Our Team

Lauren Simpson

  • 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 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, where it went on to win the top award.

    In parallel with her narrative work, Lauren has built a successful career in commercial advertising, producing campaigns for leading global brands such as AMEX, Honda, Ford, Kathmandu, Facebook, ANZ, Afterpay, KFC, Smith’s Chips, the University of Melbourne and more.

    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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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.

Annie Thiele

  • As a queer Chinese-Australian platform-agnostic producer with a love for bold, underrepresented stories, Annie is steadfast in her determination for making dynamic thought-provoking creative exist, as well as making shit happen.

    In recent years she produced the ABC/Screen Australia sketch series ‘I’m So Sorry For Your Loss’ and the comedy cooking web series ‘Gourmet Lazy’. As a writer, she’s also currently developing an animated kids' TV series with ABC.

Katie Page

  • Katie has several years experience in the screen industry working across marketing, event producing and film programming.

    Throughout her screen career, Katie has worked alongside global film distributors, established and emerging filmmakers, festivals and everything in between.

    With a background in film, art history, graphic design and philosophy, Katie’s experience has been focused on understanding how we tell and share stories across different genres and mediums.

    As a neurodivergent woman and Vice President of Women in Film & Television Victoria (WIFT Vic), Katie is dedicated to building an industry of diverse storytellers, and providing them with a platform to share their work.

Haley Alea Erickson

  • Haley Alea Erickson is a queer award-winning writer, director, and comedy performer. She is currently living in Melbourne, Australia where she is a filmmaker and screenwriting teacher at the Victorian College of Arts.

    Haley was named a “rising star” in Voyage Magazine in 2023. Haley was the co-host of the iconic, long running comedy show “Good Fight” at Fallout Theater in Austin, TX, performed at the “OOB 2019 Just For Laughs” showcase, and is a current member of “The Remix” at the Improv Conspiracy in Melbourne. She acted in MUSTANG ISLAND with Macon Blair, and received a Drive-In Academy Award from Joe Bob Briggs for her performance in SCARE PACKAGE. Her film, “It’s Complicated” won “best comedy narrative” at the Moment Invite Film Festival in 2021.

    Haley was a writer for the beloved podcast, HUMANS GROWING STUFF, nominated for a Webby, a Shorty, and winner at iHeart Radio’s Podcast Awards.. She has been a finalist in the FinalDraft Big Break competition, the Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices competition, the ScreenCraft film fund, and the Sundance Development track.

    Her feature film "Call Me Mommy" was trending on the Black List last year.

Poppy Pomfrey

  • 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.