# Bucharest Photofest 2026 — Website: audit, plan and new copy Prepared 28 September 2026, 11 days before the opening. All copy in English, ready for WordPress/WPBakery. Photos: every image slot is marked [PHOTO: …] for the festival director to select. **Sources, in order of authority:** (1) Airtable, base 26.BPF – Management, tables Agenda and Venues, read 28.09.2026 00:20 and re-checked 00:30 (Bucharest time); (2) the 2026 edition presentation (BPF2026 Program PDF, July 2026, English original of the WITNESS curatorial text); (3) the communication strategy PDF 2026; (4) the live site bucharestphotofest.ro, read 28.09.2026; (5) the websites of six comparable festivals, read 28.09.2026. **How this was made:** four agents — research (site audit + festival benchmark), content strategy, copywriting — and a separate fact-check agent that compared every event line against live Airtable. Airtable changed while we worked (one title and one masterclass line-up changed); the copy follows the latest read. --- ## 1. What is wrong with the site today Checked on the live site, 28.09.2026. 1. **It presents last year's festival.** The homepage `` reads "Bucharest Photofest – the 10th edition". The hero says "2016–2025, A Decade", and the news block covers only 2025. The 2026 dates and the WITNESS theme appear nowhere on the homepage. 2. **There is no 2026 program.** /program shows "Program BPF 2025" (10–19 Oct 2025, 2025 ticket links). /program2026, /2026 and /witness all return 404. 3. **The only 2026 text sits on a 2025 URL.** The editorial ("The eleventh look", WITNESS) lives at /editorial2025. It names no artists or venues, and its only link goes to the 2025 program. 4. **Visitors can't find how to come.** The "Tickets" menu item has no link. /tickets/ and /practical-information/ return 404. All 28 footer items (Practical information, Map, Venues, Press, Team…) are plain text with no link. 5. **Some pages are misleading or risky:** - /partners2025 shows the 2025 partners as current, and the main menu links to it. - /privacy-policy/ is theme demo text ("…smooth operation of ministry"), on a site that collects newsletter emails and donations. This is a GDPR problem. - /support-us/ has a "#" CTA and asks for the 3.5% form after its 22 May deadline. - The corporate tax page gives different fiscal years in RO and EN. 6. **Pages are missing entirely:** artists, venues, press, volunteers. The volunteer call is live, but the site's volunteer links go to "#". ## 2. What comparable festivals do (evidence for the structure) We fetched six festival sites (Cortona On The Move, Visa pour l'Image, Athens Photo Festival, Head On, Photo Kathmandu, Belfast Photo Festival). Fotofestiwal, Kaunas Photo, Fotograf, Arles and Photo Vogue did not load usable content. - 6/6 make the program the main action; 5/6 put the theme and dates in the hero; 5/6 feature 3–6 exhibitions or artists; 6/6 keep an archive of past editions; 5/6 have a newsletter block; 4/6 have a Visit / Info & Tickets entry point and Donate in the navigation. - **Visa pour l'Image** puts "Entrée libre" (free entry) right next to the dates in the hero. - **Athens Photo Festival** changes the hero to "Final Week" during the last days, and has a single Plan your visit page with hours, prices, free categories and access. - **Cortona On The Move** puts hours, prices, who gets in free and accessibility on one Info & Tickets page. - **Photo Kathmandu** offers a PDF guide plus Google Maps lists on its visit page. What we take from this: one strong Visit page instead of four thin ones, a hero that changes by phase, and "free" said out loud. ## 3. Solution plan **Principle, already decided for the 2026 communication:** at this stage we build findability, not anticipation. People must be able to find what happens, where and when. ### Sitemap 2026 - **Main navigation (6):** Program 2026 · Artists · Visit & Tickets · WITNESS · Press · Support us - **Footer:** Visit & Tickets · Volunteer · Partners 2026 · About · Past editions · Press · Privacy · contact · newsletter | Page | Action | Why | |---|---|---| | Homepage | Rewrite | Presents 2025 | | /program | New 2026 content on the same URL; move 2025 to /program-2025 | Every CTA currently leads to last year | | /witness | New; 301 from /editorial2025 | Gives the theme a correct, permanent URL | | /artists | New (index + one page per artist) | No artist pages exist; homepage cards need a target | | /visit | New, single page; 301 from /tickets/ and /practical-information/ | "Tickets" goes nowhere; the footer is dead text | | /press | New | No press contact, kit or accreditation | | /volunteer | New, hosts the existing Airtable form | Volunteer links are "#" | | /partners | New for 2026; /partners2025 becomes the archive | 2025 partners are shown as current | | /about | Rewrite | Must match the 11th edition | | /support-us | Rewrite | "#" CTA and an expired deadline | | /privacy-policy | Replace with approved text | Demo text, GDPR risk | | /support/, /events/, 2024 open calls, corporate tax page | Hide | Stale or contradictory; unhide the tax page once RO/EN agree | ### Priorities **P0 — within 48 hours (by 30 Sep)** - Set the `<title>` to "Bucharest Photofest 2026 — WITNESS · 9–18 October, Bucharest". - Publish the new hero. - Publish /program for 2026, with the 2025 program moved to /program-2025. - Set up these 301 redirects: - /program2026 and /2026 → /program - /editorial2025 → /witness - /tickets/ and /practical-information/ → /visit - Publish /visit, even with placeholders. - Point "Tickets" in the menu to /visit. - Take /partners2025 out of the menu. - Take the demo privacy text offline. - Remove every "#" link and the expired 3.5% text. **P1 — by 5 October** - /artists, /press, /volunteer, /partners, /about. - Homepage sections 2–8. - App links, opening hours, the venue map (Google My Maps, 11 venues). - Check that the counters no longer render "0". **P2 — after 18 October** - Recap and archive for 2026. - Delete the stale pages. - Rebuild the footer properly. ### Rules for keeping the site true - **"Today / Coming up" and every event list come from the program data, never typed by hand.** A list written by hand starts saying false things after the first change, as the Airtable changes during this session showed. - **Anything unverified is a [PLACEHOLDER] in the copy.** A placeholder that is not filled is not published. The full list is at the end. - **Cancelled items never appear.** In the July presentation but cancelled or unconfirmed in Airtable: - Wu Fang, *Flowing China* - BNNT / Radwan Ghazi Moumneh - Chitila Sunrise - the Polish photobook exhibitions - the venues Cinemateca Eforie, Art-an-te and Celula de Artă ### Decisions taken in the copy (each can be reversed) - **"program", not "programme", with British -ise spelling elsewhere.** The existing URL, menu and festival texts already use this combination. To reverse, change it everywhere at once. - **Addresses are in Romanian form (Strada Sfânta Vineri 4),** so they match street signs and map apps. - **Artist profiles avoid pronouns where the sources don't state them.** Where "he" is used, it is flagged [confirm]. - **Four short editorial glosses in the artist profiles are marked** and can be deleted without breaking the text. --- # PART 2 — Website copy (EN) Prepared 28.09.2026 for WordPress/WPBakery. Source of facts: FACTS_BPF2026.md only (Airtable read 28.09.2026 00:20 overrides the partner PDF). Structure: STRATEGY.md. Curatorial quotations: the English original of the WITNESS curatorial statement (partner presentation, July 2026), verbatim. Conventions used throughout: British -ise spelling, "program" (not programme). Dates "Fri 9 Oct, 19:00", 24-hour clock, en dash for ranges. Works' titles in original, in italics. Event lines: day date, time · venue · Free / Ticketed. Anything not in FACTS is a [PLACEHOLDER]. Image slots are [PHOTO: suggestion] — to be selected by the festival director. Decisions taken in the copy (reversible): - Addresses are written in Romanian form (e.g. Strada Sfânta Vineri 4), matching street signs and map apps. To reverse: switch to "4 Sfânta Vineri St". - Artist pronouns are avoided where FACTS does not state them. - Mohamed Mahdy's photobook on 12 Oct is *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me* (Airtable Agenda, type Photo Book). - *Second Shot* (17 Oct, CdRF) is