Italian Film Artisans Today: Contemporary Artist-Run Labs and Analog Filmmakers
Author(s)
Date Issued
2025
Type
bookPart
Start Page
219
End Page
233
Abstract
The emergence of analog film practices over the last few decades constitutes a new and relevant field of study for researchers, film and media scholars and art historians. In fact, given the relentless march towards a fully digitized landscape of media creation, the enduring presence of analog film techniques stands as a testament to the resilience of traditional craftsmanship in the face of technological ubiquity. This essay delves specifically into the realm of photochemical filmmaking practices in Italy, looking at independent and experimental frameworks whose tactile methods
persist alongside their digital counterparts. As pixels and algorithms dominate discussions of contemporary media, the handmade processes involved in analog film – ranging from the art of hand-developing film reels to the mesmerizing dance of light and shadow captured by analog
cameras – emerge not only as nostalgic throwbacks but as deliberate and meaningful choices within the creative process.