In each episode, the C.E.O. of WILDsound, Matthew Toffolo, chats about all things storytelling and film. Conversations with talented individual from all around the world.
JUST A GIRL, 19min., UK
Directed by Kieran Freemantle
A girl escapes from a secret government facility and tries to convince a hermit to help her get home.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE GREAT NO-MAN’S LAND, 6min,. Belgium
Directed by Giacomo Segers
A fantasy creature by the name of Chloro undertakes a journey across the Great No-Man’s Land; a ruined fantasy world destroyed by mechanized conflict. He does this in order to return to his home and reunite with his family.
Get to know the filmmaker:
I’m a worldbuilder at heart. I love to enrich myself in the setting of a story, and I have a strong fondness for movies, games, and literature set in the wonderful realm of fantasy and science fiction. The illustrations that I make are usually things that make up the part of a bigger whole. The creatures and characters that I draw usually have a little blurb of background information that I imagine for them. I even have a few documents that I’ve typed down with descriptions. I also adore the proces of mapmaking, and I’ve sketched and have drawn out a lot of maps throughout my life.
The last couple of years, I have started working on a fantasy setting of my own; one where I mix fantasy elements with the aesthetics of the First World War. Of course, this was nothing professional or well thought out, and the chance that this would ever reach an audience or go further than just my artwork was very minimal. However, once I started my education at the Luca-school of Arts, I realised that I might be able to do something more with my setting than just drawings inside of a sketchbook. So when I started my Masters project, I already had the perfect world for it to be set in.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
ACRONIUS, 2min., UK
Directd by Dele Ajayi
After decades of turmoil, the Kingdom of Sonuria is finally at peace. This new era, established by the good King Acronius, has been noted for its prosperity.
https://www.fluid-lab.com/portfolio/acronius
https://www.instagram.com/fluid.lab/
Get to know the filmmaker:
The project started very small, from the cog tunnel at the end of the film. I saw a similar short sequence in someone’s showreel and felt I should do something similar but I felt the tunnel had to lead somewhere to something. Eventually the idea grew and grew until we have what we see here.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL_415N30eg
A woman with mental health issues, pressured by the insults of her own mother, attempts to stage the kidnapping of her daughter to prove she can make money… but the stunt goes wrong.
Get to know the writer:
– “A Dangerous Gamble” is the story of a woman who tries to circumvent her sensitive monetary situation and family peer pressure in risky or illegal ways, and it all goes drastically wrong. It is, ultimately, a reflection of the sinister influence of capitalism in mental health. The concept had been gestating on me for a long time, and it morphed into what it is today as I started becoming more politically aware. Often I would think to myself about people who may not have a choice other than try to survive and yet, their own attempts for survival represent the further deterioration of their health, but they can’t do anything about it because, well, you’re just expected to eat it up and move on. I kept going back to this old “conspiracy theory” elevator pitch of sorts that I came up with as a child, of a mother who faked her child’s kidnapping to earn money from donations. Think I came up with that during the early years of the Madeleine McCann disappearance case (I am Portuguese haha).
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
VOLUCAP: CAPTURING THE FUTURE, 7min., China
Directed by Susie Song, Anatole Hou Yeung Sloan
Volumetric capture is an emerging form of video technology that delivers a close to the real experience, made the viewer feels like it is part of it. A German startup that is pushing the limits of what is feasible, which is one of the leading companies in the Volumetric capture field. The firm’s is currently focus on the film industry, such as The Matrix Resurrections, is one of the movies in which has used the Volucap’s. The film unfolds the founder Sven Bliedung’s big idea and challenging journey.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE 2: SILBADORES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS, 25min., USA
Directed by Russ Emanuel
Kaylee, an apprentice assassin for TAA Corp., is taking a long-deserved vacation in the Canary Islands, when her Freerunner drone arrives to project a holographic image of Rick, her handler. Rick explains to Kaylee that her vacation has been cut short, and that she is being urgently summoned by Roy, the head of TAA Corp.’s Canary Island Bureau headquarters, for a new mission. Kaylee follows the Freerunner drone to the TAA Corp.’s Canary Island headquarters, where Roy explains that F.A.D., a rival group of counter-assassins, are on the island to eliminate TAA Corp.’s drone trainers, known as “Silbadores.” Kaylee drives her ninja motorcycle at breakneck speeds along beautiful coastal roads to TAA Corp.’s drone training grounds where she saves the Silbadores from deadly Swarmbots unleashed by the F.A.D. counter-assassins. A final showdown with the F.A.D. counter-assassins Sork and Karla ends with a surprising result.
