Telling stories through film and conversation.
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WILDsound's The Film Podcast

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.

Posts in Film of the Day
EP. 1224 - Filmmaker Lisa Drupsteen (LIKE MOTHER)

LIKE MOTHER, 8min., Canada
Directed by Lisa Drupsteen
A young woman navigates her romantic life while trying her best to dodge her mother’s demons. Will she have the strength to break the cycle of manipulation? Or simply fall victim to the old adage: “Like Mother, Like Daughter”…

https://www.instagram.com/lisa_drupsteen

Get to know the filmmaker:

A short story I wrote while a student at The Second City Film School (formally the Harold Ramis Film School) featured a zany, narcissistic mother who named pets after loved ones. My peers were eager to learn more about this eccentric lady. I knew I had to explore the concept more deeply and bring it to life on the screen one day.

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EP. 1223 - Filmmaker Kaitlyn Leach (CONSERVINNG MOUNTAINS)

CONSERVING MOUNTAINS, 10min., USA
Directed by Kaitlyn Leach
An educational short documentary discussing some of the wildlife conservation efforts happening around the state of West Virginia. Throughout the film you will listen to a local DNR Assistant Chief, Wildlife Biologist, and Park Rangers talk about West Virginia’s varying wildlife. The specialists will further talk about the local wildlife’s importance to our ecosystems, and the conservation projects they work on to help ensure their protection and educate the public about them.

https://www.wildkat-media.com/conserving-mountains
https://www.instagram.com/wildkat_media/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was motivated to make this film because I grew up in West Virginia and I wanted to share the beauty I grew up knowing with others. All together it took me five months to complete this film. The idea was pitched and approved in April. Everything was booked and planned out in May then the film was shot in June. Editing, foley production and music production all took place in July and August.

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EP. 1221 - Filmmaker David Babasiev (STRUGGLE)

STRUGGLE, 5min., Armenia
Directed by David Babasiev
In the remote mountains a family facing intense challenges as the mother and their prized cow approach childbirth simultaneously.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve always wanted to showcase the reality of the struggle that many face. This film is a reflection of that desire, aiming to shed light on the raw, often unseen challenges people endure. How people are capable of facing two challenges at the same time and going through that.

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EP. 1220 - Filmmaker Cory Wexler Grant (SCREAMS FROM THE TOWER)

SCREAMS FROM THE TOWER, 2 hours, USA
Directed by Cory Wexler Grant
SCREAMS FROM THE TOWER is a gay, coming-of-age comedy that follows Julien Rosdahl, his best friend Cary, and their outcast friends through high school in the 1990’s. The only thing Julien dreams of is having a show on the high school radio station, but his brand of comedy is very… weird.

http://www.screamsfromthetower.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

After finishing my first feature, PAINTER, which is a dark, brooding, psychosexual drama, making a coming-of-age comedy about a couple of closeted gay boys growing up in the 90’s, felt like nice change of pace. And I’d never seen a gay film quite like SCREAMS. It’s also a love letter to an old friend, who formed me, and shaped the way I saw the world.

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EP. 1217 - Filmmaker Karl Fallon (GHOSTS MOVING FLOWERS AND PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP)

GHOSTS MOVING FLOWERS AND PHYSICAL MEDIUMSHIP, 60min., UK
Directed by Karl Fallon
This Ghostcircle film by Director Karl Fallon, is a thought provoking documentary about Physical Phenomena never captured before on film. The documentary is captures moments in time about modern day Physical Mediumship with Physical medium Patrick McNamara in which he explains that by providing the necessary conditions with people in a “Psychic Circle”, it will allow spirit entities the opportunity to move flowers in people’s hands. These Psychic or Physical Circles were demonstrated repeatedly and held in independent and reputedly haunted locations around the UK and Ireland. The film explores and captures the phenomena as he discusses the process around the demonstrations. All attendees were unknown to the medium and his team before turning up to see what they would get. The individual independent Psychic Circle sitters actually see and feel amazing phenomenon, and then give witness statements about that they experienced. See the strange and flower moving by the spirit entities with the sitters.

https://www.instagram.com/karl_fallon/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I originally made a TV series called “Ghostcircle” 5 individual Series now, and I have been filming our group of psychic mediums doing some pretty unique and amazing things, so I wanted to showcase some of the best of it from many different episodes. I selected the clips I wanted and put a narrative around it which was done by Patrick McNamara. Patrick explains what is actually going on in the filming from a spiritual or psychic side. It’s quite a complicated, and difficult to process because we never know how it’s going to turn out when we roll the camera, so to speak. The phenomena that we get is related to the conditions that we film in, and it’s affect by such things as the environment and the peoples energy that they bring. The more positive and excited people are, the more we get, and with that excitement there seems to be more energy created. How that all works I don’t know, but you know things are going well because it just feel good and the phenomena starts to happen. Some people don’t believe it, but you can’t argue when a flower moves in their hand and they are gripping it tightly too. So, if they aren’t doing it themselves and you can see that, who or what is doing it? That’s my motivation.

