Lucky Film announces new color film, promising affordability for analog photographers around the world

Film lovers have another reason to celebrate—Chinese manufacturer Lucky Film recently teased a new color film on its Instagram account, describing it as a "brand new, true original C-41 color negative 35mm film." While details remain scarce, this marks a major step for the company, which has been largely absent from the color film market for over a decade.

Lucky Film is far from a new player in the industry. The company has a long history in film production, dating back to the mid-20th century, and was once one of China’s largest manufacturers of photographic materials. For years, it operated as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for Kodak, helping to produce Kodak Gold 200—a beloved consumer-grade color film stock.

According to a letter sent to Reformed Film Lab, as stated by DPReview, Lucky Film helped Kodak produce more than 50 million rolls of film before their manufacturing contract was terminated in 2007 due to the rapid rise of digital photography. Even after its partnership with Kodak ended, Lucky continued producing its own color negative films—GBR 100, GBR 200, and GBR 400—until around 2012, when it halted color film production altogether. Since then, the company has remained largely quiet in the film community, though it has continued manufacturing industrial and X-ray films.

Lucky Film signaled its return to analog photography last year when it resumed production of two black-and-white film stocks in March 2024. By the end of the year, test rolls had begun circulating, including at my local lab, which received a sample package along with a letter providing insight into the company’s revival efforts.One of the biggest challenges Lucky faced in bringing back color film was navigating Kodak’s patents and control over raw materials.

To overcome this, the company assembled a team of chemists and film engineers to reverse-engineer the necessary components for a new color negative stock. According to the letter, Lucky had initially planned for a late 2024 release, but delays in research and production pushed the timeline back.

One of the most intriguing aspects of Lucky Film’s announcement is its promise of affordability. The company’s website states that the new color film will be available "at a price today's photographers can afford," while the letter to Reformed Film Lab went even further, calling it "the world's cheapest color film."

With film prices steadily climbing—especially for color stocks—an affordable alternative could be a game-changer for both amateur and professional photographers. Over the past few years, the rising cost of film has made it increasingly difficult for many photographers to continue shooting analog, particularly as major brands like Kodak and Fujifilm have increased their prices. If Lucky Film can deliver on its promise, it could become a strong competitor in the growing but expensive film market.

For now, no official release date has been provided, and Lucky Film’s website offers little additional information beyond its initial teaser. However, the return of a company with such deep roots in film manufacturing—and its ambitious goal of providing a low-cost alternative—adds another exciting chapter to the ongoing analog renaissance.

As more details emerge, film enthusiasts will be watching closely to see whether Lucky Film’s comeback can live up to expectations. Until then, the anticipation continues.

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