Midwest Video Poetry Festival

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Amal Kassir

A still from the short film "Broken Arabic."

A still from the short film "Broken Arabic," directed and written by Amal Kassir.

This hybrid event returns for its fifth iteration, one of only four video poetry festivals in the United States. The art form, combining poetry with contemporary video making, has been taking off globally and has been well received in Madison. There will be approximately 34 entries this year for screening, with live performances by Erika Meitner and Michelle Kelley (Oct. 5) and Diya Abbas and Natalie Hinckley (Oct. 12). Filmmakers, poets, and festival organizers will take part in a Q&A after the screenings. Find the film lineups at artlitlab.org.

media release: The fifth year of the Midwest Video Poetry Festival (MVPF) takes place October 5th and 12th, 2024 at Arts + Literature Laboratory in Madison. This cutting-edge art form celebrates the amazing breadth of expression when one of humanity’s oldest art forms is interpreted through the lens of one of its newest. The 28 featured videos range from 1 minute to over 6 minutes long. They have all been created within the last two years, many of them within the last few months, promising a fresh, contemporary point of view. “The response to MVPF has been amazing. People really love getting to experience both local and international poetry through these short, surprising, thought-provoking, and inspiring films,” says Festival founder and executive director Rita Mae Reese.

“We’re excited for the fifth year,”says Genia Daniels, who coordinates the festival. “Our hope is that our festival continues to create excitement in local filmmakers, poets, and artists and inspires them to join this growing international community.”

The 2024 Midwest Video Poetry Fest will kick-off the festival on Saturday, October 5th at 7pm. Night 1 begins with a Live Filmmaker + Poet Collaboration from award-winning poet Erika Meitner and local filmmaker Michelle Kelley, whose film “Davenport” was featured in the 2023 MVPF. Following the performance, Night 1 will feature poetic shorts from as nearby as Milwaukee and as far away as Yemen. The videos explore our relationship to where we live—including themes of war, exile, migration, and making a living.

The following Saturday, October 12th at 7pm, Night 2 of the festival starts with a Live Filmmaker + Poet Collaboration from former First Wave fellow Deshawn McKinney and local artist Lauden Nute. The screening of 14 short videos that follows includes work from cities around the country as well as Angola, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Creators include a Minneapolis-based studio and performance artist, the founder of ASL SLAM and Deaf Vibe, and a 16-year old Asian American high school student.

Last year’s festival was sold out, so attendees should plan to arrive early. Doors open at 6:30. $5 suggested donation

For more information visit https://artlitlab.org/mvpf.

The MVPF is a production of Arts and Literature Laboratory, a community-driven contemporary non-profit arts organization that supports the visual, literary, musical and performing arts, presents over 200 free or low-cost events per year, and offers year-round arts education for all ages. ALL nurtures innovation and the artistic growth of contemporary visual, literary, and performing artists; connects artists, resources and community; and fuels a passion for arts and literature.

**The Midwest Video Poetry Fest is supported by Wisconsin Humanities Council, FilmFreeway, Isthmus, and Avol’s Books