Audible and Cate Blanchett’s Dirty Films to Launch New Original Podcast

Audible announced today a new Audible Original podcast, Climate of Change with Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy.

Co-created and co-hosted by multi award-winning actor, producer and environmental advocate, Cate Blanchett (Don’t Look Up, Nightmare Alley, Blue Jasmine); and climate entrepreneur and activist, Danny Kennedy (CEO of New Energy Nexus [NEX] and Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund). It features out-of-the-box thinkers, innovators and high-profile guests, all of whom will be announced at a later date.

Two seasons have been commissioned in the deal between Audible and Blanchett’s Dirty Films (in association with StoryHunter), with the first season set to launch globally this April, ahead of Earth Day. This collaboration marks the first time Cate Blanchett and Danny Kennedy will create and host a podcast.

Climate of Change sees the two long-term friends explore despair, optimism and hope in the face of environmental change. This one-of-a-kind podcast, featuring an exclusive sound track by Grammy Award-winning electronic artist Imogen Heap, takes listeners to the front edge of the most exciting initiatives to address the climate crisis. From women-led energy solutions in Uganda, to a Navajo solar farm in the Arizona desert, to ideas that could transform the global fashion industry; Cate and Danny offer surprising, uplifting stories of ingenuity and resilience, and a listening experience to empower the change we all want to see.

Cate and Danny interview guests along the way, discussing the biggest challenges humankind face and the incredible and ground-breaking work being done to tackle the crisis. Climate of Change will feature some of the world’s leading authors and thought leaders in the green economy, behavior change and sustainability, as well as grass-roots innovators who are making a positive impact on their local communities by creating clean energy solutions.

Cate Blanchett (Partner, Dirty Films) on behalf of Dirty Films, said, “This podcast is a joyous extension of a long-standing friendship that all of us at Dirty Films have had with the wonderful Danny Kennedy. Danny’s knowledge about and passion for climate solutions is infectious, and our experience developing this project with the folks at StoryHunter for Audible has been a shot in the arm—and has gone a long way to tempering our eco-anxiety. We hope that our listeners enjoy hearing the conversations as much as we have enjoyed having them.”

“We are thrilled to be working on such an exciting and important series as Climate of Change, said Aurelie De Troyer, Senior Vice President of International English Content at Audible. “Podcasts are the perfect vehicle to educate and raise awareness of important issues and it’s an honor to collaborate with the extremely talented Cate and Danny on their first podcast. We have been blown away by the passion for this project from the teams at Dirty Films and StoryHunter and we know this will be something special.”

About Dirty Films

Dirty Films is an independent film, television and podcast production company, whose partners are Cate Blanchett, Andrew Upton and Coco Francini. The company has a first look deal with FX Productions for television projects, and with New Republic Pictures for feature films. Dirty Films executive produced Christos Nikou’s Apples, which was named one of 2020’s Best International Films by the National Board of Review. It was also Greece’s official submission for the Best International Feature for the Academy Awards. Blanchett and Francini produced the 10-time EMMY-nominated Mrs America for FX, which was named one of 2020’s Best Television Shows by the American Film Institute. Dirty Films also produced the 13-time AACTA-winning series Stateless for Netflix, which Blanchett also co-created, in addition to executive producing the feature documentary Burning from director Eva Orner for Amazon. Other film credits include Truth, Carol, Little Fish and The Turning. Upcoming film projects include: Fingernails with Director Christos Nikou; Queen Bitch and the High Horse with Directors Bert and Bertie; The Champions with director Ben Stiller; and A Manual for Cleaning Women with director Pedro Almodovar.

About Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning actor, producer, artistic director, and humanitarian. She is a Global Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and a lifetime member of the Australian Conservation Foundation. Blanchett is also a strong supporter of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and received a Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum in Davos for her work with UNHCR. In 2012, Blanchett was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. She has received Honorary Doctorates of Letters from the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney, and Macquarie University as well as the Companion of the Order of Australia in the General Division in recognition of her continued advocacy for the arts as well as humanitarian and environmental causes. Currently, Blanchett is in pre-production for the Apple series “Disclaimer” directed by Alfonso Cuaron, in which she will star and executive produce. Most recently, Blanchett wrapped production for the Todd Field-directed feature Tar and Eli Roth’s Borderlands, as well as Del Toro’s Pinocchio for Netflix. She can now be seen starring in Guillermo Del Toro’s Nightmare Alley for Searchlight Pictures, as well as Adam McKay’s film for Netflix, Don’t Look Up. She is the co-Founder and Principal of film and television production company Dirty Films.

About Danny Kennedy

Danny Kennedy is the CEO of New Energy Nexus (NEX), a global nonprofit supporting diverse climate entrepreneurs to accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy for 100% of the population. New Energy Nexus provides funds, accelerators and networks, with initiatives in China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Uganda and the USA.

He is also Managing Director of the California Clean Energy Fund, and is an advisor to clean energy companies in Australia, China, Kenya, the Philippines, USA and elsewhere. Danny co-founded Sungevity, a solar pioneer in 2007, was the first backer of now US$6 billion solar loan provider Mosaic in 2011, and an author of a book on rooftop solar. He speaks regularly to media and at major conferences, and is co-host of a forthcoming podcast on Audible.