2016 Minutes [12th Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops]

12T H E D I T I O N SUMMARY OF 2016 EVENTS It has been another incredible year for the team at the Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops. We thank you for your continued support, and are proud to present a brief summary of our events and activities in 2016.

2016 KEY VENUE PARTNERS We are grateful to our Key Venue Partners for giving us a home this year. Returning as a partner for the second year, we thank King’s Road Angkor for its generosity and for having the new and beautiful Full Frontal Gallery which became a second home to many festival and workshop attendees. The newly-opened Footprint Cafe kept our workshop participants going with their lovely staff, fresh coffee brews and delicious bites. As a unique social enterprise, it was wonderful for us to be able to be involved in their positive initiative.

FESTIVAL CENTRE

WORKSHOP CENTRE

AN G KO R P H OTO WO R KS H O PS As the year with a record-number of applications and our first batch of participants with a majority of female photographers, the 12th Angkor Photo Workshops raised the bar for editions to come.

The heart and soul of our event, the annual tuition-free professional photography workshop aims to provide an affordable, accessible and intensive educational experience to the region’s emerging talents. 2016 was a particularly competitive year with over 380 applications from 18 countries all over Asia. All participants are personally selected by the tutors of the workshop based on the merit of their submitted portfolio and the content of their personal statements.

The workshops are led by internationally renowned professionals who are invited to share their invaluable expertise and unique approach to the craft. In addition to being established professionals, these photographers have also demonstrated a commitment to the educational growth and development of their younger peers. All tutors volunteer their time for the non-profit workshops.

With an emphasis on nurturing their unique photographic vision as well as challenging their approach to the craft, the workshops are an intensive experience during which each participant completed a photo essay during the week, combined with group discussion sessions and one-on-one reviews with the tutors.

As always, the results of the workshops were featured on as part the festival’s finale projections programme on Closing Night.

We are proud to welcome another 30 talented photographers to our ever-growing family of workshop alumni, which is currently over 280-strong spread out all across the region.

2016 TUTORS ANTOINE D’AGATA

/ MAGNUM PHOTOS FRANCE www.magnumphotos.com/antoinedagata

SIM CHI YIN

/ VII PHOTO AGENCY SINGAPORE www.chiyinsim.com

SOHRAB HURA / MAGNUM PHOTOS INDIA www.sohrabhura.com

NEWSHA TAVAKOLIAN / MAGNUM PHOTOS IRAN www.newshatavakolian.om

KOSUKE OKAHARA JAPAN www.kosukeokahara.com

IAN TEH

/ PANOS PICTURES / AGENCE VU ’ MALAYSIA www.ianteh.com

2016 PARTICIPANTS Taufiqur Rahman ANIK BANGLADESH taufiqurrahmananik.com

Marziyeh HEYDARZADEH

Charmaine POH

IRAN

SINGAPORE charmainepoh.com

Guligo JIA

Elena ANOSOVA

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

RUSSIA anosova.com

Taro KARIBE

Aishwarya ARUMBAKKAM INDIA

Soumya Sankar BOSE INDIA soumyasankarbose.in

Joyce Ethel CESARIO

JAPAN tarokaribe.com

Billy H.C. KWOK HONG KONG billyhckwok.com

Yuyang LIU

PHILIPPINES

PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA yuyangliu.com

Amrita CHANDRADAS

MA Martel

SINGAPORE amritachandradas.com

Rebecca CHEW MALAYSIA photography.rebeccachew.co

Franchesca Mae FAUSTINO PHILIPPINES

Ashfika RAHMAN BANGLADESH

Katya REZVAYA RUSSIA rezvaya.com

Roun RY CAMBODIA rounphotos.opte.website

Basilio SEPE PHILIPPINES basiliosepe.tumblr.com

CAMBODIA

Shadman SHAHID

Yu Yu MYINT THAN

BANGLADESH shadmanwdna.wix.com

MYANMAR

Zhou NA PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA siye1905.wix.com/zhouna

Hong Nhung NGUYEN

Wai Hnin TUN MYANMAR waihnintun.com

Hadi UDDIN

VIETNAM

BANGLADESH hadiuddin.wordpress.com

Aizzat Naeeim NORDIN

Shin YAHIRO

Ian Tri Hananto HANANTO

MALAYSIA aizzatnordin.wordpress.com

JAPAN shin-yahiro.com

INDONESIA ianhananto.blogspot.com

LIM Paik Yin

Gayatri GANJU INDIA gayatriganju.com

MALAYSIA cargocollective.com/lim-paik-yin

WORKSHOP RESULTS ( SELECTED EXCERPTS)

GULIGO JIA CHINA

‘VISION’ My work explores the fantasies of people whose gender is fluid. There are obstacles between their fantasies and reality. These obstacles can be many, such as gender discrimination and stereotypes. But in their own space they have the freedom to voice their inner selves.

