Following the success of the first Crossing Point residency with Colombian artist Juan Pablo Echeverri during Les Rencontres d’Arles Festival 2008, Photo-Festivals has been pleased to repeat the experience, inviting Filippino photographer Vicente Jaime (“Veejay”) Villafranca to the Festival Visa pour l’Image 2008 in Perpignan.
Veejay Villafranca undertook an intensive seven-day residency in Perpignan from 1st to 8th September 2008, during the professional week of the festival.
Photo-Festivals arranged a flat for him to share with several talented photojournalists from other countries. We are confident that the flat has been a platform for the photographers to discuss their work and the practice of the profession in their own country.
Veejay has also fully enjoyed all the opportunities Visa pour l'Image offered: exhibitions and conferences, and meetings with numerous practitioners in the field of photojournalism and documentary photography.
Born in Manila in 1982, Veejay Villafranca studied in University of Santo Tomas’ college of Fine Arts and Design. He completed his formation in Photojournalism in the Asian Center for Journalism Ateneo De Manila University (2007-2008).
Through photography, Veejay questions human condition within an hostile environment, and documents particularly the process of transfiguration of the youth in Asia.
© Vicente Jaime Villafranca from "Gangs of Baseco", 2008
He has been a full-time photojournalist since early 2003, and is now a stringer for Reuters and World Picture News, a correspondent for the United Nations News agency IRIN and a regular contributor to Summit Media’s publications, ABS-CBN publishing, MEGA publishing in the Philippines amongst others.
In 2005 Veejay participated to the Angkor Photo Festival Photography Workshops for young emerging Asian photographers (tutors: Patrick Chauvel, Sarah Caron and Gary Knight).
He won the British Embassy and Newsbreak Photo Contest on Everyday Islam in 2007; First place in The Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines’ Photo Contest 2005.
He has been nominated this year for the Joop Swart Masterclass program and the National Geographic All Roads Photography project.
Veejay has recently received The Ian Parry Scholarship award.
His last work “Gangs of Baseco” has been exhibited at the National Museum of the Philippines and the Getty Images Gallery in London.
» Visit Veejay Villafranca website