Once again, IndieWire reached out to 90 (!) cinematographers with movies playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) to explore the cameras they used. As the tradition calls, we analyzed the data to find segmentations. There’s no doubt. This is the rise of the ARRI ALEXA 35 and the domination of the Super 35 format thanks to ARRI 35 and ALEXA Mini. Check out the charts below.
TIFF’s 2024 cameras
IndieWire contacted cinematographers with movies playing in the Discovery, Centerpiece, Gala, Midnight Madness, Platform, and Special Presentations categories at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year. 90 DPs participated in that survey. We took the data to build our Camera Chart. You can find the entire list below (for IndieWire’s article click here). The list contains the name of the project, cameras, and lenses used:
- ‘Aberdeen’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime Anamorphic, Zeiss Supreme Prime Radiance, Angenieux 17-80
- ‘Addition’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA LF. Lenses: PanaSpeeds
- ‘All We Imagine As Light’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke s4i
- ‘Anora’: Camera: ARRICAM LT. Lenses: Lomo Round Front Anamorphics, Lomo 40-120 zoom
- ‘April’: Camera: ARRICAM LT. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime
- ‘The Assessment’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: LEICA SUMMILUX
- ‘Beloved Tropic’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds
- ‘Better Man’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Gecko-Cam GENESIS G35 VINTAGE
- ‘Bird’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: ARRI Ultra 16 Primes, Canon 10-180mm zoom
- ‘Bonjour Tristesse’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4/i, Canon FD TLS 45mm, Bausch & Lomb Super Baltar TLS,, Angenieux Optimo 24-290mm
- ‘Boong’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Hawk C series Anamorphic
- ‘Bring Them Down’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Master Anamorphic
- ‘Can I Get a Witness’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Atlas Orion
- ‘Conclave’: Camera: RED V- Raptor. Lenses: Blackwing Tribe7, Angénieux 19,5-94 Optimo, Angénieux Ultra 12x 36-435 Optimo
- ‘The Courageous’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke Panchro/i Classic S35
- ‘Crocodile Tears’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic/i FF
- ‘The Cut’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416, ARRICAM ST/LT. Lenses: ARRI Ultra 16, ARRI Master Primes
- ‘Dead Talents Society’: Camera: RED V-Raptor, RED Monstro. Lenses: ARRI Signature Primes
- ‘Diciannove’: Camera: ARRICAM LT. Lenses: Suprime prime t 1.5
- ‘Do I Know You From Somewhere?’: Camera: Blackmagic Design URSA Mini Pro 12K. Lenses: Rokinon Xeen
- ‘Don’t Cry, Butterfly’: Camera: Canon C70. Lenses: Lomo CKBK Superspeed Modernized T1.3
- ‘Don’t Lets Go To The Dogs Tonight’: Camera: Sony VENICE 1 and 2. Lenses: Blackwing7 – Tribe7
- ‘Else’: Camera:ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: ARRI UltraPrime
- ‘Elton John: Never Too Late’: Camera: Sony FX6, Sony FX9. Lenses: Leica R Primes, Angénieux EZ1 & EZ2, Angenieux Optimo 24-290mm
- ‘Emilia Perez’: Camera: Sony VENICE 2, ARRI ALEXA Mini, RED Komodo. Lenses: Blackwing Tribe 7, ARRI Signature Prime 12mm, Angenieux Ultra 12x Angenieux EZ-1 and EZ-2
- ‘Escape From the 21st Century’: Camera: Sony VENICE, ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Speed Panchro, Atlas Orion
- ‘Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Tribe7 Blackwing7, Angenieux EZ Zooms
- ‘The Fire Inside’: Camera: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Panavision PanaSpeeds
- ‘Friendship’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Angenieux Optimo 24-290 & 28-76
- ‘Front Row’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Panchro/i Classic
- ‘The Girl With the Needle’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Leitz HUGO
- ‘Gülizar’: Camera: Sony VENICE. Lens: ARRI Master Primes, Cooke 25-250mm MK3 Zoom Lens
- ‘Happy Holidays’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Angenieux EZ1
- ‘Harvest’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: ARR-Optex 4mm, -ARRI Ultra Primes
- ‘K-Pops’: Camera: Sony VENICE. Lenses: Panavision
- ‘The Last Showgirl’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: 16mm bespoke Auto Panatars
- ‘The Legend of the Vagabond Queens’: Camera: Canon C500, Canon C70, Panasonic GH5. Lenses: Canon Cine Primes
- ‘The Life of Chuck’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Alpha Anamorphic, ARRI Signature Primes
- ‘Linda’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds
- ‘Little Jaffna’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Atlas Orion
- ‘The Luckiest Man In America’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed
- ‘Matt and Mara’: Camera: RED Komodo. Lenses: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
- ‘Measures for a Funeral’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35, RED Komodo, RED Monstro. Lenses: Cooke Speed Panchro
- ‘Misericordia’: Camera: RED V- Raptor. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme
- ‘The Mother and the Bear’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini.. Lenseds: Cook S4/i
- ‘My Father’s Daughter’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA LF, ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Canon K35
- ‘My Sunshine’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini, AMIRA, BlackMagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K. Lenses: ARRI Ultra Prime
- ‘Nightbitch’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Panavision T-Series Anamorphic, ATZ2 75-210MM Zoom, ATW2 37- 85MM Zoom
- ‘Nutcrackers’: Camera: ARRICAM LT, ARRICAM ST. Lenses: Leica Summicron Prime
- ‘Oh, Canada’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome. Lenses: ARRI ALFA
- ‘On Becoming a Guinea Fowl’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Panavision P-Vintage
