London, UK, 21 August 2023 – This September, Canon will be celebrating the work of photojournalists for the 34th consecutive year, as part of its long-standing partnership with Visa pour l’Image. During the festival’s Pro Week (September 4-9), held in Perpignan in the south of France, Canon will honour the craft of documentary storytelling, awarding two project grants and providing a cohort of 30 young emerging talent with access to the festival through the brand’s Student Development Programme. In addition, visitors will have the chance to learn more about Canon’s enhanced product support for professionals, which has evolved into a dedicated membership programme in recent months.
Canon champions independent photojournalism at Visa pour l’Image 2023
Canon to recognise outstanding contributions to photojournalism with two grants
For the 23rd year in a row, Canon and Visa pour l’Image will award an €8,000 grant to a female photojournalist pursuing a long-term documentary project. This year, the jury – consisting of journalists and editors from The New York Times, Le Monde, Conde Nast and others – have chosen to award British/ Swedish photojournalist Anastasia Taylor-Lind for her ongoing project ‘5K from the Frontline’ with the Canon Female Photojournalist Grant. Anastasia has been photographing frontline communities in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region since 2014. She continues to document the same families as they face the full-scale Russian invasion. Her images speak of the enduring will to live and the resistance of maintaining everyday routines despite war.
Alongside this, Canon together with Visa pour l’Image are pleased to be presenting Juan Vicente Manrique Gomez with the fourth Canon Video Grant for his short-film documentary project ‘Looking for a donkey’, which will be shot in Venezuela. With a bold satirical view, Juan will tell the story of two firefighters from a little town in the Venezuelan Andes, who were arrested and subsequently jailed after releasing a viral video in which they humorously caricatured Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro.
Paving the way for the next generation of photojournalists
Canon is committed to supporting and nurturing new talent, and for the 7th consecutive year will be providing emerging photographers from across Europe, Middle East and Africa with a unique opportunity to develop skills and advance in their careers as part of its acclaimed Student Development Programme. 30 talented photography students will attend a prestigious five-day workshop to network with and learn from prominent professionals during group as well as 1:1 portfolio review sessions, practical workshops and lectures.
This year’s speakers and reviewers include Canon Ambassadors Aïda Muluneh (Ethiopian photographer, educator and cultural entrepreneur), Brent Stirton (Getty Images Senior Correspondent and National Geographic explorer), Marco Longari (Chief Photographer in Africa for AFP) and Paolo Verzone (member of Agence VU’). A cohort of industry experts will also be present, including Fiona Shields (The Guardian), Gaia Tripoli (The New York Times), Lars Lindemann (GEO), Mads Nissen (Staff at Politiken, Member of Panos Pictures), Thomas Borberg (staff photographer at Politiken) as well as Tristan Lund (independent curator and art advisor).
Following the workshops, students will have the opportunity to participate in a selection of guided tours of the festival’s exhibition space, hosted by the artists themselves. This year, Canon Ambassador Paolo Pellegrin (Magnum Photos) will present a selection of works from the ‘Visa Years’, while Brent Stirton will introduce his Asian Elephants – Culture, Conflict and Co-existence project. 2022 Canon Female Photojournalist grant winner, Natalya Saprunova, will also showcase her grant winning work, The Evenki People, custodians of the resources of Yakutia.
Canon presence at Visa pour l’Image
At the festival’s headquarters in Perpignan’s Palais des Congrès, Canon will be hosting a dedicated product showcase area inviting visitors to experience the company’s latest cameras and lenses. Accredited photographers can also receive a complimentary check-and-clean service by expert technicians from Canon Professional Services (CPS).