A method for manufacturing a freestanding film having at least one population of through holes cumulatively totaling at least 1% of the film area, wherein the standard deviation of hole diameters is less than 25% and a thickness less than 25 micrometers, The film provides a carrier substrate, a photo-curable material, a release agent and deposits a photo-curable material on the substrate, selectively curing the material and leaving uncured material in the pattern of holes, dissolving away the uncured material and removing the cured material from the carrier. Methods and apparatus are described.