Indian Filmmaker Sagi Sree Hari Varma's 'Signal' to Screen at Cannes and Academy

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Indian Filmmaker Sagi Sree Hari Varma's 'Signal' to Screen at Cannes and Academy | AirNews

Indian filmmaker Sagi Sree Hari Varma's short film 'Signal', shot entirely on an iPhone in black and white, will be screened at the 79th Cannes Film Festival's Marché du Film on May 15, 2026, and later at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles on June 9 as part of the Gold Rising Programme's 10th Anniversary Opening Day. The film, a 2-minute-54-second techno-horror piece, explores a world descending into chaos after the collapse of digital connectivity.

'Signal' was conceived during Varma's participation in the CinemadaMare filmmaking fellowship in Italy and features Swedish actor Olivia Hoy in a single continuous take. Varma described the iPhone not as a constraint but as the optimal tool for the film’s fluid movement across locations. The project began as a proof-of-concept for a larger feature-length techno-horror film he has been developing over the past two years.

The film has won awards at festivals across six continents, including the SmartFone Flick Fest in Sydney, the Istanbul International Spring Film Festival, the Indian International Panorama Film Festival in Mumbai, and the Modern Black and White Film Festival in Argentina. It premiered in North America at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and was honored at the Palakollu International Short Film Festival by Andhra Pradesh Cinematography Minister Kandula Durgesh.

Varma, born in Visakhapatnam, studied Computer Science Engineering in Bengaluru before training at VGIK in Moscow, attending a summer programme at USC School of Cinematic Arts, and earning a journalism certificate from UCLA. In 2019, he became the only Indian selected for the Academy Gold Rising programme. He will join Oscar-nominated director Ted Melfi in a panel discussion at the Academy screening.

Varma said his goal is to expand 'Signal' into a feature-length film and create a larger immersive theatrical experience. The Academy will host the screening and panel on June 9, followed by continued festival circulation and development talks.