In the past few months, humanity is being tested by an unprecedented situation due to the spread of COVID-19 around the globe. Our thoughts are with the medical and nursing staff in our country and all over the world as well as with all those out there offering their services to the rest of us who need to stay at home.

At the same time, our thoughts are with  our fellow photojournalists and media professionals covering this new reality to keep citizens constantly updated.

 With  the public health as our priority, the team of Athens Photo World (APW),with the support of our Lead Donor, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), is cancelling this year's Festival, which was scheduled for 22-31 May, 2020.

We are confident and optimistic that we will all emerge stronger from this unprecedented crisis, with reinforced human relationships and values that unite us, and that we will meet again in May 2021, for the APW exhibitions at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), outdoorexhibitions in downtown Athens, talks and screenings in bustling parts of our city, and much more.

Our two big 2020 contests are still running.

The contest for the 2020 "Yannis Behrakis" International Photojournalism Award

https://www.apw.gr/en/yannis-behrakis-international-photojournalism-award/

and the contest for the 2020 Athens Photo World Award https://www.apw.gr/en/athens-photo-world-award-2020/

Entry submissions for both contests are extended until Sunday, July 19 2020. The winners will be announced at the end of August.

The contests are already running digitally.  The submission and evaluation processes as well as the announcement of the results are also conducted digitally and safely.

APW remains committed to promoting and supporting photojournalists worldwide, particularly now. 

Our Sunday appointment on APW's social media with the presentation of the work of Greek and foreign photographers will continue. 

The great feedback we receive from you is encouraging us to further build our online activities.

APW would like to thank its Donor, the sponsors, supporters, guests and all partners for their support in these difficult international conditions.

From the bottom of our hearts, we extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to those afflicted, and urge those who are healthy to stay calm and cautious. #stayathome.

The photojournalists will be out there, taking all the necessary protective measures, to keep us updated.

About

Athens Photo World (APW) aims at promoting the work of photographers and photojournalists, familiarizing the public with contemporary photojournalism and highlighting photojournalism’s contribution to recording history as it is written, in an effort to encourage photojournalists from around the world and support their commitment to their work and vision.
As part of its mission, APW is organising the annual Photojournalism Award for professional photographers living and working in Greece and/or Cyprus. Now in its second year, APW is implemented with the lead support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).

APW will award a 5,000€ cash prize to an ongoing or complete photojournalism or documentary photography project, created between January 2018 and July 2020. The winning project will be presented at next year’s APW festival with an individual exhibition of the photographer. A new jury is appointed every year. For 2020, the panel consists of photojournalist Louisa Gouliamaki and photographers Yannis Kontos and Pavlos Fysakis. Those interested are invited to submit a portfolio of twelve (12) photographs, along with an explanatory text and a brief resume. The winner of the 2020 APW Award will be announced by Yiannis Antonopoulos, winner of the 2019 Award, at a specially planned event 2020 on September 26th, at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC). Participation in the APW Award contest is free.

Juror information

Louisa Gouliamaki
Born in Gdynia, Poland to Polish mother and Greek father, Louisa studied photography at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Design , at the Technological Institute in Athens. She works as a photographer since 1992.
In 1996 she became responsible photographer of the Athens bureau of the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) , where she covered some of the main political, social and sport events in Greece and abroad. From 1997 to 2000 she covered the crisis in the Balkans and the war in Kosovo. Since 2005 Luisa works with the international Agence France Presse (AFP) based in Athens, covering news in Greece and abroad , while working as well on some personal projects.
Her work was awarded and presented at exhibitions and festivals in Greece and abroad, incuding POYi, CHIPP, PIX3, Days Japan, IWMF, Visa pour L' image, Athens Photo Festival, Sarajevo Winter Festival, Humanity Photo Awards, Tashkentale , Lithuanian Photo Circle, UNHCR, galleries in Greece, France , England the the US.

Yannis Kontos
Yannis Kontos, is a Greek Award-Winning Documentary Photographer. He holds a PhD degree in Documentary Photography and he is represented by the American agency Polaris Images. As a storyteller, he had covered wars and conflicts in more than 50 countries of the world. His work has been recognized by 20 respected awards to date including first prize in the World Press Photo Competition. His photographs have been published in the world's most well-known publications and have been shown at exhibitions internationally. www.yanniskontos.com
Instagram: @yanniskontos

Pavlos Fysakis was born in Athens in 1969.
He is a photographer working with magazines and theatrical productions since 1996. He teaches photography at Focus School of Photography and New Media in Athens, and between 2001 and 2015 he tought photography to the rehabilitation unit «18+». Εfysakis is the co-founder of the Depression Era artistic collective and the artistic director of MEdpHOTO Festival. His work has been showwn in exhibitions in Greece and abroad. In 2009 he published his “Land Ends” book. In 2020, he will publish the book "Documents of Breathing", with Pasqua Vorgia. His works are part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Photography of Thessaloniki and of private collections as well. Through photography he tries to not forget. He insist that there is not enough time