Karim’s career boasts high-profile collaborations on projects that have garnered attention for excellence in craft artistry. His work on Asghar Farhadi’s The Past, a Palme d’Or nominee at Cannes, and the Camerimage-recognized series Germinal solidified his standing as a master of crafting a cinematic visual language. International hits like To Catch a Killer (FilmNation), Message from the King (Netflix), and One Nation, One King (Studio Canal). El Katari was also tapped to restore iconic films, working alongside luminaries like Wim Wenders on Paris, Texas and Jean-Jacques Annaud on The Bear, and working with Warner Brothers / Metropolitan for Tony Scott’s True Romance.

In the commercial realm, El Katari has brought his signature style to luxury brands L’Oréal, Maison Margiela, and Cartier, partnering with creative powerhouses TBWA Paris, Sid Lee, and Moment Factory.

El Katari began his career in Paris in 2010 at Éclair Laboratories, where he benefited from the historic and competitive environment of one of France’s most renowned post-production houses where he honed his craft to master the intricate art of color timing and the photochemical process. This foundation has allowed him to uniquely blend analog expertise with cutting-edge digital approaches, giving his work a distinct and timeless quality.

El Katari expressed his excitement about joining the team: “I am honored to be part of such an impressive group of creatives at Harbor. I chose Harbor for two key reasons: its unwavering commitment to excellence for both clients and artists, and its strong culture of collaboration among colorists and cross-discipline artists. The energy and vision at Harbor are truly inspiring, and I’m eager for the work ahead.”

“Karim is a rare talent,” said Senior Colorist Damien Vandercruyssen, “His ability to seamlessly blend traditional techniques with bold, innovative ideas makes him stand out in the industry. Filmmakers are drawn to his artistry, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to the Harbor family.”

“Signing Karim El Katari deepens the artistic bench at Harbor,” said Massimo D’Avolio, EVP of Post Production at Harbor. “As the demand for avant-garde visuals continues to grow, Karim’s unique approach and expertise put us in an unparalleled position to deliver for our clients.”

London, [August 2024] — Harbor, a leading premium advertising and entertainment post-production studio, is pleased to announce the appointment of Alex Gregory as Executive Creative Director of Advertising Color, UK driving the company's growth and supporting the creative vision and client impact for the UK market. Gregory, recognized on Televisual Magazine’s ‘Top 10 Colorists‘ list three years running, brings extensive expertise and a distinguished reputation as one of London’s most sought-after Senior Colorists. Gregory is joined by longtime collaborator, Charlie Morris who has been appointed as Head of Color Production, Advertising.

Alex Gregory's portfolio includes a series of acclaimed commercials and music videos, showcasing a high level of artistry and precision that has significantly contributed to the success of numerous high-profile brands, directors, and agencies. Notable achievements in his career include winning a Creative Circle award for his work on Sebastian Strasser's Hyundai campaign 'On To Better' and the prestigious 'Best Colorist' award at the UKMVAs for his work on Bastille’s music video 'Distorted Light Beam,' directed by Jak Payne.

Gregory’s client list features prominent directors such as Felix Brady, Ian Pons Jewel, Los Perez, Jeff Low, Sebastian Strasser, Tom Green, Emil Nava, Nicolai Fuglsig, Philippe Andre, Johnny Hardstaff, Si and Ad, Frederick Bond, Jack Driscoll, and Marcus Soderlund. He regularly collaborates with blue chip agencies including BBC Creative, Droga5, Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, and Innocean Worldwide.

In his new role, Gregory will report to Dan Bennett, Managing Director of Advertising in the UK, and collaborate closely with Harbor’s Head of Color in North America, Oisin O’Driscoll to expand the global color offering for the company’s Advertising division. This strategic appointment comes at a crucial time as Harbor’s advertising division expands its VFX, color, and sound capabilities for the UK market.

