Ambitious Crime Drama Will Use Four Different Kodak Film Formats
Danish filmmaker Jesper Tønnes is working on an ambitious noir film demonstrating “the true potential of Kodak’s analog film formats.”
Soliciting funding on Kickstarter, the film Nothing Ventured will be shot on four different analog film formats including Super 8, Super 16, 35mm, and 65mm film.
The film’s title, Nothing Ventured, is based on the Danish saying “Intet vover, intet vinder,” which means, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”
“This saying perfectly encapsulates this film project, not only regarding the story but also the way we bring it to life. In the noir underbelly of Copenhagen, we follow a mysterious red suitcase on a dramatic journey over the course of a day, changing a young woman’s life forever,” Tønnes explains.
The film is “about taking the chance of a lifetime,” which Tønnes says is presented within the wrapping of a passion for analog film formats and crime films.
Nothing Ventured is written and directed by Tønnes and the first two chapters have already been shot. The entire film is expected to be around 25 minutes long, and the professional crew of filmmakers and actors are all working on the project for free — it’s a passion project.
“I’m a child of the VHS era. Even though I was born in 1990, analog film was almost completely removed as a tool when I entered the film industry. We are a whole generation of filmmakers who have never had ‘real film’ in our hands, even though it’s the foundation of our craft film. Through Intet Vover,’ we want to bring filmmakers together, old and young, to make sure we keep the analog film craft alive,” says Tønnes.
The current timeline has Tønnes finishing the film this October, with plans to enter the movie into film festivals from October 2023 to May 2024. The film should be published on YouTube in May 2024.
The ongoing Kickstarter campaign aims to raise around $8,200 for the team to finish the film. “The last two chapters of Nothing Ventured will be shot on 35mm and 65mm film,” and the funding will be used to cover the costs of analog film and development. The team also plans to rent the legendary Arriflex 765, a 65mm camera, from Arri Rental in Munich, Germany.
If the team can fundraise even more money, they will use the financial support to use more film and make more complicated shots.
“There’s something truly unique about the look and feel of analog film. We want to make a film that shows how the different film types and formats not only influence the visual representation of the film but also the story. Each time the film cuts between chapters, we change format, and the film evolves with that change visually and emotionally. It will be like attending a concert that starts with a 3-piece rock band and slowly turns into a huge symphony orchestra,” explains Tønnes.
Nothing Ventured stars award-winning actors such as Jens Jørgen Spottag, Maria Erwolter, Nicolas Bro, Ali Najei, Bo Thomas, and Jonathan Harboe.
The same people working on Nothing Ventured, Rebel Pictures, previously made a Star Wars fan film, The Last Padawan II. A trailer for that film is available below, and the full version is available on Vimeo.
The full details, timeline, and backing options for Nothing Ventured are available on the project’s Kickstarter page.
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