Free — Airtable TICKET = NO (verified 28.09.2026). - The title *Wish You Were Here! Iceland* keeps its exclamation mark — it is the work's original title, not editorial voice. --- # HOMEPAGE **Editor note** — Status: REWRITE · URL: / · Why: the live homepage still says "the 10th edition" and "2016–2025, A Decade", with no 2026 dates and no mention of WITNESS (audit). Every benchmarked festival leads with theme + dates + a program CTA (6/6); this page restores that and adds the free-entry and phase messages used by Visa pour l'Image and Athens Photo Festival. Numbers line (10 days · ~50 events · 200+ artists · 10+ venues · 20+ countries) comes from the July partner presentation — [confirm] before publishing. **Page title (<title>):** Bucharest Photofest 2026 — WITNESS · 9–18 October, Bucharest **Meta description (137 characters):** The 11th Bucharest Photofest, 9–18 October 2026. WITNESS: exhibitions, films, workshops and talks across Bucharest. Most events are free. --- ## Section 1 — Hero [PHOTO: one strong image from an invited artist's work, landscape, with room on the left for text — e.g. a frame from *Solar Portraits* or *Archive of Evidence*, subject to artist permission] **Constant elements (all phases)** - Eyebrow: Bucharest Photofest · 11th edition - Headline: WITNESS - Dates line: 9–18 October 2026 · Bucharest - Free-entry line: Exhibitions and most events are free. - Numbers line: 10 days · ~50 events · 200+ artists · 10+ venues · 20+ countries **Phase variants (phase message sits above the headline; CTAs change with it)** | Phase | Shown | Phase message | Subline | Primary CTA | Secondary CTA | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Before | until Thu 8 Oct | Opens Fri 9 Oct | Ten days of photography as presence, as long-term commitment and as responsibility. | See the program → /program | Plan your visit → /visit | | Now on | Fri 9 – Thu 15 Oct | Now on · until Sun 18 Oct | Exhibitions, films, workshops and talks across 11 venues. See what is on today. | What's on today → /program#today | Plan your visit → /visit | | Last days | Fri 16 – Sun 18 Oct | Last days · ends Sun 18 Oct | Film night on Friday. Closing gala on Sunday at Control Club. | See the final days → /program#16-oct | Tickets → /visit#tickets | | After | from Mon 19 Oct | Thank you | The 11th edition has ended. Thank you to the artists, audiences, volunteers and partners who made WITNESS. | Look back at WITNESS → /witness | Stay informed → #newsletter | Note for After phase: remove the free-entry line and the numbers line, or replace the numbers line with final audited figures when available [FINAL 2026 FIGURES]. --- ## Section 2 — Today / Coming up **Note for the developer:** this block is generated automatically from program entries (date, time, venue, ticket status). It is never typed by hand. Show today's events during the festival; before 9 Oct show the next five events; hide after 18 Oct. - Section label (during festival): Today - Section label (before festival): Coming up - Section label (weekend variant, optional): This weekend - Link under the list: Full program → /program - Empty state (a day with no remaining events): Nothing else is scheduled today. The exhibitions remain on view — see opening hours. → /visit#opening-hours **Card template** [Day date] · [Time] [Event type] *[Title]* — [Artist] [Venue] · [Free / Ticketed] **Sample card (from the program)** Sat 10 Oct · 15:00 Exhibition opening *Displacement (Ghorbat)* — Toulo Adl Parvar Kulturhaus · Free --- ## Section 3 — Three evenings - Section label: Three evenings - Headline: The festival opens, turns to film, and closes. - Subline: Three evenings anchor the ten days. The rest of the program runs around them. **Card 1 — Opening** [PHOTO: POINT exterior or interior at night; or an image from the collective exhibition] - Label: Opening · Fri 9 Oct - Title: Opening night at POINT - Body: The festival opens with the collective exhibition *Witness: Images That Refuse to Forget*, followed by a screening of *Minamata* (Andrew Levitas, 2020), the story of W. Eugene Smith. - Line-up: - 19:00 · Official opening · POINT · Free - 19:30 · Exhibition *Witness: Images That Refuse to Forget* · POINT · Free - 20:00–22:00 · Screening *Minamata* · POINT · Ticketed - Venue line: POINT, Strada General Eremia Grigorescu 10 - CTA: Tickets for *Minamata* → [TICKET LINK] **Card 2 — Film night** [PHOTO: still from *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found* or from one of the short films, subject to distributor permission] - Label: Film night · Fri 16 Oct - Title: Four short films and *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found* - Body: An evening at Cinema Union: four short films, then Raoul Peck's documentary on the South African photographer Ernest Cole. - Line-up (20:00–22:30 · Cinema Union · Ticketed): - *An Underground Bird* — Eero Tammi (FI) - *Forgetting* — Antoni Orlof (PL) - *Finding the Landscape* — Carlos Vin Lopes (DE) - *KIN* — Ana Baer & Rocio Luna (MX/US) - *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found* — Raoul Peck, 2024, 106' - Venue line: Cinema Union, Strada Ion Câmpineanu 21 - Subtitles: [SUBTITLE LANGUAGES] - CTA: Tickets → [TICKET LINK] Note: *Ernest Cole* is described here as "the South African photographer" — this is general knowledge, not in FACTS. [confirm or cut to "Raoul Peck's documentary *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found*"]. **Card 3 — Closing** [PHOTO: image from *CTRL 18. Countless versions of becoming* by David Burlacu] - Label: Closing · Sun 18 Oct - Title: Ending Gala at Control Club - Body: The last evening opens with David Burlacu's exhibition *CTRL 18. Countless versions of becoming* and closes the festival with the Ending Gala and a live set by The Speakers. - Line-up (Control Club): - 19:30 · Exhibition *CTRL 18. Countless versions of becoming* — David Burlacu · Free - 19:30–23:00 · Ending Gala with The Speakers LIVE · Ticketed - Venue line: Control Club, Strada Constantin Mille 4 - CTA: Tickets → [TICKET LINK] --- ## Section 4 — Featured artists - Section label: Invited artists - Headline: Nine invited artists. Long-term work, made from inside. - CTA below cards: All artists → /artists [PHOTO slot on each card: one image from the artist's exhibited series, square crop] 1. **Evgeniy Maloletka** · Ukraine Hook: With Mstyslav Chernov, the only international news team in besieged Mariupol. Event: Exhibition *Archive of Evidence* · Sun 18 Oct, 17:00 · Kulturhaus Link: /artists/evgeniy-maloletka 2. **Rubén Salgado Escudero** · Spain Hook: Portraits in off-grid communities, lit only by solar-powered light. Event: Exhibition *Solar Portraits* · Wed 14 Oct, 20:00 · Rezidența 9 Link: /artists/ruben-salgado-escudero 3. **Mohamed Mahdy** · Egypt Hook: A collective archive made with the residents of the fishing village of Al Max. Event: Exhibition *Broken memory* · Thu 15 Oct, 19:00 · CdRF Link: /artists/mohamed-mahdy 4. **Joakim Kocjancic** · Sweden Hook: Analogue black and white. Photographing Bucharest since 2019. Event: Exhibition *SOLVARV* · Sun 11 Oct, 18:00 · Kulturhaus Link: /artists/joakim-kocjancic 5. **Vedad Divović** · Bosnia and Herzegovina Hook: Post-Yugoslav memory, exile and the family album. Event: Exhibition *Home of the Perpetually Lost* · Tue 13 Oct, 19:00 · Kulturhaus Link: /artists/vedad-divovic 6. **Justin Quinnell** · United Kingdom Hook: Solargraphs exposed for up to six months in drink-can cameras. Event: Exhibition *In Plain Sight* · Thu 15 Oct, 14:00 · ARCUB Link: /artists/justin-quinnell --- ## Section 5 — Plan your visit (During the Now on and Last days phases this section moves to second position, directly under the hero.) [PHOTO: exterior of Kulturhaus (Garage Hall), the main exhibition hub] - Section label: Plan your visit - Headline: 11 venues. Most of it is free. - Body: All exhibitions, openings, Meet the artist tours and photobook presentations are free. Films, the gala, the Night at the Museum and some workshops are ticketed. Kulturhaus, on Strada Sfânta Vineri, is the main exhibition hub. - Ticketed at a glance: *Minamata* · Film night · *In Passing* · Night at the Museum – Afterlight · Ending Gala · photo walk and ticketed workshops - Opening hours: [OPENING HOURS – summary line, e.g. "Exhibitions open daily, [HOURS]"] - CTAs: Visit & Tickets → /visit · Map of venues → /visit#venues · Buy tickets → [TICKET LINK] --- ## Section 6 — WITNESS [PHOTO: none, or a full-width dark block with type only — recommended: type only] - Section label: The theme - Quote (verbatim, curatorial statement): "To bear witness does not mean speaking in someone else's place, nor claiming possession of an experience that is not ours. It means creating the conditions of an encounter in which what has been marginalised, silenced or pushed outside the visible field can no longer be ignored." - Attribution: WITNESS — curatorial statement, Bucharest Photofest 2026 - Supporting line (verbatim): "The urgent question is no longer only what can be photographed?, but what makes an image matter?" - CTA: Read the curatorial statement → /witness --- ## Section 7 — App and newsletter **App block** [PHOTO: phone mock-up showing the BPFmap screen — to be produced] - Label: In your pocket - Headline: The program, the artists and the map, on your phone. - Body: InLight App and BPFmap carry the full agenda, artist pages and all venues, with real-time navigation between them. - CTAs: InLight App → [APP URL – INLIGHT] · BPFmap → [APP URL – BPFMAP] **Newsletter block** (anchor: #newsletter) - Label: Newsletter - Headline: One email when it matters. - Body: Program announcements, ticket releases and open calls. [SENDING FREQUENCY – e.g. "No more than twice a month."] - Field placeholder: Your email address - Button: Subscribe - Consent line: I agree to receive emails from Bucharest Photofest. I can unsubscribe at any time. See the Privacy policy → /privacy-policy - Success message: Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription. - Error message (invalid email): Please enter a valid email address. Note: the success message assumes double opt-in [confirm with newsletter tool]. --- ## Section 8 — Partners, decade, support **Partners** - Label: Partners 2026 - Line: Bucharest Photofest 2026 is made possible by its partners. - [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] - CTA: All partners → /partners **Decade** - Label: 2016–2025 - Headline: Ten editions before this one. - Body: 300+ events, 1,000+ artists and guests, 50,000+ participants since 2016. - CTA: Past editions → /past-editions **Support** - Label: Support us - Headline: Keep the festival independent. - Body: Bucharest Photofest is organised by an independent cultural organisation. Donations and partnerships keep most of the program free. - CTA: Support us → /support-us --- ## Footer **About line:** Bucharest Photofest is an international photography festival founded in 2016 and organised by the Centre for Alternative Music & Arts Association, an independent cultural organisation. | Visit | Festival | Contact | |---|---|---| | Visit & Tickets → /visit | About → /about | hi@bucharestphotofest.ro | | Program 2026 → /program | Partners 2026 → /partners | 4 Ion Berindei Street, District 2, Bucharest | | Volunteer → /volunteer | Past editions → /past-editions | Newsletter → #newsletter | | | Press → /press | [SOCIAL LINKS – Instagram / Facebook / podcast #LetsGetVisual] | Bottom line: © 2026 Centre for Alternative Music & Arts Association · Privacy → /privacy-policy · #LetsGetVisual --- # WITNESS **Editor note** — Status: NEW · URL: /witness (301 from /editorial2025) · Why: the only 2026 content on the live site sits at /editorial2025 — a URL that says 2025, names no artists or venues and links to the 2025 program; /witness currently returns 404 (audit). This page gives the theme a permanent, correctly named home and connects it to the 2026 program. [PHOTO: optional — type-only header recommended; if an image, one frame from an invited artist's work, credited] ## WITNESS *The 11th edition of Bucharest Photofest · 9–18 October 2026* We live in an excess of images and, at the same time, in a steady erosion of their capacity to produce a response. WITNESS is our curatorial answer to that situation: an edition built around photography as presence, as long-term commitment, and as a form of responsibility towards what is photographed. To bear witness is not a passive act, not a gesture that crosses impassively over the surface of events; it presupposes a real presence. At its most demanding, photography is precisely a practice of that engaged presence. It can turn looking into a form of knowledge, and knowledge into an ethical obligation. If almost any moment of existence can today be captured, transmitted and consumed instantly, the urgent question is no longer only what can be photographed?, but what makes an image matter? A photograph's capacity to fix an experience in collective memory, to claim attention or to produce a form of responsibility is not guaranteed by the mere act of recording; it has to be earned: through responsibility, through commitment, through the rigour of the relationship with the subject and the clarity of the ethical stake. Testimony is not a method applied retrospectively, but a condition that shapes the work from the moment the camera is raised. It may mean years of work inside a community before any image is produced. It may mean approaching the material traces of absence: fragmentary archives, devastated spaces, disappeared bodies, histories left without representation. It may mean turning the camera on oneself. The festival does not look for images that beautify the real, consume it as spectacle or comfortably confirm what we already know. It puts forward works born of long, sometimes difficult contact with the world. Over a decade, Bucharest Photofest has built its program around themes with real cultural and political stakes: Identity, Resistance, Solidarity, Resilience, Legacy. WITNESS continues and intensifies that curatorial line, shifting the question from what an image can show towards what it is obliged to sustain. > **The questions** > Under what conditions can photography function simultaneously as an act of knowledge and as an ethical intervention in the order of representation? Who becomes visible and who remains outside the frame? Who has the right to bear witness, and what responsibility does that right entail? To bear witness does not mean speaking in someone else's place, nor claiming possession of an experience that is not ours. It means creating the conditions of an encounter in which what has been marginalised, silenced or pushed outside the visible field can no longer be ignored. In this perspective, photography becomes a space of active memory; it becomes a form of responsibility. **Ionuț Trandafirescu** Founder and artistic director, Bucharest Photofest **Previous themes:** Identity · Trust · Resistance · Preserving · Solidarity · Resilience · Legacy (2025) **CTAs:** See the 2026 program → /program · Meet the invited artists → /artists Editor note on the text: every sentence above is taken verbatim from the English curatorial statement, with cuts for length — "This call addresses photographers and artists who understand that testimony…" is shortened to begin at "Testimony…", and "…turning the camera on oneself" drops the clause that follows it; the paragraph beginning "WITNESS does not delimit a narrow thematic territory…" (the list of subjects, from collective memory to "the persistence of hope") is left out to keep the page near 450 words [restore if preferred]. The paragraph "The festival does not look for images…" is moved one position earlier than in the source; the "Over a decade…" sentence names five themes, as in the source, while the "Previous themes" line lists all seven from the fact sheet. The 11th-edition heading line is editorial. --- # PROGRAM 2026 **Editor note** — Status: NEW (2026 content on the current /program URL; move the 2025 program to /program-2025) · URL: /program · Why: /program currently shows the 2025 program (10–19 Oct 2025, 2025 ticket links), and /program2026 and /2026 return 404 (audit). The program CTA is the main action on 6/6 benchmarked sites; without a 2026 program page, every other CTA on the site leads to last year. [PHOTO: header image — a vernissage crowd at Kulturhaus, or a type-only header] ## Program 2026 **Intro** From Fri 9 to Sun 18 October, Bucharest Photofest brings exhibitions, film screenings, masterclasses, workshops, photo walks, photobook presentations and night projections to 11 venues across Bucharest. Most of the program is free. Exhibitions open with a vernissage and stay on view