BiF Prize ‘21 opens call for entries. The main prize — €2 000, the best works will be shown in Kyiv and abroad

We are proud to announce the call for entries for the fourth annual Bird in Flight Prize. It is an international award that aims to support authors who think outside the box of traditional standards and discover new ways to tell a story using the means of photography. Among the past winners of the Bird in Flight Prize are photographers from Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Peru.

Photographers all over the world are welcome to participate. The choice of theme is unrestricted. To apply, an author should submit a photo series (from 7 to 12 images) and, if needed, add other media attachments: text, video, installation, etc. The application fee is €20; the deadline is October 10, 2021. The main prize is € 2,000. The ten best projects selected by a panel of judges will be published on Bird in Flight website and showcased in Kyiv.

In the special nomination of the Readers’ Choice Award, the best project will be chosen by readers through an online open voting process. The winner will get a special prize of €500.

Another 25 applicants will receive a portfolio review by the jury. This year, the portfolio review will be held online. The Pre-selection board includes:

• Lyolya Goldstein, Bird in Flight creative director and curator

• Anton Shebetko, artist, Bird and Flight editor

• Lilia Kudelia, art historian, curator at Dallas Contemporary / Residency Unlimited

• Darius Vaichekauskas, artist, curator, head of cultural organizations: Lithuanian Photographer’s Association Klaipėda Department, Association Arts Zone, Art Creators Union

In addition, the PHMUSEUM and the BiF Prize pre-selection board will pick a selection of photographs from the submissions and feature them at an online exhibition on the PHMUSEUM’s platform.

This year, the jury board consists of the following experts:

● Karen McQuaid, senior curator at The Photographers’ Gallery (UK)
● Paolo Woods, photographer, researcher, co-founder of RIVERBOOM collective (Italy)
● David Campany, curator, writer, and managing director of programs at the International Center of Photography in New York (USA)
● Paola Jiménez Quispe, photographer, Bird in Flight Prize ‘20 winner (Peru)
● Valentine Bo, photographer (Ukraine)
● Newsha Tavakolian, photographer, Magnum member (Iran)
● Nayantara Gurung Kakshapati, co-founder of the Photo Kathmandu festival, researcher, and artist (Nepal)

The Bird in Flight Prize is an international contest organized by the Bird in Flight online magazine dedicated to photography and visual culture. It aims to support authors looking for new ways to tell a story through photography.

The Bird in Flight Prize has been held annually since 2018. Last year, Paola Jiménez Quispe from Peru won with the “Rules For Fighting” project about her father’s murder. Photographers from 53 countries took part in the contest. The finalists’ works were displayed on the streets of Kyiv and online. All shortlisted projects are available on the Bird in Flight website.