Deadline: 15 September 2024

The International Photography & Film Awards is your chance to have your work recognised on a global stage and to receive cash prizes pool value of over USD 60,000 across multiple genres.

They have also included a category for filmmakers. The panel of judges are looking to award an Overall Winner from the photography categories and a winner and runner-up from each category, including moving images & short films.

Award Categories

• To help you understand each of the awards categories, they have provided a summary description of each Xposure International Award Category. Considering the technical advances in photographic equipment with the capabilities of recording high-resolution movies, they have added a new “Short Film” category for the benefit of filmmakers. The Short Film category covers documentary, drama, action, or animation/stop motion genres.
  • Architectural Photography is the photographing of buildings and similar structures, both exterior and interior that is aesthetically pleasing and accurate representations of their subjects. A large depth of field is usually employed so that the foreground and background (to infinity) are in sharp focus. Architectural photography typically shows either the exterior or the interior of buildings.
  • Drone & Aerial Photography is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other flying object. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or “drones”), and balloons. Mounted cameras may be triggered remotely or automatically; a photographer may take hand-held photographs.
  • The Junior category is separate from the main awards and open to all types of still photography recorded by phone, DLSR, or mirrorless camera and produced at a Junior level (entrants must be under 18 at the time of entry). Photos must have been taken in the past three years. Entrants must be residents of the United Arab Emirates.
  • Mobile Photography refers to taking photographs with a mobile device, such as a smartphone or a tablet. This category is open to all photographers who have captured images using a mobile device. Both amateur and professional photographers are welcome to enter. All images must be captured and edited using a mobile device. The image resolution must be at least 1350 pixels on the longer side, and the file size should not exceed 5 MB. Only JPEG format can be submitted. This category is sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, who are providing supplementary prizes in addition to the main cash prize provided by Xposure.
  • Nature & Landscape Photography is the art of capturing images of the natural world, including landscapes, wildlife, plants, and other natural elements. The goal of nature and landscape photography is to showcase the beauty of the natural world and interaction between wildlife through images that convey the photographer’s unique perspective. Landscape photographers often use natural lighting and weather conditions to create stunning images conveying awe and wonder. Stitched images are permitted for panoramics in this category. On the other hand, nature photography focuses on capturing the details of the natural world, such as animals, plants, and other living organisms. It can involve capturing images of animals in their natural habitats or the intricate details of a flower or leaf.
  • Night Photography is a genre of photography that involves capturing images in low-light or dark conditions, typically after sunset or before sunrise. Night photography can encompass various subjects, such as cityscapes, landscapes, astrophotography, street scenes, and portraits. It often involves capturing artificial light sources, such as streetlights, neon signs, and headlights, which can create a dramatic and atmospheric effect in the image. This category is sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, who are providing supplementary prizes in addition to the main cash prize provided by Xposure.
  • Photojournalism involves capturing images of current events and news stories to inform and engage the public. This means using cameras to document events as they unfold, such as protests, conflicts, natural disasters, and social issues. These images are intended to convey a visual narrative, providing insight into the events and people they cover. A photojournalist who holds press accreditation may also enter the IFPA in addition to this category.
  • Portrait Photography or portraiture is a genre of photography that focuses on capturing the personality, character, and emotions of an individual or group of people. The primary aim of portrait photography is to visually represent the subject(s) in a way that reflects their unique qualities and characteristics. Portrait photography can be categorized into various sub-genres, such as formal, candid, environmental, and conceptual portraits.
  • The short film category includes moving images & stop motion. To enter requires uploading your file in MP4 format with a running length of at least 3 minutes up to a maximum of 20 minutes, including credits to a maximum of 1GB in file size. The scope includes documentary, drama, action, animation/stop motion, or news. Stop motion is an animated film-making technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames. This does not include computer-generated animation.
  • Street Photography should demonstrate impeccable timing and originality by capturing a candid snippet in time that conveys a story. Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. Though people usually feature directly, street photography might be absent of people. It can be of an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic.

Prize Information

Overall Winner – $6,000 (USD)/Flights and accommodation to the Awards Ceremony in Sharjah UAE/Included in the Xposure festival exhibition.

• Category Winners – $3,000 (USD)/Flights and accommodation to the Awards Ceremony in Sharjah UAE/Included in the Xposure festival exhibition.
• Category Runner-up – $1,500 (USD)/Included in the Xposure festival exhibition/Flights and accommodation to the Awards Ceremony in Sharjah UAE.
• Nominees – Online Exhibition/image displayed during the Xposure Festival.
• Junior Category for under 18 – UAE Residents includes two sub-categories, 7-13 group and 14-18 group.
• This is a restricted “Junior” category for residents of the United Arab Emirates under 18. Non-cash prizes and included in the Xposure festival exhibition. Junior Category under 18 ‘Winner & Runner-up’ non-cash prizes of digital camera equipment and included in the Xposure festival exhibition.

Who can apply?

• This competition is free to enter and open to all nationalities over the age of 18. There is a Junior Category for under 18’s residents in the UAE.

Terms and Conditions

• The preferred image size should be close to 5,000 pixels on the longer dimension. They accept images that were not captured at this resolution as long as they are over 2,700 pixels on the long dimension.
• You may enter up to ten (10) images or films per user distributed in any ratio across the awards categories and each entry must be allocated to the category selected from the drop-down selection box.
• To qualify, your photographs or films must be taken or produced in the past 3-years.
• A Photo entry consists of one photo or film, in addition to the completed Title, Caption, Place Taken. In the case of Short Films, you do not enter Place Taken or Caption.
• Unless in a category specifically designed for photo manipulation entries should not include adding or removing content or staging a photograph to mislead the viewer. Adjustment of levels, colour, contrast, and brightness are permitted.
• Photographs that include sculptures, statues, paintings, and other works of art will be accepted as long as they do not constitute copyright infringement or fraud, provided that entrants are prepared to submit a release form as described below in “Third Party Releases/Licenses.” When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person’s art.
• Photographs that include a watermark or name that is not part of the original image capture will be disqualified.
• Nominated finalists will be notified and asked to submit High-Resolution TIFF and RAW files. These files will be used for verification before the final announcement of the winners.
• The entries will be judged in accordance with the Judging Criteria, as defined in judging and awards. The photograph or film must not, in the sole and unfettered discretion of the Sponsors, contain obscene, provocative, defamatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise objectionable or inappropriate content. Photographs deemed inappropriate will be disqualified without notice.

For more information, visit Xposure.