Five emerging filmmakers selected by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) to create short films for the '2024 MAMI Select-Filmed on iPhone Programme' were mentored by filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, fellow industrialists Vikramaditya Motwane and Rohan Sippy Was.
The company said the filmmakers – Saurav Rai, Archana Atul Phadke, Faraz Ali, Soumyanand Sah and Pratik Vats – are reimagining traditional cinematic conventions by shooting on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
All five of his short films were premiered on the MAMI YouTube channel on Friday.
Anupama Chopra, Director, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, said, "Our aim is to create an ecosystem that helps emerging filmmakers create opportunities that help them create new work and showcase it to a larger audience."
Apple said each filmmaker also used a MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip, allowing them to edit even in the most remote locations.'Gudh' (Nest) – Rai's debut film which was an official selection at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016 – was inspired by his own childhood memories.
Her new film, 'Crossing Borders' is no exception, which tells the story of a woman who smuggles goods like sarees and umbrellas across the India-Nepal border to make ends meet.
After using Apple products for a long time, Rai said that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is madness for filmmakers.
"Shooting this way gives you a beautiful depth of field that you can control in post or right on the iPhone," he explains.
For his short film, Phadke found aural inspiration in the rhythmic hum of windmills outside Jaisalmer.The film, titled 'Mirage', is based on a young boy who spends all his time on his iPhone, but loses it and finds himself lost in the desert.
“My films always start with music or sound,” the National Award winner said, adding that visuals come later.
Filmmaker Faraz Ali's short film, titled 'Obur' (Cloud), tells the story of a teenage boy who loses the memories of his ailing mother. The memories were on his iPhone which he had pawned off to a pharmacist in exchange for his mother's medical assistance.
Ali said the iPhone 15 Pro Max allowed him to go where filmmakers with bigger cameras couldn't easily go - like the snowy white peaks of Kashmir, where color is king.Sahi's short film 'A New Life' is the story of a migrant factory worker who leaves his pregnant wife in search of better job opportunities.
Shot in Kolkata and Bengaluru, the film explores fatherhood and long-distance relationships.
Vatsa's short film is inspired by Anton Chekhov's short story 'The Death of a Government Clerk'.
Titled 'Jal Tu Jalal Tu' (You are water, you are almighty), it depicts the angst of a factory worker who accidentally angers his employer. The film highlights power dynamics and social hierarchies in a blue-collar environment.Based on a real textile factory in Sonipat, the film is "a riot of colors that the iPhone 15 Pro Max captures perfectly," Vats said.
The company said the filmmakers – Saurav Rai, Archana Atul Phadke, Faraz Ali, Soumyanand Sah and Pratik Vats – are reimagining traditional cinematic conventions by shooting on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
All five of his short films were premiered on the MAMI YouTube channel on Friday.
Anupama Chopra, Director, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, said, "Our aim is to create an ecosystem that helps emerging filmmakers create opportunities that help them create new work and showcase it to a larger audience."
Apple said each filmmaker also used a MacBook Pro with an M3 Max chip, allowing them to edit even in the most remote locations.'Gudh' (Nest) – Rai's debut film which was an official selection at the 69th Cannes Film Festival in 2016 – was inspired by his own childhood memories.
Her new film, 'Crossing Borders' is no exception, which tells the story of a woman who smuggles goods like sarees and umbrellas across the India-Nepal border to make ends meet.
After using Apple products for a long time, Rai said that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is madness for filmmakers.
"Shooting this way gives you a beautiful depth of field that you can control in post or right on the iPhone," he explains.
For his short film, Phadke found aural inspiration in the rhythmic hum of windmills outside Jaisalmer.The film, titled 'Mirage', is based on a young boy who spends all his time on his iPhone, but loses it and finds himself lost in the desert.
“My films always start with music or sound,” the National Award winner said, adding that visuals come later.
Filmmaker Faraz Ali's short film, titled 'Obur' (Cloud), tells the story of a teenage boy who loses the memories of his ailing mother. The memories were on his iPhone which he had pawned off to a pharmacist in exchange for his mother's medical assistance.
Ali said the iPhone 15 Pro Max allowed him to go where filmmakers with bigger cameras couldn't easily go - like the snowy white peaks of Kashmir, where color is king.Sahi's short film 'A New Life' is the story of a migrant factory worker who leaves his pregnant wife in search of better job opportunities.
Shot in Kolkata and Bengaluru, the film explores fatherhood and long-distance relationships.
Vatsa's short film is inspired by Anton Chekhov's short story 'The Death of a Government Clerk'.
Titled 'Jal Tu Jalal Tu' (You are water, you are almighty), it depicts the angst of a factory worker who accidentally angers his employer. The film highlights power dynamics and social hierarchies in a blue-collar environment.Based on a real textile factory in Sonipat, the film is "a riot of colors that the iPhone 15 Pro Max captures perfectly," Vats said.
