Fotokemika, a Croatian producer of one of the last classic silver-rich black & white films in the world.
Once one of the region’s most successful photochemical companies, in the summer of 2012 the factory closed their doors. The factory is in danger of being destroyed and with it lots of valuable information will be lost forever.
We firmly believe that Fotokemika is part of our common European history and it should be preserved so its rich heritage can be enjoyed and learned from for generations to come.
Some professionals even today believe Fotokemika’s eFKe classic silver rich black & white analog films, hold the sharpest and most beautiful tone range ever produced!
Saving our cultural heritage!
We are two young women who have decided to make it our quest to save Fotokemika’s heritage. Sanja Harris is a photographer living in The Netherlands and Ana Cvetković is a journalist and pr marketer living in Croatia.
In the past both our families have put heart and soul into their work at the Fotokemika factory in the Croatian town of Samobor. This probably formed the root of our passion to save it.
Fotokemika was much more then merely the place where the employees worked, it also played a big part in their private lives; the company provided housing, education, recreation (vacation house on one of Croatian’s islands, a swimming pool for the employees and their children to enjoy, a hiking club) and sport events.
The factory as the basis of the employees lives, reflects the ideals of previous generations and holds a location-bound anthropological value.
We firmly believe that Fotokemika is part of our common history.
The company’s eFKe film has been part of and has influenced many lives worldwide:
It has allowed us to capture everything that we hold dear or value as important. It gave photojournalists a voice and commerce a new tool to help companies flourish. In medical applications the film helped many people, and eFKe film offered artists new ways to enrich our culture.
And as such we are committed to saving as much of the Fotokemika heritage as possible – to keeping it alive in order to inform future generations about the role the company and its film products have played in enriching our society and our culture.
We are passionate about the Fotokemika cultural heritage. It is one we would like to cherish, honor and return to the people!
The Fotokemika Project 
Love the work you are doing! Good luck and please keep posting about your progress! I have what is possibly the very last box of 12×20 Efke 100 film to have left the factory in my freezer. I will miss it greatly once it is used up!
Thanks Terry! We will! Enjoy your last box of eFKe and we are always curious to see the result! 🙂
The New55 project wants to be your biggest customer. Please find us on FB – we are ready to buy large lots of your product.
In so far I understand, the initiative is meant to preserve the facilities as a museum, not to maintain an actual manufacturing activity….
I don’t think that the machines should be idle. The most important thing to preserve is the knowledge and process skill that was built up over years. Returning to production capability is the way to do that. EFKE failed to sell its products well through no fault of their own except geographic distance and language – there was nothing wrong with the product and there are still customers.
I completely agree with Bob! There are plenty of photographers out there like me willing to use your film products!
You might be right about the machines, but even then: resuming production is not mentioned in their goals – only preserving the place as a museum, to organize events, etc… If production isn’t considered as a possible objective now, then I doubt it will ever happen.. even if there are lots of customers (and I am one of them) who deeply regret the Efke products ..
Well done!!!! I am a passionate user of Efke film, I believe that the Efke 50 is the best film ever produced! I have a little stock left, that I am trying to save for the most important situations. Good luck on your project! Please keep me informed. You can count on me as a sure buyer of Efke film should you be able to produce it again.
WHAT SAD NEWS…ANOTHER FILM COMPANY GONE. FRIENDS LAST YEAR BROUGHT BACK TO AUSTRALIA WHAT COULD BE SOME OF THE LAST 127 FILMS MADE IN SAMOBOR. GOOD LUCK WITH THE PROJECT TO PRESERVE THE FACTORY.
Ilford is reviving the 127. apropos new55. bob you should also inform you future customers better. website(/bob is so confusive. a lot of blabla. maybe because i am not english speaking….
where are new55-news, are you developping a new version of new55?
website/blog new55 is so confusive.
Whatever happened to Kodak ? Was it preserved too ? What can and should be preserved ? We know that FUJI film still operates by producing films for high energy particle detectors. Some film making companies moved to magnetic media production (tapes).
There are so many more things that one would like to preserve other than Efke, Kodak, IBM laptops… but on the scale of million years none of this is important.
Hi, this weekend is pleasant in support of me, since
this point in time i am reading this wonderful informative post here
at my house.
