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 on April 18 and jury award winners on April 25.

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 no longer than 5 minutes 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 videographer or video artist and poet.

• 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.

*Northwest Film Forum incites public dialogue and creative action through collective cinematic experiences. Cadence Video Poetry Festival is presented by NWFF and programmed in collaboration with Chelsea Werner-Jatzke.*

Awards & Prizes

Video poems will be eligible for an award within their submission category:
• Adaptations/Ekphrasis — Judged by Shawn Levy (Film Critic, OR)
• Collaboration — Judged by John Bresland (Essayist, OH)
• Video by Poets — Judged by Sarah Minor (Video Essay Editor, TriQuarterly)
• Poetry by Video Artists — Judged by Claudia Castro Luna (WA State Poet Laureate)

Awards (one per category):
• Poetry Northwest subscription
• Entre Rios book selection
• Pacifica Literary Review subscription
• Seattle Small Press bundle

Rules & Terms

Submission deadline: March 1

1. We welcome submissions in all languages. As the judging will be by English speakers, films in other languages must contain English subtitles.

2. Performance videos/videos of readings will not be eligible.

3. Film duration should not exceed 5 minutes including credits.

4. All submissions will receive notification no later than April 1, 2019.

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

• Brief film synopsis
• Credits of all involved
• 1-2 high-resolution film stills
• 1 high-resolution headshot
• 1920x1080 h.264 film exhibition copy

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

• You are the 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.