2024 Movies Shot on Film: From ‘Challengers’ to ‘Nosferatu’
Kodak has six on-film premieres in competition at the 81st Venice Festival (August 28 – September 7): Pablo Larraín’s “Maria,” Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer,” Brady Corbet’s “The Brutalist,” Athina Rachel Tsangari’s “Harvest,” Alex Ross Perry’s “Pavements,” and Giovanni Perrier Tortorici’s “Diciannove.”
In addition, Kodak will premiere David Gordon Green’s “Nutcrackers” and Malcolm Washington’s “The Piano Player” at TIFF (September 5 – 15), with Green’s Ben Stiller-starrer opening the Toronto festival.
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Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film (led by the Oscar-winning “Oppenheimer,” lensed by Hoyte van Hoytema), will have several Oscar contenders this year as well, including “Anora,” “Challengers,” “Kinds of Kindness,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Sing Sing,” “The Piano Lesson,” “SNL 1975,” “Nosferatu,” and “Maria.”
Kodak already premiered 33 movies shot on film at Cannes. These included nine winners, including Sean Baker’s “Anora,” which earned the Palme d’Or prize; Matthew Rankin’s “Universal Language,” which took the first Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award; and “Grand Tour,” which grabbed Best Director for Miguel Gomes. In addition, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness” earned Jesse Plemons Best Performance by an Actor, and “Armand” won the Caméra d’Or Prize for director Halfdan Ullmann Tondel.
Also, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 26 of the on-film titles at Cannes choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Venice 2024 Premieres
“Maria” (Competition – Fiction)
Pablo Larraín’s biographically-inspired drama about opera singer Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie), shot in both 16mm and 35mm by Ed Lachman (the Oscar-nominated “El Conde”), takes place during her final years in Paris in the ’70s.
“Queer” (Competition – Fiction)
Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novella stars Daniel Craig as an American expatriate in Mexico City in the 1940s who falls for the younger Drew Starkey (“Outer Banks”). Go-to cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (“Challengers”) shot in 35mm. The cast also includes Jason Schwartzman, Henrique Zaga, Andres Duprat, Ariel Shulman, Drew Droege, Colin Bates, pop star Omar Apollo, as well filmmakers Lisandro Alonso, David Lowery, and Michael Borremans.
“The Brutalist” (Competition – Fiction)
Brady Corbet’s follow-up to “Vox Lux” is a “Fountainhead”-inspired, 215-minute epic starring Adrien Brody as László Tóth, a Hungarian Jew and Auschwitz survivor who struggles as an architect before being offered a massive project by Guy Pearce’s Lee Van Buren. Shot in 70mm by go-to cinematographer Lol Crawley.
“Harvest” (Competition – Fiction)
Athina Rachel Tsangari’s drama (adapted from the James Crace novel) is set in England during the Middle Ages and concerns three strangers who the local villagers scapegoat during a time of economic turmoil. Shot by Sean Price Williams in 16mm.
“Pavements” (Orizzonti Horizons Competition)
Alex Ross Perry’s experimental film about ’90s indie rock band Pavement incorporates scripted scenes, tour footage, and a musical stage play using D.A. Pennebaker’s “Don’t Look Back” as a reference. Shot half digital and in 35mm and super 16mm by Robert Kolodny and Lance Bangs.
“Diciannove” (Orizzonti Horizons Competition)
The Italian drama, directed by Giovanni Perrier Tortorici (“We Are Who We Are”) and produced by Guadagnino, is shot in 35mm by Massimiliano Kuveiller.
TIFF 2024 Premieres
“Nutcrackers”
David Gordon Green Green’s comedy-drama stars Stiller as a workaholic who goes to Ohio to look after his recently orphaned nephews. It was shot in 35mm by Michael Simmonds.
“The Piano Lesson”
Malcolm Washington directs the August Wilson adaptation from Netflix, starring John David Washington and Samuel L. Jackson. It concerns the Charles family in 1936 Pittsburgh and the importance of the cherished family heirloom: a piano carved by an enslaved ancestor. Shot in 35mm and digitally by Michael Gioulakis.