AISHWARYA ARUMBAKKAM INDIA

‘AHP’ It was a cloudy day when I ran into a strange, beautiful woman in the countryside of Cambodia. Everyone referred to her as Ahp. She lived alone in an isolated house by the edge of the village. No one seemed to know where she came from. But ever since she did, more and more mysterious things seem to be happening.

YU YU MYINT TAN MYANMAR

‘I’VE NEVER TOLD YOU BEFORE’ “You should serve him well and not disappoint him.”

“No matter what happens, you have to listen to him.”

“Do not speak to him as if you consider him as an equal.”

“If you are stubborn and talk back to your husband, you are the woman who destroys the repute of the family.”

“Forgive him in the name of a woman.”

- Excerpts from Chbab Srey, Cambodian book, “How to be a good woman” Women in Southeast Asia who suffer domestic violence often keep silent, straining to conform to rules set by society.

I met several Khmer women survivors. We shared our never-before-told stories and journeyed together through grief, and found strength.

ROUN RY CAMBODIA

‘LOW AND HIGH’ My work is about the poor families living in the slum. I think poverty does not allow people to achieve their potential.

I remember when I was young; my family was not treated well by people who were rich.

My work is not just about the poor, but also about how I take the photograph. I like the way, when I put myself down to the ground to shoot a picture. It is a new experience for me and I feel a bit funny, but I love it. When I lay down on the ground to take a photo, I feel very different because I am in a lower position from the subjects.

F EST I VAL P ROG RAM M E From public exhibitions to our daily projection evenings, our 12th Edition’s festival programme featured some of the best photography from all around the world, curated from our annual open call by programme coordinator Françoise Callier.

Five exhibitions opened across Siem Reap during the week, including the prestigious World Press Photo Exhibition, which was shown in Cambodia for the very first time.

Festival guests were welcomed into our brand new Festival Zone, built from scratch under the creative vision of our Festival Director, Jean-Yves Navel.

The space hosted our daily evening projections along with a series of unique performances and talks aimed at engaging the local community. This year, we presented the artists’ statements in both English and Khmer: projected and printed in English and read in Khmer for the local audience.

Our projections programme featured the work of over 130 photographers from 45 countries, including an evening with our 2016 Guest Curator Claudia Hinterseer and our themed projection showcase ‘The Impact Project’.

As always, all events and exhibitions were open to the public and free to attend.

PROGRAMME COORDINATOR : FRANÇOISE CALLIER

© JAMEY STILLINGS

Marking her 10th anniversary year as the festival’s volunteer programme coordinator, FRANÇOISE CALLIER has made it her life mission to promote and highlight photographic talent. Previously, she worked for 15 years at 2e Bureau as a photographers’ agent, working alongside Helmut Newton, JeanPaul Goude, Max Vadukul and many others. Together with Sylvie Grumbach, she handled the press promotions of Visa pour l’Image in Perpignan, France, and was also the French correspondent for Corbis from 1995 to 1998.

EXHIBITIONS:

GREENLIGHT EXHIBITION SERIES

Launched in 2014, the GreenLight Exhibition Series is now a regular part of our exhibition programme and aims to showcase photography projects about important environmental issues. Through public exposure, we hope to kickstart an awareness-raising process crucial to the creation of a more environmentally-conscious community.

Daesung LEE

PRINT LAB PARTNER

VENUE PARTNERS

Futuristic Archaeology SOUTH KOREA www.indiphoto.net ANGKOR

GARDENS OF ANGKOR NATIONAL MUSEUM & T GALLERIA 3 - 15 DECEMBER 2016

Pierre GLEIZES

A Plea to Stop Overfishing FRANCE www.pierregleizes.com RIVERSIDE GARDENS (RAFFLES GRAND HOTEL D’ANGKOR) 3 - 13 DECEMBER 2016

PRINT LAB PARTNER

VENUE PARTNERS

EXHIBITIONS:

OPEN THEMED SERIES

Eli REED / MAGNUM PHOTOS

SUPPORTED BY

PRINT LAB PARTNER

VENUE PARTNERS

PRINT LAB PARTNER

VENUE PARTNERS

A Long Walk Home USA www.magnumphotos.com ROYAL GARDENS 3 - 13 DECEMBER 2016

Shōji UEDA

Retrospective JAPAN www.shojiueda.com FULL FRONTAL GALLERY (KING’S ROAD ANGKOR) 3 DECEMBER 2016 - 30 JANUARY 2017