On his new role, Alex Gregory expressed: "As a brand, Harbor is at the forefront of where creativity meets technology, and the quality and consistency of its work across both entertainment and advertising speaks for itself. I'm incredibly excited to join the team and for all the plans we have in place already. The international roster of color talent is second to none and I'm both humbled and excited to not only be a part of it, but also to be tasked with helping to grow the UK's Advertising offering across color and VFX at the same time."

Dan Bennet, Managing Director of Advertising in the UK at Harbor, added, "In partnership with Harbor CEO Zak Tucker, we have set out to build UK’s premium advertising post-production house supporting clients from set to screen with color, VFX, design, VO casting, sound, and music supervision. Alex has a track record of building incredible teams to service high end filmmakers in the UK, and crafting color for iconic, award-winning campaigns. I’m thrilled to have Alex join us to shepherd the growth of Harbor’s advertising color grading department in the UK.”

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 Élodie Ichter Joins Light Iron as Senior Colorist

Acclaimed colorist brings global expertise on high-profile projects, further elevating the company’s renowned artist roster.

LOS ANGELES (April 30, 2024) — Light Iron, the post-production creative-services division of Panavision, is excited to announce that Élodie Ichter has joined the company’s artist roster as a senior colorist. Ichter will work out of Light Iron’s New York facility, leveraging the company’s industry-leading remote capabilities to collaborate seamlessly with clients worldwide. 

Ichter brings a wealth of experience collaborating with renowned filmmakers on iconic projects. Her recent work includes the FX miniseries Shōgun and the Ben Affleck-directed feature Air. Her credits also include the American Society of Cinematographers Spotlight Award-nominated feature God’s Country, shot by Andrew Wheeler; Venom: Let There Be Carnage, with cinematographer Robert Richardson, ASC; the Best Picture Oscar-winning feature Nomadland, directed by Chloé Zhao and shot by Joshua James Richards; Marshall, with cinematographer Newton Thomas Sigel, ASC; director Bong Joon Ho’s Okja, shot by Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC; and director Justin Simien’s Sundance Special Jury Prize-winning feature Dear White People, shot by Topher Osborn. Earlier in her career, as an associate colorist, she also lent her talents to such high-profile projects as The Irishman, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 and Part 2, The Maze Runner, Maleficent and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Ichter comes to Light Iron from post facility The Mill. She began her career in France at Éclair, then went on to work at Deluxe in London and Efilm in Los Angeles before spending time at Harbor and Picture Shop. In all her work, she combines an artist’s eye with a passion for creative collaboration and a deep technical understanding of post-production workflows.

“It’s extremely exciting to join Light Iron,” said Ichter. “This company is at the heart of post production for series and features, with the knowledge and ability to support filmmakers from production through post. That’s the most exciting part of the job for me — being able to create a LUT for the cinematographer before shooting begins, being part of the filmmakers’ visual creative process throughout production, and elevating the look with our final touches in the color suite. Light Iron’s connection with Panavision adds to those opportunities, streamlining workflows and communication and allowing projects to be delivered even more efficiently.”

Ichter joins Light Iron’s celebrated roster of artists, which also includes supervising colorists Ian Vertovec and Corinne Bogdanowicz, senior colorists Charles Bunnag, Katie Jordan and Ethan Schwartz, and colorists Pat Fitzgerald and Keith Jenson. From its locations across North America, Light Iron’s full suite of creative services also includes VFX, dailies, offline editorial rentals, mastering and archive.

“We are thrilled to welcome Élodie to the Light Iron family,” said Seth Hallen, Managing Director at Light Iron. “Her expertise and the outstanding artistry she’s contributed to movies and episodic series aligns seamlessly with Light Iron’s dedication to excellence, innovation and creativity. Our whole team is excited to collaborate with her to continue pushing the boundaries of creativity and helping our clients elevate their projects to even greater heights.”

