Apple has showcased MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone, an initiative by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image) featuring emerging filmmakers using iPhone 17 Pro Max along with Apple ecosystem devices to create short films across different regions and narratives in India.
This year’s selection includes four short films exploring stories of a clandestine affair in Mumbai, themes of divinity and humanity in Kerala, a young misfit in Goa, and a Bengali woman dealing with the fear of losing her voice. The programme focuses on how mobile filmmaking is influencing both production techniques and the kinds of stories being told.
Mentors for the programme include Sriram Raghavan, Chaitanya Tamhane, Dibakar Banerjee, and Geetu Mohandas, who have been recognised across major platforms including the Venice International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, National Film Awards, and Asian Film Awards.
Mentorship and programme direction
Sriram Raghavan says filmmaking today is about “vision”, and tools like iPhone allow creators with strong voices to make work that feels “meaningful”. Chaitanya Tamhane highlights that mobile filmmaking expands possibilities in movement, choreography, and accessibility, helping redefine cinematic expression.
MAMI director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur notes that earlier films from the programme have crossed “millions of views” online and have received awards, creating wider interest among emerging filmmakers and encouraging adoption of mobile-first production workflows.
Shreela Agarwal – 11.11 (Mumbai after dark)
Shreela Agarwal, a former national-level boxer turned filmmaker, returns to cinema after a career-ending injury with 11.11, a film set during a first date in Mumbai’s night environment. The story is built around low-light conditions and natural urban lighting.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max, the film uses ProRes RAW capture to improve dynamic range and recover shadow details during post-production. This enables a more balanced image without relying on heavy lighting equipment. Agarwal notes that independent filmmakers no longer need “massive lights” for night-based shoots.
The film also uses movement-heavy cinematography inspired by Tanztheater, with stabilisation features enabling smooth tracking shots in outdoor and uneven environments.
Ritesh Sharma – She Sells Seashells
Ritesh Sharma’s film follows a 17-year-old migrant girl in Goa whose simple dream evolves into a deeper emotional journey. Using iPhone 17 Pro Max, he blends reality and imagination through cinematic mode, shifting focus between external environments and the character’s internal emotional world.
The Audio Mix feature is used to reduce background noise and isolate dialogue, helping create a controlled sound environment that Sharma describes as working like a “moving studio”. His workflow includes MacBook Pro with M5 and iPad Pro with M5 for editing, review, and post-production support, including Sidecar-based multi-device usage.
Robin Joy – Pathanam (Paradise Fall)
Robin Joy’s Pathanam explores an unconventional narrative involving an angel and social conflict, built around outdoor action sequences and complex movement-based scenes. He notes that the project initially felt too ambitious due to its scale and technical demands.
With iPhone 17 Pro Max, Action Mode enables stable footage during high-motion sequences, including boat-based shooting. The device’s vapor chamber thermal system supports sustained performance during long shooting schedules.
Post-production involved AI-based masking and visual effects workflows supported by MacBook Pro with M5, allowing editing of 4K timelines without proxy workflows. The team describes mobile filmmaking as a practical alternative to traditional rental-heavy production setups.
Dhritisree Sarkar – Kathar Katha (The Tale of Katha)
Dhritisree Sarkar, a Ph.D. scholar in gender and development, approaches filmmaking through the lens of economics and human behaviour. Her film follows a news anchor diagnosed with a rare condition that gradually affects her senses, forming a metaphor for silence and isolation.
Shot on iPhone 17 Pro Max, the film uses 8x optical zoom (200mm) to capture subtle emotional details and symbolic framing. She uses ProRes RAW and Apple Log 2 to create a controlled cinematic texture, later refined with contrast and grain adjustments in post-production.
During production, iPad Pro with M5 is used for monitoring prosthetic-heavy scenes and close-up performance review to ensure precision in emotional expression.
Impact of MAMI Select programme
The MAMI Select initiative has previously produced films that have crossed “millions of views” online and have also received recognition at international film festivals. It has gradually evolved into a “launchpad” for emerging filmmakers who do not have access to traditional high-end production infrastructure.
The programme continues to highlight how mobile filmmaking is reducing entry barriers and enabling a wider range of creators to participate in cinematic storytelling.
Outlook
MAMI Select: Filmed on iPhone continues to demonstrate how smartphone filmmaking is reshaping creative production. With tools like iPhone 17 Pro Max, filmmakers are able to explore cinematic storytelling with fewer constraints related to cost, equipment, and production scale.
Availability
All four short films from this year’s MAMI Select programme are now available to watch on MAMI’s official YouTube channel.