The Aotearoa Poetry Film Festival is an event entirely devoted to the celebration and showcase of poetry film. Poetry film or video poetry is a fast-growing art form that combines poetry, moving images, sound and music. We would like to invite film-makers and poets of any age and backgrounds to participate in the fourth edition of the Festival which will take place in November 2026 in Wellington. In particular, we encourage the submission of innovative and eclectic takes on poetry film as a distinct media form.

This year's iteration of the Festival will take place under the broader umbrella of the FILM ADJACENT Symposium 2026: Intimate Earth. The Festival will showcase one programme entirely devoted to poetry film produced both in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas as part of this broader event.

FILM ADJACENT is a Wellington-based film collective for experimental cinema. Their goal is to facilitate the mass proliferation of audio-visual artworks that enrich the human sensorium. The 2026 three-day event will be a celebration of alternative modes of audiovisual creation featuring workshops, panels and roundtables about media culture.

Please see website: https://filmadjacent.nz/symposium.html

Awards & Prizes

For this iteration of the festival, there will be no prizes, however, selections will be conducted competitively on the artistic merits of the submissions.

All films selected for competition will receive a festival laurel.

Rules & Terms

Film-makers assert, under their own liability, the complete right of use on copyrighted materials (images, words, sounds, music) that compose the artwork. Film-makers undertake complete liability for any breach of copyright laws. By submitting, participants release the festival from any legal claims, liabilities and damages.

The festival organisers reserve the right to disqualify films that are in breach of New Zealand copyright laws. 

Film-makers shall retain all copyrights of any image they submit.

Films may have been screened before at another festival or online, but must have been created after 1 January 2020 to be considered for competition. Entries that are publicly available online may not be selected. 

All films must be under 10 minutes in length including credits.

We welcome submissions in all languages, however, films that are not in English must contain English subtitles. Subtitles for films in Te Reo are optional. If a barrier to understanding language is part of the concept of your poetry film, we will respect your stylistic choices and honor the piece in its authentic form.

Festival organisers reserve the right to disqualify submissions that feature political propaganda, gratuitous violence, or discriminatory content. This includes (but is not limited to) ableism, homophobia, misogyny, racism, and transphobia.  

The Festival will accept a maximum number of 2 submissions per person. 

The Festival will make the final decision on the Official Selection. The Festival's decisions will be final and cannot be appealed.

The festival organisers reserve the right to alter, amend, or modify the Competition rules at any time, and all Participants concerned by these changes will be notified by email.
16 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
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  • Sukie Gethin

    SO APPRECIATIVE OF BEING INCLUDED IN THIS CREATIVITY FESTIVAL

    May 2026
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  • Katia Sophia Ditzler

    I didn't travel to Wellington, but I am very happy that my satirical poetry film "I THINK ABOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE EVERY DAY" was shown at this festival.

    December 2025
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  • Peter Whittenberger

    Thank you so very much for including my work in your festival. It is such an honor.

    December 2025
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  • Prema Cottingham

    This was a wonderful boutique festival, very welcoming and showed a great variety of poetic films in the line up.

    December 2025
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  • Tom Hackett

    Delighted to be part of this well organised festival specializing in Poetry Film. I was unable to get to it in person but saw clips on instagram and communication was warm and excellent.

    November 2025
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