AWARD 2025
Closed!
OPEN CALL!
in collaboration with
Your Images in Photo Festivals Worldwide!
Connecting photographers with festivals, curators and audiences around the world. From one image to the world, join the movement of international photography festivals.
The International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) invites photographers and artists from around the world to participate in the IPFA Award. This is an open call that goes beyond a traditional prize: it is an international platform to explore, share, and transform contemporary photography, connecting photographers with festivals, curators, and audiences worldwide.
Your work will have the opportunity to be seen by directors and curators of photography festivals around the world, expanding your visibility and international projection. With a single application, your project will be reviewed by 20 international curators; you may be selected for a solo exhibition at a festival or become part of a collective exhibition that will open on March 19, 2026, in Sala Golfes, the official IPFA Gallery in Barcelona and will travel to various festivals.
How Does it Work
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You apply by sending us 10 photographs via Picter
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Your submission is reviewed by 20 photo festivals
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You can be selected by one festival for a solo exhibition
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You can be among the 50 finalists and exhibit collectively in Barcelona and at other festivals
With an open theme, we accept projects of any style or approach: contemporary, documentary, social, urban and street photography, analog, nature and wildlife, or creative and experimental photography, among others. Each project will be evaluated by a jury of 20 festival representatives from different areas, ensuring diversity of perspectives and selection criteria. Originality, innovation, visual coherence, narrative strength, and international projection potential will be highly valued.
After submitting your proposal, each curator will select one project for a solo exhibition at their festival. Based on their votes, 50 artists will be chosen to participate in a collective touring exhibition that will open in Barcelona in March 19th 2026 and travel to other festivals. In addition, the 20 selected artists and the 50 finalists will be featured in the IPFA Photographers Repository, created to promote their work and make it accessible to curators and festivals around the world. Finally, all selected participants will receive discounts for conferences and portfolio reviews during the 2nd International Meeting of Photography Festivals in Barcelona in July 2026, further expanding their international exposure.
The IPFA Award is an international prize that fosters the visibility and mobility of both emerging and established photographers, offering a unique opportunity to exhibit in photography festivals around the world. Participating in this open call means becoming part of a global community that connects, inspires, and empowers photography.
Submit your project and showcase your work worldwide!
20 Solo
Exhibitions
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A solo exhibition at the member festival that selected your work.
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€200, provided by IPFA, for exhibition production costs, in addition to the funding that each festival allocates to its own exhibitions.
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50% discount on participation in the Portfolio Review during the 2nd International Meeting of Photography Festivals 2026, where directors and curators from around the world will view your work and build professional connections.
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Free access to the IPFA Online 2026 Conferences.
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Recognition and certificate as a Selected Artist.
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Inclusion in our Photographers Repository.
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Promotion across all IPFA communication channels and participating festivals, as well as inclusion in a special video created to showcase the selected artists and the results of this open call.
50 Finalists in a Collective Exhibition
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Be part of a collective touring exhibition that will open on March 19, 2026, in Barcelona at Sala Golfes, the IPFA exhibition space, and will later travel to other member festivals.
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30% discount on participation in the Portfolio Review during the 2nd International Meeting of Photography Festivals 2026, where directors and curators from around the world will view your work and build professional networks.
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Free access to the IPFA Online 2026 Conferences.
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Recognition and certificate as a Selected Artist.
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Inclusion in our Photographers Repository.
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Promotion across all IPFA communication channels and participating festivals, as well as inclusion in a special video created to showcase the selected artists and the results of this open call.
If you are selected:
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Key Dates
November 24, 2025
Call opening
January 12, 2026
Call closing
February 2026
Announcement of results
March 19, 2026
Exhibition opening in Barcelona for the 50 finalists
Meet the IPFA Award Jury!
Albes Fusha
Creator and Head of the Photography Department at the University of Arts in Tirana, Albes Fusha has been central to developing contemporary photography education in Albania. As a curator in numerous international events, he promotes emerging talent and contributes to Albania’s cultural landscape.
