1. WHO CAN APPLY

The Open Call - Encontros da Imagem Photobook Award 2026 is open to national and international artists, photographers and publishers over the age of 18, and applications can be made individually or collectively.

2. PRIZE

All books sent in and submitted for the competition will be displayed in a group exhibition, which will take place between 18th of September and 1st of November 2026 in Braga, Portugal, as part of the 36th edition of the festival.

In this group exhibition, to be held in a partner venue to be announced, security systems will be installed in the books.

All books submitted for the competition will be presented and announced on the festival's website and across its various communication channels, along with their authorship.

The jury will evaluate all books and award prizes in the following categories:

• Best Published Award for authors of published photography books, with the winning author receiving a cash prize of € 1.000 (one thousand euros).

• Best Dummy Award for handmade / DIY models of photography books, with the winning author receiving a cash prize of € 1.000 (one thousand euros).

The jury may award up to 2 honourable mentions per category if they deem it necessary.

3. APPLICATION

To be eligible for this award, you must register and submit your project via the Picter platform, subject to the following conditions:

• Select a category: Best Published Award and Best Dummy Award.

• Each application has a registration fee of € 25

• Each project submitted will correspond to one application

• Each candidate can only apply for a maximum of 3 books, which corresponds to 3 entries/applications per category

• Applications will be open from 20 April to 24 May 2026

• The books submitted in the application must be sent by 15 July 2026

• If your application includes important attachments, such as videos (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.), please include the links in the synopsis

4. SELECTION

The projects will be analysed and evaluated by a panel of invited experts with vast experience in the field, both nationally and internationally. This assessment will take place in person during the festival, between 18 September and 1 November 2026.

However, all the requested materials (images, pdf of the book, synopsis, bibliography/curriculum) must be submitted on the platform so that the jury can carry out an initial online review.

The winners will be announced publicly during the festival.

5. BOOK SHIPMENT

Artists must send their book by 15 July 2026 to ensure their entry for the prize. If the book arrives after this date, the packaging must bear a postmark or dispatch stamp dated before the aforementioned date.

The package should be sent to the following address:

A/C: Carla Bacelar Ferreira or Noora Manty

Largo da Estação, 40 - Salas 5 e 6

4700-223 Braga

Portugal

SHIPPINGS OUTSIDE THE EU: If the book is held up at customs, the applicant must take responsibility for the customs clearance costs.

For operational reasons relating to the carriers, we suggest that these applicants choose to send their parcels via carriers such as UPS, DHL or similar, which, whilst also incurring clearance costs, handle the process independently and more efficiently.

6. DONATIONS/RETURNS

Winning entries will not be returned but will be added to the Encontros da Imagem -- Carlos Fontes Library for public consultation.

All entrants must indicate whether they are donating their book to the library or wish to have it returned by means of a signed document accompanying the book; a draft of this document can be obtained from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1T6xlE1p_xVtsj62NP87xgjRM8tLIBFMO?usp=sharing.

Should they opt for the book to be returned, the author will be responsible for the associated costs.

7. IMAGE USE

The images submitted may be used by the festival organisers to promote the Open Call and the festival on social media. The authors of the published works will be credited in the respective publications.

In the future, the different materials - images/videos and books - may be used for promotional purposes and in exhibitions (solo or group), either as part of the festival or in partnership with collaborating institutions; artists will be contacted in good time.

The authors take full credit and responsibility for the authorship of the images/works presented.

NOTE

By registering, you agree to the terms and conditions mentioned above.

Any doubts and/or questions that are not addressed in these regulations should be directed to the festival team via the following email address:

eibooks@encontrosdaimagem.com