Open Call for Objectifs Documentary Award

The Award enables photographers to work on new or existing projects, encouraging them to tell stories about their native communities. It welcomes different creative approaches to non-fiction storytelling, from conventional documentary photography to visual experiments. Projects may be presented in still images or use multimedia.

Categories

• Open Category
• Emerging Category

Prize Information

• Open Category:
  • The Open Category is awarded to 1 recipient from Southeast Asia. The recipient will get an opportunity to curate and present a solo exhibition and get a grant of SGD$8,000 to work on a new or existing body of work.
  • One finalist will receive a grant of SGD$1,000 to continue their practice.
• Emerging Category:
  • The Emerging Category will be awarded to 2 recipients from Southeast Asia. Each recipient receives a 6 month-long mentorship and SGD$3,000 to work on a new or existing body of work.
  • One finalist will receive a grant of SGD$500 to continue their practice.

Eligibility Criteria

• They are seeking work created in photographers’ current or native communities. They welcome different creative approaches to non-fiction storytelling, including social documentary, portraiture, conceptual and art photography. Your final work can be entirely in still photography or use multimedia.
• The project may be new or existing (if existing, the photographer must communicate in his/her proposal what additional plans there are for the project), and must be completed by January 2026.
• Open Category:
  • Open to Southeast Asian photographers (including Singapore), irrespective of age. Southeast Asian photographers who are not currently living/working in Southeast Asia may also apply.
  • One recipient will be selected for this category.
  • Applicants should ideally present an ongoing project that is near completion.
  • Applicants should have more than 5 years of professional photography experience (including internships and freelance work)
  • Applicants must be able to communicate in English
  • Applicants must have full copyright ownership of the work produced
• Emerging Category:
  • Open to Southeast Asian photographers (including Singapore), irrespective of age.
  • Two recipients will be selected for this category.
  • Applicants must have less than 5 years of professional photography experience (including internships and freelance work)
  • Both ongoing or new projects are welcome
  • Applicants must have full copyright ownership of the work produced

Selection Criteria

• Selection will be based on the artistic and intellectual merit of each applicant’s project.

Application Requirements

• Open Category:
  • Applicants will need to submit in PDF format:
    • 500-word (max.) proposal
    • If proposing a new project, please share sample images showing visual approach
    • If proposing to work on/present an ongoing project, please share images from the project (max. 20 images)
    • Portfolio (max. 20 images)
    • CV
• Emerging Category:
  • Applicants will need to submit in PDF format:
    • 500-word (max.) proposal
    • If proposing a new project, please share sample images showing visual approach
    • If proposing to work on/present an ongoing project, please share images from the project (max. 20 images)
    • A portfolio that includes up to 2 bodies of work (max. 20 images)
    • Biography and CV

For more information, visit Objectifs – Centre for Photography and Film.