The FilmLight Colour Awards, in co-operation with ToruńCAMERIMAGE, has officially opened its sixth edition, calling for entries that celebrate the craft of colour grading. This year’s competition introduces several changes designed to bring a sharper focus to the creative professionals behind some of the world’s most visually striking projects.
Entries are open to colourists working on any grading platform, with a final submission deadline of 31 July 2026.
Spotlight on Independents and Documentaries
Reflecting its core mission to support independent cinema, the Spotlight category has been renamed and expanded to ‘Spotlight and Documentary’. The aim is to actively encourage and amplify non-fiction submissions, celebrating the critical role colourists play in creating the visual identities of both low-budget narratives and real-world stories.
Key criteria for this category include a total production budget of less than US$3 million and a minimum duration of 70 minutes for feature films and 50 minutes for documentaries.
In total, the 2026 awards will honour outstanding work across five categories:
- Theatrical Feature
- TV Series/Episodic
- Commercial
- Spotlight and Documentary
- Emerging Talent – for music video or commercial projects from colourists aged 18–30 with no more than five years of professional experience
Industry Recognition
Reflecting on the growing stature of the craft, acclaimed director and 2025 Jury Guest of Honour Park Chan-wook said: “In the process of making a film, the role of the colourist has become increasingly important and everyone recognises that reality. Yet despite that awareness, there have been very few awards like this. That has always felt unfortunate, so I am truly glad such recognition now exists.”
All submissions will be independently evaluated by an esteemed global jury of celebrated cinematographers, colourists and industry experts. The 2026 winners will be unveiled and showcased in November at a dedicated ceremony during the ToruńCAMERIMAGE festival.
Less Than One Month Left to Submit
With less than one month remaining before entries close on 31 July 2026, colourists and production facilities are encouraged to submit their work soon.
The awards are led and organised by FilmLight in conjunction with ToruńCAMERIMAGE. They are also supported by the AFC, the French Society of Cinematographers; AMC, the Mexican Society of Cinematographers; ASC, the American Society of Cinematographers; BSC, the British Society of Cinematographers; BVK, the German Society of Cinematographers; CNSC, the Chinese Society of Cinematographers; CSI, Colourist Society International; ISC, the Indian Society of Cinematographers; ShotDeck, the fully searchable cinematic image library; and others.
For full eligibility rules, category guidelines or to submit a project, visit the official awards platform.
Visit https://www.flccawards.org
