The EU at SIEFF 2025: Advancing climate diplomacy through cinema

From 5 to 8 June 2025, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea, through the EU–Korea Green Partnership Programme, proudly supported the 22nd edition of the Seoul International Eco Film Festival (SIEFF) – Asia’s leading platform for environmental cinema organized by the K-Green Foundation.

Held annually around World Environment Day (June 5), SIEFF 2025 brought together 77 films from 35 countries, showcasing a dynamic range of documentaries, short films, and fiction works exploring environmental and climate-related themes. Through this partnership, the European Union highlighted its strong commitment to green diplomacy, cultural exchange, and public awareness on global sustainability.

Reinforcing its support for sustainability-themed cinema, the EU proudly co-sponsored the SIEFF 2025 International Competition Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to environmental storytelling and impact-driven filmmaking. Congratulations to Searching for Amani which won the best international film award and Where We Used to Sleep which earned the audience's recognition in the international competition.

The EU-Korea Green Partnership Programme also co-organized four public Guest Talks, featuring directors, producers, and activists from Europe who engaged with Korean audiences in post-screening discussions on both the artistic and environmental aspects of their work. These exchanges sparked lively dialogue and strengthened cultural connections around shared climate concerns.

Guest Talk Highlights:

• Matthäus W. Wörle (Germany) – Where We Used to Sleep
• Beatrice Segolini (Italy) – Dangerously Close
• Kim Yip Tong (France) – Black Tide
• Rossano Ercolini (Italy) – Plastic Fantastic

By bringing European voices and films to a Korean audience, this collaboration underscored the power of cinema as a bridge between cultures and a driver of climate literacy. 

“Our world faces an existential threat – a triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental pollution. […] The SIEFF is one excellent example of how we can work together practically to raise international environmental awareness and speed up the green transition, one frame at a time.” said Maria Castillo Fernandez, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea.