Top image: Photography Jonathan Pinkhard. Courtesy the artist and IPF

Thanks to a successful crowdfunding campaign 2015 marks the year Independent Photography Festival (IPF) goes truly international, from New York to Los Angeles to Melbourne and now landing in London this week, bringing a high calibre ten day programme to the UK capital.

First founded by Joe Miranda of Hard Workers Club in 2012 with the intention of both promoting local talent and forming international relationships, IPF’s inaugural London residency includes shows and book launches at prominent independent galleries including Prote.in, 71a Gallery, Dalston Hive, Doomed Gallery, Peckham Springs as well as partnering with House of Vans for a group exhibition and two DIY workshops.

It’s a mega line-up that boasts an eclectic mix of London based talent. Here we’ve put together our five ‘ones to watch’, from East End skaters to the Kosovan Olympic team, the subjects span far and wide. It’s a must-see on the international photography programme.

Luke Overin – Ultimate Metal Breakdown
For South london based Luke Overin photography is a visual representation of British society’s sensibilities. His subjects are those around him, strangers who inhabit the same space. His sharp interpretation of British culture pins down those charming and unusual qualities that form everyday life. For IPF Overin will be exhibiting a new body of work titled Ultimate Metal Breakdown featuring photographs taken in his hometown of Margate, juxtaposing the old seaside town aesthetic with the joie de vivre of the town’s youth.

Fri 20 Nov 71A Gallery 71 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QS

Kat Hanula – Celestial Communication
Kat Hanula is a photographer, traveler, dancer and mystic based in London whose work explores themes of nature, love and cosmos. Through a combination of photography and collage technique Hanula’s show Celestial Communication explores topics of spirituality, consciousness and human vs nature. The unique blend of new wave romanticism and retro futurism combines with poignant verve.

Tue 24 – 30 Nov, The Hive 260-264 Kingsland Road, E8 4DG

Brian Kanagaki – Golden Persimmons
In recent years New york based artist Brian Kanagaki shifted his focus from printmaking to photography, translating his aesthetic through mediums.

This printing background is evident in his Golden Persimmons series Still-life abstract, geometric subjects take new meaning via Kanagaki’s dreamlike monochrome palette.

“The images are meant to be calming, but they also have an unsettling quality to them,” Brian says. “I like the idea that the more you think of something, the more you start to notice that thing. Like ornamental plants, one day you notice one in someone’s yard and think how nice it is, and then you start seeing them everywhere, even in places you have been a hundred times. While thinking about this idea, it‘s nice to imagine that you can dictate how you see the world around you by simply thinking about things that you want to see – somehow manifesting them.”

Fri 27 – 29 Nov Studio 2 Gallery 31 New Inn Yard, EC2A 3EY

Pani Paul – Mile End Project
Since 2012 photographer Pani Paul has been documenting the local kids at Mile End. “At first they hated the idea of having their picture taken but once they started to become familiar with me they started began to warm to the idea,” explains Paul. The candid series is a fitting tribute to the effervescent characters that populate Mile End skate park and the surrounding areas.

Thu 26 Nov 71A Gallery 71 Leonard St, London EC2A 4QS

Independent Photography Festival London runs from Wednesday 18th November to Saturday 28th November, full programme here.