Louder Than A Bomb

A film by Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel

The defining work of finding one’s voice

Louder Than A Bomb edits the story of four Chicago high school poetry teams as they prepare to compete in the world’s largest youth slam. By turns hopeful and heartbreaking, the film captures the turbulent lives of these unforgettable kids, exploring the ways writing shapes their world, and vice versa. Louder Than A Bomb is not about “high school poetry” as we often think of it. It”s about language as a joyful release, irrepressibly talented teenagers obsessed with making words dance. While the topics they tackle are often deeply personal, what they put into their poems—and what they get out of them—is universal: the defining work of finding one’s voice.

Winner of more than fifteen festival prizes, including ten audience awards, Louder Than A Bomb has been hailed as “powerful and exhilarating” (TimeOut Chicago), “inspiring” (L.A. Times), “irresistible” (Chicago Tribune), “vibrant and moving” (The Wrap), and “a get-up-and-clap kind of movie (Paste).

Director

Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel

Producer

Greg Jacobs and Jon Siskel

Runtime

99 Minutes

Rights Represented

Educational Rights, International Rights

Captions Available

Available Upon Request

Language

English

Press

“HERE ARE REAL PERFORMERS WITH REAL FEELINGS AND IMPORTANT THINGS TO SAY. America’s Got Talent, all right, but maybe we’ve been looking for it in the wrong places.”

- Roger Ebert

“…AN AFFECTING AND SUPERBLY PACED CELEBRATION of American youth at their creative best.”

- Variety

“One of the MOST INSPIRING and exhilarating documentaries in years”

- The Wrap

“LOUDER THAN A BOMB KNOCKS YOU OUT WITH ITS PASSION AND STRENGTH, even as it leaves you feeling hopeful about a younger generation that, from all media depictions, is obsessed with Internet first-person-shooter video games, YouTube, and celebrity news. Oh yeah, and it’s a movie about poetry.”

- Huffington Post
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Festival & Awards

WINNER Audience Choice Award—Chicago International Film Festival
WINNER Special Jury Prize—Chicago International Film Festival
WINNER Audience Choice Award—Cleveland International Film Festival
WINNER Standing Up Film Competition—Cleveland International Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award, Best Documentary—St. Louis International Film Festival
WINNER Programmers Award—Virginia Film Festival
WINNER Best Documentary—Austin Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award—Philadelphia Film Festival
WINNER Audience Choice Award—Palm Springs Film Festival
WINNER Audience Choice Award—Salem Film Festival
WINNER Best Documentary—Woods Hole Film Festival
WINNER Audience Award—Woods Hole Film Festival

Film Licensing

We distribute films globally but we only hold the rights in particular territories in some cases.

Letting us know what type of group you are will help us get you set up with the right type of license. If you do not fall squarely into one of these categories, select “individual” or contact us at [email protected].

Unsure what you need?
Here are some basic definitions to help! Please visit our FAQs for further information.

  • In-person screening: This license includes the public performance rights required to host a screening for your group and a DVD copy of the film
  • Virtual screening: A link and code that are available for a single 72 hour period
  • Streaming subscriptions: Ongoing streaming access for an institution provided by our partner, Film Platform.  Please note it takes 3-5 business days to get your streaming access set up.  Questions about your set-up – contact [email protected].
  • DVD for classroom use: This is a DVD with permission to share in a classroom only
  • Custom and secure link and code to provide to event participants during designated screening period.
  • Option to receive registration information.

Includes Standard Setup Plus...

  • Custom screening page with your logo and event description
  • Option to add custom video introduction
  • Ability to add custom resources and ‘Calls to Action’
  • Access to participation and attendance analytics

Don’t worry, you can always change this if needed but if you already have a date in mind, it will help expedite the process. Please note it takes 1 week to get your screening set up.

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Louder Than A Bomb

The defining work of finding one’s voice

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