The Chobi Mela Photo Festival is held bi-annually in Dhaka. The festival celebrates photography in its broadest sense from all corners of the globe, but has a strong emphasis on photo-journalism and documentary work of South Asian photographers. It was founded as a counterweight to the numerous festivals and networking opportunities in the West. The organisation has three goals:
• to put photography of South Asian origin on the map,
• to create an opportunity to show South Asia through other than 'Western' eyes and
• to reach out to South Asians to let them look at photography as a serious medium.

Extra information:
Chobi Mela VI will be held in January 2011.
Since 2004, there is a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' awarded during the festival to a documentary photographer. The prize is a yearlong scholarship at The South Asian Institute of Photography Pathshala, and is given to a young photographer from the countryside, usually from Bangladesh.

Director of the festival is Shahidul Alam. Please contact Jessica Lim if you have any questions.