PRINT LAB PARTNER

Anders JIRAS for META HOUSE

VENUE PARTNERS

LESSONS FROM THE PAST:

ECCC Civil Parties address Cambodia’s youth CAMBODIA www.meta-house.com FESTIVAL ZONE (FIELD BY AMANSARA SIEM REAP) 3 DECEMBER 2016 - 15 JANUARY 2017

WORLD PRESS PHOTO 16

VENUE PARTNER

www.worldphoto.org FESTIVAL ZONE (FIELD BY AMANSARA SIEM REAP) 3 DECEMBER 2016 - 15 JANUARY 2017

PARTNERS

SUPPORTERS

PROJECTION EVENINGS PROJECTION SCREEN SPONSOR

VENUE SPONSOR

PROJECTOR SPONSOR

2016 THEMED PROJECTION : ‘THE IMPACT PROJECT’ Launched in 2014 as a themed projection evening to showcase the better angels of our nature, ‘THE IMPACT PROJECT’ highlights individuals, groups or small organisations working to create a positive impact on social or enviromental issues. It is now a permanent part of our festival programme.

2016 GUEST CURATOR: CLAUDIA HINTERSEER G U EST C U R ATO R S H O W C AS E : ‘WE ALTER NATURE’ Every year, we invite a figure from the photographic community to present a carte blanche showcase during an evening of projections. We were proud to welcome our 2016 Guest Curator CLAUDIA HINTERSEER to Siem Reap as she joined us to present her unique showcase ‘We Alter Nature’.

From eroding coastlines to the food we put on our plate, Hinterseer carefully curated a thought-provoking collection of documentary photography to highlight how ‘We Alter Nature’ as humans and the oftentimes destructive and unsustainable effects humans have on the environment.

CLAUDIA HINTERSEER is a Senior Multimedia Producer at China Daily Asia with over 16 years of experience working in the field of visual storytelling around the world. Through founding and running her own international documentary photography agency NOOR, she developed a thorough understanding of the media and photography worlds. At the same time, she became involved in photojournalism development and education through her career at the World Press Photo foundation.

Claudia - currently based in Hong Kong - regularly runs multimedia workshops for the Asia News Network and is often invited as jury member, lecturer and reviewer at multimedia events. She has an academic background in Visual Anthropology. © FRANCESCO ZIZOLA

PROJECTIONS EVENINGS:

FESTIVAL ZONE EVENTS

For the first time, a line-up of performances and activities kicked off each evening of projections at our brand new Festival Zone. A huge thanks to all our creative collaborators and partners for breathing new life into our evening programme. 

LIVE MUSIC BY ‘AMOK SOUL PROJECT‘

In collaboration with our Music Partner, Hard Rock Cafe Angkor.

SCREENING ”I WANNA BE A PHOTOJOURNALIST” 

A screening of a documentary about the Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops by Valérie Bonniol and Sylvie De Ridder.



‘MARATHON LENSES’

In collaboration with Manulife, the special projection showcase shared a unique coverage of the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon through the eyes of the children of Anjali House.

EXPRESS In creative collaboration with the First Kindness Festival Cambodiayour&STYLE Express your Style.



‘THE COURAGEOUS TURTLE’

A Khmer-language performance enhancing knowledge of Cambodia’s Pol Pot era, the play forms the basis of the ‘Lessons from the Past’ exhibition presented by Meta House.



‘THE MAN WHO BUILT CAMBODIA’

Siem Reap’s public premier of the award-winning documentary, including a Q&A with director Christopher Rompré and a sombre, moving performance by Cambodian singer Srey Pov. The film highlights the amazing story of Vann Molyvann, an architect whose iconic buildings defined Cambodia.



‘PHNOM PENH, A CITY BY NIGHT’

A presentation by Chantal Stoman and the workshop participants.

Project realised through a residency at Studio Images, on invitation from the French Institute in Phnom Penh, and sponsored by Cambodia Airports.



THE BAMBU STAGE THEATRE PRESENTS SNAP!

The talented people of Bambu Stage tooks us on a journey through Cambodian history told via photography.



‘A LONG WALK HOME’ BY ELI REED

Magnum photographer Eli Reed introduced his career retrospective works ‘A Long Walk Home’. Made possible by the support of the US Embassy in Cambodia.



TALK & Q&A WITH PATRICK CHAUVEL

Veteran photographer Patrick Chauvel presented a retrospective of his work and an insight into his experiences photographing wars and conflicts.



