In their fifth year, the FilmLight Colour Awards are open for 2025 entries, closing on 31 July.
The awards are open to colourists working on any grading system and are independently evaluated by a panel of distinguished cinematographers, fellow colourists, media experts and industry figures.
Once again this year, colourists can submit their favourite projects across six categories: Theatrical Feature; Television Series/Episodic (including documentary/non-fiction); Commercial; Music Video; Emerging Talent (open to colourists aged 18-35, for commercial or music video projects); and Spotlight, which recognises colourists who have contributed to the creative impact of a film with a total budget of less than $3 million USD.
In this article, we take a look back at the 2024 winning projects and explore the colourists’ creative journeys on six incredible and unique projects.
Theatrical Feature – Greg Fisher
The award for the grading of a theatrical feature went to Greg Fisher at Company 3 in London for his work on Poor Things.
Fisher worked with director Yorgos Lanthimos and DoP Robbie Ryan to bring the most out of the imagery in the grade. As a period film, though fantastical and heightened, Fisher felt it was important for it to feel grounded in reality. He aimed for a palette that was faithful to the design, but not too constrained so that it would inhibit the more extreme moments, while also maintaining an emotional connection to the characters.
“It’s an honour to be selected by such a talented and respected group of people,” commented Fisher, upon learning about his win. “I love Poor Things, it’s an example of why I love film – all elements pulling together; the acting, script, production design, costume design, music, cinematography, editing and, of course, direction. The story and tone are this unique blend of frightening, funny, outrageous and heartfelt and I hope all aspects of the look help to convey this.”
The film was shot on colour, black and white negative plus Ektachrome colour reversal.
“Bella’s infancy and childhood are shot in black and white, and then it switches to colour as she becomes an adult,” says Fisher. “This was determined during the shoot by Yorgos and Robbie – such an effective way to define that line. They are both wonderful artists and very knowledgeable about every aspect of how to create an image.”
Fisher, Lanthimos and Ryan worked closely together on ways to bring the most out of the imagery in the grade.
“Sometimes we pushed things, then fed back to VFX to incorporate some of those ideas in a more extreme way,” explains Fisher. “Sometimes pushing particular moments or quietening down others to allow key scenes to feel stronger. The grade itself is just one part of that overall look.”
“The visuals are pretty unique,” concludes Fisher. “There really isn’t anything out there that I’m aware of that looks very much like this film. I suppose the seed might be in Alasdair Gray’s illustrations and paintings.”
Television Series/Episodic – Manuel Portschy
The award for the grading of a TV series / episodic went to Berlin-based freelance colourist Manuel Portschy for his work on The Zweiflers (season 1).
“Winning the category is a dream come true,” said Portschy. “I am very grateful to the jury for taking the time to watch and discuss the submissions in such great detail.”
The Zweiflers tells the story of a Jewish family running a delicatessen empire in Frankfurt, Germany. When family patriarch Symcha Zweifler decides to sell it, while his grandson is expecting a baby, the family dynamics get tense.
“We tried to incorporate some of this heightened tension throughout the episodes and developed a show look that did most of the heavy lifting in terms of colour palette, contrast and texture – while keeping it flexible enough for us to take many different directions with the underlying colour palette,” says Portschy.
“With what we liked to call our ‘neutral palette’, we decided to specifically manipulate neutrals all over the luminance range during grading,” adds Portschy. “This meant whenever we saw a supposedly neutral area in the frame, like white walls, dull skies, grey tiles and concrete, we would make use of our modifier to push some colour into it.”
“The project was an absolute dream to work on creatively,” says Portschy. “Phillip Kaminiak, the DoP, got so much trust from his two directors, showrunner and producers, that we basically graded by ourselves with occasional rounds of approval in between episodes, to discuss the progress of the look of the show.
“This is a collaborative achievement for the whole team,” adds Portschy. “Especially my friend and DoP Phillip, who did an outstanding job shooting in a way that gave us so much flexibility to play around with in the grade.”
Commercial – Tim Masick
The award for the grading of a commercial went to Tim Masick at Company 3 in New York for his work on Zara, SS24 STUDIO COLLECTION.
“I am thrilled to be selected as a winner in the commercial category by the FilmLight Colour Awards jury,” said Masick. “To be recognised by such an esteemed panel of jurors with such incredible work from around the world is a true honour.”
The spot was directed by Fabien Baron and shot by DoP Philippe LeSourd.
“I selected this project because it stood out as an example of using colour to support the mood of the film without overstepping the light that Philippe created,” says Masick.
“Since Fabien and I have a very longstanding relationship, I created the base colour treatment beforehand and then presented it to him and the art director, Jieun, while working remotely,” recalls Masick. “From there we experimented with changing the colour of various elements in each set (floor, chairs, walls, curtains, etc.) to find combinations that worked well internally, as well as relative to the other scenes. Once we made a version we liked, we came back the following day, made some subtle changes and called it done.”
“With most of Fabien’s work, there is a beauty, a subtlety, and a tension,” adds Masick. “Each of these need to be acknowledged and executed at a high level. For this project, there is a sense of rarefied beauty, controlled calm and hypnotic precision with an undercurrent of mystery to offset the surface beauty.”
“There were no visual references for this, but the light was beautiful and very intentional,” explains Masick. “For the colour treatment, it was fairly wide open, so I made a playlist based on the mood I felt it should have. It featured a lot of classic Japanese female vocalists like Taeko Onuki, a bunch of leftfield 70s and 80s deep cuts, and some Durutti Column albums I hadn’t listened to previously. All of this melded together to get me into a zone to define the look of the film.”