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EP. 1216 - Filmmaker Graham Northrup (GIFT)

GIFT, 19min,. USA
Directed by Graham Northrup
A young man escapes through the woods with his barely-conscious sister. Pursued by a warlord and his ruthless tracker, he must prevent her from falling into their hands again. But they will stop at nothing to control her unique gift – the ability heal others with touch.

http://www.northrupstudios.com/
https://facebook.com/northrupstudios
https://instagram.com/northupstudios

Get to know the filmmaker:

I love sci-fi and its ability to ask probing questions of humanity while couching them in a future or alternate reality. Although I have written and directed dramas, comedies, thrillers and more, sci-fi is my preferred genre, and I wanted to do a complete project, from script to screen. I knew I had a gap between productions, so I wrote a short that could be accomplished in that window, and possibly open up more opportunities once it was developed.

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EP. 1215 - Filmmaker Molly Loftus (DARKNESS UPON MY FANCY)

DARKNESS UPON MY FANCY, 11min., USA
Directed by Molly Loftus
A monster born of the ashes of a witch’s sister embarks on a sinister quest when she is rejected by her creator.

https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/darknessuponmyfancy
https://www.instagram.com/darknessuponmyfancy_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Apart from turning thirty, I felt particularly inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. She was this precocious woman who wrote about real tragedies with grace in a way that hit home for me. I couldn’t help but imagine a world like this that dealt with what women during her time might be experiencing. This coincided with the industry-wide strikes and I felt it more important than ever to provide indie opportunities to female identifying and non-binary artists.

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EP. 1214 - Filmmakers Filmmaker Jeff Wolverton & Willow Edwards (THREE AM)

THREE AM, 22min., Canada
Directed by Jeff Wolverton
Sometimes when you pray, it isn’t God who answers.

http://threeamfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556319635264
https://instagram.com/threeamfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’m always fascinated with the motivations of the bad guys, as their actions usually set things in motion. Nobody really “wants to be evil” or “wants to take over the world” and in real life? All of history’s REALLY bad bad guys thought they were the hero of the story.

So I wanted to find a way to investigate the motivations of the ultimate bad guy. In reading the various mythologies of the devil, was struck by how they all agreed on some basics: that the Devil was God’s son, he was born in Heaven as one of the first archangels God created and was for a while the best of all the archangels. Originally named “Samael” he became so good at bringing God’s light out into the universe that he was renamed the “light bringer”, or ‘Lucifer’ in ancient latin. He then gets cast out for the sin of Pride, for thinking he should be more than just God’s right hand man, but should be God’s equal, maybe even take over when the old man retires (the mythologies differ here a bit; in some he leads a war in Heaven against God, in other he’s just cast out.)

So I had this idea that if archangels bask in the love of God, for an archangel to suddenly lose that and not be able to feel God’s lover anymore must have driven Lucifer nuts. Then you’ve got this character that just wants the love of his Father and to go back home where he grew up, something we can all identify with. (Then we can literally have “Sympathy for the Devil”, which I kind of reference in the short; The Man in the Hat says “how about some sympathy, like the song? You know nobody’s rooting for ME to win.” Wanted to use the song over the credits but I can’t afford to pay the Rolling Stones.)

And for Lucifer to later God create humankind hear things like “For God so loved mankind that He gave his one and only Son”? I figure that must have REALLY driven him nuts (“…They break His commandments on a daily basis yet still get His love? And “one and only” son? WTF? My & my fellow archangels don’t even count?”)

But then I figure Lucifer hatches a plan: if he can show God that his beloved humanity is actually WORSE than Lucifer? That they will – by their own choices – make the truly unholy choice? In Lucifer’s twisted logic that means if God still loves humanity (once proved worse than Lucifer) then God have to admit He was wrong and love Lucifer again, invite him back home. Every time that doesn’t happen Lucifer gets angry but figures if he keeps upping the game, next time it’ll work.