MAGNUM PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2016

A projection showcase of the winners of this year’s inaugural Magnum Photography Awards, presented in partnership with LensCulture.

EXPRESS your STYLE

ACT I V I T I ES PORTFOLIO REVIEWS Portfolio reviews play a crucial role in the professional development of photographers, providing them with much needed peer critique, feedback and advice. Our portfolio reviews are free for all attending photographers and we thank each and every one of our reviewers for generously volunteering their time to share their professional expertise.

2016 PORTFOLIO REVIEWERS CLAUDIA HINTERSEER (Co-founder NOOR) LAURENS KORTEWEG (Director of Exhibitions & Education, World Press Photo) ELI REED (Photographer) EVELIEN KUNST (Managing Director, NOOR) SYLVIE GRUMBACH (Director, 2eBUREAU) CLARE VANDER MEERSCH (Director of Photography, ROB magazine) KATRIN KOENNING (Photographer, Editor, Curator) SCOTT GRAY (CEO, World Photo Organisation) SCOTT DIETRICH (Curator, Educator, Photographer) TAKEKI SUGIYAMA (Gallery Director, Tanto Tempo) ISABELLE LESSER (Asia Motion) SCOTT HOWES (Photo Editor, Phnom Penh Post) SILKE GONDOLF (Photographer) ALEXIS LAMBROU (Magnum Foundation) VLAD SOKHIN (Photographer) STEVEN LEE (Getty Images, Assignment Editor) ZALMAI (Photographer) PATRICK CHAUVEL (Photographer)

VENUE SPONSOR

AFTERNOON SESSIONS / BACK TO ANALOG: PHOTOBOOKS! An afternoon filled with paper and photography through 6 photobook presentations and lauchings.

/ WARM WATERS BY VLAD SOKHIN Well known for his extensive coverage on climate change, Vlad Sokhin shared with us his firsthand account of communities battling climate change as an everyday reality. / AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT PHOTO AWARDS Scott Gray, CEO and founder of World Photography Organisation and Laurens Korteweg, Director of Exhibitions and Education, World Press Photo, met for a casual discussion on the role of contests and awards in a photographers’ career, as current issues facing photography awards and trends in submissions from Asia. / DEVELOPMENT OF SMARTPHONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY NUBIA FOUNDATION / ‘THE END OF MIRAGE’ BY ZALMAI Afghan-Swiss photographer Zalmai spoke about his experiences photographing the refugee crisis in Europe. / MAGNUM FOUNDATION Alexis Lambrou, programme coordinator of Magnum Foundation gave a special presentation about the organisation and its What Works project. / RUOM HANGOUT Facilitated by RUOM Collective, a collective of journalists specialising in social reportage throughout Asia, the event was an open floor to showcase work and exchange ideas. / BACK TO THE FUTURE: MULTIMEDIA Is this the future of photography? This afternoon showed incredible multimedia projects including “From Stills to Motion: VII Films” curated by Sim Chi Yin, and more from #Dysturb and Roger Ballen.

CAN O N P H OTO CLI N I C For the fourth consecutive year, we had the pleasure to host the Canon Photo Clinic, a prize offered to all winners of the annual Canon Photomarathon. Led by international photographer and lecturer Dean Cox again, this year’s Photo Clinic included a portfolio review of all participants’ work, outdoor practical shooting sessions at Siem Reap’s largest wholesale market and Phnom Krom, and of course, joining in the events of this year’s festival.

We also organised a special exhibition tour of the World Press Photo 16, presented by Laurens Korteweg, Director of Exhibitions & Education at World Press Photo.

2016 LECTURER: DEAN COX Dean Cox is a Hong Kong and Sweden-based editorial photojournalist and documentary photographer primarily covering former communist countries of central and eastern Europe, central Asia, the Caucasus, northern Europe, and Hong Kong. He specialises in breaking news, documentary, hard news and features in international affairs, political commentary, social issues, environment, health, conflict and post-conflict zones, natural disasters and travel. He is the photo and multimedia editor for EurasiaNet, and also a lecturer to international graduate and undergraduate students at Hong Kong Baptist University’s department of journalism. As a photojournalist, Dean has worked on contract for The Associated Press, CBS News, The New York Times, IHT, Bloomberg, and EurasiaNet, in addition to being published for over 20 years in international news publications and websites.

