The umbrella association of Nepali photojournalists, Photojournalist Club (PJ Club), announced the fifth iteration of the Global IME Bank Photo Contest and Exhibition 2018 amid a function held in the Capital on Wednesday. The Club also announced a call for submission of the photographs at the event.

Interested photographers can register their photographs through the organiser’s official website by June 20.

The competition this time around has seven thematic categories—Daily Life, News, Nature and Wildlife, Culture and Tourism, Nepal Smiles, Sports, and Photo Story.

Speaking at the announcement ceremony, Bikash Karki, president of PJ Club, said the competition is only for Nepali photographers. “Those photographs that are taken by tourists or shot outside of Nepal will not be eligible for the competition, barring one exception when the photo falls under Sports category and the subject is a Nepali player.”

The organisers said that they expect the submission of over 13,000 photographs. In 2016, the contest saw the submission of 11,000 images.

The qualified photographs will be judged by a panel comprising Prateek Pradhan, editor of the online news portal Baahrakhari, senior photo journalist Chandra Shekhar Karki, senior photographer Mani Lama, artist Sujan Chitrakar, AFP photo journalist Prakash Mathema, and Indian photographer Pablo Bartholomew.  The top three photgraphs in each of the seven thematic categories will be awarded Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, and Rs 10,000, respectively. The title award Global IME Bank Photo of the Year will be provided to one photographer with a cash purse of Rs 100,000.

After the competition, the best 160 photographs will be put up on display at Nepal Art Council from June 29 to July 15.