Open Calls - F/262 Festival Internacional de Fotografia Merch

Open Calls for the F/262 International Photography Festival

Where global voices meet local stories.

The F/262 International Photography Festival invites artists and photographers from around the world to take part in its inaugural edition in 2026, held across the UNESCO Creative Cities of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos.

Whether you are submitting a single image, a long-term project, a photobook dummy, or a social-impact proposal, this is your opportunity to present your vision at Portugal’s newest festival dedicated to contemporary photography.

For 2026, the festival explores the sub-theme of water, Shaping Shores, inviting artists to reflect on its cultural, environmental, social, political, or emotional significance. Entries across all open calls may address water, but it is never mandatory.

THE ZÉ AWARD

Single Images — International Photography Prize

The ZÉ Award is the official photography prize of the festival, celebrating the single image as a universal language of impact, authorship, and visual storytelling.
Open to photographers worldwide, the award honors originality, narrative strength, and contemporary relevance.

Winners receive the ZÉ trophy, inspired by Zé Povinho and reimagined as a symbol of resilience, creativity, and the people’s voice.
Finalists are exhibited in large-scale outdoor displays across Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos.

CURATED OPEN CALL EXHIBITIONS

Submit a complete project for festival exhibition.

This open call invites photographers and artists to submit a full project, series, or conceptual body of work for curatorial review. Selected works will be developed into indoor exhibitions across museums, galleries, and civic spaces in Caldas da Rainha and or Óbidos.

Open to all genres — fine art, documentary, conceptual, portrait, experimental, and cross-media.

Selections are made solely based on artistic merit, originality, and curatorial viability.
There are no rankings or prizes; this is a pure selection program.

F/SOS VITAL IMPACTS GRANT

Funding and support for visual storytelling with purpose.

Created in partnership with Vital Impacts and inspired by the global work of Ami Vitale and Melissa Groo, the F/SOS Vital Impacts Grant supports one photographer or artist developing a long-term project with meaningful social or environmental impact.

This grant is for artists whose work engages with pressing issues — ecology, conservation, community resilience, indigenous rights, climate change, displacement, or humanitarian storytelling.

The recipient receives:
• Financial support toward project development
• Mentorship from Vital Impacts and F/262 advisors
• Co-promotion across F/SOS and Vital Impacts channels
• A dedicated exhibition or installation during the festival
• Inclusion in public talks, panels, and the F/SOS Report

This is not a prize for completed work. It is a grant to support ongoing work that needs visibility, structure, and resources to grow.

Eligibility is global, with priority given to underrepresented communities and artists working in challenging contexts.

Meet the Jury

International Voices in Photography
Discover the photographers, editors, and curators shaping the F/262 Awards selection.

READY TO SUBMIT?

Explore each open call to find the best fit for your work, or submit to more than one category.
Every program offers a different opportunity to share your voice with the world.