Welcome to Cadence Video Poetry Festival!

Cadence Video Poetry Festival, co-directed by Chelsea Werner-Jatzke and 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, artist gatherings, and a virtual poetry bookshelf, Cadence fosters critical and creative growth around the medium of video poetry.

8th Annual Cadence Video Poetry Festival Apr 24–27 [In-Person] & Apr 25 – May 4 [Online]

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Cadence Video Poetry Festival 2025!

Cadence 2025 presents collaborative workshops, short film programs at NWFF, satellite short film programs, literary resources, artist + audience gatherings, and more!

Send us your video poem

Submissions for Cadence 2026 will open in the Spring. 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 for 2026 open in the Spring.

ABOUT
Northwest Film Forum selects 1–2 artists or artist teams of two to develop a new video poem for inclusion in Cadence Video Poetry Festival each year. The selected artist(s) may have access to NWFF’s film equipment and edit lab, as well as an opportunity to receive training and support to develop or supplement their poetry, 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 on the due date.

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 and dependent on availability.

Dec. 15, 2024 – deadline for application
Mid-Jan 2025 – all applicants notified of decision
Late-Jan. – Mid-Apr. 2025 – residency meetings supporting development of new work
Apr. 25–27, 2025 – single screening of final video poem within one in-person showcase of Cadence Video Poetry Festival
Apr. 25 – May 4, 2025 – 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

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Submit your poetry book

Cadence maintains a Poetry Bookshelf 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 most recent edition here >

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke

Cadence Co-Director

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke is an author, filmmaker, and curator exploring the liminal spaces of the literary arts. Her interest in how words are experienced has resulted in gallery installations, classical music performances, broadsides, karaoke, and video poetry. She is co-director of Cadence Video Poetry Festival, co-curator of Good Symptom: A Serial Anthology of Time-Based Disturbances (The 3rd Thing), and a community board member for the Seattle City of Literature. Chelsea was recently published in Tri-Quarterly and featured in Local Sightings Film Festival (WA), Aorta Poetry Film Festival (NZ), and Festival Fotogenia (MX).

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Rana San

Cadence Co-Director

Rana San is an intermedia artist, curator, and community builder pondering hyper visibility, bodily autonomy, and immigrant liminality. Her creative and curatorial practice centers experimental and analog approaches to storytelling through film, writing, and movement presented on screen and stage. Based between Seattle and Istanbul, she co-directs Cadence Video Poetry Festival and is a co-curator of Good Symptom: A Serial Anthology of Time-Based Disturbances. Rana has recently presented work at Engauge Experimental Film Festival (WA), Experiments in Cinema (NM), and Helios Sun Poetry Film Festival (MX).

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event

Sun Oct 21
8.00am

Airstream Poetry Festival 2018 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

event

Cadence Video Poetry Festival

About

Welcome to Cadence Video Poetry Festival!

Cadence Video Poetry Festival, co-directed by Chelsea Werner-Jatzke and Rana San, is a series of screenings, workshops, and discussions on the genre of video poetry during National Poetry Month.

8th Annual Cadence Video Poetry Festival Apr 24–27 [In-Person] & Apr 25 – May 4 [Online]

Cadence 2025 presents collaborative workshops, short film programs at NWFF, satellite short film programs, literary resources, artist + audience gatherings, and more!

Submissions for Cadence 2026 will open in the Spring. 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.

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

Applications for 2026 open in the Spring.

Cadence maintains a Poetry Bookshelf 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!

See the most recent edition here >

Chelsea Werner-Jatzke

Rana San

Festival Archive

Touring Showcase Archive

Frye Art Museum – Cadence 2024: Across Landscape and Language [In-Person]

Bellingham Alternative Library – Cadence 2023: Indie Film Bazaar [In-Person Offsite]

Frye Art Museum – Cadence 2023: Through the Lens of Lenses [In-Person Offsite]

MoPOP Matinee Takeover – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase [Offsite]

Seattle Art Museum – Cadence 2022: Internal Tides [In-Person Offsite]

Jack Straw Cultural Center – Cadence 2022: As the wind is breathing [Online + In-Person Offsite]

Westlake Jamboree 2021 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase [Offsite]

PNW Mini Lit Fair 2021 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase [Offsite]

Common Area Maintenance 2020: Cadence Video Poetry Showcase [Outside]

Henry Art Gallery 2020 – Sight Lines: Cadence Video Poetry Showcase [Online]

Winter Poetry Festival 2020 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

Arts in Nature Festival 2019 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

Cascadia Poetry Festival 2019 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

Northwest Micropress Fair 2019 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

Arts in Nature Festival 2018 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

Airstream Poetry Festival 2018 – Cadence Video Poetry Showcase

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