Does your work belong next to great photographers such as Martin Parr, Steve Mccurry and Sarah Maple? Submit your photos for our Open Call! 2020 is a year with a lot of events, a year that new history is written. The theme of the festival this year is “transitions”, we showcase the changes in the world of today. Did you take an iconic image? And does your photo say more than 1000 words? Register now and we might see you in September!

Introduction
From september 3th to september 20th 2020, Foto Festival Schiedam will take us on a journey of contemporary photography. With its theme Transitions, the festival presents a wide range of perceptive photographers who observe and question our constantly changing visual culture. Differences between rich and poor and left and right seem to be increasing, while various cultures and traditions influence each other in all sorts of ways. These contemporary transitions (like the Covid19 crises and the Brexit) form the common thread in the 2020 edition of Foto Festival Schiedam. The seventh edition of the festival is characterized by the refreshing combination of various genres within photography. The photos are shown at a special location in the historic city center and presented in spatial installations that ignore the typical one-dimensional photo on a wall.

Program & Activities
This edition of the festival demonstrates a new way of exhibiting by showcasing both young talent and established names. This year Foto Festival Schiedam exhibits Magnum Photos, a collective of big names in the world of photography, such as Elliott Erwitt, Martin Parr, Paolo Pellegrin, Philippe Halsman, Steve McCurry and Bruce Gilden. In addition, a collection of photographs by renowned visual artist Sarah Maple will be shown, who critically questions the language used in the Brexit campaign. Lastly, the final results of the photographic Open Call will be shown. The selected photographers focus on contemporary issues, with Transistions as their theme. The jury will select over 20 photographers for the Open Call exhibition at Foto Festival Schiedam 2020.

Theme
The theme of Fotofestival Schiedam 2020 is transitions. Although we seem to enjoy – in the west – a life of unprecedented prosperity, we also seem to be controlled by a feeling of chaos and discomfort. Differences between rich and poor, and the politically right and left wings, seem to be growing. Put differently, the historical moment in which we live seems to reach a tipping point that we recognize in different crises. These crises or transitions will be the common thread through the 2020 edition of Foto Festival Schiedam. Photography is a medium of transition par excellence and allows us to reflect on moments of transition like we live in today with the Covid19 crisis. As a still image, photography isolates a portion of time and space. But it is this cut-out that makes us aware that the world never stops. A temporary halt only exists by means of motion, a transition towards a new era.
We invite our applicants to present one image within the context of our theme. We invite any artist that works in the realm of visual culture to apply for the upcoming edition of the festival. We welcome manifold interpretations and opinions that express all the different shades of grey that exist within the theme.
If you want to join our growing community, please submit your images inspired by the theme ‘Transitions’ before August 2th 2020. Our committee will make a selection of participating photographers and invite them to showcase their work at Foto Festival Schiedam. If you are selected we will offer a professional print a blow up (1,5 x 1,0m) of your photo on forex and present the photo within our exhibition. After the event you can take this print back home.
We want to give the independent photography community an opportunity to exhibit during our festival As a small independent organization that consists of passionate photography freelancers, we want to create a platform that caters to a wide spectrum of photographers. However, we cannot make it work without your financial contribution as we are only partially funded. With your contribution, we cover organizational, productional and promotional costs to make sure your work is facilitated and promoted in the best way possible. For each submission we ask a €19 fee.