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In its first edition, the OKO foto festival Bohinj is now accepting applications for documentary photography projects to be presented at the festival in October 2025.
This unique festival will put the preservation of nature, the environment and heritage at the centre of the action through the lens of documentary photography. Selected works will be exhibited in the heart of the protected nature of the Triglav National Park with the Alpine landscape as a backdrop, as well as in local galleries and cultural centres. The festival is organised by Tourism Bohinj and Triglav National Park.

About the Festival

The first edition of OKO foto festival Bohinj, nestled in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, is now accepting submissions for documentary photography projects to be featured at the festival in October 2025.

This unique festival will focus on nature conservation, the environment, and heritage through the lens of documentary photography. Selected works will be exhibited both in the heart of the protected nature of Triglav National Park having the alpine scenery as a backdrop, and in local galleries and cultural centres. The festival is organised and produced by Turizem Bohinj and Triglav National Park.

Photo projects

We are seeking documentary photography projects that explore themes of nature conservation, and the evolving relationship between humans and the environment. We invite submissions that engage with the festival’s core vision – projects that examine our connection with the planet, our impact on ecosystems, and the ways in which landscapes are shaped by time and human influence. Whether capturing the delicate balance between nature and culture, the bonds that tie us to the natural world, or initiatives of care and protection, we welcome your unique perspective.

This festival is a celebration of photographic storytelling as a powerful lens through which to question, challenge and redefine our understanding of ‘nature’ – the essence of what it means to be part of the natural world. In addition to presenting stunning visual narratives, we also highlight the ethical and environmental dimensions of photography. We encourage dialogue on sustainability, artistic responsibility and the impact of image-making in sensitive environments.

At its heart, the festival is a platform for conservation, artistic reflection, and education – one that fosters a deeper respect for nature and inspires the next generation of changemakers. one that fosters a deeper respect for nature and inspires the next generation of changemakers. We look forward to seeing your vision.

Submissions can include either completed or in-progress projects.

Prizes

The jury formed by curators, editors and photographers will select one winner project for a solo exhibition at the 2025 Festival and will select up to 15 other projects for group exhibitions.

Winner:

A solo exhibition at the OKO foto festival, including production costs covered by the festival up to an amount to be determined by the organiser;
EUR 1,000 cash award
An invitation to attend the festival’s Opening Days in Bohinj, Slovenia, from 16 to 19 October 2025, along with travel expenses (up to EUR 600); October 2025, along with travel expenses (up to EUR 600);
Accommodation for 3 nights, covered by the Festival during the opening days.

Up to 15 finalists:

Participation at festival’s group exhibitions including the production costs covered by the festival up to the amount stipulated by the organiser;up to 15 finalists from 16 to 19 October 2025;
Accommodation for 3 nights covered by the festival during the Opening Days.

The Jury may also select works to be screened at the Festival event Evening projections.

Additional festival offer

The opportunity to showcase your project in a professionally curated exhibition, which will last at least a month in Bohinj, Slovenia.
Full coverage of production costs for your exhibition up to the amount stipulated by the organiser.
The chance to collaborate closely with the festival’s curatorial team on exhibition design and production.
Networking opportunities with curators, editors, and photographers from diverse backgrounds and countries.

Jury

Photo: Tone Stojko

Dr. Marija Skočir

Jakopič Gallery, Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana

Marija Skočir works at the Museum and Galleries of Ljubljana as a senior curator for photography and as the artistic director of two public galleries. Over her 18-year career, she has curated more than 30 exhibitions showcasing the works of Slovenian artists as well as internationally renowned photographers, while establishing what is now Slovenia’s leading photography gallery. She has overseen more than 80 exhibitions and other art and cultural projects, including two Slovenian pavilions at the Venice Biennale. She has contributed to numerous monographs, photobooks, and catalogues as a (co) author and editor. She actively participates in educational and community-building initiatives, offering mentorship to year-round study groups for photographers, and several portfolio reviews, including the Kranj Foto Fest and the Photo Folio Review at Les Rencontres d’Arles.

Photo: Matic Zorman

Nika Perne

The VII Foundation

Over the last two decades, Nika Perne has worked as a curator, producer, project manager, and expert advisor with several non-governmental organisations, public institutes, and private initiatives. In recent years, she has focused more on producing festivals, cooperation projects, and the management of networks. She is driven by inspiring storytelling and care for communities with a focus on photography, light art, and digital technologies. She is currently a Community Manager for The VII Foundation (US), where she is responsible for VII Community, a programme that provides ongoing education and support to a network of The VII Foundation’s alumni as they develop sustainable careers. She is the curator for the Water Light Festival in Bressanone (IT) and RE.LIGHT Festival in Regensburg (DE) and the program manager for the IBSIC Conference in Lille (FR).

