11th edition of World Press Photo Montreal: 50 000 Expected Visitors, 150 Most Striking Photos of the Year at the Bonsecours Market from August 31 to October 2, 2016

MONTRÉAL, QUÉBEC--(Marketwired - Aug. 30, 2016) -

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Every day from August 31st to October 2nd, the 11th Montréal edition of the world's most prestigious annual professional photography competition, World Press Photo, will be presented at Bonsecours Market in Old Montréal with the 150 winning images of the year, as well as four complementary exhibits.

The event welcomes prominent guests, including the spokesperson for this latest edition, Québec director and author, Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, who has free rein to showcase an exhibit on newly arrived Syrian immigrants in Montréal, in collaboration with photographer Guillaume Simoneau. The Agence France-Presse (AFP) photography director and World Press Photo jury president, Francis Kohn, is also in Montréal for the official launch.

Often compared to the Oscars of photography, the World Press Photo is the most prestigious annual competition of professional photography in the world. Gathered in Amsterdam in February, jury members awarded the first prizes to 41 photographers from 21 countries out of 83 000 submitted images from 5 775 photojournalists across 128 countries. The emblematic exhibition that kicks off Montréal's cultural season proposes a series of images depicting major events of the year, covered in eight categories. Themes such as the Paris attacks, the earthquake in Nepal, the refugee crisis and tensions in the Middle East are showcased amongst the photographs selected by a jury of 18 international professionals.

"The Montréal edition is one of the most popular amongst the hundred presented around the world", says Matthieu Rytz, president of the event. "Our privileged relationship with our visitors speaks volumes about the Montréal community's curiosity and level of involvement in the evolution of our societies. It also demonstrates the relevance of presenting such a high quality window on the world", he adds.

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