THE HISTORY OF DUART
The film processing and post-production facility founded in 1922 in the penthouse of an automobile garage in Midtown, has been involved with a number of films over its history, such as Dirty Dancing, The Cider House Rules, and Forrest Gump, pioneering in a number of filmmaking technologies.
Founder Al Young built one of the earliest continuous 35-millimeter processing machines in 1927, DuArt processed the first film in Eastmancolor negative in 1950, and DuArt also worked with CBS on EVR consumer video-player-based special-motion film in 1966.
Irwin Young receiving the Academy Award for Technical Achievement (Oscar), 2000.
In 1979, DuArt was presented with an Academy Award for Technical
Achievement for their development of the Frame-Count cueing system.
During the 1980s, the lab became an industry leader in Super-16mm blow-ups, enabling independent filmmakers the opportunity to compete in the theatrical marketplace with low-budgeted films. In 2000, owner and Chairman Irwin Young was awarded the Gordon E. Sawyer Award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for technological contributions to the motion picture industry.
In 1998, Linda Young was appointed President and CEO, under her leadership the company expanded and transformed into a digital powerhouse and changed the name to DuArt Media Services. In the last decade, DuArt has also been internationally recognized for their highly acclaimed Localization services with a client list that includes The Pokémon Company International and many other renowned animation companies.In the last century, DuArt Media Services evolved from a premier film lab to a high technology full service media provider.
In 2021, DuArt announced they were ceasing their media services operations and focusing on it's real estate holding, The DuArt Building, at 245 West 55th Street in New York City.
Linda Young and Irwin Young in DuArt's wet lab circa early nineties.