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.
MEMORIES OF FUTURE PAST, 9min., USA
Directed by Dale Andree, Claudio Marcotulli
Giving voice to the Everglades through the generational presence of past, present, and future.
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.
MISSING YOU, 6min., USA
Directed by Anika Jensen
A teenage girl visits a beach where she often went to as a child and reminisces about how things aren’t the way they used to be.
https://filmfreeway.com/anirozai
Get to know the filmmaker:
This might come as a surprise, but the song featured in my film is what came first. I’ve struggled with relatively severe mental health issues this past year and a half and so I wrote a song expressing how I felt about missing the simplicity and innocent joy of childhood. Many people who are in pain use art as a way to express themselves. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I would even share the song due to its personal nature. However, in a film class I took over the summer, I was trying to come up with ideas and remembered this song. Even though it’s difficult to be so vulnerable, I knew I could make an impactful story with it. I’m glad I made that decision. Opening up to others always makes me feel less alone and (hopefully) my film will make others who are struggling feel less alone as well.
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.
SON RISE, SON SHINE, 10min., USA
Directed by Sasha Marie Speer
A black man struggles to find his place in the world after not meeting society’s expectations. Son Rise, Son Shine is a short film about the journey of Gerald, a black, gay man, as he interacts with himself and the world from ages 6 to 40. Throughout the film, his 9-year-old self is acting as his inner bully, always telling him that the way he is doesn’t meet who he should be as a black man. That he isn’t good enough. That no one loves him. Through his different ages, we see Gerald struggle, but eventually finally find peace with who he is and his place in the world.
Get to know the filmmaker:
I was approached by real-life Gerald to help him make a film for his 40th birthday. After hours of talking, we decided this would be the most authentic direction to go to reflect his journey to this point in life.
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.
THIS PROMISE, 14min., Ireland
Directed by Naoimh Ni Luanaigh
This Promise highlights multiple issues faced by homeless women in Ireland, but primarily tells a story of resilience and hope. Cheryl is homeless, battling to access her young daughter and losing autonomy in her life. A chance encounter with another homeless woman gives her the strength to keep fighting.
https://www.thispromisefilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ThisPromiseFilm
https://www.instagram.com/thispromise_film/
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.
SAPPHIRE / ALIEN SEED, SOUTHERN CITY, 16min., USA
Directed by Emma Colton
Performer/Writer Melanie Greene
Sapphire is a time-traveling golden goddess moving through nature, pleasure, and mysticism. She snakes between seconds, flirting with the seen and unseen, marrying metallic molecules and alchemist dreams.
http://www.methodsofperception.com/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/sapphire-review
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.
LOOSEN UP: THE SHORT, 8min., USA
Directed by Maddy Murphy, Evan Macedo
18 year old Charlie is eager to get to college where she can finally escape her overbearing parents and put her obsession with self-pleasure to rest using a more socially accepted pleasure. Unfortunately, it’s there that she discovers sex isn’t quite as easy as it looks. Feeling more like a freak than ever before, Charlie must come to terms with an unexpected diagnosis: vaginismus.
https://instagram.com/loosenupofficial?igshid=NTdIMDg3MTY=
Get to know filmmaker Maddy Murphy:
Honestly, my own experience. I have vaginismus and it’s something I’ve struggled with privately for some time. It was a major insecurity of mine, because I didn’t know anyone else who had it as it’s not something people openly talk about. In that insecurity and anxiety, however, I developed a sense of humor, realizing some of my anxious thoughts regarding my vaginismus to be the kind of scenarios that might happen in a sitcom. From there, my ideas developed and we created the “Loosen Up” pilot, later developed into our proof-of-concept short, “Loosen Up: The Short.” Since then, I haven’t had much insecurity about my vaginismus and have found other people I’ve known have started to reach out sharing their own unspoken experiences. It’s an important topic and I’d love to continue raising awareness through the accessible medium of comedy.
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.
ONCE AND AGAIN, 5min., USA
Directed by Jessica Q Moore
Tasha, a woman in her mid 40’s, trudges through the end of her day until she sees an old flame on the train platform. The lovers reminisce and rekindle feelings towards each other only to realize that circumstance continues to keep them apart.
