Hyderabad: Hyderabad is gearing up to turn into a citywide gallery once again as the Indian Photo Festival returns for its 11th edition from November 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026.
Hosted by the Lightcraft Foundation, the event will spread across the State Art Gallery in Madhapur and several public spaces across the city, bringing global photography talent and fresh visual stories to Indian audiences.
The festival, considered India’s longest-running international photography event, has grown into a major cultural moment, drawing photographers, storytellers, and curious viewers from around the world. Each edition blends documentary truth, artistic imagination, and social reflection, reminding visitors that a single frame can provoke thought, stir emotion, or freeze time in unexpected ways.
Mark your calendars! The 11th edition of the Indian Photo Festival is back — Nov 20, 2025 to Jan 4, 2026 in Hyderabad!
India’s longest-running international photo fest returns with powerful exhibitions, talks, workshops & more. Stay tuned! #indianphotofest #ipf2025 pic.twitter.com/gkA2T2blXC
— Indian Photo Festival (@indianphotofest) August 8, 2025
Global Themes, Local Voices
This year’s programme is packed with powerful themes and global voices. Works span continents, Brazil to Costa Rica, Iran to South Korea, alongside strong Indian narratives.
Alessandro Celante explores identity and impermanence in a world obsessed with images, while Seunggu Kim brings the spirit of slow living through everyday Korean life. M Palani Kumar, in collaboration with The Caravan, highlights decades of industrial pollution in Ennore, proving documentary work can be both stark and poetic.
International perspectives also shine. Giles Clarke documents conflict in Sudan, Nazanin Alipour Jeddi investigates women’s inner lives in Iran, and Glorianna Ximendaz looks at healing and trauma amid Costa Rica’s wild landscapes. Work from Ukraine and Kurdish territories captures resilience, dignity, and life in war-affected communities. Indian photographers also bring their own introspective lens, from solitude in post-pandemic Goa to stories of memory and womanhood in Kerala.
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Talks, Workshops, and Screenings
Beyond the walls, conversations will fuel the festival’s spirit. Opening talks feature award-winning voices, including Magnum Photos’ Newsha Tavakolian, National Geographic’s Julie Hau, cinematographer Sudeep Chatterjee, and documentary photographer Aliona Kardash. Panels will dive into the future of photojournalism, the power of print in a digital world, and the shifting female gaze in visual storytelling.
Workshops on analogue photography, darkroom techniques, and narrative building will give aspiring creators hands-on learning. Screenings, including Nagoba Jatara by Jennifer Alphonse, will add a cinematic layer to the festival experience.
Supported by institutions such as National Geographic, Panos Pictures, Goethe-Zentrum Hyderabad, Alliance Française, and the Government of Telangana, the festival continues to link Hyderabad with global visual culture. Metro stations, galleries, and cultural centres across the city will host exhibitions, reminding residents that art can live anywhere, from polished walls to everyday commute routes.
The festival’s founder, Aquin Mathews, says IPF is not just an exhibition, but a space where images become conversations and stories connect people. That sentiment is expected to echo throughout Hyderabad’s lanes and galleries during the winter months.
Whether you are a seasoned photographer, an art lover, or simply someone who enjoys moments captured in still frames, the Indian Photo Festival promises weeks of inspiration.
