BCN-DH International Photo Festival

5th BARCELONA HUMAN RIGHTS AND GLOBAL JUSTICE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD

The Más Retina Association organizes and announces the fifth edition of the International Photography Festival on Human Rights and Global Justice in Barcelona. The Festival will consist of 10 large-format exhibitions selected from this open call, which will be displayed on the streets of Barcelona—one in each district—from December 1, 2025, to January 10, 2026.

This document outlines all necessary information for participation, including categories, eligibility criteria, key dates, and technical requirements.

CALL FOR ENTRIES – TERMS & CONDITIONS

OBJECTIVES

The Festival aims to shed light on global issues and their root causes using photography as a tool to advance social justice, environmental sustainability, and the exercise of all rights within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The goal is to generate spaces for reflection and information that promote a critical and engaged citizenry, capable of participating in the debates shaping our times.

TIMELINE – KEY DATES

• Call Opens: September 18, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. CET

• Deadline for Submissions: October 10, 2025, at midnight CET

• Jury Decision: During October; results announced to the 10 selected participants on October 30

• Festival Launch: November 30

• Winner Announcement: December 10

• Exhibition Dates: December 1, 2025 – January 10, 2026

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Participation is open to both professional and amateur photographers, aged 18 or over, of any nationality. Members of the Más Retina collective are not eligible. A submission fee of €5 per project will be charged when uploading photos via the PICTER platform. Each participant may submit more than one project.

THEMES & CATEGORIES

Submitted photo projects must address themes related to Human Rights and Global Justice, integrating a gender perspective. Projects aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, and those that foster understanding of global development models and the root causes of inequality, will be positively valued.

Participants may submit multiple projects but must select the appropriate category for each one.

CONTEST CATEGORIES

This year, we have defined four thematic categories within the field of human rights and global justice:

1. Social Justice

Projects addressing inequality, discrimination, exclusion, and fundamental rights.

Example topics include:

• Migration, forced displacement, and the right to migrate

• Asylum and refuge

• Borders, migration policies and their human rights impact

• Racism, xenophobia, and cultural diversity

• Human trafficking

• Armed conflict, violence, peace processes, and historical       memory

• Stateless peoples

• Indigenous and ethnic communities

• Disability and inclusive health

• Cultural and linguistic rights

• Poverty and social exclusion

• Housing rights, evictions, and urban inclusion

• Children's and youth rights

• Right to education and healthcare

• Global health

• Fair labor, precarity, and just wages

• Labor exploitation, child labor, modern slavery

• Employment discrimination

• Union rights and freedom of association

• Informal economy and inequality

• Institutional violence and abuse of power

• Social movements and community struggles

• Criminalization of protest

• Rights of incarcerated individuals

• Human rights defenders and territorial advocacy

2. Climate Justice

Projects reflecting territorial and social inequalities tied to the ecological and climate crisis, as well as resistance and alternatives defending the right to a healthy, just environment.

Example topics include:

• Climate crisis impacts on vulnerable communities

• Natural disasters

• Extractivism: mining, oil, agribusiness

• Deforestation and environmental degradation

• Pollution: air, marine, soil

• Access to water and water rights

• Food sovereignty and agroecology

• Biodiversity loss

• Rights of nature and animals

• Climate-related displacement

• Just energy transition and community participation

• Environmental racism

• Indigenous environmental defenders

• Climate activism

• Corporate responsibility in the Global North

• Sustainable urbanism and green cities

• Circular economy, recycling, and inclusive waste management

3. Gender Justice

Projects highlighting gender-based inequalities, violence, resistance, and movements toward a more inclusive, just, and equitable society.

Example topics include:

• Gender-based violence (physical, sexual, economic, institutional)

• Femicide and violence against women and gender minorities

• Antiviolence feminist movements

• Discrimination against women and girls

• Patriarchy and power dynamics

• Sexual division of labor

• Feminization of poverty

• Cultural, religious, and sexual diversity

• Domestic and care work

• Sexual and reproductive rights and health

• Forced marriage and child pregnancy

• Motherhood

• Gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination

• Trans, non-binary, and LGBTIQ+ rights

• Community, rural, and Indigenous feminisms

• Political participation of women and minorities

• Gender-inclusive education

• Stories of empowerment

• Trafficking and sexual exploitation

• Feminist movements

• Criminalization of abortion

• Non-hegemonic masculinities and shared caregiving

• Unequal access to land and resources

4. Economic Justice

Projects that portray economic inequality and advocate for fairer models of distribution and opportunity.