Get to know the filmmaker:
You know that feeling when you’re walking around and you think you’ve seen someone that you know, but you’re not sure? The film started as a prompt in Grad school. We picked three elements out of a bag or hat. The three elements were mode of transportation, color, and object. I chose train, yellow, and a scarf, which was perfect for me because I was already thinking of telling a story about lost love. It was actually a film I thought of in two parts, the first part being when the two characters are younger and we see Tasha jilted by rejection of her initial proposal. The second part, is Once and Again, where they see each other decades later.
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.
VIRAL, 11min., USA
Directed by Al Chang
In their pursuit of viral fame, a group of young women’s social media recording session turns perilous when they’re stalked by an internet serial killer.
https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm
Get to know the filmmaker:
The concept of “viral” content emerged during a casual scroll through Instagram reels, prompting contemplation on the proliferation of videos that are presented as genuine but can be easily debunked upon closer inspection. A prevalent trend is the creation of content primarily for entertainment, with the boundaries between fact and fiction becoming increasingly indistinct. In today’s digital landscape, consumers of these bite-sized clips seem less concerned about the veracity of the content and more focused on its entertainment value, readily sharing and liking material that captures their attention.
The consequence of this trend is a world where individuals are swift to post without thoroughly scrutinizing the authenticity of the content, leading to situations where people may willingly compromise their own well-being or that of others for the sake of garnering likes and shares. It is acknowledged that amidst the plethora of content, there exists informative and high-quality material. However, the challenge lies in such content being overshadowed by the deluge of frivolous and misleading content, unless actively sought out by the audience. The aim of this exploration is not necessarily to convey a specific message but to depict the collective inclination to embrace and propagate content, regardless of its authenticity. The viewer’s interpretation of the accompanying short film is subjective, leaving room for varied reactions, from disturbance to indifference, reflecting the prevailing dynamics of our online engagement.
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.
MITO, 7min,. USA
Directed by Steve West
Two companions venture through space, negotiating peril and cosmic ennui in search of a new home.
http://lazychief.com/
https://instagram.com/lazychief
Get to know the filmmaker:
My initial motivation for the project was in March 2020 during the first coronavirus restrictions but I abandoned it until around May 2023 when my cat Chief died of kidney failure. The death of the companion had always been part of the story but missing such a big part of my life that had been with me for 17 years encouraged me to finish the project.
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.
BEFORE THE OIL, 11min., Netherlands
Directed by Roel Swierenga
Deep in the mountains in southern Norway Odd Kvinen runs a husky farm. Teaching about the energy transition from before the oil was found until the present day, about respect for nature and choices we have to make.
http://www.roelswierenga.com/films
https://facebook.com/roelswierenga
https://twitter.com/roelswierenga
https://instagram.com/roelswierenga
Get to know the filmmaker:
I came across Odd Kvinen and his Norwegian husky farm in preparation for a possible program during one of our events in Scandinavia to showcase sustainable solutions. We got to talk about the energy transition, respect for nature and the choices we as humanity will have to make if we want more energy but at the same time we want to phase out our oil. Odd told me about the history of Norway from the time before the oil was found, before hydro power plants were build. The country was poor at that time. He told about the changes that came with the discovery of oil, with the first hydro power plant built in his area deep in the Norwegian mountains in the beautiful nature, forcing his family to sacrifice their home so that a water dam could be build and their home was put under water. The family was compensated and Norway became rich due to this energy transition. But did they become happier? A story so pure and true and so relevant in our present time that I just wanted to capture his story.
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.
STAG HUNT, 12min., USA
Directed by Andre Kezzyn
Trapped in a closed timelike curve, our duo is learning to cooperate by running through a paradox inside of an infinite hotel. By doing so, they seek an escape from the loop and meaning in a quantum multiverse.
Get to know writer Michele Reilly:
We started shooting on this plot theme with the two characters, Seth and Michele, in 2021 in our first silent short film, Steeplechase. Steeplechase was well-received and won many awards. So, with “Stag Hunt,” I wanted to put these characters into a situation where they are shown facing their inescapable destiny, and the repeated failed predicament leads to something new revealed to the audience.