after it; opening hours are on the Visit page. Events are listed below by day, with time, venue and ticket status. **How to read the program** - **Free** — no ticket needed. [BOOKING NOTE – e.g. "Places for free workshops and masterclasses are limited; register via [REGISTRATION LINK]."] - **Ticketed** — buy in advance at [TICKET LINK]. Prices: [PRICE]. - Exhibition dates listed below are opening (vernissage) times. The exhibition stays on view afterwards: [dates/hours TBC]. - The program may change. The live version is always on this page and in the app. **Filter labels** - By day: All days · Fri 9 · Sat 10 · Sun 11 · Mon 12 · Tue 13 · Wed 14 · Thu 15 · Fri 16 · Sat 17 · Sun 18 - By type: Exhibitions · Films · Masterclasses · Workshops · Photo walks · Meet the artist · Photobooks · Afterlight (night projections) · Opening & closing - By venue: POINT · Kulturhaus · CdRF · OTOTO Station · ARCUB · CAV Multimedia · Rezidența 9 · Cinema Union · National Museum of Maps and Old Books · Control Club · Downtown (outdoor) - By ticket: Free · Ticketed - Reset label: Show everything - No-results message: No events match these filters. Try another day or venue. --- ### Fri 9 Oct — Opening - 19:00 · **Official opening** · POINT · Free - 19:30 · Exhibition · *Witness: Images That Refuse to Forget* — collective exhibition · POINT · Free - 20:00–22:00 · Film · *Minamata* — Andrew Levitas, 2020. The story of W. Eugene Smith · POINT · Ticketed ### Sat 10 Oct - 10:00 · Workshop · *In Plain Sight I* — with Miluță Flueraș, in collaboration with Save the Children · OTOTO Station · Free - 10:00 · Workshop · *In Plain Sight II* — with Justin Quinnell, in collaboration with Save the Children · CdRF · Free - 10:00–13:00 · Workshop · *How to Be Lost on Purpose* — with Vedad Divović, powered by SONY · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - 15:00 · Exhibition · *Displacement (Ghorbat)* — Toulo Adl Parvar · Kulturhaus · Free - 17:00 · Exhibition · *Searching for Great Beauty* — Eva Bystrianská · CAV Multimedia · Free - 20:00–23:00 · Afterlight · Night at the Museum — photo projections and silent party · National Museum of Maps and Old Books · Ticketed ### Sun 11 Oct - 10:00–13:00 · Photo walk · *Witnessing on the streets of Bucharest* — with Joakim Kocjancic · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - 10:00 · Workshop · *Somewhere to Look From* — with Justin Quinnell, in collaboration with UNHCR · OTOTO Station · Free - 14:00 · Masterclass · *No Such Thing as Bad Weather* — Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson · CdRF · Free - 15:00–18:00 · Masterclass · *Pinhole photography and other obsessions* — Justin Quinnell · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - 18:00 · Exhibition · *SOLVARV* — Joakim Kocjancic · Kulturhaus · Free - 19:00 · Exhibition · *Still Birth* — Chiara Ernandes & Fernanda Prado Verčič · Kulturhaus · Free ### Mon 12 Oct - 11:00 · Meet the artist · Chiara Ernandes, *Still Birth* · Kulturhaus · Free - 12:00 · Meet the artist · Joakim Kocjancic · Kulturhaus · Free - 18:00 · Photobooks · Presentations and signings · CdRF · Free - *Bucharest* — Joakim Kocjancic - *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]* — Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson - *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me* — Mohamed Mahdy - *Fig. M.* signings — Ioana Moldovan, Alex Gâlmeanu, Cosmin Bumbuț ### Tue 13 Oct - 11:00 · Meet the artist · Vedad Divović · Kulturhaus · Free - 19:00 · Exhibition · *Home of the Perpetually Lost* — Vedad Divović · Kulturhaus · Free - 19:00 · Exhibition · *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]* — Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson · Kulturhaus · Free ### Wed 14 Oct - 13:00–15:00 · Masterclass · *The Long Way In* — Rubén Salgado Escudero, powered by SONY · ARCUB · Free - 19:00 · Exhibition · *Nature Witnessing the City* — collective exhibition · OTOTO Station · Free - 20:00 · Exhibition · *Solar Portraits* — Rubén Salgado Escudero · Rezidența 9 · Free - 20:00 · Afterlight · Photo projections and DJ set · OTOTO Station · Free ### Thu 15 Oct - 11:00 · Meet the artist · Mohamed Mahdy · CdRF · Free - 14:00 · Exhibition · *In Plain Sight* — Justin Quinnell · ARCUB · Free - 19:00 · Exhibition · *Broken memory* — Mohamed Mahdy · CdRF · Free ### Fri 16 Oct — Film night - 11:00 · Meet the artist · Rubén Salgado Escudero · Rezidența 9 · Free - 20:00–22:30 · Film night · Cinema Union · Ticketed - *An Underground Bird* — Eero Tammi (FI) - *Forgetting* — Antoni Orlof (PL) - *Finding the Landscape* — Carlos Vin Lopes (DE) - *KIN* — Ana Baer & Rocio Luna (MX/US) - *Ernest Cole: Lost and Found* — Raoul Peck, 2024, 106' ### Sat 17 Oct - 12:00–15:00 · Workshop · *Off the Paper* — photo transfer and painting with SăFițiCuminți Crew · OTOTO Station · Ticketed - 15:00–18:00 · Workshop · *Second Shot* — single-use camera upcycling with °iso Film Lab · CdRF · Free - 18:00 · Film · *In Passing* — Gailė Garnelytė, Lithuania, 62'. Feature documentary on the photographer Artūras Morozovas · Cinema Union · Ticketed - 20:00 · Photobook · *The Siege of Mariupol* — Evgeniy Maloletka · Kulturhaus · Free - 20:00 · Afterlight · Photo projections and DJ set · CdRF · Free ### Sun 18 Oct — Closing - 17:00 · Exhibition · *Archive of Evidence* — Evgeniy Maloletka · Kulturhaus · Free - 19:30 · Exhibition · *CTRL 18. Countless versions of becoming* — David Burlacu · Control Club · Free - 19:30–23:00 · **Ending Gala** — closing evening with The Speakers LIVE · Control Club · Ticketed Note: *CTRL 18* is a separate Airtable record, TICKET = NO (Free), 19:30–20:00. [Confirm how free visitors access Control Club while the gala is ticketed — e.g. exhibition viewing before the gala starts.] --- ### On view throughout the festival These exhibitions and installations are part of the 2026 program. Opening dates and hours are being finalised. - Installation · *Witnesses from Gaza* — Omar Ashtawy · Kulturhaus · Free · [dates/hours TBC] - Exhibition · *Lines of Connection – IPFA Award 2025* — 50 international photographers, in collaboration with IPFA · Kulturhaus · Free · [dates/hours TBC] - Installation · *Wish You Were Here! Iceland* — Dora Huiban · Kulturhaus · Free · [dates/hours TBC] - Installation · *Edinburgh Souvenir* — Dora Huiban · Kulturhaus · Free · [dates/hours TBC] - Exhibition · *Sensitive Data* — Jolana Havelková · CAV Multimedia · Free · [dates/hours TBC] Also on view after their openings: every exhibition listed in the day-by-day program above · [end dates per exhibition TBC]. Note: title as in Airtable ("IPFA Award 2025"); the festival's motion piece uses "IPFA Awards 2025" — [confirm one spelling]. **Bottom CTAs:** Plan your visit → /visit · Buy tickets → [TICKET LINK] · Download the program (PDF) → [PROGRAM PDF LINK] --- # ARTISTS **Editor note** — Status: NEW (index; per-artist pages at /artists/[name] reuse each profile) · URL: /artists · Why: the live site has no artist pages at all (audit: 8 pages in the sitemap, none for artists); featured artist cards appear on 5/6 benchmarked homepages and need somewhere to link. Profiles use only fact-sheet biographies; pronouns are avoided where the sheet does not give them. [PHOTO: grid of nine square images, one per artist's exhibited work] ## Artists **Intro** Nine invited artists come to Bucharest for WITNESS. Their work includes war reporting, a collective archive made with a fishing community, portraits lit by solar power, pinhole photography and the family album. Several have been recognised by the Pulitzer Prize, World Press Photo, the Ian Parry Grant and National Geographic. Each presents work and meets the public in person. Note: "Each presents work and meets the public in person" — six of nine have a Meet the artist, masterclass or workshop in Airtable; Ashtawy and Adl Parvar have exhibitions only, Maloletka a photobook presentation. [confirm in-person presence of all nine, or change to "Most meet the public in person."] --- ### Evgeniy Maloletka — Ukraine [PHOTO: image from *Archive of Evidence*] Evgeniy Maloletka is a Ukrainian photojournalist working for the Associated Press. In 2022, with Mstyslav Chernov, he formed the only international news team in besieged Mariupol. Their images underlie the documentary *20 Days in Mariupol*. The AP team received the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, and