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We are extremely happy to see Amak Mahmoodian amongst the shortlisted artists for Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2026 alongside Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka and Rene Matić.  

Amak Mahmoodian has been nominated for her exhibition One Hundred and Twenty Minutes, which explores the experience of exile through dreams. Working with 16 collaborators who’ve been displaced from their homelands, Amak used photography, poetry, drawing, and video to evoke the emotional landscapes of memory, longing and imagined return.

We premiered this long-term body of work in collaboration with Multistory with a very special exhibition 17 Midland Road at Bristol Photo Festival ‘The World a Wave’ last year.

The Prize, originally established in 1996, identifies and rewards artists for an exhibition or book that has made a significant contribution to photography in the past 12 months. Over its long history, the Prize is renowned for spotlighting outstanding and innovative work and celebrating the work of leading international photographers.   The 2026 shortlisted work features collaborative photographic projects; long-term investigative documentary photography; installations, video and sound pieces; and experimental conceptual photography.   The thought-provoking, powerful shortlist explores themes of exile and memory; gender inequalities and advocacy; identity and belonging, subculture and class in contemporary life; and the shifting boundaries between photographic fact and fiction.  

The exhibition of selected work from the four artists’ shortlisted projects will be at The Photographers’ Gallery, London, from 6 March to 7 June 2026.  It will then be on display from 3 September 2026 to 17 January 2027 at the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation in Eschborn/Frankfurt. The winner of the £30,000 prize will be announced on Thursday 14 May, with each of the other shortlisted artists receiving £5,000. Details of the exhibition and award ceremony will be announced in early 2026.  

The 2026 Prize highlights themes of exile and memory; gender inequalities and advocacy; identity and belonging; subculture and class; and the shifting boundaries between photographic fact and fiction. Amak joins a great shortlist alongside: Jane Evelyn Atwood, Weronika Gęsicka and Rene Matić

We can’t wait to see this great project shown again in the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize exhibition at The Photographers’ Gallery from March 2026.

Read Full press release HERE.

We are very happy to receive this news.

Bristol Photo Festival is nominated for Photo Festival of the Year in the 2025 International Lucie Awards.

Thanks to all the experts who nominated us and good luck to all the other nominees. This is a nice bit of encouragement while starting the groundwork for the next edition in Autumn 2026.

Big shout to our festival team for making this an enjoyable journey plus all the artists & curators, freelancers, venue coordinators and volunteers! Special thanks to our board of directors for your ongoing support and to all the partners and funders that make it possible.

Lucie Foundation’s mission to honor master photographers, support professional excellence, nurture emerging talent through the International Photography Awards (IPA), and promote global appreciation for photography via the House of Lucie galleries.

Since their inception, the Lucie Awards have celebrated over 172 of the most influential figures in contemporary photography at prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall in New York, recognising their profound impact on our lives.

The Lucie Support Category acknowledges the vital contributions of behind-the-scenes professionals, such as photo editors, publishers, galleries, and photo labs, who play essential roles in shaping photographic art.

In collaboration with Hapax Magazine, we launched an open-call for new projects with the winner due to receive a solo exhibition at Bristol Photo Festival 2026, alongside a feature in an upcoming edition of Hapax Magazine.

After receiving over 100 applications from 15+ countries, the jury selected artist and photographer Holly Lynton, for her work ‘Beyond the Bounds’, which explores faith across rural communities in the U.S.A. We look forward to working with Holly over the next two years, building towards her solo exhibition. We would like to thank everyone who submitted.

Winner: Holly Lynton

Shortlisted: Andrezza Viera Thomas, Annabel Elgar, Garry Loughlin, Kayin Luys, Masha Wysocka, Mohammed Hassan, Phillipa Klaiber, Thero Makepe, Vivian Wan

“Holly Lynton’s photographs so very effectively brought me in, at ground level, to see this community with awe and wonder.” Kirsty Mackay (Artist)

“Holly Lynton’s project photographing within Methodist camps meetings is a sustained and meditative enquiry into faith practices in rural America that presents a rare glimpse into collective and individual acts of faith, and the communities that surround religion. Lynton’s work invites reflection into the deeper sentiments that underpin certain communities, she presents scenes that seem at odds and out of time with contemporary portrayals of American society in the news media. By bringing her work together in a solo exhibition for Bristol Photo Festival in 2026, Lynton will be able to connect with new audiences and reflect on her unique experience spending time with and responding photographically to the sacred space of religious camps meetings against a backdrop of social and political uncertainty across the country.” Tamsin Silvey (Curator at Historic England)

“Through evocative imagery and profound human connection, Beyond the Bounds explores the universal threads of faith—religious and secular—unveiling the intricate interplay between history, ritual, and the spaces we seek solace. As American societal divisions deepen, this work’s relevance will only grow, prompting critical reflection on faith’s enduring role in shaping our shared humanity.” Alejandro Acín (Director at Bristol Photo Festival)

Selecting Jury: Alejandro Acin (BPF), Gordon Macdonald & Christiane Monarchi (Hapax), Kirsty Mackay (artist), Tamsin Silvey (Curator, Historic England)

© Amak Mahmoodian

On Wednesday 16th October, the festival kicks off, with exhibition openings by Amak Mahmoodian and Ariella Aïsha Azoulay. Following the openings we have invited Bristol stalwarts i-Sha and Nahda to play at Old Market Assembly (9pm onwards):

• i-sha is a Bristol-based DJ, resident at Noods Radio and one of the organisers behind the party and imprint Accidental Meetings. In recent years she has honed a unique style that combines brooding dub soundscapes with moments of frenetic energy.

