PRESENTATION OF THE EDITION
The inaugural Tangier Photo Meetings took place from May 1 to 5, 2019. It centered on five key events: a roundtable discussion, nine professional workshops, portfolio reviews, screenings of works, and an award presentation.
The Facing the sea (FALM) meetings are open to all professional photographers, whether emerging or established. Its goal is to create a space for exchange between professionals from the media, publishing, arts, and photography sectors and photographers from Morocco and the Maghreb.
Facing the sea brings together partners from Tangier, Morocco, and France, such as the Museum of Mediterranean Cultures, the Cinémathèque de Tanger, the Photography Foundation, the French Institute of Morocco, CFPJ Médias, MACAAL, Hans Lucas, and the Les Insolites bookstore.
LOOK-BACK IN PHOTOS
GUEST SPEAKERS / MENTORS
Daniel Aron, Fondation pour la Photographie, Tanger
Valentin Bardawil, Foire Photo Doc., Paris
Dimitri Beck, Polka Magazine, Paris
Meriem Berrada, Musée d’Art Contemporain Africain Al Maaden (MACAAL) et fondation Alliances
Amandine Besacier, commissaire d’exposition et photographe, Paris
Nataly Bideau, GEO France, Paris
Lorelei Buser, festival de photographie internationale In Cadaquès, Espagne
Malika Chaghal et Sido Lansari, Cinéma RIF – Cinémathèque de Tanger
Stéphanie Gaou et Clarisse Denarnaud, librairie galerie Les Insolites, Tanger
Carine Dolek, festival Circulation(s), Paris
Wilfrid Estève, Hans Lucas & association RUP FreeLens
Charlotte Flossaut, Foire Photo Doc., Paris
Philippe Guiguet-Bologne, écrivain, ancien directeur du centre culturel français de Ramallah et de l’Institut français de Tripoli, Tanger
Kalel Koven, In Frame, Paris
Marie Moignard, Diptyk magazine, Maroc
Fouzia Marouf, Afrique Magazine, Paris
Jérôme Migayou, Institut français du Maroc, Tanger
Valérie Pailler, CFPJ Médias, Paris
Tess Raimbeau, Libération, Paris
Elsa Seignol, Editions Revers, Paris
Lorenzo Virgili, Hans Lucas, Paris
WORKSHOPS
Nine professional workshops—fully booked (40 spots each, registration required)—organized for Thursday, May 2, at the Museum of Mediterranean Cultures and Friday, May 3, at the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures:
– Workshop 1 — “Foundation and Gallery: How to Get Noticed and Build Your Career” — Meriem Berrada (MACAAL) and Nathalie Locatelli (Galerie 127); moderated by Wilfrid Estève.
– Workshop 2 — “What to Expect from an Editing Session” — Nataly Bideau (GEO France) and Kalel Koven (In Frame).
– Workshop 3 — “Exhibitions, Screenings, or Open Calls: How to Approach a Festival?” — Carine Dolek (Circulation(s)) and Lorelei Buser (In Cadaquès).
– Workshop 4 — “Journals, Magazines, and Fanzines: Approaches to Photography” — Wilfrid Estève (Louvre-Rivoli Editions), Marie Moignard (Diptyk), and Elsa Seignol (Revers Editions).
– Workshop 5 — “Production and Distribution: What Is the Media Market Like in France?” — Wilfrid Estève (Hans Lucas) and Fouzia Marouf (Afrique Magazine).
– Workshop 6 — “New Documentary Photography” — Charlotte Flossaut and Valentin Bardawil (Photo Doc.).
– Workshop 7 — “Inside the Photo Department of a Major French Daily Newspaper” — Tess Raimbeau
(Libération), moderated by Wilfrid Estève.
– Workshop 8 — “Sustaining a career as a professional photographer” — Valérie Pailler (CFPJ Médias) and Lorenzo Virgili (Hans Lucas), moderated by Wilfrid Estève.
– Workshop 9 — “Inside Polka Magazine: How it works” — Dimitri Beck (Polka Magazine), moderated by Wilfrid Estève.
GRAND PRIX
The 2019 Facing the sea Grand Prix was awarded to Seif Kousmate for his series À 6 mètres au pays des rêves (6 meters deep in dreamland).
PRIX RÉVÉLATION
The 2019 Prix Révélation has been awarded to Céline Croze for her series SQEVNV.
2019 Photo Meetings: Review by the organizers
This inaugural edition of “Facing the sea” was notable for the relevance and impact of an event made possible by the commitment of partners from Tangier, Morocco, and France—a success that paves the way for a future edition.
Several follow-up activities took place between May and December 2019: support for the winner, Seif Kousmate, in presenting his work (at Rencontres d’Arles, Visa pour l’Image, In Cadaquès, and with Paris-based editorial teams); a roundtable discussion titled “Emerging Photography in the Maghreb” in Essaouira (October 4, at the Nuits photographiques d’Essaouira), moderated by Yamna Mostefa and Wilfrid Estève; and a free workshop titled “Defining and Presenting Your Professional Approach” at MACAAL in Marrakech (December 14–15, for 10 photographers).
These follow-up initiatives reinforce the status of “Facing the sea” as a recurring professional event.