Example topics include:

• North-South economic disparities

• Unequal land distribution and land grabbing

• Local impacts of global economic policies

• Production and consumption models

• Extractive industries and human rights

• Transnational corporations and their practices

• Global trade, finance, and labor relations

• Labor migration and structural causes

• Poverty and inequality reduction

• Exploitation, child labor, modern slavery

• Domestic work and the care economy

• Technological gaps and the future of work

• Responsible production and consumption

• Wage gaps and income inequality

• Privatization of essential services

• Solidarity, social, and feminist economies

• Food sovereignty

• Fair trade

• Ecological, locally-rooted economies

• Informal work, precarity, and decent labor

Aquí tienes la traducción completa al inglés del texto que me proporcionaste:

CATEGORY SELECTION

Each participant must choose a single category when submitting their work, and the project must be directly related to the chosen theme.

We understand that some topics may fit more than one category. For example, a project about human trafficking could fall under both social justice and gender justice. In such cases, we ask that you choose the category you feel is the most appropriate.

The same applies to topics that may be cross-cutting across the four categories of the contest. In certain cases, the organization reserves the right to change the assigned category if deemed necessary.

If you are unsure about which category to submit your project under, feel free to contact us at: masretinaphoto@gmail.com

REGISTRATION

Registrations must be completed through the official platform Picter.

The following must be submitted:

• Personal and contact information

• Each participant may submit as many projects as they see fit, as long as they relate to the festival's theme. A category must be selected for each project.

• Photographs must be submitted in digital format, in color or    black and white. Projects must include 15 photos, 7 of which must have been taken after 01/01/2024.

• Select the category under which the project is submitted

• A descriptive synopsis of the theme addressed by the series

• Captions included in metadata

• Photographs must be numbered according to the narrative equence

• Each image file must be named using the series title and corresponding number (e.g.: title_01, title_02)

Image files must not include any identifying nformation of the participant, either on the image or in the metadata.

PHOTOGRAPHS AND FORMAT

Images must be in JPEG, high quality compression (12), RGB color profile, 300 ppi resolution, and minimum 40 cm on the shortest side.

Image manipulation:

Significant alterations of the images are prohibited. The original structure of the digital image may only be adjusted using darkroom techniques such as brightness, contrast, and color adjustments, overexposure, or underexposure. No other changes to the original digital image are allowed.

Only single-frame photographs will be accepted. Photomontages will be disqualified. In case of doubt, the raw file may be requested for verification.

Images created or modified using artificial intelligence are not permitted.

If there is any suspicion of digital alteration beyond what is allowed, the organization reserves the right to request the unedited original photo file (as captured by the camera) or an unprocessed scanned copy, negative, or slide.

Photoshop effects or digital manipulation are not allowed, except for basic color corrections that do not alter content.

To prepare the images for printing, files will be required at maximum quality.

At least seven of the fifteen photos must have been taken in 2024 and/or 2025.

Photographs may or may not have been previously published.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

All instructions provided on the Picter platform must be followed.

PHOTO SUBMISSION DEADLINE

The final deadline for submitting works is October 10, 2025, at 24:00 (Spain time).

PRIZES

The 10 projects selected by the jury will be exhibited during the festival on the streets of Barcelona and will be included in the 2025 edition catalog.

• A €3,000 cash prize will receive the best of the ten projects as the winner of the competition and her category

• Three €400 prizes will be awarded to the best works in the three remaining categories not represented by the overall winner.

Prize payments will be made to the winning authors and will be subject to applicable tax laws according to the nationality of the recipients.

JURY

Before the submission period begins, Más Retina will appoint the jury, composed of photography professionals specializing in human rights and people involved in humanitarian and cooperation work.

The jury's decision will be made by a simple majority and will be final. The organization reserves the right to make decisions regarding any issues not covered in these rules.

SELECTION OF FINALISTS

The jury will select 10 finalist projects from all submissions. These will be exhibited during the festival, and one will be chosen as the winner.

