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We are happy to announce that the Local Testimony 2025 exhibition will open at Muza – Eretz Israel Museum, Tel Aviv on December 11 2025.

 

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The Local Testimony website will open for uploading photos on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, and will close at midnight on Sunday, August 31, 2025.

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The competition is open to photo-journalists, documentary photographers, and professional artists, who are holders of press cards or whose work has been published in print and/or online media during the last year. Artists who have exhibited their work in solo or group exhibitions in contemporary art museums or galleries during the last four years are also invited to participate.

 

For the NEW Instructing Guide click here
 

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The categories of Local Testimony 2025
 

1. Single photographs (note new submission procedures):
   Up to 10 photographs may be submitted in each of the following categories:
   * News – Major current events covered in the principal media channels.
   This category is only open to photographers with press card (GPO) or the Union of Journalist in Israel card.
   * Religion and Faith – Lifestyle, beliefs, customs, rituals and ceremonies.
   * Society and Community – The conflicts and day-to-day life of the different communities inhabiting the region.
   * Urbanism and Culture – Street photography, architecture, art and design.
   * Sport – Professional, competitive and amateur sports, the participants and their supporters.
   * Nature and the Environment – Photographs of landscapes, flora and fauna, as well as issues relating to ecology and preservation of the environment.
    

2. Short series (note new submission procedures):
   (a) A sequence of photographs illustrating the same event or story that took place during the year of the contest, with greater documentary value than a single photograph.
   (b) Up to 4 series may be submitted, each including only 4–6 photographs.
   (c) To be eligible, a series should be concerned with one of the contest categories. A series may also combine more than one category, as long as it forms a sequence or a narrative with special documentary significance.
   (d) Possession of a press card is not required for submitting series.
    

3. Long Exposure
   (a) A series of photographs presenting a narrative with documentary depth, lasting more than one year, with a value greater than a sequence of photographs from the same event, that proffers a unique individual visual language.
   (b) The series should include from 10–15 photographs. At least 3 of the photographs must be from the past year.
    

4. Video
   (a) Video works and short video clips, produced from 2024–2025, that fall into one of the categories of the contest.
   (b) The length of a submitted video should not exceed 7 minutes, and the file size should not exceed 200 MB.
   (c) Videos should be submitted through sites for transferring large files or via a streaming link, to info@edutmekomit.co.il.
   (d) Participants must attach a Word file containing a short description of the video, not exceeding 40 words.
   (e) Make sure that the file name is your name in English, in Latin characters.

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The Prizes for the Winning Photographs

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This year, the Local Testimony board will be continuing the tradition of awarding prizes to the photographers whose photos are selected for the top places by the jury. The total prize money is ₪30,000 shekel, shared equally between:

1. Photo of the Year – in memory of Roee Idan, sponsored by the Union of Journalists in Israel

2. Series of the Year – sponsored by the Local Testimony board

3. Video of the Year – creation prize, “Shomrim”, The Center for Media and Democracy.

The prize will be devoted to the creation of a new video work in cooperation with the Shomrim board, which will assist with research, writing and production. The new joint work will be exhibited in the Local Testimony 2026 exhibition

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All participating photographers will receive a copy of the exhibition catalog and a certificate of participation.

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Curator Local Testimony 2025: Ilya Yefimovich, documentary maker, photographer for the German news agency DPA.

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Local Testimony Team 2025

Dana Wohlfeiler-Lalkin, director
Vardi Kahana, photographer and curator
Ami Steinitz, curator
Sandy Teperson, production manager

Noa Ehrmann, graphic designer

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