2024 Release Dates
‘Challengers’ (Amazon MGM Studios, April 26)
Luca Guadagnino’s first comedy is a love triangle about the sexual tension of tennis with queer undertones. It stars Zendaya as a tennis prodigy-turned-coach, Mike Faist as her husband and tennis star on the comeback trail, and Josh O’Connor as her ex-lover and his best friend, who is thrust into a grudge match. The 35mm film-friendly director reunites with cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (“Suspiria,” “Call Me By Your Name”) for a movie that he describes as “hyperkinetic,” “fairly fizzy,” and “sexy.”
‘I Saw the TV Glow’ (A24, May 3)
Jane Schoenbrun’s (“We’re All Going to the World’s Fair”) latest meta-cultural exploration follows two teenagers (Justice Smith and Brigette Lundy-Paine) who bond over their love of a ’90s supernatural TV series, “The Pink Opaque,” only to see reality blur after it’s sudden cancelation. Shot in 35mm by Eric K. Yue (“A Thousand and One”) with the Arricam LT and Zeiss Master Prime lenses, they wished to convey the deep sense of loneliness and isolation with a rich color palette along with grainier blacks.
‘Handling the Undead’ (Neon, May 31)
Documentary director Thea Hvistendahl (“Adjø Montebello”) tackles horror from “Let the Right One In” author John Ajvide Lindqvist (who co-scripted). It’s about three grieving families in Oslo who must contend with a strange electric field that awakens the city’s newly dead. Shot in 35mm by cinematographer Rokseth, the film reunites Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie from “The Worst Person in the World.”
‘The Bikeriders’ (Focus Features, June 21)
Jeff Nichols’ ’60s drama about the rise of a fictional Chicago motorcycle club got pushed back by Disney last year because of the SAG/AFTRA strike and was picked up domestically by Focus Features. Inspired by the 1967 photo book by Danny Lyon, it stars Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, Tom Hardy, and Michael Shannon. Cinematographer Adam Stone shot 35mm anamorphic with the Panavision Millennium XL2 and Panavision G-Series lenses to capture a sense of naturalism.
‘Kinds of Kindness‘ (Searchlight Pictures, June 21)
Yorgos Lanthimos’ triptych fable about the loss of free will in alternate realities stars Jesse Plemons, Emma Stone, and Willem Dafoe. Shot by go-to cinematographer Robbie Ryan in 35mm (using black-and-white for dream sequences), the black comedy is a far cry from “Poor Things” and “The Favourite” with anamorphic lenses for the American setting (shot on the outskirts of New Orleans) and introspective tone.
‘The Devil’s Bath’ (Filmladen, June 21)
Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz’s horrifying historical drama, set in 1750, concerns depressed women who murdered children to get themselves executed and salvation from Hell, it was shot in 35mm by Martin Gschlacht.
‘Mother, Couch’ (Film Movement, July 5)
Swedish director Niclas Larsson’s feature debut stars Ewan McGregor and Ellen Burstyn in a dysfunctional family drama, in which she won’t budge from a display couch in an antique store, shot in 35mm/3perf by Chayse Irvin.
‘Twisters’ (Universal, July 19)
Lee Isaac Chung’s update of the 1996 blockbuster puts storm-chasing rivals Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) in the middle of Oklahoma’s worst tornado season. Filmed on location in Oklahoma and at Prairie Surf Studios in Oklahoma City, cinematographer Dan Mindel (“Mission: Impossible III”) shot in 35mm using Panavision XL cameras and handheld ARRI 435s and 235s for a mid-century rural vibe. He also used T series, C series, and Primo Anamorphic lenses for the widescreen landscape look.
‘Trap’ (Warner Bros., August 2)
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest psychological thriller, shot in 35mm by Mukdeeprom, stars Josh Hartnett as a dad who attends a Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan) concert with his daughter (Ariel Donoghue). The twist: He’s a serial killer who’s been set up by the cops.
