videoPoetry
an art form since 1978
1978
The Rainbow Flag was created
LGBTQ Anthem was composed
videoPoetry was born
What is videoPoetry?
During that momentous year, Canadian poet Tom Konyves used the term "videopoetry" to describe "Sympathies of War," his first work in the genre, and is considered to be one of the original pioneers of the form.
In 2011, he published Videopoetry: A Manifesto, that defined the form as "a genre of poetry displayed on a screen, distinguished by its time-based, poetic juxtaposition of images with text and sound. In the measured blending of these three elements, it produces in the viewer the realization of a poetic experience."
Also defined as video poetry are videos without the presence of poetry as text. Some media poems utilize words in motion, emphasized in their iconic and typographical aspects grounded in the Futurist tradition. These pieces are elaborated digitally using animation software and computer graphics.
CALL FOR ENTRIES
We are now accepting videoPoetry submissions from content creators around the world. We are encouraging poems related to our human rights 2024 theme: Born Free & Equal, but entries in any subject area are accepted.
Submit at FilmFreeway.com
100% FREE: Use code: PRIDE2024
Create videoPoetry
You're not a poet?
Please use these two poems of 20 year old Ugandan poet and LGBTQIA+ activist Hans Senfuma in your videoPoetry creation.
Rainbow Resilience
by Hans Senfuma, UGANDA
In the heart of Uganda's sun-kissed land,
Where shadows dance and secrets stand,
A vibrant spectrum blooms, defying night,
The rainbow whispers tales of strength and light.
The Forbidden Hues
Amidst the savannah's golden sway,
Lives a love that dares not see the day.
LGBT souls, painted with forbidden hues,
Yearn for acceptance, their hearts ablaze.
The Whispered Kiss
Beneath the acacia's ancient boughs,
Two souls entwine, their love unbowed.
Their whispered kiss, a fragile flame,
Ignites defiance, defies the world's cruel game.
The Silent Stars
In the velvet night, they find their solace,
Silent stars bearing witness to their grace.
Hand in hand, they trace constellations,
Mapping dreams across the vast Ugandan sky.
The Hidden Letters
Letters etched in courage, inked in fear,
Spell out resilience, yearning to be clear.
L, G, B, T—each syllable a battle cry,
Against laws that seek to silence their sky.
The Unyielding Petals
Like resilient petals on a thorny stem,
They bloom, despite the odds stacked against them.
Their love, a fierce rebellion against the norm,
Challenging prejudice, weathering life's storm.
The Echoing Drums
In the heart of Kampala, where drums resound,
They dance—defiant, unyielding, unbound.
Their bodies weave stories of love's defiance,
Echoing through valleys, crossing every fence.
The Anthem of Freedom
Raise your voices, Uganda's brave souls,
Sing an anthem of freedom, where love unfolds.
For in the kaleidoscope of love's embrace,
Lies the promise of change—a brighter space.
Colors of Freedom
Colors of Freedom
by Hans Senfuma, UGANDA
In the quiet corners of courage,
Where love blooms unapologetically,
The rainbow unfurls its vibrant hues,
A symphony of resilience and authenticity.
Red whispers tales of passion,
Bold hearts aflame, unyielding,
Defying norms, embracing desire,
Their love, an inferno that burns bright.
Orange dances with exuberance,
Like sun-kissed petals in morning dew,
Transcending boundaries, forging bonds,
Their unity a beacon, unwavering and true.
Yellow radiates warmth and hope,
Golden sunsets on the horizon of acceptance,
They stand tall, arms linked, voices raised,
Chasing away shadows with unwritten love notes.
Green weaves stories of growth,
Roots entwined, branches reaching skyward,
They nurture love like tender saplings,
Their existence a testament to resilience.
Blue paints the canvas of vulnerability,
Ocean waves crashing against prejudice,
They sail through storms, eyes fixed on the horizon,
Their love, a compass guiding them home.
Indigo dreams of a world unshackled,
Where labels dissolve like morning mist,
They write their own narratives, fierce and unapologetic,
Their ink, a manifesto etched in stardust.
Violet blooms in defiance of silence,
Petals unfurling, embracing authenticity,
They wear their colors proudly, unafraid,
Their love, a kaleidoscope of liberation.
So let us raise our voices, hand in hand,
For love knows no boundaries, no confines,
In the tapestry of existence, we find our place,
United by love, we paint the world in rainbows.
2023 videoPoetry
In 2023, we introduced videoPoetry in the OUR PRIDE Shorts & Video Fest.
Here is an entry from Namibia.