Every photographer dreams of seeing their work cross borders, but submitting to dozens of individual festivals can be exhausting and expensive. The IPFA Award 2025 offers a revolutionary shortcut. Organized by the International Photography Festivals Association, this single competition connects your portfolio directly to curators from 20 different festivals worldwide. It is a massive multiplier effect where one submission creates twenty chances to secure a solo exhibition.
If you are looking to participate in photography challenges that prioritize tangible career outcomes, this is a top contender. The award is designed not just to give a title but to integrate artists into the global circuit of contemporary photography. Winners receive financial support, solo shows, and access to an exclusive network of directors and curators. The deadline to submit your project and potentially tour the world is December 22, 2025.
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The IPFA Award Prizes
The IPFA Award selects 20 winners (one chosen by each participating festival) who receive a solo exhibition. Additionally, 50 finalists are included in a major travelling group show that starts in Barcelona and moves across the member network.
The prize breakdown is extensive:
- 20 Selected Artists (Winners):
- A solo exhibition at the festival that selected them
- A€200 production grant (plus any festival-specific funds)
- 50% discount on Portfolio Reviews at the 2026 International Meeting in Barcelona
- Free access to IPFA Online Conferences
- Inclusion in the Photographers Repository
- Global promotion
- 50 Finalists:
- Participation in a travelling collective exhibition starting at Golfes Gallery in Barcelona
- 30% discount on Portfolio Reviews in 2026
- Free access to IPFA Online Conferences
- Inclusion in the Repository
- Widespread promotion
With opportunities for cash prizes in the form of production grants and guaranteed exhibition slots, the value proposition is incredibly high.
Related Photo Contests
The Categories of the IPFA Award
The IPFA Award operates without rigid categories, effectively functioning as an open theme photo contest. With a jury composed of directors from 20 distinct festivals, the scope of accepted work is vast. The curators are looking for strong, coherent narratives rather than specific genres.
This diversity means your project will find an audience whether it is a raw documentary series or a highly staged conceptual piece. The panel includes experts who champion everything from street photography and landscape to the boundaries of experimental and fine art. If you have a cohesive body of work, there is likely a festival director on the jury looking for exactly that style.
IPFA Award Dates and Entry Fees
Key Dates:
| Submission Deadline | December 22, 2025 |
| Winner Announcement | February 2026 |
| Exhibition Opening (Barcelona) | March 19, 2026 |
Entry Costs:
- Standard Entry: €20 per project.
How to Enter:
Submissions are managed via the Picter platform. Entrants must create an account and upload a cohesive project. Files should be high-quality JPEGs. In addition to the images, you must include a project statement describing the concept and motivation behind the work. This statement is crucial as it helps the diverse jury understand the context of your series.
About the Jury
The jury panel is the standout feature of this award. It comprises directors and curators from 20 prestigious photography festivals across the globe. This ensures that your work is reviewed by a wide range of experts with different aesthetic preferences and curatorial needs.
Participating jurors include:
- Arnaud Laroche (Les Boutographies, France)
- David Pujado (Belgrade Photo Month, Serbia)
- Lisa Cates (PhotoNOLA, USA)
- João Kulcsár (Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba, Brazil)
- Albes Fusha (Fokus Award, Albania)
- Constanze Müller (f/stop Festival, Germany)
- Paco Membrives (MontPhoto, Spain)
- Louise Fedotov Clements (Photoworks, UK)
…and many others from Italy, Colombia, Belgium, Mexico, Argentina, Nigeria, Hungary, and Greece.
Why Enter IPFA Award 2025?
This is arguably one of the best photo challenges online simply because of the math. Instead of paying separate entry fees to twenty different festivals, you pay one fee of €20 for access to all of them. The exposure potential is exponential. Having your work tour internationally in a group exhibition offers incredible resume value, and the possibility of a solo show funded by the IPFA is a significant career milestone.
Moreover, the networking benefits are real. The discounts on portfolio reviews in Barcelona place you in the same room (virtually or physically) as the people who make decisions in the photo world. The IPFA Award can be a strategic investment in your professional future.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the IPFA Award 2025 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Copyright and Usage:
Photographers retain full copyright of their work at all times. By submitting, you grant the IPFA and the participating festivals a non-exclusive license to use the images for promoting the award, the exhibitions, and the association. This includes usage on websites, social media, and in printed catalogs or press materials related to the event.
Eligibility:
The contest is open to photographers worldwide, regardless of age, nationality, or experience level. Projects must be cohesive series, as single images are generally not the focus of this specific call.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
