Image from the Star Wars set

What was the first film to be shown digitally?

The first film to have been screened digitally was George Lucas’ Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace on June 18, 1999 in the United States. In 1999, Dil Se was the first film to be screened digitally in India.

eshna benegal &  30 Jul 22

The first film to have been screened digitally was George Lucas’ Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace on June 18, 1999 in the United States. The technology used for projection was the Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology. Parts of the film were filmed on the Sony CineAlta, a digital film camera, while the rest was shot on 35mm film.

In 1999, Dil Se was the first film to be screened digitally in India. It was done as a trial run during the MAMI Film Festival in Mumbai. Digital projection in India picked up in the early 2000s.

Related Articles

Which was the first theater to be built in India?
Behind the scenes from Reels

The first movie theater to be built in India was Chaplin Cinema, also known as Elphinstone Picture Palace. Chaplin Cinema was built in 1907 by Jamshedji Framji Madan. The palace was later named “Minerva” and was a popular theatre for screening Hollywood films.

30 Jul 22

How expensive is shooting on film?
Behind the scenes from Reels

A 400 foot roll of 35mm Kodak film, which accounts for 4 minutes of footage, costs upto Rs. 16,000. For a 2 hour film, with retakes, the film roll itself will cost you Rs. 50 lakhs. Distributing the film will cost another 5 lakhs therefore, to simply create footage and distribute it you would spend Rs. 55 lakhs.

30 Jul 22