‘Sing Sing’ (A24, August 2)
Greg Kwedar’s fact-based drama about a theater troupe of inmates at Sing Sing, led by Colman Domingo, was filmed inside the correctional facility and shot in 16mm by Pat Scola. This captured the authenticity of the environment and the visceral quality of the performances.
‘Cuckoo’ (Neon, August 9)
Tilman Singer’s horror film sees Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) reluctantly live with her father (Márton Csókás) at a resort in the German Alps, plagued by strange noises and bloody visions. It’s shot by Paul Faltz in 35mm.
‘Between the Temples‘ (Sony Pictures Classics, August 23)
Nathan Silver’s (“Thirst Street,” “Stinking Heaven”) late-coming-of-age comedy stars Jason Schwartzman as a cantor who experiences a crisis of faith when his grade school music teacher (Carol Kane) reenters his life as his new adult bat mitzvah student. Shot in 16mm by Sean Price Williams (“Funny Pages,” “Tesla”) with the Super 16mm, Aaton XTR, and a mix of S16 and S35 Zeiss Super Speed lenses, among others.
‘Strange Darling’ (Magenta Light Studios, August 23)
JT Mollner directs this horrifying meet-cute, shot in 35mm by Giovanni Ribisi, which turns into a cat-and-mouse between a serial killer (Kyle Gallner) and his date (Willa Fitzgerald).
‘A Different Man’ (A24, September 20)
Aaron Schimberg’s (“Chained for Life”) psychological thriller is about an aspiring actor (Sebastian Stan) who undergoes radical reconstructive facial surgery, only to lose out on a role about his former life. Shot in 16mm by cinematographer Wyatt Garfield (“Manodrome”), the film co-stars Reinsve and Adam Pearson (“Under the Skin”).
‘Anora’ (Neon, October 18)
Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Cannes winner gets a fall release during awards season to showcase its offbeat “Cinderella” story. Drew Daniels shot it in 35mm with anamorphic lenses to achieve a ’70s vibe.
‘Nosferatu’ (Focus Features, December 25)
Robert Eggers’ on-again-off-again reworking of the legendary silent vampire film by F.W. Murnau (1922), later remade by Werner Herzog in 1979, finally gets released as a Christmas feast. Shot in 35mm in color by go-to cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, the film boasts a desaturated look reminiscent of 19th-century Romanticism. It stars Bill Skarsgård as the infamous Count Orlok, Lily-Rose Depp as Ellen Hutter, and Nicholas Hoult as her husband Thomas Hutter. The rest of the cast includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, Ralph Ineson, Simon McBurney, and, of course, Willem Dafoe (who played “Nosferatu” star Max Schreck in “Shadow of the Vampire”).
‘SNL 1975’ (Sony Pictures, TBA)
Jason Reitman chronicles the lead-up to the premiere of NBC’s iconic late-night sketch comedy show, starring Gabriel LaBelle (“The Fabelmans”) as “SNL” creator/producer Lorne Michaels, shot in 16mm by go-to cinematographer Eric Steelberg.
Cannes 2024 Premieres
“Bird” (Competition)
Arnold gets surreal with this coming-of-age British fable about a 12-year-old (newcomer Nykiya Adams) who seeks escape from boredom and her preoccupied tattooed father, Barry Keoghan, and finds friendship with an eccentric vagabond (Franz Rogowski). Shot in 35mm by Robbie Ryan.
“Caught by the Tides” (Competition)
The Chinese drama from director Jia Zhang-Ke concerns a working class woman in 2001 who gets involved with her manager as she hustles to earn a living as a singer, model, and club girl. Shot in 35mm by Yu Lik-wai.
“Motel Destino” (Competition)
Aïnouz centers his erotic thriller at a roadside motel used by sex workers in his hometown of Ceará, Brazil, in which a gang member offers solace to the co-owner of the hotel. Shot in 16mm by Hélène Louvart.
