PERF is a film-on-film club based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded by film archivists Janine Winfree and Amelia Winburne, PERF seeks to center the unique analog film experience and promote cinematic experiences in East Tennessee, with a special emphasis on film-on-film screenings.

What does film-on-film mean and why does it matter?

Before digital projection, movies were shown on motion picture film, primarily 35mm in a movie theatre setting. Smaller film formats such as 16mm and 8mm were used for school and home use. As studios began to favor digital projection as it simplified film distribution and presentation, film projectors were literally dismantled and destroyed, removing the possibility of showing film prints in the vast majority of film venues.

Film-on-film screenings used to be the norm. Now it is a unique, almost boutique experience — and one that is fading faster and faster as the skills needed to project film are disappearing. There are few operating 70mm, 35mm, and 16mm theatre projectors in East Tennessee, and even fewer people who are qualified to operate them.

Watching a movie on analog motion picture film is a unique experience. Each print tells a story. We are used to seeing film in a most pristine digital format, but analog film carries its age with each showing. There is a certain warmth to the projection that is easier on the eyes, and the whir of the projector can be magical to those who appreciate it.