The Director of Head On Photo Festival, Moshe Rosenzveig, is pleased to announce that the 40 finalists for the 2010 Portrait Prize, worth over $50 000, have now been selected.

Three winners and the recipient of the Critic's Prize will be announced at the opening of the Portrait Prize Exhibition and official launch of the Head On Photo Festival on 29th April 2010 at the Australian Centre for Photography in Paddington, Sydney.

A further 200 entries will be short-listed for presentation as a slide show at the Portrait Prize Exhibition.

Well over 2200 entries were received and all were judged anonymously to ensure that each was judged solely on merit.

"Selection of images for Head On was and will continue to be based on the power of the photograph rather than the celebrity of either the sitter or photographer" says Moshe Rosenzveig, Head On Festival director and one of the judges.

Other judges were National Gallery of Victoria senior curator - photography Dr Isobel Crombie, prize-winning photographer Anthony Browell, Australian agent for international photo agency Vu Isabelle Rouvillois. Sydney Morning Herald photography critic and writer Robert McFarlane will award the Critics Prize to one of the forty finalists.

Now in its seventh year and a celebrated part of the art year's calendar, Head On Portrait Prize is the nation's major showcase for Australian portrait photography, reflecting a vibrant, diverse cross-section of both new and traditional practices.

The exhibition forms part of the inaugural Head On Photo Festival. The first of its kind in Sydney, featuring over 70 shows and events for anyone interested in photography. For five weeks Sydney's galleries, cafes and outdoor venues will exhibit local and international photography in all genres.

Some of the highlights include a retrospective of Oculi ¬- one of Australia's best photojournalists' collective at Manly Art Gallery, ‘Head Off' - showcasing landscapes on large canvases at the unique new art venue, Paddington Water Reservoir and Up the Cross at the Museum of Sydney.

Other festival events include a two-day seminar, a mini trade show and multi-media screenings. The festival runs from 29 April to 5 June.

Head On Photo Festival takes place in Sydney from 29 April - 5 June, watch out for ACMP Signature Series in Centennial Park

Visit the Head On Portrait Prize and Photo Festival website at www.headon.com.au

 

Author: ACMP