his work was named World Press Photo of the Year 2023. At Bucharest Photofest he presents the photobook *The Siege of Mariupol* and opens the exhibition *Archive of Evidence* at Kulturhaus on the last day of the festival. **At the festival:** - Photobook · *The Siege of Mariupol* · Sat 17 Oct, 20:00 · Kulturhaus · Free - Exhibition · *Archive of Evidence* · Sun 18 Oct, 17:00 · Kulturhaus · Free Note: "he" is used because the AP and Pulitzer record is public; [confirm]. ### Omar Ashtawy — Gaza, Palestine [PHOTO: image from *Witnesses from Gaza*] Omar Ashtawy is a photojournalist from Gaza. He works with APA Images and as a freelancer for the Associated Press, Reuters and DPA. In 2025 he received the Ian Parry Grant. At Bucharest Photofest his work is shown as an installation, *Witnesses from Gaza*, at Kulturhaus, the festival's main exhibition hub. It is part of an edition that asks, in its curatorial statement, who has the right to bear witness, and what responsibility that right entails. **At the festival:** - Installation · *Witnesses from Gaza* · [dates/hours TBC] · Kulturhaus · Free Note: pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Mohamed Mahdy — Egypt [PHOTO: image from *Broken memory* or *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me*] Mohamed Mahdy is a visual artist from Alexandria, Egypt. His project *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me* is a collective archive made with the residents of Al Max, a fishing village. His work is connected with the Arab Documentary Photography Program [confirm role: grantee / fellow / alumnus] and has been recognised at World Press Photo. During the festival he presents the photobook *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me*, leads a Meet the artist tour and opens the exhibition *Broken memory* at CdRF. **At the festival:** - Photobook · *Here, The Doors Don't Know Me* · Mon 12 Oct, 18:00 · CdRF · Free - Meet the artist · Thu 15 Oct, 11:00 · CdRF · Free - Exhibition · *Broken memory* · Thu 15 Oct, 19:00 · CdRF · Free Note: pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Rubén Salgado Escudero — Spain [PHOTO: image from *Solar Portraits*] Rubén Salgado Escudero is a Spanish documentary photographer and a National Geographic Explorer. In *Solar Portraits* he photographs people in off-grid communities in Myanmar, Uganda, Tanzania, India and Mexico, lit only by solar-powered light. The light in the picture comes from the same source the portraits are about. His work has been published in National Geographic, TIME and GEO. At the festival *Solar Portraits* opens at Rezidența 9; he also teaches the masterclass *The Long Way In* and leads a Meet the artist tour. **At the festival:** - Masterclass · *The Long Way In*, powered by SONY · Wed 14 Oct, 13:00–15:00 · ARCUB · Free - Exhibition · *Solar Portraits* · Wed 14 Oct, 20:00 · Rezidența 9 · Free - Meet the artist · Fri 16 Oct, 11:00 · Rezidența 9 · Free Note: pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Joakim Kocjancic — Sweden [PHOTO: image from *SOLVARV* or from the Bucharest series] Joakim Kocjancic was born in Milan in 1975 and has lived in Stockholm since 2006. He works in analogue black and white. His books include *Paradise Stockholm* and *Europea*, which received the Swedish Photo Book Prize. He has been photographing Bucharest since 2019. This year the city is both subject and classroom: he leads a photo walk through the centre, opens the exhibition *SOLVARV* at Kulturhaus, leads a Meet the artist tour and presents his photobook *Bucharest* at CdRF. **At the festival:** - Photo walk · *Witnessing on the streets of Bucharest* · Sun 11 Oct, 10:00–13:00 · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - Exhibition · *SOLVARV* · Sun 11 Oct, 18:00 · Kulturhaus · Free - Meet the artist · Mon 12 Oct, 12:00 · Kulturhaus · Free - Photobook · *Bucharest* · Mon 12 Oct, 18:00 · CdRF · Free Note: pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Justin Quinnell — United Kingdom [PHOTO: a solargraph, or a mouth-held pinhole self-portrait] Justin Quinnell is a pinhole photographer and educator based in Bristol. He makes solargraphs with cameras built from drink cans, with exposures of up to six months, and self-portraits with a pinhole camera held in his mouth. The camera is reduced to almost nothing, and time does the rest. At the festival he leads two workshops in collaboration with Save the Children and UNHCR, teaches the ticketed masterclass *Pinhole photography and other obsessions* and opens the exhibition *In Plain Sight* at ARCUB. **At the festival:** - Workshop · *In Plain Sight II*, in collaboration with Save the Children · Sat 10 Oct, 10:00 · CdRF · Free - Workshop · *Somewhere to Look From*, in collaboration with UNHCR · Sun 11 Oct, 10:00 · OTOTO Station · Free - Masterclass · *Pinhole photography and other obsessions* · Sun 11 Oct, 15:00–18:00 · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - Exhibition · *In Plain Sight* · Thu 15 Oct, 14:00 · ARCUB · Free Note: pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Vedad Divović — Bosnia and Herzegovina [PHOTO: image from *Home of the Perpetually Lost*] Vedad Divović was born in Sarajevo and works between Hamburg and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The documentary practice deals with post-Yugoslav memory, exile and the family album: what is kept, what is lost, and what is carried from one country to another. At Bucharest Photofest Divović leads *How to Be Lost on Purpose*, a ticketed workshop in the city centre powered by SONY, then gives a Meet the artist tour at Kulturhaus and opens the exhibition *Home of the Perpetually Lost* there the same evening. **At the festival:** - Workshop · *How to Be Lost on Purpose*, powered by SONY · Sat 10 Oct, 10:00–13:00 · Downtown, meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 · Ticketed - Meet the artist · Tue 13 Oct, 11:00 · Kulturhaus · Free - Exhibition · *Home of the Perpetually Lost* · Tue 13 Oct, 19:00 · Kulturhaus · Free Note: "what is kept, what is lost, and what is carried from one country to another" is an editorial gloss on "exile, family albums" [confirm or cut]. ### Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson — Iceland [PHOTO: image from *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]*] Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson is an Icelandic photographer whose work connects documentary photography with humanitarian intervention. He has worked in crisis contexts and in the northern territories. At Bucharest Photofest he teaches the masterclass *No Such Thing as Bad Weather* at CdRF, presents the photobook *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]* the following day, and opens an exhibition of the same name at Kulturhaus. **At the festival:** - Masterclass · *No Such Thing as Bad Weather* · Sun 11 Oct, 14:00 · CdRF · Free - Photobook · *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]* · Mon 12 Oct, 18:00 · CdRF · Free - Exhibition · *[Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling]* · Tue 13 Oct, 19:00 · Kulturhaus · Free Note: FACTS biography is short; profile is ~60 words rather than 70–100. [BIO EXTENSION – 1–2 sentences from the artist, if wanted]. Pronoun "he" [confirm]. ### Toulo Adl Parvar — Iran / Netherlands [PHOTO: image or video still from *Displacement (Ghorbat)*] Toulo Adl Parvar works between Iran and the Netherlands, across photography, video and sound. The work draws on archival materials, text and poetry, and returns to questions of belonging, visibility, memory and diaspora. Image, moving image, sound and written material are set side by side rather than kept apart. *Displacement (Ghorbat)* opens at Kulturhaus on the first Saturday of the festival. **At the festival:** - Exhibition · *Displacement (Ghorbat)* · Sat 10 Oct, 15:00 · Kulturhaus · Free Note: FACTS biography is short; profile is ~60 words. [BIO EXTENSION – 1–2 sentences from the artist, if wanted]. No pronoun used. --- ### Also exhibiting - *Witness: Images That Refuse to Forget* — collective exhibition · Fri 9 Oct, 19:30 · POINT · Free - *Searching for Great Beauty* — Eva Bystrianská (Czech Republic) · Sat 10 Oct, 17:00 · CAV Multimedia · Free - *Sensitive Data* — Jolana Havelková (Czech Republic) · [dates/hours TBC] · CAV Multimedia · Free - *Still Birth* — Chiara Ernandes & Fernanda Prado Verčič (Italy) · Sun 11 Oct, 19:00 · Kulturhaus · Free · Meet the artist (Chiara Ernandes): Mon 12 Oct, 11:00 - *Wish You Were Here! Iceland* and *Edinburgh Souvenir* — Dora Huiban (Romania), installations · [dates/hours TBC] · Kulturhaus · Free - *Lines of Connection – IPFA Award 2025* — 50 international photographers · [dates/hours TBC] · Kulturhaus · Free - *Nature Witnessing the City* — collective exhibition (Romania) · Wed 14 Oct, 19:00 · OTOTO Station · Free - *CTRL 18. Countless versions of becoming* — David Burlacu (Romania) · Sun 18 Oct, 19:30 · Control Club · Free **Photobook signings:** *Fig. M.