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About Light Iron

Light Iron is recognized as an industry leader and pioneer in innovative, end-to-end file-based solutions for production and post. Filmmakers, studios, creatives and technologists rely on Light Iron’s expertise to deliver progressive digital workflows that meet the needs of even the most complex features and series intended for any and all distribution platforms.

Light Iron’s service offerings include in-facility and near-set dailies options; offline editorial rentals; 8K, 6K and 4K color, finishing and mastering for HDR and SDR; and cutting-edge cloud-based media archiving. With physical facilities across North America, Light Iron also offers remote services on a global scale, enabling content creators working anywhere in the world to collaborate seamlessly with the company’s talented roster of artists. 

Light Iron is part of the Panavision Group’s end-to-end offerings for image makers, complementing the services provided by such renowned divisions as Panalux, LEE Filters, and Island Studios. For more information and locations worldwide, visit Panavision.com.

Media contacts 

Red Lorry Yellow Lorry (PR agency) 

panavision@rlyl.com

Gibson’s distinguished career boasts collaborations with directors such as Tom Shankland, TobyMacdonald, Jennifer Sheridan, Jim Field Smith, Emma Sullivan, Brian

Kelly, Rebecca Asher, and Dan Mazer. Recent noteworthy credits include BBC/Epix’s “Rogue Heroes,” Channel 4’s “Big Mood,” Showtime’s “Patrick Melrose Amazon’s “The Rig,” Channel 4’s “Misfits,” Hulu’s “Extraordinary,” and Channel 4’s “Alice & Jack.”

Gibson's work has garnered recognition from BAFTA, MPSE Golden Reel awards, RTS, AMPS, and The Music and Sound Awards totalling 7 wins and 9 nominations across 7 titles including “Rogue Heroes,” “Patrick Melrose,” and “Misfits.” Prior to joining Harbor, Gibson held Supervisor positions at Magmasters Sound Studios, Phase UK, and Molinare.

Principe’s recent portfolio boasts an impressive array of projects, including Netflix’s “Heartstopper S2,” HBO’s “Rain Dogs,” Channel 4’s “61st Street,” Peacock’s “The Capture,” BBC’s “The Watch,” and Amazon’s “Truth Seeker’s.” Filipa’s work on Amazon’s “Truth Seekers” earned her an award for “Best Sound Design” at the Music & Sound Awards.

Principe’s work has established long standing relationships with directors throughout her career including Edward Berger, Craig Viveiros, Euros Lyn, Duncan Jones, Ben Chanan, Hong Khaou, Richard Laxton, Dan Zeff, Philippa Langdale, and John Alexander. Prior to joining Harbor, Gibson held a tenured Supervising Sound Editor position at Molinare.

Harbor’s 3-story studios located in the Farringdon Turn mills building boasts one theatrical Atmostheater, two Atmos Home Entertainment suites and two ADR recording studios. Additionally, facility offers two theatrical grading rooms, three 4K HDR suites, three online and fifteen cutting rooms.

Thom Berryman, Operations Director of Harbor's UK studios, stated, "We are thrilled to welcome Filipa and Tony to Harbor. Their exceptional work reflects a commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative storytelling through sound. Their longstanding relationships within the industry are set to enhance Harbor's filmmaking community in London, as the studio continues to expand.”

The transaction accelerates advertising capabilities for Harbor in London, a central piece to its business, and expands the company’s VFX and color grading offerings in the UK. The Cheat acquisition will allow Harbor to further invest in cross-over and emerging talent in advertising seeking to segue into entertainment. Now uniquely positioned at Harbor’s Turnmills studio, the company offers scaled solutions for premium content while maintaining a boutique feel, servicing UK-based global studios and agency clients across advertising and entertainment.

Zak Tucker stated: “Bringing Cheat and its team into the fold extends our ability to locally serve our global Entertainment and Advertising clients from Los Angeles to Chicago and Atlanta, to New York, and now the United Kingdom. Moreover, it adds very special, sought-after artists and producers to our crew, affording for multi-geographical opportunities and creative collaborations, both centerpieces of Harbor’s promise to clients and ourselves.”

