UP.GRADE - Colouring Tomorrow is a 9-month full-time postgraduate European programme for colour grading, which began in 2015 and is organised by the German Film and Television Academy Berlin (DFFB) Partners are ARRI Germany and Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.It is the first programme of its kind worldwide. UP.GRADE is designed for participants with professional experience in cinematography, photography, digital imaging, editing or visual effects, and offers intensive aesthetic, technical and theoretical training, ranging from film history to hands-on colour grading, colour management and digital film workflows.The increasing emphasis on post-production in modern filmmaking gives rise to growing demand for professionals to master post-production techniques in both artistic and technical terms. Furthermore, the market for highly qualified colourists is set to expand, for they are the principal creative collaborators in image post-production. The first year of UP.GRADE has been very successful in teaching the skills needed, by combining two central thematic poles throughout the programme, and thus equipping young talents with both the practical skills and the creative mind-set required to create the nuanced, strong images that are the hallmark of powerful, innovative cinema. Future colourists must have a solid grasp of their craft and the technical tools; at the same time they must be conversant with colours, images and cinematic languages in narrative, content-based contexts, within the framework of a wide range of cultures and traditions. UP.GRADE is now successfully providing training in precisely this skill-set.We are particularly pleased to have attracted an extremely high-calibre teaching team, featuring world-class trainers and guest lecturers such as Peter Doyle, Charles Poynton or Kevin Shaw. Our cooperation with ARRI offers participants access to cutting-edge technology and excellent ARRI trainers.The study visits that form a central part of the course gave participants the chance to attend the most important European cinematography festival (Camerimage), the top industry fair in Amsterdam (IBC) and to meet many representatives from some of the world’s leading post-production companies in London, such as Company 3, Molinare, Dirty Looks and Filmlight.The trans-European dimension of the programme offers scope for fruitful exchanges. By creating a centre of excellence and bringing together top-notch professionals who are active in the field, the programme helped participants reach a new level in their career and equipped them with the confidence and skill set to work on more ambitious projects.We received applications from 26 countries around the world in the first year, and were impressed by the skills and experience of the applicants, reflecting the programme’s ambitious teaching aims. The high quality of applications we have received for the second year reflects the excellent reputation the programme has already developed. Having met our teaching objectives in the first year has made the programme even more attractive to the professionals it targets. UP.GRADE is already playing a multiplier role, in promoting an understanding of the enormous creative opportunities opened up digital post-production, and attracting more talented cinematographers or VFX experts to acquire the requisite skills.