Panel Discussion (Hybrid Event)
Full Exposure: International Women in Photo Awards 2023
Louise Amelie, Finalist (Professional Category), Germany, Missing Member
Sara Bennett, Laureate (Emerging Category), United States, Looking Inside: Portraits of Women Serving Life Sentences
Natalia Garbu, Finalist (Emerging Category), Moldova, Moldova Lookbook
Lee-Ann Olwage, Laureate (Professional Category), South Africa, The Right To Play
Rayito Flores Pelcastre, Finalist (Professional Category), Mexico, Chirping of Crickets
Lorraine Turci, IWPA Special Mention, France, The Resilience of the Crow
Opening remarks: Dave McCombs, FCCJ President
Moderator: Ilgin Yorulmaz, FCCJ 2nd Vice President and Diversity Committee Co-chair
19:00-20:15, Tuesday, November 7, 2023
(The panel and Q & A will be in English.)
The International Women in Photo Association (IWPA) is a French non-profit group that aims to give more visibility to women visual storytellers of all origins and nationalities, while sharing with global audiences diverse stories about the realities of men and women of our planet. Its showcase event is the IWPA Award, a photography competition that is followed by exhibitions of the winning entries in major cities across the world. The Open Call for submissions, held from May 1st to June 30th, 2023, garnered an impressive 1,900 photographic projects from a record-breaking 106 countries. Selected by an international jury of esteemed personalities, full series of the best female talents, as well as their statements, interviews, and a virtual tour can be seen online at https://iwpa.fr. FCCJ is one of the host venues to exhibit these distinguished artists’ work between November 4th-December 2nd.
In a panel discussion to mark the exhibition launch, Diversity Committee has invited the IWPA Award Laureates and some of the finalists to talk about their work, which is a true testament to the power of visual storytelling and its capacity to promote positive change in our society.
Louise Amelie, is a German finalist in the Professional Category. In her series titled Missing Member reflects on the complex issue of migration via the indomitable spirit of Kyrgyzstan’s young population amid post-Soviet challenges.
Sara Bennett is the IWPA 2023 Emerging Category Laureate. A United States public-defender-turned photographer Bennet’s work titled Looking Inside: Portraits of Women Serving Life Sentences attempts the impossible task of compassionately portraying women serving life sentences for homicide. Her work captures these women’s multi-faceted identities, showing resilience, introspection, and dignity beyond a mere crime and conviction.
Natalia Garbu, Moldova Lookbook, is a finalist in the Professional Category. Her work relates to themes such as gender equality and cultural identity, showing Moldova’s colorful landscapes and contrasts.
Lee-Ann Olwage from South Africa is the IWPA 2023 Professional Category Laureate and a twice World Press Photo Winner nominee in 2020 and 2023. Her work titled The Right To Play portrays girls attending school in rural Kenya, highlighting their resilience in the face of challenges like poverty, low education rates, harmful medical practices and child marriage.
Rayito Flores Pelcastre is a finalist in the Professional Category from Mexico. Her Chirping of Crickets series was borne out of her own childhood memory of a classmate scarred by parental abuse and uses bioplastic as the medium.
Lorraine Turci, recipient of the IWPA Special Mention, documents contemporary Ainu life in Hokkaido, showcasing their vibrant culture and strong identity in her The Resilience of the Crow series. As a French photographer, she has won several awards and been exhibited around the world.
*Panelist lineup may change subject to the coronavirus pandemic.
How to attend: This is a hybrid event and will be held both in-person and via Zoom.
In-person: There will be a limited number of seats for in-person attendance. Please call the Front Desk 03-3211-3161 or email: front@fccj.or.jp
On Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86202212126?pwd=TkV2NFRBY2ljMkhVUzByTStjaHJhdz09
Meeting ID: 862 0221 2126
Passcode: 441806
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/653Y3GcU7Whnx4Ts7
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form in English.
Diversity Committee