Apple recently presented a series of short films produced by five up-and-coming filmmakers who were chosen for the '2024 MAMI Select-Filmed on iPhone' initiative by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI). The selected filmmakers, mentored by acclaimed director Vishal Bhardwaj along with industry veterans Vikramaditya Motwane and Rohan Sippy, showcased their works shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with these creations premiering on the MAMI YouTube channel.
One of the featured filmmakers, Saurav Rai, drew inspiration from his aunt's story to craft a narrative about a woman who engages in smuggling activities along the Indo-Nepalese border, using goods like saris and umbrellas to sustain herself. Rai's film, shot on the iPhone 15 Pro Max equipped with Cinematic Mode, showcases his straightforward approach to filmmaking, emphasizing minimalism and authenticity in storytelling. Archana Atul Phadke's film, "The Mirage," delves into the tale of a young boy who, consumed by his iPhone, finds himself lost in a desert. Through the lens of iPhone 15 Pro Max, Phadke explores a range of camera functionalities, from wide shots using the default 24 mm main camera to enhancing depth with the 120 mm Telephoto camera, effectively capturing the gradual isolation of the protagonist in the narrative.
Another filmmaker, Faraz Ali, crafted a tragicomedy called "Óbur (Cloud)," depicting a teenage boy who surrenders his iPhone, containing memories of his ailing mother, to a pharmacist in exchange for her medical assistance. Ali leverages the advanced features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, such as ProRes video with Log encoding and recording ambient sounds using the Voice Memos app, to enrich the visual and auditory elements of his storytelling. The collaborative effort of Saumyananda Sahi and Tanushree Das resulted in the film "A New Life," telling the story of a migrant worker in pursuit of better job prospects, leaving behind his pregnant wife. Sahi highlights the versatility of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, equating its capabilities to those of a professional cinema camera like the Arri Alexa, enabling her to achieve nuanced cinematography and creative control in the narrative. Lastly, Prateek Vats explored themes of anxiety and interpersonal dynamics in "Jal Tu Jalal Tu (You Are Water, You Are the All-Powerful)," capturing the plight of a factory worker who inadvertently offends his employer.