International and Domestic Competitions, ESG Special Competition
Total Prize Money 12 Million KRW, Screening at Overseas Film Festivals
Submission Length 210 Seconds Ultra-Short Films
Finalists Can Be Seen Throughout Seoul Subway Stations
Seoul Metro Corporation is accepting submissions for the "15th Seoul Metro International Subway Film Festival (SMIFF)" until the 19th of next month.
The festival's competition categories are divided into International, Domestic, and ESG Special Competitions. Unlike the International and Domestic competitions, which have no thematic restrictions, the ESG Special Competition calls for future-oriented works centered on environmental themes. Submitted works must be understandable through visuals alone without sound, as they will be screened inside subway trains.
The duration of submissions is 210 seconds. Since last year’s festival, the video length was extended from 90 seconds to 210 seconds. Starting this year, the number of finalists in the ESG Special Competition will increase from 10 to 15, aiming to enhance the quality of submissions. Entries can be submitted via the online platform FilmFreeway.
The International Subway Film Festival is jointly hosted by Seoul Metro Corporation and the Seoul International Short Film Festival Association (Chairman Min Byung-rok). For the third consecutive year, Shinhan Card is participating as a sponsor.
Last year’s award-winning works included "Footprints (Memory Circulation Line, directed by Kim Min-seung)" in the Domestic Competition, "The Best Day (directed by Woody Yocum)" in the International Competition, and "Stagnant (directed by Kang Min-gu)" in the ESG Special Award category. The prize money for the grand prize in each category and the ESG Special Award is 2 million KRW each.
This year, the festival will also continue the short film production support project "E-CUT for Directors." Next month, it will publicly call for short film scripts from new directors. Selected directors will receive production support funds to create a 10-minute short film. Last year’s "E-CUT" featured actors Bae Soo-bin and Kim Joo-ah donating their talents.
The corporation will select 50 finalists (20 for International Competition, 15 for Domestic Competition, and 15 for ESG Special Competition) who pass the screening by experts such as festival programmers and film directors. These will be announced on the festival website on August 6. The finalists’ works will be viewable during the festival period from August 29 to September 25 via subway destination display boards, monitors inside stations, the festival website, and social media platforms.
The final six award-winning works will be decided through online audience voting on the festival website and other methods. Winners will receive a total of approximately 12 million KRW in prize money and goods. Award-winning films will also be screened at the Barcelona Subway Film Festival and the Copenhagen Short Film Festival in Denmark.
Meanwhile, if filming is required within Seoul Metro facilities for festival submissions, prior approval must be obtained from the corporation’s officials. The permitted filming period is from the 26th of this month to July 15.
Ma Hae-geun, head of the corporation’s Public Relations Office, said, "The International Subway Film Festival is an urban video festival combining subways and film festivals, as well as a venue for international cultural exchange. We hope this year’s festival, held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the subway’s opening, will offer citizens a moment of leisure during their daily lives through 210 seconds of video, capturing their hearts. We ask for your active interest and participation."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
