Featured WINNERS 2019

IAFOR DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award is on hiatus.

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched by The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) in 2015 as an international photography award that seeks to promote and assist in the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists. The award has benefitted since the outset from the expertise of an outstanding panel of internationally renowned photographers, including Dr Paul Lowe as the Founding Judge, and Ed Kashi, Simon Roberts, Simon Norfolk, Emma Bowkett, Monica Allende, Jocelyn Bain Hogg, Maria Teresa Salvati, Ziyah Gafic, Poulomi Basu and Jenny Matthews as Guest Judges.

As an organisation, IAFOR’s mission is to promote international exchange, facilitate intercultural awareness, encourage interdisciplinary discussion, and generate and share new knowledge. In keeping with this mission, in appreciation of the great value of photography as a medium that can be shared across borders of language, culture and nation, and to influence and inform our academic work and programmes, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched as a competition that would help underline the importance of the organisation’s aims, and would promote and recognise best practice and excellence.

Now in its fifth year, the award is widely recognised by those in the industry and has been supported by World Press Photo, British Journal of Photography, Metro Imaging, MediaStorm, Think Tank Photo, University of the Arts London, RMIT University, The Centre for Documentary Practice, and the Medill School of Journalism.

The award follows the theme of IAFOR’s Media and Cultural Studies conferences, with 2019’s theme being “Reclaiming the Future”.

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award expects all participants to act in accordance with the guidelines of professional conduct as specified in the Global Charter of Ethics for Journalists.

In support of up-and-coming talent, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award is free to enter.

The International Academic Forum (IAFOR)

University of the Arts London

World Press Photo

MediaStorm

The International Academic Forum (IAFOR)

The International Academic Forum (IAFOR) was founded in Nagoya, Japan, in 2009 as a research organisation, conference organiser and publisher dedicated to encouraging interdisciplinary discussion, facilitating intercultural awareness and promoting international exchange, principally through educational interaction and academic research. By creating opportunities for dialogue between academics and thought leaders, IAFOR has become a pioneer in providing the research avenues and visionary development solutions that are necessary in our rapidly emerging globalised world.

This information exchange takes place through IAFOR’s academic events in Asia, Europe, North America and the Middle East. IAFOR’s interdisciplinary conferences are diverse and inclusive network hubs, where academics come from all over the world to generate, share and nurture new knowledge and ideas. IAFOR makes much of the content generated freely available to the world through its Open Access publications and audiovisual media repositories.

University of the Arts London

University of the Arts London (UAL) is in the top 6 universities in the world for art and design. We offer an extensive range of courses in art, design, fashion, communication and performing arts. Our graduates go on to work in and shape creative industries worldwide.

The University draws together 6 renowned colleges, each with its own world-class reputation. Our state of the art facilities include workshops with letterpress machinery, studio theatres, gallery space as well as libraries and archives for research into hundreds of years of the greatest artists and designers.

UAL is a pioneering world leader in design and media education with internationally renowned BA and MA courses in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography. Its alumni have won numerous awards including the World Press Photo Daily Life Singles category and the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize.

World Press Photo

The World Press Photo Foundation is a major force in developing and promoting the work of visual journalists, with a range of activities and initiatives that span the globe.

We were formed in 1955, when a group of Dutch photographers organized a contest to expose their work to international colleagues. That annual contest has since grown into one of the most prestigious awards in photojournalism and multimedia storytelling, and the exhibition it produces is seen by four million people worldwide each year.

We work to develop and promote quality visual journalism because people deserve to see their world and express themselves freely. Freedom of information, freedom of inquiry and freedom of speech are more important than ever, and quality visual journalism is essential for the accurate and independent reporting that makes these freedoms possible. Today, when the world, the press and photography itself are undergoing seismic changes, we strive to help both visual journalists and their audience understand and respond to these transformations so these freedoms can be secured.

MediaStorm

MediaStorm is an award-winning film production and interactive design studio whose work gives voice and meaning to the most pressing issues of our time. Our stories demystify complex issues, humanize statistics, and inspire audiences to take action on issues that matter.

MediaStorm has led a paradigm shift in digital storytelling. Our in-depth reporting and original use of audio, video, and interactive graphics create compelling stories that get noticed. We have been widely recognized for our work–we have received 17 Emmy Award nominations and two Alfred Dupont Awards. Our films and immersive interactive design experiences connect with audiences, spread through social media, and are picked up by major media outlets, such as AP, NBC, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

As industry leaders, we are committed to preparing the next generation of journalists to harness the craft of digital storytelling. As such, we provide a range of training that teach storytellers how to engage and inspire viewers.