Seoul Metro Calls for Entries for International Subway Film Festival

Submissions Open for Three Categories Until August 13
Fifty Finalists to Be Selected for 210-Second Films
Opportunities for Screening and Invitations at International Film Festivals

Seoul Metro will publicly accept submissions for the 16th Seoul Metro International Subway Film Festival (SMIFF) from July 24 to August 13, targeting citizens interested in subways and ultra-short films.

The International Subway Film Festival is co-hosted by Seoul Metro and the Seoul International Extreme-Short Image & Film Festival, with support from CGV, Yongsan I’Park Mall, Dore Dore, and M Project, among others.

Provided by Seoul Metro.

The competition is divided into International Competition, Domestic Competition, and ESG Special Competition. The International and Domestic categories accept ultra-short films on any theme, while the ESG category is for ultra-short films (within 210 seconds) on the environment. All films must be produced so that their content can be understood without sound, considering screening inside subway trains. Submissions are accepted via the online platform FilmFreeway.

If filming is required inside subway facilities, applicants must apply to Seoul Metro at least five days in advance. The permitted filming period is from July 29 to August 10.

A total of 50 finalists (20 international, 15 domestic, 15 ESG) will be selected through expert review and announced on the festival website on September 2. Screenings will take place from September 25 to October 24 via subway information displays, monitors inside stations, the official website, and social networking services (SNS).

Six award-winning works will be selected through online audience voting and other methods. Winners will receive a total prize pool of 12 million KRW and will also be screened at the Barcelona Subway Film Festival and the Copenhagen Short Film Festival in Denmark.

Meanwhile, the ‘E-CUT: For the Directors’ program, which supports emerging directors, will also be held, with the final selected works to be announced on July 30. This year’s E-CUT project features actors Jeon Somin, Lim Hyunju, and Kim Jua, who are participating as talent donors to support production.

Nah Inho, Head of Public Relations at Seoul Metro, said, “Through this film festival, we hope that citizens can experience art in their daily lives in the small cinema of the subway, and interact closely with international works. We look forward to your interest and participation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.