Official Selections
Saturday, December 16th, 2023
Saturday, December 16th - SCREENING 1 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM (PST)
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The Carousel, Director Florian Schlotzhauer.
Come, take my hand. Let's go to the fair. Where the beautiful lights do flicker and dance. What remains of the ecstasy once the carousel has stopped? The sensation of spinning while standing still. Vertigo. The Carousel is a semester of work at FH Dortmund. It documents the Cranger Kirmes in Herne, Germany, and explores the effects of Vertigo as a form of entertainment. It's a poetic essay.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 3:00
TT(Pi), Director POETAQ.
As you know, Pi is an endless random number. However, when you arbitrarily divide it, you can imagine things like year numbers, phone numbers, or certain statistical figures. Using this method, the eccentric poet I, POETAQ, has expressed the endless contemporary crisis in a poetic opera.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:14
Press Eject (2023), Director Lee Campbell.
This short poetry film explores the difficulties surrounding letting go of something/someone whilst recognizing that you need to move on. It is an ode to remember to practice self-care and discard things/people who give you negative energies. They are not worth your time. The film juxtaposes imagery I shot in the Summer of 2022 at the High Rocks National Monument, U.K., with pencil drawings I made long ago of entrants queuing up to reclaim submitted artworks rejected from a competition.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 2:43
The badlands, Director Kevin Charles O'Neill.
The Badlands introduces an ancient form of social commentary, oracle, into the contemporary idiom of motion picture documentaries. The work, a raw, cathartic elegy, offers a unique cinematic experience where people, scenes, and scenarios come to life through the empirical lens - prosody - of the urban griot. The impetus of this submission envisions a new wave of film festival curators and audiences alike receptive to logos-centric modes of videographic storytelling no less creative, edifying, or didactic than formulaic documentary models. In terms of social relevancy, this documentary renders the unfiltered reality that 100,000 have died needlessly in a twelve-month period. The cause of death - opioid overdose.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 7:00
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Eva-Stardust, Director Eva-Marie Kung.
A monologue from Stardust, performed in a unique setting.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 2:06
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The Super Secret Diary of Q.E., Submitted by Sally Connors. A very, very famous woman talks frankly for perhaps the only time. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 7:02
The Sirens by Poetry, Prose and Tea, Director Sharon M. Williams. A collaboration between poets who speak about the similarities of their journey together as women.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 6:13
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Things you have forgotten to take with you, Director Elena Baucke. A woman alone in her house finds her ex's shirt. Its scent brings back painful memories as she gets carried away by the tangible thought of an impossible reunion.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:20
Esta noche, no, ...no, Director Luis Carlos Rodríguez García.
Esta noche no, ..no, is an audiovisual experiment by Luis Carlos Rodríguez, produced by Enrique Hurtado, and is based on a poem by Eduardo Fraile Valles, interpreted and choreographed by Cristina Calleja, recited by the poet himself and with music by Juan Carlos Martín.
Esta noche no, ..no, is a collage that is part of a broad experimental audiovisual research project that seeks to explore, from the point of view of artistic-expressive activities, formal, structural, narrative, and aesthetic issues.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 10:00
Laid to Rest, Director Isabelle Pandora Byrne.
A short poetry film about identity after mental illness.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 4:58
Release, Director Daniel Johns.
A short film born from the pain of situationships. ‘Release’ is an exploration into the feelings that bind two people together, but also the feelings that keep them apart. It’s a harsh reminder that not everybody has the capacity to reciprocate your love at the moment you want them to. People's hearts and minds can often be tainted or shrouded by the darkness of their pasts. But you should always remember that their inability to move forward from their own trauma isn’t a reflection on you. It simply isn’t the right time, yet.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 1:57
The last unknown person, Director Pat van Boeckel.
Video-poem Pat van Boeckel. Impact of war seen in the face of a 16-year-old German soldier crying after being captured by the Allies, 1945. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 3:03
BIND, Director Eileen McClory.
A sumptuous poetry and dance film set in the exquisite Robinson Library in Armagh, BIND explores the legacy of binds between past and present, the tension between elevation, elites and access to knowledge, progress and change, the visibility and constraints on women, and how a visionary institution contributes to progress in the modern world. Longer Versions Monologues & Poetry – Runtime 14:00
Caged Bird, Directors Dana Dajani, Rami Kanso.
