A new initiative, dubbed Athens Photo World, will make its debut in Athens on June 7-16, aiming to showcase the work of leading Greek photojournalists and their impact on society and politics.

Digital projections and large-size prints are to go on display at selected locations throughout the capital, featuring images by world-renowned photographers including Petros Giannakouris, Alkis Konstantinidis, Louiza Gouliamaki, Dimitris Michalakis and Nikos Pilos.

The 10-day festival will also feature tributes, special guests, round-table discussions and other side-events.

Based on an idea by Thanassis Stavrakakis, chief photographer at the Associated Press, the initiative is backed by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) and the Athens Culture Net of the city’s municipal authority.

Athens Photo World and the SNF will additionally establish two annual financial awards for Greek and international photojournalists.

The first Athens Photo World is dedicated to the legacy of award-winning Reuters photojournalist Yannis Behrakis who died earlier this year. For over 30 years, Behrakis documented many of the most tumultuous events across the globe, including conflicts in Chechnya and Afghanistan, the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, the Egyptian uprising in 2011 and the recent refugee crisis in Greece.

In a related development, organizers said that the prestigious annual World Press Photo exhibition will be hosted by the SNFCC on Athens’ southern coast for the next three years.

For more information visit www.apw.gr

This article was first published by ekathimerini.com.