International Jury Members
Born in Bangladesh, this multi-awarded photographer set up Drik picture library and Pathshala: South Asian Institute of Photography. He is also a director of Chobi Mela, the festival of photography in Asia. Jury member on numerous competitions, Shahidul Alam was the first person of colour to chair the international jury in World Press Photo history.
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As a senior editor at National Geographic Magazine France, a travel writer and an independent filmmaker, Sylvie Brieu has been covering human rights and cultural diversity issues worldwide for the past twenty years. Her articles have raised awareness of the plight of some of the most vulnerable populations, highlighting the creative ways they fight for their environment and cultures.
In recognition of her commitment to promote different visions of the world « in order to fight against prejudices and to foster intercultural dialogue », UNESCO granted its patronage in 2008 to her long-term multimedia project with minority groups. Her recently published book « When our voices rise – from the Andes to the Amazon, a journey through Native land », focuses on the struggles and intiatives of South American Indians as a source of inspiration for future generations.
She is on the board of National Geographic Society’s All Roads Film Project and has been involved in many jury that grant awards to young talents.
Links: TV5 Monde - National Geographic France - Blog National Geographic
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Frédéric Chevance is the managing director of Fox International Channels France that broadcast VOYAGE, National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild. He also manages the online advertising sales house .Fox Networks. Graduate of an Executive MBA in Management and an M.A in history, he began his career in 1995 at the marketing and commercial service of Air France in Madrid.
In 1997, he worked at the marketing department for Canal Satellite Digital & Canal+ Spain. In 1999, he contributed to the development and the launch of the satellite platform VIA DIGITAL (Telefonica group). Then, in 2001, he joined Music Choice as the Director of South Europ in charge of the distribution of 40 musical channels and interactive applications for TV and internet platforms.
In 2003, he was a consultant in marketing and new technologies and worked with PUBLICIS, RTVE and TELSON, among others. In 2006, he ran the biz dev of Infospace (INSP), in Europ, a company that provides metasearch. He joined the team of FIC in 2009.
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Ayperi Karabuda Ecer is Vice President Pictures at Reuters. Her mission at Reuters has been to give news photography a "second life" whether through emerging commercial markets, online multimedia essays, exhibitions or book projects.
She has extensive experience within the photo agency world. Her career began at Sipa in 1984, first as an international editor, then as Bureau Chief inNew York.
She joined Magnum in 1991 as editor in chief for the Paris office, where she spent 12 years coordinating production and sales. She has taught four times at the Joop Swart Masterclass for World Press Photo and has chaired the World Press Photo Jury.
She recently spent a sabbatical year heading ADAY.org, one of the world largest photography projects sourcing daily life photography from professionals and amateurs in more than 165 countries.
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Born in Caen (Normandy) in 1950, Alain Genestar is the Director of Polka Magazine. After a few years at «Le Monde», Alain Genestar became the youngest editor-in-chief in France when he headed the newspaper «L’Echo républicain». From 1987 to 1999, he directed the «Journal du Dimanche» before occupying the same position at «Paris Match» for over seven years.
He left the weekly in 2006 and moved by his passion for photojournalism, started his own venture, Polka. Independent, thorough, and rigorous, Polka explains our world and the lives of those who inhabit it through images.
Polka looks for strong and deliberate visual narratives to cover current events, politics, the arts, fashion and culture. It is intended for those yearning for truth, beauty and in-depth reporting.
Link: www.polkamagazine.com
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Santiago Lyon is Vice President and Director of Photography of The Associated Press, responsible for the global photo report and the hundreds of photographers and photo editors worldwide who produce it. He has 28 years of experience in news-service photography and has won multiple photojournalism awards for his coverage of conflicts around the globe.
He joined the Associated Press in 1991, after working for United Press International and Reuters. Lyon served as the Associated Press photo editor for Spain and Portugal from 1995 until 2003, when he was named director of photography. In the same year, he accepted a Nieman Fellowship in journalism at Harvard University.
In 2005, under Lyon's direction, the Associated Press earned its 29th Pulitzer Prize for photography, for work on the war in Iraq by a team of eleven photographers, five of them Iraqis. In 2007, the Associated Press won its 30th Pulitzer Prize for photography, for a single image made by Oded Balilty.
Link: worldpressphoto.org/santiago-lyon
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Founder of thephotocloser.com an online global search engine that connects photographers to art buyers, editors and clients. Currently thephotocloser.com represents more 100 photographers in more than 60 cities around the world. For 25 years, has represented photographers and photojournalists in securing highly valued commercial assignments. He has worked on hundreds of company photo libraries. Meo has been an active member of The Society of Photographers and Artists Representatives (SPAR) from 1984-present. He participates on various panels and workshops. In 2010 he was a nominator for the prestigious Infinity Awards. He is a judge for the 2011, 4th Annual Foto Week DC Awards as well as the 2012 PDN Photo Contest.
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Staff editor at National Geographic Italy since 1998, Marco Pinna is a journalist and picture editor for the Italian magazine, where he also mantains relationships with photographers and photo agencies. Very active on the scene of Italian photography and photojournalism in general, he has participated in numerous photo award juries and portfolio readings for national and international events.
He teaches photoediting, photojournalism and photographic approach in publishing, curates photography exhibitions, acts as a cconsultant for professional photographers and has contributed in the creation of photo books as photo editor and curator. He always has a special attention for emerging photographers.
Read Marco's article on Nationalgeographic.it about Reza's photo initiative for children in Sicile, Italy
This National Geographic Fellow is one of the leading documentary photographers working today. His mysterious images of sacred places and indigenous peoples of the planet have been seen in the leading publications of the day. His life’s Mission is to help empower Indigenous peoples, - helping them to use photography and technology to enhance their culture & lives.
Chris is a National Geographic Fellow, a Co-Director of the Enduring Voices Language Preservation Project, a Co-Director of the National Geographic Society Cultures Ethnosphere Program, and Director of the Society’s All Roads Photography Program.
Chris Rainier is a contributing Editor for National Geographic Traveler, as well a Contributing Photographer for National Geographic Adventure Magazine, regularly completing stories on Culture. Rainier is a Photographic Correspondent at large for National Public Radios (NPR) Day to Day Show with Alex Chadwick.

Born in 1951, mother of four children, she co-founded with François Lemarchand her husband, Pier Import and Nature & Découvertes. These activities have allowed them to travel to many countries worldwide. She created and directs since 2003 the annual magazine Canopée "for an ecology of the earth, the body and the mind". Photographer and globetrotter, Françoise Lemarchand loves the great outdoors and their people. Regular contributor for numerous magazines, she published "Mustang, the wisdom of a mineral kingdom", "Japan, beyond the mountains" and "Naturally" all published by La Martinière.