China Lucky Film, the Chinese film producer which has recently restarted production of consumer films, could release colour negative film in the next few months.
A post on Chinese film respooler Reflx Lab’s blog said the company, now part of China’s aerospace programme and based in the city of Hebei, is at the final stages of reverse-engineering chemicals needed to reproduce a colour emulsion.
China Lucky Film produced colour films in the early 2000s after help from Eastman Kodak to produce a production line. Their GBR colour negative range included 100, 200 and 400-ISO films, produced from 2003 until 2012.
The Chinese company has teased the possibility of re-releasing colour films – at one point suggesting they might be available by the end of 2024 – but has not made any firm plans public.
Reflx Lab’s post said: “Producing colour film is a complex process requiring over 100 ingredients, some of which are no longer readily available. To overcome reliance on patented raw materials from Kodak, Lucky has assembled a team of chemists to reverse-engineer alternatives. Currently, they’re close to finalising the last missing component.
“According to a contact from Reflx Lab who recently visited Lucky Film’s headquarters in Hebei, China, the new colour film is expected to hit the market in Q2 2025. It’s projected to be the most affordable colour film available, potentially disrupting the market and addressing the global shortage of colour film.”
It has previously been reported that any forthcoming films from the Chinese producer could retail for around $6 and be considerably cheaper than any other colour product on the market.
The Chinese films would add to some surprising recent new players to the colour film market.
German bran Adox, a maker of traditional black-and-white films, announced the new Color Mission film – thought to have been based off old Agfa colour negative film recipes – in 2022.
Original Wolfen, spun off the old German manufacturer ORWO, has also released a range of colour films for the first time since the late 1990s.
Harman Technology, the makers of Ilford and Kentmere-branded black-and-white films, released its first colour film to be invented and made in its own factory in December 2023. The film, called Harman Phoenix 200, was subsequently released in 120 format aswell.
Eastman Kodak, the last of the major colour film producers believed to be maintaining consistent production, recently paused all film production so it could invest in its manufacturing amid continued demand for its colour films.
- Many thanks to L Hajdu for their help with this article.
I'm a New Zealander who has been living in London since the mid-1990s, shooting film seriously since the year 2000. Kosmo Foto was launched in 2012 and has since become a film brand, with the release of my first films Kosmo Foto Mono 35mm (2017) and Kosmo Foto Mono 120 (2019).
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