Mediterranean Poetry Prize and ITFF join forces for "Mediterranean Visions" (a new video poetry competition)

The Mediterranean Poetry Prize and the International Tour Film Festival (ITFF) launch the "ITFF Mediterranean Visions VIDEO POETRY COMPETITION". The initiative, debuting at the 15th edition of the ITFF, blends Mediterranean poetry and cinematic language to celebrate the "Mare Nostrum" as a crossroads of cultures, emotions, and shared visions, offering a new stage for Mediterranean voices on the move.

"Mediterranean Visions" invites poets, videomakers, and artists to create hybrid works that interweave poetic texts with evocative images, exploring themes such as migration, identity, and the lights and shadows of the Mediterranean, creating a bridge between verse and image.

Inspired by the success of the Mediterranean Poetry Prize —which reached its fifth edition last January at Palazzo Valentini— the competition will reward video poems that capture the essence of intercultural dialogue, prioritizing originality, emotional depth, and audiovisual quality. The finalist works will be screened in October during the ITFF, enriching the already extensive program of independent and international cinema.

The ITFF, already a leading festival for tourism and cultural cinema with roots in Italy and international resonance, is hosting this first edition to amplify its mission of promoting Mediterranean narratives.

"This partnership enriches our fifteenth edition, combining the power of poetry with the dynamism of video, in line with our commitment to cultural innovation," says Piero Pacchiarotti, president of the ITFF. The collaboration is part of the Mediterranean Poetry Prize's range of initiatives, which has seen winners from Italy and other Mediterranean countries, awarded by exceptional juries. According to Mario Calivà, president of the Mediterranean Poetry Prize, "Mediterranean Visions was born from the encounter between poetry and cinematic language. The Mediterranean is a space of dialogue, crossings, and transformations. The collaboration with the ITFF and the Mediterranean Poetry Prize moves in this direction, opening up new expressive possibilities for contemporary poetry."

How to participate:

The competition is free and involves the creation of video poems on any theme. For this first edition, it is open exclusively to finalists of the 5th Mediterranean Poetry Prize. Submissions are accepted until June 30, 2026.

You can find the rules here.

A prestigious jury, composed of professors, artists, and international literature professionals, will be selected exclusively by the president of the Mediterranean Poetry Prize and will be presented on the ITFF website.

Further details are available at: www.internationaltourfilmfest.com and www.mediterraneanpoetry.com