Venue Challenge

Note: Originally, this was drafted directly to the slam venues. Since then, we’ve heard from venues that don’t have a slam, and they want to be part of this too – and you know what? We think that’s wonderful! So here’s the scoop – any venue with a regular reading* can rep their show, and be in the competition for the prize.

We’re coming to you because we don’t want the venues to be underrepresented in the festival. You with the amazing performance work – you who’ve honed your craft into time limits and shown the audience what you can do with it. You, who bring the biggest of the noise, and the bestest of the DIY to the words. You, who impress the hell out of everyone by running or attending a regular show week after week or month after month, and keep the spark singing on the mic. We want you to be part of this festival.

So here’s the challenge: The venue that submits the most poem films (or you can call them videos, of course), with a minimum of five submissions, gets one of the awards named in its honor. So at the awards ceremony and viewing party this autumn, we might be announcing The Boston Cantab Award for Best Animation. Or the Slam Free Or Die I Shot It On My Lawn Phone Award. Or the Louder Arts Award for Best Music or Sound. How about the Busboys and Poets Best Valentine? The winning venue gets to pick the prize they want to call their own. Think about it – how cool would it be if your venue could claim that kind of bragging right? (And also a full page ad in the program!)

So I’ve added a spot on the submissions form where you can write in if a submission is repping a venue, and I’m making a fancy spreadsheet to keep track. You don’t have to send the films in all together; they can be sent in separately and at any time.

The rules again, simple and sweet:
– 4 minutes in time length or less
– the poet** cannot perform the poem in the video
– own the rights to the work or have permission
– get it postmarked by June 16th

Collaboration is fine – encouraged, even. Team up if you want to! And going solo is fine – maybe you’re the kind that creates in solitude, that’s cool too.

But overall, make a good time with making your films – have home movies night at your show before you send them off in the mail, or cast bets with each other. Smack talk or cajole each other into being part of it, whatever gets your venue to the gate. This is the first year for the festival, and I want to make sure that you don’t get left out.

Here’s the main info page for Rabbit Heart, and here’s the submissions page. Feel free to email me with your updates or questions at applebatiks@gmail.com

Love yer faces – totally excited about you and your venue being part of this!

xoxox,
Sou MacMillan
Doublebunny Press
Rabbit Heart Poetry Film Festival

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* Or poetry club – we’re not leaving the schools out!
**Please go with the spirit of the rule and  don’t grey-area it up with someone else performing the poem in the video.