The ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival will announce its next international competition in 2024.

The ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival is a project of the Haus für Poesie and has been running since 2002. It is a platform for short films based on poetry – the poetry films. Every year it offers poets, filmmakers and festival organizers from all over the world a platform for creative exchange, brainstorming and encounters with a broad audience. With a competition, film programs, poetry readings, retrospectives, exhibitions, performances, workshops, colloquia, lectures and a children's program, it presents the diversity of the poetry film genre in various sections.

In general, short films tell short stories or surprise us with experimental images and sounds. Poetry films, on the other hand, deal with poetry in terms of content, aesthetics and form. Because of its high mediality, poetry is a cross-section of the arts that film uses to create trans-media art. As a genre-transcending form that appeals to a wide audience, the poetry film is an excellent vehicle for presenting the diversity of poetry.

The ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival is organized by Haus für Poesie and will take place from June 5 to 8, 2025 as part of the poesiefestival berlin. Funded by the State of Berlin / Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion and with the kind support of the Goethe-Institut and interfilm Berlin.

In 2024, the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival is inviting entries for the International Poetry Film Competition! Eligible for entry are short films, based on poems of no more than 12 minutes duration, produced in or after 2023. All languages are allowed. The competition winners will be awarded prize money. A program committee will select films for the International Competition and for all other festival programs. The winning films will be chosen by a jury composed of representatives from the worlds of poetry, film, and media.

1. The organizer and promoter of the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival is the Haus für Poesie.

2. Eligible for entry are international films which are no more than 12 minutes in duration and were produced in or after 2023. All films submitted for entry must be audio-visual versions of one or more poems. All languages are allowed.

3. Deadline to enter is February 1, 2025. Entries must include: film file (MP4 or MOV), German or English translation of the poem(s) with indication of the source, published by title and publisher and, if available, the name of the translator(s). (PDF, Word), a digital film still (JPEG or TIFF, HiRes Foto), very brief content summary of max. 200 characters incl. spaces (Log Line), biography (poet), biography and filmography (director). All texts must be provided in digital form. Pay attention to the exact formatting of poems (upper/lower case, stanzas, line breaks etc.). All submitted films which comply with the rules will automatically be considered for selection for the competition and the various programs.

4. A program committee will select the films for the International Competition and recommend to the festival director films which could be shown in other programs in the festival. A jury comprising representatives from the worlds of poetry, film and media will decide on the award of the principal prizes. Persons involved in the production and utilisation of any competition entry may not be members of the jury.

5. The festival reserves the right to screen films longer than 12 minutes. The acceptable screening format is MP4 or MOV. English subtitles are required on the screening copies of selected films only.

6. The decision of the jury is made by a simple majority. The jury shall deliberate and vote in private and its members shall be bound by the obligation of secrecy.

7. The prize money will be paid to the directors by bank transfer or PayPal.

8. All entrants will be notified by email of the results of the screening by April 1, 2025. Please make sure your email address is correct and legible. No inquiries regarding the selection process will be answered prior to this date. No film may be withdrawn from the Competition program once its participation has been confirmed by the Festival as of April 1, 2025.

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  • Michael Jacob

    Wonderful festival, It was a pleasure having the opportunity to screen "Dawn" at this event

    February 2024
  • We love Zebra Poetry Film Festival. This was our second time and we met many wonderful filmmakers, artists, and organizers. Beautiful selection of short films. Thank you for having us Zebra, wonderful experience!

    November 2023
  • Sarien Zijlstra

    We were very honored that the short film ''Niks'' was selected for the Zebrino festival. We felt very welcome on this great festival. Early in the morning in Berlin a lot of children watched our movie and asked a lot of questions. It is super this festival has a good approach for the public to come! Thanks!

    October 2023
  • Sami Miranda

    Thank you for including our film in the festival! Appreciated the communication and support provided during the process of submitting our film.

    October 2023
  • Gloria Regonesi

    Great festival organised by competent and passionate individuals. I very much appreciated the personal approach, the care they've put in all the details and their efforts in organising readings & workshops alongside the screenings. Weiter so! :)

    October 2023