The main theme, HIT THE ROAD: Photographers’ travel will comprise not only generic postcard photography, but also the forms that transcend it – conceptual, journalist and documentary photography.

We will take a look at the works of ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG, co-creator of pop-art, and at the photographs of DAVID “CHIM” SEYMOUR, one of the originators of the world famous Magnum Photos photo agency. The exhibitions under the Hit the Road scheme are curated by Alison Nordström, the artistic director of the Fotofestiwal and for many years, the curator of George Eastman House at Rochester, NY. The International Photography Festival in Łódź will also feature slideshows, over thirty exhibitions in the OFFROAD section (including photographs by Zdzisław Beksiński), portfolio review, Grand Prix exhibitions, photographic workshops and photowalks, as well as a large section devoted to photobooks (such as Photographic Publication of the Year and a presentation of books competing for the Aperture Foundation Photobook Awards). The festival also returns – in cooperation with Transatlantyk – to a film programme. We will present the freshest and the most interesting films on photographers and photography.

Save the date and see you in Łódź!

Ten projects will be presented during the exhibition in the festival center, another ten we will be able to admire as a slide show and the entire group of finalists is invited to participate in portfolio review free of charge.

The winner will be announced at the opening of the festival in June. We can’t wait!

FINALISTS – EXHIBITION

Carlos Alba (Spain)
Sanne De Wilde (Belgium)
David Fathi (France)
Nick Hannes (Belgium)
Patryk Karbowski (Poland)
Birte Kaufmann (Germany)
Karolin Klüppel (Germany)
Jewgeni Roppel (Germany)
Shadman Shahid (Bangladesh)
Yurian Quintanas (Spain)

FINALISTS – SLIDE SHOW

Lena Dobrowolska i Teo Ormond- Skeaping (Poland / United Kingdom)
Natalia Dołgowska (Poland)
Amy Friend (Canada)
Elis Hoffman (Sweden)
Gundlach Kai-Uwe (Germany)
Anastasiya Lazurenko (Ukrain)
Alexandra Pouzet (France)
Reiner Riedler (Austria)
Lubo i Monika Stacho (Slovakia)
Alnis Stakle (Latvia)

PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Alfonso Almendros (Finland)
Karl Burke (Ireland)
Victor Cobo (USA)
Ulla Deventer (Germany)
Jacek Fota (Poland)
Kirill Golovchenko (Ukraine)
Annika Haas (Estonia)
Robert Harding Pittman (USA/ Germany)
Verena Jaekel (Germany)
Taro Karibe (Japan)
Thiemo Kloss (Germany)
Wawrzyniec Kolbusz (Poland)
Yulia Krivich (Ukraine / Poland)
Alban Lecuyer (France)
Alexandra Lethbridge (UK)
Julien Lombardi (France)
Jan Maschinski (Germany)
Dara McGrath (Ireland)
Alexandra Polina (Germany)
Ulrike Schmitz (Germany)
Stefanie Schultz (Germany)
Michał Siarek (Poland)
Michał Sierakowski (Poland)
Viktoria Sorochinski (Germany)
Michele Tagliaferri (Spain)
Catrine Val (Germany)
Filippo Venturi (Italy)
Vojtech Veskrna (Czech Republic)
Ola Walków (Poland)
Natalia Wiernik (Poland)

CONGRATULATIONS!

The jury of international curators will choose one winner and nine finalists from the submitted work. The winner will receive the prize of 10,000 PLN and his/her works will be displayed during the exhibition. The prize for nine finalists is the participation in the exhibition. All selected projects will be exhibited during the 15th edition of the Fotofestiwal in June 2016.

Grand Prix Fotofestiwal is a competition organized every year, during which prizes are awarded to those artists who present cohesive ideas and brave visions as well as excellent photographic technique and who use photographic language in a conscious manner. We want to present interesting personalities and new trends of contemporary photography. This invitation is directed at individual photographers. The formula of the competition is open and there are no thematic, age or geographical restrictions.

AWARDS
– 10.000 PLN (≈2300 euro) – MAIN PRIZE,
– the exhibition of all finalists during the International Festival of Photography (over 20.000 viewers),
– slideshow promoting all finalists during international photography festivals,
– Fotofestiwal wants to invite 50 authors of the best projects submitted to the Grand Prix competition to free participation in Portfolio Review 2016 in Lodz.

