PHOTO IS:RAEL - 13th International Photography Festival

PHOTO IS:RAEL is pleased to invite artists to submit proposals for the Main Exhibition of the 13th International Photography Festival, taking place in Tel Aviv in October 2026.

Widely recognized as the premier photography platform in the country, the International Photography Festival returns in October 2026 for its 13th edition. The festival has long since become an established and well-known cultural institution which welcomes thousands of visitors each year, as over 200 leading Israeli and international photographers exhibit their work over the course of two weeks.

Selected works will be exhibited in the Festival’s Main Exhibition and featured in the 2026 Festival catalog and website.

The theme of this year’s festival, Citizens, positions photography as active civic practice. Citizenship is not merely a legal designation, but a choice to be present and to make one’s voice heard. By bringing forward grassroots perspectives, the festival transforms personal experience into shared public knowledge. The camera becomes a means of claiming visibility, enabling marginalized groups to redefine themselves and, through acts of creation and participation, take part in shaping and strengthening the democratic fabric.

Scheduled for October to coincide with the upcoming elections, the festival seeks to foster a celebration of civic engagement and democracy, contributing to the resilience of Israel’s democratic values.