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.

http://lilredmovie.com/

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.

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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.

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TWISTED GAZE, 19min., Mexico
Directed by David Sanchez V
Diego travels to Turkey, makes a layover in Dubai. There he suffers a series of abuses by authority, sexual and homophobic by the police and military. This leads to a ceaseless search of identity and an obscure social questioning — psychological about masculinity, diversity and the “Who am I”.

https://instagram.com/diegoavilamx

Get to know the filmmaker;

The fact that in 2023 we can still be sexually abused for being homosexual. It took us 8 months from kicking off the project to wrapping it up. It all kicked off when we were working on another short film with Diego. He shared his experience in Dubai, and it stuck with me for a few days. When we caught up again, we decided to do something about it. Diego wrote everything down in great detail. After that, we recorded the “interview” (the voiceover you hear in the film). It was a two-hour-long recording… After that, we spent 2 months in post-production.

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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AN ANGRY BOY, 99min,. USA
Directed by Andrew Fitzgerald
Owen was kidnapped by a ruthless predator when he was younger and his repressed memories are starting to flood back. As he struggles to piece together the haunting mystery of his past, he realizes what he must do – hunt him down and make him pay.

https://www.facebook.com/anangryboy/

Get to know the filmmaker:
This was the type of movie that I felt hadn;t been made but was something I would definitely want to see. It’s a mix of some funny moments and really gory kills but not over the top and in your face but more justified to help make their impact stronger on the audience. We set out to make something people could enjoy and hopefully be surprised by.

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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LAST CALL, 12min., USA
Directed by Vitor Lopes, Stephen Brown
A bartendress embroiled in a small-town romance is on the skeleton crew of a late-night dive bar when she encounters a mysterious patron who implores her to clean up an act of violence he has committed.

Get to know filmmaker Stephen Brown:
I was thrilled to read Vitor’s screenplay, and we saw an opportunity to film the short film in our hometown of Fayetteville, Georgia. It was encouraging to meet the cast virtually and to work with old friends and new ones to make the film safely during autumn of the first year of the pandemic.

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 BOOK OF NAUGHTY KIDS, 17min., Brazil
Directed by Miguel Soares Moreira
Amanda, a curious 10-year-old, wonders about the existence of Santa Claus. After some trouble at school caused by her classmates Marcel and Lana, she wishes they would disappear from her life. On Christmas Eve, she discovers that Santa might not be so good after all. Who is the naughty or the nice kid?

https://www.crossfilmes.com/
https://instagram.com/olivrodcm

Get to know the filmmaker:

Probably the love of original horror stories related to brazilian’s urban legends, which unfortunatelly are not very well explored.

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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STRANGER, 5min., USA
Directed by Julia Hayden Fung
This film shows the experience of lost relationships through the eyes of a young girl. “Stranger” is a story of love, longing, and the regret through passing of time.

https://www.instagram.com/jhf.ilms/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I kind of just set out to create something I would be proud of and to start building my portfolio before college. I wanted to explore a few locations and the lighting I could get at certain points of the day, so I finished a short synopsis I had been playing around with and asked a couple of my theatre friends if they wanted to see where this took us.

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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PINWHEEL HORIZON, 14min., USA
Directed by Ian Ebright
On a barren planet, three elite warriors learn their final confrontation- a gang of 40- is waiting for them nearby.

Get to know the filmmaker:

After a personal loss, I became interested in exploring the topic through characters with different reactions to the same event.

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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CONFLICT, 9min,. Canada
Directed by François Charette
A forest. A man in his forties sinks in, alone, abandoning his car on the side of the road. It sinks gradually, more and more hollow, suggesting to make peace with himself. The savagery of nature attracts him, without really knowing why. Insidiously, a metamorphosis begins, both moral and physical. The man finally transcends the forest.

Get to know the filmmaker:
It’s a very personal movie. I Had some experiences and needed to exorcise them. I tend to create with my emotions and my own experiences. It started with this feeling, in the woods. Standing before the forest, the kind of anxiety you feel before something way taller than you. So I asked myself a question : Why am I feeling like this ? Then, I started to write about it, and came the first draft of the film. I wanted to speak about anxiety, about how you feel the emotions itself, and I wanted the spectator to feel it too.

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POLLO LOCO, 26min,. USA
Directed by Derek Bauder
When a young, power-hungry drug dealer discovers the love of his life has been unfaithful with a member of his crew, he and his right-hand man seek revenge.

https://www.instagram.com/dannydorito23/
https://www.facebook.com/bauderdj/
https://twitter.com/dannydorito23

Get to know the filmmaker:
I have a social media audience of over 7.5 million followers. They are used to seeing me do goofy, cringy content and I wanted to do something more serious/cinematic. The film took about 9 months. 4 Months for Development/Pre Production. A 4 day shoot followed by a break for the holiday season. Post Production took about 4 months.

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BEYOND, a R.Evolucion Latina, 23min,. USA
Directed by Claudia Mulet
“Beyond” is a Documentary inspired by the Beyond Workshop Series, an adult training program created for young latinx performers in New York City. The documentary follows five young performers looking to develop their skills in order to “make it” to the Broadway Stage and understand the importance of their presence in the theater world for a more inclusive future.

Get to know the filmmaker:

After being working with R.Evolution Latina for a couple of years and making some of their video promos, one day talking with their director Luis Salgado, I asked him about the possibility of making a documentary of their work. I have been very inspired about their mission and the work they are doing in providing high quality training underrepresented communities. I could see how much these workshops changed the people involved in so many ways, how much they grew their connections, their perspectives, even the way they communicate love . The idea of a documentary started like a sort of joke but it turned out to be one of the most beautiful processes in my filmmaker career. Showing to the latino community in New York and to all the other underrepresented communities that there is a place where they can feel represented and supported in their career journeys, was everything. The talent these people carry and how much we need those talents out there motivated me to share these stories.