“Grand Tour” (Competition)
Gomes sets his period drama in Burma in 1917, where a British civil servant runs away from his fiancée, who pursues him on his melancholy Asian grand tour. Shot in 16mm in black-and-white by Gui Liang, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, and Rui Poças.
“September Says” (Un Certain Regard)
Ariane Labed’s film explores two very close sisters — September and July — who experience tension on a holiday in Ireland when July begins to explore her own independence. Shot in 35mm by Balthazar Lab.
“Viet and Nam” (Un Certain Regard)
Truong Minh Quy’s drama focuses on Nam and Viêt, both young miners, who cherish fleeting moments, knowing that one of them will soon leave for a new life across the sea. Shot in 16mm by Son Doan.
“Armand” (Un Certain Regard)
Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel’s drama revolves around two mothers who battle each other to uncover the truth in a schoolroom when one of their sons accuses the other of hurting him. Shot in 16mm by Pål Ulvik Rokseth.
“When the Light Breaks” (Un Certain Regard)
Rúnar Rúnarsson’s drama explores a bereaved art student through the immediate aftermath of her lover’s sudden passing, complicated by secrets revealed between them. Shot in 16mm by Sophia Olsson.
“East of Noon” (Directors’ Fortnight)
Hala Elkoussy offers an allegory of two realms: The East32 industrial relic and the liberating fluidity of The Sea. Shot in 35mm and 16mm black-and-white by Abdelsalam Moussa.
“Gaser” (Memento International, Directors’ Fortnight)
Ryan J. Sloan’s revenge thriller stars Ariella Mastroianni as a young New Jersey mother suffering from dyschronometria, a degenerative brain condition, who uses cassette tapes to keep track of time. Shot in 16mm by Matheus Bastos.
“Savanna and the Mountain” (Directors’ Fortnight)
Paolo Carneiro’s documentary about the remote Portuguese village Covas do Barroso and how the townspeople fight to halt the construction of a lithium mine. Shot in 16mm by Duarte Domingos.
“Sister Midnight” (Directors’ Fortnight)
In Karan Kandhari’s black comedy about an arranged marriage in Mumbai, Uma (Radhika Apte) is transformed into a ruthless free spirit. Shot in 35mm by Sverre Sørdal.
“To a Land Unknown” (Directors’ Fortnight)
Mahdi Fleifel’s Palestinian feature concerns cousins and refugees fleeing Greece for Germany by posing as smugglers. Shot in 16mm by Thodoros Mihopoulos.
“Christmas Eve at Miller’s Point” (Directors’ Fortnight)
Tyler Taormina’s comedy about a family’s final Christmas at their ancestral home is marked by teenage rebellion. Shot digitally with one sequence in 16mm by Carson Lund.
“Universal Language” (Directors’ Fortnight)
Matthew Rankin’s Canadian comedy is an ode to Winnipeg’s Iranian community in the ’80s as well as Iranian cinema of the period, performed entirely in Farsi and French. Shot in 16mm by Isabelle Stachtchenko.
“Blue Sun Palace” (Critics’ Week)
Constance Tsang’s melodrama (winner of the French Touch Prize of the Jury award) explores the bond between two migrants in the Chinese community of Queens who are thrown together by sudden violence. Shot in 16mm by Norm Li.
“Julie Keeps Quiet” (Critics’ Week)
Leonardo Van Dijl’s drama (winner of the Gan Foundation Award for Distribution and the SACD Award) concerns the titular tennis academy star who chooses to stay silent when her coach is suspended and under investigation. Shot in 35mm/65mm by Nikolas Karakatsanis.
“It Doesn’t Matter” (ACID Selection)
Josh Mond’s sophomore film reunites him with actor Christopher Abbott and centers on the relationship between a lost man (Abbott) from Staten Island and a young filmmaker (Jay Will). Shot digitally and in 35mm by many of its participants on shake phones and confessional Zooms.
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