Visa pour l’Image 2025: Perpignan Hosts 37th Edition of the Leading Photojournalism Festival
June 30, 2025 – Perpignan, France – The world’s premier festival of photojournalism, Visa pour l’Image, returns to Perpignan for its 37th edition from August 30 to September 14, 2025. Known for spotlighting hard-hitting global issues through the lens of committed photographers, this year’s event includes 26 exhibitions, powerful public screenings, and a renewed focus on ethics in visual journalism.
A Global Perspective Through 26 Exhibitions
Set across historic venues like the Couvent des Minimes and Campo Santo, the exhibitions bring together some of the most urgent and moving photo stories from across the globe.
Highlights include:
- Saher Alghorra, winner of the 2025 Humanitarian Visa d’or Award (ICRC), with No Way Out, documenting life inside Gaza.
- Anush Babajanyan explores the environmental and human cost of the Aral Sea’s disappearance.
- Cynthia Boll, supported by the 2024 Canon Grant, reports on Jakarta’s sinking urban landscape.
- Alfredo Bosco, recipient of the Visa d’or Rémi Ochlik Award, investigates the captagon drug crisis in Iraq.
- George Steinmetz captures the future of global food production using drones and gliders.
Each exhibit presents urgent issues with a strong ethical backbone—free of manipulation or AI-generated visuals—honoring the truth-telling spirit of traditional photojournalism.
Public Screenings and Professional Dialogues
More than 90 curated photo report slideshows will be projected for free on the giant screen at Campo Santo during six evening events. These immersive screenings provide an opportunity for visitors to engage with the work and witness the stories behind the headlines in a cinematic setting.
Awards, Grants & Educational Missions
Visa pour l’Image continues to support photojournalists through multiple grants and awards, including the Canon Female Photojournalist Grant, the Pierre & Alexandra Boulat Award, the Yves Rocher Foundation Award, and the Françoise Demulder Prize. Application deadlines for these opportunities run through summer 2025.
The festival also invests in the next generation. Two full weeks are dedicated to student and school visits, educating youth on the power and responsibility of authentic imagery in today’s media landscape.
Cultural Resistance in a Time of Crisis
Founder Jean-François Leroy emphasized that, “the world is spinning even more off-axis,” underlining the role of journalism in the fight against misinformation and manipulated visuals. In 2024, the festival drew over 240,000 visitors, including 21,000 students, underscoring its cultural and educational impact.
Conclusion
Visa pour l’Image 2025 stands as a bold cultural statement and a vital platform for visual truth. With 26 compelling exhibitions, nightly screenings, and grants that foster ethical journalism, Perpignan once again becomes a global capital for those who capture—and confront—the world as it is.
