Ballarat Foto

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale was founded in 2005 and attracts significant international and Australian photographers as one of Australia’s pre-eminent photographic festivals. It is a not-for-profit event that immerses the historic town of Ballarat in photographic art.
Ballarat Foto
Alex Meagher NZ Unfamiliar Wilds McKenzie St - Outdoor 28 Aug - 24 Oct

Now in its 16th year, the Ballarat International Foto Biennale has enriched the cultural landscape of regional Victoria, becoming the most significant, prestigious photographic arts festival in Australia. Held every two years we showcase work from domestic and international artists that is new, previously unseen in Australia or contextualised afresh; and in our Open Program we foster the development of emerging artists. Alongside there are public programs and education programs comprising talks, workshops and prizes which round out a rich and diverse cultural event that attracts more than 30,000 people, delivering significant economic and cultural impact.

The Ballarat International Foto Biennale is guided by the principle that it not only serves the community but also plays a vital role in cultivating it.

Commerce Ballarat Business Excellence Awards as the winner of the Visit Ballarat Events and Attractions Business Award. Its Founding Director, Jeff Moorfoot OAM received an Order of Australia Medal for services to photography.

We are Australia’s leading photographic festival. We’ve done this by consistently finding new ways to engage audiences with photography, responding to our audience’s needs, their changing vision of art and culture, and the role it plays in shaping Ballarat. We recognise and support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people as the First Australians. Through photography, we see our world reflected back in unexpected ways through the eyes of others: artists, community and new perspectives.