Photo: Meta Krese

Fernanda Prado Verčič

Kranj Foto Fest

Fernanda Prado Verčič was invited by Turizem Bohinj to serve as the Artistic Director of the newly launched OKO Foto Festival Bohinj, a photography festival in the Slovenia’s Triglav National Park. A journalist with over two decades of experience in photography, Fernanda is also the co-founder and director of Kranj Foto Fest, another prominent photography festival in Slovenia. Originating from São Paulo, Brazil, she has been based in Slovenia, since 2011, and has been a player in connecting photographers to important venues in Slovenia and abroad. With a passion for discovering new works, she is constantly on the lookout for photographers who are pushing the boundaries of the medium and exploring new ways to tell their visual stories. What makes her move is to create opportunities for photographers to showcase their work. As an editor, curator, producer, and festival director, Fernanda is deeply committed to fostering a community where artists, critics and audiences can come together and engage around photography.

Photo: David Kern

Lars Lindemann

Hamburg Portfolio Reviews

Lars Lindemann is a Hamburg-based curator, editor and photography consultant. He is currently working on a number of exhibition projects in and outside Germany. Lars was and is a jury member of various national and international photo competitions, including the Prix Carmignac du Photojournalisme and the World Press Photo Awards in 2020 and 2021. From 2015 to 2023 he was Director of Photography at GEO magazine and from 2020 to 2023 in the same position responsible for the GEO and PM group. Another focus of his work is the promotion of photographic talent, to which Lars is committed as a lecturer at various photography schools, but especially as co-founder of the Hamburg Portfolio Review and long-time partner and mentor of the Canon Student Development Program. Lars has been International Projects Curator of the Italian photo festival Cortona On The Move since 2023. In 2019, he was appointed to the German Photographic Society (DGPh) for his services to photography.

Photo: Leanne Bugeja

Stefano Carini

NOOR

Born in Turin in 1985, Carini is an independent thinker. A curator, photographer, and visual educator, Carini’s main focus is education, visual literacy, and indigenous production of documentary works. He has conceived, designed, curated, and produced exhibitions in Italy, Europe, and the Middle East, collaborating with festivals, galleries, and museums of photography and contemporary art. Between 2014 and 2015 he led Metrography, the first Iraqi photo agency through the documentation of the war with ISIS. In 2016 he co-founded DARST Projects, a nomadic platform for documentary projects, with which he produced and published groundbreaking documentary projects (such as Over My Eyes and Map of Displacement). Carini trains photographers and visual storytellers in Europe and the Middle East and has lectured in photography, photojournalism, and visual literacy at photography and art institutions across the world. He is the creative director of NOOR Images an international not-for-profit foundation dedicated to advancing visual education and documentary arts. He resides in Turin, Italy where he lives with his two children. Along with his long-term commitment to the world of images, Carini also co-organizes community-building events to disseminate knowledge on our relationship with plants. He also studies permaculture and cultivates hundreds of endemic species of plants for regenerative and therapeutical purposes.

Instructions for registration

Photographers of all backgrounds and nationalities, over 18 years of age, are invited to submit between 12 and 20 images per project (completed or in progress).
Applicants can submit up to two projects.
The application fee is EUR 10 per project.
Accepted file types JPG
Najmanjša velikost: 1500px na daljšem robu

Additional requirements

In addition to the images, you must submit the following:

Short biography (up to 1500 characters).
Personal data: first and last name, gender pronouns, date of birth, nationality, address, country of residence, telephone number, website and social media links.
A statement (up to 1500 characters) for each project submitted, explaining its design, description and purpose.

Timeline

Call for proposals

26 February 2025

Deadline for applications

13 April 2025

Announcement of Results

28 April 2025

Participation fee

EUR 10/project. You can apply for up to two projects.

Conditions for participation

By applying for the OKO 2025 call, applicants confirm that they are the original authors of their projects and that their work does not infringe the rights of third parties.
The project description must clearly indicate whether the project has made partial or full use of artificial intelligence tools.
Photographers must ensure that they have high-resolution copies of the submitted images suitable for printing at the exhibition. These files will be needed if their work is selected.
Artists selected in the OKO 2025 call for entries agree that their images may be used to promote the festival in digital and printed materials, media publications and social media.
An application is only considered complete if it contains images, a project statement and a biography of the applicant. Texts can be submitted in Slovenian or English.
By participating, applicants give the organiser permission to use their email addresses for Festival-related communications, such as newsletters.
Applications that do not comply with the eligibility conditions or contain incorrect information will be disqualified.
The exhibition space will be selected according to the nature of the project and curatorial considerations, with the possibility of indoor or outdoor installation. We will discuss this with selected artists.
The maximum budget allocated to each selected project will be set by the organiser.
In the event of unforeseen circumstances beyond the Organiser’s control, the Festival or this Call for Proposals OKO 2025 may be cancelled.
By registering, participants acknowledge and accept these terms and conditions.

We look forward to seeing you in Bohinj in October 2025!