Page 108-109 of the catalog featuring my work. Click image for a larger version.

Cover of the Chobi Mela V catalog

Finally, I have held the Chobi Mela V catalog with my hands. Nope, it’s not my copy but Jimmy Domingo’s, my instructor in one of the Diploma in Photojournalism, who went to the festival last January.

It’s heavy, with very good print quality using heavy weight paper. Each photography work by groups or individuals are given a page spread. This includes two images, title and description of the work, name of the photographer, country and exhibition schedule and date.

For me who wasn’t able to be at the festival, I was just blown away by many of the beautiful images that other participating photographers submitted. Looking at my work, Coping with a Desaparecido, printed in such a book gave me goosebumps.

 My work Coping with a Desaparecido is currently on exhibit at the Asiatic Gallery of Fine Arts, one of the venues of Chobi Mela V from 11 – 20 February 09.

My co-exhibitor is Kosuke Okahara (Japan) of Agence Vu with his work Vanishing Existence – Abandoned Leprosy Villages in China. Gallery address is listed below.

Asiatic Gallery of Fine Arts
12 noon – 8 pm
5, Old Secretariat Road
Nimtoli, Ramna, Dhaka
11 – 20 February 09

This year's Chobi Mela V opens on 30th January in Dhaka with the theme FREEDOM

After much huffing and puffing, huffing and puffing and it was all for naught as funding failed to materialize for my trip to Dhaka in Bangladesh for the opening as well as workshops in this month’s Chobi Mela V where my work Coping with a Desaparecido was invited for exhibition. Yep, I won’t be able to make it. Only my work will be there.

Time is also running out. My awaited payment hasn’t yet arrived. I wrote foundations, a Partylist Congressman who was a comrade of my subject’s family, senators and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) but it was nada.

Reasons varied:

• it’s not part of our foundation’s thrust
• the governement didn’t release funds for opposition senators
• sorry, we don’t have funds for these kind of requests
• it’s still up for review and will be deliberated upon. we’ll just inform you about the feedback
• no feedback at all

I was revved up in preparing related documents and sample images of the work and paying a big amount for printing and I was just excited that the ten solicitations would be enough. Well, I was just naive. However, it was also a hard learning experience for me. Something that I will remember in the years to come.

Well, some other time, I guess.

Chobi Mela V International Festival of Photography invitation

Finally, after following up Tanvir Murad, I got my official invitation for my work Coping with a Desaparecido for exhibition in the prestigious Chobi Mela V International Festival of Photography. From the list of 54 photographers from 29 countries, including the likes of Munem Wasif, multiawarded photojournalist as well as the winners of the National Geographic All Roads photography program, I’m the only one from the Philippines!

Will I be attending the festival that only happens every two years and will open on 30 January 2009? As much as I want to go, that remains to be seen. I don’t have the budget, as of now, for the plane fares. I do am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that I will be able to raise the funds for it.

 My work for Projekt Desap has been invited for exhibition at the prestigious Chobi Mela V International Festival of Photography in Dhaka, Bangladesh on January 2009.

Update 20 Dec 08: I now have the official invitation and I’m the only Filipino among 56 international exhibitors.

Wow! I was floored!

Problem is, going there will be at my own expense and when I learned about the plane fare, wow, it’s just too expensive. Manila – Dhaka – Manila via Hongkong and two airlines. Add visa expenses and it will chalk up to about $1000+! Either I’m going or not but I would have loved it very much to be there.

I need to raise funds within the next month and a half or unless someone will sponsor me to defray the costs…

Or why not donate via Paypal? It will be of great help

Important links:

• ACFJ student joining int’l photo fest
• Mela-V: Participating Artists