A showcase of short poetic films featuring World Premieres from Texas and U.S. Premieres from Belgium, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, and Ukraine, along with juried winners from across the country. The festival also features readings by Texas Poets Laureate Octavio Quintanilla and Emmy Pérez, as well as Marie Brown, Chris Wise, Jane Creighton, and Alliah Lavonne Tigh.

Sunday morning programming includes films and performances by Deaf artists using American Sign Language, with English interpretation. A portion of all festival ticket sales will be donated to children’s poetry programs in Ukraine.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 & SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

MATCHBOX 2

TICKETS:

$45 Saturday or Sunday 
$10 Sunday Morning Programing only

PASSES:

$60 Saturday and Sunday Pass
$100 All Access Festival Pass
^{(includes on-demand programming)}

A portion of all festival ticket sales will be donated to children’s poetry programs in Ukraine.

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

1:15 PM | Doors Open

1:30 PM | Welcome (In-person)
Welcome words from the Festival’s founder and director, Fran Sanders!

1:45 PM | Marie Brown: Spoken Word
"When a Black Woman from 5th Ward Dials 911" about a Cancer-causing dioxin residue affecting Houston’s 5th Ward Neighborhood and other poems

2:00 PM | Video Jukebox (Pre-recorded)
International poetry films and videos from some of the most exciting creatives today featured at REELpoetry; curated by Lucy English

3:00 PM | Joseph Merrick (In-person)
A crown of sonnets on the life of Joseph Merrick, known as The Elephant Man by Houston poet, Chris Wise, together with filmmaker, Matt Mullins

4:00 PM | Paradise Now (In-person)
International Poetry Films from Greece, Iceland, Mexico and Turkey curated by Sissy Doutsiou about the need for space-time to overcome obstacles and historical traumas.

EVENING PROGRAM 

6:30 PM | Doors Open

7:00 PM | Marie Brown Spoken Word (In-person)
A selection of poems that resonate with the times America as a nation is experiencing.

7:15 PM | Sissy Doutsiou – Performance (In-person)

7:30 PM | Cheap and Fast: A Swoon Retrospective (Pre-recorded)
International Poetry Films from Belgium Fast, cheap, fiercely independent work created with relentless creative momentum from Marc Neys (aka Swoon)

8:30 PM | Made in Texas (In-person)
Poets Jane Creighton, Aliah Lavonne Tigh and Texas Poets Laureate Emmy Pérez and Octavio Quintanilla; hosted by series filmmakers, Jack Cochran & Pam Falkenberg

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

EARLY PROGRAM

10:00-11:30 AM | ASL Poetry and Deaf Creativity (In-person)
Sabina English and Heba Toulan showcase short videos (poetry, experimental, music) and live performances and presentations by deaf and hard- of- hearing creative people. Interpreted in English.

AFTERNOON PROGRAM

1:00 PM | Palabras Prestadas | Given Words (In-person)
International Poetry Films by Charles Olsen and Lilian Pallares using work from poetry competitions held in Spain and New Zealand.

2:00 PM | Roads Connected (In-person)
International Poetry Films - Mother and son, Monique van Kerkhof and Bo Oudendijk, showing poetry and performances made in Holland and Japan.

2:40-3:15 PM | BREAK 

3:15 PM | Greetings From Greater Houston (In-person)
A Houston area poets and filmmakers showcase with poets reading their work, screenings and conversation with Alex V

4:00 PM | Best of the Fest (In-person)
Screenings and conversations with participating local, national and international winners with Alex V

CLICK HERE FOR ON-DEMAND PROGRAMMING INFORMATION

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO MATCH

🎟️ BOX OFFICE & TICKETING 

• Online sales end 30 minutes prior to curtain. After this time, tickets may be available in person at the MATCH Box Office. 
• The Box Office opens 2 hours prior to curtain for Will Call and walk-up sales. 
• All sales are final. No refunds or cancellations after purchase. 
• Have a discount code and need instructions on how to use it? CLICK HERE.
• Why is there a Box Office Support fee per ticket? CLICK HERE to learn more. 
• **Standby/Waiting List: If the performance that you are hoping to attend is SOLD OUT, please CLICK HERE for information on our Standby/Waiting list.
• Tickets for this event are available exclusively through the MATCH Box Office. Tickets purchased from any other website or ticket seller claiming to offer tickets for this event are unauthorized and will not be accepted for admission.

⏱️ BEFORE THE SHOW 

• MATCH Concessions opens 1 hour prior to the start of each event. 
• Seating typically opens 30 minutes prior to curtain. 
• 🚗 LOCATION & PARKING
• 🍽️ AREA RESTAURANTS & BARS

♿ ACCESSIBILITY: MATCH is a fully accessible facility. Questions? Click here to email the box office.