Astrid Jacomme
A chemical engineer and self-taught photographer, Astrid blends her passion for science with experimental photography. She is a writer specialising in art, culture, and music. At the Experimental Photo Festival and Hub, she works as a curator driving innovative artistic proposals and fostering creativity.
Arnaud Laroche
Arnaud Laroche is the director of Les Boutographies in Montpellier, a leading European festival for contemporary photography. With a background in cinema and image culture, he promotes authenticity and visual reflection, fostering collaborations that expand photography’s dialogue across Europe.
Carine Van Gerven
Fine art photographer with a background in painting. Founder and creative director of the international photo festival Lens op de Mens in Pelt, she tells contemporary stories with a classical aesthetic. Internationally awarded, her work connects art and society through light and emotion.
David Pujado
Based in Belgrade since 2013, where he directs Bartcelona Koncept, a photography platform with over 80 exhibitions. Founder of Belgrade Photo Month and Belgrade Photo Book Week, he also curates the Catalan Film Festival in Serbia, fostering cultural exchange between Spain and the Balkans.
Constanze Müller
Art mediator and curator, co-founder and director of D21 Art Space and the f/stop – Festival for Photography Leipzig. She has curated numerous exhibitions, festivals, and symposia on social themes, and worked on projects exploring socio-political, interdisciplinary, and participatory art practices.
Jair Lenin García
Self-taught photographer focused on concert and street photography, as well as cultural promotion. Founder of Distorsionrock.com (2010) and the collective Tomar la Calle (2022), he curates and leads projects and festivals that strengthen street and analog photography across Ibero-America.
Ioana Cobzaru
Curator and visual artist based in the Netherlands. She works independently as an art and photography festival curator, event producer, and moderator. As chair and chief curator of the Photo31 Foundation, she promotes photographers’ visibility and fosters collaborations with galleries and museums. She is passionate about supporting emerging artists.
João Kulcsár
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MA from the University of Kent and visiting scholar at Harvard, is Director of the Paranapiacaba and São Paulo Photo Festivals. He has curated over 80 exhibitions worldwide, leads Brazil’s Visual Literacy programme, and coordinates the Photography with the Visually Impaired project since 2008.
Linda Simeone
Curator, journalist and director of Le Vie delle Foto. For over twenty years, she has organised photography exhibitions and cultural events in Italy and abroad. Since 2020, she has curated shows for the DoubleTree by Hilton in Trieste, merging art, culture and innovation.
Julio Pantoja
Photo-documentalist, journalist, educator, and activist. Based in Tucumán, his work addresses memory, identity, and human rights. Founder of Agencia Infoto and president of Fundación Infoto, he directs the Argentine Biennial of Documentary Photography and has exhibited in over fifteen countries.
Lisa Cates
Executive Director of the New Orleans Photo Alliance and producer of PhotoNOLA Festival, Lisa Cates has expanded the event’s curatorial reach, community engagement, and global collaborations. With a background in business and arts leadership, she promotes photography as a tool for dialogue and transformation.
Mauricio Mejía Muñoz
Colombian photographer and audiovisual creator focused on photojournalism and documentary work. For over 12 years, he has collaborated with rural and urban communities through Pawai Films, promoting collective memory, community cinema and popular communication as tools for social transformation.
Louise Fedotov Clements
Director of Photoworks since 2023, Louise leads its global photography programme, including exhibitions, residencies, and the Photoworks Festival. Co-founder of FORMAT Festival, she has curated, juried, and mentored internationally, with past roles at QUAD, Forestry England, and as Jury Chair of Earth Photo.
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Osaze Efe
Curator and founder of the Art for Humanity Foundation and Abuja Photo Festival. Based in Abuja, he explores photography as a tool for social change and cultural dialogue. Since 2017, he has mentored over 3,000 young creators and collaborated with UNDP, UNESCO, and global cultural institutions.
Paco Membrives
Spanish cultural promoter and founder of the MontPhoto Association, Paco Membrives has led one of the world’s most renowned nature photography festivals for over two decades, promoting ethics, education, and environmental awareness while connecting institutions and fostering cultural and photographic projects.