VENUE SPONSOR

ANJALI P H OTO WO R KS H O PS

2016 ANJALI TUTORS Paolo PATRIZI CO O R D I N ATO R

Sayon SOUN

Andrea FERNANDES

Soheila SANAMNO

Katrin KOENNING

Anshika VARMA

Tanvi MISHRA

Sopheak VONG

ITALY www.paolopatrizi.com INDIA

AUSTRALIA www.katrinkoenning.com INDIA www.tanvimishra.com

CAMBODIA sayonnara.wixsite.com IRAN

INDIA www.anshikavarma.com CAMBODIA vongsopheak93.wixsite.com

Aujin REW

SOUTH KOREA www.aujin.com

Our annual Anjali Photo Workshops empowers underprivileged Cambodian children through creative expression. Using photography as a means to have fun while telling their own stories, the workshops encourage self-esteem and self-discovery – a key tool in fostering scholastic development.

Initiated in 2005 by Magnum photographer Antoine D’Agata, this 10-day workshop is guided by volunteer photographers who bring the kids on excursions to a variety of places in Siem Reap. The older participants can also bring their cameras home to continue photographing their daily lives.

We work with Anjali House, an independent NGO founded by the Angkor Photo Association in 2005, providing food, shelter and education to over 110 underprivileged children in Siem Reap.

Find out more at www.anjali-house.com PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

2016 WORKSHOP RESULTS (From L-R) 2016 Anjali Photo Workshops © Photos by [ROW 1] Sovann / Sovann / Mony [ROW 2] Mony / Vatey [Row 3] Ley / Sokuam [ROW 4] Narong

(SELECTED EXCERPTS )

CHILDREN’S DAY Children’s Day is one of the most fun parts of the Photo Festival, and this year, our Festival Zone turned into one big party with bursts of creativity, laughter and excitement.

As the culmination of the annual Anjali Photo Workshops, we were ready to celebrate and party! The afternoon of wellness-focussed fun and activities was in collaboration with the First Kindness Festival Cambodia , which was taking place in Siem Reap.

There was heaps set up to entertain them! We had the Strike a Pose photo corner – a photo booth for them to create some fun memories; a writer’s workshop to stimulate a different kind of creativity; face painting; balloons; the Zen Den – a yoga session to stretch and unwind, or the Music Corner with an initiation to ukulele thanks to Music for Everyone School in Siem Reap.

After a big dance session to get everybody moving all together, and an amazing dinner sponsored by Cambodia Catering , Children’s Day culminated with a special ‘Kids’ Edition’ of our festival projections programme curated by programme coordinator Françoise Callier.

And, of course, the highly-anticipated results of the Anjali Photo Workshops!

It was a wonderful curated showcase of the images the children have taken during workshops, and like always, it was an uplifting evening where we witnessed Siem Reap and its surrounds through the eyes of the children.

PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY

WITH THE HELP OF

VENUE SPONSOR

MARATHON LENSES

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

(SELECTED EXCERPTS)

This year, we partnered with Manulife Cambodia to photograph the 21st Angkor Wat International Half-Marathon in truly unique style!

On the 4th December 2016, the children of Anjali House and their tutors, as part of the Anjali Photo Workshops, woke up at 4am to go to the temples... And covered the half-marathon like little professional reporters.

While others children ran the 3 and 10km races, thanks to Manulife too!

The day ended on our Festival Zone with a hip hop performance by Express your Style and the First Kindness Festival Cambodia , and culminated with the screening of the photographs taken by the kids!

ALL PICTURES Š Anjali House / 2016 Anjali Photo Workshops

VENUE SPONSOR

CO M M U N I CAT I O N TOO LS OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Our key communication platform providing details on our programme, schedule, venues and partners. > 67.1% new users in 2016 > Over 100,000 page views in 2016

E -NEWSLETTERS

Key annoucements & information sent to our database of over 8,300 local and international followers.

PROGRAMME PREVIEW PRESS KIT & PRESS RELEASES

Sent directly in database of over 800 press & media contacts and subscribers & Available online on our website and released on our social media platforms.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Our community of over 11,200 followers is kept informed and engaged though our various platforms (Facebook, Twitter & Instagram).

OFFICIAL INVITATIONS

Electronic version sent to all partner organisations, official institutions, embassies and local contacts in Cambodia.

POSTERS

Prominently displayed at official venues, public spaces and popular local haunts of Siem Reap.[200 pcs]

PROGRAMME BOOKLETS

Containing our full daily schedule and a pull-out event map, our handy pocket-sized booklet is distributed free at all official venues and popular local haunts in Siem Reap. [3,000 pcs]

KHMER FLYERS Distributed in public spaces and Cambodian events such as the Water Festival.

