
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Awards Committee has announced that FotoKem will receive HPA's prized Charles S. Swartz Award at the 19th HPA Awards gala on Nov. 7. The ceremony will return to the Wolfe Theater here at the Television Academy.
Last given in 2018, the Charles S. Swartz Award is one of HPA's most significant honors; bestowed at the discretion of the HPA Awards Committee to recognize profound and lasting contributions to the media content ecosystem. FotoKem, renowned for over 60 years of service, has played a pivotal role in supporting filmmakers, studios, cinematographers, and artists across diverse film and media landscapes. A team from FotoKem will accept the award.
FotoKem was founded in 1963 by Gerald Brodersen as an independent black and white film lab, located on Cahuenga Boulevard, only a couple of blocks from Universal and Warner Bros. FotoKem is considered one of the world's best artistic and technical partners, whose deep film expertise is accompanied by a philosophy of implementing innovative and sophisticated digital processes. Celebrating decades of collaboration with the industry's most brilliant artists, FotoKem has become a creative hub for all aspects of filmmaking. In addition to FotoKem's main campus in Burbank, their other LA facilities include an editorial facility in Hollywood, Keep Me Posted episodic post in Burbank, and LA Studios / Margarita Mix sound in Hollywood and Santa Monica. They have four wall facilities in several US states and deploy dailies and edit systems globally to support production anywhere in the world. While recognized as playing a critical role in keeping film alive as a viable acquisition and delivery medium, their technical and artistic expertise presents a deep understanding of color, sound, and complex workflow. FotoKem remains an independently owned and operated company, an anomaly in today's post production services sector.
Bill Brodersen, chief executive officer of FotoKem said, On behalf of the entire team at FotoKem, we are deeply honored to be recognized with the Charles S. Swartz Award. From the time my father started FotoKem until today, we have remained dedicated to serving the filmmakers who entrust us with their work. This award shines a light on our teams who work so diligently on behalf of our clients, and the community of artists and technologists who tell stories and share their vision. Thank you to HPA for honoring FotoKem with such a meaningful award.
Of FotoKem being named the recipient of the Charles S. Swartz award, HPA President Seth Hallen said, The HPA Awards Committee and the Board of Directors were unanimous in their desire to honor FotoKem with this award. They have played an undeniable role in keeping film alive as a viable tool for filmmakers. The impact of their unwavering support of film along with their non-stop innovation in many aspects of the post production processes and the talent and skill with which they serve their clients, eloquently illustrate their impact. From dailies to the meticulous restoration of classic films, and outstanding work for picture and sound to mind-blowing 70mm workflows, FotoKem brings an unparalleled level of talent. It is with great pride that the HPA Awards Committee bestows the Charles S. Swartz Award to FotoKem. It is richly deserved thanks to their team that includes some of the most talented creative, technical and operational individuals in the industry.
The award is named in honor of the late Charles S. Swartz, who led the Entertainment Technology Center at the University of Southern California from 2002 until 2006 and helped to build it into the industry's premiere test bed for new digital cinema technologies. Swartz passed away in 2007 and this award was established to honor his legacy and contributions to our industry. In addition to a long and successful career as producer, educator and consultant, Swartz served on the Board of Directors of the HPA.
The HPA Awards are made possible through the generous sponsorship of Blackmagic Design, Warner Bros. Post Production Creative Services Worldwide, Avid, Colorist Society, Sohonet and Dolby. For sponsorship or program advertising opportunities, contact Joyce Cataldo at jcataldo@hpaonline.com.
Ticket sales for the November 7th HPA Awards gala are now open, and available at HPAAwards.com.
For further information visit www.hpaawards.com or email awards@hpaonline.com.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
21/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Gravity Media and Los Angeles-based Green Couch Entertainment announce a strateg...
20/02/2026
IMAX announces it is working with Apple TV to bring the 2026 FIA Formula One Wor...
20/02/2026
Daktronics has partnered with the Philadelphia Phillies to design, manufacture, ...
