The big-budget embrace of analogue
Even in an era dominated by digital capture, a significant number of high-profile films in 2025 are returning to film stock. According to IndieWire, at least 21 feature films are being shot on celluloid this year, including 35 mm and larger formats. One striking example: Bugonia, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and shot by cinematographer Robbie Ryan on 8-perf 35 mm VistaVision—estimated at 95 % of the shoot.
Another is After the Hunt (dir. Luca Guadagnino), shot on 35 mm by cinematographer Malik Hassan Sayeed after a 25-year hiatus for him with film. These choices underline a deeper truth: film isn’t just nostalgia, it’s a deliberate aesthetic and workflow decision. For labs specialising in film processing, scanning, archiving and restoration—such as CPC London—this resurgence underscores the importance of supporting material workflows, not just digital ones.
Restoration and the material memory of cinema
It isn’t only new productions that are reminding us of film’s enduring power—restoration is playing its part too. The National Film Preservation Foundation (NFPF) announced that 81 films will be preserved through its 2025 grants, covering everything from orphan documentaries to avant-garde classics. Meanwhile, a feature in The New Yorker chronicles the efforts of the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna to restore fragile celluloid negatives—tracking grain, damage, colour shifts—to create new 4K masters that respect the past.
For CNC and post-production hubs, this means one thing: the chain from film stock → processing → scanning → restoration demands not only precision but intentionality. Whether the origin is a newly shot 35 mm feature or a rescued archival negative, the lab and scanning workflow remains a creative partner.
The human touch in a digital world
What is perhaps most compelling is how shooting on film or restoring film becomes a statement of human craft. In an era increasingly populated by AI-driven workflows and virtual production, the decision to use emulsion, to process, to scan, to archive, is one of intention. In a recent podcast interview, cinematographer Seamus McGarvey confirmed that The Chronicles of Narnia (dir. Greta Gerwig) will be shot on 35 mm VistaVision film—not digital.
And the debate around AI and film restoration continues. Startups now propose using generative AI to recreate lost footage of classics like The Magnificent Ambersons—raising ethical and aesthetic questions about what preservation should mean. For those working in scanning, archival workflow and film lab services, the question shifts: how do you apply technological tools while preserving the physical presence of the medium, the grain, the edge-frame, the artifact?
Why this matters for filmmakers and labs
- Workflow foresight: Opting for 35 mm or VistaVision means planning not just cameras—but processing chemistry, robust scanning (4K or higher), archiving protocols and print/digital hybrids.
- Differentiation in a crowded market: Films that capture on film often stand out in festivals, awards and among cinephile audiences. Shooting analogue becomes part of the creative profile.
- Longevity and heritage: When films are scanned, processed and archived with care, they remain accessible decades later. Restoration grants and preservation frameworks reflect this.
- Human craft as value: In a world where automated pipelines dominate, choosing film emphasises skill, intention and texture. Lab partners like CPC London, despite digital advances, remain essential to this craft chain.
Final thoughts
In 2025, film is far from obsolete. Whether it’s major new productions choosing celluloid or archives resurrecting neglected negatives via high-resolution scans, the material form of film is re-asserting its place. For anyone involved in cinematography, production planning or archival work, the decision to shoot film or restore film is also a decision about workflow, texture and longevity.
If you’re a cinematographer, producer or archive-manager seeking to shoot on film, plan high-resolution scanning, or engage in restoration and archiving—CPC London stands ready to support your vision with film processing, scanning, printing and restoration services tailored for both analogue and digital future.
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