[Imc-india] IFDP 2003 Competition

[IFDP 2003]

Dear Friends,

    FiftyCrows is pleased to announce that the Call for Entries/Application
for the 2003 International Fund for Documentary Photography Competition is
available to download at our updated website http://www.fiftycrows.org
The forms are available for download in English, Spanish, Portuguese and
French.

    Please help us to spread the word by forwarding this email to all the
outstanding documentary photographers, agencies, newspapers, magazines,
galleries and museums you know.

    Since 1991, the Mother Jones International Fund for Documentary
Photography has been a beacon of hope and financial support for professiona=
l
documentary photographers who, at great risk and personal sacrifice, bring
us images and stories that touch our hearts and help catalyze positive
social change. However, in mid-2001 the Board of Directors of Mother Jones
voted to end its management of the Photo Fund. Another documentary
photography organization was poised to disappear into the history books.

    That=B9s when FiftyCrows swooped in.

    My name is Andy Patrick. I founded FiftyCrows to rescue the Photo Fund
from closing down forever. I am proud to report that in just one year our
non-profit organization has implemented five key programs to insure that
documentary photography continues to play a critical role in positive socia=
l
change. In fact, we are looking forward to 2003 being one of the Photo
Fund=B9s most exciting years ever!

FiftyCrows is a 501(c)(3)non-profit membership-based organization whose
mission is to use photographic narratives of world events to raise awarenes=
s
about social, political and environmental situations that lead to a better
understanding of our common humanity. Through the sharing of accurate and
timely images FiftyCrows enables dialogue, collaborative problem solving an=
d
creative responses with the goal of promoting positive social change. Our
major programs are as follows:

    1)  The 2003 Fine Print Program catalogue will include original edition=
s
by  renowned photographers such as Paul Fusco, Michelle Vignes, Wayne
Miller, Dan Budnik,Bruce Davidson, Hansel Mieth, George Rodgers, Eve Arnold=
,
Ed Kashi, Alison Wright, Richard Gere, Dan Weiner and many others. Only
FiftyCrows members have the exclusive opportunity to purchase these fine
prints, at substantially discounted prices. Proceeds from sales of the
prints continue to support grants made to emerging and mid-career
documentary photographers.
   =20
    2)  In an effort to re-invent the way photographic essays are
distributed, our new program, FiftyCrows Television will reach over 30
million households in the United States. Your membership will enable us to
provide much-needed exposure for the photographers, while educating million=
s
of viewers about global issues that are regularly censored by traditional T=
V
programming.=20

    3)  Our updated website, www.FiftyCrows.org, launching in early 2003,
will feature 62 full portfolios from the past thirteen years of the Photo
Fund!  In addition, an Action Site will accompany each portfolio. The Actio=
n
Sites will give further information about each photographer=B9s subject
area, as well as provide a mechanism which will allow individual users to
fax a letter to hundreds of corporate, legislative and media leaders with
one simple click of the computer mouse. And with permission, we will also
connect individuals like yourself to neighbors who have also become involve=
d
in FiftyCrows, thus inspiring grassroots involvement and online activism.

    4)  FiftyCrows Gallery in San Francisco has hosted thousands of visitor=
s
of all ages for documentary exhibitions, slide salons, lectures and
performances. The San Francisco Bay Guardian recently presented us with the
=B3Best of the Bay=B2 Award for Best Documentary Photography Gallery. We are
currently developing several future exhibitions including Paul Fusco=B9s
Chernobyl Legacy, Ed Kashi=B9s Aging in America and Joseph Rodriguez=B9 Juvenil=
e
Justice.

    5)  In June 2002, FiftyCrows Gallery brought the eight winners of this
year=B9s Photo Fund Competition from around the world to San Francisco for th=
e
exhibition opening and awards ceremony. We presented $38,000 in cash grants
which, according to several winners, have already provided them with the
means to create exciting new bodies of work, publications and access.

Please contact us at photofund@fiftycrows.org if you would like more
information or if you have suggestions of photographers or photography
organizations that we should know about (email addresses preferred). With
your help, we can continue to support hardworking documentary photographers
around the world.

With sincere thanks,

Andy Patrick
Founder and Executive Director