[1,000 pcs]

© VASANTHA YOGANANTHAN

© MARCO GUALAZZINI / CONTRASTO

© KIM HAK

© DAESUNG LEE

OFFICIAL CATALOGUE

High quality publication designed to be a take-home keepsake, containing full programming information on photographic works. Distributed for free at all official venues, partner organisations. [1,000 pcs]

FESTIVAL SCREEN

Our 20ft screen was back on our Festival Zone! And this year again, it highlighted our partners and sponsors during a 30m slideshow prior to each evening’s programme.

ON - SITE DISPLAYS & BANNERS Providing site-specific information at respective venues, with prominent logo display of partners and sponsors.

P R ESS & M ED IA R E V I E W D O W N LOA D F U L L P D F : h t t p : // b i t . l y / 2 0 1 6 p r e s s r ev i ew MEDIA PARTNERS ONLINE MEDIA PARTNERS

MAGAZINE PARTNER PRESS RELATIONS PARTNER

CAMBODIA The Phnom Penh Post BIZ Khmer The Cambodia Daily The Khmer Times AsiaLIFE

WEB BLOGS Khmer Circle KI Media Kumnooh MU. SA.

in pict

ASIA-PACIFIC S.E.A Globe Magazine South China Morning Post DestiAsian Travel 3Sixty Silkwinds ASEF - Culture360 CAPA Asia Invisible Photographer Asia Frame Zero Asia Now - Go Asean Malay Mail Online

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Matca Gavroche Thaïlande Rappler PhotoWorld Maxit Da Liu Lian Nation Hanoi Grapevine Female Inquirer GRID Magazine

ted Reflegces ima

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VIEW FINDER

This year’s Angkor Photo Festival will include work

by Cairo-based French photographer Denis Dailleux, who took this image of a Ghanaian boy on the beach in the historic Jamestown district of Accra.

er 2016

Sea

50

GLOBe

58 Decemb

EUROPE / INTERNATIONAL The Eye Of Photography Le Petit Journal Travioor Institute Artists Photojournalism Now Polka The Lifestyles Metaphor Images The Curator Ship Mundo Real Magazine Opportunity Diary Kyiv Post Il mundo delle immagini Visuell Multimedia Week Sensitive Skin Magazine

A FEST FOR THE EYES

PHILIP LEE HARVEY/TPOTY.COM

LensCulture World Photography Organisation The APF Magazine Musée Magazine Time Lightbox Bare Essentials Magazine Photographic Museum of Humanity Internazionale The Guardian Wanderlust Magazine Dodho Magazine World Press Photo Le Routard Compétence Photo Agenda Réponses Photo France Info - Géopolis PHOTO

Now in its 12th year, Cambodia’s Angkor Photo Festival is the longestrunning international photography event in Southeast Asia, with some serious talent to show for it. Alongside 15 documentary projects assembled by Hong Kong–based guest curator Claudia Hinterseer to spotlight the speed at which humankind is altering nature, the weeklong festival’s latest edition—held from December 3 to 10 in Siem Reap—will feature the works of more than 130 photographers from 45 countries, just a few of which appear on these pages. Bound together by the event’s distinct local edge and collaborative, educational spirit, the various exhibits and nightly outdoor slideshows are augmented by free workshops designed to give emerging Asian photographers an opportunity to study with professionals (tutors this year include Magnum member Antoine D’Agata and Iranian photojournalist Newsha Tavakolian). Other talents will be on hand to mentor youth from Anjali, a community center that provides meals, education, and art workshops to local children. The work of Anjali’s C10 Monday, June 20, 2016 young shutterbugs, many of whom previously begged in the streets to support their families, will also be displayed, adding yet another dimension to the festival’s visual milieu (angkor-photo.com). —David Tse

DECEMBER 2016 / JANUARY 2017 – DESTINASIAN.COM

Inside

DIGITAL LIFE

Horde to bear Rude Warcraft players try a little kindness

Wise quack Smart duck doesn’t quite fit the bill

Space savers How to free up storage in your handset

>GAMING C9

>TOYS C8

>SMARTPHONES C8

Angkor Photo Festival has become Southeast Asia’s top event for young, aspiring photographers, writes Marissa Carruthers

T

he Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops began 12 years ago as an endeavour to nurture young Asian talent. Today, Southeast Asia’s longest-running photo festival has planted itself firmly on the map, with exhibitions, projections, workshops and discussions.

The festival has attracted hundreds of amateur photographers wanting to hone their skills, and a string of established professionals willing to share theirs. It has also given Siem Reap, where visitors to the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat stay, an added attraction. Photographs are artistically scattered throughout the city, installations popping up in discreet corners, and some of the world’s top professionals come to offer their expert eye.

