EXCLUSIVE: Deborah Doherty and John Kennedy, former senior execs at Irish stalwart Windmill Lane Pictures are launching Elephant Goldfish, a new post-production and VFX outfit in Dublin, formed in partnership with the UK’s Molinare Creative Group.
The company will look to work in high-end film, TV, animation, and advertising with remote workflows across Dublin and London.
Also joining the team are Ed Smith and Dave Hughes. As Head of Studio, Ed will manage the operation of Elephant Goldfish, supporting project management, creative, and technical teams while overseeing facilities, infrastructure, and day-to-day logistics. Heading up the colour department is Dave Hughes, a a Windmill Lane veteran, known for his collaborations with directors of photography such as Bob Richardson, Mikhail Krichman, Seamus McGarvey, and Sean Bobbitt. He most recently delivered Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon.
Elephant Goldfish is currently collaborating with horror studio Blumhouse on two feature films.
The company is setting up in Dublin’s Docklands, breaking away from the city’s traditional post-production hubs, putting them in the middle of Dublin’s creative and tech scene. The company is also offering productions access to Ireland’s Section 481 tax credit, providing up to 40% on eligible Irish spend for film, TV, and animation.
Deborah Doherty, Managing Director and Executive Producer, joins Elephant Goldfish after nearly 20 years at Windmill Lane, where she played a key role in expanding the studio’s audio and post-production services. Her credits include projects for Netflix, Disney+, Sky, and BBC, spanning titles such as Wednesday, Steve, My Little Pony, Kizazi Moto, Doctor Who and KIN.
John Kennedy, Managing Director and VFX Supervisor, helped transform Windmill Lane’s VFX division during his tenure, significantly growing the team. Recent credits include American Primeval, The Tourist, Bodkin and A Discovery of Witches.
“We started Elephant Goldfish on the belief that great work comes from great relationships, when people feel trusted, creatively challenged, and truly part of something,” said Kennedy. “We place a high value on personal connection. It’s a big part of why people enjoy working with us. Being part of the Molinare Creative Group allows us to offer clients highly personalised, creatively led work, something Deborah and I have worked hard to be known for, backed by the strength of scalable support, technical reliability, and deep expertise when needed.”
“We’re incredibly proud to welcome Deborah, John, and their team into the Molinare family,” commented Nigel Bennett, CEO of Molinare Creative Group. “Elephant Goldfish embodies our commitment to expanding creative opportunities for clients and talent alike, and reinforces our position as a diversified facility.”
Irish legacy company Windmill Lane Pictures closed earlier this year, citing the impact of the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strike in the US and the “erosion of competitiveness” of Ireland’s VFX tax credit. The company was initially founded as a recording studio and TV commercial post-production facility in 1978. The company worked on projects including Brooklyn, Black ’47, Lakelands, Vikings, A Discovery Of Witches and Penny Dreadful.
