Nearly 18 months after Kodak announced the end of its Kodachrome line of slide film, the last remaining processor of Kodachrome is warning customers that it will end processing of the popular slide film on 30 December.

The deadline will mark the end of an 75-year-long era, when Kodak released, in 1935, what became the first commercially successful colour film. However, last year, Kodak killed the slide film citing "dramatic" declines in sales. "Kodachrome film represents just a fraction of 1% of Kodak's total sales of still-picture films," said Kodak in June 2009.

Since then, Dwayne's Photo, a processing lab in Parsons, Kansas, has become the last remaining processor of Kodachrome film in the world. In fact, Kodak mentioned that fact as one of the reasons why it had to discontinue the film. "For all of its magic, Kodachrome is a complex film to manufacture and an even more complex film to process," said Kodak. "There is only one remaining photofinishing lab in the world - Dwayne's Photo in Parsons, Kansas - that processes Kodachrome film, precisely because of the difficulty of processing. This lack of widespread processing availability, as well as the features of newer films introduced by Kodak over the years, has accelerated the decline of demand for Kodachrome film."

In the last 18 months, photographers have cherished their last rolls of Kodachrome. The UK's Association of Photographers called for entries for a January exhibition aimed at celebrating the iconic film, while photographers such as Steve McCurry donated images shot on the last films to the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York.

Now, the end is getting clearer. Photographers have until 30 December to send their last rolls of film for processing.

"The last day of processing for all types of Kodachrome film will be 30 December 2010," says Dwayne's Photo in a statement. "The last day Kodak will accept prepaid Kodachrome film in Europe is 30 November 2010. Film that is not in our lab by noon on December 30th will not be processed." Processing of all other films at Dwayne's Photo will continue.

European photographers have the possibility of sending their rolls of film to Kodak in Switzerland, which will then forward them to Dwayne's Photo before the 30 December deadline. However, photographers are advised to send their films directly to the processing lab if they miss the 30 November European deadline.

But, Kodak remains confident that film has a future - beyond Kodachrome that is. In September, the company released the Portra 400 professional film, which replaces the Portra 400NC and VC films. In an interview with BJP, Scott DiSabato, US marketing manager for Professional film at Kodak, said the company felt there was a "very real resurgence for film."

For more details, visit the Kodak website or Dwayne's Photo.