MODUS OPERANDI: BRISBANE’S RIPPER SUSPECT, 8min., Australia, Documentary
Directed by David Hodkinson, Alice Walker
A student film that explores a myth of over 130 years. Did ‘Jack The Ripper’ flee to Australia and lay to rest in Brisbane’s Toowong Cemetery?

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15522038/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
https://www.instagram.com/dghfilms

Get to know the filmmakers:

Alice: I think what motivated me to make this film was that I wasn’t always connected to this project – I joined it because I found myself getting invested in the story researching it in my spare time and I thought “oh, this is actually a very cool and unique story that I would love to help actually turn into reality and portray it on a screen.” I also knew I could do it in a really unique way with David, and I really wanted to be able to go in there with his whole crew that had already been established with the story and kind of show them my perspective on it, and introduce our audiences to new angles and nuances about the story and it’s origins.

David: I always feel that Brisbane gets left out of Australian stories compared to Sydney and Melbourne. I wanted to tell something unique to Brisbane and what could tie it to the rest of the world and this ‘myth’ pops up occasionally in our media as a joke. Well that was enough for me to say ‘Hey! Let’s explore it and see for ourselves’. Boy did we see for ourselves with endless rabbit holes and over a century of history to research. I was compelled from the very start and never looked back.

Interview conducted by Matthew Toffolo

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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CLOSURE, 9min., USA, Action
Directed Gui Agustini
A detective. A mercenary. Of course it didn’t work out but when a relationship ends messy, can you ever really have Closure?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt13954882/?ref_=nm_knf_i2
https://www.instagram.com/nycstagecombat

From Kaitlyn Farley:

This project began as part of a stage combat summer intensive with the goal being to create new opportunities, help actor-combatants put to use their trained skills and create a space for the crew to play and gain experience in the world of action. Personally, I began producing to create strong female leads and opportunities to play complex characters in the action world.

Interview conducted by Matthew Toffolo

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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WE’RE NOT GOING BACK!, 79min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Pamela Torrance
Pro-choice documentary film to promote awareness of what’s at stake before and now that Roe v Wade has been overturned.

https://torranceproductions.com/were-not-going-back-1
https://www.facebook.com/RoeRoeRoeYourVote
https://www.instagram.com/roeroeroeyourvote/

From Pamela Torrance:

I wanted to do something impactful to support reproductive rights when I saw Roe v Wade being threatened in late 2021.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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BLOOD BUDDIES, 12min., Canada, Drama
Directed by Suzanne Marie Moreau
A friend in need is a friend indeed – or are they? Two best childhood friends go to their first summer camp together – and it tears them apart.

From the filmmaker:

I felt motivated to tell the female experience of puberty including that momentous occasion, a first period, since it seemed to be missing from the screen. I looked into ‘first period’ stories and discovered an online trend was shaping up among today’s generation. It made sense emotionally and theoretically to try to capture the experience and how it coincided with friendships in a sensitive, vulnerable way with a mature perspective that drew from my own remembered feelings.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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PULLING THE GOALIE, 23min., USA, Drama
Directed by Hiag Avsharian
“Avsharian has cleverly framed his film about male infertility from a conventionally male perspective using hockey as a metaphor to provide both context and levity. Sport provides an immediate connection to an uncomfortable and embarrassing topic with both situations and language that are laughingly familiar to both men and women. As an entry into the increasingly complex and demoralizing process of the infertility treadmill about which men frequently feel baffled and disengaged, Avsharian uses that parallel to create a deeply personal and compelling narrative.

http://www.ptgmovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pullingthegoaliemovie
https://www.instagram.com/ptgmovie2022/

From the filmmaker:

I have been writing this screenplay on and off again after the birth of our first child Megan (with the help of infertility treatments), in 2009. As emotionally difficult as our infertility journey was at times, I became aware of how much more difficult the journey had been for others (e.g. multiple miscarriages). I also learned that infertility is relatively common and on the increase as couples wait until later in life to get pregnant while at the same time nearly all pop culture gives us the sense that it is easy to get pregnant. Furthermore, stories are almost always about men resisting their wives’/girlfriend’s desire to start a family, which works for drama and comedy but greatly misrepresents men, and especially men going through infertility. Lastly, and importantly, infertility treatments are expensive and insurance coverage varies widely based on where you happen to live. Thankfully we could afford the level of treatment we needed, but I thought it would be a social injustice if a couple couldn’t have a child because they couldn’t afford treatments. All in all, I felt like this was a story that I needed to at least try and tell once it had rooted itself in my head.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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REFUGIO, 9min., Bolivia, Documentary
Directed by Rebecca Basaure
Sergio, a 27 year old environmental engineer, veterinary student and environmental activist in Bolivia makes it his life’s mission to save animals and the vulnerable ecosystems we depend on. His journey takes us to Senda Verde, an animal refuge in the jungle with over 900 wild animals rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Sergio and Senda Verde work to inspire us to take action and create a world that is kinder and more responsible with nature.

http://www.co-labs.us/

https://facebook.com/rebeccabasaure

https://instagram.com/rbasaure

From Rebecca Basaure:

As a filmmaker, I am very passionate and motivated to use film to teach, learn and inspire people about conservation. The stakes are so high and giving people who deserve a platform to speak up about environmental degradation and climate change, is not only important but necessary.

