13th Ó Bhéal Poetry Film Competition

Huge Congratulations to Anya Ryzhkova! - Winner of the 12th Ó Bhéal Poetry-Film Competition, for her superb film '09.01.berkovich'. 30 shortlisted films were screened at the 12th Winter Warmer poetry festival (22nd-24th Nov 2024) at Nano Nagle Place in Cork city, as well as online. The screenings can be viewed here:

https://www.obheal.ie/WinterWarmer/PoetryFestival2024.htm

For the 13th edition, a competition shortlist of 30 films will be chosen from all entries, and screened on 30th November 2025. They will also be live steamed. A further 15 films made in Ireland will form an additional screening. The Winter Warmer poetry festival was discontinued in December 2024, so we will be announcing a new screening venue during the year.

Previous winners include Anya Ryzhkova, Kate Sweeney, Jelle Meys, Janet Lees, Peta-Maria Tunui, Waitahi Aniwaniwa McGee, Shania Bailey-Edmonds, Jesse-Ana Harris, Lilián Pallares, Charles Olsen, Fiona Aryan, Alvaro Martin, Kayla Jeanson, Marie Craven, Cheryl Gross, Marleen van der Werf and Manuel Vilarinho.

The overall winner of the Ó Bhéal International Poetry Film Competition will receive the festival award for best poetry-film, along with a cash prize of 500 euros. The award is designed by glass artist/poet Michael Ray.

In addition, the Irish Poetry Film selection will also produce one winner, who will receive a cash prize of 250 euros.

View previous winners and prizes at: https://www.obheal.ie/blog/competition-poetry-film/

Shortlisted films to date have also featured in Ó Bhéal’s poetry-film touring programme, at a number of international film and literary festivals, to date including the Clare Island Film Festival, Belfast Film Festival, Stanzas in Limerick, the Cyclops festival in Kiev, Poemaria in Vigo, the Madeira Literary Festival (2018), Salerno Letteratura (2018), Cadence: Video Poetry Festival in Seattle (2019) and REEL Poetry festival, Houston, Tx (2025).

International submissions are accepted for any poetry-film under ten minutes (English subtitles are required for non-english language films). Entries must have been completed within two years of the opening submission date (since 1st May 2023).

Submissions will be open from 1st May – 31st August. Entries made outside of these dates cannot be considered. You may submit as many films as you like – each entry must convey a poem (present in its entirety, audibly and/or visually).

Broadly speaking, a poetry-film is the translation of a poem into film form, by way of interpretation that features the entire poem, either visually and/or audibly.

Overall Rating

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Fiona Tinwei Lam

So honoured to have a poetry video included in this long-running, well-run festival! Thank you, organizers!

January 2025

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Sarah Tremlett

A wonderful festival, especially if you get to go to Cork, but also invaluable that it is also online. Thank you SO much for including Flight / Vuelo in this years festival. Congratulations and long may you continue.

December 2024

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Greg Roensch

Thanks to the Ó Bhéal Poetry-Film Competition for including my short film "How Much Filipino." I've been impressed by this team's communication from start to finish. I particularly love seeing updates from their event on social media. My only regret is that I wish I could have attended in person. Congratulations and thanks again.

December 2024

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Fiona Aryan

This festival has a lovely welcoming atmosphere and shows an inspiring and diverse selection of Irish and international poetry films.

December 2023

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Grace Wells

Ó Bhéal is one of the warmest and most supportive poetry-film festivals out there. Really supportive of this genre, and finding great work from Ireland and across the world.

December 2023

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