PHOTO IS:RAEL 2026 International Photography Festival is now open for entries!
The PHOTO IS:RAEL 2026 International Photography Festival invites artists to submit proposals for the central exhibition of the 13th International Photography Festival, largest photography event that this year will take place in November.
Short description
The International Photography Festival, Israel’s largest photography event, invites artists to submit proposals for participation in the central exhibition at the 13th International Photography Festival, taking place in Tel Aviv in October 2026.
PHOTO IS:RAEL is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering dialogue via research and the highlighting of artistic and social issues through the language of photography.
The festival has long since become an established and well-known cultural institution which welcomes thousands of visitors each year, as over 200 leading Israeli and international photographers exhibit their work over the course of two weeks.
This year’s festival theme is: 'Citizens'.
Citizenship is not merely a legal designation, but a choice to be present and to make one’s voice heard. By bringing forward grassroots perspectives, the festival transforms personal experience into shared public knowledge. The camera becomes a means of claiming visibility, enabling marginalized groups to redefine themselves and, through acts of creation and participation, take part in shaping and strengthening the democratic fabric.
Scheduled for October to coincide with the upcoming elections, the festival seeks to foster a celebration of civic engagement and democracy, contributing to the resilience of Israel’s democratic values.
Artists working across a wide range of media, including photography, film, video, performance documentation, animation, and digital, interactive, or hybrid forms are invited to submit proposals.
A jury of leading experts spanning a wide range of artistic genres will review the open call submissions and select the exhibiting artists.
Selected works will be exhibited in the Festival’s Main Exhibition and featured in the 2026 Festival catalog and website.
Results is expected to be announced on 18 August 2026.
Submission requirements
➜ You can submit up to 12 images, subject to the type of project proposed. For a video work / installation you need to add a link to view the work. You may submit 1 entry only.
➜ For non-existing works, you need to include a detailed description of the idea, supported by sketches / sample images.
➜ Applications must be submitted in English or Hebrew.
➜ All images must be in JPEG/JPG and not larger than 2MB each.
Eligibility
Photographers, as well as video, performance and interdisciplinary artists from around the world and at different stages of their career, are all welcome to submit their existing works, or proposals for new work on the topic.
Benefits
The 20 artists will be invited to present their work in the festival’s central exhibition, and will also exhibit their works at additional festivals around the world.
Entry fees
The submission fee is $22.
