Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine (Antibes Festival)

Type: Film and photography festival / competition
Frequency: Annual (typically late October / early November)
Location: Antibes/Juan-les-Pins, France (1974—2008); Marseille, France (2009—2017)
Founded: 1974, by Daniel Mercier
Website: underwater-festival.com (historic)

Overview

The Festival Mondial de l’Image Sous-Marine (World Festival of Underwater Images) is one of the oldest and most prestigious underwater imaging events in the world. Founded in 1974 in Antibes on the French Riviera, the festival encompasses competition categories for documentary films, short films, photography prints (color and black-and-white), slide portfolios, audio-visual presentations, books, music compositions, websites, and advertising. At its peak, the festival attracted competitors from over 60 countries and drew thousands of visitors over five days of screenings, exhibitions, and social events. (^[1])

The festival is organized by a non-profit foundation whose mission includes protecting and conserving underwater images, ensuring copyright protection, and fostering knowledge and protection of the marine environment. (^[2])

The awards — including the Palme d’Or for films, the Plongeur d’Or (Gold Diver) for photography, and the Prix du President de la Republique — are generally considered among the most prestigious in the underwater imaging world. As Alex Mustard noted: “Most people enter their work Antibes because they believe it sets the standard in underwater imaging, and the awards carry the most prestige. The awards I have won here have made more difference to my profile as an underwater photographer than anything else I have done.” (^[3])

Format and Character

Unlike trade shows such as DEMA or educational seminar series like Visions in the Sea, the Antibes Festival was primarily a social and artistic gathering of the European underwater imaging community. Eric Cheng described it as “five days set aside during the year for the social bonding of European underwater professionals” and “a venue to show a wider audience what it is that they do.” Each year the same community returned, sustaining relationships across the industry. (^[4])

The festival was held in a large, two-section tent in Juan-les-Pins, with three presentation rooms screening competition films and slides from opening to close, and participants’ print entries prominently displayed throughout the main tent. Equipment manufacturers, European dive magazines, dive operators, and other exhibitors maintained booths. Evening parties featured live music performed by a participant band, with abundant socializing and alcohol. (^[5])

The awards ceremony followed a gala format, described by Eric Cheng as “not unlike a small version of the Academy Awards.” The trophy was a golden fin statuette, and winners received prizes ranging from cash awards to dive trip packages. (^[6], ^[7])

One persistent challenge for non-French-speaking attendees was the language barrier. The awards ceremony and most films were conducted entirely in French. Multiple reports noted this as the festival’s primary weakness for international participation. (^[8], ^[9])

Competition Categories

The festival offered an unusually broad range of competition categories:

• Films Group A (long and medium-length documentaries) — eligible for the Palme d’Or, Palme d’Argent, Palme de Bronze, and the Prix du President de la Republique
• Films Group B (short films and clips) — with their own Palme d’Or and special prizes
• Colour Prints and Black & White Prints — Plongeur d’Or, d’Argent, de Bronze
• Slide Portfolios (later expanded to digital portfolios) — series of ten images
• Photo-Trio (introduced 2010) — three digital photographs, aimed at amateurs (^[10])
• Audio-Visual Presentations (sound series and diaporamas)
• Conchyiology (shell photography)
• Music and the Sea — original compositions
• Books — Prix Mondial du Livre d’Image Sous-Marine
• Websites — Prix du Site Web Sous-Marin
• Advertising — underwater imagery in commercial campaigns
• Underwater Reporting (Prix du Reportage Sous-Marin)

Notably, the festival did not differentiate between digital and film photographers, welcoming both to compete in the same categories. It also did not disqualify entries that had won other competitions — “they just want the best.” (^[11], ^[12])

Special cross-category prizes included the Our World Underwater Scholarship Society prize (best photo by a photographer under 25), the Apnea prize (best free-diving image), and the Ocean Geographic Society prize (best jellyfish image). (^[13])

Wetpixel Connection

Wetpixel has a direct and significant connection to the Antibes Festival. In 2003, Wetpixel.com won the Prix du Site Web Sous-Marin (Underwater Website Award) at the 30th edition of the festival — one of the earliest major validations of Eric Cheng’s online community. Cheng traveled to Antibes with the Digideep.com team (Andreas Voeltz and Lars Kirchhoff) and accepted the golden fin trophy at the awards ceremony. (^[14], ^[15])

By 2006, Wetpixel partnered with DivePhotoGuide to co-promote their joint Our World Underwater Competition at the festival. (^[16])

In 2007, a booth hosted by DivePhotoGuide and Wetpixel served as a gathering place at the festival, featuring evening happy hour gatherings organized by Gyula Somogyi (Jules of Helioxfilm.com). (^[17])

In 2008, DivePhotoGuide won the Best Website award at the 35th edition. (^[18])

