Photography Contest
Xposure International Photography & Film 2024
Deadline |
CLOSEDTheme |
Several categoriesTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to allEntry Fees |
FREEPrizes |
Cash PrizeThe Xposure International Photography & Film Festival, held annually in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, is a premier platform celebrating the art of visual storytelling. It is a nexus for photographers, filmmakers, and visual artists worldwide, offering a dynamic blend of exhibitions, workshops, and masterclasses. Notably, the festival hosts over 80 solo galleries, showcasing the diverse talents of leading and emerging photographers.
In addition to its rich visual arts showcase, Xposure fosters collaboration and innovation through initiatives like the Global Focus Project and the Independent & Freelance Photojournalism Awards (IFPA). These programs recognise and support talent from around the globe, providing opportunities for artists to amplify their voices and share their stories on an international stage.
Moreover, Xposure actively attracts industry experts from various fields, creating a vibrant ecosystem of learning and exchange. Through panel discussions, networking sessions, and interactive experiences, the festival cultivates a community where creatives and professionals can connect, learn, and grow.
The Xposure International Photography & Film Festival celebrates visual arts and is a platform that honours excellence through its prestigious FREE TO ENTER photography awards programs. Our international awards program features eight categories open to all nationalities aged 18 and above. With prizes of $3,000 for first place and $1,500 for second place in each category, participants can showcase their talent and compete globally. Moreover, the overall winner with the best single image will receive an impressive $6,000 prize.
But that's not all—winners in each category and the overall winner will be awarded flights and accommodation to attend the seven-day festival and awards ceremony. This opportunity recognises their achievement and offers a platform for networking and further exposure. Their winning images will also be exhibited during the festival, reaching a diverse audience and amplifying their impact.
In addition to our international awards, we proudly host a separate program dedicated to independent and freelance photojournalists. With a first-place prize of $15,000 and complimentary flights and accommodation for the winner and a guest, this program acknowledges the impactful work of journalists who capture the essence of our world through their lenses. The second-placed entry also receives flights and accommodation for two persons, ensuring recognition and support for their invaluable contributions to photojournalism. Similarly, the winning images from this program will also be exhibited during the festival, allowing attendees to experience the power of photojournalism firsthand.
At Xposure, we celebrate and nurture talent, providing a platform where creativity thrives, and stories are told with passion and authenticity.
International Awards 2024 runs from 1 May to 15 September 2024 with a prize pool of 36,000 USD
Categories: Architectural Photography
Mobile Photography
Nature & Landscape
Night Photography
Portraiture
Photo-manipulation and AI
Sports Photography
Street Photography
Independent & Freelance Photojournalist Award (IFPA) runs from 1 May to 1 October 2024 with One winner One runner-up and Three Awards of Merit. Entries can be submitted into three categories: Spot News, Environmental and Solutions.
Prizes & Benefits
Prizes & Benefits 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. This is a restricted “Junior” category for residents of the United Arab Emirates who are under 18. non-cash prizes of digital camera equipment, 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.
In addition to its rich visual arts showcase, Xposure fosters collaboration and innovation through initiatives like the Global Focus Project and the Independent & Freelance Photojournalism Awards (IFPA). These programs recognise and support talent from around the globe, providing opportunities for artists to amplify their voices and share their stories on an international stage.
Moreover, Xposure actively attracts industry experts from various fields, creating a vibrant ecosystem of learning and exchange. Through panel discussions, networking sessions, and interactive experiences, the festival cultivates a community where creatives and professionals can connect, learn, and grow.
The Xposure International Photography & Film Festival celebrates visual arts and is a platform that honours excellence through its prestigious FREE TO ENTER photography awards programs. Our international awards program features eight categories open to all nationalities aged 18 and above. With prizes of $3,000 for first place and $1,500 for second place in each category, participants can showcase their talent and compete globally. Moreover, the overall winner with the best single image will receive an impressive $6,000 prize.
But that's not all—winners in each category and the overall winner will be awarded flights and accommodation to attend the seven-day festival and awards ceremony. This opportunity recognises their achievement and offers a platform for networking and further exposure. Their winning images will also be exhibited during the festival, reaching a diverse audience and amplifying their impact.
