“In front of troubled waters — whether metaphorical, real, or existential — the only possibility is to build a bridge. A passage that, while being crossed, transforms the life and identity of whoever walks it.”

FASE – Festival di Arti Visive a Sud Est returns for its third edition. Since its inception, the festival has aimed to offer a free and accessible program of exhibitions, events, and talks, integrated into the extraordinary natural and architectural beauty of Otranto and Porto Badisco.

In an era marked by conflicts, deep injustices, detachment, and hate, we felt a visceral need to search for relationships: the bridges connecting shores, centers and peripheries, dimensions and universes, human beings and generations. With this year’s manifesto, “Bridges Over Troubled Waters”, we look for humanity in its most noble responses: resistance, resilience, solidarity, courage, and rediscovery.

For this reason, we renew our long-standing collaboration with WeWorld by launching the new FASE 2026 Open Call, open to stories and perspectives capable of becoming bridges and telling the story of change.

The Themes of the Call We invite photographers to submit projects, artworks, and visual research focused on:

• Social justice and human rights (stories of inclusion, redemption, and dignity).
• Climate justice (the environmental impact on communities and the resistance of territories).
• Rights of marginalized people and communities (experiences of cooperation, solidarity, and the fight against inequalities).

The Prize and the WeWorld Commission The winning project, selected by a jury of professionals from the field, will receive:

• A commissioned work by WeWorld: a fee of up to 1,000 euros to document on the ground the humanitarian or development projects and activities that WeWorld carries out in Italy or abroad.
• Coverage of costs: travel and logistics expenses for the realization of the reportage will be fully covered by WeWorld.
• Exhibition at the Festival: the final commissioned and produced work will be exhibited to the public within the official programming of the next edition of the FASE Festival.

How to Participate * Who it is for: The open call is free and open to all photographers, with no age or nationality limits.

• What to submit: Each candidate must submit:
  • a selection of max 15 works (portfolio/coherent project), with a maximum size of 5MB each
  • a single PDF file containing a brief biography (max. 1,000 characters) and the project concept/presentation (max. 1,500 characters)
• Deadline: Applications must be received no later than 31/07/2026.
  
  festival@fa-se.it
  
  

Join us. Build bridges with your vision, let’s cross them together, let’s change the world.