Why Gen Z is Making Everyone Fall Back in Love With Film Photography

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

By Rachel Cheng

(Courtesy of Anthony Ung)

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.”  

(Courtesy of Anthony Ung)

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

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

Street Fashion on Film: What are people wearing in the city?

Student Erica Lim’s photography project captures different styles of clothing from people all over the world

By: Mariana Schuetze

Over the summer, Erica Lim, a third-year business student at McMaster University, started working on an exciting fashion project. Soon after, she went on exchange in Amsterdam, and the newest FILMEDFITS volumes came to life.

Lim was born in Malaysia and moved to Canada at the beginning of 2021 to study. Coming from Malaysia, Lim was used to a much more closed-minded approach to fashion, where people usually dress in a much simpler way. Here, Lim found herself in a very creative fashion environment that saw people proudly expressing themselves through clothing.

During this summer, Lim spent four months working and living in Toronto. There, she noticed that people dress up a lot more to do seemingly boring errands. The way Toronto residents express their fashion daily inspired Lim to further explore her self-expression through clothing.

 "I just started wearing things that I maybe wouldn't have worn back home," Lim told CanCulture. “I’ve gained confidence coming to Toronto. I was inspired by it.”

Living in Toronto for the summer also motivated Lim to start FILMEDFITS. Drawing inspiration from the fashion ecology around her, Lim decided to "start this thing where I would go around and ask people to take a picture of their outfits. Just like a collection kind-of-thing," she said.

The pictures for FILMEDFITS, as the name suggests, are all done on a Kodak film camera. “Photography isn’t the main thing I do,” Lim said. She wasn’t a photographer before this project, “it just so happened that I got myself a film camera to capture the moments from my summer, and it then turned into this.”

Lim’s relationship with fashion – her curiosity about what people are wearing – is behind the birth of this project. As a business and marketing student, Lim’s interested in the logistical side of the industry, ”how certain brands get to become so huge all of a sudden.”

Being in business school also functioned as a different kind of inspiration for Lim. “They don’t really offer a lot of opportunities in the creative realm,” she said. With this project, however, Lim used what she learned in school to further her creative endeavour.

“The most important thing I learned was just to approach people, approach companies," she said about lessons learned in her studies at McMaster. "You never know what they are going to say."

“I wouldn’t say I’m a professional photographer. I just do it for fun,” Lim said about her experience taking pictures of strangers for FILMEDFITS. (FILMEDFITS/Erica Lim)

The biggest challenge for Lim on this project was overcoming her anxiety when it came to approaching people on the street. She still feels like she sometimes misses many opportunities when she is too scared to approach strangers in the street.  

"It's been nerve-wracking, especially since I would consider myself pretty introverted," Lim said. "For me to go up to a stranger and ask: 'Can I take a picture of you?' That's pretty out of my comfort zone." 

But so far, Lim has only had great responses from her sources.

"I think nine out of ten times, everyone's been so happy to do it," she added. Most people feel pretty flattered by Lim when she asks them if she can capture their outfits for her project, she said.

As for her favourite part of all of this: the conversations. One time, Lim approached two girls in Montreal and asked for a picture of their outfits. “They just got so excited. And I got excited too.”

Sometimes these “short and sweet” picture moments grow into something much more special for Lim. “This happens almost all the time,” Lim said. “They ask what [the project] is for, and then you tell them, and it sparks a conversation on our similar interests.”

On Oct. 14, 2022, Lim posted the first pictures from FILMEDFITS’ third volume from her trip to Santorini in Greece. (FILMEDFITS/Erica Lim)

Initially, Lim was planning on only taking pictures of people in Toronto and possibly Montreal. But soon after she started FILMEDFITS, Lim got the opportunity to study in Amsterdam for an exchange program. 

There, and all over Europe, she captured an even greater range of styles.

Sometimes these “short and sweet” picture moments grow into something much more special for Lim

"During my exchange abroad, I get to travel to different cities. My idea is to try and go to a new city and take the opportunity to take pictures of people. I can have different volumes and different series of what people wear in this city and what people wear in this other city."

Recently, Lim was in Greece on a trip with friends. She wasn't planning on producing a FILMEDFITS volume there but she says she couldn't resist.

 "I didn't think of, you know, pulling my camera out and asking people randomly for pictures because I was with people," she said. "But I just saw so many opportunities; I just couldn't help myself. So when my friends were having dinner, I just snuck out of the restaurant for a bit and quickly took a few pictures."

Lim is still studying in Amsterdam and working towards putting out more FILMEDFITS volumes of other places she's travelled to. Her Instagram page includes pictures of every volume, showcasing special moments from her life and projects.

X University students display their artwork at annual creative industries showcase

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?”