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 Independent Film
EP. 1040 - Director Billy Jack & Writer Justin Cole (SPARROW STREET)

SPARROW STREET, 93min,. USA
Directed by Billy Jack
A typical suburban neighborhood is plunged into a nightmare as an invisible, monstrous force begins picking the neighbors off, one by one. The terror outside the house is no match to the terror that forms inside the house where survival, isolation, and hunger all play tricks of the mind for a man, an expectant wife, and their unborn child. The film begs the big question and the great reveal – What is eating the neighbors?

https://sparrowstreetfilms.com/
https://instagram.com/sparrow_street_movie?igshid=MzRIODBiNWFIZA=

Get to know the director Billy Jack & writer Justin Cole:

BILLY – We wanted to create a product (Sparrow Street) that entertains people, and we achieved this based on the data from our test screen and feedback from audience members. Very exciting for us and for those who get the chance to experience this story.

JUSTIN: We wanted to scare the heck out of audiences by fusing environmentalism and horror in a completely ridiculous and unseemly way. We think we did that with Sparrow Street. It is a film like none other ever made. Think about the idea of an environmental horror – the time is rife for this kind of emerging idea. That’s the story we are telling. Mankind vs. Nature in a completely original, unique, and distinctive point-of-view. Our hope…blow the minds of our audiences. Leave them reeling with thought and meaning. That’s ultimately why we made this 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. 1036 - Actor/Producer Hannah Carman (THE FIVE STAGES)

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.

EP. 1035 - Filmmaker Harper Brock (MISSING IN THE MIDWEST)

MISSING IN THE MIDWEST, 18min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Harper Brock
Filmmaker Harper Brock journeys back to her roots to learn what happened to her cousin Joelle Lockwood whose 2014 abduction case shocked southwestern Indiana.

http://missinginthemidwestdocumentary.com/
https://www.instagram.com/missinginmidwest/

Get to know the filmmaker;
My family, both my parents and extended family in Indiana really pushed for me to do this project as my student thesis at SCAD. I don’t think I could have done it without their support.

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. 1034 - Filmmaker William Davern (FREE SPEECH TO CANCEL CULTURE; PROFILES IN CANADIAN COMEDY)

FREE SPEECH TO CANCEL CULTURE; PROFILES IN CANADIAN COMEDY, 96min., Canada
Directed by William Davern
Ten veteran comedians and TV personalities share insightful, often hilarious tales of the comedy business and the shifting attitude(s) of audiences.

http://www.davernproductions.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve been a touring stand up comic for 25 years. Am also a film school graduate and recipient of the Norman Jewison Award for a short drama now part of the National Film Board of Canada. Over the years, I made several shorts including an unsold pilot for TV along with three 22 min “Profiles” of the local comedy scene.

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. 1033 - Filmmaker Jo Southwell (ECHO)

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.

EP. 1030 - Filmmaker Gale Smith (WHISKERED AWAY)

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.

EP. 1029 - Filmmaker Daniel Wolff (GUARDIANS OF THE FLAME)

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.

EP. 1028 - Filmmaker Alexander Miguel (HOUSE OF MYSTIC MAGIC)

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.

Ep. 1026 - Writer/Producer Portia A. Cosby (ON DEAF EARS)

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.

Ep. 1025 - Actor/Filmmaker Alessia Fionda (GIVE US A SMILE)

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.

Ep. 1021 - Filmmaker Benson Mckay (THE TALES OF BOBA FETT)

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.

Ep. 1020 - Filmmaker Will Chehab (TAKING FLIGHT)

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.

Ep. 1019 - Writer/Actor Paul Darrigo (SUMMERVILLE)

SUMMERVILLE, 26min., USA
Directed by Anthony Di Pietro
After an Alien invasion, the invaders decide to convert humans to a work force… An underground resistor, the Ghost, has some special skills that helps in the fight.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9805310/reference/

Get to know writer/producer/actor Paul Darrigo:

This started out with “Let’s shoot a quick scene” Then the passion got the best of us and here we are. (It took) At least 3 years to make this film. Multiple editors, re-shoots and script/story changes. Evidently, I took over editing and really had to make this happen. We went over budget a bit but I found 3 key people to finish 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. 1018 - Filmmaker Dmitriy Usov (THE ESCLIPSE)

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.

Ep. #1015 - Filmmaker Brian Alexander (VARIANCE PROPAGATION)

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.

