Kranj Foto Fest Open Call for Exhibitions 2026
Exhibit your project!
Kranj Foto Fest, one of Europe’s leading photography festivals, will celebrate its 6th edition in 2026. It provides a key platform to showcase your work and connect with curators and editors. The Open Call for the Exhibition Program 2026 is now open, and we invite you to apply for a chance to have your work featured at the festival.
Kranj Foto Fest, an international festival of contemporary photography based in Slovenia, announces its Open Call for projects to be exhibited during the 6th edition of the festival in August 2026, with all production costs covered by the festival. The jury will select one winner, who will receive a solo exhibition at Kranj Foto Fest 2026, a 1,000 € cash prize, travel expenses to Kranj (up to 400 €) and accommodation for three nights during the festival’s opening week (27th–30th August 2026).
In addition to the winner, the festival will select up to 12 projects to participate in group exhibitions at Kranj Foto Fest 2026. In some cases, the curatorial team may choose to upgrade some of these selected projects to solo exhibitions, assigning them to special locations and venues in the old town of Kranj. Selected artists will also receive accommodation for three nights during the festival’s opening week.
Exhibitions may take place at galleries, museums, art centers, historic landmarks, in the canyon, forests, by the river, in the castle gardens and in the tunnels beneath the medieval town of Kranj.
The Open Call is open to all, with no thematic, age or regional restrictions. Photographers from all backgrounds are invited to apply. This call for entries embraces an open theme, encouraging submissions without thematic constraints. Feel free to submit your project or series exploring any theme of your choice. Applications are done via the Picter platform by 23rd February 2026. Each participant may submit up to two projects, with each consisting of 10 to 20 images.
For one month, at the height of the European summer, the old town of Kranj will once again transform into an exciting hub of contemporary photography, bringing together emerging and established photographers from all over the world. Submit your work for the chance to exhibit at Kranj Foto Fest 2026, when the city becomes an open-air photo gallery. By applying to this Open Call, you’ll have your work reviewed by a qualified jury. If selected, you’ll work closely with the curatorial team to plan your exhibition and showcase your work to a qualified audience, including curators, photo editors, gallery owners, and publishers from Slovenia and abroad.
Prizes
1 Winner
- A solo exhibition at Kranj Foto Fest 2026 with production costs covered by the festival
- 1000 € cash prize
- Travel expenses of up to 400 €
- Accommodation for 3 nights during the opening week of the festival (27th–30th August 2026)
Up to 12 Finalists
- Participation in group exhibitions at Kranj Foto Fest 2026 with production costs covered by the festival. In some cases, the curatorial team may choose to upgrade some of these selected projects to solo exhibitions, assigning them to special locations and venues in the old town of Kranj.
- Accommodation for 3 nights during the opening week of the festival (27th–30th August 2026)
More!
- Your application will be handled and judged by a team of experts in photography.
- The festival will carry out PR and marketing activities to promote your project as part of this Open Call and your exhibition. Your work may be featured in the festival’s printed and digital publications, with proper credit given to the authors.
- The festival offers opportunities for your work to gain continued exposure after the conclusion of Kranj Foto Fest 2026, through circulation to other venues in Slovenia and abroad. This will always be done with prior consultation and approval from the artists.
How to Submit
Submission of applications is done through the Picter Contest website. The deadline for submissions is 23 February 2026 at midnight Central European Time. By that date, you must create a profile on the Picter Contest platform, register, and submit your projects for the Kranj Foto Fest 2026 open call. Please visit the links:
Open Call Timeline
- Announcement of the Open Call: 22nd December 2025
- Project Submission Deadline: 23rd February 2026
- Judging Process: 24th February to 13th March 2026
- Results Announcement: by 23rd March 2026
Meet the Open Call 2026’s Jury
Francesca Hummler
Tereza Kozinc
Jelena Janković
Emmanuelle Halkin
Fernanda Prado Verčič
General
Kranj Foto Fest is an annual festival of contemporary photography established in 2021 in the city of Kranj, Slovenia, with the aim of exhibiting, supporting and developing the work of Slovenian and international photographers.
The non-profit organisation Zavod Photo Dialogue, registered in Kranj, Slovenia (VAT no. SI84663260), is the organiser of the Kranj Foto Fest Open Call for Exhibitions 2026.
3. The selection of projects to be exhibited at the festival is primarily conducted through Open Call for Exhibitions. The aim of the Kranj Foto Fest Open Call for Exhibitions 2026 is to select works for inclusion in the festival’s 2026 exhibition programme, which will take place in August and September 2026 in Slovenia.