* — Ioana Moldovan, Alex Gâlmeanu, Cosmin Bumbuț · Mon 12 Oct, 18:00 · CdRF · Free ### Romanian photographers in the program Ana Alexandrescu, Anca Cioltan / Anca Punkt, Cătălin Alexandru, Cătălin Chiriloi, Cosmin Gârleșteanu, Cristina Bîrlădeanu, Daria Radu, Denise Lobonț, Dora Huiban, Elena Corbu, Emilian Avramescu, Florin Ghebosu, Lăcră Grozăvescu, Laura Dragomir, Nadina Stoica, Nicoleta Gabor, Patricia Iordache-Niculescu, Ștefania Crăciun, Tamas Borza. [list from July – confirm] --- Editor note on profiles: three sentences are editorial glosses, not facts from the sheet — Salgado Escudero ("The light in the picture comes from the same source the portraits are about."), Quinnell ("The camera is reduced to almost nothing, and time does the rest."), Adl Parvar ("Image, moving image, sound and written material are set side by side rather than kept apart."), plus the Divović gloss noted above. Each can be deleted without breaking the paragraph. --- # VISIT & TICKETS **Editor note** — Status: NEW (single page; 301 from /tickets/ and /practical-information/) · URL: /visit · Why: the "Tickets" menu item has no link, and /tickets/ and /practical-information/ both return 404 (audit). Practical entry points appear on 4/6 benchmarked sites; Cortona On The Move and Athens Photo Festival put hours, prices, free categories and access on one page, which is the model here. [PHOTO: Kulturhaus (Garage Hall) with visitors, or a street-level view of a venue entrance] ## Visit & Tickets ### At a glance - **Dates:** Fri 9 – Sun 18 October 2026 - **Where:** 11 venues in Bucharest. Main exhibition hub: Kulturhaus, Strada Sfânta Vineri 4. - **Entry:** All exhibitions, openings, Meet the artist tours, photobook presentations and masterclasses at CdRF and ARCUB are free. - **Tickets:** needed for films, the Ending Gala, the Night at the Museum, the photo walk and some workshops → [TICKET LINK] - **Opening hours:** [OPENING HOURS – summary] - **In your pocket:** InLight App and BPFmap → [APP URL – INLIGHT] · [APP URL – BPFMAP] ### Free and ticketed **Free — no ticket needed** - Official opening · Fri 9 Oct, 19:00 · POINT - All exhibitions and vernissages - All Meet the artist tours - All photobook presentations and signings - Workshops with Save the Children and UNHCR: *In Plain Sight I*, *In Plain Sight II*, *Somewhere to Look From* - Masterclasses at CdRF and ARCUB: *No Such Thing as Bad Weather*, *The Long Way In* - Afterlight projections at OTOTO Station (Wed 14 Oct, 20:00) and CdRF (Sat 17 Oct, 20:00) - Workshop *Second Shot* with °iso Film Lab · Sat 17 Oct, 15:00–18:00 · CdRF [REGISTRATION NOTE – do free workshops and masterclasses require registration? If yes: link and capacity.] **Ticketed** - *Minamata* · Fri 9 Oct, 20:00–22:00 · POINT - *How to Be Lost on Purpose* (workshop) · Sat 10 Oct, 10:00–13:00 · Downtown - Night at the Museum – Afterlight · Sat 10 Oct, 20:00–23:00 · National Museum of Maps and Old Books - *Witnessing on the streets of Bucharest* (photo walk) · Sun 11 Oct, 10:00–13:00 · Downtown - *Pinhole photography and other obsessions* (masterclass) · Sun 11 Oct, 15:00–18:00 · Downtown - Film night · Fri 16 Oct, 20:00–22:30 · Cinema Union - *Off the Paper* (workshop) · Sat 17 Oct, 12:00–15:00 · OTOTO Station - *In Passing* · Sat 17 Oct, 18:00 · Cinema Union - Ending Gala · Sun 18 Oct, 19:30–23:00 · Control Club ### Tickets (anchor: #tickets) Tickets are sold online at [TICKET LINK]. | Event | Price | |---|---| | *Minamata* | [PRICE] | | Film night (16 Oct) | [PRICE] | | *In Passing* | [PRICE] | | Night at the Museum – Afterlight | [PRICE] | | Ending Gala | [PRICE] | | Photo walk / ticketed workshops and masterclass | [PRICE] | | Reduced prices (students, seniors, other) | [REDUCED PRICE CATEGORIES] | - Tickets at the door: [DOOR SALES – yes/no, payment methods] - Refunds and changes: [REFUND POLICY] - Festival pass: [PASS – if any] ### Venues (anchor: #venues) [MAP EMBED: Google My Maps with 11 venues] 1. **POINT** — Strada General Eremia Grigorescu 10 Opening night: official opening, the collective exhibition *Witness: Images That Refuse to Forget* and the screening of *Minamata*. 2. **Kulturhaus (Garage Hall)** — Strada Sfânta Vineri 4 The main exhibition hub: exhibitions by Toulo Adl Parvar, Joakim Kocjancic, Vedad Divović, Sigurður Ólafur Sigurðsson, Evgeniy Maloletka, Omar Ashtawy, Chiara Ernandes & Fernanda Prado Verčič, Dora Huiban and *Lines of Connection*; Meet the artist tours; the photobook *The Siege of Mariupol*. 3. **CdRF – Centrul de Resurse în Fotografie** — Strada Popa Tatu 68 Photobook evening, masterclass, workshops, Mohamed Mahdy's exhibition *Broken memory* and Meet the artist, Afterlight projections on Sat 17 Oct. 4. **OTOTO Station** — Strada Sfinții Voievozi 20-24 Workshops with Save the Children, UNHCR and SăFițiCuminți Crew; the collective exhibition *Nature Witnessing the City*; Afterlight projections on Wed 14 Oct. 5. **ARCUB** — Strada Lipscani 84–90 Masterclass *The Long Way In*; Justin Quinnell's exhibition *In Plain Sight*. 6. **CAV Multimedia (Centrul Artelor Vizuale)** — Strada Biserica Enei 16 Exhibitions by Eva Bystrianská and Jolana Havelková. 7. **Rezidența 9 (Rezidența Scena9)** — Strada Ion Luca Caragiale 32 Rubén Salgado Escudero's *Solar Portraits* and Meet the artist. 8. **Cinema Union** — Strada Ion Câmpineanu 21 Film night on Fri 16 Oct; *In Passing* on Sat 17 Oct. 9. **National Museum of Maps and Old Books** — Strada Londra 39 Night at the Museum – Afterlight, with projections and a silent party, Sat 10 Oct. 10. **Control Club** — Strada Constantin Mille 4 David Burlacu's exhibition *CTRL 18* (free) and the Ending Gala (ticketed), Sun 18 Oct. 11. **Downtown / Outdoor** — meeting point Bulevardul Unirii 1 Photo walk and outdoor workshops. ### Opening hours (anchor: #opening-hours) Exhibitions stay on view after their vernissage. Hours differ by venue. | Venue | Days | Hours | Exhibitions on view until | |---|---|---|---| | POINT | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | Kulturhaus (Garage Hall) | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | CdRF | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | OTOTO Station | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | ARCUB | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | CAV Multimedia | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | Rezidența 9 | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | | Control Club | [DAYS] | [OPENING HOURS] | [END DATE] | Cinema Union, the National Museum of Maps and Old Books and the Downtown meeting point host scheduled events only — see the program for times. ### Getting around - Public transport to each venue: [TRANSPORT – nearest metro/bus stop per venue] - Walking times between the central venues: [WALKING TIMES – to be measured] - Parking and bicycles: [PARKING / BIKE INFO] - Real-time navigation between venues is available in BPFmap → [APP URL – BPFMAP] ### Accessibility [ACCESSIBILITY – step-free access, lifts, accessible toilets, seating, per venue] [ACCESSIBILITY CONTACT – name/email for specific needs] Film subtitles: [SUBTITLE LANGUAGES] Language of talks, tours and workshops: [EVENT LANGUAGES] ### Photo walks and outdoor events The photo walk *Witnessing on the streets of Bucharest* (Sun 11 Oct, 10:00–13:00), the workshop *How to Be Lost on Purpose* (Sat 10 Oct, 10:00–13:00) and the masterclass *Pinhole photography and other obsessions* (Sun 11 Oct, 15:00–18:00) start from the meeting point at Bulevardul Unirii 1. [EXACT MEETING SPOT – landmark]. [WHAT TO BRING – e.g. camera type, weather]. Please arrive [ARRIVAL TIME] minutes before the start. ### Contact Questions about your visit: hi@bucharestphotofest.ro [PHONE – if any, during festival days] Festival office: 4 Ion Berindei Street, District 2, Bucharest [OFFICE OPEN TO VISITORS – yes/no] ### FAQ **Is the festival free?