JURY

• Alison Nordström – independent curator, former director of photography department at George Eastman House, artistic director of the main program at Fotofestiwal 2016, USA
• Peggy Sue Amison – artistic director at East Wing Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Ângela Ferreira- artistic director and curator of Encontros da Imagem Festival, Portugal
• Erik Vroons, editor at the GUP Magazine , Netherlands
• Krzysztof Candrowicz, director of Fotofestiwal- International Festival of Photography in Lodz, Poland
• Adam Mazur, curator, editor in chief of SZUM Magazine, Poland
• Marta Szymańska, Archeology of Photography Foundation, Poland
• Jakub Śwircz, curator and lecturer, Poland
• Agata Zubrzycka, program director of Fotofestiwal, Poland

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

1. A complete application of the project shall be submitted:
   – via e-mail to gp@fotofestiwal.com (GRAND PRIX in the title of the message, file size up to 5MB)
   or
   – in person / by post to:

FUNDACJA EDUKACJI WIZUALNEJ
ul. Tymienieckiego 3 
90-365 Lodz, Poland

The project application should be sent in an envelope or packed in any other way that reduces the possibility of damage to the work. Packaging should be labelled “GRAND PRIX”.

If the application is sent by post, the date of registration is the postmark date.

2. Each application should include:
   – a completed application form,
   – all the works included in the project,
   – payment confirmation (scan, photocopy).

The GRAND PRIX program is the result of crowd-funding activity structured by non-profit organization.

3. Registration payment
   The registration fee is PLN 100 (≈ 25Euro, ≈35USD; the currency is converted automatically). Bank transfer title “Grand Prix 2015 – name and surname“. It should be paid:

- TO THE ORGANIZER’S BANK ACCOUNT
The registration fee is PLN 100 (or USD 35 or EUR 25)

PL 43 1050 1461 1000 0023 6185 2540
Nr BIC (SWIFT) INGBPLPW
titled: ‘Grand Prix- name and surname’

- PAY PAL or CREDIT CARD PAY NOW

Detailed rules of participation can be found in the terms and conditions of the competition.

4. Documents:
   – application form
   – rules and regulations
   – Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2016 open call

WHY SHOULD YOU SEND PHOTOS FOR GRAND PRIX FOTOFESTIWAL 2016?
‘I decided to submit my project to Lodz because of the open theme, the calibre of the submitted work in previous years and the reputation of the Fotofestiwal. I felt very privileged to be shortlisted and very surprised and honoured to be selected as the Grand Prix winner. It was the first time I had won a photographic award and I feel that this recognition was an important milestone in my career as a photographer, and an important assistance in maintaining the momentum to create new work. It was a great opportunity to connect with, learn from and be inspired by international practitioners and curators, see very high quality work and was a very positive and enjoyable experience overall.’ (Karl Burke, the Winner of Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2013)

‘I was awarded with the Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2012 in the same year, I got World Press Photos and the prize for Polish photojournalists – BWZWBK Press Photo. It was an important year for me. It really helped me in my photography development and enabled to work on new projects. The festival was also a great opportunity to meet people working with photography. ‘ (Tomasz Lazar, the Winner of Grand Prix Fotofestiwal 2012)

PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO HAVE WON GRAND PRIX AWARD IN PREVIOUS YEARS:
2015 Patrick Willocq „I am Wale, respect me”
2014 David Favrod “Gaijin”
2013 Karl Burke “The Harvest of Death, vol.1”
2012 Tomasz Lazar “Dreamline”
2010 Katrin Trautner “Morning Love”
2009 Christien Jaspars “Do“
2008 Eric Vazzoler “Face me“
2007 Arja Hyytiainen “Distance-Now”
2006 Andreas Pein “Wading“, Kai Bornhöft “True Colours“

FOTOFESTIWAL – International Festival of Photography in Lodz – meetings and exhibitions in the whole city, discussions about photography, exceptional people, unique industrial spaces. FOTOFESTIWAL is the meeting place for anyone for whom the photography is a way of life.

FOTOFESTIWAL is the most important photographic event in Central and Eastern Europe. Over 50 exhibitions in different parts of the city, meetings, portfolio overview, workshops and slide shows- all that attracts to Lodz nearly 20,000 visitors from all over the world every year.

We invite the most important curators from the world of art to co-operate with FOTOFESTIWAL. They prepare the exhibitions, determining the most interesting subjects of contemporary photography for the order of the festival. Apart from the curators’ interpretations, individual exhibitions as well as the annual presentation of Grand Prix Fotofestiwal finalists can be seen. FOTOFESTIWAL owes its unique character to accompanying events, the festival centre and especially to the audience that is looking for new inspirations and experience each year. During FOTOFESTIWAL we are talking about photography, we are looking for alternative means of its presentation and we are creating a meeting space.

FOTOFESTIWAL is the initiator and the leader of the Photo Festival Union –the union of European photo festivals, as well as a member of the international association the Festival of Light, through which it co-operates with the most important photographic events in the world.

On this day, you can see all the exhibitions in our festival centres: Art_Inkubator and OFF Piotrkowska. What is more, at 7.00 pm there is an opening of Franek Ammer’s and Igor Oleś’s exhibition “Harbinger” in just opened space of Przestrzeń Robocza.

Spend this beautiful day with us!

Today and on Wednesday, we would love to invite you for the openings of satelite exhibitions.