Are there any updates on the project? is this film going to be saved??
The world needs Efke films!!!
As far as i know, there are no plans whatsoever to restart an industrial activity. The project is about saving the factory as a landmark…
EFKE is gone, it’s regretted by all of us, but R.I.P. Efke…
Hello
I claimed Mohamed Khattab , a professional photographer , and I have Studio and Lab – 6th of October City – Giza – Cairo – Arab Republic of Egypt . Under the name ( Arts ) Studio and Lab
As far as I know that your company does not have an agent ( or supplier ) in the Arab Republic of Egypt
So I want Inquiry how Attny me the I apply for a license from you to become a ( authorized distributor for the distribution of prestigious products company ) ,
In fact, I expect that the process of obtaining a license ( authorized distributor or agent ) I think it’s a process may require time and effort until it is to build bridges of mutual trust on the basis of which can hold such an agreement ,
The Egyptian people, poor people by nature and always looking for low price , so I hope that I get a list of prices competitive that I Boisttha that ‘m doing field research for the Egyptian market , so you know the needs of the photographer Egyptian (whether amateur or professional ), I hope that I get a catalog photographer and shown a picture of each item and calories ,
I’m waiting for a reply and wish I could accept my profuse greetings and respect
God bless you
God bless you my dear brother
Thank you for the fast reply ,
But you have no future plans to produce the rest of the categories of film roll
In fact I am a man in the foundation ( I represent myself with me and a group of amateur and professional photography and cinema ) – originally I am a photographer and I have the interests of the film shoot movies, ,
For my abilities , , , all of it , I am a very simple I have ( Studio & Lab ) is very modest and poor , but I have a lot of friends ( amateur and professional ) for photography and cinema , and we look forward to be our rolls of film color photograph in addition to the rolls of films (black and white ) and also to the rolls of film used in the filming of the short films , which Tsstkhaddm by ( students Higher Institute of Cinema , where they filmed the short films , not to exceed half an hour – as a project for graduation ) , and we need those winders Filielmeh at a reasonable price , and we need rolls color film negative and positive , which is used in ordinary life (private civilian life ( Tsoervotograve for weddings and otherwise) measuring 135 ms , or 120 ms.
I am trying to create ( Club for photographers interested in photography Altkulaiada – under the name Club film only ” under construction ” )
The dream may evolve later for the production of feature films ( why not ) ,
Really I am a man of my abilities are very limited ,
But it is OK to cooperate so that we define ( grassroots Egyptian ) in your company honored even hesitate company name on the tongues of the general public , what some people still acquire cameras photos traditional analog and need rolls Color film negative and positive , and amateur photography film also eager for a product with a long history
, And this market is really simple for the size of the giant company , but I think (it’s a good step in order to spread at the grassroots level )
If we talk about the quantities that I will need initially , of course, will be the amounts very simple and I will distribute them to my friends photographers ( either free or priceless Ramsey ) and I will seek to win over ( students, the Higher Institute of Cinema ) – and students ( Faculty of Applied Arts – Department Photographic ) , in addition to the amateur – slowly spread until it becomes a product and are asked to increase the price gradually
My dream is to become one of the promoters of your products ( own civilian life )
God bless you
But you have no future plans to produce the rest of the categories of film roll
Is there anyone who knows where to develop KB 25 I have not take many photos in a long time and had a few old rolls several bands of which fotokemika was one. I never had a problem 20 years ago now no one will touch them with out this new code. Help!
Why not processing them yourself? You can find info in the Digitaltruth “massive development chart” http://www.digitaltruth.com/devchart.php?Film=Efke+25&Developer=&mdc=Search&TempUnits=C
D76 1+1 and 7 minutes, or 1+3 and 10 minutes should do the job. If you can’t / don’t want to do it by yourself, try to identify a photoclub in your neighbourhood and contact them: there might be someone willing to do this for you…
https://bluemooncamera.com/ Is where I had my EFKE film developed until I ran out of stock. Oh how I miss KB25. Blue Moon Camera happily works with international customers.
Goodluck and see you soon \m/
compagnia-imago
Hey there ? Any news about this project ?
mohmadkhatab
Hello???
I just found photos from my grandparents wedding which were processed at Fotokemika, is there any update?