FITC Toronto 2026: 25th Anniversary — The Rebirth of Creative Innovation
FITC Toronto 2026
FITC Toronto’s 25th anniversary brought together a community of designers, technologists, artists, creative coders, and innovators for two days of talks, performances, conversations, and shared experiences.
With the theme “Rebirth,” the conference explored how creativity continues to evolve through technology, experimentation, uncertainty, and human connection.
As a long-time attendee and member of the FITC community, I documented the 2026 conference from the perspective of both a participant and photographer.
The resulting collection captures the conference itself—and the people, conversations, performances, and celebrations surrounding it.
Quick Info
Role
Event Photographer
Project Type
Conference & Creative Industry Photography
Tools
DSLR Cameras, iPhone 12, Adobe Lightroom, Adobe Photoshop
Date
April 28–29, 2026
Location
Toronto, Ontario
Coverage
2-day conference, opening party, and closing afterparty
Deliverables
Event documentation, speaker photography, audience interaction, candid community moments, and curated event imagery
Photography Note
Independent event documentation; not official FITC event photography.
The Context
25 Years of FITC
FITC Toronto 2026 marked the organization’s 25th anniversary.
For a conference built around the relationship between creativity and technology, the anniversary theme of “Rebirth” felt particularly appropriate.
The event brought together creative practitioners working across:
- Design
- Creative coding
- Animation
- AI
- XR
- Interactive experiences
- Digital art
- Music and performance
- Creative technology
As someone who has attended FITC for many years, this was also a personal milestone.
I was not photographing the conference as an external observer.
I was part of the community experiencing the event alongside the people I was documenting.
That perspective shaped the photography.
The Photography Challenge
A two-day creative conference moves quickly.
Across the event, I photographed:
- Keynote presentations
- Talks and panels
- Live creative coding performances
- Audience reactions
- Informal conversations
- Networking
- Behind-the-scenes moments
- Opening and closing celebrations
The challenge was not simply to photograph the people on stage.
It was to create a visual record of the entire experience.
The conference had multiple visual identities throughout the two days—from focused presentations and live performances to the more spontaneous energy of the opening party and Tendril Studio afterparty.
The photography needed to reflect that range.
Photography Objective
My goal was to document the energy and personality of FITC Toronto 2026 while creating a visual archive of its 25th-anniversary celebration.
I wanted the collection to capture:
The ideas being shared.
The people experiencing them.
The creative work happening on stage.
The relationships forming between sessions.
The celebration surrounding the event.
The strongest images were not always the most formally composed.
Some of the most memorable photographs came from the moments between scheduled sessions—the conversations, reactions, unexpected interactions, and connections that made the event feel like a community rather than simply a conference.
Photography Highlights
A visual record of FITC Toronto’s 25th anniversary.
Across two conference days, an opening party, and the closing celebration at Tendril Studio, I photographed the people, performances, talks, and interactions that made the 25th anniversary feel like a true creative reunion.
The full collection includes 169 photographs documenting the 25th-anniversary FITC Toronto experience.
Full Gallery: FITC Toronto 2026
Lightbox Gallery:
Click on any image below to view it in full-screen mode. The gallery is organized into four sections for easy navigation:
- Day 1 Conference
- Day 2 Conference
- Day 1 Tilt Arcade Opening Party
- Day 2 Tendril Afterparty
A Visual Story in Four Chapters
Rather than treating the gallery as one long collection of 169 images, I would present it as four connected chapters.
Day 1: Conference – A Journey of Innovation and Reflection
The first day introduced the theme of “Rebirth” through talks, performances, panels, and conversations exploring the future of creative practice. The coverage included sessions from speakers including:
- Justin Cone’s Keynote: “Find Your Purpose In 45 Minutes or Less”
Justin challenged the conventional idea of purpose being a fixed destination and shared actionable advice on how to shape purpose as an evolving creative practice. - Kim Alpert’s Keynote: “Why Can’t You?”
Kim shared her journey of overcoming self-imposed limitations, encouraging the audience to embrace challenges and transform setbacks into opportunities for growth. - Joshua Davis’ Talk: “PrayStation – 31 Years Of Creative Coding”
Joshua, a pioneer in creative coding, walked us through his 31-year career, showing how the tools and languages of creative coding have evolved. - Marcel Ziul’s Talk: “Chaos”
Marcel’s philosophy on embracing chaos as a creative force resonated deeply, encouraging us to see chaos as an essential part of the creative process. - AI & Creativity Panel
A lively panel discussion explored how artificial intelligence is reshaping the creative industry and how AI can amplify human creativity.
The photography moved between the scale of the stage and the reactions of the audience, documenting both the formal presentations and the energy around them.
Day 1 — Tilt Arcade Opening Party
The opening party at Tilt Arcade Bar brought a different energy to the conference.
The formal structure of the day gave way to:
- Games
- Conversations
- Creative connections
- Competition
- Unexpected moments
This section of the gallery captures the more spontaneous side of the FITC community.
Day 2: Immersion and Creativity Unleashed
Day 2 continued to inspire, with discussions about creative technology, immersive experiences, and the power of human connection.
The coverage included sessions from:
- Switch Angel’s Talk: “Patterns For Restarting The World”
Switch’s talk on improvisation and creative coding was a highlight of Day 2. She discussed how embracing uncertainty in creative performance leads to richer experiences. - PJ Richardson’s Talk: “Ways We Can Thrive In The Age Of AI Uncertainty”
PJ reframed AI uncertainty as an advantage for creativity, urging us to use technology to enhance our work and embrace curiosity. - GMUNK’s Closing Keynote: “The Shape Of Change: Art At The Edge Of Technology And Mind”
GMUNK’s talk pushed the boundaries of creativity and technology, encouraging us to think beyond convention and explore new frontiers in art and innovation. - Shawn Pucknell’s Special Talk
Shawn’s session reflected on 25 years of FITC, celebrating the past and looking toward the future of creative innovation.
