Sarajevo Photography Festival 2025

The 2025 edition returns to Sarajevo with a wide program of exhibitions, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, portfolio reviews, and networking events.

Overview

Sarajevo Photography Festival (SPF) is an annual international event celebrating photography in the heart of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bringing together both emerging and established photographers, the festival serves as a platform for artistic exchange, cultural dialogue, and social engagement.

The 2025 edition will take place from June 9 to June 15, featuring a program of exhibitions, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, portfolio reviews, and networking events. With a strong focus on socially relevant themes, SPF provides a space for diverse voices and narratives, addressing topics such as human rights, identity, and cultural heritage. Since its inception in 2022, the festival has received submissions from nearly 60 countries and has become one of the largest networking event for photographers in the region.

SPF exhibitions take place in galleries, public spaces, and alternative venues, making photography accessible to a wider audience. The main exhibition of finalists and winners also travels to multiple cities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, ensuring cultural exchange beyond Sarajevo.

Education is a key pillar of SPF, with free workshops, lectures, and portfolio reviews led by internationally renowned photographers. The festival actively supports women in photography, ensuring greater representation in its jury, speakers, and exhibitions. Additionally, SPF collaborates with local and international institutions, schools, museums, and galleries, contributing to the broader cultural landscape.

The competition at SPF provides an opportunity for photographers to showcase their work to a global audience. A jury made of internationally recognized experts, including Pulitzer Prize winners, festival and gallery directors, ensures an objective and high-level selection process. Each year, around 80 photographers are exhibited, with 24 awards granted to outstanding participants.