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EP. 1213 - Filmmaker Ruben Rodas (BEFORE DAWN)

BEFORE DAWN, 15min., USA
Directed by Ruben Rodas
“A top hit-man gets caught in the middle of a betrayal scheme within his contractors”

http://www.rodasruben.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ruben.rodas.144
https://www.instagram.com/rubenrodas/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I simply love the Thriller/crime/suspense genre and it’s been a while since I made a film like that, so it thought it was time to do a new one LOL

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EP. 1212 - Filmmaker Lea Esmaili (THE ART OF COMPETITION)

THE ART OF COMPETITION, 2min., France
Directed by Lea Esmaili
Two souls driven by one same goal, can someone win ?

https://www.leaesmaili.com/
https://www.instagram.com/heyimleaaa/

Get to know the filmmaker:I always like to ask myself questions and then an idea will come up. This time I asked myself if competition is real in Art, because Art is so subjective. And what is making us always see projecting on other competitions ? The dance field is particular where our physiques also have a major role in our career.

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EP. 1210 - Filmmaker Kathryn Roszak (WOMEN AT THE TOP)

WOMEN AT THE TOP, 56min., USA
Directed by Kathryn Roszak
This is a documentary featuring the new movement of women’s leadership in dance, the challenges and achievements, and the inspiring stories of the women. Stories are told via interviews with rehearsal/performance footage, and brief creative narratives drawing the audience further into the lives of the women. Kathryn Roszak can be viewed as the Terry Gross of dance interviews. She presents engaging, thought-provoking, cutting-edge content that draws the audience in. People ask “Is there a history of female choreography?” and this is exactly why this production needs to be done now.

https://www.dlkdance.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:
This is the moment where women are coming into leadership in the arts so I sought to capture this. As a woman in dance, I see that women are overlooked for leadership roles especially at the highest levels. This needs to change. The women’s stories are powerful and need to be heard.

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EP. 1205 - Filmmaker Ethan Knecht (SWISS CHEESE HOLE and HOSPITAL ART)

SWISS CHEESE HOLES

Covertly filmed in Disney World, Swiss Cheese Holes is a multi-layered documentary that explores the timeless question: How do you make a film about your father’s mental breakdown in Disney World?


HOSPITAL ART

A short aesthetic review of Westchester Medical Center's art.


Director Ethan Knecht:

Ethan Knecht is an educator and a personal essay filmmaker. He lives in Pleasantville, NY with his wife and two daughters. His previous films have screened with Rooftop FIlms, The Hudson Valley Film Festival, Peekskill Film Festival, YoFi Festival, Northside Film Festival, Atlanta Underground Film Festival, etc.


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.

EP. 1204 - AnimatOR/Filmmaker David Calderón (I AM MORE)

I AM MORE, 3min., USA

Directed by David Calderon

I am more is an initiative by Animagic Studios to create a conversation around self-esteem and body confidence among young women, their families and social circles.

http://animagic.io/

https://www.instagram.com/iammoreproject/

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.

EP. 1203 - Filmmakers Kamil Keenan, Agnieszka Żaglewska (THE CAPSULE)

THE CAPSULE, 20min,. Poland
Directed by Kamil Keenan, Agnieszka Żaglewska
Two astronauts in a space capsule realize that they won’t have enough oxygen until help arrives. In this extreme situation, they suddenly have to face the ultimate questions. Accompanying the characters on their final journey, viewers begin to wonder what their answers would be.

http://kamilkeenan.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kamilkeenan

Get to know the filmmakers:
Kamil:
My uncle had an accident while working underground as a miner and he was stuck for around 8h with no way out nor possibilities to move.
This made me think that so many thoughts must go through your head when you are facing your death so I adapted this situation to a script with Aga’s talent for writing.
Aga: Kamil told me about his idea and as soon as I heard it I knew I wanted to write this script, it sounded very compelling. Dealing with the idea of my own mortality has always been on my mind, so I knew I could express a lot of my own struggles in the 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.

EP 1202 - Filmmaker Yazan Al-Hajari (ETERNAL LINES: William Shakespeare’s Verse in Music and Motion)

ETERNAL LINES: William Shakespeare’s Verse in Music and Motion., 5min., USA
Directed by Yazan Al-Hajari
Eternal Lines: William Shakespeare’s Verse in Motion and Music” is the second part of a series where I delve into Shakespeare’s vast Canon, handpicking songs and sonnets that resonate deeply with me. I’ve woven these pieces into a narrative that, while personal in selection, unveils a connected story, reflecting the universal themes and emotions Shakespeare so masterfully depicted. This project is a heartfelt tribute to the timeless beauty of Shakespeare’s poetry, crafted with deep admiration for his poetic genius. While delving into Shakespeare’s poetry, my goal was not only to breathe new life into these classic texts but also to capture and reflect my own emotional journey as I navigated through the myriad of themes and expressions found in his work. Through a fusion of original music, captivating AI and real footage and visuals, and immersive sound design, I’ve endeavored to present Shakespeare’s poetry in a contemporary light, offering a fresh perspective that honors the essence of his work while inviting modern audiences to experience its magic anew.

