Swedish actress Olivia Hoy in a still from the movie Signal directed by Sagi Sree Hari Varma. | Photo credit: BY ARRANGEMENT
Visakhapatnam-based filmmaker Sagi Sree Hari Varma’s short film “Signal,” shot entirely on iPhone in black and white, will be screened at the 79th Cannes Marché du Film, the festival’s international film market, on May 15, 2026 and later as part of the Los Angeles Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on June 9 in Los Angeles. 10th Anniversary Opening Day.
In an interview with The Hindu, Mr. Varma described the journey of ‘Signal’ as surreal and said that the project began as a proof-of-concept for a larger feature-length techno-horror film that he has been developing over the past two years. “The short film was originally meant to help me pitch the feature version to studios and investors. We never imagined it would get this far,” he said.
Billed as a “techno-horror theatrical experience”, the 2 minute 54 second film explores a world plunged into chaos following the collapse of digital connectivity. Made during Varma’s participation in a CinemadaMare filmmaking fellowship in Italy, the film is directed by Swedish actress Olivia Hoy and is shot in a single take on an iPhone, which Mr. Varma describes not as a limitation but as the most effective tool for a film that needed to seamlessly traverse multiple locations in one continuous sequence.
Filmmaker Sagi Sree Hari Varma born in Visakhapatnam. | Photo credit: PAUL NICODEMUS
Mr. Varma studied at a private educational institution in Visakhapatnam before moving to the Rashtriya Indian Military Academy in Dehradun. He later pursued computer engineering at SJB Institute of Technology in Bengaluru where he started making short films. He subsequently studied at VGIK, the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in Moscow, attended a summer program at the USC School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, and received a certificate in journalism from the University of California, Los Angeles.
In 2019, he became the only Indian national selected for the Academy Gold Rising program, according to his account. He will also participate in a panel discussion alongside Oscar-nominated director Ted Melfi at the June 9 Academy screening.
“Signal” won awards on six continents, Mr. Varma said, and won the top prize at many international festivals, including the SmartFone Flick Fest in Sydney, the Istanbul International Spring Film Festival, the Mumbai International Panorama Film Festival and the Argentina Modern Black & White Film Festival. The film also had its North American premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, he added.
The response in India was equally encouraging, Varma recounted, with a felicitation at the Palakollu International Short Film Festival from Andhra Pradesh Cinema Minister Kandula Durgesh.
Mr Varma expressed his gratitude to his mentors Ned Price and Ted Melfi, Bettina Fisher of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and producer Shoba Yarlagadda for their support.
“The dream now is to turn ‘The Signal’ into a feature film and create a more immersive theatrical experience for the audience,” he added.
Published – 10 May 2026 19:52 IST
