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Brighter / / Future Council film gives kids a voice on the environment

Kids join the sustainability conversation in Damon Gameau’s Future Council

We speak to Aussie film director Damon Gameau, a keynote speaker at CommBank’s 2025 Momentum conference, about his latest documentary.

Ten years ago, Damon Gameau explored the effects of sugar in That Sugar Film. This time, the former actor took eight children from different countries and socio-economic backgrounds on a road trip around Europe (on a school bus largely powered by vegetable oil). While there, he helped the kids engage with corporate CEOs about their environmental practices and made a film, Future Council, about the journey.

How did you become aware of environmental issues?

Once I had kids I started to pay more attention and then I almost couldn’t ignore it. I started thinking, “Wow, we really are doing some serious damage.” And then I realised there wasn’t much storytelling about it—no Hollywood films were talking about this stuff. So I thought there’s an opportunity here to make engaging, fun stories that aren’t scaring the living daylights out of people but rather educating and inspiring them.

Why did you decide to work with children for this film?

When we released 2040 [a 2019 climate-change documentary], we did a lot of school screenings around the world—hundreds of them—and I was always impressed with the level of acumen kids had around sustainability. It’s easy to forget these young people have access to more information than any other generation in history. These kids tend to know more about sustainability than most adults. I just felt they deserve an additional platform—it’s the future that they’re going to inherit.

Damon and the kids travelled around Europe on a school bus largely powered by vegetable oil. Photo courtesy of Regen Studios.

Were there moments while filming Future Council that surprised you?

I underestimated how impactful kids can be. You know, sometimes we hear from children in this space but they’re wheeled out in a perfunctory way. This wasn’t that. I was in the room with these kids and powerful CEOs and I chose not to say anything. I just let them go. And I was in tears a lot of the time because of their bravery. These are 11 and 12 year olds staring down CEOs and saying, “You can do better.”

This doesn’t stop with a film—tell us about the Future Council initiative.

The Future Council is a not-for-profit that anyone can donate to and any child between nine and 16 anywhere in the world can sign up to join. We help them set up a Future Council in their school and link it to other councils around the world. They regularly meet online with experts in different fields and we facilitate collaborations with corporates in a shadow board capacity to help guide decisions. The kids act as the moral compass in the room. It’s extraordinary.

What are you hoping audiences will take with them after watching Future Council?

I’m excited by what this film will do for the children but also by how it grounds the people who watch it. The film gives everyone watching an opportunity to help. It says, “Here’s a clear invitation to all these ways you can help give these kids a better future.”

Future Council will be available to buy or rent from 21 January 2026.

Damon Gameau is a keynote speaker at CommBank's 2025 Momentum Conference, where business leaders come together to accelerate Australia’s transition to a more sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.

For information to help you live more sustainably and for ways to save on your energy bills, visit CommBank's sustainability hub. 

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Published: 26 November 2025

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