Sharjah Announces 8th Edition Of Xposure International Photography Festival

Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) on Wednesday announced that the 8th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival will be held at Expo Centre, Sharjah, from Feb. 28 to March 5.

The seven-day event, which brings artists and admirers of visual art together, will be attended by leading photographers, filmmakers, and visual artists alongside visitors.

The event will feature award-winning exhibitions, insightful debates and inspiring dialogues, film screenings, a trade exhibition, book signings, and interactive activities for professionals, amateurs, and hobbyists.

Director General of SGMB Tariq Saeed Allay said that this annual event continues to "boost Sharjah's and the UAE's global reputation for being a frontrunning incubator of talent and excellence in varied disciplines of visual arts," WAM reported.

Allay noted that the festival also reinforces Sharjah's reputation as a "top destination for global talent and a leading platform of cultural and artistic exchange," adding that this event will offer visitors a visual treat to unique artistic perspectives, cultures, circumstances, and opinions.

"The festival's agenda reflects our strategic approach to inspire people, make them better observers of our world and its realities, and enrich their cultural and educational experiences. By bringing emerging talents together with global professionals on one platform, we seek to strengthen the future of visual storytelling through the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and innovation," he said.

The organizers are expected to announce big names from the art industry who will be coming together at this event alongside award-winning exhibitions and other attractions.

The Xposure International Photography Festival has a prize pool of $60,000. So far, the event has received more than 25,000 entries from 190 countries including China, India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Egypt, USA, and the United Kingdom across 13 categories.

The maximum number of submissions have been received in the "Street Photography" category with 4,868 entries. "Portraiture" category, on the other hand, has received 4,847 entries. The "Nature Landscape" has 4,583 entries while the "Mobile Photography" attracted 2,444 applications.

Other categories like "Drone Photography," "Architectural Photography," "Photojournalism" and "Night Photography" have also received thousands of entries this year.

The 8th edition of the event will also introduce a new category, titled "See Sharjah," which consists of sub-categories such as Cultural Heritage, Urban Landscapes, People and Daily Life, and Nature. This category has attracted 660 submissions.

The first-place winner in the individual categories will receive $3,000 while second-place winners in each of the 15 categories will get $1,500.