Andy Rocchelli Grant 2024

Andy Rocchelli Grant is an international award, now in its second edition, promoted by CESURA in the name of its co-founder Andy Rocchelli, photojournalist killed in Ukraine in 2014.

Overview

Andy was an irreplaceable fire starter, and to make sure that his values as a photographer and as a person can continue to burn, since 2021 CESURA has established a Grant in his name to allow an author or new talent to create a photographic book in full freedom of expression, as Andy would have wanted.

Printed editorial production was a key aspect of his research as a means of dissemination and completion of the work. The purpose of the Grant is therefore to identify the best unpublished photographic dummy and award the winner with the production and publication of the book by Cesura Publish, the collective’s publishing house.

The first edition of the Grant received 126 applications from more than 25 countries and awarded the prize to Kanta Nomura with the publication of the photobook The Yoshida Dormitory Students’ History with Cesura Publish. Applications are open from May 24th, 2024 in commemoration of the 10-year anniversary of Andy’s passing.

Practical Info

Applications are accepted from artists and photographers of any age and nationality, including collectives. Applicants must send a dummy accompanied by the submission form. It is preferable to send a physical dummy, but we will also accept dummies in pdf format. All submissions must be unpublished, meaning not published in book form, until the announcement of the finalists. Dummies that are not winners will be kept in Cesura Publish’s archives, unless the author expressly indicates in the form that he/she wishes to have them returned, which will be at his/her own expense.

The 15 finalists agree to sign a release for the use of the images and a non-disclosure agreement. The winner of the contest will sign a regular publication contract with the publishing house Cesura Publish, which will edit, produce and distribute the winning book, reserving the right to make choices at its discretion regarding the technical specifications and the print edition. The author is entitled to 15 free copies.

The jury is composed of Arianna Arcara (Co-founder of CESURA, photographer and Co-art Director at Cesura Publish), Lucia Rocchelli (Honorary Jury Member, Architect), Alex Majoli (President of the jury, Photographer, Magnum Photos Member, Co-founder of CESURA and Co-art director at Cesura Publish), plus other two other professionals who will be announced shortly.

The jury will meet in October 2024 to select a short list of finalists. In February 2025, the winning book will be announced, and launched.

About CESURA

CESURA is a photo collective. Determined to live with photography, they joined forces and founded it in 2008, focusing their energies in one direction: to create an independent group of photographers. They work on our projects as a team, side-by-side, fostering cohesion by sharing skills and providing constructive criticism. The main tools of their independence are the publishing house and the lab, through which we can experiment and create outputs for our photography.