Hello from FILM Ferrania!

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alexmuir
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by alexmuir »

kontrabass888 wrote:Well, I just wish that Kodak could bring their ektachrome back to the market as the news they released in the beginning of the year.
The 35mm version for stills is listed in the catalogue of a UK photo supplier, with a price, for delivery in November.
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BAC
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by BAC »

This is a shot I took with the Ferrania P30 Alpha that they recently made available to the Kickstarter backers. Shot with a Leica IIIa and developed in Rodinal 1:50. It's nice but still needs a little work. There were some scratches on the base and the slitting and perforation seemed a bit rough. Can't wait for the color reversal.

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inlieubeaulieu
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by inlieubeaulieu »

looks like they've finally got color reversal ready to ship: http://www.filmferrania.it/kickstarter- ... pEwnm1Z-m4
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by synthnut »

Erhm, not sure what you've seen, but I couldn't see any evidence of that!? As a backer of this from the outset they tend to update us and I've not heard that they have got that far yet. I'm sure they would be singing and dancing if they had!

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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by Angus »

The linked update is from over a year ago and was the message where Film Ferrania explained very clearly that they were less able to make colour reversal than they were in 2015 (for those who hadn't bothered to read the original Kickstarter campaign blurb).

I've been following them and as far as I can tell the next goal is continuous production of B&W P30 film in 135, 120 and possibly 127 formats early in 2019. They continue to work on the colour reversal but they're not close to releasing any colour film at this time. There's nothing in the linked update to suggest they are.
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by marc »

BAC wrote: Thu Jul 27, 2017 5:27 am interesting quote from Dave with Ferrania over on Apug.
In fact, because "regular" 8mm film is infinitely easier to produce, it's likely that we will produce a small batch to release alongside Super 8 - just to see how it goes. We have already had a conversation about this as a future prospect because there are so many working 8mm cameras out there that are currently performing decorative duties on fireplace mantles and side tables...
http://www.apug.org/forum/index.php?thr ... st-1947233
because of this, Ferrania should fill the niche markets that Kodak no longer does. They could contract with Kodak for a large supply of Kodak film and perforate it at their plant. They can focus on Double Super 8mm and Regular 8mm as well as 16mm.
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jpolzfuss
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by jpolzfuss »

Do they still exist at all? More than two years ago, when they announced that they stopped the research on the color reversal film, they announced that the kickstarters should be compensated with coupons for their P30 (as 135 or 120). But nobody ever received such a coupon…
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by Andreas Wideroe »

Wonder if it was a rugpull all together, only marketing material was released... too bad. Would have been awesome to have Ferrania back from the dead.
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jpolzfuss
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by jpolzfuss »

It looks like FilmFerrania is still alive:
https://www.filmferrania.com/features/orto-is-here
In March 2023, they even announced again that the Kickstarters will get coupons instead of the original rewards… let’s see…
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Re: Hello from FILM Ferrania!

Post by Angus »

Having followed this closely it was never a rug pull.

To try and be concise.

The original Kickstarter was to fund purchase and storage of film manufacture machinery before most of the original Ferrania plant was demolished. Nothing more, nothing less. The kickstarter succeeded and the machinery was saved. It exists to this day and some is now in regular use.

The plan for rewards included using one last batch of chemicals that were on site to manufacture one run of "Scotch Chrome"....which was to be finished in super 8, 16mm, 135 and 120 and given to people who donated certain amounts to the Kickstarter. Always remember, nobody ordered any film.....by the T&C and very nature of Kickstarter, they made donations for Film Ferrania to save the equipment.

Sadly the Italian government decided to cut the campus into two, severing the electricity and gas supplies which meant that manufacturing that one run of colour reversal film became impossible in the time window they originally envisaged. Then asbestos was found in the LRF building that Film Ferrania is based in (the old Ferrania research facility) and they were unable to do much until it had been made safe - and the electricity and gas restored. Then covid hit and they weren't even permitted to work for months on end.

They've never gone away. But their social media and former presence on forums such as this attracts so much childish bitterness from people who bleat that they "ordered film" and feel defrauded because said people didn't read the T&C nor did they understand what the crowdfunding was actually for. So they ceased engagement with forums because they were being threatened, insulted and sworn at. They made it clear that they were still there, working in the background, and would update their website any time there was significant news. Those same people took a few months of no weekly updates as some kind of "proof" that Film Ferrania had failed and plastered the forums and social media with posts about Film Ferrania having died. When, in fact, they just did what they said they'd do....hunkered down and beavered away on testing film emulsions and bases. Film Ferrania also kept telling people that they could exchange their colour reversal film rewards for B&W negative (P30) in 135 if they wanted. I personally know some people who did this, so it was an honest offer that AFAIK still stands.

Meanwhile Film Ferrania brought out P30 B&W neg film in 35mm still format, initially as an "alpha product" before Covid (2017 IIRC) and eventually as a full production product. They have since added P30 in 120 and "Orto", which is an orthochromatic film in 35mm and 120. They're about to launch P33 which is a higher speed B&W neg film. Still nothing colour and nothing specifically for cine film users but they remain active, they have several products on general sale and continue research into other products including colour. The thing with Film Ferrania is that they are making pretty much everything in-house, including the confectionaing of the films (finishing them, loading them into 35mm cassettes or spooling onto 120 with backing paper and packaging for retail). It's all done in house, which nobody else other than Kodak and Ilford/Harman are doing.

A lot of people seriously underestimate how difficult colour film is, only five or six companies ever perfected manufacture of colour film even in the heyday when they were able to throw millions and millions at it. They will probably get there, but just look at how slowly Lomography/Inoviscoat and Harman are making progress.
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