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.
A CHANCE, 16min., USA
Directed by Jillie Simon, Ange Arabatzis
When Mia and Caroline reunite in a city park, they soon find out that the past is not always quite past. Conflicts are resurrected, sparks fly – and then things get complicated.
http://www.facebook.com/AChance
https://instagram.com/jilliesimon
Get to know Jillie Simon:
JILLIE: I’d been cast in the play version, “Be Still”, which takes place all on a park bench, and thought it was a very compelling situation with a powerful relationship between the two lead characters and clever dialogue – and I suggested to the playwright, Ange Arabatzsis that it could make a really interesting short film if we had flashbacks showing what brought them to this place – and got them off the park bench! The fact that it was a story about a lesbian couple gave me more motivation to make it, because fewer stories are told for the LGBTQ audience, and all groups that are more marginalized should have the opportunity to see themselves up on screen.
ANGE writes: He’d “originally envisioned “Be Still” as a man-woman piece. Then a seemingly unrelated conversation with a dear friend awakened in him the realization that love, true love is a meeting of the hearts. What followed was a reading at the Writers and Actors Group in NYC, where ( he) had the idea- based purely on chemistry to cast the wonderful Jillie Simon and Karen Irwin. The room held it’s breath during the entire read and he knew then, that he was onto something.”
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.
CLEMENCY, 10min., USA
Directed by James T. George
A soldier fights for his life after surviving a battle in the enemy occupied Elven woods.
https://instagram.com/stephonikawkaye
Get to know filmmaker James T. George:
JAMES: I’ve always been a big fan of fantasy or period pieces, even sci-fi – Anything that breaks out of the normal and can help build a new world for the audience to imagine and immerse themselves in. I originally started out only seeking to pursue acting, but I found that there weren’t many roles in the styles I was interested in. I started to study filmmaking and fell in love with the whole process which led me to creating my own pieces to act in. With this film specifically, I wanted to push for the absolute bare minimum in terms of fantasy production needs while maintaining the absolute highest quality of perceived production value and visual storytelling. I wanted a story that told as much as possible, without a ton of exposition or dialog, to convey the message as succinctly as possible.
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.
DANCING HEART, 13min., Mexico
Directed by Amaranta R. Saavedra
Lesbian love has always been a rebel act. But a relationship between two women, teenagers and feminist is pure anarchy. Dancing heart is a pathway over the time Luisa and Violeta have been together, how they have faced discrimination and how with courage and feminism they have hold to go on and get around any obstacle. It is the story about two women who love each other in a world made for straight people, trough acceptation, change and a constant struggle for taken a happiness that seems to be denied for woman who love other woman.
https://cactoproducciones.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CactoProducciones
https://www.twitter.com/Cactoproduccion
https://www.instagram.com/cactoproducciones/
Get to know the filmmaker:
I feel lesbians an LGBTQ community need more love stories with happy endings. So for me it’s important to have positive representation for the younger generation.
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.
Lil’ RED is RIDING the wrong way in the HOOD!, 8min., USA
Directed by Venus Jones
This short film with a long title is a Hip Hop twist on a classic cautionary tale starts with an adventurous little boy getting lost on the wrong side of town. Childhood labor and public safety may sound like heavy topics, but they’re presented in an approachable manner in this timely and important project.
Get to know the filmmaker:
It began as a novelty book for “woke” grandmas and after it was rejected by some traditional publishers. l learned about an individual artist grant and I was interested in doing something new to elevate my work. I wrote my proposal to turn my poetic narrative based on a classic tale into a film and l won. I spoke of partnering with a nonprofit organization on the front line of the human trafficking epidemic. The funding inspired me to create the animation for Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood. I’m the first on record to make the main character a boy because the safety of boys has historically been overlooked in comparison to little girls. I also made the characters African American because our communities are presently reimagining public safety.
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.
