The Belgrade Photo Month – New Talents 2025 is part of the eighth edition of the Belgrade Photo Month Festival, which will take place in May 2025 in Serbia’s vibrant capital, Belgrade. This annual festival features an array of photography exhibitions, lectures, workshops, and portfolio reviews, bringing together international talents in a celebration of photography and visual arts.
The New Talents 2025 competition is an exciting upcoming photography competition designed for photographers born after January 1, 2000. The competition embraces a broad theme: postconflict. Submissions are expected to reflect on the political, social, personal, environmental, or economic aftermath of conflict, opening up a rich field of creative possibilities. Participants can submit projects consisting of 8 to 15 photographs, in either color or black and white. The entry fee is entirely free, making it accessible for anyone interested in exploring this powerful theme.
Winners of the BPM New Talents 2025 will have the chance to exhibit their work as part of the festival in May 2025. The top three projects will be displayed, including a special award for the best local Serbian proposal. This unique opportunity not only offers visibility in a renowned photography festival but also provides invaluable exposure and networking opportunities for young photographers.
Key dates to keep in mind include the submission deadline on February 16, 2025, and the announcement of successful entrants on March 2, 2025. The selection process is rigorous, with a panel of expert judges evaluating each entry based on creativity, originality, and technical quality.
The Belgrade Photo Month – New Talents 2025 prizes
The prizes for the Belgrade Photo Month – New Talents 2025 are highly sought-after and represent a significant stepping stone for emerging photographers. The competition will select three top projects, with an additional prize awarded to the best local (Serbian) submission.
The most outstanding proposal will be named the overall winner, with two runner-up prizes also awarded. These selected projects will be exhibited in a dedicated section of the Belgrade Photo Month Festival. This visibility can be transformative for young photographers, offering not just recognition but also a platform to showcase their work to international audiences, gallery owners, and photography enthusiasts.
In addition to the exhibition space, the BPM New Talents 2025 finalists will benefit from significant publicity through festival-related media coverage. Their work will be part of the festival’s permanent collection, ensuring ongoing exposure long after the festival concludes.
The categories of the BPM 2025 New Talents
This year BPM 2025’s theme explores postconflict—a powerful concept that invites photographers to capture the human spirit’s remarkable journey toward renewal and healing. While submissions aren’t restricted to specific categories, photographers may draw inspiration from these key dimensions:
- Political Postconflict: Reveal the transformative moments after conflicts end—from citizens returning to rebuilt homes to former adversaries working together in peace-building initiatives. Capture the tangible signs of society moving forward after political upheaval.
- Social Postconflict: Document communities weaving themselves back together. Show how people rebuild trust, restore traditions, and forge new bonds after division. These images might capture reconciliation ceremonies, rebuilt gathering places, or simple moments of renewed connection.
- Personal Postconflict: Tell intimate stories of individual resilience. Focus on moments that reveal inner strength—whether it’s a survivor’s first smile, an athlete’s return to competition after injury, or someone embracing life anew after personal crisis.
- Environmental Postconflict: Portray nature’s remarkable recovery. Show how ecosystems heal—from forests regenerating after fires to wildlife returning to restored habitats. Capture the delicate balance between human restoration efforts and natural renewal.
- Economic Postconflict: Chronicle the revival of human enterprise and innovation. Document how communities rebuild their livelihoods—from reopened marketplaces to new businesses rising from crisis, showing the resilient spirit of economic recovery.
While these themes offer guidance, photographers should feel empowered to interpret postconflict through their unique creative vision, capturing moments that speak to the universal human experience of overcoming and renewal.
Submission deadlines and entry fees
Entering the Belgrade Photo Month – New Talents 2025 contest is straightforward and free. There are no registration fees, ensuring that this is a truly accessible opportunity for young photographers worldwide.
Key dates to remember:
- Submission deadline: February 16, 2025 (23:30h Belgrade time)
- Notification of successful entries: March 2, 2025
- Exhibition date: May 8, 2025 (Belgrade, Serbia)
To participate, entrants must submit their work via email to newtalents2025@belgradephotomonth.org, including 8 to 15 photographs as part of a cohesive project. Submissions must adhere to the specified format (jpg, maximum 1920 pixels on the longer side, 72 dpi). Additionally, entries must be accompanied by an artist’s statement, a short bio, and a description of the project in English.
Interested in free contests? Be sure to check out our compilation of free photo contests 2025 for more options.
For more information and to enter the Belgrade Photo Month 2025: New Talents, visit: belgradephotomonth.org/en/open-calls/new-talents-2025/