Selection criteria:

• The two best projects from each of the four categories (gender justice, economic justice, social justice, and climate justice) will be selected---8 projects total.

• The jury will evaluate the third-place entries from each category and select the two highest-rated to complete the total of 10 finalists.

This ensures a minimum of two projects per category, with two additional slots awarded based on merit.

The organizers reserve the right to use the winning images to promote the festival (e.g., in the catalog, on communication channels, social media, newsletters, etc.), always crediting the photographer.

The organization may display fewer images than submitted if space is limited at certain exhibition sites.

The festival is committed to respecting the moral rights recognized in Article 14 of the Spanish Intellectual Property Law and may modify the timeline if it benefits the event's success.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES

Submitting work to the Barcelona International Human Rights and Global Justice Photography Festival implies full acceptance of these rules and waives the right to any future claims.

Más Retina reserves the right to postpone, shorten, extend, modify, suspend, or cancel the contest if necessary, without liability, and will communicate any changes appropriately.

Once submitted, the material may not be modified, withdrawn, or canceled.

Among all submissions, the jury will select up to ten finalist projects to be exhibited in public spaces across Barcelona's 10 districts during the festival.

The organization will produce these exhibitions in agreement with the authors, within the event's assigned budget.

COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE OWNERSHIP

Participants must own all rights to their submitted work and declare full authorship.

Participants are fully responsible for ensuring that no third-party rights or image rights are violated.

The organization may freely use the submitted images for communication and promotional purposes related to the award or its themes, always crediting the author and providing notice.

Authors retain full ownership of their copyright and are responsible for any third-party claims.

THIRD-PARTY RIGHTS

Participants are responsible for complying with intellectual property and image rights laws, ensuring that any reproduction of their work for festival promotion does not infringe on the rights of others.

Participants shall cover any legal or financial consequences that may arise due to disputes.

Más Retina is not liable for any unauthorized or unlawful use of the submitted works by third parties.

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Participants guarantee that all persons appearing in the photos have given clear and explicit consent for the use and distribution of their image.

In the case of minors, participants must obtain explicit consent from a parent or guardian.

Participants release Más Retina from any liability arising from failure to comply with this requirement.

IMAGE USAGE RIGHTS

By accepting the contest rules, authors grant Más Retina non-exclusive, worldwide, and royalty-free rights to reproduce, distribute, and publicly communicate their work in connection with the festival.

Specifically, participants authorize:

• Reproduction rights for use in festival materials, both physical and digital (e.g., catalogs, exhibitions, brochures, posters, educational material, advertising, TV, newspapers, websites, and social media).

• Distribution rights for sharing the work with the public, in media publications, and for accompanying articles.

• Public communication rights for exhibiting the selected works and enabling online access.

• Transformation rights for adapting the work to other formats or media.

Finalists and winners also grant non-exclusive rights to derivative works based on their original projects, with the same duration and conditions.

Authors also authorize Más Retina to transfer these rights to third parties, for the organization's projects and mission.

Authors agree to sign any agreements necessary to formalize these transfers.

IMAGE CREDITS

Más Retina will always credit the authors whenever their photographs are used.

If a credit is omitted by mistake, this will not be considered a breach, as long as it is corrected promptly upon notification.

PROMOTION AND ARCHIVING OF FINALIST PROJECTS

All finalist projects will be exhibited from December 1, 2025, to January 10, 2026, in public spaces throughout Barcelona, designated by the District Councils and partner organizations.

These works may also be shown at later dates in other venues for educational or outreach purposes.

Más Retina will not transfer copies of the projects to third parties without the express consent of the authors or legal representatives.

No exclusivity is claimed on the winning or selected projects, beyond what is stated in these rules.

Authors maintain full copyright and are free to promote and commercialize their projects elsewhere.

Participants authorize partial or full reproduction of their work for festival promotion across communication channels.

Participants agree to sign any necessary agreements to make this usage possible.

DATA PROTECTION

In compliance with Organic Law 3/2018 on the Protection of Personal Data, Más Retina informs you that your personal data, including your email address, will be processed and stored for contest management purposes.

This includes verifying eligibility and contacting prize winners.

Participants may exercise their rights of access, rectification, opposition, deletion (right to be forgotten), data portability, and objection to automated decisions by writing to: masretinaphoto@gmail.com

To register, visit the Picter platform