Please note: This event took place in
A decade before 9.5mm and 16mm film, Pathé launched 28mm, one of the first non-theatrical film gauges. Introduced in 1911, and used largely for educational and community screenings, the gauge was most popular in the USA, and offered a range of film subjects, not just from Pathe’s own back catalogue of productions, but films by other companies of the time. With the introduction of 9.5mm and 16mm film in the early 1920’s, 28mm began its demise. However, the films and equipment have survived in private hands, and as such 28mm has been kept alive to this day in small corners of the film community. This includes a number of films (1905-1914) that are now known only to survive on 28mm.
Join BFI National Archive Curator Rosie Taylor, and filmmaker and historian Christopher Bird, as they share their knowledge and experience with this largely forgotten film format, through showing film and equipment on display, and projecting original 100 year old film prints on an 28mm Victor projector.