In 2019, fires were raging in Bolivia, largely as a result of intentional burning to convert forests to farmland. As our forests continue to burn and our governments continue to put profit over life, it is hard not to feel powerless and betrayed. We want to call them out and make them accountable for not only allowing but fueling these environmental disasters. And we should. But we often overlook those who tirelessly fight to protect our ecosystems, those who save and protect wildlife, and who dedicate their lives to conservation. This film was made to celebrate those people.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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A PLACE TO HIDE, 11min., USA, Drama
Directed by Eámonn Wrightstone
Charlie and his mother, Laura, are on the brink of poverty, living out of a motel room they rent monthly. His mother, in late-stage dementia, requires constant care; leaving him unable to work. Receiving no help from his absent father, Charlie resorts to sex work at night to get the money he needs to care for his mother.

https://www.ejwdp.com/a-place-to-hide

From the filmmaker:

On a thematic level what really motivated me to make this film was just getting older. College is wrapping out for me in less than a year and this was the second to last film I would make in school. Seeing my parent’s over the holidays just reminded me that they’re getting older too. My dad has had cancer 3 times, he’s survived every single time, but what if it comes back? All of these questions surrounding my parents, their well-being, and my future seemed to hit together. I was lost. What does adulthood mean and what do I want my life to be? There has been a lot of loss in my family and at the age of 14 becoming suffocatingly aware of your parent’s mortality is not only frightening, but it’s a stark reminder of your own. ‘A Place to Hide’ sets out to explore how far we will go for the ones we love, the failures of our economic/healthcare systems, and coming into adulthood too soon.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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MATCH DAY, 14min., USA, Family
Directed by Clay Randel
After watching her favorite team lose in dramatic fashion, a young soccer fan must navigate the stages of loss with the help of her recently divorced father.

http://www.clayrandel.com/matchday
https://www.instagram.com/clay.film.foto/

From Clay Randel:

Two years ago the sports world paused while Covid redefined our society. After months of anticipation, live sports came back and though it looked and felt different, I was overjoyed with the return of something familiar, my fandom. My optimism and expectations were quickly crushed while I watched my team give listless performances on the way to unexpected losses. I was confused and devastated. This experience is the inspiration that led to me writing the script “Match Day.”

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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BLURRED LINES, 12min,. UK, Recreation
Directed by Corry Raymond
As musician Robin Thicke reaches fame and critical acclaim for his hit record Blurred lines, he is sued by the Marvin Gaye family estate who claim he stole the song.

https://www.corryraymond.com/blurred-lines
https://www.instagram.com/blurredlinesmovie/

From Corry Raymond:

The biggest obstacle from the very beginning was casting. I knew I had to find a cast that could convincingly portray the real life people – and it wasn’t just Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams, but the legal team and the cast of the music video as well. A few people said to me it wouldn’t be possible, but in the end, I found the perfect cast of people. Perfect not only in terms of their acting skills, but as collaborators as well.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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“Roots above Ground” is a 50 minute physically integrated performance is a personal work that explores the multiple meanings of home. Using his own journey as an immigrant, disabled gay man and dancer as a base from which to work, Marc Brew intends to peel back the layers to get at this universal human need to belong.

http://www.axisdance.org/

https://www.twitter.com/AXISDanceCo

https://www.instagram.com/axisdanceco

Director Statement

"As a world traveller and someone who has never laid down roots in pursuit of my career goals," says Brew, "I have always questioned where my home is and by extension of that, where I belong. Through this work the company is delving deep into personal journeys and reflective worlds to find home as well as the community where we belong and feel at home. I am very excited to also be embedding access into the devising of my new work by collaborating with Deaf/ASL Consultants Antoine Hunter and Zahna Simon and Audio Description with Jess Curtis from Gravity Access Services."

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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THE END OF BLINDNESS, 55min., Documentary
Directed by AJ Martinson
Dr. Samuel Bora is the only ophthalmologist for over 3 million people living in rural Ethiopia. His mission: end all preventable blindness in the country.

http://www.theendofblindness.com/

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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CRACKS IN THE FOUNDATION, 9min., USA, Drama
Directed by Tessie McCoy, Tajianna Okechukwu
Cracks in the Foundation is a short drama that explores generational trauma through the lens of a Black woman as she strives to prevent toxic cycles from happening within in her family.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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VOODOO SALON, 16min., Australia, Supernatural/Drama
Directed by Jessie Kathleen Claude
Gwenaelle has inherited a gift from her family : she can tell the date of death of anyone she touches. As she spends the day with her sister making their family tree, a secret starts unravelling.

http://www.jessieclaude.com/

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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ONE SHILLING, 6min., UK, Dance
Directed by Monica Nicolaides
One Shilling. A contemporary dance film where four strangers from different backgrounds escape everyday life for one night, drinking and dancing in one of London’s underground bars during the Blitz.

