Awards

IAFOR runs three arts awards, each aiming to promote and nurture activity in their respective media. The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award supports the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists through mentorship, equipment and monetary rewards for winners. The IAFOR Documentary Film Award is an open competition that seeks to inspire activity in the medium and reward both professional and up-and-coming documentary filmmakers. The IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award is an open competition for haiku written in the English language.


IAFOR Documentary Photography Award

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched 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 and Jocelyn Bain Hogg as Guest Judges.

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

Winners of the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award are announced each summer at The European Conference on Media, Communication & Film (EuroMedia) in Brighton, UK.

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


IAFOR Documentary Film Award

Proudly supported by The International Academic Forum (IAFOR), the IAFOR Documentary Film Award is a global competition celebrating the best in documentary filmmaking. Documentary has a rich history of exposing truths, telling stories, raising awareness and creating discussion – all practices valued at IAFOR.

In this competition, content is king. We welcome submissions drawing on compelling subject matter from any imaginable topic. Production quality is valued, but is not the sole basis for judgment. This is an open competition, welcoming storytelling from both amateurs and seasoned professionals.

The Founding Judge of the IAFOR Documentary Film Award is three-time Emmy Award winning producer and editor for NBC Network Gary E. Swanson, who assesses the entries to select the highest quality documentary videos from around the world.

The IAFOR Documentary Film Award is hosted by the The Asian Conference on Media and Mass Communication (MediAsia) in Kobe, Japan.

Video | PLACEBO: ALT. RUSSIA, Grand Prize Winner & Best Professional Feature (2016)


IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award

The IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award was founded by Dr Drago Štambuk, former Croatian Ambassador to Japan, and Dr Joseph Haldane, Chairman of IAFOR, and named in tribute to Vladimir Devidé’s vision and passion for haiku.

The IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award is an open competition for previously unpublished haiku written in the English language. The award is for haiku regardless of whether in the traditional or modern style; as such, it aims to transcend haiku divisions in the unifying spirit of Vladimir Devidé. The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) is proud to organise the award as part of The Asian Conference on Literature (LibrAsia), with the kind support of the Haiku International Association (HIA), the World Haiku Association (WHA) and The Haiku Foundation.