It’s a process: The former croupier taking a gamble to bring back film

Jordan Dautovic, a former casino croupier, is spearheading the revival of film processing in Australia by establishing the country’s first dedicated movie film lab since 2013. His new facility in Melbourne is being equipped with vintage yet high-quality machinery, including a colour negative processor once owned by Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson. This equipment, purchased for just one dollar from Archives New Zealand, played a crucial role in processing iconic films such as King Kong and The Return of the King. Dautovic is preparing to launch the lab with an initial focus on Super 8 and 16mm film, catering to a growing demand among Australian filmmakers who want to shoot on celluloid despite the dominance of digital projection. The absence of local film processing facilities has long been a barrier for Australian filmmakers wishing to use traditional film stock, forcing many to abandon the format or send their work overseas. Dautovic believes Australia is now the last major film-producing territory without such services, and he is betting on a resurgence in analog filmmaking. While he anticipates that the bulk of his business will come from smaller format film like Super 8 and 16mm, he expects to process three to four feature films annually, which he describes as the “gravy” on top of the steady flow of short-form and experimental projects. Dautovic’s journey into film processing began during the COVID-19 lockdowns when he converted his parents’ laundry into a makeshift lab and taught himself to develop colour photographic film. His passion for filmmaking dates back to childhood, though he initially pursued a career in the casino industry after being rejected by film school. The opportunity to acquire the equipment arose when Archives New Zealand decided to decommission its processing machines, and Dautovic successfully pitched his vision to salvage and repurpose the gear for his Melbourne lab. This initiative marks a significant step in preserving and revitalizing film culture in Australia, providing local filmmakers with the resources to shoot and process celluloid domestically. It also reflects a broader global trend where filmmakers are increasingly embracing analog formats for their unique aesthetic qualities and tactile creative process, despite the convenience of digital technology.