Haus für Poesie

Thomas Wohlfahrt (c) Mirko Lux

The ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, the world’s first platform for poetry films and still the largest, brings together for what is now the 10th time the millennia-old art of words with the young medium of film. The genre has undergone rapid technical and aesthetic development ever since the making of the first known poetry film, “The Night Before Christmas”, in 1905. Schools, universities and all forms of dissemination and inclusion can no longer be imagined without the poetry film.

ZEBRA is part of Berlin, and Berlin is known worldwide as the place for the poetry film. Therefore this year’s focus, not only in the Competition but in the programme as a whole, is on poetry films produced in Germany. Ten art and film schools from Germany have been working on poetry films for a whole year. In addition, poetry films from the United Kingdom are being given guest showings. Jochen Kuhn is giving an exclusive master class. ZEBRINO is focusing attention on childrens poetry films.

I would like to thank most sincerely all our partners and sponsors, poets and film makers, the artistic directors Thomas Zandegiacomo Del Bel and Alexander Gumz and the team in the Haus für Poesie.

I wish us all an exciting festival.

Dr. Thomas Wohlfahrt
Director Haus für Poesie and ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival

Klaus Lederer (c) SenKultEU

For the 10th birthday of the ZEBRA Poetry Film Festival, Berlin is once again presenting itself as the capital city of the poetry film! Whether they are live action films, video or animated art productions, all the films begin with a poem. And how directly moving a short film can be that deals with poetry in terms of content, aesthetics or form is something that everyone should experience at least once!

This year the focus of the competition is on Germany and I am glad that a great many of the entries come from Berlin! For the first time, students at ten German film and art schools are presenting their productions. There are also readings, performances, a colloquium and workshops. And finally, children and young people themselves select the best film for children and young people for the ZEBRINO prize as part of the festival’s programme for children and young people.

I am especially looking forward to the contributions from Great Britain, which with its flourishing scene is at the forefront of the sophisticated poetry film genre and is another focus of this year’s festival.

I wish all the artists involved and all the visitors a thought-provoking and successful festival!

Dr. Klaus Lederer
Senator for Culture and Europe of Berlin