Cadence Video Poetry Festival

About

Welcome to Cadence Video Poetry Festival!

Header image credit: corps minéral, dir. Charline Dally, Gabrielle Harnois-Blouin

@charline_dally

Cadence Video Poetry Festival, presented by Northwest Film Forum, programmed in collaboration with Seattle author Chelsea Werner-Jatzke and artist Rana San, is a series of screenings, workshops, and discussions on the genre of video poetry, during National Poetry Month.

Cadence approaches video poetry as a literary genre presented as visual media that makes new meaning from the combination of text and moving image. Featuring screenings, an artist residency, generative workshops for youth and adults, and juried awards, the festival fosters critical and creative growth around the medium of video poetry.


7th Annual Cadence Video Poetry Festival Apr 25–28 [In-Person] & Apr 25 – May 5 [Online]


Submit your video poem

Submissions are open through Jan. 15, 2024 for Cadence 2024. Read full submission guidelines and submit your film using the button below.

Read about past editions of the festival at the foot of this page.


Apply for the Artist Residency

The Cadence Artist-in-Residence program provides resources and tools for the development of a new video poem to screen at the festival.

Applications are open through Dec. 15, 2023.

ABOUT
Northwest Film Forum selects an artist or artist team of two to develop a new video poem for inclusion in Cadence Video Poetry Festival each year. The selected artist(s) will have access to NWFF’s film equipment and edit lab, as well as an opportunity to receive training or participate in a scheduled workshop to develop or supplement their filmmaking and/or editing skills. The Artist-in-Residence will be asked to participate in a post-screening conversation with festival co-directors and other participating artists.

BACKGROUND
The Artist Residency launched in 2019 as part of the festival’s commitment to fostering the generation of new video poetry.

ELIGIBILITY
Artists or artist teams of two residing in Seattle, 18 years of age or older.

APPLICATION DEADLINE 
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Final deadline for consideration is 11:59pm PT, Dec 15, 2023.

SELECTION CRITERIA
The Artist-in-Residence will be selected on the basis of their distinct vision and voice, as demonstrated in work samples, and their commitment to developing new work within the medium of video poetry.

TIMELINE
The Artist-in-Residence must meet the following deadlines and produce a finished work for one of the festival screening dates. Workshop participation, edit lab, and gear use are optional, though highly encouraged.

Dec. 15, 2023 – deadline for application
Early-Jan. 2024 – all applicants notified of decision
Mid-Jan. – Mid-Apr. 2024 – residency via NWFF
Apr. 25–28, 2024 – single screening of final video poem within one in-person showcase of Cadence Video Poetry Festival
Apr. 25 – May 5, 2024 – on demand screening of final video poem within one online showcase of Cadence Video Poetry Festival

CONTACT
Please direct questions to cadencevideopoetry@gmail.com.

Image credit: refrigerator hum by jade wong


Submit your poetry book

Cadence hosts a virtual Poetry Book Fair as a literary resource to share the work of artists the festival has featured and worked with over the years. If you are a current or former Cadence participant, we’d love to include your book in the lineup!

Eligible artists submit here >

See the 2023 edition of the book fair here >


Chelsea Werner-Jatzke

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke

Cadence Co-Director

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke is a writer exploring the liminal spaces of the literary arts. She is the author of the chapbooks Adventures in Property Management (Sibling Rivalry, 2017) and Thunder Lizard (H_NGM_N, 2016). Her interest in how words are experienced has led to solo work and collaborations with artists across media to create gallery installations, classical music performances, broadsides, karaoke, and video poetry. She is co-founder and director of Till, a literary organization that offers an annual writing residency at Smoke Farm in Arlington, WA and a museum communications professional.

Rana San

Rana San

Cadence Co-Director

Rana San is an intermedia artist, curator, and night dreamer pondering language and lineage, intimacy and interdependence. In community, Rana crafts collective experiences that elevate the work of storytellers, artists, and activists using moving image media and contemporary performing arts to cultivate connection through creative expression. She has developed and produced cultural festivals, museum programs, and intimate creative salons in Seattle, Istanbul, and Barcelona and serves as the Artistic Director at Northwest Film Forum in Seattle, WA where she co-curates year-round programming.


Festival Archive


Touring Showcase Archive

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Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave,

Seattle, WA 98122

206 329 2629


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