https://www.facebook.com/taamovie/
https://twitter.com/russellemanuel
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
AMEND, 19min., USA
Directed by Jianna Maarten Saada
Rachael lives an isolated existence, haunted by an unspeakable past. But when a young boy upends her tightly controlled world, she’s forced to face her own demons.
https://www.amendshortfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/amendfilm
https://twitter.com/amend_film
https://instagram.com/amend_film
Get to know writer/producer Belinda Gosbee:
I was so desperate to express what I was feeling about gun violence in America. As a foreigner (Australian) I was constantly in a state of disbelief/anger/fear/confoundment over the gun issue. And that nothing was being done. And then I read an article about some survivors from Columbine and it was very eye opening. I felt horrified that I’d never thought about them before. We all react heavily to the event and then things go back to the status quo and these people who are deemed to be the “lucky ones” are left with a life that is barely a life at all in many cases. I mean the suicide rates are very high and even decades later many survivors have not been able to move on and live their lives. And that’s just the emotional trauma. Some have severe injuries that physically prevent them from truly “living” as well.
The trauma is almost insurmountable and there are very little resources to even begin to help them (though some organizations are starting to crop up today). They’re like combat vets who never left their “safe” American towns.
So I started thinking about what that might look like. How might it completely destroy your life? What if you tried to run away and it just kept following you? How might guilt and PTSD consume you? The memories? What if no one in this “new” life you’ve created even had an inkling of what you’ve experienced? And what if the very thing you were running from (the thing you once loved – kids) was the very thing that suddenly turned up in your life. What if they were the only way forward?
I was always adamant that this film needed to be about the aftermath of gun violence, about survivors. Not the event. But when we did finally show a peek of the “event” it would be minimal. Terrifying but extremely restricted.
What I loved was that our director, Jianna Maarten Saada, absolutely took that up a notch. She was like – “It’s all in the sound” and she was spot-on. If you rewatch the ending you’ll realise how very little you are actually seeing outside of Rachael’s face but the SOUND is leading you astray. The sound design (Thanks, Jeremy Jardine) is what’s truly terrifying you in those seconds.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE PENCIL, 10min., USA
Directed by Thomas Calvin Schultz
Sara, a struggling artist who discovers a unique pencil that can solve all her problems. But her dreams turn into a nightmare when a malevolent demonic creature from Kazakh legends gets unleashed.
https://thepencilshortfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thepencilshortfilm
https://www.instagram.com/thepencilshortfilm/
Get to know writer/director Madina Baimakhanova & director Thomas Calvin Schultz:
My wife and I always wanted to do a project together, and in fact it was one of the very first conversations we had when we had first met each other. When the opportunity arose we decided it would be a great time to have a short family/friends project in Kazakhstan where we would be traveling for a month.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE FIVE STAGES, 12min., USA
Directed by Jessica Orcsik
Eva Allen is a recently single, devastated young woman. She enters a black box theatre being filled with well-dressed and put together people, laughing and drinking. A variety act performance is about to begin.
http://www.diversitypictures.org/
https://www.instagram.com/thefivestages_
Get to know producer/actor Hannah Carman:
At the time of making the film, I was studying full time as a student at the American Arts Film and Television Academy in their full-time Actors Conservatory, and had moved at the age of 18 to Los Angeles all the way from Australia. It was an incredible experience, but also a big emotional rollercoaster. Amid going through all these new emotional challenges, I felt motivated to make a film that explored the complexities of more challenging feelings like loss and sorrow. My coproducer Jess Orcsik and I felt that there was no better way to do that than structuring a short film using the five stages of grief.
