World Press Photo 2010 @ Brisbane Powerhouse

World Press Photo 2010 marks the fourth year the exhibition has made Brisbane Powerhouse one of its world tour destinations. The annual photojournalism competition that captures ‘the year that was’ will visit the venue from Saturday 5 June to Sunday 27 June.

The World Press Photo contest consistently recognises the world’s best press photographers and aims to encourage high professional standards in photojournalism, increase public interest in the craft and to promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.

This year the international jury of the 53rd annual World Press Photo contest selected a photo by Italian photographer, Pietro Masturzo, as the World Press Photo of the Year 2009. The picture depicts a woman shouting from a rooftop in Tehran, on June 24.

This winning photograph is part of a story depicting the nights following the contested presidential elections in Iran, where people shouting their dissent from roofs and balconies, after daytime protests in the streets. The story as a whole won first prize in the People in the News category. Jury chair, Ayperi Karabuda says “The photo shows the beginning of something, the beginning of a huge story. It adds perspectives to news. It touches you both visually and emotionally and my heart went out to it immediately.”

A record total of 101,960 photographs from 5,847 different photographers were submitted for this year’s contest. After a two week judging process, the jury gave prizes in ten themed categories to sixty-three photographers across twenty-three nationalities.

Three Australian photographers featured among the sixty-three winners; Adam Ferguson, who won first prize in the Spot News Singles category with his image of an Afghan woman, rushed from the scene of a suicide bombing in Kabul; Justin McManus, who won third prize in the People in the News Singles category with his image taken during the aftermath of the Australian ‘Black Friday’ bushfires; and Craig Golding, who won second prize in the Sports Action Stories category for his images from the World Masters Games.

In a development that show the changes in the way we view media the jury this year decided to name a Special Mention, recognising a frame grab from a YouTube video posted during the post-election uprising in Iran It depicts a women lying on the ground after being shot in the chest. The jury felt the image had a significant impact on the historical visual record and played an important role in the news reporting of the year.

World Press Photo 2010 will be on show at Brisbane Powerhouse from Saturday 5 June to Sunday 27 June, receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon and TNT.

The Brisbane season of World Press Photo 2010 is supported by The Courier Mail and Canon.

Brisbane Powerhouse is a not-for-profit organisation owned and supported by Brisbane City Council.

Date Sat 5 – Sun 27 June 2010

Time Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm + during performance times

Venue Brisbane Powerhouse

Tickets FREE

Bookings 07 3358 8600 or brisbanepowerhouse.org