Amay Mehrishi’s ‘Abracadabra’ shines at Berlin Film Festival

Emerging filmmaker Amay Mehrishi marked an impressive international debut as his short film Abracadabra premiered at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Generations Kplus section. Developed as his Master’s graduation project at the London Film School.

Set entirely on a moving school bus, Abracadabra unfolds over a single ride home. It follows twelve-year-old Agastya, whose world quietly shifts when his best friend Naman chooses to sit elsewhere. What begins as a seemingly small incident deepens into a tender exploration of identity, guilt and childhood friendship, anchored by a simple magic trick that threads the narrative together. Observational and intimate, the film captures the fragile emotional terrain of growing up with restraint and empathy.

Shot within the tight confines of a bus in motion, the production featured 32 young non-actors aged between seven and thirteen. The world premiere drew resounding applause from a multi-generational audience, many of whom shared how the film stirred memories of their own childhoods.

“With its world premiere at Berlinale, our film received an immense platform and a global audience to start its journey with. It’s a dream as a filmmaker to be considered for such a prestigious festival and this will hopefully open doors to so many possibilities for the entire team involved. Across our screenings at the festival, it was really endearing to see people across cultures, languages and age groups resonate and be drawn to the world of this bus and the characters in it,” says Amay, who is now developing a satirical drama. He has also begun research on his debut feature and is keen to work across independent and commercial cinema.