In a sea of advancements in cameras, film photography has resurfaced in popularity thanks to Gen Z.

By Rachel Cheng

We’ve all seen film photos on Instagram. The warm, grainy photos always seem to promise a dreamy, carefree, and far away moment somewhere between nostalgic memories and romantic imaginations.

According to a recent article from the Globe and Mail, it is clear that film cameras are back with the new generation, after being on the brink of extinction about a decade ago. But with all of the new advancements in phone cameras that make high resolution photos so accessible, why is Gen Z opting for older technology?

“In film, the limited amount of shots allow you to not care too much about whether the photo was good or not, but whether the moment you caught was of value.” says Anthony Ung, a student at Western Ivey, with years of experience in professional photography. “There’s less of a concern about exact composition, and minute details. You’re able to take a step back and just appreciate the moment.”

Ung started taking photos after the pandemic restrictions started to lift in 2021. He says that the motivation for using film cameras was from nostalgia – not from the experience of using the equipment – but rather a wish for a simpler time.

“I think in the context of post-COVID-19, the definition of nostalgia is not necessarily defined as something that you actively lived, rather it is a yearning of normalcy,” says Ung. “I think COVID-19 just allowed people to feel a lot more sentimental towards a past, not necessarily their past. I think that cultural shift is what kind of drives the explosion of analogue.”

Kendra Kelly Peterkin, film student at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), says that the medium just feels more authentic.

“It just feels a lot more real. It takes a lot more effort,” says Peterkin. “With digital cameras nowadays, you have everything at your fingertips. With film you have to do everything yourself, so there's a lot more effort and energy going into it. It makes it more authentic.”

Shots from Peterkin’s short film (Courtesy of Kendra Kelly Peterkin)

And a lot of the appeal also lies in the wait.

“There is freedom in just taking photos and being like, okay I’ll just take it and I’ll see it in a few weeks,” says Ung.

Flexibility and creativity are also learned through the wait, since the photographer is never exactly clear on what their shots look like.

“When you [use] film you can’t see it right away, but when you get it developed and see that everything worked out fine – or it didn’t work out how you expected but it still looks good – I think that’s the most gratifying thing about film,” says Peterkin.

But Gen Z isn’t just copying old trends, they also have a lot to add to the old medium.

Peterkin says that they bring a lot of diversity into their films, and allow people in this generation to see themselves represented in a medium that used to be limited to certain races and classes.

Photo of Ung’s friend stopping at a gas station before prom (Courtesy of Anthony Ung)

“A lot of my motivation, and why I started in the first place is because I wanted to bring inclusivity and diversity,” says Peterkin. “Especially growing up, I wouldn’t see people like me in film, and when I did it would be very stereotypical [...] I wanted to be able to create media that is more inclusive and accurate.”

Shireen Agharazi Dormani, film student at TMU, also mentions that the motion picture cameras used to shoot movies on film are more accessible now to people of any class.

“Those existed like years ago, not just anyone can have them, they’re super expensive. But now we have better access,” says Dormani.

Through their art and passion, all young photographers, in a way, reclaim the old medium with oppressive beginnings, and shift its legacy into something more diverse and vibrant.

But at the end of the day, the most gratifying thing about art will always be the moments and feelings they represent.

“My favourite thing is taking photos of my friends,” says Ung. “My favourite thing I’ve done with film is just learn to appreciate moments. Passing moments. And learning to capture it in a way that is not invasive and doesn’t take away from the presentness required to go about life.”

Shot from Peterkin’s short film (Courtesy of Kendra Kelly Peterkin)

Shot from Peterkin’s short film (Courtesy Kendra Kelly Peterkin)

Ranging from photographs to paintings, the diversifying works from these three X University students uphold artistic visions

By: Teresa Valenton

Taken in front of Casa Loma, Shadi B’s photographs depict powerful women reclaiming historical narratives. (Teresa Valenton/CanCulture)

Cultivating a range of works from students in the X University creative industries program, the annual showcase event provided a platform for aspiring artists at the Great Hall in Toronto.

