ABOUT IMA next
IMA next is a photography competition open to anyone who wishes to participate. Every month, one theme and one judge from various backgrounds and practices will be announced. The winner will be awarded with a cash prize along with a feature on IMA ONLINE, IMA magazine or with possible opportunities to exhibit his/her works at other occasions organized by IMA.
This is essentially a platform that offers the chance for one of your photographs to open its wings and learn to fly away into the world of art photography.
It may be your carefully designed and thought-through photographs taken with your favourite camera or it may also be an accidental shot with your smartphone that turned out to be a great image. Anything is welcome. Our aim is to discover new talents from all over the world through IMA next.
PRIZE
| Grand Prix | 100,000 JPY Cash Prize
・Portfolio Review by either IMA or the jury |
|---|---|
| Shortlist | ・Exposure on IMA ONLINE and IMA official social media |
| All Contestants | ・Special access to a limited interview video by the jury |
GUIDELINES
IMA next is a photo competition that aims to support emerging photographers to succeed in the art photography world.
| How? | Please chose the theme you would like to enter for and fill out the appropriate submission form. Make sure you chose the right form as it is different depending on each theme. 1～5 photographs can be uploaded for each entry, however in that case, all your photographs in the entry will be judged as 1 series. If you would like to submit multiple series, please make another entry. There is no limit to the number of entries per theme. |
|---|---|
| Who? | The applicant must be older than 16 years old. Otherwise, anyone is welcome! We have no restriction in terms of your nationality, age, gender or experience (Professional/Amateur). |
| How long? | For each theme, there will be 2 months submission period. Once every month, a theme will be announced and the submissions will open. |
| Entry | 2000JPY per entry We only accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express). |
| Upload Regulations | ・All submissions need to be still photographs, no moving images will be accepted. All sorts of post-production processes are allowed. ・DVD/Blue-Ray submissions will be rejected. ・If the submitted work is deemed non-photographic, it may not be judged. ・The submission of 1 ~ 5 images of 10MB each are possible for 1 entry. ・Any work that violates the rights of a third party (copyright, trademark right, portrait rights) cannot be submitted. If the work includes anything created by a third party (art work, films, photographs, music…etc.) and if it may concern any other rights, there is a need for you to have gotten permission from all party involved before you enter. |
ENTRY THEME
In IMA next, one theme will be announced each month. Each theme will then be judged by a professional in the creative industry. 1～5 entries are allowed for each theme.
Accepting entries Until December 21st
2021OCT
THEME #28
OTHER HISTORIES
Hiroshima Graph - Rabbits abandon their children (C)Yoshikatsu Fujii
Although perhaps insignificant, we are all surrounded by tiny episodes. You may be the only one who can scoop them up and keep a record of the events through images. A story spun by one family, an indigenious or personal history, a curious incident. Your photograph of something that has happened or is happening, can leave its mark in history. Reveal your “OTHER HISTORY”, a scene only YOU can visualize with photography.
Accepting entries Until November 16th
2021SEP
THEME #27
OPEN CALL
©️So Mitsuya What I See
This is our first OPEN CALL as IMA next, a special competition unrestrained to a theme! The jury this time, is the IMA editorial team and for this occasion, we have a big prize waiting; an unconditional publication of the Grand Prix winning work on the magazine IMA along with IMA online and all Grand Prix, shortlist winners will have the chance to hold a personal portfolio review with the IMA team.
There is even a chance to become part of the IMA gallery just like Yoshinori Mizutani, Satoshi Fujiwara, Hideyuki Ishibashi, Harumi Shimizu, Sayuri Ichida and So Mitsuya, all talented artists working in various genres.
A sing image or a complete series rich with creativity and imagination, show us the best images you’ve ever made!
We look forward to seeing the talent with the power to lead the current world of photography.
INTERVIEW
Yoshinori Mizutani
The artist’s challenge to go overseas through presenting own works via social media.
