BALLARAT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL JOINS WORLD GROUP

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION – WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30th 2009

BALLARAT PHOTOGRAPHY FESTIVAL JOINS WORLD GROUP

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale [BIFB] has just been accepted for membership into the Festival de la Luz or Festival of Light [FOL], a grouping of 32 festivals of photography worldwide, including some of the biggest and most important similar events on 5 continents. The announcement was made in Buenos Aires by FOL Director and Director General of the Argentina Festival ‘Enceuntros Abiertos’ Ms Elda Harrington.
Ballarat is the first Australian photography festival to be accepted as a member festival, following the hugely successful BIFB’09 in September, and membership gives recognition to the impact that such a young festival has already made on the international photography stage. The application for Ballarat to join was proposed by BIFB board member Senga Peckham at the FOL directors meeting in Paris in November, and was considered along with applications by festivals from Luxembourg and Turin by the directors of 15 festivals which make up the FOL executive. The BIFB received a unanimous 15 votes for admission while Luxembourg was also accepted as a new member with 13 votes.
Membership of the FOL confirms the Ballarat festival as Australia’s pre-eminent photographic event, and opens the door for exchange of dialogue, exhibitions and ideas between Australian photographers and international photographic artists. As well as giving the BIFB a truly world-wide profile, inclusion into the group will also benefit potential multi-national sponsors with branding into the huge international arts and culture market.
Said festival director Jeff Moorfoot

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale started out as the Daylesford Foto Biennale [DFB], with its inaugural event in 2005. Following the success of the second Daylesford event in 2007, and due to its exponential growth and popularity, which stretched the capacity of Daylesford to stage the growing event, the festival relocated to Ballarat in 2009. The BIFB has an agreement with the City of Ballarat to stage the festival again in 2011 and 2013.

Preparations for the next Ballarat International Foto Biennale in 2011 are well under way. Exact festival dates are expected to be announced soon.

Below is a presentation video, created by festival director Jeff Moorfoot, which was taken to Paris as part of BIFB’s presentation to the Festival de la Luz directors’ meeting by BIFB committee member Senga Peckham