A TACO, 2min., Mexico
Directed by Antonio Rotunno
A young man walks through the streets of the city when a beggar child asks him for help to eat, will he help him or pass him by?
https://www.instagram.com/antoniorotunnofilmmaker/
Get to know the filmmaker:
We had plans for another short but it was delayed 2 times, first when one actress got sick and weeks later when the weather changed and it was rainy here, ruining the location. So while waiting to reschedule that, I felt the need to do something quick, and that’s how “A Taco” was born: as some kind of really short idea that could be made in one night (the other short has remained in pause).
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.
TRIPPING, 11min., USA
Directed by Amelia Xanthe Boscov
A flirty-butch, lesbian mom (Dot-Marie Jones – GLEE, BROS), goes on a road trip with her pregnant high schooler daughter in order to get an abortion at the nearest women’s health clinic.
http://trippingfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/trippingfilm/
https://www.instagram.com/trippingfilm/
Get to know the filmmaker:
The main motivation was the idea that every film about abortion does not have to be a tragedy. I thought, what if traveling due to the lack of women’s health clinics wasn’t a low point in the character’s life, but instead a comedic road trip? Somehow, everyday abortions are made more and more relevant by our governments trying to end access to them.
I’m tired of abortion being a dirty word. While starting to make Tripping, I keep repeating that “it’s important to show the things and say the things.” This film won’t shy away from showing a fetus, from saying the word abortion, from showing queer relationships — the things your high school health class should have done. That being said, the abortion is just one thing that happens in Tripping. The abortion is the launchpad for an exploration of family and personal growth.
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.
BIG EXIT, 11min,. USA
Directed by David Sackerman
Josh is a lonely, awkward individual who is ignored by his coworkers and disrespected by his boss, but when he gets some bad news, he comes up with a scheme to get the last laugh.
https://www.facebook.com/bigexitshortfilm2021
https://twitter.com/big_exit_film
https://www.instagram.com/big_exit_shortfilm_2021/
Get to know the filmmaker:
This started out as an assignment at Columbia College Chicago in which we were tasked to write a ten-page screenplay based on a true story. Our teacher suggested a “weird news stories” aggregator, which we all looked at, and the top headline was about a man from New Zealand who had just hired an “emotional support clown” for his layoff meeting! I added certain elements like his boss’s unlikeable personality and Josh’s meekness and desire to connect with others. As an autistic person I’ve had a lot of experience wanting to fit in but struggling no matter what I do, and one of the ways I overcame that was comedy. It’s a great tool for fighting sadness and for spitting in the face of an oppressive system!
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 LOST NIGHT, 6min., Japan
Directed by YUXUAN ZHANG
One night, at a crowded street, a woman meet these illusions. Everyone passed, but only she couldn’t. This is a dream made with light and shadow. But is it just a ephemeral dream?
https://misazyuhin.wixsite.com/misanimations
https://twitter.com/misa41478318
https://www.instagram.com/_misa_3333/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
Get to know the filmmaker:
This is my graduation film work and I wanted to find some experimental methods to make it.Finally I used the light and shadow style of drawing things by not drawing them. And the story comes from my real experience , the first time I had to face the decision of death.
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.
CENSURE – 39min, UK
Directed by Richard Bazley
When introvert, Aaron, finds himself struggling under the weight of a revelation, he dreams of escaping to the only place he can breathe. But escape has a cost, and he must ask himself if it is a price he is willing to pay.
https://rmbazley.wixsite.com/censure
https://www.facebook.com/Censure-105527732039739
https://twitter.com/BazleyFilms
https://www.instagram.com/bazleyfilms/
Get to know the filmmaker:
Getting any film made is hard so if you do make a film you really want to have to make it! You need a reason! I had a pretty successful career as an Animator, Ex Disney, Ex-Warner Bros. After the death of 2D Classical Animation in Hollywood I found myself reinventing myself. I wanted to tell whole stories, not just animating a few seconds in a $150 Million Dollar Film for a Multi MIllion Dollar Corporation. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me. As soon as you get into big budgets you are restricted in so many ways. What the Execs want, what the clients want but what about the “Director’s” vision? That is what you get with a short film on a micro budget! It is pure and it is honest. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me and “Censure” is the first of many.
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.
