Overview
The Seoul International Eco Film Festival (SIEFF) is the largest environmental film festival in Asia. Founded in 2004 by the Korea Green Foundation (now the Environment Foundation), the festival is held annually in Seoul timed to World Environment Day on June 5. The 23rd edition ran June 5 to 30, 2026, opening at Lotte Concert Hall with 1,433 attendees on opening night. The festival is organized by the Environment Foundation and supported by the Ministry of Environment, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea Forest Service, and Korean Film Council.
The 2026 competition received 2,133 entries from 119 countries (1,716 international and 417 Korean). After preliminary screening, 40 films were selected as finalists: 19 in the Korean Competition (7 features, 12 shorts) and 21 in the International Competition (10 features, 11 shorts). The 2026 edition introduced a new AI Environmental Film Competition section, reflecting the festival's effort to capture how AI is being used to document and interpret the environmental crisis.
Total prize money for the 2026 edition was 26,000,000 KRW (approximately $19,500 USD). The festival is non-competitive in its overall structure but runs competitive sections within its program. Submission is free, and the festival accepts films through FilmFreeway.
Submission Details
Submissions are accepted through FilmFreeway. Key details for the 23rd edition (2026):
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Submission Deadline | February 2, 2026 |
| Notification Date | May 1, 2026 |
| Festival Dates | June 5 to 30, 2026 |
| Submission Fee | Free |
| Eligibility Window | Films completed after January 1, 2024 |
| Features | Longer than 40 minutes |
| Shorts | Less than 40 minutes |
| Resubmissions | Not allowed |
| Subtitles | English subtitles required if not in Korean or English |
| Submission Platform | FilmFreeway |
Eligibility requirements:
- Films must deal with environmental issues regardless of genre. The festival defines "environment" broadly, including climate change, biodiversity, pollution, indigenous land rights, renewable energy, and related subjects.
- Films must have been completed after January 1, 2024.
- Films must never have been submitted to SIEFF before. Re-submissions are not allowed.
- If dialogues are not in Korean or English, films must be subtitled in English.
- Submissions are online only via FilmFreeway, a policy the festival adopted to reduce carbon emissions.
Competition Categories and Awards
The 2026 edition awarded 26,000,000 KRW in total prize money across three competition sections:
Korean Environmental Film Competition:
- Grand Prize - 10,000,000 KRW (~$7,500 USD). The 2026 winner was Just a Place We Stay for a While (단지, 우리가 잠시 머무는 곳) by Wang Min-chul, about caged bears and the women who advocate for them.
- Excellence Award - 3,000,000 KRW (~$2,250 USD). The 2026 winners (shared) were Jeongbaeng-i by Oh Jung-hoon and Seomseom-oksu by Lee Eun-hee.
- Audience Jury Award - 2,000,000 KRW (~$1,500 USD). The 2026 winner was People Who Count Carbon (탄소를 세는 사람들).
International Environmental Film Competition:
- Grand Prize - 8,000,000 KRW (~$6,000 USD). The 2026 winner was How Deep is Your Love (사랑은 얼마나 깊은가) by Eleanora Mortimer, about deep-sea ecosystem scientists and the risks of seabed resource extraction.
- Special Jury Prize - 3,000,000 KRW (~$2,250 USD). The 2026 winner was Mysterious Ornithology (신비로운 조류학) by Jeremy Cyphert and Benjamin James Roberts.
- Audience Award - selected by festival audience vote.
AI Environmental Film Competition (new in 2026):
- AI Environmental Film Grand Prize - 2,000,000 KRW (~$1,500 USD). A new section reflecting the use of AI in environmental filmmaking.
Key Sections
- Korean Environmental Film Competition - competitive section for Korean films on environmental themes (features and shorts)
- International Environmental Film Competition - competitive section for international films (features and shorts)
- AI Environmental Film Competition - new in 2026, for films using AI to document or interpret environmental crisis
- Cinema Green Teen - environmental education program for elementary, middle, and high school students
- Green Talk - talk program diagnosing climate change problems and exploring alternatives from a long-term perspective
- SIEFF IN - community screening program that travels to venues across South Korea
- Special Screenings - opening night film, closing ceremony, and thematic programs
- Online Screenings - selected films available free online via the festival website and B tv through June 30
What Filmmakers Should Know
SIEFF is the most strategically important environmental film festival in Asia. The free submission removes a financial barrier, and the prize money (26,000,000 KRW total in 2026) is substantial for a specialty festival. The festival's timing on World Environment Day (June 5) generates media coverage and government attention that amplifies selected films.
The competition is significant: 2,133 entries from 119 countries in 2026, with only 40 films selected as finalists. That is an acceptance rate of approximately 1.9%. The Korean Competition is restricted to Korean filmmakers, while the International Competition is open to filmmakers from any country.
Films that have been submitted to SIEFF before are permanently ineligible. This means filmmakers must time their submission carefully. If your film is not ready by the February deadline, you cannot submit it the following year if it was already submitted and rejected.
The festival's online screening program extends the audience reach beyond physical attendance. Selected films are available free via the festival website and B tv (a Korean IPTV platform) through June 30, which means films reach Korean audiences who cannot attend in person. The SIEFF IN community screening program further extends reach to venues across South Korea after the main festival.
For environmental documentary filmmakers seeking Asian audience exposure, SIEFF is the primary platform. The festival's partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Seoul Metropolitan Government gives selected films direct access to Korean environmental policy audiences.
Festival History
The Seoul International Eco Film Festival was founded in 2004 by the Korea Green Foundation as the Green Film Festival in Seoul (GFFIS). The festival was established as environmental consciousness grew rapidly in South Korea following the country's period of intensive industrial development. It was the first environmental film festival in Korea and has grown into the largest in Asia.
