Submissions close August 10 for the 2026 FilmLight Camerimage Colour Awards
London / Toruń – 03 August 2026: ToruńCAMERIMAGE and FilmLight have announced a major expansion of their long-standing collaboration, reinforcing the festival’s role as the important platform for creators of the moving image, while recognising colour grading as a vital discipline within cinematography.
As part of the next phase of the partnership, the awards will officially become known as the FilmLight CAMERIMAGE Colour Awards and will be deeply integrated into the festival’s official programme: with expanded visibility across the festival through special screenings, panels with experts, and celebrating the artistry of colourists on the global stage.
The awards will continue to operate as an independent, artist-driven platform alongside the festival’s competitions, expanding the festival’s artistic scope by recognising the full creative chain behind the image – from the cinematographer’s creative choices on set to the final colour grade.
“From the launch of the FilmLight Colour Awards six years ago, ToruńCAMERIMAGE was the natural home for our vision of celebrating image craftsmanship at the highest level and highlighting the artistry behind the final image,” said FilmLight Co-Founder Wolfgang Lempp.
“Today that remains as true as ever, and we’re delighted to take this collaboration with ToruńCAMERIMAGE to the next level – growing the awards, growing the festival, and further recognising the unique contribution colourists bring to filmmaking. We’re incredibly proud to see colourists receiving an even more prominent place within that conversation.”
Marek Żydowicz, Founder and Director of ToruńCAMERIMAGE, added: “From its very beginning, our festival has been dedicated to celebrating the people behind the image. As filmmaking continues to evolve, colourists have become an essential creative force, helping define the aesthetic and emotional impact of film.
“The continued development of the FilmLight CAMERIMAGE Colour Awards reflects our vision for ToruńCAMERIMAGE as a global platform that brings together artists and technologists who are expanding the possibilities of the moving image. We are delighted to strengthen this partnership and further elevate recognition for their work.
“With the creation of the new educational, exhibition and industry infrastructure of the European Film Centre Camerimage (ECFC), ToruńCAMERIMAGE is evolving beyond a festival into a global centre for the promotion of emerging film technologies and creative innovation.”
Now in it’s sixth edition, the FilmLight CAMERIMAGE Colour Awards continue to grow as one of the industry’s leading celebrations of colour grading excellence across film, television and commercials. Open to colourists working on any grading platform, the competition is independently judged by a distinguished panel of cinematographers, colourists and industry experts.
Following a record-breaking 2025 edition with more than 600 entries from 49 countries, the awards has introduced a Top 10 Shortlist stage in 2026, recognising a broader range of exceptional work before the final nominees are announced later in the year.
Colourists are invited to submit their work across five distinct categories: Theatrical Feature, TV Series/Episodic, Commercial, Emerging Talent, and Spotlight & Documentary. The first members of the 2026 jury have been announced, with the full jury lineup to be revealed in the coming weeks. The nominees will be unveiled in autumn and the winners awarded during a dedicated ceremony at ToruńCAMERIMAGE in November 2026.
The continued growth of the FilmLight CAMERIMAGE Colour Awards forms part of ToruńCAMERIMAGE’s broader strategy of strengthening its international relevance and expanding its role as a year-round platform for the global community of image creators.