The Festival os also open on Thursday. Except for all the exhibitions in our Festival centres – Art_Inkubator and OFF Piotrkowska – it is worth going to the opening of an exhibition “Harbinger” of Frank Ammer and Igor Oleś in Przestrzeń Robocza (Wólczańska 226/3).

Friday and Saturday are full of attractions: meetings with authors, Visegrad Photobook Forum with discussion pannels and presentations… For book lovers, there will also be some presentations of photographic books.

We remember about everybody. That’s why we invite you for the walks in Atr_Inkubator of Friday: both the youngest and the oldest participants of the Festival will be guided by the organizers of the Festival.

Don’t forget about nightlife! For Saturday’s afterparty, we go to the concerts during LDZ Music Festival. We plan to dance like there’s no tomorrow…

…although there definitely is! Sunday means workshops and fhotowalks in industrial spaces of EC2.

Remember to check timetable – we believe you will find something interesting.

See you soon!

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So- SeeU on Fotofestiwal in Łódź!

It has been the third edition of the contest. Jury chose 17 finalists’ publications to be presented in the Fotofestiwal’s centre. 5 of them were considered the candidates to the main prize, that is the title of the ‘Photographic Publication of the Year’ and a voucher of 3000 zł for selected Empresse products. Joanna Kinowska, the head of jury, justified their choice in the following words:

“After long consultations, the jury decided to award a self-published book as the publication of the year.. This is another contribution to the debate on the publishing market and on the need to create appropriate conditions for self-published works. The jury decision may be also taken as a suggestion to blur the boundaries (based on the publishing methods) between them, not to emphasize it.

Justyna Mielnikiewicz’s book “Woman With a Monkey…” is thought-out, complex and cross-sectional, very sound and consistent as well. Mielnikiewicz had been doing her research on the Caucasus for years, collecting various stories. She presented many aspects of everyday life, combining it with the reflection on the current events, stereotypes and tradition. In her publications we can see the Caucasus as unexplored and uneasy to be summed up. According to the jury, the combination of photos taken while traveling with texts and notes makes the maximum use of a photobook as a medium. “Woman With a Monkey” consists of all the elements we look for in the contest: a thought-out project, exceptional photographs, the coherent and corresponding graphics, good printing and finally – it is a rich, universal and complete work.  This is the publication which we can always go back to for another story or information and never say ‘enough’.”

The final books in the contest (the order according to the applications):

• Salix Polaris, Anka Sielska, self-publishing
• Tadeusz Sumiński, Industrial, Fundacja Archeologia Fotografii
• Święta Wojna, Wojciech Wilczyk, Wydawnictwo Karakter, galeria Atlas Sztuki
• Boiko, Jan Brykczyński, self-publishing
• The Winners, Rafał Milach, GOST
• No 2,Dominika Gęsicka, Karolina Gembara, Gregory Michenaud, Wiktor Dąbkowski, Maciej Gapiński, Jakub Bors, Łukasz Gryko, Konstancja Nowina Konopka, Krzysztof Racoń, Marta Berens, Sputnik Photos
• Stigma, Adam Lach, self-publishing
• Portrety, Adam Borzęcki, self-publishing
• Woman With a Monkey – Caucasus in Short Notes and Photographs, Justyna Mielnikiewicz, self-publishing
• Film obyczajowy produkcji polskiej, Kuba Dąbrowski, Zachęta – Narodowa Galeria Sztuki
• „deja vu” – Kolekcja Wrzesińska nr 5/2013,Zbigniew Tomaszczuk, The project’s patron: Urząd Miasta i Gminy Września / Wydawnictwo Kropka Jolanta i Waldemar Śliwczyńscy
• Evil Man, Hubert Humka, The Publishing PWSFTviT in Łódź
• Points of Reference, Martyna Wyrzykowska, self-publishing
• Góra, Paweł Starzec, self-publishing
• Alles ist Gut, Wojciech Kostrzewa, Muzeum w Gliwicach
• Invisible Maps, Andrzej Kramarz, Muzeum w Gliwicach
• Some Things are Quieter than Others, Jacek Fota, self-publishing

Jury members:

• Maciej Pisuk – writer, screenwriter, photographer,
• Katarzyna Sagatowska – photographer, curator, lecturer,
• Joanna Kinowska – founder of ‘Miejsce Fotografii’ magazine,
• Łukasz Gorczyca – art historian, curator
• Alicja Kobza – graphic designer,
• Paweł Rubkiewicz – cofounder of the artistic bookstore chain Bookoff,
• Agata Zubrzycka –  program director of Fotofestiwal in Łódź.

More information about the contest here: www.fotopublikacja.pl

This photo-series shows stories of women in Kongo in the moment of having their firstborn child. They are percieved nearly as half-gods, but on the other hand they are isolated from their communities for 2-5 years.

The special prize of the Rector of the University of Lodz went to Anna Grzelewska for her “Julia Wannabe” project.

Congratulations!