AnthroTek might be one of the newer companies on Suffolk’s screen-industry radar, but don’t let that fool you — their work has already appeared in major films and on cinema screens across the world. Now based in Newmarket, AnthroTek sits in a fascinating space where film special effects, material science and cutting-edge tech collide.
The company officially launched in 2024, but the story really starts earlier, in a garage. Co-founder Dr Raoul Peltier, a materials chemist specialising in soft polymers and silicone, had a long-standing obsession with cinema masks and prosthetics. Alongside a career in science, he taught himself digital sculpting, mould-making and casting, creating ultra-realistic masks under the name The Face Forge.
“He’s a scientist, but he has the mind of an artist,” says co-founder Nazmus Tareque. “And that combination is incredibly rare.”
Naz, who comes from a background in business, law and finance, met Raoul through mutual friends in Cambridge. The moment AnthroTek clicked into place came during a very Cambridge conversation — while punting on the River Cam.
“We were talking about films, technology and materials, and suddenly it was obvious,” Naz explains. “There was real expertise there, real passion — and a much bigger application than just one-off props.”
Film, however, remains right at the heart of AnthroTek’s DNA. Through The Face Forge, the company supplies bespoke prosthetics and masks to film productions, where realism and reliability are non-negotiable. One of their most high-profile projects to date is 28 Years Later (2025), produced and directed by Danny Boyle and written by Alex Garland.
Working on the film was a huge moment for the team — and an emotional one. “Danny Boyle is an all-time favourite director for us,” says Naz. “Raoul was genuinely emotional about the idea that something he’d made could end up in that film.”
The brief itself was no small challenge. AnthroTek created zombie prosthetics that needed to look brutally realistic and withstand extreme heat — including being set on fire while worn by an actor.
“It couldn’t just look good on camera,” Naz explains. “The materials had to behave properly. Fire has physics — and you can’t fake that. Sometimes CGI just isn’t enough.”
That mix of cinematic craft and deep material science later earned AnthroTek international recognition, including Best European Project at the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, part of the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
AnthroTek’s screen work goes well beyond apocalyptic horror. The team also created the printed mask for the feature film Your Host, worn by Jackie Earle Haley as the sinister host, Barry Miller. The mask appears repeatedly in the trailer and marketing — and even on the film’s poster.
“If you’ve seen the trailer, you’ve seen our work,” Naz laughs. “That mask is the character.”
They’ve also contributed to the powerful I Choose Freedom domestic abuse charity campaign, a cinematic advert that aired in cinemas during the Halloween season, using a mask to reveal how danger can hide in plain sight.
Behind the scenes, AnthroTek is growing fast. Since moving into its Newmarket workshop in October 2024, the team has expanded, raised £1.15 million in funding, and picked up multiple national and international awards. While much of their R&D now focuses on medical simulation and synthetic skin, they still take on film and TV projects — especially ones that push boundaries.
“We love cinema,” Naz says. “It’s where this all started. Seeing something physical, something made by hand, appear on screen — that never gets old.”
For Suffolk’s screen sector, AnthroTek is a reminder that some of the most exciting film innovation doesn’t happen on set or in post — but quietly, in workshops, where science and storytelling meet. 🎬