Last updated:February 13, 2025, 16:04 ist

Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami) has revealed the four promising filmmakers selected for the prestigious Mami Select: Filmed on iPhone 2025 Initiative.

Mami Select: Filmed on iPhone 2025 announces four new filmmakers – Amrita Bagchi, Rohin Raveendran Nair, Chanakya Vyas and Shaini Vijayakumar – which will create films that use the iPhone 16 Pro Max during Top Industry Mentors.

Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (Mami), the prestigious department behind Mami Mumbai Film Festival, has announced its latest cohort of promising filmmakers under Mami Select: Filmed on iPhone Initiative. This carefully curated program aims to strengthen the next generation of narrator by equiping them with groundbreaking technology and mentoring from some of the most famous names in Indian film.

Following the success of last year’s edition – where all films are completely managed on an iPhone and edited with the help of a MacBook Pro – the 2025 initiative has significantly expanded, which reflects a diverse mix of languages ​​and cultures from all over India. The four selected filmmakers and their respective categories include:

Amrita Bagchi (Hindi Cinema), mentored by Vikramaditya Motwane

Rohin Raveendran Nair (Malayalam Cinema), mentored by Lijo Jose Pellissery

Chanakya Vyas (Marathi Cinema), mentored by concona late Sharma

Shaini Vijayakumar (Tamil Cinema), mentored by Vetri Maaran

Each filmmaker will receive mentoring, production support and access to industry -leading technology, including the iPhone 16 Pro Max for filming and MacBook Pro for post -production, along with a contribution to help their creative process. The initiative aims to democratize filmmaking, which allows the creators to drive the boundaries of stories while highlighting regional stories and linguistic diversity in Indian film.

A commitment to care for independent cinema

Mami Festival Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur emphasized the importance of the program and noted: “We had a fantastic response to our call for applications. It was fantastic to see the beautiful stories and ideas presented by these young filmmakers from different regions in India. This initiative is Mami’s quest to support new filmmakers and give them a platform to showcase their work. Our goal is to expand Mami Select every year and promote a movement of young independent filmmakers who will shape the future of Indian film. “

Meet the chosen filmmakers

Amrita Bagchi (Hindi Cinema) – mentored by Vikramaditya Motwane

Amrita Bagchi is a Mumbai-based interdisciplinary artist, whose creative journey extends over filmmaking, visual design and performance. A degree from the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, she began her career as a visual artist before switching to cinema and theater. Her artistic foundation was laid on Kala Bhavan, Shantiniketan, where she studied art and printed.

Bagchi has an extensive background in TV graphics, murals, stage design and indie musical album Art. Her theater career includes collaborations with Manav Kaul, Kumud Mishra and D for drama, and she has also worked in clown performances with clowns without borders India.

Her actors include roles in Anurag Basus stories by Rabindranath Tagore, Netflix music teacher, Hasmukh, City of Dreams and the critically acclaimed film coach. As a filmmaker, her short film was succulent generally acclaimed and won several awards including best short film at Iffla 2022 and Best Narrative Short at Nyiff.

Bagchi has also contributed to screenwriters, after working on Amazon Prime’s Poacher, Apple TV +’s extra polices and Hotstars do Aur do Pyaar. She is currently developing her feature film debut and sees film as a convergence of all her artistic disciplines.

Chanakya Vyas (Marathi Cinema) – mentored by concona late Sharma

Chanakya Vyas is a playwright, screenwriter, director and trainer, whose work voltage theater, film and interactive media. His short film, Loo, was nominated for best short film at the New York Indian Film Festival (2024) and won the first prize at Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (2023).

As a playwright, his remarkable works include stories about Kutty, Prelude, Mission Muthanallur, Algorithms and Crime. He has directed several stage productions in places such as Ranga Shankara, Prithvi Theater and NCPA.

Vyas was selected for Lincoln Center’s Director Lab (2017) and is the recipient of Charles Wallace India Trust Award. He has studied filmmaking at FTII, Prague Film School and Sundance Collab. He is currently writing his debut film.

Rohin Raveendran Nair (Malayalam Cinema) – mentored by Lijo Jose Pellissery

Rohin Raveendran Nair is an independent author-director based in Mumbai. A degree from FTII PUNE (Cinematography Specialization, 2016), he has directed several short films and served as an episodic director on Netflix’s black orders.

His short film, The Booth (2019), produced by Vikramaditya Motwane, was shown at the Oscar-qualified festivals such as Poff Shorts (2019) and won several awards, including best short film at Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival.

He has worked as a second unit director and baptism at the Sacred Games (Netflix) and was involved in the script from Smart City, which won the Busan International Film Festival Script Development Fund. He is currently directing a Malayalam film film in Wayanad.

Shaini Vijayakumar (Tamil Cinema) – mentored by Vetri Maaran

Shaini Vijayakumar is a writer, artist and creative producer from Chennai. Her trip to story began with a B.SC. In electronic media from Mop Vaishnav College and stage acting in the Tamil Theater.

She worked at K. Balachander’s final stage production, acted in films such as Accham Madam Naanam Payirpu (Prime Video), Witness (Sony Liv) and Romeo and Med-founded Hysterical Comedy Collaborative, an All-Women Improv group.

Her screenwriter credits includes 3BHK, Bad Girl and Rebound, and she develops her own film film project. Passionate about women’s stories and identity, she continues to challenge stories through her work.

What is next? The journey towards the premiere

The initiative will culminate in a special screening event in April 2025, where the finished films – between 20 and 40 minutes – will premiere. These works will later be released on Mamis Youtube platform, which ensures wide accessibility and audience engagement.

With its strong commitment to promoting regional talent, digital innovation and independent story, Mami Select: Filmed on Iphone 2025 is set to redefine the landscape in Indian film, which proves that stories are no longer limited by expensive production settings but are driven by vision, creativity and bold stories.