The Fujifilm GFX Grant Challenge is back, and anyone with an idea for a visual project, be it photography or videography, is free to enter. The competition first launched in 2021, and Fujifilm urges South Africans to try their hand, considering Cape Town local Jodi Windvogel’s success in 2023.
Fujifilm can grant your wish
Hopefuls can enter the competition on the camera company’s website. Only select countries globally are eligible, and luckily, South Africa is on the list. Anyone who enters will need a photo or video that encapsulates the essence of their project. They will also need to submit a document consisting of a cover letter explaining themselves and their idea, and a proposal that breaks down the nuts and bolts of the project. Lastly, a portfolio of their best work will need to be attached, too.
The competition has two prizes. The first (and main) is the Global Grant Award, which awards $10,000 (roughly R176,185) to five winners, and a Regional Grant Award, which awards $5,000 (roughly R88,088) to ten winners. Winners also get to use a Fujifilm GFX 100 System camera body as well as two GF lenses, though it doesn’t seem like they get to keep those.
Submissions will be graded on relevance to the competition’s purpose, creativity, aptness for GFX cameras, logistical and financial achievability, and finally, the submitter’s experience. There will be three rounds: first is the submission round, then an elimination round, and a winner will be chosen in the third. Round one takes place on 19 September later this year. Round two on 17 October, and round three on 10 November.
For inspiration, local photographer Jodi Windvogel was a winner in 2023 for her “The Body At Risk” project, which documented the locations at which gender-based violence had taken place. Last year, Nigerian photographer Kahli Brown won the Regional Grant for his project “Plastic Possibilities,” which explored sustainable solutions to plastic waste.