Caged Bird is an animated and jazzy short blending the worlds of spoken word poetry, theatrical performance, music, dance, and retro visual design to express the strength of a woman setting her boundaries in the face of possessive love. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 5:20
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Total Runtime: 1:13:56
Poetry Read & Book Blast
Co-Hosted by Vallejo, CA 2024-2026 co-Poets Laureate,
Jacalyn Eyvonne & Kathleen Herrmann
A FREE Zoom Poetry Read & Book Blast, Read, Share Your Books, and Upcoming Events. Poets, Actors, Submitting Filmmakers, and the public are invited to attend.
Saturday, December 16 - SCREENING 2
1:00 PM - 2:45 PM (PST)
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Relentless, Director Rufina Prshisovskaya.
Bring your phone up to your face. Look, there are lovely faces, but this one's yours. And behind those eyes, in the private purgatory of your head, spins the accursed carousel of torment strung with your thoughts, half-chewed quotes, sobriquets. Are you ready to ride? Just don't let go of the phone, just stay at home. See if your dome cracks. Youth – Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 5:00
A CHICKEN CROSSES THE ROAD, Director Keiko McAssey.
A chicken crosses the road to get to the other side. In the middle of the road, he forgets he is a chicken. His mind races to try to remember himself. He is on a quest to find who he is. His journey begins to find his true self beyond self-perception. Based on the poem “A Chicken Crosses the Road” from her book, "Desert in My Heart." Keiko is a co-writer of the music “A chicken crosses the road.”
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 2:51
Culture Night, Director Colm Scully.
An old man reflects on the cultural heritage of his native city. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 5:31
Our House, Director Rosemary Meza-DesPlas.
Drawing from her own personal history as a Latina, Rosemary Meza-DesPlas taps into memories and symbolism related to casa (house/home) for her new video titled “Our House.” Juxtaposing these memories with the rallying cry heard on January 6, 2021, “Whose house? Our house! Whose house? Our house!”, Meza-DesPlas centers the video around the U.S. Capitol as the people’s house. “Our House” explores notions of inclusion/exclusion, might make right, and freedom/oppression. ”Our House” features an original poem (by the same name) performed by Rosemary Meza-DesPlas in two different venues: Axel Contemporary and Form & Concept Gallery. These two Santa Fe, New Mexico performances are interwoven with original artwork, family photos, and images from the Library of Congress. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 9:10
News to me, Submitter R A Milne.
Reflections on news consumption, particular to a femicide case. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 7:10
Lockpicks, Director Sven Stears.
Lockpicks is a spoken word video about intergenerational trauma, acceptance, growing up, and most of all, forgiveness. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 4:34
I Guess I Got Good At Hiding, Directors Josie Parrelli, Elle White. A Poetry Monologues.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 7:19
This World, Director Georgge Ferrandi.
During a visit to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, my 90-year-old mom attempts to repeat after me the lines of Mary Oliver’s “This World,” a poem about the impossibility of writing a poem focusing on something in the world that isn’t special—because as soon as we focus on anything in the natural world, its special-ness becomes evident. My mom’s endearing fumbles in front of starfish and sharks demonstrate—with charming humor and poignancy— another level of truth in the poem's premise.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 6:00
Salt, Director Grace Beeler.
A woman longs for domestic tranquility. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 5:24
Terroir, Director Dawn Westlake.
The French word ‘terroir’ is used across many languages and cultures to describe the soil and climate factors that give the wine its character. Metaphorically, we can look at our human upbringing and the resulting character of various world cultures as ‘terroir.’ Factually, we all originate from women, but it is a rare culture that respects or honors this truth. Why do we pervert the vessel of life to its own self-denial? Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 6:58
The Society in Which We Live In, Director Sierra Marstall.
Poem/Spoken word about the current state of the world and the society we live in.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:26
The Eye Begins in The Hand, Director Yehuda Sharim.
El Ojo Comienza En La Mano is a tribute to Campesino histories in rural CA through the artwork of an artist largely absent from critical conversations on Chicanx art, Ruben A. Sanchez, as well as an unsentimental reckoning with the fate of many cultural workers who struggle between paying rent and/or creative endeavors. Longer Versions Monologues & Poetry – Runtime 15:31
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Total Runtime: 1:20:54
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Saturday. December 16th - SCREENING 3 4:00 - 5:30 PM (PST)
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Become, Directors Max Kraushaar, Chelsea Werner-Jatzke.
An exercise in commitment, this video poem is a collaboration between my husband and me. Filmed over the course of four very cold months in upstate New York, the footage documents the trails we walked daily during breaks from installing a kitchen and a new well in a 150-year-old country home so that my elderly parents could get out of Manhattan during Covid. These months were a true trial of our relationship, and the outcome is my first true love poem, full of the fear, doubt, and hesitation that comes with the willingness to commit to someone to become a family. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 4:34
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Contentment, For Those Who Are Content, Director Sally Mandouh Rawhey.