The festival was renamed Seoul Eco Film Festival in 2018, and then renamed again to Seoul International Eco Film Festival (SIEFF) in 2022 with the 19th edition, adopting the slogan "Ecoverse" to reflect the expansion of environmental discourse. The festival has been held at various venues over the years, including the Seoul Museum of History, Cinecube, INDIESPACE, and currently Lotte Concert Hall and KT&G Sangsangmadang.
The 18th edition (2021) was held with no on-site audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic, live-streamed via the festival's YouTube channel, screening 64 films from 25 countries. The festival returned to in-person screening in subsequent editions.
The 2026 edition (23rd) opened on June 5 at Lotte Concert Hall with 1,433 attendees. The opening ceremony featured Environment Foundation Chair Choi Yeol, KAIST neuroscience professor Jung Jae-seung, Environment Foundation Co-CEO Lee Mi-kyung, and official promotional ambassadors including singer Bada and Yoon Do-hyun. The awards ceremony was held on June 7 at KT&G Sangsangmadang in Seoul. Online screenings and citizen participation programs continued through June 30, including the World Youth Climate Forum and the Cinema Green Teen education program.
Past Winners
The 2026 winners are listed above in the Competition Categories and Awards section. Recent prior editions:
2025 (22nd edition):
- Korean Competition Grand Prize: The Moment the Bell Rings (종이 울리는 순간) by Kim Joo-young and Komeil Soheili, about development and conservation conflicts on Mount Gariwang
- Opening film: Can I Get a Witness? by Ann Marie Fleming, starring Sandra Oh
2023 (20th edition):
- Korean Competition Grand Prize: Sura: A Love Song by Hwang Yun, about mud flat ecosystems near the Saemangeum reclamation project
- Korean Competition Excellence Prize: Sanctuary by Wang Micheol and Mermaid Dream by Woo Kwanghoon
- International Competition Best Feature Film: Striking Land by Raul Domingues and Drifting Woods by Pia Rönicke
- International Competition Special Jury Award: Utama by Alejandro Loayza Grisi
- International Competition Audience's Choice: Nuclear Nomads by Kilian Armando Friedrich and Tizian Stromp Zagari
2022 (19th edition):
- International Competition Best Feature Film: Mata by Fábio Nascimento and Ingrid Fadnes
- International Competition Special Jury Award: Haulout by Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
- International Competition Audience's Choice: Coextinction by Gloria Pancrazi and Elena Jean
- Korean Competition Excellence Prize: Piano Prism by Oh Jae Hyeong
- Korean Competition Special Audience Jury Award: In the Sky Where Seasons Pass By by Ko Hanbul
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Utama (2022) - Won the Special Jury Award at SIEFF 2023. Also won the Grand Jury Prize (World Cinema Dramatic) at Sundance. Was Bolivia's submission for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.
- Haulout (2022) - Won the Special Jury Award at SIEFF 2022. Went on to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film at the 95th Oscars. Premiered at Berlinale 2022.
- The Moment the Bell Rings - Won the Korean Competition Grand Prize at SIEFF 2025 (22nd edition). Received a theatrical press screening at CGV Yongsan I-Park Mall and expanded to wider Korean release.
- Can I Get a Witness? (2024) - Opening film at SIEFF 2025. Directed by Ann Marie Fleming and starring Sandra Oh. Premiered at TIFF and won several Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards.
- Hirokazu Kore-eda's early TV documentaries screened at SIEFF 2023 as Korean premieres. These included However... (1991) and Where Has All the Pollution Gone? (1992), offering Korean audiences the first look at the director's pre-cinema work.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
SIEFF defines "environment" broadly. Films about climate change, biodiversity, pollution, indigenous land rights, and renewable energy all qualify. The festival also accepts films about the intersection of human communities and natural systems, so do not narrow your subject to wildlife or nature alone.
The no-resubmission rule is permanent. If your film is rejected once, it can never be submitted again. This means you should wait until your film is fully polished before submitting. Submitting a rough cut to meet the deadline is a mistake you cannot undo.
The Korean Competition is restricted to Korean filmmakers. If you are a Korean filmmaker, this section has less international competition than the International Competition. The prize money for the Korean Grand Prize (10,000,000 KRW) is higher than the International Grand Prize (8,000,000 KRW).
The festival's online screening program extends audience reach through June 30 via the festival website and B tv. This means your film reaches Korean audiences who cannot attend in person. If your distribution strategy relies on geographic exclusivity, factor this extended online window into your planning.
The new AI Environmental Film Competition (introduced 2026) is a emerging category with less competition than the established sections. If your film uses AI tools in its production or addresses AI's environmental impact, this section offers a less crowded entry point.
Industry Reputation Notes
SIEFF is the largest environmental film festival in Asia. Its closest peer is the Washington, DC-based Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital (DCEFF), which is the largest environmental film festival in the US. SIEFF's advantage is its government backing from the Korean Ministry of Environment and Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Compared to DCEFF, SIEFF offers cash prizes (26,000,000 KRW in 2026) while DCEFF is non-competitive. SIEFF's competition structure gives selected films a juried award that can be cited in marketing materials. DCEFF offers broader US industry exposure but no prize money.
The festival's timing on World Environment Day (June 5) generates press coverage and government attention. This amplification is unique among environmental festivals. The Korean Film Council (KOFIC) support also means selected films are tracked within the Korean film industry infrastructure.
SIEFF's acceptance rate is approximately 1.9% (40 finalists from 2,133 entries in 2026). This selectivity is comparable to top-tier general festivals. The festival's free submission policy means volume is high, so standing out requires a strong environmental hook and polished execution.
Watch
See Also
Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For environmental documentary approaches, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival strategy guidance, see Film Festival Strategy. Submit through the SIEFF FilmFreeway page or visit the official festival site.
