Jean-François Leroy, founder of Visa pour l’image, dies at 69

Jean-François Leroy, the founder and longtime director of the international photojournalism festival Visa pour l’image, has died at the age of 69. He passed away on Monday, August 31, at his home in Paris following a battle with cancer.

Leroy, a former Sipa Press photographer and editor-in-chief of Photo Magazine, was instrumental in transforming the Perpignan-based festival into a premier global gathering for press photography. Since its inception in 1989, the event has drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, providing a platform for field photographers to showcase their work.

Described by festival director Delphine Lelu as the ‘soul’ of the event, Leroy was a staunch advocate for journalistic integrity and freedom of information. He frequently championed human-made imagery from the field over content driven by social media or artificial intelligence. Despite his illness, he participated in the preparations for the festival’s 38th edition.