Montreal's World Press Photo Exhibit Is Returning With The Most Evocative Pics Taken This Year

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this year's World Press Photo exhibit is speaking volumes. From August 31 to October 2, the event at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal will display some of the most remarkable moments captured on camera.

The showcase is returning after a two-year pandemic hiatus with photos that will move, educate and inspire visitors.

The jury selected prizewinning photographs from nearly 65,000 submissions by over 4,000 photojournalists from 130 countries.

The works that will be on display tell stories of courage and share diverse perspectives on topics ranging from the climate crisis to civil rights movements, and more.

The international press photography contest awarded this year's top prize to Canadian photographer Amber Bracken for Kamloops Residential School, a photograph taken for The New York Times that depicts little girls' red dresses draped over wooden crosses as a rainbow shines in the background.

The stark image documents the memorial created by Indigenous women after the discovery of around 200 unmarked children's graves on the site of the Kamloops Indian Residential School.

Among this year's must-see photos is "Saving Forests with Fire," taken by Matthew Abbott for National Geographic. The series documents Indigenous Australians using a technique to prevent massive forest fires. 'Slow burning' creates fires that only burn undergrowth and remove the buildup that could feed bigger blazes.

Métis artist Caroline Moffet will also present the world premiere of her photo series "Ikwewak (Women)," which depicts First Nations women in all their "splendor, quirks, elegance, pride and charisma."

Tickets for the World Press Photo expo cost $15 (+ tax) per person and can be purchased at the door or reserved online for groups of 10 or more.