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    A global family of companies with a particular focus on film and entertainment. Founded on a proud 116 year old technological and manufacturing tradition.

  • ORIGINAL WOLFEN

    Bridging Film Heritage with Modern Innovation

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    ORWO Family is a fractionalised multi-family office operating across 9 countries, uniquely positioned at the intersection of institutional investment and analogue film innovation. Building on a 116-year legacy in film production, ORWO today manages a global family of companies focused primarily—but not exclusively—on film and entertainment ventures, as well as emerging technologies.

    The ORWO brand’s heritage traces back to Wolfen, Germany in 1909 as an offshoot of the AGFA film company. Now revitalized under new ownership, ORWO leverages its historic expertise and intellectual property from both AGFA and original ORWO emulsions to deliver cutting-edge products and services for the modern age.

    Our renewed mission emphasizes institutional credibility, forward-looking innovation, and a long-term investment approach—all while honoring the authenticity of ORWO’s storied past. ORWO’s capabilities span the entire value chain:

    Film Manufacturing (Germany) – 116+ years of continuous production, now revitalized.

    Mobile Processing – Dailies, scanning, QC anywhere in the world.


    35mm Release Printing – One of the few labs left globally with full theatrical capabilities.


    Preservation & Replication – High-resolution B&W archival duplication, nitrate restoration, scanning, and archiving.

    Studio finance, construction, and management

    Film and Television, production and distribution

    Advanced technologies - AR, VR, 360, Web 3.0, Hologram, Stereoscopic

    IP Patents, R&D Trademarks

    Events, Releases and Publications

    Studios & Post Production

    Animation and VFX

    We also operate ORWO Distribution, a boutique international sales company connecting indie creators with global platforms. Our cultural ventures include the World Rock Awards and community-building through festivals, lectures, and analog education. We don’t just make film—we create the demand and the talent to sustain it.

  • Our Heritage

    100+ Years of Film Excellence

    Founded in Wolfen in 1909 as part of AGFA, ORWO (an abbreviation of ORiginal WOlfen) has been synonymous with photographic and cinematic film for over a century. In 1936, the Wolfen plant developed the world’s first modern color film (Agfacolor), a full year before Kodak released Kodachrome. Throughout the mid-20th century, ORWO emerged as East Germany’s flagship film producer—and a major exporter to Russia, Poland, India, Southeast Asia, and other global markets. Renowned for its black-and-white films and technological breakthroughs, the division of Germany after WWII saw the Wolfen factory continue under the ORWO name, supplying much of the Eastern Bloc’s photographic film needs.

    Over the decades, ORWO accumulated numerous patents and innovation awards, even earning a place in the Guinness Book of Records for its technical achievements. Film manufacturing at the Wolfen site has been a continuous tradition since 1910, making ORWO one of the longest-running names in analog film. While the ORWO corporate entity underwent restructurings in the 1990s, the brand’s core expertise lived on—carried by successor companies and now resurrected under the ORWO Family. In 2020, the film coating firm Inoviscoat (with its AGFA heritage) merged with ORWO’s film production arm (Filmotec GmbH) under common ownership, reuniting historic emulsions and know-how under the ORWO banner.

    This careful stewardship of analog film IP means today’s ORWO can proudly claim a 116+ year lineage of film R&D and quality, even as the organization itself has evolved. We acknowledge this unique history openly: ORWO Family stands on the shoulders of its predecessors, combining the legacy of AGFA Wolfen and original ORWO with a modern corporate structure.

    "Supplying archival film to the U.S. Library of Congress, MoMA, and the Smithsonian isn’t just a privilege—it’s a testament to the enduring quality of ORWO’s legacy and chemistry."

    Notably, ORWO’s expertise in archival and specialty films remains highly respected worldwide. Our black-and-white cinema films and archival stock are trusted by institutions seeking permanence and fidelity. This deep root in film technology forms the bedrock of ORWO’s credibility as we expand into new ventures.

