Sri Lanka’s New Analogue Film Developing Lab

Artist and photographer Lojithan Ram will open doors to Mount Studio’s Analogue Film Developing Darkroom Lab tomorrow (August 17)

Ram is an artist and photographer whose practice includes analogue photography, archival projects, and experimental printmaking. He is the founder of Mount Studio and the Batticaloa Photo-History Archive, with work exhibited both locally and internationally. His projects often explore themes of memory, migration, and place, blending material process with lived experience.

The lab marks the revival of a practice that had almost vanished from Sri Lanka, offering a rare opportunity for both seasoned film photographers and newcomers to work with the hands-on, tactile craft of image-making. With the rise of interest in vintage cameras among young artists and visiting tourists, this initiative aims to bring film photography back into regular practice — and keep it alive for future generations.

The facility offers Black & White and Colour Film Developing and High-Resolution Film Scanning. An upcoming feature is to make films available with manual printing facilities. 

More than a technical workspace, the lab is embedded within a working artist’s studio, creating an environment for making, experimentation, and dialogue. Entirely self-funded, the project reflects Ram’s long-standing commitment to analogue processes and his desire to foster a community around this art form.