Music Video – Nadia Khairat Gomez
The award for the grading of a music video went to Spanish-Egyptian freelance colourist Nadia Khairat Gomez, based between Berlin and Madrid, for her work on Brodka x Igo, Myślę sobie Ż.
“Winning this award is a tremendous honour,” commented Gomez. “It means the world to me to be chosen and valued by my fellow colleagues and artists, whom I truly admire.”
“Choosing just one project was not easy, but it eventually became clear to me that I wanted to propose something unconventional that would be very different from any commercial work I’ve done. The creativity of the project and the vision of the director allowed me to experiment. I was also captivated by the tone of the video— it’s simple yet friendly and quite hypnotic. It’s the kind of project I’m eager to bring to a larger audience.”
“For me, what makes this project truly special is how it instantly evokes the charm of those amazing summer postcards from the past, which our grandparents used to share with relatives to showcase the sunny places they visited,” explains Gomez.
“The project was shot on 16mm and we wanted to reinforce its analogue style and look,” adds Gomez. “We aimed to do something soft, bright and joyful that aligns with the mood of the song. We wanted to keep it realistic, with neutral tones in the skin and avoiding extremely dark tones in the shadows. I also find the VFX work fascinating and playful. For instance, there’s a whimsical floating crochet car that beautifully contrasts with the realistic look and feel. This adds a layer of fun, surrealism and surprise to the project, which I find truly mesmerising.”
“I feel incredibly grateful to be recognised for a fun and independent project like this. People sometimes think you need a big production and budget to gain visibility, but independent projects like this often provide creative freedom to everyone involved, which was the case here.”
Emerging Talent – Douglas Dutton
The Emerging Talent award went to Paris-based freelance colourist Douglas Dutton for his work on Baltic, Harmonical Diffraction.
“It’s an immense honour to be selected as a winner in the Emerging Talent category,” said Dutton. “Getting recognition from people I look up to in the industry feels phenomenal.”
“I selected this piece as I really connected with the timeless aspect, and the jazzy Parisian night vibes,” says Dutton. “The creative team really pushed it hard and wanted to make a statement. It’s the kind of project I love to work on.”
“The look of the project is a gritty 16mm film emulation, designed from scratch,” adds Dutton. “The original material was shot on digital SLR cameras with sharp modern glass – not the easiest starting point for that sort of challenge.”
“I’ve worked with this team for a while and we trust each other personally and creatively, so I had total creative freedom to ‘make it look interesting’,” comments Dutton. “Usually the creative team leans towards filmy aesthetics, and I thought it would be right to push a 16mm look and have fun designing it.”
“The Baltic watches brand is about classic aesthetics heritage,” says Dutton. “Their mechanisms are automatic. I think the analogue and classic film aesthetic was perfect to emphasise the Parisian night mood paired with the classical identity of the product.
Spotlight – Raúl Lavado Verdú
The Spotlight award went to Madrid-based Raúl Lavado Verdú at Misterio Color Lab for his work on La Espera (The Wait).
“Winning this award is a real honour,” said Raúl. “Knowing that the amazing jury has seen and appreciated my work is something incredible, as I am a big fan of their work. I feel very grateful to the jury and excited by the recognition, since La Espera is a very personal project.”
“I decided to submit The Wait because I felt the work we did on the colour grading captured the emotional essence of the film,” explains Raúl. “The story is full of subtleties, and the use of colour was key to emphasising that quiet tension. I wanted others to see how the right use of colour can amplify the atmosphere of a film.”
“The look is minimalist, but full of nuances,” adds Raúl. “We opted for a muted colour palette that reflects the emotional isolation of the characters. What is unique about this project is how the colour accompanies the narrative in an almost imperceptible way, maintaining the tension but without stealing the spotlight from the story or the performances.
“It is a look of strong contrast. Due to the loneliness and aridity of the Andalusian lands, it had to be ‘smellable’ and suffocating for the viewer. And there is a key point in the film, where we ‘kill’ all the green colours, which signifies hope. The film is full of small nuances like this,” explains Raúl.
“The grading helped reinforce the sense of isolation, suffocation and emptiness that dominates the film,” says Raúl. “We played with deep shadows and dim lighting to make the viewer feel that sense of endless waiting that affects the characters. The use of strong contrasts and heavy grain creates an oppressive atmosphere, which reinforces the melancholic tone of the story.”
“I worked closely on this project with the director and DoP, who had a very clear vision about the atmosphere they wanted to create,” says Raúl. “I had a lot of freedom and my proposals were always well received. Thank you, Miguel Mora and Javier Gutiérrez, for your trust.”
Celebrating colourists across the globe
The FilmLight Colour Awards continue to shine a light on the creative artistry and technical precision of colourists around the world. From intimate indie features to high-fashion commercials, each winning project in 2024 reflected a bold and distinctive approach to colour that elevated the visual storytelling.
FilmLight is now calling colourists of all levels to share their vision, push creative boundaries, and gain recognition from some of the most respected voices in the industry by applying for the 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards.
Whether your work comes from a big-budget production or a personal passion project, the FilmLight Colour Awards celebrate the power of colour in all its forms.
Submit your project by 31 July and be part of the global celebration of colour and craft.