In February 2008, Polaroid announced that they would be ending the production of the famous and well-loved instant film. The company reportedly cut 450 jobs and decided to focus on other endeavours such as a portable printer for pictures from mobile phones, and Polaroid-branded digital cameras, etc.
For a while there it looked like it was the end of instant film. Polaroid lovers had to take action. Soon after Polaroid's announcement, The Impossible Project was launched with the aim to "reinvent and restart production of analog INTEGRAL FILM for vintage polaroid cameras." Impossible got a hold of the film production equipment in the Netherlands from Polaroid, signed a ten year lease agreement on the factory building, and has connected with the most skilled team of Integral Film experts in the world.
The Project has recently announced a "history making cooperation between Polaroid and The Impossible Project:"
As we have created quite some buzz about Analog Instant Photography over the past 12 months, the Polaroid licensee - The Summit Global Group - now can't resist any longer and announced at a press conference on October 13th in Hongkong that they will re-launch some of the most famous Polaroid Instant Cameras. They are commissioning The Impossible Project to develop and produce a limited edition of Polaroid branded Instant Films in the middle of 2010.
Large-scale production and distribution of the new integral film materials under The Impossible Project's own brand will commence at the start of 2010, with a brand-spankin'-new black and white Instant Film. The first colour films will follow throughout the course of the year.
For more information, visit The Impossible Project website here. There is also some Phorum fodder on Polaroid film here.
