Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation | awards for documentary photography & film

The Manuel-Rivera Ortiz Foundation opens the 2016 call for documentary photography and film grant entries. Created to encourage the betterment of humanity through editorially-based imagery of themes including human unrest, famine, disease, politics, war, uprisings, injustice and triumph, photographers and film makers are invited to submit their applications and works.

Two $5000 awards will be announced in July 2016 during Les Rencontres d’Arles in France. See full details for documentary photography submissions here and documentary short films here.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE - both categories: MARCH 31, 2016

2016 CALL FOR DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY ENTRIES

PROPOSALS OF HUMAN IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT
Follow in the footsteps of our 2015 Grant Laureate Pablo Ernesto Piovano of Argentina. Documentary photographers from around the world are invited to submit documentary photography projects along with an 15-image supporting portfolio on topics of human suffering and unrest, forgotten communities, exploited lands and people, on communities ravaged by war, poverty, famine, disease, and the exploitation of global resources.

A GLOBAL GRANT
The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film will award one $5,000 USD grant to one documentary photography project based on the quality of the submitted 15-image portfolio, the strength of the submitted proposal, as well as any supporting materials including an updated CV. The “Top 12″ shortlisted portfolios will be featured and displayed during Les Rencontres d’Arles (Arles, France) at our new 18th century facility and foundation home. The selected project must be completed the calendar year following receipt of the grant. Grants are open to professional and emerging photographers in all countries. Photographers are expected to be committed to the field of reportage and documentary photography.

ELIGIBLE WORK
All proposed projects and submitted portfolios must be works of non-fiction and must be based on such pressing social issues as health, poverty, oppression, war, famine, religious/political persecution and similar topics. Proposals must be for new or continuing projects. Portfolios should be a representative sampling of your documentary work.

See website for full guidelines and application form for Documentary Photography category

2016 CALL FOR SHORT-SHORT DOCUMENTARY FILM ENTRIES

FILMS ON HUMAN IMPORTANCE AND IMPACT
We are pleased and excited to expand our programs to include a new documentary grant category – “Short-Short Documentary Film.” Mirroring the mission of our foundation and themes covered in our still photography grants, we invite documentary film makers around the globe to share their human interest stories and submit their “Short-Short” documentary film projects highlighting human unrest, forgotten communities, over-exploited people and environments impacted by war, poverty, famine, disease, exploitation and global distress.

A GLOBAL GRANT
The Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film will award a US$5,000 grant to a single completed “Short-Short” documentary film project. Our grant is open to up-and-coming, independent film makers and directors in all countries. Participant must be committed to the field of reportage and documentary film making.

ELIGIBLE WORK
All entries must be individual, stand-alone non-fiction documentary films of 10 – 30 minutes in length and must have been completed no earlier than two years prior to the March 31 closing date of the submission call. Film submissions may be either an original subject feature or a historical subject feature. Submissions may be produced in actual occurrence, or employ partial reenactment (if needed), stock footage, stills, animation, stop-motion or other techniques, as long as the emphasis is strictly on fact and not fiction. The film must show real characters and not actors portraying the roles of real characters. Dialogue and narration can be produced in any language. All non-English dialogue and narration must be provided with English subtitles.

See website for full guidelines and application form for Documentary Film category

THE MANUEL RIVERA-ORTIZ FOUNDATION for Documentary Photography & Film is committed to positive social discourse in under-represented communities throughout the world by encouraging emerging and established photographers and filmmakers working in developing nations to keep their lenses fixed on the plight of the poor and disenfranchised.

Image: [top] TOMMASO PROTTI | 2015 Photography Finalist from Italy | Dammed Lives

Image: [below] KAI LOFFELBEIN | 2015 Photography Finalist from Germany | Death Metal