Expanded Live Cinema / Flat Print
Analog cinema workshop
12-13/09/2026
Ferrania
Workshop by Warshadfilm + Làbbash
Two days to discover cinema as a handmade and deeply tactile experience.
A unique opportunity to dive into analog cinema
During the 2026 Ferrania Film Festival, film enthusiasts, film students, photographers, and anyone curious about the medium will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive workshop focused on making a short film on 16 mm film, using one of the most iconic cameras in the history of cinema: the Bolex H16.
Led by the Warshadfilm collective and the Làbbashlaboratory, participants will move through all stages of analog cinema production: from planning the shoot to developing the negative, from printing to the final screening of the film they created together.
More than just a technical course, this workshop offers a complete immersion in the practice of analog filmmaking, allowing participants to directly experience the relationship between light, time, materials, and the creative process.
Bolex H16: a legend of independent cinema
The Bolex H16 , produced in Switzerland by Paillard Bolex starting in 1935, is one of the most beloved cameras in the history of cinema. Thanks to its precision mechanics, robust construction, and extraordinary versatility, it has become, over the years, the tool of choice for filmmakers, documentary filmmakers, visual artists, and experimental artists around the world.
Even today, the Bolex H16 continues to be used in film schools, artistic workshops, and independent productions, serving as a reliable tool for those who choose to work with film and rediscover a completely manual way of shooting, where every frame is carefully conceived and constructed.
During the workshop, each participant will have the opportunity to use the Bolex H16 to experience firsthand how it works and understand its expressive potential.
Per approfondire la storia della Bolex suggeriamo questa serie di articoli (parte 1 · parte 2) di Massimiliano Terzi su NOC Sensei.
Warshadfilm + Làbbash
The workshop will be led by WARSHADFILM, a collective formed by Tiziano Doria and Samira Guadagnuolo, active in experimental and documentary analog cinema.
Their research is based on the rediscovery of analog film cinematography and on the possibility of control over the entire process, from shootings to development, printing and screening. In their workshops, cinema becomes a space of collective experimentation, where technique melds with observation of landscapes, artistic practice and the emergence of a collective gaze.
Their films have been selected for numerous international film festivals, including the Locarno Film Festival, Torino Film Festival, Mostra Internazionale del Nuovo Cinema di Pesaro, Festival dei Popoli, Bellaria Film Festival, International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Trieste Film Festival and Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, where they won the prestigious Golden Alexander Award.
In addition to their film work, Tiziano and Samira founded Làbbash, an independent laboratory dedicated to photography and analog cinema, specialized in the processing of 16 mm film and major photographic formats.
At the laboratory, historic film cameras, developing machines, moviolas, telecines, printers, and projectors are salvaged, restored, and kept in working order, making it possible to preserve and pass on technical skills that are increasingly rare today.
The workshop
The workshop will take place on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026 , alternating between theoretical sessions, practical exercises, and group work. The first part will be devoted to an introduction to analog cinema:
- an overview of the main film formats;
- types of film and their characteristics;
- history and operation of the Bolex H16 camera;
- examples of the camera’s use in experimental and artist-driven cinema;
- fundamental principles of photographic exposure;
- introduction to the darkroom.
The second part will be entirely hands-on. Participants will work directly with film, learning to:
- use the Bolex H16 correctly;
- read the light using a light meter;
- shoot on 16 mm film;
- develop the negative;
- make contact prints on orthochromatic film;
- directly manipulate the film stock using experimental techniques;
- understand the entire process from raw film to the final screening.
The footage will be shot during the workshop and will be edited into a short film, which will be developed and screened at the end of the workshop using Eiki SSL Open Slot Load projectors.
The workshop is designed for both those who want to try analog filmmaking for the first time and photographers, filmmakers, artists, and students interested in exploring the techniques of film cinematography.
The fee includes
The participation fee includes:
- two days of theoretical and practical workshops;
- use of Bolex H16 cameras and technical equipment;
- use of light meters, lenses, and filming accessories;
- the 16 mm film needed to make the short film;
- chemicals and materials for developing the negative;
- use of the darkroom;
- materials for contact printing and direct film manipulation;
- final screening of the film made during the workshop.
Information and registration
The workshop has a limited number of participantsto ensure a comprehensive hands-on experience and direct interaction with the teachers.
L’attività è riservata ai soci della Ferrania Film APS ETS. La quota di iscrizione è:
- 170,00 € for Ferrania Film APS ETS members;
- 190,00 € for non-members, including the membership fee for 2026, amounting to 20,00 €.
Membership in Ferrania Film APS ETS includes the Ferrania Film Festival Welcome Kit, which consists of:
- membership card;
- card holder with lanyard, to be used during the Festival;
- welcome letter;
- official tote bag of the Ferrania Film Festival;
- exclusive member-only gift.
Registrations must be sent via the form below and will be accepted on a "first come, first served" basis.
Payment details will be individually sent to the first registrants.
In collaboration with