Awards
- The jury will select one winner, who will receive a solo exhibition at Kranj Foto Fest 2026, with all production costs covered by the festival. The winner will also receive a 1,000 € cash prize, travel expenses to Kranj (up to 400 €) and accommodation for up to three nights during the festival’s opening week in August 2026.
2. In addition, the jury will select up to 12 further projects for inclusion in group exhibitions at Kranj Foto Fest 2026. Production costs will be fully covered by the festival, and selected artists will receive accommodation for up to three nights during the festival’s opening week.
3. The budget allocated for exhibition production will be determined by the organiser and communicated to the selected artists, ensuring the best possible support for all selected projects.
Terms of Participation
- The Kranj Foto Fest Open Call for Exhibitions 2026 is open to photographers, visual artists, and visual storytellers aged 18 or older, working individually, in duos, or as collectives, from anywhere in the world.
- Members of the Kranj Foto Fest team, sponsors, jury members, and their relatives are excluded from participation.
- Artists who have previously exhibited at Kranj Foto Fest may apply again, provided they submit a different project that has not been exhibited at any of the festival’s previous editions.
- There is no thematic or technical limitation; however, the submitted photographs must form part of a coherent story, series, or project.
- Each participant may submit a maximum of two projects. The application fee is €12 for one project. If submitting two projects, the total fee is €16, with an additional €4 for the second project.
- By applying to this Open Call, submitters (individuals, duos, or collectives) guarantee that they are the original authors of the submitted work and that the project does not infringe upon any third-party rights. They further guarantee that there are no copyright violations and that they hold the necessary rights and permissions.
7. AI-generated images are only permitted when their use is conceptually justified and integral to the project. Applicants are required to clearly disclose and explain the role of AI within the work in the project description.
8. Applicants must confirm that the submitted photographs are available in high-resolution format suitable for exhibition printing. High-resolution files will be required if a project is selected.
9. By being selected through the Kranj Foto Fest Open Call for Exhibitions 2026, photographers agree that their images may be used for the promotion of their exhibition, the Open Call and the festival, across digital and printed materials, press, and social media, for non-commercial purposes.
10. Submissions must be made via the Picter Contest platform. The deadline for creating an account, completing registration, and submitting entries is 23 February 2026 at 23:59 (Central European Time).
11. Texts may be submitted in Slovene or English. Since the jury includes international members, submitting materials in English is recommended to ensure your project can be fully understood and fairly evaluated.
12. An application is considered complete only if it includes images and all mandatory fields are filled out. Submissions can be edited on Picter after registration and up until the submission deadline on 23 February 2026.
13. By participating in this Open Call, applicants agree that the organiser may contact them via the email address provided to communicate updates related to the Open Call and the festival.
14. All submitted photographs remain the exclusive property of the author. The author grants Kranj Foto Fest a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to use images from the selected project for non-commercial purposes only, strictly in connection with the Open Call, the festival, and the author’s exhibition.
15. By entering this Open Call, participants acknowledge and accept all terms and conditions outlined in these rules.
16. The organiser reserves the right to withdraw selected works at any stage if violations of the rules are discovered.
17. The organiser assumes no responsibility for content uploaded by applicants or for potential copyright infringements. Participants agree to indemnify and hold the organiser harmless from any claims arising from third-party rights related to submitted content.
Organiser’s Commitments
- All applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a jury composed of professionals in photography and visual culture.
- Kranj Foto Fest is responsible for curating the exhibitions, printing the photographs, and producing the exhibitions at locations selected by the organiser in the city of Kranj, Slovenia.
- Exhibition venues—indoor or outdoor—will be chosen based on the nature of each project and the festival’s curatorial guidelines, in close collaboration with the selected authors. No decisions regarding the exhibitions will be made without the author’s input and approval.
4. The festival will carry out press, communication, and marketing activities to promote the selected projects and their exhibitions. Selected works may be featured in the festival’s printed and digital publications, with proper credit given to the authors.
5. The festival may offer opportunities for continued exposure of selected projects after the conclusion of Kranj Foto Fest 2026, through circulation to other venues in Slovenia and abroad. Any such initiatives will be subject to prior consultation and approval by the artists.
6. The organiser reserves the right to cancel the festival or this Open Call in the event of circumstances beyond its control.
Jury and Results
- The jury, appointed by the organiser, will be announced on https://site.picter.com/kranj-foto-fest-open-call-20256/jury
- Jury decisions are final and non-appealable. The jury is not required to provide justification for their decisions or disclose details of their deliberations.
- Results will be published on the festival’s website and social media channels, and all applicants will be notified by email, by 23 March 2026.
- All inquiries regarding this Open Call should be sent to: info@kranjfotofest.org
Cover photo: Laura Pannack’s exhibition The Journey Home from School, Open Call 2025’s finalist. Photo by Maša Pirc.