FilmLight has finalised the 2025 FilmLight Colour Awards jury and welcomed award-winning American cinematographer, Bradford Young, ASC, as this year’s Jury President.
Young will head up the 2025 jury alongside South Korean film director, screenwriter and producer, Park Chan-wook, who was recently named the 2025 Guest of Honour, as well as leading cinematographers such as Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS, and Alice Brooks, ASC, and colourists Pankaj Bajpai and Masahiro Ishiyama.
Bradford Young, ASC, is an acclaimed American cinematographer known for his work on When They See Us (2019); Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival (2016), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for achievement in cinematography; Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018); A Most Violent Year (2014); Selma (2014), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Cinematography in a Motion Picture; as well as Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013), and Mother Of George (2013) – both of which won him Sundance US Dramatic Competition Excellence in Cinematography awards (2013).
“It is with great pleasure that I serve as Jury President for the 5th annual FilmLight Colour Awards,” says Young. “Colourists are the hidden jewels of our art form. They complete our creative utterances and are foundational to the life of a moving image. It’s an honour to stand with my colleagues and praise some of the greatest colourists of our time and the wonderful work they represent.”
Also joining this year’s jury is Dion Beebe, ASC, ACS, Australian–South African cinematographer best known for his work on Michael Mann’s Miami Vice (2006) and Collateral (2004), which earned him a BAFTA award. He received his first Academy Award nomination for Rob Marshall’s Chicago (2002) and won an Oscar for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), a film that also earned him the BAFTA Award and the American Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography. Other work includes In The Cut (2003), Edge of Tomorrow (2014), 13 Hours (2016), The Little Mermaid (2023), and he is currently working on the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.
“For any cinematographer working today, the relationship with the colourist is integral,” says Beebe. “The advances in technology have led us to an almost infinite colour palette as well as the ability to adjust tone, texture and framing. It also means the cinematographer needs to approach their work with a very clear idea, and with carefully considered intent. My interest in serving on this jury is to recognise work that has a strong defined look and, almost more importantly, serves the story and demonstrates a clear intent by the filmmakers.”
Completing this year’s jury are:
Pankaj Bajpai – senior colourist at Picture Shop in Los Angeles. Bajpai has collaborated with some of the most acclaimed and talented filmmakers in the industry on various productions, including The Penguin (2024), Bridgerton (S1-S3), True Detective (S2-S3), Sex and the City (S4-S5), Fear the Walking Dead (S1-S2), Perry Mason (S1-S2), and House of Cards (S2), among many other notable projects.
Alice Brooks, ASC – award-winning cinematographer best known for shooting Universal’s Wicked (2024), which was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and its sequel, Wicked: For Good, which is set to be released in November 2025. She is currently working on the highly anticipated Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse for Sony Pictures Animation, due for release in June 2027.
“Colourists infuse films with a wizard-like artistry that feels nothing short of magic,” comments Brooks. “During the DI for Wicked and Wicked: For Good, we’ve spent countless late nights pouring creativity into every frame. That process has been a powerful reminder of how vital and beautiful the collaboration between cinematographers and colourists is, and of the extraordinary visuals we can create together.”
Richard Fearon – co-founder and colourist at Black Kite Studios in London, Fearon is known for his innovative approach to colour grading across high-profile commercials, fashion films, and music videos. His work includes campaigns for brands like Samsung, Nike, McDonald’s, and Palace Skateboards.
Greg Fisher – senior colourist at Company 3 in London. Recent work includes Poor Things (2024), for which he won the ‘Theatrical Feature’ category at the 2024 FilmLight Colour Awards, Nope (2022), Russian Doll (S2), 1917 (2019), Ad Astra (2019), Bohemiam Rhapsody (2018), Spectre (2015), Hugo (2011), and more.
Carolyn Giardina – award-winning journalist, author and speaker specialising in the art and science of entertainment, including all areas of production and post-production. Giardina is also a lecturer at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film & Media Arts and co-authored a book about stereoscopic 3D filmmaking, “Exploring 3D” (Focal Press, 2012).
Masahiro Ishiyama – founder, CEO and senior colourist of ARTONE FILM, Japan. His notable credits include Godzilla Minus One (2023), First Kiss (2025) and numerous Netflix shows such as Sanctuary (2023) and First Love (2022). He is a three-time JPPA Award winner for Best Grading and known for his precise, modern approach to visual storytelling.
Raúl Lavado Verdú – Madrid-based colourist and head of Misterio Color Lab, with studios in Madrid and São Paulo. He is known for his sensitive, collaborative approach to colour grading, and won the ‘Spotlight’ category at the 2024 FilmLight Colour Awards for his grade on La Espera.
Bobola Oniwura, CSI – film colourist, educator, and creative director with over a decade of experience defining the visual language of African cinema. He is lead colourist at Ingenuity Pictures and his colour work includes the record-breaking A Tribe Called Judah (2023) and the iconic Netflix original series King of Boys: The Return of the King (2021).
Paulo Pérez, ADFC – cinematographer and co-founder of the Colombian Guild of Cinematographers ADFC. Pérez gained early recognition for his award‑winning cinematography on Ciro Guerra’s Los viajes del viento (2009) and Chocó (2012). Recent work includes Netflix’s 100 Years of Solitude (2024); Sony Live India series, Jengaburu, The Curse (2023); plus Amazon’s The Head of Joaquín Murrieta (2023) and News of a Kidnapping (2022).
Manuel Portschy – Berlin-based freelance colourist, Portschy works on international features, series, commercials and music videos. A five-time FilmLight Colour Awards nominee, and winner of the 2024 ‘TV/Episodic’ category for his work on Die Zweiflers (S1).
Colin Wandersman – French cinematographer best known for his work on feature films such as DogMan (2023), which screened in competition at La Biennale di Venezia, and Pandemonium (2023), which earned awards for Best Cinematography, VFX, and SFX at Grimmfest. He also shot the latest Luc Besson movie, Dracula: A Love Tale (2025).
These creatives join the previously announced jury members to complete this year’s jury: Bojana Andrić, SAS – cinematographer; Douglas Dutton – freelance colourist; Sylvester Fonseca, ISC – cinematographer; Callan Green, ACS, NZCS – cinematographer; Philip Hambi – colourist at Absolute; Kim Ji-yong – cinematographer and director; Nadia Khairat Gomez – freelance colourist; Petra Korner, AAC – cinematographer; Andrea Leigh – senior colourist at Harbor; Fady Melek – senior colourist; Frida Marzouk, AFC – cinematographer; Adam Newport-Berra – cinematographer and director; and Stefan Sonnenfeld – founder and CEO of Company 3.
This year’s submissions are now closed, with the jury now evaluating the entries. The nominees will be announced in October and the winners unveiled at EnergaCAMERIMAGE on 16 November 2025.
Photo by Atsushi Nishijima
Jon Creamer
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