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Belfast Photo Festival Open Submission
31 January 2025

    We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Belfast Photo Festival 2025 Open Submission Photography Competition

    Deadline 31 January 2025
    Early Bird (25% OFF) Open Until 1 November 2024

    Name of Organisation
    Belfast Photo Festival

    Website
    https://www.belfastphotofestival.com

    OPEN FOR ENTRIES!

    Belfast Photo Festival hosts an annual, world-leading, popular cultural event at locations citywide. We catalyse local debate, creative development and financial opportunities with a combination of commissions, exhibitions and global arts leadership. “One of the best photography festivals in the world” (Capture Magazine).

    We invite photographers of all nations and backgrounds to apply to the Open Submission, to have their work viewed by an international panel of highly influential photography industry experts, with career enhancing opportunities on offer.

    Opportunities include exhibition at the largest annual festival of photography in the UK and Ireland, before going on a European tour with significant media exposure and a range of awards including a £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,300) cash prize.

    Individuals and/or collectives are welcome to apply to the Photographs Category by entering between 1 and 15 photographs from a particular group series, completed project or body of work in development. To enter the Photo-Book category, add at least one image of your photo book project. This can be the cover, a product shot of the book dummy or some images of the book.

    WHAT DO YOU WIN?

    ALL SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:

    Submission review by a diverse jury of industry professionals
    Opportunities for project exposure across festival materials, social media channels, website and press campaign
    2025 Portfolio Review discount

    20 TO 40 FINALIST PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:

    Large format print exhibition (Produced by Belfast Photo Festival) in June 2025 at city centre locations receiving over 100,000+ visitors
    Publication in the printed festival programme, website and marketing materials
    Partner exhibition and exposure at the 2026 Photo Schwiez Festival in Switzerland
    Festival representation and promotion in our award winning media and PR campaign. In 2024 we had a combined reach of 115 million including multiple features in the Guardian, Creative Review, Irish Times and more.
    Participation in our Instagram residency scheme
    Dedicated feature on the festival website with full online gallery
    Inclusion in the festival issue of Abridged Magazine
    Applicants will have their work viewed by an international panel of highly influential experts in the field of photography, plus have the opportunity to win awards and a significant cash prize.

    ADDITIONAL AWARDS AND CASH PRIZES:

    Spotlight Award – £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,400) Cash Prize

    Spotlight Interview – with representatives from world leading photographic institutions (e.g. TATE, MoMA, TIME, Pompidou, Aperture)

    1 Year Royal Photographic Society Membership

    Abridged Editorial Award – with full project feature

    Aesthetica Editorial Award – with editorial presentation in the digital issue of Aesthetica international art and culture magazine.

    COMPETITION DESCRIPTION

    Described as “One of the best photography festivals in the world” (Capture Magazine), the annual Belfast Photo Festival represents the largest annual festival of photography in the UK and Ireland, providing the perfect platform for those looking for new or additional exposure to both international and industry audiences.

    Our open theme is to reduce barriers and restrictions. Submissions must be photographic or lens-based but can include combinations with other art forms such as performance, painting, sculpture, music, literature and more.

    JURY

    Jessica Baxter – Assistant Curator (TATE Modern, London, U.K.)

    Meaghan Looram – Director of Photography (The New York Times, New York, USA)

    Alessia Glaviano – Head of Global (PhotoVogue, Milan, Italy)

    Shana Lopes – Assistant Curator of Photography (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, U.S.A)

    Michael Famighetti – Editor (Aperture Magazine, New York, U.S.A)

    Alejandro Acín – Festival Director (Bristol Photo Festival, Bristol, U.K)

    Michael Weir – Director (Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast, U.K.)

    For more information on the Jury members, visit: www.belfastphotofestival.com

    TERMS

    All applications must be received by 11:59pm (GMT), 31st January 2025. Applications received after this time cannot be considered. Selected artists will be contacted by early April 2025.
    The public dates of the Festival are 5th – 30th June 2025. (Festival launch on the 5th June). Some exhibition dates may be longer depending on exhibition venue.
    The installation of the Open Submission Exhibition will be assisted and overseen by the Belfast Photo Festival team with involvement of the artist where relevant. The method of production and display of each photographer’s work is at the discretion of the Belfast Photo Festival.
    If required and subject to availability of work, the applicant agrees to supply all photo-books selected for exhibition, printed and professionally presented ready for public display.
    The applicant agrees to insure the requested photo-books are suitably packaged and reach the Belfast Photo Festival by 24th May 2025, ready for display (if applicable).
    You agree to your selected prints/photo-books being taken on tour with the 2025 Open Submission Exhibition and to supplying high-resolution digital files of the submitted images for the Belfast Photo Festival to produce the photographs for outdoor exhibition/presentation during the festival period.
    CONDITIONS
    Applicants agree to be bound by these Official Rules;
    The decision of the Belfast Photo festival selection panel is final
    Belfast Photo Festival may use selected photographs, artist name, text context, biography and photography in any publicity or advertising relating to the Festival or future promotions without compensation or approval.
    Entries are void if the Festival determines the entry to not be original or referenced, or if the entries are illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.
    The Festival reserves the right to refuse work for exhibition/presentation if it does not meet the expected print quality of production and presentation for the Festival.
    In the event that a selected applicant wins any Belfast Photo Festival related prize then is found ineligible or refuses the prize, the prize will be forfeited and the Organisers may choose whether to award the prize to another entrant.
    The Festival reserves the right to amend or extend the submission deadline at their sole discretion. Should this be the case, details will be posted via the Festival and Picter website.
    RIGHT TO CANCEL
    Belfast Photo Festival reserves the right to cancel scheduled exhibitions or events if the application, in any way, is perceived to have brought the Festival into disrepute. If for any reason the selected applicant is not capable of exhibiting as planned, they should wherever possible give Belfast Photo Festival at least 2 months’ notice prior to the Festival launch in June 2025.
    COPYRIGHT
    At no point does Belfast Photo Festival require artists to sign over the copyright of their work and therefore artists retain all copyrights to their work at all times. However, by submitting their works the artist agrees that Belfast Photo Festival and it’s affiliated Sponsors/Funders and Partners can use their works in magazines or books, on websites, social media platforms and Belfast Photo Festival newsletters, or in any other medium, at ‘Authorised Parties’ discretion. Artists and photographers will be credited for their works.