International Mute Photo Festival 2027 Open Call

The International Mute Photo Festival is a free open call with a very particular rule: every series must be shot exclusively with children's thermal print cameras, the toy cameras that print small black-and-white pictures on receipt paper. The 2027 theme is "Nature ate the pixels". Organised by Photonisos Arts & Culture NPO, the festival will exhibit 15 adult and 5 youth series in Samos, Greece, in July 2027. Entry is free and the deadline is 30 April 2027.

The limitation is the point: low resolution, grainy prints and unpredictable results push photographers to think about seeing, composition and story instead of equipment.

Who Can Enter the Mute Photo Festival?

Photographers worldwide, with no nationality or residence limits, in two categories:

• Adult: 18 and older
• Children & Youth: under 18

It is particularly relevant to:

• Photographers who enjoy constraints and experimental formats
• Teachers and parents working with children on photography
• Artists interested in low-tech and lo-fi image making

What Can You Submit?

A photographic series taken exclusively with a children's thermal print camera, responding to the theme "Nature ate the pixels". Check the official call for the number of images per series and how to submit scans.

Entry Fees

Free. There are no entry or submission fees.

What Do Selected Artists Receive?

• An exhibition in Samos, Greece, in July 2027 (15 adult and 5 youth series)
• Printing and production costs covered for exhibited works
• Publication in the printed catalogue
• Promotion through the organisers' international media channels
• A travel award covering travel and accommodation for the artist behind the most complete series, to attend the opening

Why Enter?

It is free, it is fun, and it is one of the most original photography calls around. A children's thermal camera costs little, so the call is open to anyone, and it is a good project for families, schools and photography clubs as well as professionals.

Working With a Thermal Print Camera

Thermal prints are high contrast and low detail, so simple, strong shapes work best: silhouettes, textures, plants against the sky, close-ups of bark or leaves. Shoot in good light and keep the subject large in the frame. The paper fades over time, so scan or photograph your prints soon after making them. Think in series: a sequence of small prints can tell a clear story about nature taking back the image.

About the Festival

Photonisos Arts & Culture is a non-profit organisation on the Greek island of Samos that runs photography projects and festivals connecting artists, the island and its landscape.

Why Constraints Help Creativity

Limits force decisions. With no zoom, no colour and tiny prints, you have to think about what really matters in a picture: the subject, the light and the moment. Many photographers find that working with a toy camera makes them see more freshly, and the results can be surprising, poetic and funny. The theme, "Nature ate the pixels", invites you to play with that loss of detail.

Ideas for Young Photographers

For the Children & Youth category, a walk in a park, a garden or the countryside is enough to start. Photograph leaves, animals, clouds and shadows, then choose the prints that tell a story together. Parents and teachers can help with scanning and submitting, but the pictures should be the young photographer's own.

Showing the Prints

Thermal prints are small and fragile, so the festival covers printing and production for exhibited works. When you scan your prints, keep the paper texture and edges if you like them; they are part of the medium's character.

Things to Consider

• Thermal cameras only: children's thermal print cameras exclusively.
• Theme: "Nature ate the pixels".
• Two categories: adult and under-18.
• Free entry: no fees.
• Deadline: 30 April 2027.

Apply to the Open Call

Ready to enter your series?

Apply to the Mute Photo Festival

For the full call and submission details, visit the official festival link page.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 28, 2026