Editorial

filmprojection21.org was launched in 2016 in conjunction with the release of the Charter of Cinematographic Projection in the 21st Century, which was quickly signed by numerous film festivals, archives, venues, filmmakers, programmers, etc., that care about photochemical film projection. By signing the charter, these organizations and individuals made a commitment to prioritize showing film on film whenever a print was available and to duly announce the material nature of what they were showing in their programs.

In 2016, the conversion of commercial cinema chains to digital projection was still recent in most parts of the world, and the experience of film projection, though clearly endangered, was still relatively common. Time has passed, and ten-odd years later, photochemical film projection is in a more critical situation, while also becoming more valued as its rarity appeals to new audiences.

Film on film is becoming spectacular. This can be witnessed across the many types of venues represented by the signatories of the 2016 charter. While older organizations like Gran Lux or Chicago Film Society have kept to their purpose, resisting the test of time, many new initiatives have also flourished, like festivals that showcase works from artist-run film laboratories – or Navire Argo. Some commercial films premiere with 35mm Cinevator direct-to-positive film prints or even fancy 70mm ones, while specialized festivals presented by film archives, such as the George Eastman Museum’s Nitrate Picture Show and BFI’s Film on Film, are highly successful.

Still, less and less film is being shown at festivals and in film archives’ regular programming. Most of the signatories have forgotten their 2016 commitment; in a filmmaker’s retrospective or thematic series, only the least marketable films will be shown on film, which usually means that the work is simply not yet available on DCP. This is due to a combination of economic considerations (the material nature of film incurs a cost), as well as pressure from distributors who want to promote their digital releases.

The film preservation industry has seized on the digital opportunity to multiply new releases, in the best-case scenario making preservation negatives, while new exhibition prints are now an exception. This resignation has created a vicious cycle where the pool of films that can be shown on film gets smaller and smaller, photochemical projections increasingly rare, and the costs of laboratory work continue to rise, becoming prohibitive.

Here’s hoping that the new awareness of the value of the photochemical film experience can break this cycle and offer more joyful perspectives. filmprojection21.org will remain a resource to share knowledge, tools and energy towards that goal.

February 2026