Preparations for launch of 2nd edition of Photography Festival

The Syrian Photographers Union is getting ready to launch the second Photography Festival over two days, June 20 and 21, at the Muhammad Sheikho Center for Culture and Art in Qamishlo city.

Around 135 photographs, selected from the works of participating photographers and journalists, will be exhibited during the festival.

According to the union’s committee, the displayed images document social and folkloric aspects, in addition to scenes of resistance that took place in the region, as well as issues of displacement and the suffering of people caused by the war and its consequences.

Regarding the ongoing preparations, the co-chair of the Syrian Photographers Union, Ahmed Mardenli, told ANHA's agency: “This year’s festival will be held with wide participation from photographers in Rojava, North and Southern Kurdistan, and Aleppo city.”

He added: “The number of participating photographers from Rojava and Aleppo reached about 47, of whom 36 were accepted. From abroad, 13 photographers from North and Southern Kurdistan participated, and the works of 10 of them were accepted for display in the festival.”

Ahmed Mardenli explained that coordination had also been made with photographers from within Syria to participate, but they were unable to join this year due to the current conditions. In the first edition, photographers from Damascus, Aleppo, and Latakia took part.

Festival conditions

Regarding participation criteria, Mardenli noted that the union’s committee adopted artistic standards including image quality, depth, and the closeness of the work to its intended goal and message, with a focus on previously unpublished works.

Festival awards

This year’s festival awards will be presented under the name of the martyr “Said Ifran,” and will be divided into two sections: one for Rojava photographers and another for those from abroad, to ensure equal opportunities. The awards include four recognition prizes for photographers, two prizes for best photo story, and two prizes for best single photograph.

Martyr Said Ifran was a Kurdish journalist known as the “memory of Kurdish journalism.” He played a major role in training journalists in Rojava and North and East Syria. He passed away on September 22, 2023, due to a heart attack, and was laid to rest in the Martyr Delil Sarokhan Shrine in Qamishlo.

The festival will also include a special section displaying vintage cameras to introduce visitors to the history of photography and the evolution of cameras up to the digital age.

A third section dedicated to seminars, forums, and discussions as in the first edition was originally planned but has been canceled this year due to the security situation and to shorten the festival duration. Instead, a special seminar for photographers will be held after the festival concludes.

It is worth noting that the first edition of the festival was held in 2024. The second edition was originally scheduled for 2025 but was postponed to this year due to the overall situation in Syria and the region.

ANHA