Poetry in Film Festival 2011

Overview

I know what you've been thinking. There's not enough poetry in your average movie. A few films (and their imitators) can quote Whitman, and Sally Potter did that whole movie in iambic pentameter thing. But while this handful's enough for some brief rhymed satisfaction, one film festival in Melbourne have taken it upon themselves to manufacture more cinema wrapped around beautiful verbs. The Poetry in Film Festival is in its second year, and having wrapped up its screenings and prize-givings down south, it's headed up to Sydney to give us a taste of the good word.

This year's films were each based around a thirteen line poem submitted by Queenslander Belinda Hilton, Four Letters, Three Words. Each finalist has crafted a short film riffing off, or including, Hilton's lines meditating on the theme of secrets. While the secret of the winners may be out of the bag already, after watching all eight finalists at the Verona you can decide for yourself who takes the vocal to the visual with the smoothest art. Or who just has a sweet way with words.