In a world of HD video, 1080p resolution televisions and 3-D movies, film stock and splicers seem as anachronistic as a telephone switchboard. Yet they remain the tools of the trade for the small group of filmmakers showing off their wares at this weekend’s the 8 Fest, a film festival dedicated to Super 8, 8mm and 9.5mm film.
“Super 8 cries out for its own festival,” says Andrew James Paterson, the fest’s coordinator. “There’s always been a wide coterie of people working with this supposedly outmoded equipment.”
Super 8 film literally refers to the width of the film stock as opposed to more standard 16 or 35 mm width film. It’s housed in a plastic case that slots into a handheld camera. The medium came to prominence in the 1960s and is famous for it’s over saturated colours and grainy look.
Now in its fifth year, the 8 Fest prides itself on being the only festival in North America where the films are shown on the gauge in which in which they were shot — many festivals transfer films to DVD or other digital mediums. Key to its success has been its forward outlook — organizers commission artists from both Toronto and around the world to create new works that fit into its daily programs.
“We like to get artists involved,” he says, even if Super 8 isn’t their usual medium. “Unless they’re really busy, they say yes.”
A quick look at the photography section of the Android or Apple app stores reveals a wide variety of digital filters users can download to replicate these features. But to the “visual composers” at the 8 Fest, apps like Hipstamatic and Instagram are lacking.
“They want the grain,” he says. “They want the hands on of Super 8.”
The 8 Fest runs Jan 27-29 at the The Trash Palace (89-B Niagara Street.) It is $5 per event or $25 for a festival pass.
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