20/02/2026
ESPN announces the upcoming launch of Women's Sports Sundays - a first-of-it...
20/02/2026
As the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots faced off in the NFL's biggest sporting event of the season on Sun., Feb. 8, Sennheiser wireless solutions ...
20/02/2026
ESPN announces its 2026 Major League Baseball spring training schedule, which includes four national games on ESPN, six games on ESPN Unlimited, and more than 2...
20/02/2026
Open Broadcast Systems, which specializes in software-based professional video transport, has added support for 200 Gigabit Ethernet to its range of encoders an...
20/02/2026
Chyron announces the release of PAINT 10.3, which is designed to help analysts and operators turn live action into clearer, faster on-air storytelling.
PAINT 1...
20/02/2026
With full squad workouts underway, MLB Network's live Spring Training game s...
20/02/2026
Tech enhancements, marquee productions are expected to take advantage of a summe...
20/02/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
20/02/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
20/02/2026
Speaking with SVG Europe after one of Team GB's greatest days at a Winter Olympics, BBC Sport's head of major events, Ron Chakraborty, explains the broa...
20/02/2026
Making Winter Games Olympic magic is the goal for every broadcaster in Italy cov...
20/02/2026
Curling, one of the least-dangerous Winter Olympic sports, is dominating the Mil...
20/02/2026
BBC Sport's presence at the 2026 Winter Games is centred around a significan...
20/02/2026
BBC Sport is bringing together its linear TV and streaming digital arms in a str...
20/02/2026
To broaden the appeal of winter sports at Milano Cortina, the BBC has integrated...
20/02/2026
Just in time for the start of Apple TV's inaugural season as the exclusive U...
20/02/2026
One big challenge was to depict the character of each of very different and wide...
20/02/2026
(L-R) Writer-director Amanda Kramer photographs the photographers at the premiere of her film By Design at the Library Center Theatre in Park City. (Photo by ...
20/02/2026
In our latest blog, Tim Pearson explores the impact that increased memory prices are having on the consumer electronics market, and particularly the set-top box...
20/02/2026
Calrec Type R: Shaping the Future of Radio from the Heart of Flirt FM
Love may have filled the airwaves last week for Valentine's Day, and we've just c...
20/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 10, 2026 - An estimated 125.6* million viewers watched Super Bowl LX on Sunday, February 8, according to Nielsen's Big Data Panel meas...
20/02/2026
NEW YORK - February 19, 2026 - Nielsen today shared updated and final Super Bowl...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
A leading global investment bank, with offices at Two International Finance Centre in Hong Kong, partnered with systems integrators Global Vision Engineering (G...
20/02/2026
Rise AV and Rise Broadcast, the global not-for-profit organisations dedicated to improving gender diversity across technical industries, have today announced a ...
20/02/2026
Open Broadcast Systems, the leader in software-based professional video transport, has added support for 200 Gigabit Ethernet to its range of encoders and decod...
20/02/2026
Signiant today announced the formation of its Customer Advisory Board (CAB), bringing together a select group of customers to collaborate on product strategy, r...
20/02/2026
PTZOptics today announced the launch of its Visual Reasoning initiative that makes video more actionable by combining robotic PTZ camera systems, AI, and open i...
20/02/2026
Amino, a global media technology provider delivering devices, software and cloud services that simplify and elevate video delivery, today announced the successf...
20/02/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today announced its call for technical papers for the SMPTE 2026 Media Technology Summit....
20/02/2026
Wowza Media Systems today announced that Granicus, a leading provider of digital engagement solutions for governments, continues to rely on Wowza to power its h...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/02/2026
Back to All News
A Friend, A Murderer' Launches on Netflix on March 5, 2026
Main image
Entertainment
20 February 2026
GlobalDenmark
Link copied to cl...
20/02/2026
Other Voices returns to RT this Spring with performances from Dermot Kennedy, A...
19/02/2026
The Canadian rightsholder deploys its most complex' Olympics setup an ever,...