In addition to our international awards, we proudly host a separate program dedicated to independent and freelance photojournalists. With a first-place prize of $15,000 and complimentary flights and accommodation for the winner and a guest, this program acknowledges the impactful work of journalists who capture the essence of our world through their lenses. The second-placed entry also receives flights and accommodation for two persons, ensuring recognition and support for their invaluable contributions to photojournalism. Similarly, the winning images from this program will also be exhibited during the festival, allowing attendees to experience the power of photojournalism firsthand.
At Xposure, we celebrate and nurture talent, providing a platform where creativity thrives, and stories are told with passion and authenticity.
International Awards 2024 runs from 1 May to 15 September 2024 with a prize pool of 36,000 USD
Categories: Architectural Photography
Mobile Photography
Nature & Landscape
Night Photography
Portraiture
Photo-manipulation and AI
Sports Photography
Street Photography
Independent & Freelance Photojournalist Award (IFPA) runs from 1 May to 1 October 2024 with One winner One runner-up and Three Awards of Merit. Entries can be submitted into three categories: Spot News, Environmental and Solutions.
Prizes & Benefits
Prizes & Benefits 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. This is a restricted “Junior” category for residents of the United Arab Emirates who are under 18. non-cash prizes of digital camera equipment, 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.
Featured Photo Contest
AAP Magazine #48/Portrait
$1,000 cash prizes | Winning image(s) published in AAP Magazine #48 | Extensive press coverage and global recognition
© Aline Smithson
Best Photography Contests in 2023
Each year, there are hundreds of photography competitions all over the world, so we've decided to select for you the best of the best! Our selection of the best photo contests in 2023 is thoroughly curated to help you, whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, to help find your next creative breakthrough. These all-star competitions offer the greatest opportunities for international exposure and/or incredible financial benefits. Some of them are closing soon, so get your photo submissions in!
ENDS 05/12/25
This prize, with a production budget of €25,000, is open to any new photographer or artist using photography, submitting a previously unpublished dummy book.
ENDS 05/13/25
Our 48th printed issue of AAP Magazine will feature the best projects showcasing the theme "Portrait".
ENDS 05/16/25
Submit your best work to our photo competition for a chance to win up to $11,500 in cash prizes, be selected by our curators for the PX3 exhibition in Paris and inclusion in the Annual PX3 book.
ENDS 05/18/25
MonoVisions Photography Awards are an international open call for photographers using black and white medium to express their visual language.
ENDS 05/18/25
The Global Peace Photo Award recognizes and promotes photographers from all over the world whose pictures capture human efforts towards a peaceful world and the quest for beauty and goodness in our lives.
ENDS 05/30/25
If you're a passionate amateur or professional photographer, we invite you to share your photographic project with us.
ENDS 05/31/25
POWER will be the main theme of the season. The Grand Prize of USD $200,000 will be awarded to one winner from any category this season, not limited to the main theme.
ENDS 05/31/25
The international photography contest URBAN Photo Awards is here: registrations will open on March 28th and this 16th edition will be the largest and most important ever.
ENDS 06/01/25
This year’s PhotoVogue Global Open Call celebrates the limitless ways women see and are seen—embracing photography and film as powerful tools to reclaim, redefine, and expand visual storytelling
ENDS 06/01/25
The Paula Riff Award was created by the Center of Photographic Art and Lenscratch in 2021 as a way to celebrate and continue the legacy of artist Paula Riff.
ENDS 06/02/25
BUDAPEST INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS is an international platform for photographers from all levels and genres to share their best images with the creative community in Hungary and Eastern Europe.
ENDS 06/02/25
The Lenscratch Student Prize has opened up a whole new line of connections, opportunities and exposure.
ENDS 06/05/25
Jon Lee Anderson, president of the jury of the 32nd edition
ENDS 06/10/25
Four winners will be chosen and will see their work exhibited at the Paris Photo fair
ENDS 06/20/25
Be Featured in our June 2025 Online Juried Solo Exhibition!
ENDS 06/30/25
Wherever you are in the world, we invite you to send us your most beautiful Colors or Black & White street photos.
ENDS 08/01/25
TIFA connects photographers from around the world with the creative community in Tokyo, Japan, providing them with an excellent platform to present their work to a new market.
ENDS 08/05/25
The 2025 Global Contest promotes climate justice. We believe climate change is a human rights issue, so we are looking for images that show people impacted by the escalating climate crisis.
ENDS 09/01/25
The Ian Parry Scholarship is divided into two categories: The Sunday Times Award for Achievement and The Canon Award for Potential.