Montier Photo Festival

The Montier Photo Festival started over 24 years ago when a group of friends with a passion for photography and wildlife decided to organize a fair showcasing the prestigious « Wildlife Photographer of the Year » competition exhibition – then organized by the BBC Wildlife Magazine and the London Natural History Museum – the world’s most important competition for wildlife photography.

This first event welcomed about 4,000 visitors in 2 days. One year later the « fair » turned into a « festival ». The Organization for the Wildlife and Nature Photo Festival (i.e. AFPAN « l’Or Vert ») was thus founded.

The festival has quickly become a must-attend event for both amateur and professional photographers as well as nature lovers and the general public. Every year, key figures from different fields are invited to be patrons of the festival, such as Allain BOUGRAIN-DUBOURG, Yann ARTHUS-BERTRAND, Hubert REEVES, Nicolas VANNIER, Matthieu RICARD, Isabelle AUTISSIER, Dr Bindeshwar PATHAK, Gilles BOEUF, Louis ESPINASSOUS, Jacques PERRIN.

The festival also welcomes outstanding French and foreign photographers such as Vincent MUNIER, Jim BRANDENBURG, Tim LAMAN, Frans LANTING, Steve WINTER, James BALOG and recently Kyriakos KAZIRAS and REZA.

Key Events

1st Wildlife Photo Fair

1st Wildlife Photo Fair showcasing the 1995 « Wildlife Photographer of the Year » exhibition (BBC competition).

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 1996
  1996

1st International Festival

1st International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  1997

« Life Size Animals » Festival

« Life Size Animals » by Christine and Michel Denis-Huot.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  1999

New Specific Venue

A new venue specially designed for photo equipment and optics at the sports centre in Giffaumont-Champaubert.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  1999

1st American Photographer

Art Wolfe was our first American guest (author of the photograph of the poster).

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2000

Talk by <b>Jean-Louis Etienne</b>

Talk by Jean-Louis Etienne.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2001

« Volcanoes »

« Volcanoes » by Arnaud Guerin.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2003

Patronage of Hubert Reeves

Patronage of Hubert Reeves.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2005

« Alive »

« Alive » by Yann Arthus-Bertrand.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2006

« White Nature »

Outdoor exhibition « White Nature » by Vincent Munier at Jardin Linet.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2006

« The Dwarf Beeches of Verzy » Exhibition

« The Dwarf Beeches of Verzy » by Katia Collinet - rising-star guest.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der
  2007

Sarcosuchus Imperator Exhibition

The 12 m long and 6 m wide Sarcosuchus Imperator was exhibited at the stud farm and Mongolia was a highlight with a yurt on display.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2007
  2007

Change to the Programme

Change from 3 to 4 days of festival.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2007
  2007

Large Format Exhibition

Large format exhibition at the Eastern Station in Paris above the platforms to promote the 2009 festival.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2009
  2009

Patronage

Patronage of Frans Lanting.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2009
  2009

New Venue

New Venue Youth marquee - a 400 m2 specially designed area for children activities.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2009
  2009

Evolution of the Photo Competition

Evolution of the Photo Competition The Festival’s photo competition goes digital.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2010
  2010

Son et Lumière

Son et lumière at the abbey-church of Montier-en-Der and the outdoor exhibition « Nomad Spirit » by Tiziana and Gianni Baldizzone in the church square.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2011
  2011

« Images of an Inner Journey » Exhibition

« Images of an Inner Journey » by Matthieu Ricard.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2011
  2011

« Wildlife Photographer of the Year » Exhibition

Back-lit panel exhibition of the « Wildlife Photographer of the Year » competition.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2012
  2012

« Savannah a Grass Ocean » Exhibition

« Savannah a Grass Ocean » by Christine & Michel Denis-Huot with their two Masai guides.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2012
  2012

Photographic Happening

Photographic happening by Gilles Martin « 2027 - Memories of a Silverback » and the exhibition « Solitudes » by Vincent Munier.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2013
  2013

Talk and Exhibition

Talk by Yves Coppens at the Fuseaux theatre in Saint-Dizier and the life-size skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex on display at the COSEC along with the photo exhibition « Past, Present and Future Biodiversity » by Cossima Production.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2014
  2014

Talk

Talk by James Balog.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2015
  2015

Exhibition « Origins »

Exhibition « Origins » by Olivier Grunewald.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2015
  2015

A complete revamp of the logo and website

The website, competition and exhibitors platforms are revamped. New logo.

  2016

Triple patronage

Triple patronage for the 20th anniversary of the Montier Photo Festival.

Dr Bindeshwar PATHAK, ethno patron
Gilles BOEUF, science patron
Louis ESPINASSOUS, enviromental education patron

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2016
  2016

Patronage of REZA and Kyriakos KAZIRAS

New talks and debates venues - Agora at the venue COSEC and the Forum area at Chapiteau.

A Festival within the Festival with the first edition of the NightScapades - International Festival of Astrophotography and Nightscapes organized by the association Chasseurs de nuit.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2017
  2017

Parrainage de Vincent MUNIER et Jacques PERRIN

Label IYOR 2018 (Année Internationale des récifs coralliens) par l'IFRECOR.

Le fil rouge de l'édition : "L’eau, source de vie".

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2018
  2018

Parrain photo nature : Tim LAMAN, auteur de la photo de l'affiche

Thématiques fortes de la 23ème édition : forêt et Asie.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2019
  2019

2020 Festival cancelled

Postponed to 2021 due to coronavirus crisis.

« Balade virtuelle de photo nature » du 19 novembre au 15 décembre : Festival en ligne avec lives, conférences, expositions virtuelles, résultats du Concours Photo Montier 2020 sur internet & Vote Prix du public par internet.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2020
  2020

Parrain photo nature : Kyriakos KAZIRAS & Morten JØRGENSEN

Thématique de la biodiversité

Labellisation éco-manifestation

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2021
  2021

Édition anniversaire : 25 ans / Triple parrainage

Triple parrainage : Steve McCURRY, parrain photo ; Francis HALLE, parrain scientifique et Marc GIRAUD, parrain médiatique.

De nombreuses animations : son et lumière, facilitateur graphique, troupe déambulatoire sur échasses, concerts, spectacles.

Poster - International Wildlife Photo Festival of Montier-en-Der 2022
  2022