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OPEN CALL WINNERS & FINALISTS 2025

We are delighted to share the Winners, Honourable Mentions & Finalists of Photo|Frome’s first ever Open Call.

Submissions were invited on the 2025 theme of inEquality from UK and international photographers and collectives. The level and quality of the response proved humbling and we are proud to list this year’s selected photographers below – who come from a submission list spanning almost 40 countries, ranging from Bangladesh to Belgium, Egypt to England, Ireland to Italy, Morocco to Myanmar – and whose entries have been printed to feature in a dedicated exhibition held at Station Gallery (Station Approach, Frome, BA11 1RE).

Winners and honourable mentions, as selected by the curation team, were announced on the opening night of the festival. Full details of the Open Call process can be found on the original submission page.

Our congratulations to everyone – and our thanks to the many photographers who submitted their work for consideration.

Winners & Honourable Mentions

(Click/tap on thumbnails to go to photographers' Instagram)

WINNER

Diana Tishchenko (Belgium)

This photograph reflects inequality through the lens of everyday life in limited conditions, where even the space for basic needs is a luxury. It highlights the struggle for dignity and comfort in an environment that places people in unequal circumstances.

SECOND

Frederic Aranda (UK)

Dancer Maria Kochetkova pumping breast milk for Cleo in her dressing room at Sadler’s Wells in between performances, London, February 7 2024.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Allie Crewe (UK)

Equality remains elusive for women. In the UK, three women are killed weekly by their partners, and three more die by suicide to escape domestic abuse. Feathers of Hope brings forward the stories of women who have survived this violence, highlighting the resilience needed to endure such trauma.

This project confronts a society where women’s lives are endangered by gendered violence, emphasising the urgent need for change and support to ensure women’s safety and equality in their own homes and communities.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Bruna Ginammi (Italy)

Fragile shelters made from makeshift materials symbolize the precarious conditions and social exclusion faced by many migrants. Their demolition, often justified for “aesthetic order,” highlights a dehumanizing disregard for fundamental rights like housing and dignity.

This reflects a system of exploitation where workers are valued only for their labor, with no recognition of their humanity. It exposes a societal failure to integrate and respect migrants, perpetuating inequalities and marginalization instead of fostering inclusion and basic human rights.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Deirdre Brennan (Ireland)

Portrait of men of awaiting decisions regarding their applications for asylum in Ireland. The men had been living in a makeshift campsite by the International Protection Office. The Irish State stopped stopped offering accommodation to all male asylum seekers – in contravention of international commitments.

With no toilet, showering facilities, the build-up of rubbish, exposure to the cold and lack of toilet and laundry facilities was contributing to the spread of infections. The vintage suitcase represents the journey they have made.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Milda Vyšniauskaitė (Lithuania)

In Lithuania we have a big sociopolitical issue about sexuality and gender. We are winning by the male suicide rates in Europe yet we still encourage ‘macho’ image amongst our men. ‘Soy boy’ – a pejorative term sometimes used in online communities to describe men perceived to be lacking masculine characteristics.

With this photo series I am encouraging men to reclaim their power to be as soft and as gentle as they want and free themselves from macho standards.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Shams Radwan (Egypt)

Being a photographer allows me to highlight the lives of quarry workers who endure harsh conditions and serious health risks due to their demanding work. Through my photos, I document their struggles and the inequality in their working conditions. My goal is to give them a voice, drawing attention to the dangers they face and raising awareness of their challenges. 

I hope my work sheds light on their reality and inspires understanding and empathy for their humanity.

Finalists…

(Click/tap on thumbnails to go to photographers' Instagram)

Aindreas Scholz

Ala Buisir

Alex Roberston

Angela Crosti

Aung Kyaw Zaw

Clara Watt

Craig Burrows

Denise Felkin

Jamie Horrigan

Johannes Christopher Gerard

Karl Bailey

Mandy Williams

Marco Rito Rocha

Maura Jamieson

Muhammad Amdad Hossain

Xinyue Tao

Yassine El Jadid