SUBMISSIONS OPEN, LINKS FOR SUBMISSION AT THE END OF THE PAGE

International Photography Call

Submissions are now open for the FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025, a platform dedicated to publishing the work of Brazilian and international photographers, with annual awards.

Organized by FotoDoc – Documentary Photography Festival, the contest aims to showcase the most diverse forms of photographic expression, with no restrictions on theme or approach, always striving for excellence in form and content.

How it works

Participants can submit their entries for free in three categories: Single Image, Photo Essay, and Portfolio. All submissions are evaluated by the festival’s curators. If approved, the work will be published on the festival’s website and Instagram upon payment of a publication fee of US$ 29.

The revenue will be used to compensate those involved, cover costs related to the contest, and invest in its promotion. The FotoDoc Photo Contest is a private initiative of the FotoDoc Festival, with no funding from cultural incentive laws.

Continuous submissions

With submissions open until June 30, the 2025 edition of the contest will publish selected works on a rolling basis on the page Selected Works – FotoDoc Photo Contest 2025.

The sooner you submit your entry, the longer it will be published if approved!

After the submission period ends, 60 finalists will be selected, including 9 Portfolios, 21 Photo Essays, and 30 Single Images.

A Jury composed of 5 members will meet in person to evaluate the finalists and select 25 winning works, including 3 Portfolios, 7 Photo Essays, and 15 Single Images. The Jury will also choose, among the three selected Portfolios, the overall winner, who will receive the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST 2025 TROPHY.

Winners exhibited at FotoDoc Festival 2025

The winning works will be featured in a prominent exhibition at the FotoDoc Festival 2025, scheduled to take place in November at Panamericana School of Art and Design in São Paulo (SP), with exhibitions open until January 2026.

The overall winner will receive airfare and accommodation to attend the FotoDoc Festival as a guest. They will present the winning Portfolio at the Festival’s Encounters and receive the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST 2025 TROPHY.

All finalists will be published in the FotoDoc Festival 2025 catalog.

FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST 2025 RULES

READ THE RULES CAREFULLY, SUBMISSION LINKS ARE AT THE END OF THE PAGE

With submissions open from December 2, 2024, to June 30, 2025, the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST is a platform dedicated to publishing the work of Brazilian and international photographers, with annual awards.

To submit your work, read the Rules carefully and choose the desired category at the end of the page.

1 – ABOUT THE CONTEST

1.1 Participants must submit their entries following the rules established here. Photographic works will be accepted in three categories, detailed below:

Single Image – Images that have impact on their own and the power to synthesize an event, a story, or an idea.

Photo Essay – Visual narratives that address specific themes or events, with a concise conceptual proposal.

Portfolio – Visual narratives resulting from a long-term approach to deeper themes. Note: The portfolio should preferably consist of images from the same series/project. If it contains images from more than one series/project, they must establish a dialogue and coherence with each other.

1.2 Each submission in the Single Image category allows for the submission of 1 to 3 images, which will be evaluated separately. Only 1 image can be selected per submission. The selected image will be published on the festival’s website along with a title and description provided by the photographer. If no title is provided, the curators will assign one.

1.3 Each submission in the Photo Essay category allows for the submission of a cohesive set of 6 to 8 images, which will be evaluated, in the order submitted, as a single work. Selected essays will be published in full on the festival’s website, accompanied by a title and description provided by the photographer.

1.4 Each submission in the Portfolio category allows for the submission of a cohesive set of 10 to 15 images, which will be evaluated, in the order submitted, as a single work. Selected portfolios will be published in full on the festival’s website, accompanied by a title and description provided by the photographer.

1.5 Each photographer may submit as many entries as they wish, with no limit on selections, but can only be among the winners with a maximum of one work per category.

1.6 Images captured by photographic devices, whether analog or digital, are accepted. Images generated by artificial intelligence are not accepted. The use of artificial intelligence for image editing and manipulation must be indicated in the submission form.

2 – ABOUT SUBMISSIONS

2.1 Submissions will be accepted starting December 2, 2024. The submission period will close at 11:59 PM (Brazilian time, Brasília GMT -3) on June 30, 2025 (11:59 PM – UTC -3).

2.2 Submissions consist of a completed submission form plus photo files in JPEG format with the longest side at 1920 pixels. Incomplete or incorrect submissions will be discarded.

