1. Promoters

The IPFA Award 2026 is organised by the International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA), in collaboration with the Experimentalphotofestival Association (Barcelona, Spain), and supported by 20 participating photography festivals: Abuja International Photo Festival (Nigeria), Belfast Photo Festival (United Kingdom), Biennale della Fotografia Femminile (Italy), Brussels Street Photography Festival (Belgium), Budapest Photo Festival (Hungary), Busan International Photo Festival (South Korea), Experimental Photo Festival (Spain), Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba (Brazil), Festival La Gacilly-Baden Photo (Austria), Freezer Festival Internacional de Fotografía (Argentina), Imago Lisboa (Portugal), IPMA Festival (Lithuania), Kolga Tbilisi Photo Week (Georgia), Les Boutographies (France), Liquida Photofestival (Italy), MontPhoto (Spain), MXSPF – International Street Photography Festival (Mexico), Photometria (Greece), Rotterdam Photo (The Netherlands) and Vintage Photo Festival (Poland). 

2. Duration of the Open Call

The IPFA Award 2026 open call will open on 26 November 2026 and close on 11 January 2027 at 23:59 CET. All submissions must be completed through Picter before the deadline.

3. Disqualification

Entries received after the closing date will be automatically disqualified.

4. Entry Responsibility

The promoters accept no responsibility for entries not received due to technical issues, transmission errors or any other cause.

5. Submission Platform

Entries must be submitted exclusively through the Picter.com platform. Submissions sent by any other means or platform will not be accepted.

6. Entry Fee

The entry fee is €20 per submitted project. Participants may submit more than one project, provided that each project is submitted separately and the corresponding entry fee is paid.

7. Eligibility

The open call is open to photographers and visual artists worldwide, regardless of their professional status or career stage. Employees and contractors of participating festivals, as well as immediate family members of jury representatives, are not eligible to participate.

8. Submission Content

Submitted works must not infringe the copyright or intellectual property rights of third parties. Participants shall indemnify the promoters against any claims arising from the submitted material.

9. Data Use

Personal data provided during the submission process will be used for the purpose of processing the application, internal jury review and communication related to the open call. Such data may be stored for up to five years for research, evaluation and promotional purposes. Data will not be shared without consent. To request data deletion, participants may do so directly through the Picter.com platform.

10. Third-party Platform

All submission data will be processed via Picter, which will handle the information in accordance with its own privacy policies.

11. Acceptance

By submitting a project, participants agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

12. Copyright and Licensing

Participants retain the copyright of their work but grant the International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) and the Experimentalphotofestival Association a perpetual, international licence to use the submitted images for promotional purposes, including exhibitions, websites and social media.

13. Jury

The jury will evaluate originality, innovation, photographic quality and technical diversity. The winners will be selected by a panel composed of representatives from the member festivals: Abuja International Photo Festival (Nigeria), Belfast Photo Festival (United Kingdom), Biennale della Fotografia Femminile (Italy), Brussels Street Photography Festival (Belgium), Budapest Photo Festival (Hungary), Busan International Photo Festival (South Korea), Experimental Photo Festival (Spain), Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba (Brazil), Festival La Gacilly-Baden Photo (Austria), Freezer Festival Internacional de Fotografía (Argentina), Imago Lisboa (Portugal), IPMA Festival (Lithuania), Kolga Tbilisi Photo Week (Georgia), Les Boutographies (France), MontPhoto (Spain), Liquida Photofestival (Italy), MXSPF – International Street Photography Festival (Mexico), Photometria (Greece), Rotterdam Photo (The Netherlands) and Vintage Photo Festival (Poland).

14. Jury Decision

The jury’s decision is final and binding. No correspondence regarding the results will be entered into.

15. Winner Notification

Selected photographers will be notified individually by email in March 2027.

They must acknowledge receipt and sign the required copyright and participation agreements within 14 days of notification. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of participation and replacement by an alternate artist.

16. Benefits

20 Selected Photographers – Solo Exhibitions

• A solo exhibition at the member festival that selected the project.
• €300 provided by IPFA for exhibition production, in addition to the funding each festival allocates to its exhibitions.
• 50% discount on participation in the Portfolio Review during the IPFA Meeting 2027, where directors and curators from around the world can view your work and build professional networks.
• Official recognition and a certificate as an IPFA Award 2026 Selected Photographer.
• Inclusion in the IPFA Photographers Archive.
• Promotion across IPFA and participating festival communication channels, including a special video produced to highlight the artists and the results of this edition.

50 Finalists – Collective Exhibition

• Participation in a travelling collective exhibition that will open in July 2027 in Barcelona, at Sala Golfes, IPFA’s exhibition space, before touring other member festivals.
• 30% discount on participation in the Portfolio Review during the IPFA Meeting 2027
• Official recognition and a certificate as an IPFA Award 2026 Finalist.
• Inclusion in the IPFA Photographers Archive.
• Promotion across IPFA and participating festival communication channels, including inclusion in a special video highlighting the selected photographers and the results of the call.

17. Benefit Conditions

The benefits are as stated and are non-transferable. No cash or alternative awards will be offered. Selected photographers will coordinate the development and presentation of their exhibitions with the participating festival responsible for their selection. Travel and accommodation expenses are not included in the IPFA Award benefits unless otherwise expressly agreed with the participating festival. The specific conditions regarding exhibition production, artwork transportation, installation, insurance, artist participation and exhibition schedules will be established with the relevant festival following the selection process.

18. Inappropriate Submissions

The promoters reserve the right to reject any submissions they consider inappropriate or offensive.

19. Changes to the Open Call

The promoters reserve the right to cancel or modify the open call at their sole discretion. Any changes will be communicated promptly to the participants.

20. Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions are governed by Spanish law. Any disputes shall fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Barcelona, Spain.

21. Promotional Disclaimer

The IPFA Award is organised by IPFA and is not sponsored, endorsed or administered by any social media platform. Picter serves as the official submission platform for the open call.

Modification of Terms

The promoters reserve the right to change or modify these Terms and Conditions at any time, with immediate effect upon publication on the official call website.

Questions?

Do not hesitate to contact us: International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) – organiser of the IPFA Award. 

📧 hello@photographyfestivalsassociation.com 

+34 679 53 17 75