HEC Invites Applications for ECO International Mobile Photography Festival 2026
The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited Pakistanis to participate in the ECO International Mobile Photography Festival 2026 and showcase the country’s cultural heritage through mobile photography.
The competition is open to both amateur and professional photographers. Participants must be at least 15 years old, and each person can submit up to three photographs.
The festival, titled “Our Heritage,” is being organized by the ECO Cultural Institute (ECI). This year’s theme is “Passing on Heritage,” which focuses on traditions, skills, customs and cultural knowledge passed from one generation to another.
Who Can Participate in the Photography Competition?
According to the official festival details, citizens of all 10 ECO member countries can participate. These include Pakistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Türkiye, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
Both amateur and professional photographers are eligible to submit entries. Each participant can submit a maximum of three photographs, and every photo will be judged separately.
Participants can capture different forms of cultural heritage, including traditional handicrafts such as carpet weaving, embroidery and pottery.
Photos can also cover folk music, traditional ceremonies, customs, farming knowledge, storytelling, poetry and oral traditions.
Mobile Photography Rules and Image Requirements
All photographs submitted to the competition must be taken with a mobile phone camera. Photos captured with DSLR, mirrorless, compact or action cameras, as well as drones, will not be accepted.
The organizers have also banned AI-generated images and AI-based editing that changes the actual content of a photograph.
However, basic editing is allowed. Participants can adjust brightness, exposure, contrast, white balance, color, sharpness and noise. They can also crop their photos as long as these changes do not alter the original content.
Photos must be submitted in JPEG or PNG format. The shortest side of each image must be at least 2,000 pixels, while the maximum file size is 10 MB. Photos containing watermarks, signatures, logos or text will not be accepted.
Applicants must provide their personal details, nationality, country and city of residence, email address and phone number.
They must also provide an English title for each photograph, a description of up to 100 words, and the location and date where the photo was taken. All submission details must be provided in English.
ECO Mobile Photography Festival 2026 Deadline
The deadline to submit photographs is September 12, 2026. The jury will evaluate entries from September 13 to September 23. Winners are scheduled to be announced on September 24, 2026.
The closing ceremony and physical exhibition of selected photographs will take place on October 4, 2026, followed by the opening of an online gallery on October 5.
Prizes for Winning Photographers
The first, second and third-place winners will receive trophies, certificates of honor and cash prizes. Their photographs will also be published in the festival catalogue.
The organizers have not yet announced the amount of the cash prizes. A separate Certificate of Recognition will also be awarded to the highest-ranked eligible photograph from each ECO member country.
How to Submit Your Photographs
Participants can submit their photographs through the official ECO Cultural Institute (ECI) website or by email, as mentioned in the festival guidelines.
Each participant can submit up to three mobile photographs. Applicants must provide their full name, nationality, country and city of residence, email address, and phone number.
Each photograph must include an English title, a description of up to 100 words, and details about where and when the photo was taken. All submission information must be provided in English.
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