On April 7, the Creative Industries Course Union (CICU) arranged their annual event to present the works of X University students in a gallery-style setting. Utilizing various mediums, each artist lays out an artistic vision to be carried throughout their works. The event is in person for the first time since 2019.

Though the creative industries program is the first of its kind in North America, the showcase presented an expanding presence in the works of students. And in selecting a specialization, aspiring creatives are provided resources to develop their skills.

Shadi B, a first-year creative industries student, is specializing in fashion and communications. She diversifies her photographs by enhancing the natural beauty of individuals. Driven by ranging identities and the exploration of the human body, she seeks to enhance the viewing experience with colour.

In her art, Shadi highlights the power of simplicity. By working alongside both film directors and models, she captures an unforeseen side of individuals through colour.

In portraying a range of bodies, Shadi highlights a Black, queer individual photographed in front of Toronto’s Casa Loma to juxtapose history.

“I wanted to place a body that was never really thought of in the process of building the specific location,” she said.

To reclaim a historically white space, Shadi’s goal was to showcase a “Black, beautiful queer body in a very powerful stance with bold makeup and fashion.”

In curating a fun setting to take photographs, Shadi was most focused on empowering the individuals with which she was shooting. One of her models was a 15-year-old girl who had never been photographed prior to the shoot.

“When she got in front of that camera, it’s like I had never seen someone come so alive before. It was really just picking the work that I have a special connection with,” Shadi said.

Throughout her journey to display these works at the showcase, Shadi realized the power in sharing her work with like-minded individuals. In honouring future goals as a creative, Shadi says she hopes to use these experiences as a reminder to keep making artwork.

Exploring traditional mediums such as paint, Brennan March, a fourth-year creative industries student, reconnects with loved ones through art. Specializing in fashion and film, March explores interpersonal emotions through his works.

Brennan March’s two paintings depict grief in relation to healing and reconciling with loved ones. (Teresa Valenton/CanCulture)

While grieving the loss of a close individual, March utilizes art as a healing project — a vessel to express his emotions. Recalling memories from his childhood, he is brought back to an individual who first taught him about painting.

“It was something that I did with them a lot, and so it was kind of a thing I wanted to do to connect with them again,” March said.

Portraying a time of self-isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, March recalls connecting with nature at a time when he felt disconnected from his peers. Fragments of these emotions are intertwined through both pieces.

“Both came out of me, like kind of feeling a rhythm with the things around me,” March said.

Drawn to sand as a means of imagery, he is reminded of the realities of adaptability.

“In my mind, it’s very surreal that a material on earth can take any shape and it’s just beautiful to look at,” March said.

Using this event as a catalyst to potentially display more works, March says he is hopeful to see where art takes him.

Driven by ideas of self-reflection and joyfulness, Imani Dominique Busby, a third-year creative industries student, highlights connectivity amid the pandemic. Working as an independent curator with specializations in fashion and curatorial practices, Busby relates to all aspects of visual art.

Exhibiting abstract portraits, Busby calls on individuals to reflect on the evolution of interpersonal identities amid the pandemic.

Imani Busby’s acrylic rendition of Johannes Vermeer’s *Girl With a Pearl Earring* is displayed with accompanying works at the Great Hall. (Teresa Valenton/CanCulture)

In abstracting Vermeer’s Girl With a Pearl Earring and depicting images of her close friends, Busby paints what is familiar to her own experiences. By utilizing high contrast colours like blue and orange, she represents joyfulness amid COVID-19.

“These paintings are actually a series that I created in quarantine. They are all very colourful and the idea was to reflect the joy of individuals even though we can’t all be together during isolation,” said Busby.

Viewing her work from an opposing perspective, Busby says she hopes viewers will become inspired to paint as well. Aware of her mission as an artist, Busby seeks to connect individuals to the joy of art.

“I want them to be inspired if they want to try painting as well. Maybe they could do it too, you know?”