Apple's Chinese New Year 'Shot on iPhone' film is a 90's mixtape feverdream

Apple's latest Shot on iPhone film marks the Chinese New Year, with "I Made a Mixtape for You" showing an idyllic form of love from the 1990s.

Throughout the year, Apple releases videos as part of its ongoing "Shot on iPhone" campaign, showcasing the capabilities of the iPhone's camera system. The films frequently are used to mark the Chinese New Year, and Apple released its 2025 effort on Friday.

Titled "I Made a Mixtape for You," the film follows Wei, who travels back home to celebrate Chinese New Year, and is nagged by his family to find love. Wei uncovers a 90s mixtape created by his parents, bringing him to a 90s dream world.

During the dream, he falls in love with a stranger, amid dancing and conversations with family members echoing his current predicament.

After getting his faith in love again, he is awoken by the mixtape jamming. Heading downstairs, he sees his parents dancing, and a phone number written on his hand.

The film was written and directed by Michael Gracey, director of "The Greatest Showman" and executive producer of "Rocketman."

The film is joined by a three-minute "Making Of" video, showing how the iPhone 16 Pro was used to film the short. While the video warns that "additional hardware and software" are used in its production, the behind-the-scenes video seemingly depicts that very few rig setups are used.

Earlier Shot on iPhone shorts often used extra lenses or production video equipment converted to hold an iPhone. In this case, outside occasional clamp and harness usage, it's shown that few extra elements are added to the iPhone itself for shooting purposes.

The new Camera Control features are also mentioned, with it said to be a great way to integrate a zoom into a shot without affecting any other operations.

Previous Shot on iPhone films for Chinese New Year include 2024's "Little Garlic" and 2023's "Through Five Passes."