Ep.. #1014 - Filmmakers Klaudia Wittmann & Arturo Bandinelli (SOMA)

SOMA, 10min., UK
Directed by Arturo Bandinelli
SOMA is an experimental film that uses movement and dance as its primary medium for story-telling. A contemporary myth on the genesis of the human body, the piece unfolds in two parallel dimensions: an infinite black hole where entities exist outside linear space and time; and a labyrinthine house where an uncanny gathering is taking place. As the free-associative, dreamlike narrative unfolds, different characters go through visceral experiences of pleasure, enchantment, pain and death.

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

Get to know producer Klaudia Wittmann:
As a collective, we had been asking the question ‘What is a Body?’ for some time, since 2019. During that time, we wondered about the material of the body, the flesh, its relation to the psyche, emotional life, and the image of the body. This coincided with personal experiences of loss and illness which framed our creative questions about the body, and motivated us to create work around it and make 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. #1013 - Producer Emma M. Cooke (MY ROOMMATE, DEATH)

MY ROOMMATE, DEATH, 7min,. Canada, Comedy
Directed by Becca Isaias
Over 200 years after making a bet for Margaret’s soul, Death is still losing every game to her, which has resulted in them getting demoted from collecting human souls- they want their old position back, but they have also developed a soft spot for Margaret.

Get to know producer Emma M. Cooke:

We wanted to make a fun, silly film that had at its heart a story about friendship. We were motivated because we wanted to have fun, and we wanted everyone to laugh and be able to take a break from the real world with a little bit of fun. We thought mockumentaries are a currently popular genre of comedy and we wanted to put a little bit of a different spin on it- taking a character, or figure, so widely known and recognized as Death, and turn it on its head. By making it a comedy centered on a quirky friendship rather than a horror focused on Death reaping souls, we thought it would provide a little extra punch to the finished product.

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. #1012 - Screenwriter Jimmy Sanders (JUST THE SIX OF US)

Watch the Comedy Festival TV Pilot best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-3S46hX1YE

Four sisters, suddenly reunited, try to make a better future for themselves by reconnecting to their past.


http://www.thelostepisodes.com/https://instagram.com/the_lost_episodes

Get to know the writer:

The four Lubbock sisters, from the late-80s cult classic “Just the Ten of Us”, are suddenly together again after a rapid succession of reunions. The youngest, Connie, is stuck in a dead-end job at a dead-end television station in Tampa. She’s stuck in a rut; but sees some welcome change when her father, Graham, comes to live with her for a little while. Little does she know that her younger brother, the outrageous Harvey, is in tow. Before long, her other sisters; the manic Marie, the gold digging Wendy, and the spacey Cindy, all come to Connie looking for refuge from the consequences of their own personal failures.

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.

Nov. 16, 2023 - Actor/Producer Theresa Falcão (NATAL)

NATAL, 20min., Brazil
Directed by Isabella Secchin
Natal, in his early fifties belongs to a generation that broke social barriers, worshiped cerebral movies, drugs and rock’n roll. However, he does not accept it well when Milene, his only daughter, takes her boyfriend to sleep at home with her. In the middle of the night, unable to put a stop to the sex in the next-door bedroom, he locks himself in his car parked in his building garage. That’s when Silvana, his wife, comes after him. In the quietness of the late night, only witnessed by the parked cars and the garage surveillance cams, Natal tries to unburden his difficulty to accept costumes for which he fought so much. He ends up telling his wife secrets about his past, he has an epiphany: he was never young. Now, being in his early fifties, he doesn’t need to like what everyone else liked, do what everyone else did, be as everyone else was. He is old, he has always been. However, Silvana’s memory says the opposite and he sees himself back to his past and younger than ever.

https://www.instagram.com/Natalocurta

Get to know Theresa Falcão
Firstly I was motivated by the idea of making a film as a producer and Actress. I chose this “tale”, Natal, written in 2004, because I found it had a viable structure for me as an independent producer without any kind of sponsorship: a small cast and almost no set design requirements.

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.

Nov. 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Erika Giulietti, Giorgia Benazzo (NACRE)

NACRE, 4min., Italy
Directed by Erika Giulietti, Giorgia Benazzo
“Nacre” is as a visual representation inside a liminal space of the creation process of our memories, experiences, perceptions: who we are.

Get to know the filmmakers:

Nacre was born in the university environment during the course held by Giorgia, a synergy was created between teacher and student, thanks to NID – Nuovo Istituto Design who made the production possible. The course was about the future of Fashion Film in an Experimental Way.

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.