A novel and flexible technique for synthesizing continuous ultra thin (<100 nm) molecular sieve films on substrates has been developed. The technique consists of two steps. A monolayer of discrete colloidal zeolite seed crystals is adsorbed on the substrate, whereafter the crystals are allowed to grow into a continuous film upon hydrothermal treatment in a molecular sieve precursor solution. The technique is exemplified by the formation of silicalite-1 films on silicon wafers. The final film thickness in the examples presented was in the range 80 and 800 nm. The films are continuous and crystalline as confirmed by SEM, Kr-adsorption data, ellipsometry, XRD and FTIR.