The 37th World Festival of Underwater Images, formerly held at Antibes, is will be held from the 27 to 31 October 2010 at the Palais du Pharo. Marseille. Jean-Michel Cousteau will be the honorary president in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and many of those who took part in the Calypso odyssey will be at the event.

Entries for the 2010 competition are now open with a new category being introduced: the “Photo-Trio”. This competition asks photographers to enter three digital photographs without any style limitations. It’s open to everyone, professionals and amateurs (as are all the Festival competitions), but is aimed more at amateur participants who are not able to enter a series of ten images, as required in the Portfolio class. Participants in this new category may also take part in other competitions in the Festival, as long as their images do not appear in two different categories.

Other awards at the festival include:

The “Our World Underwater Scholarship Society” which will be attributed to the best photo entered in one of the other Festival competitions taken by a young photographer not more than 25 years old.

The French Conchology Association (AFC) and the “Jorge Albuquerque” prizes will be awarded either to an image entered in the Conchology class itself or in any other photographic competitions. The Andre Laban prize, the “Blue Passion” will reward an image entered in the “Color Photo” category.

Lastly, the “Apnéa” (for the best photo of a free-diving subject), and the “Ocean Geographic Society” (for the best image of a jellyfish) awards are not competition classes, but will be awarded to the best images of those themes in any of the other photo competitions.

Entry deadline is 15 September 2010.