CineStill film

The History of CineStill

CineStill was founded in 2012 by brothers Brandon and Brian Wright in California, who were captivated by the distinctive look of motion picture film used in Hollywood cinema. Motion picture film differs from standard still camera film mainly through its "remjet" backing, an anti-halation layer that stops light bouncing back through the film base but which also makes it incompatible with standard C-41 photo lab processing.

The Wright brothers developed a process to remove this remjet layer, allowing genuine cinema film stock to be processed in any regular colour lab. Their first product, CineStill 800T, launched in 2013 and quickly built a cult following for its glowing red "halation" around light sources, a side effect of removing the remjet backing that photographers came to embrace as a signature creative look rather than a flaw. CineStill has since grown from a niche remjet-removal specialist into a broader film brand in its own right.

CineStill's Camera Film Ranges

CineStill 800T is tungsten-balanced for indoor and artificial light, adapted from Kodak Vision3 500T motion picture stock, and is famous for its red halation glow around highlights and neon signs, making it a favourite for night and low-light photography. CineStill 50D is daylight-balanced and fine-grained, adapted from Kodak Vision3 50D cinema stock, and suits bright outdoor shooting with true-to-life colour.

CineStill 400D, launched in 2022, is a daylight-balanced all-rounder offering greater exposure latitude for mixed lighting conditions. CineStill BwXX is a black and white film based on Kodak's Double-X cinema stock, delivering the classic high-contrast, cinematic monochrome look used in numerous Hollywood films.

Choosing the Right CineStill Film

For night photography and city lights, 800T is the film that made CineStill famous. For bright daylight and fine grain, choose 50D. For general everyday daylight shooting with more flexibility, go for 400D, and for classic cinematic black and white, choose BwXX. Compare CineStill film prices on Filmproof to find the best deal from UK stockists.