Eastman Kodak has temporarily suspended all film manufacturing at its Rochester, New York factory in order to upgrade it.

During a Q3 2024 quarterly results call on November 13, Eastman Kodak CEO Jim Continenza stated that the move is to better prepare the company to cope with rising demand for film.

“We’re going to have a total shutdown in November,” Continenza stated on the call. “We’ve continued to invest in our production process, but we need to shut it down totally to bring light into the darkness, right? “Film is created in the darkness.”

“In November, we will be modernizing the plant, putting more investment within that, which has also caused us to use more cash in the quarter to build up inventories while we do this.”

“But as we continue to see our commitment and our customer commitment to film, still in motion picture, we are going to continue to invest in that space and continue with that growth.”

Last year, Continenza stated that Eastman Kodak will continue to produce film as long as there is need for it. Fortunately, there is plenty of it: Kodak sent out a need for film technicians in 2022, stating, “We cannot keep up with demand.”

Continenza addressed the company’s “massive, large apprentice program” on its results call last week.

“I was just up in Rochester, and we have a massive, large apprentice program, four years of training and learning and dedication,” according to Continenza.

“And watching them graduate and come into our workforce full time and highly skilled, I’m so proud of them that made it through because it’s a hard thing to do, right, as we continue to increase jobs.”

Kosmo Foto reports that following years of decrease due to digital photography, demand for film increased between 2015 and 2019. Younger shooters, in particular, are falling in love with the antiquated analog method.