“The aim was to be an affordable and accessible international platform for both established and emerging photographers in the region,” says Jessica Lim, the festival’s coordinator and also a photographer and former journalism lecturer.

The festival was born in 2005 when a group of photography enthusiasts who met regularly in Cambodia’s “Temple Town” decided to give something back to the country. Current festival director Jean-Yves Navel and VII Agency founder Gary Knight envisioned an event in which talented youngsters who lacked the means could develop skills.

Its debut was hailed a success, with Magnum photographer Antoine D’Agata getting on board to launch the annual Anjali Photo Workshops – a platform for creative expression through photography for street kids under the wing of NGO Anjali House.

The festival has gone on to attract an increasing number of hopefuls based all over Asia. Split into two main components, it is open to photographers wanting to submit work for exhibition and those seeking to up their game through intensive week-long workshops led by top professionals. During the week, workshop attendees are expected to create a story to showcase to present at the end of the course.

“The aim is to help them raise their approach to take the craft to the next level,” says Lim. “Under the tutelage of international photographers, all of whom volunteer their time and expertise to be a part of this initiative, we encourage each participant to hone their unique vision and voice.”

Each year thousands of hopefuls apply to take part, with just a lucky few being selected.

The festival’s success also stems from the community it has created. “There are many ways to define success and, for me, it isn’t really about winning awards and becoming famous,” says Lim. “With the workshops, it is about

FIRST EXPOSURE how [for example] our Vietnamese participant, Thuy Tien Nguyen, had a place to stay when she visited India, thanks to her friendship with Soham Gupta, another participant from the same year. It is about how Truth Leem, from South Korea, and Gian Cruz, from the Philippines, did a joint collaborative photographic project, ‘Artificial Memories’, together.”

Zeeshan Haider was the sole Pakistani photographer selected to attend the 2009 festival. “I had to be part of it,” the 31-year-old recalls. “Being there and meeting people from across Asia and the world, making new contacts, the competition and the friction all help you to hone your skills.”

Inspired by the need for storytelling, Haider has gone on to shoot feature films, documentaries and the launch of new fashion brands across Asia.

“You get to share your skills with fellow photographers and meet like-minded people who share the same passion. That means the world to me.”

Phnom Penh-based Australian photographer Scott Howes, 30, is a regular festivalgoer who enjoys the “friendly,

welcoming and vibrant community”. With a wealth of knowledge and experience to tap into, and enormous potential for freelancers looking to build regional networks, he says the festival’s allure stretches further than the week in which it takes place.

“The festival has done a really good job of fostering the photography community in Asia,” he adds. “It’s always exciting to see the projects that emerging photographers are working on. It’s just as exciting when you see their body of work being published in exhibitions and publications in other parts of the world afterwards.”

While there are no winners nor prizes dished out at the festival, its success is evident in the achievements of workshop alumni. It has been the launch pad for a succession of snappers, who have gone on to enjoy successful careers. “It is especially heartening and humbling when they return as mentors and teachers themselves,” Lim says.

In 2007, Indian photographer Sohrab Hura attended as a participant. Today, he is a Magnum Photos nominee and tutor at the same workshops he

An image from the series The Space Between Us by Singaporean photographer Grace Baey.

attended almost a decade ago.

Japanese photographer Noriko Hayashi has also scooped a clutch of major awards since attending the festival in 2009, and has been recruited to photo agency Panos Pictures.

Recent successes from festival alumni include Beijing-based Yan Cong, who was named a fellow of the first Abigail Cohen Fellowship in Documentary Photography, jointly presented

The aim is to help them raise their approach to take the craft to the next level JESSICA LIM, FESTIVAL COORDINATOR

by the Magnum Foundation and ChinaFile. Her current exhibition, “High Expectations, Hard Realities”, the result of two years spent documenting the life of a Cambodian bride in China, is currently touring Cambodia.

“Through the festival, the exposure we provide has helped push the work of many talented photographers onto a wider international stage,” says Lim. “It is a privilege to be able to witness their own professional and personal growth unfold over the years, and to be able to be a part of that.”

In recent years, organisers have also joined forces with similar festivals, boosting exposure. This year’s event sees them team up with Photojourn Festival in Bangkok, and presenting a selection of alumni work at the upcoming Tbilisi Festival in Georgia. Last year saw exchanges with events including Auckland Festival of Photography, Guatephoto in Guatemala, South Korea’s Suwon International Photo Festival and Australia’s Ballarat Foto Biennale.

