Versified! The Human Equation Named Official Selection of SoCal Film Awards Season 21

The SoCal Film Awards' commitment to creative independence and emerging voices makes this selection especially meaningful

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Versified! The Human Equation, a performance-driven poetry film written and produced by Bob Gossom and directed by Sonny Lira, has been named an Official Selection of the SoCal Film Awards, chosen from over 1,200 global submissions. The SoCal Film Awards is a long-running independent awards platform recognizing filmmakers, screenwriters, and creative artists worldwide.

Why it matters

The selection of Versified! The Human Equation by the SoCal Film Awards, an institution that has championed independent artists for two decades, is seen as a validation of the film's innovative approach to bringing poetry to the screen through live performance and cinematic storytelling.

The details

Versified! The Human Equation blends poetry, live performance, and cinematic storytelling, challenging conventional boundaries between literature, theater, and cinema. Adapted from Gossom's poetry collection The Human Equation, the film presents poetry as a physical, embodied art form.

  • Versified! The Human Equation was named an Official Selection of the SoCal Film Awards in January 2026.
  • The third edition of The Human Equation, Gossom's poetry collection that inspired the film, is scheduled for release on February 18, 2026.

The players

Versified! The Human Equation

A performance-driven poetry film written and produced by Bob Gossom and directed by Sonny Lira.

Bob Gossom

A poet, playwright, and former film-industry professional whose eclectic career has spanned filmmaking, tech entrepreneurship, and decades of quiet literary creation.

SoCal Film Awards

A long-running independent awards platform recognizing filmmakers, screenwriters, and creative artists worldwide, founded in 2005.

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What they’re saying

“The SoCal Film Awards' commitment to creative independence and emerging voices makes this selection especially meaningful, proof that a single breath of verse can still shake the screen.”

— Bob Gossom (EINPresswire.com)

What’s next

As an Official Selection, Versified! The Human Equation is eligible for awards recognizing artistic merit and originality across the SoCal Film Awards' global program.

The takeaway

The selection of Versified! The Human Equation by the SoCal Film Awards, an institution known for championing independent and emerging voices in the arts, underscores the film's innovative approach to bringing poetry to the screen and expanding the boundaries of literary, theatrical, and cinematic storytelling.