Moving Subway Cinema... 'International Subway Film Festival' Opens on the 28th

From the 28th to the 21st of next month, 90-Second Microfilms to Be Screened on Seoul Subway

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The 13th Seoul Metro International Subway Film Festival, jointly hosted by Seoul Metro and the Seoul International Short Film Festival and sponsored by Shinhan Card, will be held from the 28th to October 21.

During the submission period from June 10 to August 5, a total of 1,112 works were submitted from 46 countries. Among them, 45 works advanced to the finals after being judged by five film experts. Additionally, 30 invited works from the Barcelona Subway Film Festival and the Copenhagen Short Film Festival will be screened, making a total of 75 works shown in subway spaces.

The screened works can be viewed through destination information displays installed on trains and platforms of Seoul Subway Lines 5 to 8. This year, a QR code was specially included in the poster to allow easy viewing of the films on mobile phones. Citizens who access the festival’s online screening room via the QR code can watch all 75 screened works. The festival posters are posted throughout all stations managed by Seoul Metro.

Furthermore, with the participation of sponsor Shinhan Card, the newly established Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Special Award competition works can be viewed at the ‘Euljiro Sai’ space located at Euljiro 3-ga (Shinhan Card) Station. Through multiple screens set up in the ‘Euljiro Sai’ space, citizens can experience various perspectives on corporate eco-friendly management and social contributions in 180-second films. Domestic competition works are also screened via media boards installed at Gwanghwamun Station.

Through a citizen vote held on the film festival’s website, six final award-winning works (two international competition, three domestic competition, and one ESG Special Award) will be selected from the finalists. The online citizen voting runs from the 28th until midnight on October 18, and participants will have a chance to win prizes such as AirPods Max, Apple Watch, and movie tickets through a lottery.

This film festival is jointly hosted under an agreement with Spain’s Barcelona Transport Authority (TMB). Winners will receive a total of approximately 11 million KRW in prize money and goods. Award-winning works will be simultaneously screened on Barcelona’s subway, bus, and tram systems, allowing creators to gain international recognition. This year’s awards ceremony will be held live on-site from 4 p.m. on the 21st of next month at CGV Yeongdeungpo, with attendance by Kim Sang-beom, President of Seoul Metro, representatives from Shinhan Card, Barcelona Transport Authority (TMB), and other officials.

Kim Jeong-hwan, Head of Public Relations at Seoul Metro, said, "We hope many subway users will enjoy art and culture by watching short films."