The Film Photo Award offers two award cycles per year, each providing three distinct grants of Kodak Professional Film and complimentary film processing by Griffin Editions to photographers who demonstrate a serious commitment to the field and are motivated to continue the development of still, film-based photography in the 21st century.

Why Film? 

Film photography is a unique artistic medium in and of itself, deserving of support and celebration.

Film photography continues to express its undeniable importance, purpose, and resilience in the image-making world despite, and in tandem with, newer omnipresent technologies.

Film photographers embrace the unexpected and the unknown, and their work often yields surprising and enriching results. In film photography there exists a beauty that has nothing to do with nostalgia and everything to do with process, materiality, and personal growth.

Film photographers make great sacrifice to acquire the material for their artistic expression, and this access is something we at the Film Photo Award strive to democratize.

With six awards per year of Kodak Professional Film to emerging, established, and student photographers alike, we seek to provide talented and dedicated photographers with access to all that film photography has to offer, and to help facilitate new and ongoing film projects.

Each Film Photo Award includes:

1. Kodak Professional Film in the quantities listed below

2. Film processing for awarded film with Griffin Editions

3. Feature + Interview published on the Film Photo Award website and social media

*in addition, the Student Project Award includes a 4x5 view camera by Standard Cameras

Three finalists will also be selected in each award category and receive acknowledgment on Film Photo Award’s website and social media.

• Portra 160

• Portra 400

• Ektar 100

• Tri-X 400 / 320

• T-MAX 100

• T-MAX 400

Applicants to the New Project Award can choose to receive one of the following format options:

• 200 rolls of 35mm

• 200 rolls of 120

• 300 sheets of 4x5 film

Applicants to the Continuing Project Award can choose to receive one of the following options:

• 200 rolls of 35mm

• 200 rolls of 120

• 300 sheets of 4x5 film

Applicants to the Student Project Award can choose to receive one of the following options:

• 100 rolls of 35mm

• 100 rolls of 120

• 150 sheets of 4x5 film

The winner of the Student Project Award will also receive a 4x5 view camera from Standard Cameras

Important Dates 

Don’t Wait, Submit Today!

The Film Photo Award is open to all emerging, established, and student photographers worldwide, 18 years of age or older.

All applications to the Film Photo Award must be completed through the online submission portal. Submissions by any other means will not be accepted or reviewed. All application materials must be written in English.

Applications are accepted at any time between the opening and closing of the award cycle. It is recommended to apply well in advance of the deadline to avoid any technical problems. The submission platform closes precisely at 11:59pm MST (Denver, CO) on the final day of the submission period. All applications must be successfully submitted before that time. The submission platform will not be reopened for any reason.

Submissions are juried by a panel comprised of past Film Photo Award recipients and Film Photo Award staff. Occasionally, industry leaders may also be asked to participate in the jurying process for the Film Photo Award. Guest jurors will be announced on the site.

Applicants will be considered on the basis of artistic excellence and the promise of future achievement.

Past recipients are ineligible to receive the Film Photo Award again for three years.

Each recipient will be asked to donate at least one print to the Film Photo Award Archive at the conclusion of their one-year grant period. The print/s should be representational of the work made with the award. The goal is to create and document important work being made with film in the 21st century, and to ultimately place the Film Photo Award Archive in a permanent institutional collection some time in the future.

Recipients receive complimentary film processing from Griffin Editions in New York City for film awarded through the Film Photo Award during their 1-year award period only. Other Griffin Editions services such as scanning, printing, mounting, and framing, as well as shipping to and from the lab are not included in the award. Recipients are welcome to process their awarded film at any lab of their choosing, however Griffin Editions is the best and it’s free.

Recipients of the Film Photo Award agree to commence or continue the work proposed in their submission during the year following receipt.

Recipients will participate in an interview to be published on the Film Photo Award website approximately 8 months after receiving the award including a feature of select photographic work made with the awarded film.

1. Project Proposal

2. CV, Resume, or Bio

3. Images x 10

4. Submission Fee

1. Project Proposal

The Project Proposal should be a clear and concise explanation of either a current on-going film-based project, or a new film-based project you are planning to begin this year, depending upon which award you are applying for. Students can propose either a new or on-going project.

The proposal should:

• Not exceed 4000 characters.
  (4000 characters is approximately 1 single-spaced Microsoft Word page)

• Provide an overview of the project idea.

• Include any relevant background research the applicant has conducted.

• Provide a thoughtful plan for completing the proposed project or portion of the project with awarded film (to be completed within the award year).

• Explain the significance of the project.
  Why should this work be made now?

• Not to exceed 2 pages.

• You are welcome to provide either a standard CV/Resume in list format or a narrative biography.

• Clear and concise is most important.

Filename: LastName_FirstName_CV.pdf

Example: Doe_Jane_CV.pdf

3. Images (JPEG)

Applicants must submit 10 images that are representative of either recent past projects (within the last 5 years) or a current project you are continuing.

Image file specifications:

• 10 JPEG files sized at 1200 pixels on the longest dimension and saved at 72 ppi.

• Past work examples can be any variety of visual imagery. Image examples do not need to be film-based images to be considered, however your proposal should explain why Kodak Professional Film is the right material for you now.

Filenames: LastName_FirstName_Number.jpg

Example: Doe_Jane_01.jpg, Doe_Jane_02.jpg, Doe_Jane_03.jpg, etc.

This file name numbering system is important, make sure you follow it carefully.

Ready to Submit?
Click here.

For any questions, please first review the FAQ.

If an answer is not found, email us at shoot@filmphotoaward.com or by using the online form.