2019 IAFOR Documentary Photography Award Launched

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award is now inviting submissions on the theme, “Reclaiming the Future”. We hope that the broad nature of this theme will encourage photographers to submit work from a variety of perspectives.

This year’s Guest Judges are Indian transmedia artist, photographer and activist, Poulomi Basu, whose work is widely known for advocating for the rights of women, and Jenny Matthews, who is a documentary photographer and filmmaker working on issues of dispossession and human rights, with a particular emphasis on the lives of women and girls. Poulomi and Jenny join our Founding Judge, Paul Lowe of VII Photo and University of the Arts London to make this year’s judging panel.

To date, award recipients have received prizes with a total combined value of more than £10,000, along with mentoring and scholarship opportunities. The 2019 Grand Prize includes £1,000 cash from IAFOR, a nomination for the prestigious Joop Swart Masterclass by World Press Photo and access to multimedia training from MediaStorm, with more prizes to be announced shortly.

The final submission deadline is midnight on November 25, 2019 (Greenwich Mean Time – GMT). Applicants must be 30 years old or younger on November 25, 2019 OR enrolled in part-time or full-time education on November 25, 2019 (proof may be required).

In support of up-and-coming talent, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award is free to enter.


About the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched by The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) in 2015 as an international photography award that seeks to promote and assist in the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists. The award has benefitted since the outset from the expertise of an outstanding panel of internationally renowned photographers, including Dr Paul Lowe as the Founding Judge, and Ed Kashi, Simon Roberts, Simon Norfolk, Emma Bowkett, Monica Allende, Jocelyn Bain Hogg, Maria Teresa Salvati and Ziyah Gafic as Guest Judges.

As an organisation, IAFOR’s mission is to promote international exchange, facilitate intercultural awareness, encourage interdisciplinary discussion, and generate and share new knowledge. In keeping with this mission, in appreciation of the great value of photography as a medium that can be shared across borders of language, culture and nation, and to influence and inform our academic work and programmes, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched as a competition that would help underline the importance of the organisation’s aims, and would promote and recognise best practice and excellence.

Now in its fifth year, the award is widely recognised by those in the industry and has been supported by World Press Photo, British Journal of Photography, Metro Imaging, MediaStorm, Think Tank Photo, University of the Arts London, RMIT University, The Centre for Documentary Practice, and the Medill School of Journalism.

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award expects all participants to act in accordance with the guidelines of professional conduct as specified in the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists.

For more information please contact Thaddeus Pope, Creative Director, IAFOR Documentary Photography Award (tpope@iafor.org).

Image by Subhrajit Sen | 2018 Second Place Winner

Posted by IAFOR