Chris Bernstorf

Biography

See Chris' 152:42: The Film, in the Short Films.

If Matthew Dickman and Pablo Neruda conceived a child while crowdsurfing at a punk show and then raised the newborn in one of those bio tubes from a sci-fi movie, amalgamating the pseudo-amniotic-fluid from church, Chipotle, and pop culture, then you’d have something akin to Chris Bernstorf’s poetry. His filmmaking was birthed out of a practical need for compelling visuals to share his poetry and has since grown into a full-fledged channel of his poetry career, with the poet striving to create both artistic and live-performance-based videos. Armed with a creative writing degree, a can-do attitude, and open hands, Bernstorf has clocked in nearly 600 performances across 48 US states and 6 other countries in every imaginable space, from living rooms to a micronation to bars to churches to a converted Soviet airfield to art spaces to bathrooms. His poetry films have been official selections for festivals in America, Canada, and Europe. Whether seen on the screen, heard in the air at his live performances, or read on the page of one of his books, Bernstorf's work drips with love and the invitation to engage deeply and sincerely with the world around us, in all of its myriad pain and beauty. He gives all of his work away for free out of the belief that art belongs to everyone. He's excited to meet you and share in living.