The Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image (MAMI), a cornerstone institution celebrating Indian and world cinema since 1997, has embarked on a transformative journey. Marking a significant new chapter, MAMI today unveiled a fresh logo and brand identity, reflecting its evolution into a festival shaped by its vibrant community, powered by diverse voices, and dedicated to the belief that stories unite the human race. While deeply rooted in Mumbai, MAMI continues its unwavering engagement with cinema from across India and the globe.
A Fresh Identity Rooted in Community The rebrand signifies MAMI's core philosophy: cinema is an art form of the people, for the people, designed to bring individuals together and spark meaningful dialogue. This new identity encapsulates MAMI's growth, emphasizing a festival co-created with its community, celebrating storytelling, and fostering connections. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Festival Director, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “I am excited to launch the new face of MAMI with a new logo and brand identity for the Mumbai Film Festival that reflects our belief that cinema is about people, about ideas and sparking conversations, and that the festival is about the storytellers and the public, that come together as a community to make the Mumbai Film Festival a celebration of film.”
Introducing MAMI Independent: A Year-Round Platform for Bold Voices
Coinciding with this moment of renewal, MAMI proudly announced MAMI Independent, a groundbreaking year-round initiative. This program is specifically designed to provide a vital platform for bold, contemporary independent cinema, both from India and internationally. Key aspects of MAMI Independent include:
• Weekly Screenings: Regular big-screen presentations offering sustained visibility for films that often struggle to find space within mainstream exhibition circuits.
• Community Engagement: Fostering meaningful dialogue between filmmakers, cinephiles, industry professionals, and emerging talent.
• Audience Expansion: Aiming to broaden the reach for independent films and create opportunities for discovery, conversation, and potential distribution.
• Diverse Showcase: Featuring films that break away from conventional narratives, stories that rise from the margins, challenge conventions, and invite audiences to feel, question, and reflect.
Nurturing Filmmakers & Expanding Horizons MAMI Independent represents a crucial step towards building a stronger ecosystem for independent cinema in India and beyond. Many independent films, often created with limited resources but immense passion, are frequently overshadowed by the volume of mainstream releases. This initiative seeks to bring these deserving works out of the shadows and into the spotlight they merit. It reinforces MAMI's commitment to nurturing cinematic excellence, supporting independent filmmakers, and strengthening the connection between storytellers and their audiences.
Join the MAMI Independent Screenings The MAMI Independent program is set to commence on February 25, 2026. Audiences in Mumbai can look forward to weekly screenings every Wednesday at 7 p.m. at PVR Lido, Santacruz. These curated sessions will showcase a diverse selection of independent feature films, documentaries, shorts, and experimental works from India. Details regarding the screening slate and monthly calendar will be shared through MAMI’s official channels.
Together, the new brand identity and the launch of MAMI Independent powerfully reaffirm MAMI’s dedication to creative freedom, the discovery of new voices, and the continued positioning of Mumbai as a vital meeting ground for Indian and global cinema.