I also was really set on making a film that incorporated musicality, as I’m a singer and was surrounded by some amazing singers and dancers that loved musicals like I do.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
ECHO, 15min., UK, Family/Fantasy
Directed by Jo Southwell
Echo, tells the story of Alice, a young woman so traumatized by the loss of her baby that she shuts herself off emotionally from her partner and retreats into a fantasy world where she is able to connect with the essence of the child she lost, who we call Echo. After an elaborate underwater game of hide and seek, which clearly fills her with joy, Alice comes to the realization that she must make a choice; sink down into the dark water with Echo, or come up for air where Tom is desperately searching for her.
https://www.astonmgt.com/aston-productions/
http://twitter.com/josouthwell
https://www.instagram.com/jo_southwell1
Get to know the filmmaker:
Echo is the story of loss. My journey began after I had a miscarriage..many years later when I was writing, the story of Alice appeared on the page! I have written Echo in many different versions – originally as a short story but from the moment Sara at Troy TV agreed to produce the screenplay – about a year until we were in production. Post production then took place over an additional four months. Creating Echo was no easy task and we had so many super talented people on board who all wanted to be part of the journey but it took time.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
WHISKERED AWAY, 5min., USA
Directed by Gale Smith
When a stray cat sets out on a quest for a home, she encounters a witch who seems to be the perfect owner… maybe too perfect. She must decide whether to turn a blind eye for the sake of her newfound family.
https://whiskered-away.weebly.com/
https://www.instagram.com/galeanimation/
Get to know the filmmaker:
I have always loved working with animal characters. My pets were some of my very first drawing inspirations. When it was time for me to brainstorm my thesis film, Jinx came to me first. I loved this little black cat so much that I had to create a story around her. Because black cats and animals with disabilities struggle to get adopted, it evolved into a story about looking for a family and resisting those who prey on the vulnerable.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME, 70min., USA
Directed by Daniel Wolff
Undeterred by decades of prejudice, post-Katrina neglect, and ongoing appropriation of their traditions, three generations of the extraordinary, multi-talented Harrison family guard their legacy and define what Black masking culture means in New Orleans today.
https://www.guardiansoftheflamemovie.org/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088184293417
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
HOUSE OF MYSTIC MAGIC, 4min., UK
Directed by Alexander Miguel
In the House of Mystic Magic you will find all sorts. Creatures from Heaven to Hell and anything in between. Depicting a variety of scenarios all playing with the concept of the deadly sins, we showcase Mystic Magic’s fascination with dark, animalistic luxury couture. In today’s society more than ever the deadly sins powerfully elucidate some of the core emotional drivers of human behaviour which we explore in this avant-garde style short film.
Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve long been fascinated by the use of fashion within film. Coming from a place where my dream was to direct music videos, I found an alternative outlet for my creativity in the form of fashion films. It wasn’t that long ago that fashion films weren’t commonly recognised as it’s own genre, and now it is truly blossoming and everyone has jumped on the trend! I am good friends with the designer of Mystic Magic, and together we decided to make this art video to promote his designs, and my filmmaking.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
ON DEAF EARS, 13min., US
Directed by Ty Hunt
A mother’s worst fear comes true when her special needs daughter’s actions are misunderstood during a routine traffic stop.
https://www.facebook.com/phyllgoodent
https://www.instagram.com/phyllgoodent/
Get to know Portia A. Cosby:
I have a daughter with special needs, and the scenario in the film has always been a concern. What happens if her processing time and level of understanding lags in an intense or critical situation? I decided to finally write about it in 2020 after the George Floyd and Breonna Taylor killings occurred.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
GIVE US A SMILE, 13min., USA
Directed by Alessia Fionda
A humorous retelling of the sitting of the Mona Lisa featuring the master himself, Leonardo da Vinci and his not so talented pupil, Alessio.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20850030/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
https://instagram.com/alessiafionda
Get to know the filmmaker:
I was motivated to make this film because the script I had written encompassed everything I love. Women’s issues both past and present, art history and of course my favorite, comedy. The Mona Lisa is the most recognizable and discussed piece of art in existence, yet there is little to no information regarding the subject of the painting, Lisa del Giocondo. I wanted to add a colorful reinterpretation of what could have happened during the sitting. Also, I deeply wanted to play the character of Mona Lisa and challenge myself from an acting perspective.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE TALES OF BOBA FETT, 4min., USA
Directed by Benson Mckay
After a group of smugglers acquire a valuable asset, they soon realize they’re not alone. Without warning, they are being hunted by one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.
