MOSCOW, September 30, Rossiya Segodnya Press Service. Works of the Grand Prix winner in the 2016 Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest will be displayed at FotoIstanbul-2016, one of the major international photography festivals in Turkey. Running from October 1st-30th 2016, the Istanbul festival brings together classical and modern photography, aspiring photographers, and accomplished masters. During the 30-day event, visitors will see dozens of photo exhibitions and slide shows from across the world. The program also includes workshops, seminars, and lectures.The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest was organized by Rossiya Segodnya International Information Agency under the patronage of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO. The contest is represented by the series ‘Letizia, A Story of an Invisible Life’ about a young woman with cerebral palsy, by Italian photographer and Grand Prix winner Danilo Garcia Di Meo.
"The story of my heroine is a story of fortitude, courage, and faith in our abilities. I wanted to show that, even in the most difficult moments of our lives, we shouldn’t despair. It can be hard to accept ourselves as we are. My story is about a woman who has overcome stereotypes. It tells how you can cope with the disaster and be happy at the same time," Danilo Garcia Di Meo said.
The display at FotoIstanbul-2016 is part of an exhibition tour of Andrei Stenin Photo Contest winners across Russia and beyond, which started in late August at the Museum of Moscow. The photographs left Moscow and have so far been showcased at the 2016 All of Russia journalism festival in Sochi and the Maribor Festival of Photography (Slovenia). The next in line is Krasnodar, where the winning works will be displayed at the 8th PhotoVisa International Festival of Photography.
Background to the Contest
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest aims to promote young photographers and attract public attention to photojournalism and its mission. It is Russia’s only platform to discover new photojournalists and develop high standards for documentary photography in Russia and the world. In 2016, about 6000 entries by young photojournalists from 71 countries, including Russia, have been submitted to the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest
The contest covers five continents, stretching from Europe and North and South America to Africa, Australia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Russian participants are drawn from all corners of the country – from Kaliningrad, Moscow and St. Petersburg to Vladivostok and Yalta.
The 2016 contest is supported by major Russian and international media outlets, news agencies and photo societies. Its general information sponsors are: The Rossiya K TV Channel (Russia Culture), KP.ru, the news and information portal jourdom.ru portal and the Russian Photo portal. The contest's international information partners are: the Askanews news agency, EFE news agency, EBC, Notimex news agency, RT TV network and portal, The Royal Photographic Society, Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG), Xinhua news agency, Independent Media, ANTARA Foto press photo agency. The contest's professional information partners are: the Academy of Photography, the agency Geophoto.ru , the photography educational website photo-study.ru, the Moscow Union of Journalists, the Union of Student and Youth Media, the portal Young Journalists and the Uglich Photo Parade festival.