Is FilmoTec operating?

[Fredrixxon]

Or they just sell leftovers found in their fridge?

 

[koraks]

AFAIK they rely on rented capacity at the Polaroid facilities in Monheim, making them essentially a 'fabless' outfit. Production runs would be intermittent; produce a batch, sell it to raise capital so the cycle can be repeated. Whether this is a stable dynamic, I don't know. The future is always hard to predict, and in the case of these tiny outfits held together with shoestring budgets it's even hard to predict the present much of the time.

 

[polaromar]

Given that they're actively developing ORWO NC200, Lomography just signed on to sell additional batches, and are still turning the crank on existing ORWO products, they almost certainly are still around.

As koraks said, they rent time from Polaroid Monheim. It makes sense with how small their volume is.

 

[Fredrixxon]

Online shop is out of bulk stock for months, may be longer, selling only cassetted films and expired garbage. I'd say they are sleeping on the crank. Or are down at all.

 

[polaromar]

The ORWO store has always had their bulk rolls backlogged. In my fridge right now are several rolls of Opticolor 200 (ORWO NC200) and Adox Color Mission which were produced this year, so production is still going on.

Given that they're reliant on Polaroid, who has limited capacity and is in the same boat of being unable to keep up with demand, it's not surprising that their stock is limited. I believe they're also reliant on an external partner for packaging too, which is another bottleneck.

The expired films are hardly garbage, I've used them. They're less than a year expired and definitely been kept well.

 

[PhotoGeek35]

Wittner Cinetec (Germany) frequently reports about new batches / deliveries they receive from FilmoTec via their Bluesky channel.
Examples

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

*** BACK IN STOCK *** On Friday we were restocked with Original Wolfen UN54 16mm film. Just in time for our shop opening next week 😍👍🤩❤️ www.wittnercinetec.com/2148

bsky.app

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

Receiving a small batch of production grade Original Wolfen NC200 today. This stock is intended to become finished for the Super 8 film format. First step towards ramping up NC200 Super 8 cartridge manufacturing soon. 🎥 🎞️ 🤩 ❤️ 👍

bsky.app

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

Incoming goods inspection on a fresh filmstock delivery always feels a bit like opening birthday presents 🎂 🎁 🤩 🤣👍

bsky.app

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

Getting restocked with Original Wolfen Film 🎥 🎞️ 😍❤️

bsky.app

 

[PhotoGeek35]

And there is the new Original Wolfen NC200 stock coming from InovisCoat / FilmoTec.
So it seems they are still alive!

ORIGINAL WOLFEN COLOR 200, Super 8 cart. 50ft/15m

Color Negative Film

www.wittnercinetec.com

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

Very exciting 🤩 Manufacturing a first batch of the new Original Wolfen Color 200 Double 8 Film today 🛠️🪚🪛🔩⚙️ 🎞️ 👍

bsky.app

WittnerCinetec.com (@wittnercinetec.bsky.social)

Very exciting 🤩 Manufacturing a first batch of the new Original Wolfen Color 200 Super 8 Cartridges today 🛠️🪚🪛🔩⚙️ 🎞️ 👍

bsky.app

 

[polaromar]

Yup, I just finished a roll of NC200! It's a wonderful film. Very Orwochrom UT21-esque in palette and grain, at least compared to the period examples I've seen in their ads, which makes me wonder if it shares any lineage with the East German color reversals.

 

[polaromar]

For what it's worth, I placed an order for a roll of UN54 and P400 with the ORWO online store. It's expensive, but I wanted to do it as a test. I wasn't expecting much, but a month later, it arrived in my hands. Turns out that it shipped from a small warehouse in Hamburg.



The UN54 at least is not fresh, it is dated for 3/26, like what B&H had in stock. P400 was either made Dec 2025 or Dec 2024 based off the expiration date of 12/26. Nonetheless that is the latest expiration date I've seen from ORWO film that isn't NC200.



The misprintings on the P400 box are pretty egregious, yikes.
I'm thinking of emailing the shop and seeing when fresh UN54 will come in stock. If I hear anything I will report back.