Szilvia Mucsy
Photographer, curator, and educator based in Budapest, and chair of RANDOM – Association of Contemporary Photographers. A graduate of Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, her award-winning work explores urban life, identity, and society, and has been exhibited across Europe and the U.S.
Panagiotis Pappas
Panagiotis Pappas (1989, Ioannina) is Art Director and Exhibition Manager of Photometria International Photography Festival. With a Master’s in Photographic Installation, he has taught photography and fine arts since 2014, exhibited internationally, and curated exhibitions and portfolio reviews.
Xavi Herrero
Xavi Herrero is a Catalan filmmaker and producer based in Ibiza since 2014, where he founded the Ibizacinefest, the island’s international independent film festival. Awarded at the Málaga Festival, he blends cinema and photography to explore human stories. In 2025, he begins a new creative phase with Street Photography Barcelona.
Yannick Ribeaut
French photographer, visual artist, and educator born in 1972 near Bordeaux. His work explores the relationship between humans and their environment through documentary and contemporary visual practices. A graduate of ENSP Arles, he teaches photography and design, curates exhibitions, and founded the Humanisme Vision festival.
How to participate?
Registration is done through Picter.com. Participating is simple and takes no more than ten minutes:
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Go to Picter.com.
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Create an account and fill in your personal information.
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Each person may submit more than one project, but each must be sent as a separate submission.
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Pay the entry fee of €20 per project.
That’s it! Submit your work and be part of the collective project that is transforming photography.
Meet the Photography Festivals
taking part in the IPFA Award!
The open call is organized by the International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) in collaboration with Abuja International Photo Festival (Nigeria), Belgrade Photo Month (Serbia), Bienal Argentina de Fotografía Documental (Argentina), Budapest Photo Festival (Hungary), Colombia Foto Fest (Colombia), Experimental Photo Festival (Spain), Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba (Brazil), Festival Foto Brasil (Brazil), Fokus Award (Albania), Fotofestival Pelt (Belgium), f/stop (Germany), Humanisme Vision (France), Le vie delle Foto (Italy), Les Boutographies (France), MontPhoto (Spain), PhotoNOLA (United States), Photometria (Greece), Photoworks (United Kingdom), Street Photography Barcelona Festival (Spain), and Tomar la calle fotofest (Mexico).
The International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) was created with the ambition of becoming a global network connecting the more than 1,000 photography festivals that exist around the world. Our goal is to foster collaboration, innovation, and professional growth within the festival community, offering a platform where directors, curators, producers, and artists can enhance their projects through networking, knowledge exchange, and best practices.
This open call is much more than an invitation to participate; it is an opportunity to join an international community that experiments, shares, and transforms contemporary photography. By taking part, your work will have the chance to be discovered by festival directors and curators from around the world, expanding your visibility and international reach.
SALA GOLFES, Barcelona
Opening of the Exhibition Visual Resonances from Albania in collaboration with FOKUS Award
Themes and Selection Criteria
Open Theme: Participants may submit projects on any subject. We are looking for proposals that reflect each photographer’s or visual artist’s creativity, personal vision, and artistic commitment. Artists may submit more than one project, including works exploring different themes, techniques, and approaches.
Diversity of Perspectives: The jury is composed of representatives from festivals specializing in various areas of photography — including contemporary, nature and wildlife, documentary, urban and street, analog and vintage, as well as creative and experimental photography, among others. This ensures that each project is evaluated from different viewpoints and sensibilities.
Evaluation Criteria: Projects will be assessed based on originality, narrative strength, visual coherence, innovation and experimentation, and their potential for international projection. The technical quality of the work and its ability to connect with audiences will also be taken into account. For the selection of the 50 finalists, the jury will also consider diversity of origins, gender balance, and variety of photographic themes.
Equal Opportunity: All portfolios will be reviewed simultaneously by all member festivals, ensuring that every proposal has an equal chance of being selected, regardless of theme or style.