Jury 2025
Mladen Antonov (President of the Marai Photo Grant 2025 jury)
Photo Editor-in-Chief for Asia and the Pacific Islands, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Mladen Antonov, a seasoned photographer and editor, has over two decades experience with Agence France-Presse (AFP). Starting at the European Pressphoto Agency at the end of the Cold War, he covered major events in Europe and all the Yugoslav wars. At AFP, Mladen advanced from leading photographer in Eastern Europe and the CIS to Global Chief Photo Editor in Paris in 2006. He later served as Photo Director for North America in Washington, D.C., and covered several Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups. Based in Hong-Kong since December 2021, he is currently AFP's Chief Photo Editor for Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Photo by Sarah Isaacs
Ami Vitale instagram
Photographer and Filmmaker
Ami Vitale is an Ambassador for Nikon and a contract photographer with National Geographic magazine. Her journey as a photographer, writer and filmmaker has taken her to over 100 countries where she has witnessed civil unrest and violence, but also surreal beauty and the enduring power of the human spirit. She has lived in mud huts, and in war zones, contracted malaria, and even donned a panda suit — all in keeping with her philosophy of "living the story".
Palani Mohan instagram
Photographer
Acclaimed photographer and speaker Palani Mohan works with the world's leading media outlets, companies and publishers on his editorial, corporate and fine artwork. He is the author of eight books including "Hunting with Eagles: In the Realm of the Mongolian Kazakhs' which has been lauded as an anthropological treasure. His work has been shown at the prestigious Visa Pour L'Image in Perpignan, France, featured in the New Yorker magazine and is a part of the collection at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Palani has been recognised with awards including World Press Photo, Picture of the Year International, CHIPP, Communication Arts, and Sony International.
Aparupa Dey instagram
Photographer
Aparupa Dey is an acclaimed wildlife photographer based in India, with her work featured by notable companies and media such as Nikon India, the BBC, Animal Planet, Discovery, and more. Renowned for her exceptional eye for composition, she considers this to be the essence of photography. With her profound knowledge and understanding of animal and bird behaviour, Aparupa portrays animals in their natural habitats, aiming to inspire compassion and raise awareness about wildlife conservation.
Emmanuel Pionnier
Tokyo Bureau Chief, Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Emmanuel Pionnier is an experienced international journalist and manager at AFP. He began his AFP career as a sports reporter in Paris before becoming North America sports coordinator in Los Angeles. Returning to Paris, he served as head of the sports editors then the French general news editors. He was appointed AFP Sports Director in 2020. He has covered nine Olympic Games, multiple FIFA and rugby World Cups, and has been AFP's Tokyo Bureau Chief since 2023. With over two decades of experience, Emmanuel has extensive expertise in political, cultural, sports and economic reporting worldwide.