AFIDFF × FMACTCE Present
Heritage
in Motion
Photo Contest
A national call to visually celebrate Nigeria's rich cultural heritage, historic monuments, and iconic sites through the power of photography.
Opens: 3 February 2026
Deadline: 17 March 2026
Winners: 16 April 2026
The Heritage in Motion Photo Contest is an initiative of the African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), designed to celebrate and promote Nigeria’s rich cultural and natural heritage through visual storytelling.
Photographers
Amateur and professional photographers welcome
Visual Storytellers
Creatives who capture heritage through their lens
Heritage Enthusiasts
Anyone passionate about Nigerian cultural preservation
Entries must be original works created between January 2024 and the submission date. Photos must focus on cultural or natural heritage themes including monuments, festivals, landscapes, traditions, or community life.
How to Submit
Follow these two steps to complete your entry. Each photographer may submit up to two (2) images.
Social Media Engagement
- Follow AFIDFF on all official social media platforms
- Post your entry on Instagram and Facebook
- On Facebook and Instagram collaborate with AFIDFF (Africa Telling her Story) and @officialafidff
- Use hashtag: #HeritageInMotion2026
Website Submission
- Upload a high-resolution image via the official AFIDFF website portal
- Include: Full name, contact details, photo title
- Location, description (max 150 words), and date taken
Requirements & Judging
Format
JPEG format, minimum 300 DPI. At least 2,500 pixels on the longest side.
No watermarks or border lines.
Relevance
Images must relate to heritage themes — cultural authenticity and emotional resonance are key.
Metadata
Keep EXIF data (camera metadata) intact — it may be required to prove authenticity.
Creativity
Storytelling impact and creative composition will be evaluated.
Editting Rules
Allowed: Contrast, brightness, sharpening, cropping.
Disallowed: Adding/removing elements, AI-generated, or heavily composited images.
Technical Quality
Sharp focus, good exposure, and professional-level image quality expected.
Contest Timeline
3 February 2026
Call for Entries Opens
3 February 2026
17 March 2026
Submission Deadline
16 April 2026
Winners Announced at Heritage in Motion Ceremony
16 April 2026
Awards & Recognition
Winning and selected entries will be featured at the Heritage in Motion Ceremony and showcased in AFIDFF exhibitions, publications, and digital platforms.
Important Notes
Multiple entries not permitted (max 2 images)
AFIDFF reserves the right to disqualify non-compliant entries
Incomplete submissions will not be considered
Participation implies acceptance of all guidelines
Terms & Conditions
By submitting, participants confirm that the work is original and grant AFIDFF non-exclusive rights to use, publish, exhibit, and promote the images for heritage advocacy and non-commercial purposes, with full credit to the photographer.
Any photograph submitted must be an original image created by the submitting photographer, who must own all relevant intellectual property rights and derivative rights to the photograph.
Submitted images must not originate from previously commissioned freelance assignments undertaken for AFIDFF. Images must not violate or infringe on the rights of any third party.
Images must not disparage any third party or contain material considered obscene, hateful, tortious, defamatory, slanderous, or libelous.
