Our Team
Lauren Simpson
PRODUCER & FOUNDER
Lauren Simpson began her film journey at California State University Long Beach, earning a Bachelor of Film and Television from Swinburne University and an MBA from the Australian Institute of Business. With a diverse background including roles at Filmlnk Movie Magazine and Event Cinemas, she excelled as an International Service Producer, creating impactful commercial and narrative content globally.
As the founder of Iris Arc Pictures, she produced Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism, distributed by XYZ Films and Umbrella Entertainment. The film premiered at the Overlook Film Festival and won the Audience Choice Award at both Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival before it’s limited theatrical run and subsequent release on Foxtel, Binge and Shudder in AUNZ and as a Tubi Original in the USA.
Lauren is currently packaging a slate of feature films, including the action-comedy Call Me Mommy and the drag queen horror Skin Side Up, featured in Variety - Skin Side Up is the first Australian project selected for the prestigious Frontières Proof of Concept Platform at the Marché du Film 2025.
Lauren is dedicated to promoting gender equality and diversity in the industry, serving as President of Women in Film & Television Victoria (WIFT Vic) and a Board Member of Women in Film & Television International (WIFTI), advocating for inclusive representation both on and off screen.
Pablo Zubieta
DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER & CO-FOUNDER
Pablo Zubieta is an industry veteran of over 15 years. He’s worked his way up through every department and aspect of film production in order to better understand and appreciate the entirety of the craft from start to finish. These experiences served him well in his time as an Assistant Director and eventually Producer for Iris Arc Pictures.
He’s passionate about genre content that also features a focus on diversity and inclusion and is always looking to hear or tell a good and relevant story across any medium. He is based in New York City.
Natascha Rey-Barry
HEAD OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS & CO-FOUNDER
With over 20yrs of industry experience in the UK and ANZ, Natascha has worked on multiple different touchpoints of distribution, from Theatrical release and Home Entertainment to Networks and Media Distribution. Natascha has worked in multiple disciplines, including Exhibition/Trade Marketing, Brand and Affiliate Partnerships, Franchise, Retail and Broadcast, with some of the world’s biggest brands and studios.
Most recently Natascha has been applying her years of experience in Distribution to the front end of Film production as an Associate Producer and Marketing and Comms lead for Iris Arc Pictures.
Courtney Bombell
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Courtney Bombell is a Melbourne based Producer and Production Manager. Since graduating VCA in 2018 she had predominately produced web series and short films, most notably Peeps which premiered at Telluride Film Festival and won the Dendy Live Action Short Award at Sydney Film Festival in 2021.
Over the past year she has delved into the world of long form Production Coordination and Management, working on new and existing dramas for Warner Bros and Easy Tiger as well as the award winning horror feature film Godless: The Eastfield Exorcism with Iris Arc Pictures.
Poppy Pomfrey
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER & LOCATION SCOUT
A proud graduate of Good Girl Academy, Poppy has been an integral part of Iris Arc Pictures since her first on-set experience at just 8 weeks old, supervising production on the web series PIVOT. With an unwavering dedication to treats and a keen eye for prime nap spots, she quickly climbed the ranks to Executive Producer and Location Scout.
Renowned for her fly-hunting precision and tunnel-vision focus on ball-related matters, Poppy brings boundless enthusiasm to every production. When not sniffing out the perfect location, she provides essential emotional support to the team, ensuring morale stays as high as her treat count.