Why Detroit? Why Now?
As photographers and filmmakers,
we’ve heard for years that Detroit doesn’t truly support the photo + film community.
Artists of our medium are often encouraged to leave to seek better opportunities.
We’re exhausted by this. And so, we’re choosing to be the change that we want.
If we want a true photo + film industry here in the city,
we need to highlight the creators who are making things happen.
If we want Detroit to be an active part of the international photo + film scene,
we need to invite the international players to see what we’re all about.
NOVA24 | Photo + Film Festival was created in 2023 by Mara Magyarosi-Laytner and Raymar to create a platform to connect Detroit photographers and filmmakers with the world. There are over 100+ lens based festivals in cities internationally and it’s time for Detroit to take the stage!
The annual festival, starting in July 2024, was established to connect the innovators of Detroit’s lens based industry by creating opportunities for exhibitions, film screenings, artist talks, workshops, and more throughout the Detroit metropolitan region in a range of indoor and outdoor experiences.
Who We Are
NOVA, the Latin word for “new”, brings that energy of creation to the forefront of Detroit + beyond.
24, in reference to not only the year of the festival, but our own photo + film history. 24 frames per second of film, 24 shots in a roll - 24 defines our ingenuity as we produce the best this medium has to offer.
Mission
To create a platform to connect Detroit photographers and filmmakers to the world and increase the value of our talent in Detroit.
Vision
A future where all of the photo + film community can embrace their career in Detroit and thrive on the international stage.
Values
Creativity. Community. Equity. Integrity. Evolution.
Photography by Brandon Russell
Mara Magyarosi-Laytner | Co-Founder
Mara Magyarosi-Laytner is an artist, educator, and curator in the Detroit area. Her artistic work pairs experimental lens based methods to explore identity through a symbolic and poetic lens. A graduate of both College for Creative Studies (BFA | Photography, 2012) and Savannah College of Art and Design (MA | Arts Administration, 2016, MFA | Photography, 2022), the artist and her work have been shown in many spaces across the United States and internationally, including the ScotiaBank CONTACT Photography Festival in Toronto, Canada, and exhibitions in Italy, France, and Hungary. Mara's artistic and curatorial projects have been featured in multiple articles and periodicals, including Complex, Detroit Metro Times, The Hand Magazine, and Aeonian Magazine. In 2022, her work from The Untended Garden was a Photolucida Critical Mass Finalist. Her monograph, The Untended Garden, was published by Starling Common Press in February 2024.
Raymar | Co-Founder
Raymar is an artist, educator, and curator based in Detroit. A graduate of College for Creative Studies, Raymar uses photography, film, and music to explore fashion forward aesthetics and to embrace the topics of identity and individuality. The artist is highly influenced by music, which he uses to shape static and moving images alike as a soundtrack to elevate ideas and concepts. He is the Co-Founder of NOVA24 | Photo + Film Festival, and his artistic and curatorial projects have been featured in publications and spaces such as Vogue Italia, The Wright Museum, Shinola, Metro Times, and Detroit Design Month.
NOVA24 | Executive Board
Mara Magyarosi-Laytner
Raymar
Amanda Laidlaw
Miles N. Reuben
Tryst Red