Registation is now open for a seminar organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Inzjamed for the Poetry on Film project. The project sees poems by Maltese poets translated into poetry films which premiere at the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival.

The seminar, which will be held at Teatru Salesjan in Sliema on the 18th February, introduces prospective directors and filmmakers to the poems by Maria Grech Ganado and Victor Fenech. It will run from 3pm till 7pm and includes an introduction to the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival and poetry films by Dr Adrian Grima, followed by a close reading of the poems by Dr Grima and Kit Azzopardi and a discussion. Screenings of poetry films will also be taking place at 7pm and are open to general public. Participation is free of charge. To apply for the seminar, please fill out this form by the 17th of February.

Following the seminar, a call for proposals will be published for two poetry films of four to eight minutes in length to be produced and shown at the next edition of the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival (24th-26th August 2017, Fort St. Elmo). A grant of €3,000 is being offered by the Valletta 2018 Foundation and Inizjamed for the making of each film.

Applicants are to choose one of the proposed poems. The six poems, chosen by Immanuel Mifsud as literary consultant for the Poetry on Film project, will be presented to those attending the seminar. Following the submissions, there will be a process of selection.

The deadline for the final proposal will be the 13th of March. The two selected proposals, one focusing on each poem, will need to be translated into film by the end of July. Participants who have produced films for the Poetry in Film project in the past may also submit proposals. The choice of applicants is left to the discretion of the jury.

Any queries should be directed to [email protected].