PARIS.- In mid-November 2009, Paris Photo, the world's leading photography fair, will bring together 101 exhibitors from 23 countries.
The 2009 selection was conducted according to a number of criteria which included the quality and originality of the projects submitted as well as achieving a balance between the various periods of photographic expression, ranging from 19th Century to present day work. Another consideration was content renewal and the overall freshness of the fair with 30 newcomers this year.

The 2009 edition of Paris Photo proposes to undertake an unprecedented exploration of the Arab and Iranian photography scene. Guest curator Catherine David had been charged with this project which is composed of three distinct elements: the Central Exhibition showcasing photographs from the Arab Image Foundation and the Statement section which offers an overview of the scene currently emerging from the region - from Tehran to Beirut, Gaza to Cairo and Tangiers to Dubai. Finally, the third element is the Project Room screening a selection of video work by artists from the region.

Now in its sixth edition, the BMW - Paris Photo Prize, worth 12 000 euro, will offer a glimpse of current trends in international photography while rewarding the work of a promising artist.

Presided by Philippe Dehennin - CEO of BMW France, the members of the 2009 jury are: Robert Delpire, photographer and publisher, TJ Demos, art critic and writer, Matthias Harder, director of the Helmut Newton Foundation, Manfred Heiting, collector, Sandra S. Phillips, Curator of photography for SFMOMA. The theme is "When was the last time you experienced something for the first time?"

A number of outstanding photographic exhibitions will coincide with the fair, including "Michael Kenna rétrospective » at the Bibliothèque Nationale, « La subversion des images, Surréalisme, photographie, film » at the Centre Pompidou, « August Sander » at the Fondation Henri Cartier Bresson, "Delpire & Cie" at the Maison Européenne de la photographie, "Federico Fellini" at the Jeu de Paume, "100 ans de photographie iranienne" at the Musée du Quai Branly and "Palestine, la création dans tous ses états" at the Institut du monde arabe.