Submission Guidelines

Objectives
Athens Photo Festival invites submissions from photographers and artists worldwide working with photography and image-based practices for its Exhibition Program. In 2026, more than 80 artists will be selected through the Open Call.

The festival welcomes projects across the full spectrum of photography—from fine art and conceptual practice to documentary and photojournalism—as well as image-based work that extends into installation, performance, and moving image. The program brings together diverse cultural, artistic, social, and political perspectives and creates space for dialogue around how images are made, circulated, and interpreted today.

Main Venue
Selected works will be exhibited at Benaki Museum / Pireos 138, one of Greece’s leading museums. The Main Program occupies all of the museum’s exhibition spaces, offering more than 3,000 square metres for festival exhibitions.

Dates
Athens Photo Festival 2026 will take place from 10 June to 26 July 2026.

Curatorial Approaches
The Exhibition Program embraces a broad definition of photography, welcoming work in multiple formats—from prints and projections to photobooks, texts, objects, and hybrid approaches. Athens Photo Festival supports diverse curatorial perspectives and develops exhibitions in close dialogue with artists and the ideas their work advances. The festival handles the curatorial, production, installation, and on-site support required to realise a large-scale exhibition.

Diversity and Inclusion
Artists from diverse backgrounds and at all stages of their career are invited to submit their work. Committed to fostering equity, diversity, inclusion, and access to arts and culture, the festival welcomes applications from all sectors of the community, embracing individuals across various racial, ethnic, geographic, socio-economic, cultural, age, gender, and sexual orientation spectrums.

Collateral Events
The Main Program will be accompanied by a variety of activities, including guided tours, artist talks, screenings, and workshops, closely connected to the exhibitions.

Submission Deadline
The deadline for project submissions has been extended until 9 March 2026.

Submission review: Your work will be considered for exhibition programming by Athens Photo Festival.
Exhibition opportunity: 80 selected artists will have the chance to exhibit their work at Benaki Museum / Pireos 138 during Athens Photo Festival.
Production support: The festival will cover the production costs for the selected works featured in the exhibition.
Accommodation: Free stay for two nights for participating artists.
Screening: 20 additional artists will be invited to present their work at a dedicated screening event.
Portfolio reviews: 15 selected artists will have the opportunity to participate for free in the International Portfolio Reviews.
APhF Talent Lab: 5 selected artists will have the opportunity to participate for free in the Talent Lab, a professional development program for emerging artists.
Digital showcase: Selected artists will be featured on the festival website and newsletter and showcased on the festival’s official Instagram account.
APhF Connect: 50 additional artists from the shortlist will have a one-year presence on APhF Connect, a by-invitation-only platform, showcasing their work and introducing them to 100+ influential industry professionals from around the world.
Free Festival Admission: All submitting artists will receive complimentary entry tickets to Athens Photo Festival.

For each project submitted to the Athens Photo Festival selection, a registration fee is required to support production costs for the benefit of all participants.

• €25 for the first project
• €15 for each additional project by the same applicant

Each project may include up to 20 images

Entry fees can be paid by credit or debit card or via PayPal. For payment instructions, click here.

How to Enter
You are welcome to submit through our online entry form.

Multiple Entries
You may submit up to three projects. Each submission requires a separate entry form and payment of a separate fee. If you would like to submit another proposal, click here.

Entry Material
All entries must include the following:
•  An official Entry Form properly completed.
•  Images: A maximum of 20 images per project.

Specifications
Submit entries in a digital format with the following technical specifications:

SUBMITTING IMAGE FILES
File format: JPG
Resolution: Images should be saved at 72 dpi
Size: Images must be sized to 1500 pixels on their longest dimension
Image file names: The files must be titled with the photographer’s last name and a sequential image number. Example: yourlastname_01.jpg, yourlastname_02.jpg, etc.

In case of multiple submissions, the photographer’s last name must be followed by a capital letter (A, B, etc.) and then the sequential image number.
First series: yourlastname_A01.jpg, yourlastname_A02.jpg
Second series: yourlastname_B01.jpg, yourlastname_B02.jpg

Installation Notes & Images
Within your entry form, you are welcome to include practical notes about how you would like to present your work, such as technical requirements, production specifications, and installation methods.

Receipt Confirmation
A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt of your entry. If you haven’t received confirmation within two days of submission, please contact us to verify the status of your entry.

Selection
All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated by the curatorial team of the festival. We accept projects from all image-based genres, whether considered completed or still in progress.

Status Notification
All artists will be notified of their submission status by 30 March 2026. The invitation of a work to participate must remain absolutely confidential until the program is announced by Athens Photo Festival.

Catalog
The selected projects will be presented in the official festival catalogue. A printed edition of the catalogue will be mailed to key industry professionals around the world and intended to be used as reference material. All material required for the catalogue (images, credits, biography, and an artist statement of the project) must be sent in digital format as soon as possible, but no later than 5 March 2026.

Publicity
The selected works will be presented across all festival channels. Each artist will receive a dedicated page on the festival’s website and be included in the festival’s international marketing and PR campaigns in print and online media, enhancing awareness of the selected works in the photography community. By participating in Athens Photo Festival, each participant grants the right to use images of the work, the author’s name, and information relating to the work for promotional purposes in connection with the festival.

For questions or comments related to the Open Call for Entries, please contact Athens Photo Festival at contact@photofestival.gr or call us at +30 210 9211750.

Participation in the Athens Photo Festival implies acceptance of the present regulations.