By 2013, Wetpixel was reporting from the festival and assisting in judging the “Underwater Photography Olympics” live broadcast. (^[19])

Equipment Exhibition

The festival served as an important European venue for underwater equipment manufacturers, particularly housing makers. Unlike the American-focused DEMA Show, Antibes attracted primarily European manufacturers:

• 2003: Seacam (Harald exhibited), Olympus E-1 4/3 SLR shown. (^[20])
• 2004: Subal, Seacam, Sealux, Hugyfot, and Subtronic exhibited. The Nikon D70 was the most popular DSLR on display. Subal showed a D2X housing prototype (initial batch of 10 pre-sold). Seacam’s first batch of 15 D2X housings were pre-sold to US buyers. Film housings were being sold off cheaply on the second-hand stall. Alex Mustard noted the Sealux GS/GD viewfinder was “excellent” and brighter than Seacam’s 45-degree finder. (^[21], ^[22])
• 2005: Seacam introduced the Seaflash 250 digital strobe with Nikon i-TTL and Canon e-TTL support, 250 watt-seconds of power. (^[23])
• 2014: Nauticam and Hugyfot had booths at the Marseille venue, along with conservation and education groups. (^[24])

The festival also featured video housings for professional broadcast cameras, including High Definition Betacam housings from Label Bleu and Seaspace. (^[25])

Notable Attendees and Industry Figures

The festival drew a who’s-who of the underwater imaging world. Notable attendees across the years included:

• Eric Cheng — Wetpixel co-founder, attended 2003 (won Website Award)
• Alex Mustard — Wetpixel associate editor, attended multiple years; won the World Prize for Book of Underwater Images (2007); frequent Wetpixel correspondent from the festival
• Andreas Voeltz and Lars Kirchhoff — founders of Digideep.com, attended 2003 with Cheng
• Harald (Seacam) — exhibited regularly, discussed future housing plans
• Douglas Seifert — American underwater photographer
• Kurt Amsler — Swiss underwater photographer, seen at 2003 festival
• Michael Aw — Asian Geographic, attended 2003; won Gold Diver for Portfolio and Slide Show (2010)
• Amos Nachoum — BigAnimals.com, attended 2003; served on jury for still images (2014)
• Mike Busuttili — juror, publisher of Divernet
• Simon Christopher — Scubazoo Images
• Jason Heller — DivePhotoGuide founder, covered 2006 festival, won Website Award 2008
• Matt Segal — Wetpixel contributor, reported on 2006 edition
• Mary Lynn Price — covered 2007 festival for Wetpixel
• Ellen Cuylaerts — reported on 2014 Marseille edition
• Danny Van Belle — Belgian filmmaker, swept three short film prizes (2007)
• Leandro Blanco — won multiple prizes including F.F.C.V. Prize (2007)
• Laurent Ballesta — won Slide Portfolio Plongeur d’Or (2004, his third win in five years)

(^[26], ^[27], ^[28], ^[29])

Relocation to Marseille

The festival moved from Antibes to Marseille in 2009, relocating to the Palais du Pharo. Despite the move, it continued to be known colloquially as “the Antibes festival.” (^[30])

The 2007 edition in Antibes was controversially held at Marineland, a theme park with captive orcas and dolphins. A number of individuals and organizations boycotted the event based on opposition to the captive cetacean program. The show organizer had reportedly lost 50,000 euros the previous year and saw the Marineland venue as a financial lifeline, with no other facility in Antibes able to host the event. (^[31])

By 2010, the festival had settled at the Palais du Pharo in Marseille. That year’s 37th edition honored Jean-Michel Cousteau as honorary president, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Many members of the original Calypso expeditions attended. (^[32], ^[33])

From 2012 onward, the venue moved to Parc Chanot (Congres Center) in Marseille, where it remained for the later editions. (^[34], ^[35])

The 2013 edition introduced a live-broadcast “International Underwater Photography Olympics” judging event. (^[36])