- ‘On Falling’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35, RED Komodo. Lenses: Vantage One Spherical Primes
- ‘On Swift Horses’: Camera: RED V- Raptor. Lenses: Panavision Panaspeeds
- ‘The Paradise of Thorns’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Orion Atlas
- ‘The Party’s Over’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Elite 100, 75, 40, 25 Cooke 50
- ‘Paying For It’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Tribe7 T-Tuned
- ‘Pedro Páramo’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Panavision VA Primes
- ‘The Penguin Lessons’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Master Prime
- ‘The Quiet Ones’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35, Sony A7s. Lenses: Cooke s7/i Primes, K35 25-120mm zoom
- ‘Quisling: The Final Days’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speed
- ‘Relay’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: ARRI Master Primes
- ‘Rez Ball’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lens: C-Series Anamorphic, Panafocal Zoom, VA Spherical Zooms
- ‘Riff Raff’: Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds, Angenieux EZ
- ‘Sad Jokes’: Camera: Sony A7 III. Lenses: Zeiss Compact Primes
- ‘The Salt Path’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S4/i
- ‘Santosh’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: ARRI Signatures Primes
- ‘Saturday Night’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: ARRI Master Primes
- ‘The Seed of the Sacred Fig’: Camera: Sony FX6, Sony FX3. Lenses: Canon FD
- ‘7 Days’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lens: Sigma Primes
- ‘Shell’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Panavision E Series, Primo Anamorphics
- ‘Shepherds’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Canon K35
- ‘Sketch’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke Anamorphic/I
- ‘Superboys of Malegoan’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke S5/i
- ‘The Swedish Torpedo’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: Zeiss Super Speeds
- ‘Takin’ Care of Business’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, Canon C500ii, Z-Cam F6. Lenses: Vintage Leica R Primes, L-series Canon Zooms
- ‘They Will Be Dust’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: ARRI Signature Prime, Angenieux Optima 24-290
- ‘To A Land Unknown’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: ARRI Ultra 16 Prime
- ‘U Are the Universe’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: Cooke S4/i
- ‘Under The Volcano’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Olympus OM
- ‘An Unfinished Film’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF, Panasonic AJ-upx360mc, iPhone. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Prime
- ‘Universal Language’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416. Lenses: Zeiss 16 Super Speeds
- ‘Unstoppable’: Camera: Sony VENICE 2. Lenses: Angenieux Optima Primes
- ‘The Village Next To Paradise’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini. Lenses: ARRI Ultra Primes
- ‘Viktor’: Camera: Canon C500 Mark II. Lenses: EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
- ‘Went Up The Hill’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA 35. Lenses: Cooke Speed Panchro
- ‘When the Light Breaks’: Camera: ARRIFLEX 416 Plus. Lens: ARRI Ultra 16, Angenieux 11.5-138mm
- ‘William Tell’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Zeiss Supreme Primes
- ‘Will & Harper’: Camera: ARRI AMIRA, Canon C300, RED Komodo. Lenses: Cooke Panchros
- ‘The Wolves Always Come at Night’: Camera: ARRI ALEXA Mini LF. Lenses: Richard Gale Clavius Primes
The word in the street indicates that rental houses are struggling to make money with the ARRI 35 as many filmmakers are eager to shoot full-frame and don’t want to pay much for Super 35. However, this is not the case here. Moreover, it seems that among top-notch indie filmmakers, the Super 35 format rules and the ARRI 35 is booming.
Toronto Film Festival 2024: Camera Chart
Explore the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) 2024 Camera Chart below, which is based on the data above. Click on the chart for a full-resolution view:
Discussion
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. It’s not less important than Sundance and Cannes. The filmmakers’ creative minds would be the same for, let’s say, Tiff and Cannes. Hence, the cameras chosen are extremely similar. For instance, the five most dominant cameras (five big ones) are the same (ARRI ALEXA Mini, Mini LF, ARRI 35, Sony VENICE, and the ARRIFLEX for the film heroes). See the charts below which demonstrate that interesting fact.
Moreover, tiff 2024 was characterized by a wide variety of camera models (ALEXA 35, ALEXA Mini, ALEXA Mini LF, ARRIFLEX 416, Sony VENICE 1 & 2, ARRICAM LT/ST, RED Komodo, RED V-Raptor, Canon C500 I/II, ALEXA LF, RED Monstro, Canon C70, Sony FX6, ARRI AMIRA, Blackmagic URSA 12K, Sony FX9, Panasonic GH5, BlackMagic Cinema Camera 4K, ALEXA Mini LF Monochrome, Sony A7s, Sony A7 III, Sony FX3, Z-Cam F6, and Canon C300). But the big winner is the ARRI 35 which is strengthening the dominance of the Super 35, together with the mighty ALEXA Mini. The ARRI Mini turned out to be extremely popular because many filmmakers can afford to buy it as the price is being reduced, but it keeps its excellent image quality and reliability. Filmmakers who want the ALEV 4 look and the best dynamic range on the market, go for the ARRI 35. The word in the street indicates that rental houses are struggling to make money with the ARRI 35 as many filmmakers are eager to shoot full-frame and don’t want to pay much for Super 35. However, this is not the case here. Moreover, it seems that among top-notch indie filmmakers, the Super 35 format rules and the ARRI 35 is booming.
We definitely need more “film heroes,” but at least there were a number of productions shot on 35mm and/or 16mm. Still, we need more.