The Monolith Festival of Video Poetry in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina, looks to celebrate the history of an artistic movement concerned with poetry in motion, showcasing a dynamic range of compositions that will simultaneously purpose to propel the art form onwards to places hitherto unknown. We strongly encourage a broad and imaginative interpretation of the competition briefs, which allow for the utilisation of a wide range of styles and genres. Whether your interests lie in fiction, documentary, or experimental cinema; your preferred choice of format is video-performance, animation, or music videos; or perhaps a combination of these elements, there is a welcome place at Monolith in which to showcase your passions.

The Monolith Festival of Video Poetry was envisioned as a means of exploring the wild space between poetry and cinema, where the rhymes and rhythms of separate mediums combine and blur and separate; a convergence point for spoken word and moving image that aims to transcend expectations regarding either.From La Casa del Arbol in the heart of Buenos Aires, Argentina, this new international film festival looks to celebrate the history of an artistic movement concerned with poetry in motion, showcasing a dynamic range of compositions that will simultaneously purpose to propel the art form onwards to places hitherto unknown.We would use this opportunity to extend an open invitation to poets and filmmakers of all ages and backgrounds from all over the world, to participate in this unique opportunity to build and share your creative talents.The festival will feature a variety of competitions in the field of video poetry within a larger programme of readings, poetry slams, talks, and book launches. In addition, each edition has its own fanzine in which the winning works are included along with interviews with their authors.We strongly encourage a broad and imaginative interpretation of the competition briefs, which allow for the utilisation of a wide range of styles and genres. Whether your interests lie in fiction, documentary, or experimental cinema; your preferred choice of format is video-performance, animation, or music videos; or perhaps a combination of these elements, there is a welcome place at Monolith in which to showcase your passions.The first edition of the festival will include four separate competitions:

• The National Competition, in which poets and filmmakers based in Argentina can submit their video poetry.
• The International Competition, in which entrants based internationally can submit their video poetry.
• The Adaptation Competition, in which entrants are encouraged to interpret and adapt a specific work of poetry as selected by the festival, available to both domestic and international participants. Monolith invites to create an independent video inspired by the work of María Elena Walsh. Directors must create a piece up to 20 minutes long based on one of her poems.

In addition to their work being screened before a live-cinema audience in the vibrant city of Buenos Aires, those selected in competition will have their projects featured inside the festival-affiliated fanzine, along with a transcription of their chosen poem and accompanying interview or statement.

All selected shorts will receive a review of their work.

With the inception of the Monolith Festival of Video Poetry, we aim to bring together a diverse range of voices whose wide variety of artistic sensibilities are rooted in a shared passion for originality and ingenuity in the fields of poetry and cinema.We very much hope you will be a part of that vision.