Call for entries: 13th Ó Bhéal Poetry Film Competition
“Submissions are now Ópen,” they tell us.
Submissions are open from 1st May – 31st August 2025. Entries made outside of these dates cannot be considered. You may submit as many films as you like – each must interpret or convey a poem (present in its entirety, audibly and/or visually) and have been completed after the 1st of May 2023.
Entries may not exceed 10 minutes in duration. Non-English or non-Irish language films will require English subtitles.
Awards and Prizes
A shortlist of 30 International poetry-films will be screened in Cork on 30th November 2025. One overall winner will receive the Ó Bhéal award for best International poetry-film, designed by glass artist Michael Ray, along with a prize of 500 euros.
A second shortlist of 15 Irish poetry-films will also be screened in Cork on 30th November 2025. A prize of 250 euros will be awarded for the best Irish poetry-film. Irish entries are automatically eligible for both categories.
Judges
The judges for 2025 are Colm Scully and Paul Casey. The shortlist will be announced during October 2025, and screened (& live streamed & winners announced) in Cork city at a venue TBC, on Sunday 30th November 2025.From 1st May 2025 you can submit via FilmFreeway (€5.00 per entry)
Or Entries can be made Free Via Direct Submission
(as per the following guidelines:)Entries may be made free of charge via email to poetryfilm [at] obheal.ie – including the following info in an attached word document:
- Name and duration of Film
- Month & Year completed
- Name of Director
- Country of origin
- Email Address
- Name of Poet
- Name of Poem
- Synopsis
- Filmmaker biography
- and a Link to download a high-resolution version of the film.**
For queries please email us at info [at] obheal.ie.
Best of Luck!
Click through for much more on the competition, including links to the past winners.
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Dave Bonta is a poet, editor, and web publisher from the Appalachian mountains of central Pennsylvania.