CHEAT Founder and Senior Colorist Toby Tomkins stated: I'm delighted to join the Harbor team and be part of such a creative and forward-thinking company. The combined strength of our artistry will continue to propel our teams and creativity forward. I can't wait to see what we will achieve together.

James Corless, Harbor’s UK Commercial Director stated “I’ve long admired CHEAT and what Toby has built with the team there. It’s an artist lead facility that has been at the forefront of identifying and supporting new talent both on the client side and in house with its colorist roster. I look forward to working with the team there as both Harbor and CHEAT continue to expand in the UK.”

EVP of Strategy and Operations at Harbor, Massimo D’Avolio, commented on the move: “When our business leaders in the UK approached us with the option to acquire Cheat, we quickly agreed that it was aligned with the ethos of Harbor as we are committed to foster entrepreneurs and give them the opportunity to expand creatively and facilitate their ability to increase capabilities by leveraging Harbor’s global presence.”

Harbor’s Advertising UK division will be led by Dan Bennett, who joins Harbor in the role of Managing Director, Advertising, UK. With over 15 years of experience in the VFX industry, Dan brings a wealth of strategic thinking, entrepreneurial leadership, and a proven track record of success to his new role.

As Managing Director, Advertising, United Kingdom, Dan will oversee creative operations of Harbor’s advertising business in the UK and EMEA region whilst working in tandem with Tony Robins, Managing Director, Advertising, North America, to continue bolstering the artistry offering for Harbor’s clients globally.

Dan Bennett's career in the VFX industry began as a VFX Producer, where he worked on numerous high-profile projects, including Ridley & Luke Scott's TED 2023 (Prometheus), the Netflix series Maniac, A24 feature American Animals, and Baz Luhrmann's H&M collaboration 'The Secret life of Flowers.' His exceptional work and dedication earned him a promotion to Managing Director of Absolute Post, a leading VFX and animation studio, in 2015.

Studio Completes a 4K restoration of Robert De Niro’s “A Bronx Tale” for Gala Screening; Provides picture and/or sound finishing for other projects.

NEW YORK CITY—May 2023—Goldcrest Post provided post-production picture and sound services for eight films screening at this month’s Tribeca Film Festival. The work included a 4K restoration of Robert De Niro’s classic coming-of-age crime drama A Bronx Tale for its 30^th anniversary Gala screening on June 10^th.  Other projects include Choir; Waitress, The Broadway Musical – Live on Broadway! Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive; Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games; Against All Enemies; Every Body and It’s Basic.

A Bronx Tale, which marked De Niro’s directorial debut, tells the story of a devoted father who battles a local mob boss for the life of his son. The film stars De Niro alongside Chazz Palminteri, who also wrote the script. It was produced by De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Jon Kilik. Goldcrest Post provided 4K restoration, color grading, re-mastering and re-mixing; Alex Berman, colorist; Jane Tolmachyov, digital restoration; Allan Gus, re-recording mixer.

Choir (TV, World Premiere) focuses on the Detroit Youth Choir, whose appearance on America’s Got Talent changed everything. From Disney+, the film is a co-production of Blumhouse and Imagine, and is directed by Rudy Valdez. Goldcrest Post provided color grading and editorial conforming; Evan Anthony, colorist; Twain Richardson and Larry Schmitt, conform artists.

Waitress, The Broadway Musical – Live on Broadway! (World Premiere) about a small-town pie baker. The film is directed by Brett Sullivan, Diane Paulus and Jessie Nelson, executive produced by Alecia Parker; and produced by Michael Roiff, Barry and Fran Weissler, Sara Bareilles, Jessie Nelson and Paul Morphos. Goldcrest Post provided re-recording mixing, Eric Hirsch, re-recording mixer.

Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive (Spotlight/ World Premiere) profiles the singer’s comeback, 40 years after the release of her hit song I Will Survive, revealing her struggles with ageism and financial ruin on the journey to have her voice heard once more. From MTV, the film is directed by Betsy Schechter, with executive producers Carol Chirmside, Gloria Gaynor, Betsy Schechter and Michael Schechter; and producers Betsy Schechter, David Zieff and Kieran Healy. Goldcrest Post provided color grading and editorial conforming; Ken Sirulnick, colorist; Larry Schmitt, conform artist.

Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games (Shorts/World Premiere) offers an illuminating look at the influence that hand games played by Black girls has had on the American creative landscape. From ESPN, the film is directed by Joe Brewster and Michele Stephenson, produced by Michele Stephenson, and stars Kyra D. Gaunt PhD, Marevlene C. Moore, Ph.D., Jamila Woods and Elena Pinderhughes. Goldcrest Post provided color grading and editorial conforming, Ken Sirulnick, colorist; Jordan Thompson-DeSon, conform artist.

Against All Enemies (Spotlight Documentary) goes deep inside the violent extremist movement in America, with members of the Proud Boys, 3 Percenters and never before seen footage of the Oath Keepers. The film is directed by Charlie Sadoff, executive produced by Kenneth Harbaugh and co-executive produced by Sebastian Junger. Goldcrest Post provided color grading and re-recording mixing; Jane Tolmachyov, colorist; Allan Gus, re-recording mixer.

Every Body (Spotlight Documentary/World Premiere) centers on three intersex people who challenge a heteronormative system of secrecy and non-consensual surgery. From Focus Features, the film is directed by Julie Cohen and produced by Tommy Nguyen and Molly O'Brien with consulting producer Shana Knizhnik. Goldcrest Post provided color grading, editorial conforming and re-recording mixing, Ken Sirulnick, colorist; Larry Schmitt, conform artist; Mike Suarez, supervising sound editor/re-recording mixer.

It's Basic (Documentary) offers a compelling look at Universal Basic Income pilot programs in U.S. cities, following those spearheading the movement to combat inequality and poverty. The film is directed by Marc Levin, executive produced by Auri Akerele and produced by Michael Tubbs, Daphne Pinkerson, Auri Akerele and Elizabeth Sehring; Allen Dobbins, cinematographer; John Maidman, editor; Khari Mateen, original music. Goldcrest Post provided color grading, Ken Sirulnick, colorist.

About Goldcrest Post

Goldcrest Post is a leading, independent post-production facility, providing one-stop creative solutions for features films, episodic television, documentaries and other projects. Conveniently located in New York City’s West Village, the company provides editorial offices, on-set dailies, picture finishing, sound editorial, ADR and mixing, and related services. Recent credits include Severance, Tokyo Vice, Leave No Trace, And Just Like That, Gossip Girl, Billions, Somebody Feed Phil and The Lost Daughter.

Alex’s portfolio spans high-end television and theatrical productions, including multiple seasons of Black Mirror for Netflix. Other recent highlights include The Rig for Amazon, This England for Sky Atlantic, Endeavour for ITV, and Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? for Britbox. Feature film highlights include A Boy Called Christmas, Sharper, The Two Popes, and The Current War.

Commenting on his new role with Harbor, Alex said, “I have long admired the outstanding quality of work produced by Harbor over the years, so I am honoured to be joining the team in Farringdon. Successful facilities are built upon their roster of talent, and Harbor has gathered an outstanding group of people, so I am excited to be joining the company and to help build upon that incredibly strong foundation.”

Speaking on Alex’s addition to Harbor’s global talent roster, Commercial Director James Corless said, “We are thrilled to welcome Alex to the team at Harbor and our Turnmills studio. His body of work, creative approach, and technical understanding make him stand out as a true leader in the industry, and we have no doubt that he will make an incredible impact on both the creative and operational success of Harbor.”

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