Umbria World Fest 2016 explores family ties through photography in Foligno

The fourth edition of Umbria World Fest, a photography festival in Foligno, Italy, is held across multiple historic venues including Palazzo Trinci, the foyer of Teatro Piermarini, ZUT! space, and Palazzo Candiotti. Curated by Marco Pinna, the festival's theme is "Flesh & Blood," examining family bonds through photography. Exhibitions feature works by Alain Laboile, whose black-and-white images of his children gained fame via The New York Times; Andrea Stern, whose "Inheritance" series captures her wealthy New York family during Jewish holidays; Sara Lewkowicz, who documents a same-sex couple's surrogacy journey and domestic violence; and Magnum photographer Paolo Pellegrin, whose "Sevla" explores power dynamics within Rome's Romani community. Other highlights include Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers' "Gombe Family Album" on chimpanzees, Nicoletta Cotechini's video installation "Uprooted" about adoption, and a community project inviting Foligno families to contribute family photos. The festival also presents winners of the UPF 2015 prize: Gianluca Abblasio, Simone Sapienza, and Emanuela Colombo. Palazzo Candiotti hosts a collection from Picwant, an agency sourcing smartphone photos from the public. The program includes conferences, workshops, and concerts.