The international Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival is Malaysia’s first and longest-running environmental film festival. In the last eight years, the Festival has reached out to approximately 90,000 Malaysians through its film screenings and programs at selected venues all over Malaysia.

Conceptualised and organised by not-for-profit environmental organisation, EcoKnights, the Festival is a platform to facilitate building a nation of ecologically conscious businesses, individuals, and communities through on-ground activities and film screenings focused on critical environmental issues and stories such as pollution, transboundary haze, indigenous people’s rights, wildlife protection, nuclear energy, climate change, sustainable food production, waste management, local environmental heroes and more.

The festival’s themes are the environment, ecology and sustainable development in a comprehensive sense. The festival accepts films that question the global place and impact of Man in and on his environment: biodiversity, environmental and human stakes, climate change, natural resources, science and research, evolution of borders, alternative energies, indigenous communities and issues, environmental health, urbanism, mobility, environmental activism, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and so forth.

Festival objectives:

The Kuala Lumpur Environmental Film Festival (KLEFF) is a celebration of the power of film to inspire, educate, and motivate audiences. KLEFF presents thought-provoking films and dialogue that raise awareness of a wide variety of interconnected ecological, social, and economic themes. The Festival provides an experience for the audience that goes beyond passive film viewing: KLEFF inspires audiences into awareness and action.

The mission of the KLEFF is to be one of the region’s most respected and sought after environmental film festivals. With so many urgent environmental issues that need to be addressed in the Southeast Asian region, the KLEFF aims to be at the forefront of highlighting these urgent issues to a broader audience with the aim of encouraging “call for action.”

The KLEFF aspires to continue its efforts to introduce the world’s best and award-winning environmental films. It also seeks to elevate the KLEFF to one of the most sought after festivals in the Southeast Asia region for international and Malaysian environmental film makers.

Awards & Prizes

Best Feature Film/Full length Documentary (Overall): RM1500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Short Documentary/TV Documentary: RM1000.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Short Film: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Animation: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best PSA: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

Special Jury Award: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

ASEAN Young Film Maker Award: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

Special RSPO Awards: A total of RM7000.00 cash, plaques, certificates and hampers
*Awards opened for students & non-students

Special ROL Awards: A total 3,500 cash, plaques, certificates and hampers
*Awards opened for films focusing on rivers in Malaysia

Special Merit Award (only for Malaysian): A plaque, certificate and hamper

Rules & Terms

Clause 1: Thematic

The festival’s themes are the environment, ecology and sustainable development in a comprehensive sense. Our mission, to celebrate the power of film to inspire, educate, and motivate audiences on environmental topics, is an excellent starting point in considering if your film is relevant for KLEFF. Films most likely to be selected will fit with our mission. The festival accepts films that question the global place and impact of Man in and on his environment: biodiversity, environmental and human stakes, climate change, natural resources, science and research, evolution of borders, alternative energies, indigenous communities and issues, environmental health, urbanism, mobility, environmental activism, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and so forth.

Films should cover environmental topics, but can certainly overlap with social, economic, spiritual, or other themes. We do not limit the films chosen to ones that, to us, have the right answers. It is more important that the films are thought-provoking. This is an open forum designed to inspire awareness and action on a myriad of worldwide environmental topics. The quality of the film production will also be considered and weighed. All genres, including documentaries, narratives, shorts, children’s films, and experimental films are all welcome and will be given equal consideration.

Clause 2: Competitions

At present, the festival’s official competition involves five (5) sections:

• Full-length documentaries and feature films
• TV and short documentaries (film run-time under 50 minutes)
• Short films (film run-time under 50 minutes)
• Animations (film run-time under 50 minutes)
• Public Service Announcements (PSAs) (film run-time under 20 minutes)

Clause 3: Awards

The jury for all film submissions to the 9th KLEFF competition consist of personalities from the worlds of environment, media, movies, and audiovisual, as well as entrepreneurs or artists engaged in and/or sensitive to environmental issues. The jury attributes the following awards to films submitted as part of the official competition:

Best Feature Film/Full length Documentary (Overall): RM1500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Short Documentary/TV Documentary: RM1000.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Short Film: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best Animation: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper)

Best PSA: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

Special Jury Award: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

ASEAN Young Film Maker Award: RM500.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

Special RSPO Award: RM2000.00 cash, a plaque, certificate and hamper

Special Merit Award (only for Malaysian): A plaque, certificate and hamper

The endowments that come with the awards are given to the director(s) or any individual he/she/they have appointed. For all these awards, in the event of a co-direction, the related endowment shall be divided among the directors. Each share will be paid to each co-director. In case of draw, endowment shall be split between the winning films.

The jury is free to award distinctions or merits to any other films or film makers where deem fit.

The people in charge of the films and works presented in the official competition solemnly pledge, should they receive an award, to ensure a clear visibility of the festival (logo, name…) on all their communication media.

NB: The festival might grant one or several additional award(s) that have not yet been defined, in relation with one (or several) external partner(s) that shall fund the total endowment linked with this/these award(s).
9 Reviews
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  • Elke Duerr

    Thank you! It was an honor to have my film at your festival!

    November 2017
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  • James Hughes

    Excellent in every way and very glad to be a part of it.

    November 2017
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  • John Teton

    Though a non-attending participant from another part of the world, as someone whose film was selected for KLEFF 2017, I commend the festival staff for running an efficient and classy festival that supports the art of filmmaking and inspires people to ensure a healthy future for the planet and its inhabitants.

    November 2017
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  • Pascal Gélinas

    Attending KLEFF was a great experience. This festival is very rich, workshops, performances and screenings included. A great work for the planet. Congratulations for including the young filmmaker's generation in the process. It is the key to the future.

    November 2017
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  • Farhan Umedaly

    KLEFF was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. I'm so glad to have been a part of it and the chance to showcase my work which went on to win Best Documentary Short at KLEFF2016!

    April 2017
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