  • Innovation in Film

    New Products and Technologies

    Far from simply trading on nostalgia, ORWO is pioneering new technologies in analog film. We are not a heritage brand reviving the past—we are a science-and-craft enterprise building the future. In 2025, we are releasing two newly developed film stocks alongside innovations in portable processing and long-term data storage:

    WOLFEN NC200 (Color, 200 ASA) – debuted July 2025, this color negative film stock is a contemporary remake of a vintage AGFA-era recipe. With a “blank canvas” neutral tone, it balances analog richness with consistent results. It is suitable for C-41 or ECN-2 workflows, enabling hybrid still/motion lab applications.

    WOLFEN NP400 (B&W, 400 ASA) – a wide-latitude panchromatic film with ultra-fine grain, this high-speed black-and-white emulsion is one of the most ambitious B&W launches since the 1990s. Shot from 160 to 1600 ISO with deep shadow detail, it’s already gaining cult status among street photographers and experimental filmmakers.

    These films build on the success of NC500 and NC400, which brought cinematic color palettes and experimental ISO curves into the market in 2022–2023. All films are made in Germany using modernized AGFA/ORWO coating technology.

    We’ve also introduced a mobile motion picture lab (launched 2025): a 40-foot shipping container with full film processing, scanning, and QC facilities, deployable globally. This allows real-time dailies in remote locations and demonstrates our belief that film must be accessible, practical, and professional.

    “From jungle sets to arctic fields—film doesn’t wait. Now, it doesn’t have to.”

    Beyond camera films, ORWO is investing in critical infrastructure for archiving: Paper to Film (PTF), Audio Visual to Film (AVTF), Data to Film (DTF)



    These formats create unhackable, light-readable, chemically stable archives. Film—unlike digital—is futureproof. Under ideal conditions, these films have been tested to last up to 500 years.

  • LOVE OF RACE

    The ORWO story is one of constant challenge and innovation

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    1953

    First post WW2 German Rally

    A multiple time winner of Rally races. ORWO was famous for supplying the race team with innovative materials for the windshields and chassis - giving them a technological advantage.

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    1975

    German Formula 3

    The passionate support for innovation, technical challenges and the race for perfection continued throughout the 70s, in Formula 3. ORWO was universally recognised as a pioneering force.

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    1983

    Formula Easter

    ORWO's twin passions of social responsibility and fast fast cars combined in the 80s. Formula Easter cars became famous throughout the world racing in the Peace and Friendship cup. The Formula Easters were known as the Eastern Bloc Formula Ones.

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    2019

    Motorworld Classics Berlin

    The SRG MT 77 was proudly displayed at the 2019 Motorworld Classics show in Berlin.

     

    Designed in 1977 by Ulli Melkus and Hartmut Thaßler for the "Formula Easter 1300", the MT 77 is still used to this day in historic racing.

  • A Global Family Office with a Focus on Film

    ORWO is structured as a multi-family office, bringing together the resources of multiple family investors to manage and grow a curated portfolio of companies. Our fractionalised model allows stakeholders to co-invest in high-potential analog, entertainment, and IP-centric ventures under the ORWO umbrella—benefiting from shared expertise, creative leverage, and institutional-grade oversight. Headquartered in Europe with significant operations in North America and beyond, ORWO operates studios and facilities across nine countries, ensuring a truly global footprint.

    This footprint spans film production, post-production, IP exploitation, format innovation, and archival sciences. We bridge traditional craftsmanship with tech-forward execution. Our board and leadership combine decades of success across corporate finance, emerging markets, and studio operations.

    “Financial acumen meets film passion.”

    Our independence—free from quarterly market pressures—gives us the agility to invest in long-cycle R&D and make bold moves that define categories. As a result, ORWO is the preferred partner for investors, filmmakers, and archivists who understand that true legacy requires long vision.

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  • CLIENTS

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  • SHOP ORWO FILM

    Shop the wide range of Original Wolfen's own Colour, and Black and White photographic and cine stocks via our online store!

  • 116 years of proud tradition & innovation

    Whether you’re shooting your next feature or safeguarding your century, ORWO is your partner. The story is still being written—in silver halide, in ink, in data. Come write the next chapter with us.