Timeline

• 1974: Founded by Daniel Mercier in Antibes, France
• 1979: Touring program begins, showing prize-winning films in approximately 50 cities worldwide
• 2001: Tony Wu entered his book Silent Symphony in the festival’s book competition (^[37])
• 2003 (October): 30th edition held in Antibes/Juan-les-Pins. Wetpixel.com won the Prix du Site Web Sous-Marin (Underwater Website Award). Eric Cheng attended with the Digideep team (Andreas Voeltz, Lars Kirchhoff). Michael Bhana (New Zealand) won the Palme d’Or for Tuna Cowboys. Tibor Dombovari (Hungary) won Slide Portfolio Plongeur d’Or. Martin Tomcik (Slovakia) won 1st Prize Colour Prints. Zena Holloway won Palme d’Or for underwater advertising (stills). (^[38], ^[39])
• 2004 (October): 31st edition. Thomas Behrend (Germany) won Palme d’Or for Films (Hunters at the Cape of Storms). Laurent Ballesta (France) won Slide Portfolio Plongeur d’Or for the third time in five years. Jeff Honover (USA) won Colour Prints. Vadim Zverev (Russia) won Black & White Prints. Andrea and Antonella Ferrari’s Oceani Segreti won best book. Nikon D70 was the most popular DSLR at the show. Covered by Alex Mustard for Wetpixel. Housing news dominated: Subal D2X prototype shown, Seacam D2X housings pre-sold, Sealux impressed with D70/D100/10D/300D housings. (^[40], ^[41], ^[42])
• 2005: Entry deadline September 15. The festival welcomed digital photographers to compete alongside film shooters without separate categories. Seacam Seaflash 250 digital strobe introduced. (^[43], ^[44])
• 2006: 33rd edition. Jason Heller of DivePhotoGuide covered the festival. The joint DivePhotoGuide/Wetpixel Our World Underwater Competition was promoted. Alex Mustard commented: “Excellent report, Jason. Really captures the spirit of the event.” (^[45])
• 2007 (October): 34th edition, held controversially at Marineland in Antibes. Dedicated to the 60th anniversary of Aqua-Lung. Wetpixel/DivePhotoGuide booth served as a gathering place. Competitors from over 60 countries. Alex Mustard won World Prize for Book of Underwater Images. Mark Thorpe won Short Film Public Prize. Danny Van Belle swept three short film prizes including Short Film Gold. Julie Edwards won Best Image of Apneist. Scubazoo received Special Mention for books. Leandro Blanco won the F.F.C.V. Prize. (^[46], ^[47])
• 2008: 35th edition, last year in Antibes. DivePhotoGuide won the Best Website award. (^[48])
• 2009 (November): 36th edition, first year in Marseille (Palais du Pharo). BBC NHU’s Nature’s Great Events: The Great Tide won Palme d’Or. Keri Wilk (Canada) won B&W Plongeur d’Or and Our World Underwater Scholarship Society prize. Michael Aw (Australia) won World Prize for Book (Philippines - Heart of the Ocean). Steve Fish (USA) won Short Film Palme d’Argent and Brigitte Cruickshank prize. Allison Vitsky (USA) won Conchyiology Jorge Albuquerque prize. (^[49])
• 2010 (October 27—31): 37th edition at Palais du Pharo, Marseille. Jean-Michel Cousteau served as honorary president, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s birth. New “Photo-Trio” category introduced (three digital photographs). Christian Petron won Films Palme d’Or (Great White Sharks of Guadalupe). Michael Aw won Portfolio Gold and Slide Show Gold. Tony Baskeyfield (UK) won Colour Prints Gold for Spinner Dolphins. Guillaume Nery and Julie Gautier won Prize for the Unusual for Free Fall. Zena Holloway won advertising stills Gold. (^[50], ^[51])
• 2011 (October 26—30): 38th edition at Palais du Pharo, Marseille. Japan honored throughout the edition. Photo-Trio category expanded to 100+ competitors. (^[52])
• 2012 (November 1—4): 39th edition, moved to Congres Center, Parc Chanot, Marseille. Still commonly called “the Antibes festival.” (^[53])
• 2013 (October 31 — November 3): 40th edition at Parc Chanot. 18 competition categories open to amateurs and professionals. First “International Underwater Photography Olympics” with live internet broadcast. Wetpixel assisted in judging. (^[54])
• 2014 (late October): 41st edition at Parc Chanot. Reported by Ellen Cuylaerts for Wetpixel. Nauticam and Hugyfot exhibited. French and Italian winners dominated. Amos Nachoum served on still image jury. David Salvatori (Italy) won Plongeur d’Or Black & White. (^[55])
• 2015 (October 29 — November 1): 42nd edition at Parc Chanot, Marseille. (^[56])

Community Discussion

The Antibes Festival generated substantial discussion on the Wetpixel forums. Notable threads included:

• “Who’s going to Antibes?” (2004) — community members coordinated meetups at the festival, with Alex Mustard posting live updates including news of Subal’s D2X housing (^[57])
• “Gossip on DSLRs from Antibes” (2004) — Alex Mustard’s detailed report on housing manufacturers’ plans, sparking extensive discussion about the digital SLR transition in underwater photography (^[58])
• “Antibes Results” (2005) — community members sought out and discussed winning entries from past years (^[59])

Legacy

The festival played a unique role in the underwater imaging world as a primarily European social and artistic event, distinct from the trade-show format of DEMA or the seminar-style British dive shows. It was where careers were made, equipment was previewed for the European market, and the underwater imaging community renewed its bonds annually. The transition from Antibes to Marseille preserved the festival’s character but changed its setting, and the event continued into at least its 42nd edition in 2015.

References