German amateur movie magazine schmalfilm is celebrating its 60th anniversary with a massive 160 page Jubilee special edition. It features a retrospective covering 60 years of film technology, along with some of the best articles from the magazine's back catalog.

The magazine - helmed by editor Juergen Lossau - has seen subscriptions increase by 45% since 2004. It's no accident that amateur filmmaking remains popular in Germany. The nation dominated the cine industry for decade with brands such as Agfa, ARRI, Bauer, Leitz, Niezoldi & Kraemer and Zeiss Ikon.

Just when things seemed bleakest in the late 1990s, a new generation of moviemakers discovered the majesty of film, breathing new life into Super 8 and 16mm and rescuing schmalfilm magazine from almost certain oblivion. Several decades have passed since amateur film's heyday in the late 1970s, but thousands of enthusiasts still shoot film. A quick glance at eBay.de reveals Germany's wonderful filmmaking secret - there are hundreds of Super 8, Double 8mm and 16mm cameras for sale at surprisingly reasonable prices.

Even though the magazine is published in German, English speakers can enjoy an International version - smallformat - which debuted to critical acclaim in late 2005. It features the same stunning attention to detail and full-color layout as its German cousin with a truly international mix of articles featuring filmmakers and equipment from around the world.

Discover smallformat magazine [English]
The official schmalfilm site [German]