** Most of it. All exhibitions, openings, Meet the artist tours, photobook presentations, the Save the Children and UNHCR workshops, the masterclasses at CdRF and ARCUB, and the Afterlight projections at OTOTO Station and CdRF are free. Films, the Ending Gala, the Night at the Museum, the photo walk and some workshops are ticketed. **Where do I buy tickets?** Online at [TICKET LINK]. [DOOR SALES – yes/no]. **Do I need to book free events?** [REGISTRATION NOTE] **Where is the main exhibition venue?** Kulturhaus (Garage Hall), Strada Sfânta Vineri 4. Most of the festival's exhibitions are shown there. **Where do the photo walk and outdoor workshops start?** At the meeting point at Bulevardul Unirii 1. [EXACT MEETING SPOT – landmark]. **Are the films subtitled?** [SUBTITLE LANGUAGES] **Is there an app?** Yes. InLight App and BPFmap have the full agenda, artists, venues and a map with real-time navigation → [APP URL – INLIGHT] · [APP URL – BPFMAP] --- # PRESS **Editor note** — Status: NEW · URL: /press · Why: the site has no press page, press contact or downloadable material (audit: no page for press in the sitemap). Cortona On The Move and Photo Kathmandu both run a press page with release and contact; with ~50 events and Pulitzer and World Press Photo recognised guests, journalists need one place for facts, images and accreditation. [PHOTO: none — or one image from the press kit, credited] ## Press Bucharest Photofest 2026 runs from 9 to 18 October in Bucharest, under the theme WITNESS. This page has what you need to write about it: facts, images, accreditation and a person to talk to. ### Press contact [PRESS CONTACT NAME] [PRESS CONTACT ROLE] [PRESS EMAIL] · [PRESS PHONE] General enquiries: hi@bucharestphotofest.ro ### Accreditation Journalists, photographers and media teams covering the festival can apply for accreditation. Accreditation gives access to [ACCREDITATION BENEFITS – e.g. press preview, ticketed events, interviews on request]. Please apply by [ACCREDITATION DEADLINE] using [ACCREDITATION FORM LINK], with your name, publication and planned coverage. We confirm by email. Interview requests with invited artists: write to [PRESS EMAIL] with the artist's name and your deadline. We will do what we can; availability depends on the artists' schedules. ### Press kit [PRESS KIT DOWNLOAD LINK] - Press release: [PRESS RELEASE – title and date] - Fact sheet: dates, venues, program highlights, numbers - WITNESS curatorial statement (EN / RO) - Invited artists: short biographies - Press images, with captions and credits: [NUMBER] images, high resolution - Logos: Bucharest Photofest 2026, WITNESS - Full program (PDF) - Partners 2026 Image use: press images may be used only for coverage of Bucharest Photofest 2026, with the credit given in the caption. [IMAGE USE TERMS – confirm] ### About Bucharest Photofest (boilerplate, ~100 words) Bucharest Photofest is an international photography festival founded in 2016 and organised by the Centre for Alternative Music & Arts Association, an independent cultural organisation. It takes place every October over ten days, as a platform for photography as artistic expression, critical reflection and civic engagement. Each edition is built around a theme. The 11th edition, WITNESS, runs from 9 to 18 October 2026, with around 50 events across more than ten venues in Bucharest and over 200 exhibiting artists from more than 20 countries. Across its first decade, 2016–2025, the festival presented more than 300 events to over 50,000 participants. ### Short boilerplate (~40 words) Bucharest Photofest is an international photography festival founded in 2016 and organised by the Centre for Alternative Music & Arts Association. The 11th edition, WITNESS, runs from 9 to 18 October 2026 across more than ten venues in Bucharest. --- # VOLUNTEER **Editor note** — Status: NEW · URL: /volunteer · Why: the footer "Career & Volunteering" links point to "#" (audit), while the volunteer call runs through an Airtable form that has no page on the site. Head On and Cortona On The Move both keep a dedicated volunteer page; this one hosts the existing form. [PHOTO: volunteers at work during a previous edition — installation, info desk or a vernissage] ## Volunteer A festival with around 50 events in 11 venues runs on people. Volunteers work alongside the team across the ten days: at exhibitions and vernissages, at the info desk, at workshops and screenings, and behind the scenes during installation and the closing. No experience is needed. Curiosity, reliability and a few free days in October are. [status: call open until DATE – confirm] [ROLES – optional list of volunteer roles and time commitment, if the team wants to publish them] ### What you get - Free, unlimited access to every festival event — and to what goes on behind them - The crew t-shirt - A volunteering contract, a certificate of participation that counts towards university internship credit, and a letter of recommendation on request - A place in a creative, interdisciplinary team — people who take the work seriously and enjoy it - A way into longer-term collaboration with our organisation, on projects beyond the festival - And a few things we'd rather not spoil here. There are usually goodies, small perks and the odd surprise along the way. ### Apply Fill in the form below. We read every application and reply by email. [REPLY TIME – e.g. "within a week"] [Form embed: existing Airtable iframe code] Questions: hi@bucharestphotofest.ro Note: the intro's list of volunteer tasks (exhibitions, info desk, workshops, screenings, installation, closing) and "No experience is needed" are not in FACTS — [confirm or replace with ROLES]. The "What you get" block is the approved text, reproduced verbatim as bullets. --- # ABOUT **Editor note** — Status: REWRITE · URL: /about · Why: the About page must match the 11th edition and the facts now used across the site; the live site still presents itself as "the 10th edition" (audit). An accurate About page is also what partners and press check first. [PHOTO: a crowd at a previous edition's vernissage, or the festival team — credited] ## About Bucharest Photofest is an international photography festival, founded in 2016 and organised by the Centre for Alternative Music & Arts Association, an independent cultural organisation based in Bucharest. The festival takes place every October over roughly ten days. It is a platform dedicated to photography as a means of artistic expression, critical reflection and civic engagement. Its structure is deliberately interdisciplinary: photography meets anthropology, journalism, literature, activism, film and music. Each edition is built around a theme with real cultural and political stakes, and the program puts established names in dialogue with emerging voices. The festival works across museums, galleries, cinemas, independent spaces and the street. It supports workshops for children and young people, outreach programs for vulnerable communities, and public conversations with artists, curators and educators. The festival does not simply present art: it produces it, contextualises it and turns it into a pedagogical tool. Across its editions it has built partnerships with embassies, cultural institutes, international organisations, NGOs and independent spaces, and it takes part in the international photo-festival network. **A decade, 2016–2025:** 300+ events · 1,000+ artists and guests · 50,000+ participants · around 7,000 participants per edition. **Themes:** Identity · Trust · Resistance · Preserving · Solidarity · Resilience · Legacy · WITNESS (2026) **2026:** the 11th edition, WITNESS, 9–18 October → /witness · /program **Founder and artistic director:** Ionuț Trandafirescu **Contact:** hi@bucharestphotofest.ro · 4 Ion Berindei Street, District 2, Bucharest Note: paragraphs 2–4 condense the "About" text of the July partner presentation (source B, English original); "cinemas" replaces the source's longer venue list to match 2026 venues. Decade figures: [confirm] — the same presentation's editorial says "close to 1,000 artists and professionals", the fact sheet says "1,000+". --- # PARTNERS 2026 **Editor note** — Status: NEW (rename the current /partners2025 page to "Partners 2025 — 10th edition" and keep it as an archive) · URL: /partners · Why: /partners2025 is linked from the main menu and shows 2025 partners as if they were current (audit). Partners by tier appear on 3/6 benchmarked homepages; a 2026 page shows only confirmed 2026 partners and protects both the festival and the partners from being misrepresented. ## Partners 2026 **Intro (50 words)** Bucharest Photofest is organised by an independent cultural organisation. Its program, most of which is free, is possible because institutions, companies, embassies, NGOs and media stand behind it. We thank the partners of the 11th edition for their trust and their work with us. To support the festival, write to hi@bucharestphotofest.ro. **Structure** ### Presenting partner [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] ### Program partners [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] Note: named in the 2026 program — SONY (powers the workshop *How to Be Lost on Purpose* and the masterclass *The Long Way In*); Save the Children and UNHCR (workshop collaborations). [confirm category for each] ### Institutional partners [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] ### Media partners [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] ### Technical partners [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] ### International network *Lines of Connection – IPFA Award 2025* is presented in collaboration with IPFA. [IPFA LOGO – confirm use] Link at the bottom: Partners of previous editions → /partners2025 **2025 archive page title:** Partners 2025 — 10th edition (archive) **2025 archive page intro line:** These partners supported the 10th edition of Bucharest Photofest, 10–19 October 2025. For the current edition, see Partners 2026 → /partners Note: do not list any 2025 partner on the 2026 page until confirmed in writing for 2026. --- # SUPPORT US **Editor note** — Status: REWRITE · URL: /support-us · Why: the current page has a CTA pointing to "#" and still asks for the 3.5% form with a deadline (22 May 2026) that has passed; the related tax page contradicts itself between RO and EN (audit). Donate sits in the main nav on 4/6 benchmarked sites; the page must work, and must not state expired deadlines. [PHOTO: audience in front of a work at a previous edition] ## Support us **Intro (80 words)** Bucharest Photofest is organised by an independent cultural organisation. Most of its program is free: exhibitions, openings, talks, masterclasses and workshops for children and young people. Keeping it that way depends on people and companies who decide the festival should exist. Your support pays for exhibition production, artists' travel, education programs and the work of a small team. It also keeps the program independent in what it chooses to show. There are three ways to help. ### Donate Make a one-off or monthly donation. Every amount goes to the festival. - Button: Donate → [DONATION LINK] - Line: [DONATION METHODS – card / bank transfer; IBAN only if approved for publication] - Line: You will receive a confirmation by email. [RECEIPT / TAX NOTE – confirm] ### Partner with us Companies and institutions can support an edition, a program strand or a single project. We build each partnership around what both sides need. - Button: Talk to us → mailto:hi@bucharestphotofest.ro - Line: [PARTNERSHIP DECK – link, if available] ### Redirect tax If you pay income tax in Romania, you can direct 3.5% of it to Bucharest Photofest at no cost to you. The next window opens [DATE]. - Button (inactive until the window opens): Redirect 3.5% → [FORM LINK] - Line: Companies can also redirect part of their profit tax through sponsorship. [CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP DETAILS – fiscal year and procedure, confirm] - Line: Want a reminder when the window opens? Subscribe to the newsletter → #newsletter Note: the "Every amount goes to the festival" line and the uses listed in the intro (production, travel, education, team) are editorial — [confirm]. Hide /corporate-income-tax-redirection/ until its RO/EN fiscal-year contradiction is fixed. --- # 404 PAGE **Editor note** — Status: NEW (copy for the theme's 404 template) · URL: any missing page · Why: the audit found common URLs returning 404 (/tickets/, /practical-information/, /program2026, /2026, /witness). Redirects fix the known ones; this page catches the rest and sends visitors to the three places they are most likely looking for. ## This page is not here The link may be old, or the page may have moved for the 2026 edition. - The 2026 program → /program - Visit & Tickets: venues, hours, what is free → /visit - WITNESS, this year's theme → /witness Or write to us: hi@bucharestphotofest.ro --- # PLACEHOLDERS TO FILL Deduplicated. Grouped by likely owner. **Ticketing / production** - [TICKET LINK] - [PRICE] (per event: *Minamata*, film night, *In Passing*, Night at the Museum, Ending Gala, photo walk / ticketed workshops) - [REDUCED PRICE CATEGORIES] - [DOOR SALES – yes/no, payment methods] - [REFUND POLICY] - [PASS – if any] - [REGISTRATION NOTE] / [REGISTRATION LINK] / [BOOKING NOTE] — do free workshops and masterclasses need registration, and capacity - How free visitors access *CTRL 18* at Control Club while the Ending Gala is ticketed **Program / artistic direction** - [Reykjanes Awakens – confirm spelling] (Airtable spells "Awekens") - *Lines of Connection – IPFA Award 2025* (Airtable) vs "IPFA Awards 2025" (motion piece) — confirm one spelling - [dates/hours TBC] — *Witnesses from Gaza*, *Sensitive Data*, *Wish You Were Here! Iceland*, *Edinburgh Souvenir*, *Lines of Connection* - [end dates per exhibition TBC] / [END DATE] per venue - [list from July – confirm] — Romanian photographers - [SUBTITLE LANGUAGES] - [EVENT LANGUAGES] - Mahdy's connection with the Arab Documentary Photography Program [confirm role] - Artist pronouns [confirm]; [BIO EXTENSION] for Sigurðsson and Adl Parvar - In-person presence of all nine invited artists [confirm] - Editorial glosses in profiles (Salgado Escudero, Quinnell, Divović, Adl Parvar) [confirm or cut] - *Ernest Cole* described as "the South African photographer" [confirm or cut] - [PROGRAM PDF LINK] - Numbers line (10 days · ~50 events · 200+ artists · 10+ venues · 20+ countries) [confirm] - Decade figures (300+ / 1,000+ / 50,000+ / ~7,000 per edition) [confirm] - [FINAL 2026 FIGURES] — for the After phase **Venues / visitor experience** - [OPENING HOURS] and [DAYS] per venue; [OPENING HOURS – summary] - [MAP EMBED: Google My Maps with 11 venues] - [TRANSPORT – nearest metro/bus stop per venue] - [WALKING TIMES – to be measured] - [PARKING / BIKE INFO] - [ACCESSIBILITY – per venue] - [ACCESSIBILITY CONTACT] - [EXACT MEETING SPOT – landmark] at Bulevardul Unirii 1 - [WHAT TO BRING] - [ARRIVAL TIME] - [PHONE – if any, during festival days] - [OFFICE OPEN TO VISITORS – yes/no] **Digital / web** - [APP URL – INLIGHT] - [APP URL – BPFMAP] - [SENDING FREQUENCY] (newsletter) - Double opt-in [confirm with newsletter tool] - [SOCIAL LINKS – Instagram / Facebook / podcast #LetsGetVisual] - [Form embed: existing Airtable iframe code] - Privacy policy text at /privacy-policy (approved text needed before the newsletter form goes live) **Communication / press** - [PRESS CONTACT NAME] - [PRESS CONTACT ROLE] - [PRESS EMAIL] - [PRESS PHONE] - [ACCREDITATION BENEFITS] - [ACCREDITATION DEADLINE] - [ACCREDITATION FORM LINK] - [PRESS KIT DOWNLOAD LINK] - [PRESS RELEASE – title and date] - [NUMBER] (press images) - [IMAGE USE TERMS – confirm] **Volunteers** - [status: call open until DATE – confirm] - [ROLES] - [REPLY TIME] - Volunteer intro task list and "No experience is needed" [confirm] **Partnerships / fundraising** - [LOGOS – confirmed 2026 list only] (Presenting, Program, Institutional, Media, Technical) - Category for SONY, Save the Children, UNHCR [confirm] - [IPFA LOGO – confirm use] - [DONATION LINK] - [DONATION METHODS] - [RECEIPT / TAX NOTE – confirm] - [PARTNERSHIP DECK] - [DATE] (next 3.5% window) - [FORM LINK] (3.5% form) - [CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP DETAILS] - Support-page editorial lines ("Every amount goes to the festival", uses of funds) [confirm] **Photo selection (festival director)** - Every [PHOTO: …] slot, including the homepage hero, three evening cards, six artist cards, nine artist profiles and page headers