Episode 19: In conversation with Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Hollywood screenwriter and director

Discussing ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ with Jeffrey Nachmanoff!

We’re heading to the movies for our latest episode of the ‘Sustainability Talks’ podcast. Our host and Managing Partner, Rob Genieser, sat down with Hollywood screenwriter and director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, who wrote the screenplay for the 2004 blockbuster film ‘The Day After Tomorrow’. The film depicts the catastrophic effects of climate change and the dawning of a new ice age.

Life often imitates art, but how much of the film’s predictions have come to pass? The answer is in places as chilling as the film’s closing scenes. In this episode, we explore Jeffrey’s journey into filmmaking, the science behind ‘The Day After Tomorrow’, and how telling fictional stories can have real-world resonance.

Whether you’re a film enthusiast or a sustainability expert, this episode offers a unique perspective that combines the world of entertainment with pressing global issues.

More about Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Jeffrey Nachmanoff was born and raised in Virginia and moved to London with his family as a teen. He majored in Visual Arts and English at Harvard, where he somehow convinced his instructors to give him credit for travelling with a family circus as a senior thesis. The photo-documentary book he made about the experience, a mix of black and white images and oral histories, convinced him that what he really wanted to do was tell stories with pictures. After a brief stint as an editor, he subsequently went to USC film school and embarked on a career as a director and screenwriter.

His big break came when he wrote the ecological disaster movie “The Day After Tomorrow”. He spent several years as a screenwriter before transitioning to writer/director on the feature film “Traitor”, an international espionage thriller starring Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce.

Nachmanoff’s extensive television credits include directing the pilots for the dramas “Detroit 187” (ABC), “Chicago Fire” (NBC), and Hostages (CBS), which he also wrote and served as co-showrunner on for the series. In addition, he co-wrote the pilot for “Legends” (TNT). His episodic directing work includes “Homeland” (Showtime), “The Brave” (NBC), “The Passage” (FOX), “Lovecraft Country” (HBO), “Echo 3” (APPLE) and “Daredevil: Born Again” (MARVEL). He served as a consulting producer on Chicago PD (NBC) and directed the independent sci-fi feature “Replicas” (starring Keanu Reeves). He currently lives in Los Angeles with his family.

Find out more about Jeffrey Nachmanoff and his work HERE.

Listen to all the episodes of Sustainability Talks HERE.