Comma Film is inviting up-and-coming filmmakers from across the UK to take part in its Summer Adaptation Challenge. Filmmakers are invited to produce a short, filmic adaptation of a published poem of their choice, from a catalogue of published and award-winning poems by Northwest publishers. The finished films (provided they meet all the delivery and clearance requirements) will be screened at the first edition of Version Festival, at Cornerhouse, Manchester, in November.

Any poem can be chosen (so long as it is cleared with the coordinatore first), and any style, technique or genre of film used to realise it, as long as the poem is featured clearly in the film, and unabridged. The poem can be read as a voice-over, be performed by characters in the film, or be visualised in text appearing in the film itself (though not as just subtitles).

The deadline for submitting finished (edited) films (exported onto all necessary formats) is 30 September 2009.

To view poems available to adapt, go to www.yahoo.co.uk, click ‘mail’ and enter the username, ‘commafilms’, and password ‘madinah’. The poems are in the folder marked ‘poem film project’. Poems are reserved on a first come first served basis, and must be reserved with the coordinator Ra Page before any work begins.

There’s more info about the wider Version project on the Comma Press website and tips and delivery details available at Tips and Taking Part.

Previous Comma films have shown at festivals around the world (including the Edinburgh and Berlin Film Festivals), won awards and distribution deals, and been shortlisted for the Virgin Media Prize. Examples of early poem-films can be viewed at www.commafilm.co.uk. The challenge is to do better!

To reserve a poem or for further information email the coordinator at
Ra.Page@commapress.co.uk.