The Immersive 16mm Lab offers participants the opportunity to explore traditional 16mm filmmaking techniques, including both colour and black-and-white reversal processes, while creating collaboratively in an immersive environment, making the most of a residency in the rural setting of Casa do Xisto, located in the village of Macieira de Rates, Barcelos.
AUDIO FEATURE
The residency includes an exploratory sound component, through which participants work with various types of microphones, a biofeedback sensor, and a MIDI synthesizer connected to a plant of their choice, enabling them to generate and modulate sound in real time.
These tools are used to capture and interpret signals from the living environment of Casa do Xisto, expanding the dialogue between cinema, ecology, and expanded sonic practices.
Participants will learn the process of developing film by hand, working with a vertical editing system to complete a print ready for projection.
They will explore experimental ways of making special effects and other techniques related to the world of 16mm filmmaking, through the instructions of two dedicated professionals, with extensive experience in the filming and development process on film, who are dedicated to the preservation of the cinematographic arts.
From July 17 to 23, 2026, the tenth edition of the Casa do Xisto 16mm Immersive Laboratory marks a key moment in the project’s trajectory. A milestone that signals not only continuity, but the consolidation of an artistic community: over ten editions, around one hundred participants have passed through Casa do Xisto, and more than 100 films on 16mm have been produced.
This edition proposes to revisit and reactivate this collective journey, drawing on the memory of previous editions while opening space for new directions. Maintaining a focus on analogue cinema and ecological processing methods, the laboratory continues to develop the “Alchemy of Cinema” approach, led by Ricardo Leite, with the assistance of Juliana Julieta, in dialogue with contemporary practices that intersect image, sound and territory. The expanded sonic component remains a central axis of experimentation, integrating tools such as microphones, biofeedback sensors, and plant-based sound generation systems, further deepening the relationship between cinema and ecosystem.
The workshop will be conducted in Portuguese and English, welcoming participants from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Throughout the residency, 16mm film will be used, along with natural materials gathered from the Casa do Xisto “Cinematographic Garden” and its surroundings for image processing.
The alchemical process lies at the core of the experience: the developer will be prepared using coffee, vitamin C, and baking soda, while other elements include hydrogen peroxide, vinegar or acetic acid—with the possibility of substituting lemon juice as a natural alternative to citric acid. Hybrid techniques will also be explored, such as producing negatives with a coffee-based developer and subsequently achieving positive images using a mint-based developer, allowing for experimentation with different tonalities and textures.
More than a commemorative edition, this tenth moment positions itself as a point of convergence between practice, research and community — a space for reconnection and future projection of what has been collectively built over time.
The residency culminates on the night of July 22 with a public outdoor screening and a closing celebration in the Casa do Xisto Garden-Cinema, in partnership with Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival. This session will present the outcomes of the tenth edition alongside a selection of films produced throughout previous editions, activating the living memory of the project. For this occasion, participants from past editions will be invited, fostering a reunion of the community—a broader celebration of what has, over the years, become a true “Xisto family.”
Practical Information
Dates: 17 to 23th July 2026
Location: Casa do Xisto, Macieira de Rates, Barcelos, Portugal
Instructor: Ricardo Leite
Assistant Instructor: Juliana Julieta
Languages: Portuguese and English
Public Projection: 22nd of July 2026
Registration fee: €750 (includes meals, accommodation, and Curtas Vila do Conde accreditation)
Note: Film digitisation is not included in the fee.
