim and his work have been featured in the Washington Post, CalMatters, LAist, the 2023 UN Science Summit and more. He was DoSomething's "Generation Future" award winner, former Gen Z advisor for the Climate Mental Health Network, a member of Hinge's "One More Hour" youth advisory council, and is a current member of The Resilience Project's International Youth Advisory Board. His artist project Maksim Snow channels his experiences living, loving, and coming into adulthood with the climate crisis in the background.