2.3 The curators of the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST will evaluate all submissions that comply with the Rules. Selected works will be published on the festival’s website and Instagram upon payment of a fee of R$ 98 (BRL) for each selected submission, payable via PIX transfer or Boleto to Vertente Edição, Impressão e Produção LTDA, the company responsible for the FotoDoc Festival. Credit card payments from outside Brazil will be charged at US$ 29 (USD).

2.4 Participants will receive a response regarding their submissions via email. If selected, they will have up to 7 calendar days from the receipt of the email to pay the publication fee. If the payment is not made within the deadline, the work will be disqualified.

2.5 The revenue will be used to compensate those involved, cover costs related to the contest, and invest in its promotion. The FotoDoc Photo Contest is a private initiative of the FotoDoc Festival, with no funding from cultural incentive laws.

2.4 Submissions will be made exclusively online. Submission implies acceptance of the terms of these Rules.

2.5 Submitters or their legal representatives are solely responsible for the visual and content quality of the files, as well as the information provided, and must be aware that this will determine the evaluation of their work.

2.6 Once submitted, the images cannot be altered. The FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST team may request additional information if necessary.

3 – ABOUT SELECTION

3.1 Works submitted to the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST will be evaluated on a rolling basis by the festival’s curators. As they are reviewed, selected works will be published on the FotoDoc Festival’s website after the publication fee is paid.

3.2 After the submission period ends, the festival’s curators will re-evaluate all published works and select 60 finalists, including 9 Portfolios, 21 Photo Essays, and 30 Single Images.

3.3 A Judging Committee composed of 5 members, recognized professionals in the field as photographers, researchers, specialized journalists, gallery owners, editors, and curators, will select, among the finalists, 25 winning works, including 3 Portfolios, 7 Photo Essays, and 15 Single Images.

3.4 The Jury will also choose, among the 3 selected Portfolios, the overall winner, who will receive the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST 2025 TROPHY.

3.5 The members of the Judging Committee will only be revealed at the time of the final results announcement.

4 – ABOUT AWARDS

4.1 Selected works will be published on the festival’s website and shared on the FotoDoc Festival’s Instagram. A photographer profile page will also be published, featuring a brief biography submitted at the time of submission, a portrait (if provided), links to Instagram and Website (if provided), and works selected in the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST.

4.2 All finalists will be published in the FotoDoc Festival 2025 catalog, dedicated to promoting the festival’s activities.

4.3 The winning works will be featured in a prominent exhibition at the FotoDoc Festival 2025, scheduled to take place in November at Panamericana School of Art and Design in São Paulo (SP), with exhibitions open until January 2026.

4.4 The overall winner will receive airfare and accommodation to attend the FotoDoc Festival as a guest in the series of Encounters and will receive the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST 2025 TROPHY.

4.5 The Final Results will be published and widely promoted on the website and in the catalog of the FotoDoc Festival 2025.

5 – ABOUT COPYRIGHT AND IMAGE RIGHTS

5.1 By participating in this call, submitters authorize the organizers of the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST to use the images of the submitted works in the following media, without charge, always with proper attribution:

– Festival website for an indefinite period,

– Exhibitions and projections at the festival’s own or partner events, at any time,

– Print and/or electronic media, exclusively for the promotion of the contest, at any time,

– Catalogs and other promotional materials related to the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST, for any duration.

– Authors are aware of the above-mentioned use at the time of submission.

Note: The use of the winning photographs by the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST does not imply any loss of copyright or moral rights over the works, which may be used in any other context by their respective authors without prior authorization from the festival.

5.2 By submitting to the FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST, the participant declares full authorship of the works to be exhibited and the absence of plagiarism of the submitted works and/or projects, as well as guarantees having the authorization of third parties who may have related rights over the artistic production, taking full responsibility for any claims by third parties regarding unauthorized use.

5.3 It is established that the rights to use images of third parties or the content submitted are the sole responsibility of the author.

5.4 The contest organizers commit to providing proper credits in all and any publication of the works.

6 – FINAL PROVISIONS

6.1 Questions can be sent at any time to the email: festival@fotodoc.com.br

6.2 Submission implies full agreement with the terms established in these Rules, and all participants agree to have their works and names published in promotions directly related to the contest.

6.3 The Jury’s decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

6.4 The FOTODOC PHOTO CONTEST is an international photography call of an exclusively cultural nature, organized by Vertente Edição, Impressão e Produção LTDA, owner of the FotoDoc Festival brand, based in São Paulo (SP), registered under CNPJ: 34.862.316/0001-04.

6.5 The jurisdiction of São Paulo / SP is elected to resolve any disputes related to these Rules or the conduct of the parties.­

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