https://youtu.be/XEfHLQy-xLk
Get to know the filmmaker:
Boba Fett is one of those characters I feel you can do a lot with. He reminds me of Clint Eastwood’s Man with No Name, there’s not a whole lot you know about him, and I think that’s what makes him so much fun. We wanted to make a movie that showcased the more brutal side of his character and show the fear and panic that occurs with those who try to oppose him.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
TAKING FLIGHT, 11min., USA
Directed by Will Chehab
In an area where traditional education fails students, one Mayan woman starts her own school in order to rebuild her community from the ground up. Through er integral education, which includes meals for students and workshops for their parents, Ingrid Villasenor strengthens her home of Panajachel one step at a time.
Get to know the filmmaker:
My motivation to make this film came from my desire to learn how to tell a good story through documentary. I’m currently a senior at the University of Michigan, and when looking for what to do over the summer, I saw an email from the department about making a documentary in Guatemala with Actuality Abroad. I signed up, interviewed, and was lucky enough to get in. Actuality Abroad set us (the crew) up with Tejiendo Futuros. What motivated me to tell Ingrid’s story specifically was the fact that she dedicates herself to her people, to her country, after her country’s government kidnapped her father whom she never saw again. The fact that Ingrid services her community after what happened to her family is powerful and incredible, and I knew right away that this was a story to tell. I really wanted to make sure that I did everything I possibly could to tell it right, and to be honest, there’s so much more to the story I want to explore and highlight because it is much more incredible than what we were able to capture in our four weeks in Guatemala.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
THE ECLIPSE, 12min., USA
Directed by Dmitriy Usov
Roy, a widower, seeks the help of a psychic, Donna, to uncover the reason behind his wife Esther’s suicide. Donna suggests that he enter the spirit world and ask Esther herself. To do this, Roy must perform an ancient ritual at his old home, but with the condition that he only has 11 minutes in the spirit world and cannot kiss Esther. During his journey, Roy forgets the rule and kisses Esther, attracting dark forces that chase him. Esther reveals that a demon possessed her and has been after Roy for a long time. As Roy tries to return to the real world, he is possessed by the demon, and Donna is shown to have a deal with the demon to provide bodies in exchange for time with her deceased husband.
Get to know the filmmaker:
I shot The Eclipse as a senior thesis film at Loyola Marymount University. I wanted to showcase everything that I have learned at the film school and shoot a short film that would establish my visual style, a genre I love to work with, and overall the stories that I like to work with. A lot of my films revolve around the themes of desire and obsessive love, and I wanted to merge these elements with the magical realism and dark fantasy aspects I also like to work with.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
HARRY AND MABEL: A LOVE STORY, 4min,. Ireland
Directed by Adam Kemp
Using a recorded conversation and combining 2D animation with stop motion, this film tells a simple, yet engaging story of Mabel and Harry Caroll recalling their younger days in Dublin.
Get to know the filmmaker:
The project was influenced by Aardman animations (Wallace & Gromit), particularly some of their earlier films where they use recorded, unscripted conversations. I thought it was very mesmerising to hear real life stories told and visualized through animation. So I decided to have a go it myself and asked my grandparents if they would like to be in this film. I think they enjoyed reminiscing.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
VARIANCE PROPAGATION, 4min., USA
Directed by Brian Alexander
“Variance Propagation” is an ongoing exploration in observation, meditation, and artistic research. Why do we stare and slowly decompress at the sight of light on water, a distant flock of birds or an empty bag hovering in an alley ? There is an apparent gray area of experience where cadence, familiarity and abstraction are in balance and serve to connect us in an elemental and unified manner. Ive sought to expand on these moments of “betweenness” and shift them towards the primary. The only physical subject is light and water. I
Get to know the filmmaker:
The ongoing pursuit of creating experiences which are immersive, meditative, and unifying. The original idea was actually a mistake which occurred during a low light studio session. I went on a tangent to reproduce the “mistake” which put me on a year and half journey resulting in the development of one off lens designs, machine based time control, and a good deal of patience.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
