The International Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival (KLEFF) is Malaysia’s homegrown environmental film festival for the past 12 years. Conceptualised and organised by a not-for-profit environmental organisation, EcoKnights, the Festival is a platform to facilitate the building of 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.

Returning from 2019 with a stronger theme on climate change – ‘Climate (in)Justice’, KLEFF seeks for thought-provoking films that inspire and empower people not only in climate change but also on a myriad of worldwide environmental topics.

‘Climate (in)Justice’ is an interdisciplinary theme that consists of the environment, ecology and sustainable development in a comprehensive sense, therefore we encourage films to cover climate change and environmental topics, but can certainly overlap with social, economic, spiritual, or other themes. The festival committee will be curating a selection of films of different genres with strong audience appeal - Documentaries, narratives, shorts, children’s films, experimental films, animations and public service announcement.

Awards & Prizes

1. Best Feature Film/Full length Documentary: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

2. Best Short Documentary/TV Documentary: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

3. Best Short Film: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

4. Best Animation: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

5. Best PSA: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

6. Special Jury Award: Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

7. ASEAN Young Film Maker Award (only for students): Cash prize, a plaque, certificate and hamper

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

9. Best Cinematic Film Award (awarded to a long documentary: A plaque, certificate and hamper

10. Climate In Justice Award (awarded to a film between 2 – 30 minutes): A plaque, certificate and hamper

11. Special VR Award (awarded to a film between 2 – 5 minutes): A plaque, certificate and hamper

Rules & Terms

Clause 1: Thematic
THEME: Climate (in)Justice

TOPIC OF FOCUS: Climate change, climate mitigation, science and technology, science and research, resource management, waste management, sustainability, alternative energies, green architecture, green finance, agriculture, wildlife conservation, indigenous or local community and issues, youth in environmentalism.

*Films should cover climate change and 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.

Clause 2: Competitions
At present, the festival’s official competition involves FIVE (5) sections:

• FEATURE or FULL-LENGTH DOCUMENTARY:
- Non-fictional motion picture intended to document and reflect reality
- Film run-time: 45 -60 minutes

• SHORT DOCUMENTARY:
- Non-fictional motion picture intended to document and reflect reality
- Film run-time: 5 - 44 minutes

• SHORT FILM:
- Original motion picture of any genre: drama, action, comedy, thriller, etc.
- Film run-time: 5 - 44 minutes

• ANIMATION:
- Includes: traditional animation, 2D animation, 3D animation, motion graphics, and stop motion
- Film run-time: 3 - 60 minutes
• PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (PSAs):

- A commercial/advertisement that is able to disseminate information quickly, clearly and efficiently
- Film run-time: 1 - 4 minutes

Cluase 4:- Rights
By submitting films to KLEFF, candidates thereby grant KLEFF to obtain full access permission to the film and make sure the film does not contravene the rights, including copyright of any third party.

Clause 5:- Promo Use
Filmmakers who submitted films grant KLEFF the right to use up to 30 seconds of the film for media promotion purposes.

Clause 6:- Subtitles
All films submitted should have English subtitles.

CLause 7:- Unfinished Films
Please contact us before the deadline to request permission to submit an incomplete film, or have an extension granted. We will need to see a rough cut of whatever you have ready before our submission deadline closes. If your film is accepted, we will need the final version by mid-June. Please make sure you contact us before the entry deadline to discuss this with us.

18 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Shelly Solomon

    It was really great to get our story of hope for the planet into the IKLEFF film festival and be short listed for best documentary!

    December 2019
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  • Ebrahim Mohammed

    Nice festival with alot of activities around

    October 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Dear Ebrahim, thank you for your review and comments. We wish you all the best in your filmmaking journey and hope to cross path with you. Keep in touch in the KLEFF 2019 Filmmaker Networking Group.

  • KM Taj-Biul Hasan

    A very good and excellent Eco film festival so far I attend in my 25 years film career. In all aspect it is the best Eco film festival. I learnt many things and enriched my knowledge on Environment and Climate issues through this festival . My heartiest thanks to the organizer to arrange such a festival

    October 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Dear Hasan, thank you for your review and support for the festival. We aim to improve more for the next year's festival, therefore thank you for your review. It's good to know that the festival helped to enrich your knowledge and view on environmental issues. Good luck in the future and we shall cross paths again.

  • Colin Sytsma

    Amazing festival with great people! Definitely worth submitting to this festival and figuring out how you can attend.

    October 2019
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    Response from festival:

    Dear Colin, many thanks for your review and support for the festival. Thank you for coming over for the second time, we really appreciate it. All the best in the future and let's cross paths again!

  • Harvests of Hope

    Great festival, excellent communications. We hope to make it there next time!

    January 2019
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