A poetic short documentary that portrays the life of an Egyptian senile lady who lives a life of extreme poverty, yet she is so content with her life that she projects the most painful details of her existence as a blessing. She is a real-life example that happiness is not related to anything materialistic. A journey of faith takes her through her long years that glitter with acceptance and appreciation of life.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:21
Re:Growth, Director Douglas Seth RIdloff.
The hearing community has, through the course of history, treated the Deaf community as a particularly undesirable species of weed. Hearing aids, cochlear implants, speech education, the marginalization of signed languages, sterilization programs, and now even the use of CRISPR gene-splicing technology are all attempts to remove or correct the Deaf weeds in humanity’s garden. Crab theory is a major and ongoing discussion in the Deaf community due to the intensity of the internalized oppression felt by group insiders who have often been intentionally isolated from their peers and language models. This poem uses the metaphor of unwanted weeds as a way to process that history and reframe the community as a stubbornly resilient population capable of growth and beauty.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 3:07
Green, Director Jeffrey Morin.
A poetic film that presents an alternative to want… a walk in green. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:31
Sometimes They Come Back, Director Cormac Culkeen
A poem about a childhood friend remembered as a middle-aged man. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 3:22
Arrogance, Director Tova Beck-Friedman.
An environmental video poem touching on climate change. Spoken-Word/ Poetry – Runtime 3:04
Joan of Arc (Henry VI, Part One), Submitted by Stephanie Bergeron.
Joan of Arc (aka "La Pucelle") pleads innocence before unleashing a final curse upon the English.
A monologue from William Shakespeare's Henry VI, Part One. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 2:15
The Silken City, Director Thomas Pickarski.
An essay narration paired with old B&W found film footage sets the story in an imagined future when the Gulf Stream, having reversed directions, fuels an atmospheric phenomenon known as Spider Rain.
Longer Versions Monologues & Poetry – Runtime 12:58
Learn To Swim Pt 1, Director Carlos Zaya.
A poem about learning to swim and other bits and bobs that could help along the way.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 5:06
I look into your eyes as I heal what I’ve been wounded, Director Laurene Praget.
Within the privacy of a bed, in front of a bashful body, a voice tells of the disconnection of a woman with her own sensuality due to the mistreatment she experienced, and that all had the same root: male domination. - Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 2:30
The Anxieties of a Reluctant Japanophile, Director Justin Meckes.
Inspired by the work of Spalding Gray, "The Anxieties of a Reluctant Japanophile" is a monologue about anxiety, international travel, and Seven Years in Tibet. The film was adapted from an essay that is part of a collection the author is currently editing. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 9:56
Monologue from “The Gambler,” Director Charlie Curilan.
While the movie grinds down to the last minutes of desperation, with no viable options in sight, this monologue defines the crux of a history of self-destruction while showing his determination to reach impossible goals and his desire to die if he fails. Jim Bennet, a literature professor, sits across his student/love interest to justify his chosen path, then gives her the choice to stay with him on this path or to go. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 2:00
The Good Ole Days, Director Dionne D Hunter.
This Spoken Word piece places the artist’s thoughts alongside Francis Scott Key’s words, contrasting the blind patriotism often eagerly bestowed on the National Anthem. Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 2:57
The Morning After I Killed Myself, Director Michael Anthony Barosky. A short film based on the poem by Meggie Royer.
Royer is a Midwestern writer and the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Persephone's Daughters, a literary and arts journal for abuse survivors. She has won numerous awards for her writing and mixed media art and has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize several times. Her newest book, If the Darkness is Lacking, was published in October by Kelsay Books. She thinks there is nothing better in this world than a finished poem. Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 5:16
INDIGO, Director Mona Okulla Obua.
INDIGO is an afro-surrealist poetry short film about two black German women who meet during a hair braiding session. First experiencing a moment of aversion, they discover affection through the intimacy of braiding. Merging boundaries between feature film, visual art, and poetry, INDIGO takes us on a journey through black German community life in the diaspora, hair braiding as a spiritual ritual, and female intimacy. The film's artistic research is based on traditional African hair braiding rituals and the color indigo as a symbol of life in the diaspora.
Longer Versions Monologues & Poetry – Runtime 12:58
Legacy, Director Natasha Boskic.
A video poem about endurance and invisible blows.
Monologue/Soliloquy – Runtime 3:19
For the Skeptical, Director Dawn Westlake.
Stop autocracy in its tracks. With facts.
Spoken-Word/Poetry – Runtime 2:57
Total Runtime: 1:20:54