• Nahda is a Bristol-based DJ and resident at Noods Radio who draws together sounds from across the MENA region.

In preparation, Nahda has kindly picked out some recent records to keep you entertained until the festival kicks off:

• Jabu – Final Day ft. Memotone – Listen here.
• DJ Gawad – Bandana ft. Jurum – Listen here.
• Prophän – Live By Steel Die By Steel / اللي نافخو الحديد افشوا الحديد – Listen here.
• Oiseaux Tempête – Black Elephant – Listen here. 
• Polido – Met the Moment – Listen here.
• Sanam – Ya Nass (O People) يا ناس – Listen here.
• Susu Laroche – Taba’an – Listen here.
• Sout El Leil – Wea Mashi – Listen here.
• BILLY TSTRK x BENT 7AZINE – 3CHIREH / بلي تسترك, بنت حزينة – عشيرة — Listen here.
• Kol Maghanni ft. Mariana Jouzova – Qow – Listen here.

The afterparty is free entry. Please come along to celebrate the opening of the festival. Full details can be found via headfirst.

© Rainbow Village British theme park, Japan, 1993 © Martin Parr / Magnum Photos

On Thursday 17th October, we will be celebrating the launch of exhibitions across the South-East of the city, including:

5pm – 7pm – Bricks St. Anne’s House Opening Night – exhibitions include: The Magic Money Tree by Kirsty Mackay and Not a Home Without Fire by Bandia Ribeira.

• Address: Bricks St. Anne’s House – St Anne’s Rd, Brislington, Bristol, BS4 4AB

6.30pm – 8.30pm – Paintworks Opening Night – exhibitions include: Monument by Trent Parke (Martin Parr Foundation) and  Realms of Memory by Billy H.C. Kwok, Jay Lau & Lau Wai (Royal Photographic Society)

• Address: Martin Parr Foundation and Royal Photographic Society (both Paintworks, Bristol, BS4 3AR – the venues are directly opposite one another)

Thursday Shuttle Bus Information

We will be running a bus service from Bricks St. Anne’s House to Paintworks, enabling you to attend both openings. Buses will leave Bricks St. Anne’s House at 6.45pm & 7.15pm. For those who live in St. Anne’s, there will also be a return service. Book a spot on the bus here.

Most of the festival can be reached on foot, however some exhibitions lie beyond the city centre. Be prepared to walk a little further or consider other options (bus, bike, scooter, car or taxi). This post is designed to help those planning routes, using a combination of walking and public transport.

Covering the Festival in Two Days

Day One: The Central Loop Walk

• Start at Arnolfini Gallery. After seeing the exhibition, head to M Shed – 3 minutes on foot.
• Next, head to The Crypt, St Paul’s Church – 4 minutes on foot.
• Walk on to Albion Dockside – 12 minutes on foot.
• From here, cross the harbour on a ferry before walking up the hill to The Georgian House Museum – 20-25 minutes in total.
• Afterwards, carry on to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – 5 minutes on foot.
• From here, you could continue on towards Serchia Gallery or The Launderette – both approximately 25 minutes on foot.
• Finish the day by walking down to Centrespace Gallery – 20 minutes on foot.

• Total walking time: 1.5 – 2 hours
• Total viewing time: 4 hours (based on 30 minutes per exhibition)

Day Two: Completing the Loop

• Start at Paintworks (Martin Parr Foundation & Royal Photographic Society). After seeing the exhibitions, catch the bus (349, 1 or 522) towards the city centre (there is a bus stop called ‘The Centre’) – 15 minutes by bus or 25 minutes on foot. 
• From here you have lots of options. To complete all exhibitions, walk from the city centre to the neighbourhood of Old Market where you will find IC Visual Lab & 17 Midland Road – 15 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by bus.
• After seeing these exhibitions, catch the bus from Old Market to Bricks St. Anne’s House (no. 5 bus, every 30 mins). The journey time via bus is approximately 20 minutes. 
• After the exhibitions at Bricks, finish the day by relaxing at Lost and Grounded Taproom (Open Fridays and Saturdays) – 8 minutes on foot.

• Total transport time: 1 hour
• Total viewing time: 2.5 hours (based on 30 minutes per exhibition)

A Single Day Visit

It’s going to be tough to see everything in a single day. However, if this is

• Start at Paintworks (Martin Parr Foundation & Royal Photographic Society). After seeing the exhibitions, head on to Arnolfini Gallery –  35 minutes on foot or 25 minutes by bus.
• After spending time at Arnolfini Gallery, head to M Shed – 3 minutes on foot.
• Next, head to The Crypt, St Paul’s Church – 4 minutes on foot.
• Walk on to Albion Dockside – 12 minutes on foot.
• From here, cross the harbour on a ferry before walking up the hill to The Georgian House Museum – 20-25 minutes in total.
• Afterwards, carry on to Bristol Museum & Art Gallery – 5 minutes on foot.
• From here, you could continue on towards Serchia Gallery or The Launderette – both approximately 25 minutes on foot or 15-20 minutes by bus. 
• From the Launderette walk down to Centrespace Gallery – 20 minutes on foot.
• After leaving Centrespace Gallery you can walk to the neighbourhood of Old Market where you will find IC Visual Lab and 17 Midland Road – 20 minutes on foot.
• After seeing these exhibitions, catch the bus from Old Market to Bricks St. Anne’s House – 20 minutes by bus (number 5, leaving every 30 mins). 
• After the exhibitions at Bricks, finish the day by relaxing at Lost and Grounded Taproom (Open Fridays and Saturdays) – 8 minutes on foot.

• Total travel time (walking or by bus): up to 3 hours
• Total viewing time: 7 hours (based on 30 minutes per exhibition)