https://yazanalhajari.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063482441871
https://www.instagram.com/yazanhajari/

Get to know the filmmaker:

My drive to create this film sprung from the enchanting layers within Shakespeare’s poetry—their timeless beauty and the myriad interpretations they invite. Each sonnet, with its rhythmic musicality and vivid imagery, became a cornerstone for the film’s narrative and aesthetics. This project was more than an academic endeavor; it was a personal voyage into the heart of these verses, exploring their resonance within my own life and experiences.

The process was two-fold: a devoted study of Shakespeare’s sonnets to honor their original spirit, coupled with a deeply personal journey to discover their significance to me. This wasn’t just about bringing academic analysis to life; it was about letting these verses breathe and speak through my creative lens, intertwining Shakespeare’s insights with my own. In essence, this film was fueled by a blend of fidelity to Shakespeare’s work and my introspective engagement with his poetry, striving to create a visual experience that is as rich and multifaceted as the sonnets themselves.

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.

EP. 1200 - Filmmaker Emeline Castaneda (TOTEM)

TOTEM, 3min., France
Directed by Emeline Castaneda
The day had started badly for Alice. But that was without taking into account the old saying “in the jungle you must wait, 13 helps yourself liberate”

Get to know the filmmaker:
It was originally for a contest. We had tell a story around the theme “number 13”. I have always expressed my self best with choreography and I already had this idea of a choreography about animal transformation. It was the perfect opportunity.

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.

EP. 1198 - Filmmaker William Georges-Garcia (AN INTERMISSION)

AN INTERMISSION, 13min,. France
Directed by William Georges-Garcia
After receiving a letter and questioning everything he took for granted, Rufus prepares to leave everything behind when a chance meeting with Amelia, his childhood love, forces both of them to come to terms with the end of their young adult lives.

https://www.instagram.com/anintermissionfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

This is my first short film, so it was very important to me to be able to work on a project that allowed me to work with the actors as much as possible. I’ve always been a fan of dialogue-heavy, character-driven films, so when I started writing this script it seemed like the perfect opportunity to collaborate closely with my actors, working on the intention of each line the way one would with a play.

About the story itself, one of the things that interested me the most was this idea of “what you want” versus “what’s expected you”. The inevitable conflict of it. Sometimes you do everything you’re supposed to do in life and it still doesn’t turn out right, so you have to decide to prioritize pleasing other people or pleasing yourself, knowing that it’s often a lose-lose situation. We all play different roles in life and it’s difficult to find a more appearance-based society than 19th century England. I thought that if I could frame this dilemma with a love story– two people that found “an intermission” from their respective roles when they were with each other— that maybe that could be interesting.

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.

EP. 1197 - Filmmaker Leo Rojas & Actor/Writer Angelo Balaram (APHASIC DREAM)

APHASIC DREAM, 24min,. Bolivia
Directed by Leo Rojas
Fernando, a guy with a messy life, starts having strange dreams of a kid in an abandoned warehouse.

http://leorojas.me/
https://www.instagram.com/steverojas00/

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.

EP. 1196 - Filmmaker Nicholas T. Collier (RENEGADE EPISODE 1: REDEMPTION)

RENEGADE EPISODE 1: REDEMPTION, 20min., USA
Directed by Nicholas T Collier
After learning the mob controls the city, detective Daniel Graves decides to become the newest vigilante in Westwick City, Renegade.

https://www.instagram.com/34_nicholas_34/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Growing up, I have always loved comic book movies, and they’re the reason I decided to become a filmmaker. This was my love letter to the genre, my way of taking all these films and stories I grew up with, and telling my perspective of them.

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.

EP. 1195 - Filmmaker Bethany Teague (TEAM OCEAN)

TEAM OCEAN, 40min., USA
Directed by Bethany Teague
10 nonprofits along both U.S. coasts fight for a better future for our one ocean, and therefore our world. Team Ocean is a celebration of how each organization’s talents, expertise and passions weave together a beautiful tapestry of teamwork from every sector – fisheries, species protection, food security, arts, education, recreation and more.

https://clickandpledge.com/project-ocean/
https://www.facebook.com/clickandpledge
https://twitter.com/clickandpledge
https://www.instagram.com/clickandpledge/

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.