The International Organization for Migration (IOM) Mission in the Republic of Korea (ROK), in partnership with Asia Media Culture Factory, successfully hosted a film screening for the 12th Seoul Migrant Art Festival on 21 September 2023. Guests were provided with an opportunity to watch 3 films directed by migrant filmmakers and participated in the Guest Visit (GV) session. 

The Seoul Migrant Art Festival, which has been hosted annually since 2012, aims to discover migrant artists in the ROK and introduce their works to the Korean public. The 12th Seoul Migrant Art Festival was co-hosted by Asia Media Culture Factory and the Hope Center With Migrant Workers from 16 September to 24 September 2023. The occasion encompassed a series of events for the public, including a talk-show, music festival, food party, parade and band performance, with the slogan of “We who want art.”  

IOM ROK, under the theme of “Individual’s Story,” organised one of the two film screening events for the festival. Such initiative was particularly aligned with IOM’s I AM A MIGRANT (IAAM) campaign that aims to promote diversity, inclusion and fight xenophobia and divisive narratives on migration by sharing the personal stories and journeys of migrants. 3 films, including “Hope,” “Seoul Food” and “In Pursuit of a Dream” that depict the lives of migrants in the ROK were screened, followed by a GV session with two directors, Batbold Ariunsaikhan from Mongolia and Erika Noemi Munoz Burgos from Ecuador, to provide the audiences with an opportunity to learn about their personal migration journeys. The dialogue also allowed the attendees to discuss more concretely the lives of migrants and the meaning of migration. 

“Migrants can portray your society more successfully and candidly. In that sense, the films screened today were very refreshing and touching,” one of the guests remarked. Other sentiments such as "The film screening gave me an opportunity to think about migration” and “It was interesting to view migration from the perspective of migrants” were also shared by others. 

Through events and campaigns in various forms, IOM ROK will continue its endeavour to raise public awareness on migration and promote orderly and humane migration.   

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For more information, please contact Jae Ho LEE and Hayoung PARK, IOM Republic of Korea Mission, Tel.: +82 70 4820 0293, Email: jalee@iom.int, phayoung@iom.int