The next instalment of the Angkor Festival takes place from December 3 to 10, and a call for submissions has been made. “We

are open to all genres and themes, and a key focus has been to find work that effectively conveys a story or message,” says Lim. There are two categories for submissions. One is open to entries on any issue or topic, while the “Impact Project” seeks stories that showcase individuals and groups working to make a positive impact on social and environmental issues. In line with the rapidly changing landscape of photography, for the first time, multimedia entries will be accepted in both categories.

The workshops are open to student or professional photographers of Asian nationalities with less than five years’ professional experience.

Hopefuls are expected to submit a portfolio of work and personal statement, which are reviewed by tutors. “Each tutor has a different inclination, but I feel the one thing they have in common is that they look for photographers who have a distinctive vision and voice in their work, and who are committed to the craft,” Lim says.

Programme co-ordinator Francoise Callier says she is eclectic in her selections. “I like work which is full of life and asks real questions,” she says.

“Personal stories also move me a lot. It is about whether I can understand what it is the photographer really wants to say or tell. With some work, sometimes that isn’t very clear.”

Last year’s festival attracted 28 photographers from Cambodia, China, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Russia and South Korea to its workshops. Among the swathe of experts taking part in portfolio reviews and seminars were Dean Cox, a lecturer at the journalism department of Hong Kong’s Baptist University.

Organisers hope the bar will continue to be raised.

Topics addressed in the 2015 edition included the difficulties of a relationship between a man and a transgender woman, through Singaporean photographer Grace Baey’s work.

Cambodian Vong Sopheak was inspired by Cambodian

weddings and the white thread used in ceremonies. In his series, he uses the thread to bind couples together and explore the issues faced during married life.

Russian photographer Vlad Sokhin tackles the effects of climate change by focusing on the small Pacific nation of Kiribati, said to be the most vulnerable to the effects.

“The role of photography in society today is the same as it has always been – to communicate,” says Lim. “It remains one of the few mediums that surpasses the boundaries of language, and its uses are only limited to our imagination and interpretation.” life@scmp.com To apply for the workshops or festival submissions, register at angkor-photo.com before July 1

From top: Water Not Yet Come by Linh Pham; an exhibition at last year’s photo festival; Baptist University lecturer Dean Cox (left) conducts a portfolio review at last year’s event. Photos: Irene Yap

T HAN K YO U !

DONORS Lizzie Van Nieuwenhuyse Lu Shang Pte Ltd.

2016 COMMITTEE Jean-Yves Navel > FESTIVAL DIRECTOR / SCENOGRAPHER Françoise Callier > PROGRAMME DIRECTOR Thomas Mclean > PARTNERSHIP COORDINATOR Laura Lalvée > EUROPE COORDINATOR Jessica Lim > ASIA COORDINATOR Takeki Sugiyama > CONSULTANT Sohrab Hura > CONSULTANT Kosuke Okahara > CONSULTANT Herve Janody > MULTIMEDIA PRODUCER Viki Brooker > MUSIC COORDINATOR Sylvie Grumbach - 2eBureau > PRESS RELATIONS

2016 EVENT TEAM

2016 PRO WORKSHOP TUTORS

2016 ANJALI TUTORS

Jessica Rovetini Henry Sutton Eleri Boyesen Consuelo Oppenheim Sam Walker Sophoan Dam Alex Horder Kenji Mercado Ronald Patrick Ly Kimleang Guillaume Lacourt Rebecca Rütten Fien Vanhuysse

Antoine d’Agata Sohrab Hura Kosuke Okahara Sim Chi Yin Newsha Tavakolian Ian Teh

Paolo Patrizi Andrea Fernandes Katrin Koenning Tanvi Mishra Aujin Rew Soheila Sanamno Sayon Soun Anshika Varma Sopheak Vong

SPECIAL THANKS Dean Cox Tania Bohorquez Salinas Nicholas Coffill Ke Simon Ethan Finkelstein Bianca Ragone Patrick Firouzian Christopher Grosdemange Lucia Novotny

PART N E RS & S PO N SO RS We are grateful for the generosity of our partners and sponsors who have come forward in support of the 2016 Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops. Thank you for playing a vital role in bringing to life the 12th Edition of Southeast Asia’s longest-running international photography event.

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OFFICIAL FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPH ERS Rebecca Rütten rebeccaruetten.com

Kenji Mercado kenjimercado.tumblr.com

Ronald Patrick ronaldpatrick.com

A big thank you to all contributing photographers: Laura Lalvée, Jean-Yves Navel, Jessica Lim, Andrea Fernandes, Paolo Patrizi, Sophie Estran, Scott Howes