ABOUT
Smartphone filmmaking has become one of the most dynamic, exciting and accessible areas of contemporary screen culture, lowering barriers to entry while creating new visual languages for cinema.
Our 2026 one day smartphone filmmaking festival held at Finsbury Park Picturehouse , included screenings, filmmaker conversations and industry panels featuring award-winning smartphone feature documentary Motherboard, filmed over 20 years on five generations of smartphones by Victoria Mapplebeck , and Shih-Ching Tsou’s acclaimed feature Left-Handed Girl (edited by Sean Baker) followed by a videoed Q&A with director Shih-Ching Tsou.
Following the screening of Motherboard, BAFTA-winning filmmaker Victoria Mapplebeck and subject of the film Jim Mapplebeck, took part in a live Q and A hosted by writer and broadcaster Janet Ellis.
The programme also featured a smartphone filmmaker panel with clips, chaired by Adam Gee, with Bradley Banton, Tuwaine Barrett, Victoria Mapplebeck, Trim Lamba, Aamana Khan and Anna Novikova. This one-day event was a celebration of how mobile technology is reshaping contemporary cinema and audio-visual culture, and opening up new ways to shoot, tell stories and reach audiences.
Festival Feedback
It was super enlightening, one-of-a-kind and I was able to discover some genuinely incredible films and people who create in such a unique format!
Smartphone filmmaking is accelerating fast and yesterday’s SMart - the London International Smartphone Film Festival at Finsbury Park Picturehouse was the perfect proof of how powerful this movement has become!!
So long as you have a phone in your pocket, you're unstoppable - this format can genuinely lower the barrier to entry, because you don't need fancy kit or a large crew to tell a good story.
This format enables filmmakers to reach the nooks and crannies of real life that they might not have been able to otherwise, offering a uniquely intimate connection between viewer and subject. A breath of fresh air.
Yesterday led to meaningful new connections and impactful conversations, so thank you to those who made it happen!
Our Partners
Little Dot Studios
Little Dot Studios (London/LA/Munich & Berlin) is an award-winning digital content agency and media network, specialising in creating meaningful connections between premium content and digital audiences. It works with the world’s most recognised TV, sports and consumer brands, creating content for more than 500 social channels globally and delivering 6 billion video views per month.
Little Dot also runs its own digital broadcast network of more than 30 channels across social platforms and streaming services. These were watched by over 400 million viewers in 2020.
Royal Holloway, University of London
Royal Holloway is a pioneering university, one of the first to admit women. It is steeped in history and culture, yet constantly evolving and adapting to the demands of modern higher education. Royal Holloway is strengthened by diversity and welcomes students and academics from all over the world, ensuring an international and multicultural perspective.
Picturehouse
Picturehouse is a leading UK film company incorporating cinema, distribution and home entertainment.
First Person Films
First Person Films is a BAFTA award winning production company co founded by Victoria Mapplebeck, Debbie Manners and Michelle Feuerlicht. We are passionate about stories that are intimate and innovative, stories that take risks and experiment with genres and next generation technologies.