The Ballarat International Foto Biennale (BIFB) has announced a new photo contest, the Martin Kantor Portrait Prize, and has opened entries for exhibition in the Fringe Program.

The Martin Kantor Portrait Prize will be awarded to photographers who have captured an exceptional portrait of a significant Australian.

Named after the late photographer, Martin Kantor, who was well-known for capturing arresting portraits of famous artists, and a strong supporter of indigenous and environmental causes, the contest includes a $15,000 cash first prize.

The award is supported by the Dara Foundation, a non-profit charity.

The judging panel is made up of Isobel Crombie, assistant director of the National Gallery of Victoria; Naomi Cass, director at the Centre for Contemporary Photography; and Leonard Vary, CEO of the Myer Foundation.

The always-wonderful Fringe Program is also accepting registrations for exhibitions, with a $6000 prize awarded to the best exhibit. The prize is supported by Designscope, a design studio in Daylesford.

The Fringe Program is open to all photographers. Exhibitions appear throughout Ballarat – inside historic buildings, at cafes and restaurants, and in the streets and parks. It’s known for having an eccentric and unexpected edge to it.

Another new initiative is the Athletic Club Brewery Ballarat Icons Prize, which is seeking submissions taken of the iconic people and landscapes in and around Ballarat. Photos will be chosen to be part of an exhibition at the Athletic Club Brewery in Ballarat, and three winning images will be printed on the labels of beer bottles during the festival. Here’s to that!

BIFB takes over Ballarat from 19 August – 17 September 2017