Aria McKenna is a multifaceted filmmaker and climate impact strategist, having received training from Al Gore. She is dedicated to building bridges between climate scientists, policymakers, the media, and the public. Born in Miami, which is considered ground zero for sea level rise in the United States, Aria's brand is "Saving Planet Us." Her mission is to use storytelling to break down cultural barriers that hinder our ability to restore a safe climate.
As a film producer, writer, director, voice-over artist, and award-winning actress, Aria has extensive experience in the entertainment industry. Her work has been showcased at various film festivals, including the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, and Tribeca Film Festival. Additionally, she has organized a Scientific Advisory Panel for director/producer Adam McKay's Hyperobject Industries, lobbied senators in and out of Washington D.C. with Citizens Climate Lobby, and co-founded the Healthy Planet Action Coalition with climate scientists and policy experts worldwide to restore a safe climate through the holistic "climate triad."
Aria has also created both short and long-form environmentally driven content through Global Cooling Productions and the Sierra Club, produced political ads for NY candidates through Quantum Surge Media, and was part of the narrative division of the Healthy Climate Alliance. Furthermore, she has served as an on-camera host for GreenTV and Long Island International Film Expo, and has been a keynote speaker for Al Gore's Climate Reality Project. Her other notable roles include helping produce the American Renewable Energy Institute's AREDay Summit, hosting Tom Steyer, and being part of the Climate and Energy Working Group for the American Sustainable Business Council.
Aria has also been involved with various organizations, including the advisory board for Love the Wild Foundation and active with Aspen Ideas Climate and Covering Climate Now. Having finished high school in Rome, Italy, Aria speaks fluent Italian and has a smattering of French and Spanish. In Rome, she got her first taste of theater acting and gained insight into the impact culture plays on beliefs and behavior.
After graduating from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, Aria performed in musicals at Shakespeare Santa Cruz before beginning her legit acting career on stage with Paul Rudd and Adam Scott in Bloody Poetry, which Paul produced. Following a summer waiting tables on the Italian seaside, she moved to New York, where she ran The New York Voice Over Success Program and Voice Tree Productions for almost two decades. During this time, she trained actors, produced and directed countless voice-over demos, and acted in supporting and starring roles in theater, film, TV, commercials, and audio-books.
However, after the BP Oil Spill devastated the Gulf of Mexico, Aria's favorite swimming spot as a teenager, she felt increasingly concerned about her daughter's future and compelled to find more purpose in her work. This led her to co-create the TV series, REVOLUTION EARTH, with Golden Globe, People's Choice Award winner Jeff Abugov. Then, while gaining more insight into the movement, Aria took the reins and began her deep dive into the environmental community.
Aria believes that stories can help bring out the best in our humanity, and that love of water and of family can help unite us to save what we love.