From live code performances to GMUNK’s closing keynote, the day moved between highly technical creative work, personal reflection, and large-scale visual spectacle.
Day 2 — Tendril Studio Afterparty: A True Celebration
The closing party at Tendril Studio was the perfect end to an incredible conference.
It was an opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet creatives whose work I had followed for years, and document the community outside the conference environment.
The resulting photographs are less about formal event coverage and more about:
- Connection
- Celebration
- Community
- Shared creative experiences
It was awesome meeting GMUNK, Marti Romances, Simon Conlin, and other inspiring creatives. A huge thanks to Patrick Coffey and the Tendril Studio team for hosting such a memorable celebration, and of course, to Shawn Pucknell and the FITC team for making the 25th anniversary so special!
It was the perfect way to close the conference.
My Approach
Photographing the Experience, Not Just the Schedule
I approached the event as a continuous visual story rather than a collection of isolated sessions.
That meant looking for:
- Expressions
- Reactions
- Interactions
- Environmental context
- Movement
- Unplanned moments
The goal was to create a gallery that could communicate what it felt like to be at FITC Toronto 2026.
Balancing Stage and Community
The conference photography balances formal documentation with candid storytelling.
The collection includes:
- Wide environmental images
- Speaker portraits
- Live performance photography
- Audience reactions
- Informal portraits
- Candid interactions
- Afterparty moments
This range helps the collection move beyond traditional conference documentation.
Working Across Changing Environments
The event moved between:
- Conference rooms
- Presentation stages
- Performance environments
- Arcade spaces
- Studio environments
- Afterparty locations
I worked with DSLR cameras and an iPhone 12 depending on the environment and moment, using Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop for image selection, editing, and post-production.
The goal was to maintain visual consistency while allowing each environment to retain its own atmosphere.
A Personal Connection to the Community
One of the most meaningful parts of FITC Toronto 2026 was reconnecting with friends and people who have been part of my creative journey.
The conference created opportunities to reconnect with:
I was also grateful to have Brian photograph me during the event—something that does not happen often when I am usually the person behind the camera.
That personal connection is part of what makes this collection different from a conventional event photography assignment.
The images document a community that I am also part of.
The 25th Anniversary Celebration
The conference was also a celebration of FITC’s history and future.
I was especially grateful to photograph and experience:
- The 25th-anniversary programming
- The “Rebirth” theme
- The conference’s creative community
- Escafandra‘s opening title work
- The Tilt Arcade opening party
- The Tendril Studio afterparty
The combination of talks, performances, community, and celebration made this feel like more than a standard conference.
It was a milestone event.
Selected Speakers and Sessions Photographed
The collection includes photography from sessions featuring creatives and leaders working across design, creative coding, AI, interactive technology, animation, music, and visual culture, including:
- Justin Cone – FrameRate
- Joshua Davis – Joshua Davis Studios
- Kim Alpert – nilor.studio
- Switch Angel – Electronic Artist (Spotify , Youtube)
- PJ Richardson – Laundry
- GMUNK – gmunk.com
- Marti Romances – Territory Studio
- Simon Conlin – REFLEKTOR DIGITAL
- Lavinia Keller – Amplify
- Stef Smet – Instagram
- Josh Maldonado – CTRL+SHIFT
- Patrick Coffey – Tendril Studio
- Erin Sarofsky – Sarofsky Corp
- Ron Gervais – IAMSTATIC
- Kevin Walker – BUCK
- Shawn Pucknell – FITC
- Lesley Ann Noel – OCAD University
- Jason Theodor – MoreBetterDifferent.org
- Max Rusan – Reflektor Digital
- Christopher Lewis – Fire Burns Up.
- A.S.M Kobayashi – Artist
- Philip Cadoux – DE-YAN
- Ben McEvoy – Friends & Enemies
- Mandy Stobo – Visual Artist
View the full gallery to explore the complete event coverage.
Outcome
This project resulted in a visual archive of FITC Toronto’s 25th-anniversary celebration.
The collection documents:
- Two days of conference programming
- Creative technology presentations
- Live performances
- Audience engagement
- Informal community moments
- The Tilt Arcade opening party
- The Tendril Studio afterparty
The final gallery contains 169 photographs across four distinct chapters of the event.
More importantly, the project allowed me to document a creative community I have been connected to for years during a significant moment in its history.
Reflection
FITC Toronto 2026 reinforced why I enjoy photographing creative communities.
The strongest event photography is not simply about documenting who was on stage.
It is about understanding the energy of the environment.
It is about recognizing when to photograph:
The speaker.
The audience.
The reaction.
The conversation.
The unexpected moment.
The theme of “Rebirth” also resonated with the way creative work continues to evolve.
Tools change. Technologies change. Industries change.
But the need to experiment, connect, question, and create remains.
Photographing FITC’s 25th anniversary gave me the opportunity to document that evolution while also being part of the community experiencing it.
For me, this project is both an event photography case study and a personal visual archive of a creative community that has had a meaningful influence on my own creative journey.
Related Project: FITC Toronto 2025
Explore an earlier FITC Toronto conference photography project documenting keynotes, workshops, networking, and creative industry moments.
Looking for a photographer to document a conference, creative event, performance, or community gathering?
I bring a documentary approach to event photography, combining technical awareness with an understanding of how to capture the people, energy, and moments that make an event memorable.
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