** Cadence will take place in April as a hybrid festival, and NWFF will continue adapting to evolving recommendations to protect the public from COVID-19. **

Verse meets visuals in motion during a series of cinepoem screenings, ekphrastic responses, and generative workshops celebrating National Poetry Month.

Northwest Film Forum is soliciting video poetry for inclusion in Cadence Video Poetry Festival, with selected submissions screening in April 2023.

Video poetry is language as light. As an art form, video poetry is lucid and liminal—on the threshold of the literary and the moving image. It articulates the poetic image visually, rather than metaphorically—it shifts words from page to screen, from ink to light. A video poem makes meaning that would not exist if text was without image, image without text. It is language-based video work or a video-based poem. Video poetry is a literary genre presented as visual media.

We are looking for works that fit within the following categories of video poetry.

• Adaptations/Ekphrasis: Videos created to bring new meaning and dimension to pre-existing poetry. Any poems used for this purpose must be in the public domain or else used with written consent of the author.

• Collaboration: Video poems created in collaboration between a video artist and writer.

• Video by Poets: Poets creating video from, or as, their writing.

• Poetry by Video Artists: Video artists using text visually or through audio intrinsic to the poetic meaning.

• Wild Card: Video work that’s poetically informed or poetry that’s visually informed that doesn’t neatly fit into one of the other categories.

Cadence Video Poetry Festival is presented by NWFF and programmed in collaboration with Chelsea Werner-Jatzke and Rana San.

Banner Image: "Black Paint" (dir. Hanan Diriye)
Square Image: "corps minéral" (dir. Charline Dally & Gabrielle Harnois-Blouin)

ABOUT NORTHWEST FILM FORUM
Founded in Seattle in 1995 as an independent film and arts nonprofit, Northwest Film Forum incites public dialogue and creative action through collective cinematic experiences. Each year the Forum presents hundreds of films, festivals, community events, multidisciplinary performances, and public discussions. As a comprehensive visual media organization, the Forum offers educational workshops and artist services for film and media makers at all stages of their development. More information is available at nwfilmforum.org.

Awards & Prizes

Each selected video poem will receive an artist fee.

Video poems will be eligible for an award within these categories:
• Adaptations/Ekphrasis
• Collaboration
• Video by Poets
• Poetry by Video Artists
• Wild Card
• Northwest Artist

Award winners will be announced at the April screenings.

Jury members TBA!

Rules & Terms

Submission deadline: March 1

1. We welcome submissions in all languages. As the judging will be by English speakers, we ask that films in other languages contain English subtitles. If a barrier to understanding language is part of the concept of your video poem, we will respect the stylistic choices of the artist and honor the piece in its authentic form.

2. We encourage submissions under 5 minutes including credits, and will consider longer works on a case by case basis.

3. If your film has subtitles, captions, and/or audio descriptions available, please provide these as a .srt or .vtt file (if they’re burned in, that is fine!). If your film does not have captions, we will offer you resources to create an accessible experience for audiences.

4. All submissions will receive notification no later than March 31, 2023.

5. If selected for screening at the festival, the filmmaker will be required to submit the following:

• Brief film synopsis
• Credits for director(s) + writer(s)
• 1-2 high-resolution film stills
• 1920x1080 h.264 film exhibition copy
• Caption/subtitle file either burned in or as .srt or .vtt

6. By submitting a film to Cadence Video Poetry Festival, you certify that:

• You are the owner of the film you have submitted or you have full authority to submit the film to the festival.

• This film is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation.

• This film is your original work and you agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Northwest Film Forum and its employees, volunteers and board of directors individually and collectively, from and against all claims, complaints, causes of action, liabilities, judgments, losses, costs and expenses including reasonable attorneys fees arising out of or in connection with any and all claims and/or third party claims based on materials you are submitting to the festival.
29 Reviews
Overall Rating
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  • Anthony Matos

    I had an incredible experience with Cadence, as a virtual attendee and filmmaker. From the point of being notified that my film was selected to the actual screening period, Cadence was very helpful and communicative of what they needed from me, and how to watch the films virtually. I'm grateful to have been included in the festival and look forward to attending in future years!

    June 2022
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  • Kathryn Darnell

    A wonderful festival of poetry and film; hugely diverse in concept, style and theme. Well organized. Communication was open and clear. I wish I could have attended In person but even the online interaction was lovely. Thank you to all the passionate people who made Cadence happen.

    May 2022
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  • Ebba Jahn

    A festival team that truly cares about the diversity of poetry videos and their makers - I'm grateful we could participate online and I enjoyed the 50 films program - and the "Collaboration Award" for "Lightwaves Soundwaves". Thanks so much for being out there.

    May 2022
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  • Fran Núñez

    The Festival was amazing, I'm honored to be selected. The whole program was of great quality, and the communication from the organizers was always very good and constant, they made you feel part of the festival even from a distance. Many thanks to Râna and Chelsea for such a wonderful Festival.

    May 2022
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  • marina sagona

    Râna San and Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, directors of the festival, are wonderful and their communication is impeccable. I'm honored to be one of their selections and awardees.

    May 2022
    Helpful