Cortona On The Move / BarTur Grant 2025

One professional photographer and two photographers under the age of 30 will be awarded $30,000 and $5,000 to complete a documentary project that will be exhibited in Cortona on the Move 2026.

Overview

Cortona On The Move and the BarTur Photo Award are proud to announce their partnership to present the Cortona On The Move | BarTur Grant. Supported by the Visual Storytellers Fund, this initiative aims to support photographers worldwide by providing grants and resources to create compelling documentary photo essays. The Grant focuses on projects that illuminate urgent social, environmental, economic, and cultural issues of our time.

Practical Info

The Cortona On The Move | BarTur Grant will award a $30,000 grand prize to one professional photographer. The Grant invites established photographers to submit proposals for in-progress documentary project(s) that reflect the fund’s central themes. Applicants interested in this category must provide at least one of the following: press card indicating work as a photographer, proof of credited publication in a recognized media outlet (2022 or 2023), journalism union membership card, membership in a recognized photography association, recent letter of reference from a photo agency, editor, or media outlet, proof of gallery representation or a documented show.

The Cortona On The Move | BarTur Grant for Emerging Photographers will award two $5,000 grand prizes to two professional photographers under the age of 30. The Grant invites emerging professional photographers to submit proposals for in-progress documentary project(s) that reflect the fund’s central themes. Participation in this category is free of charge.

Only in-progress and unpublished projects are eligible. However, previously published photos from a larger ongoing project may be considered if the specific submission has not been showcased. All entries must include a biography, a CV, a project summary and a project proposal, which includes a budget and timeline for project completion. Photos from restricted-access events (e.g., political or corporate events) are allowed, provided the entrant has obtained necessary permissions. AI-generated or heavily manipulated images are prohibited. Minimal edits are allowed if they do not alter the image’s original intent.

The grand prize winner and the two emerging photographer winners will be announced at Cortona On The Move Festival in July 2025. The winners will have nine months to complete their project, with the final work submitted by 15th March 2026. The completed work will be exhibited at the 2026 edition of Cortona On The Move, along with the two winning works by emerging photographers, offering a global stage to amplify their story. The Grant will cover the travel and accommodation for the winners to attend the opening ceremony of Cortona On The Move 2026.

The wide selection committee is composed of Amnon Bar-Tur (Co-Founder, BarTur Photo Award), Brian Byrd (Writer, Advisor and Freelance Photographer), Kate Bubacz (Lead Photo Editor The Wall Street Journal), François Hébel (ICP’s Director at Large), Nathalie Herschdorfer (Curator and Director, Museum Photo Elysée), Hideko Kataoka (Photo Editor Newsweek Japan), Kublaiklan (Photography Curators Cortona On The Move), Lars Lindemann (International projects curator Cortona On The Move), Marie Monteleone (Senior Photo Editor Bloomberg News), Veronica Nicolardi (Director, Cortona On The Move), Paul Ninson (Executive Director & Chief Curator Dikan Center), Azu Nwagbogu (Founder and Director African Artists' Foundation (AAF), LagosPhoto Festival), Corinne Perkins (North America Editor, Reuters Pictures Reuters), Vivek Prakash (Managing Editor, News - APAC Getty Images), Fiona Shields (Head of Photography The Guardian News & Media Group), Valerio Vincenzo (Photographer, Visual Artist and Head of Photo Departement GEO France), and Paolo Woods (Photographer and Curator).

About Cortona On The Move

Since its inception in 2011, Cortona On The Move has been a leading international photography festival, hosted annually in the Tuscan town of Cortona, Italy. Renowned for its dedication to photographic excellence, the festival serves as a hub for photographers, curators, critics, authors, and the public. It has become a pivotal event in the global photography landscape, showcasing groundbreaking work and fostering meaningful connections.

About BarTur Photo Award

The BarTur Photo Award celebrates the transformative power of photography in shaping our understanding of the world. By championing photographers who challenge conventional perspectives, the award aims to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire action on critical global issues.

About Visual Storytellers Fund

The Visual Storytellers Fund provides financial support and resources to photographers worldwide, enabling the creation of impactful documentary photo essays. Supported by the BarTur Photo Award and generous contributors, the fund emphasizes projects that transcend boundaries, inspire empathy, and shed light on pressing contemporary issues. Through this initiative, the fund seeks to amplify visual storytelling that sparks dialogue and drives change.