FRMEFEST 2025 RECAP
After making its debut in 2025 there is only one question to ask.. was it worth the hype?
At a glance, FRMEFEST bills itself as Australia’s first “visual storytellers” summit — a two-day gathering celebrating photography, videography, film, digital content creation and visual art.
The debut (2025) edition was held 19–20 July 2025 at Carriageworks in Sydney.
The core mission: bring together creators (beginners to professionals), industry leaders, and global brands — to inspire, up-skill, network, and reshape the future of visual storytelling.
FOR A 2 DAY PASS ($299), WE GOT
INSPIRING, GLOBAL INDUSTRY LEADERS
They featured internationally-recognised photographers, filmmakers, digital artists and storytellers as keynote speakers and workshop leaders.
Our Top Pics
The god that is Macami
The infamous tiktok sensation David Suh - we were pleasantly surprised by this one!
GUEST SPEAKERS, PANELS & ACTIVE LEARNING
Guest speakers covered an array of genres across photography, videography, content creation — giving attendees both technical skills and creative inspiration.
Our Top Pics
Shoot Like a Pro, Anywhere (Product Photography)
by Jacob Manfred
Mastering Adventure (Outdoor and Landscape Visual Storytelling)
with Clyde Vaughn
ACTIVATIONS & HANDS ON EXHIBITS
Attendees could engage directly with camera, film gear and software amongst other tools thanks to the support and sponsorship from major brands like Fujifilm, SONY, CANON and Nikon to name a few.
Our Top Pics
Shooting Fantasy Portraiture
(Sponsored by Fujifilm)
Macro Station with Live Animal Encounters (Presented by OM System
and Bridgette Gower)
THE EVENT’S IMPORTANCE
FRMEFEST represents the beginning of a community and perhaps a shift in how we think about visual storytelling now that creativity, technology, and collaboration intersect strongly.
DOWNSIDES..
Being the first event from the provider and the first of its kind, we aren’t judging too harshly. However, in order to sell remaining tickets, a discount was given to anyone who purchased within a few weeks of the event which inconvenienced the initial ticket purchasers who paid full price. They also opted-in a discount if you purchased a neighbouring ticket for a friend or colleague. Sucks to be organised I guess..
THE VERDICT
It was a great day out and bonding event for our team. We were pleasantly surprised by the relevance and how much could be obtained from this style of event with our predictions being a little more AI and user-content focused next year.
Was it worth the hype? I think if they learn and take the idea further in 2026 - yes.
The value of global industry leaders at this price point was a no-brainer and the event provided hands on learning, all amenities and unique opportunities to learn by doing. It was inclusive of professionals and hobbyists alike with plenty of touch points for networking and further discussion.
OUR SUGGESTIONS FOR FRMEFEST 2026
P (MONO Founder, Lead Designer) - 9 years Industry Exp.
AI Industry leaders in relation to content, storytelling and its impact on businesses as we move forward into an age of workflows, automation and agentic creation.
I would have loved to see more in regards to strategic selling and the content market’s future e.g UGC generation. Where do people think this will go once consumers have been numbed out?
The impact of fast consumption on campaigns has been huge, you’re either shooting a RAW and organic iPhone video with no edits or creating an entire 4-day cinematic production just to market one thing. I’m surprised more creatives aren’t talking about the whiplash and think it would make an interesting panel debate.
I value a good debrief and feel an area dedicated to this that wasn’t the food station would have been major.
Lox (Layla Mae Studio - Brand Photographer) - 2 years Industry Exp.
I would have valued clearer pathways for different skill levels. The event welcomed everyone however great for inclusivity, but i think led to:
New creators feeling overwhelmed
Mid-weights struggling to understand advanced content
Pros trying to find sufficiently advanced content
Tiered streams could solve this, think ‘Build, Elevate, Master’ that allow creatives to choose program events based on their progression level and understanding rather than simply topic.
Des (Khaios - Junior Content Creator) - <2 years Industry Exp.
I really enjoyed the summit although felt slightly out of depth as my usual setup is an iPhone for quick capture and edits. I would have loved a demo from a current influencer on how they create, light and edit for iPhone style content.
An opportunity for live feedback alongside the live exhibits was a missed one. Something like a ‘fix my photo’ or ‘fix my footage’ to see editing and creative choices in real time. Would be cool if they reviewed portfolio’s as well!