Director Statement

'One Shilling' is a short dance film, inspired by true encounters of people in WWII; where 4 strangers from different backgrounds came together to enjoy a night out, in one of the underground places in London during the Blitz. At a time of constant danger, where under-represented communities and being different was not welcomed by society. One shilling gave access to underground safe havens, where strangers escaped everyday life, social conformity and daily bombings; and became friends.

‘One Shilling’ celebrates the formation of community and unity, by embracing ones individuality. When the community does not look at class, race or sexuality. Everyone comes together to celebrate being alive; to forget the danger and casualties surrounding them in their everyday lives. At this bar, we see the temporary deconstruction of social class, race and sexuality for one night only. It is a story of the places where people from all walks of life find refuge, and a community that welcomes their differences even for a moment in time.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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“Horseshoe Crabs: How 350-Million-Year-Old Sea Creatures are Vital to Human Survival” is a award winning short film that played at the Science & Nature Film Festival.

With the worldwide race to develop and manufacture vaccines came renewed interest in horseshoe crabs. These sea creatures are over 350 million years old and their blue blood has been critical to the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Their epicenter is here in the northeast and they descend on our beaches every spring in the thousands. Although the bright blue blood played a vital role in helping to end the pandemic, their numbers are in decline. We spoke with some "local heroes" who have been protecting them, and went out into the waters of Brooklyn with elementary students to monitor and tag them. Numerous species, including humans, depend on horseshoe crabs and it's up to us to help ensure their survival.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

“From renowned adventure filmmakers Safari Productions and cinematographer Hamish Pattison comes Andrew Englisch’s world first attempt to cross treacherous Bass Strait on his Wing Foil. A stunning, intimate and raw portrait of Andrew’s journey to raise himself out of the depths of depression and be the first person to cross one of the most dangerous stretches of water on the planet, despite only learning to wing foil 12 months earlier and before his 55th birthday.”

https://gonewiththewing.com.au/
https://instagram.com/englisch

Director Statement

I am a pirate. I travel to the world's most dangerous, beautiful and scary places and bring back the loot. A bounty of film, photos and stories. When not scouring the world for interesting stories I work to improve awareness around mental health.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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MEAN TO AN END is a winning short film that played at the Festival for Horror.

“A sexy young woman seeks out married men to seduce in a bar in an effort to get pregnant, but her intentions for the baby are unexpected.”

Director Statement

Horror from a female perspective can be disturbing. When I wrote this short script a few years ago, I did not anticipate directing it, but felt that I was the only one who truly understood the dynamics of the characters, so it became my directorial debut. Horror can be full of scary creatures and things that go bump in the night, but I find horror in the mundane, the everyday, and in the ways that humans harm each other. Audiences like to think that women are weak and innately good, but it is patently not true. Evil knows no gender. I would like to thank my amazing talented volunteer cast and crew who brought a very polarizing piece to life and committed utterly. I am thankful that they believed in the project and in the creative vision of a first-time director.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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RUMINATION is an award winning Animation Short Film. “At night, a woman’s mind wanders as she chops firewood.”

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

Director Biography - Ashleigh Vaillancourt

Ashleigh Vaillancourt is a multimedia artist and filmmaker based out of Vancouver, Canada. Ashleigh’s work explores themes of personal resilience and social empathy, as well as the interplay of analog painting and generative digital art. Her films such as 'Hannah' and 'Fostering Uncertainty' have been shown in film festivals and galleries internationally.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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THE SOCIETY FOR PARANORMAL HEALING, 26min., USA, Comedy
Winning Film from the LA Comedy Festival.
Two best friends run a small business healing the spirits of haunted houses. But when funding falls through, every attempt to save the business results in the unexpected– and their status as Best Friends Forever is put to the test.

http://dinosaursvrobots.com/
https://instagram.com/dinosaursvrobots

Director Statement

I wanted to write a film about outcasts and outliers, friendship and hardship, and do so with humor and heart. I wanted to make a film that passes the Bechdel test, that is female- and queer-driven above and below the line. I wanted to put my vision into the universe and say, “See, this is how I look at the world. This is how my brain inputs information. This is how I’ve experienced life, and this is what happens when it all swirls together like damp autumn leaves in the wind.” But, like, it’s *funny* though.
My goal was to celebrate goofs, guffaws, ghouls, gals, and gays; and like Megan Rapinoe herself, I kicked that goal hard.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

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“As a meteor hurls towards Earth, Felix tries to party and reconnect with old friends.” A dream sequence short film that played at the Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWFFzbLdbX4&t=2s

Director Biography - Robert Campbell Sturdevant

Robert Sturdevant is a filmmaker at Occidental College (Class of 2023). He is best known for his stop-motion work on the YouTube channel The Action Brick, which includes his ambitious Minecraft-inspired fan series, "Night of the Nether".

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook