The goal of the call

The goal of this open call is to give participants the opportunity to see their work exhibited at a renowned international photo festival and, consequently, promote their visibility.

For the 35th edition of the Encontros da Imagem festival, the organisation intends to present different proposals for contemporary photography, highlighting the diversity and richness of the different approaches, from documentary projects to those that want to explore the limits of photographic construction.

Encontros da Imagem returns between 18th of September and 2nd of November, with exhibitions in various cities in the north of Portugal, with the aim of cultivating visual literacy and contributing to the democratisation of photography in its enjoyment and creation.

Our first open call of the year is open for submissions between 24th of March and 27th of April 2025 .

What winners receive

• The finalists will have their work produced and exhibited at the 2025 edition of the festival;
• The finalists will have their work published in the catalog of the 2025 edition;
• The winner of the Encontros da Imagem Award 2025 will be awarded with 1000€ (one thousand euros)

About the organization

Encontros da Imagem, founded in 1987, is a non-profit cultural association that promotes annually an International Photography and Visual Arts Festival in the city of Braga, Portugal. The festival celebrates classic and contemporary photography and other visual arts by showcasing emerging and established artists.

Every year Encontros da Imagem promotes an open call for the Encontros da Imagem Award (previously “Discovery Award”), where the finalists have the opportunity to exhibit their work during the festival.

Encontros da Imagem organizes 2 other awards; the Portfolio Reviews, which provides photographers an opportunity to show their work to an international jury, and the Photobook Award in recognition of the book format’s significance in the photographic field.

This year, as before, numerous emerging and established artists, both national and international, will be shown in several public and private spaces (historical and monumental buildings, museums, galleries and others). Encontros da Imagem is a cultural photographic reference in Portugal, and has reached a prominent position in the international panorama, being one of the oldest photography festivals in Europe.