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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WAWA BY THE OCEAN, 5min., USA
Directed by Ryan Walker Page
A dance narrative that explores inner and outer landscapes—emphasizing the overlap of pain, sensuality, and joy.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I stumbled upon this song and it flung all the doors open for me. It connected me to my Quaker roots, my mother’s intense emotions, and the rare visual of Los Angeles when it is hydrated. It cared for me during a grueling medical procedure and I would use it for dance classes. After a few months of listening, I decided to reach out to the artist in the hopes of creating a video. To my delight, Mary said yes and just so happened to be my neighbor in LA!! All of these beginning signs have me a powerful green light to keep going.

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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MOTHERLAND, 19min., USA
Directed by Lijie Xie
When a Chinese mother visits her son in Manhattan to celebrate news of his engagement, she’s taken aback to discover that her son is actually planning to marry another man. As she watches the couple prepare to come out to her, she must grapple with her emotions and decide how to react to the news.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I spent a whole year during COVID, 24/7, with my family, particularly with my mom who traveled from China to assist my sister in moving and got stuck with us in Michigan. Throughout that year, I discovered how incredibly adaptive and supportive my mom is, demonstrating a remarkable capacity for learning and a strong will to understand her children. These characteristics really inspired this film and its central character.

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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MATERNITY, 5min., Finland
Directed by Joel Koskinen
A timid, pregnant woman living alone, finds her inner strength when she must defend herself against a mysterious intruder.

https://www.instagram.com/maternity_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

My motivation of making this film was to tell meaningful stories. There are moments in life when particular ideas and elements of the story hit me and won’t leave me alone. That is a sign that the idea is something worthwhile really doing. One topic that has been in my mind in the past years is the problem of equality and how badly women are treated in the world. Not only in the countries where women are legally oppressed but also how they are individually being treated in the western countries. So the idea of a single woman living alone with her baby in the zombie-apocalypse surviving and showing her strenght was something that stuck in my head as a fan of the zombie genre.

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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ACRONIUS, 2min., UK
Directd by Dele Ajayi
After decades of turmoil, the Kingdom of Sonuria is finally at peace. This new era, established by the good King Acronius, has been noted for its prosperity.

https://www.fluid-lab.com/portfolio/acronius
https://www.instagram.com/fluid.lab/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The project started very small, from the cog tunnel at the end of the film. I saw a similar short sequence in someone’s showreel and felt I should do something similar but I felt the tunnel had to lead somewhere to something. Eventually the idea grew and grew until we have what we see here.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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THE LAST ASHLYN, 9min,. USA
Directed by AJ Moss
A young girl in an ancient, fantasy world attempts to stop her mother and father, the last of her family, from dueling to the death over honor and spite.

Get to know the filmmaker:

For a decade I have slowly added to this fantasy world as both a hobby and in hopes that one day it might become something more. I wanted to tell something very contained and personal so I chose this small story that took place early on in the world when the world was at a very low point filled with war and division. It reflects a lot of the division I see in our world today.

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 ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE 2: SILBADORES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS, 25min., USA

Directed by Russ Emanuel

Kaylee, an apprentice assassin for TAA Corp., is taking a long-deserved vacation in the Canary Islands, when her Freerunner drone arrives to project a holographic image of Rick, her handler. Rick explains to Kaylee that her vacation has been cut short, and that she is being urgently summoned by Roy, the head of TAA Corp.’s Canary Island Bureau headquarters, for a new mission. Kaylee follows the Freerunner drone to the TAA Corp.’s Canary Island headquarters, where Roy explains that F.A.D., a rival group of counter-assassins, are on the island to eliminate TAA Corp.’s drone trainers, known as “Silbadores.” Kaylee drives her ninja motorcycle at breakneck speeds along beautiful coastal roads to TAA Corp.’s drone training grounds where she saves the Silbadores from deadly Swarmbots unleashed by the F.A.D. counter-assassins. A final showdown with the F.A.D. counter-assassins Sork and Karla ends with a surprising result.

https://www.taamovie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/taamovie/

https://twitter.com/russellemanuel

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

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GUMMIES, 5min,. USA
Directed by Renetta G. Amador
A tomboy transforms the gender trappings of her room to show her cruel mother how sugar and spice don’t equal nice.

http://www.mexecutionerproductions.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gummies_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

After I graduated college I worked as a Program Director for a GLBTQI++ organization working with teens from 12 – 19 who were struggling with their sexual identity. I met the writer of Gummies through a film festival that my first short film was in. When I read his script, I thought of all the people I worked with, the people I was friends and family with, that in some way or another had been constantly put into a box they didn’t want to be in. I knew I had to make this short and show the consequences of this.

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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STAR WARS: RENDEZVOUS, 20min., USA
Directed by Brent L Peterson
A pair of do-gooders attempt to protect a young, force-sensitive girl from bounty hunters on their way to rendezvous with a mysterious contact with the power to protect her much better than they can.

https://antigravityfilms.com/projects

Get to know the filmmaker:

Many motivations. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid and after seeing so many Star Wars fan films on YouTube, thought it was a great option to dive into the universe on my own terms. To make a Star Wars film that I had always wanted to see. I also felt like it would be a good venue to further my career, by showing that I could do with an established and beloved IP. But without a doubt, the most personal reason to make this film was because of my seven-year-old son, who was a huge Star Wars fan. He passed away due to brain cancer a few years ago, and I felt like I needed to make this film for him. Star Wars: Rendezvous is dedicated to 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.

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THE STOLEN KINGDOMS – PILOT, 4min,. UK
Directed by Matthew Lee
The series follows the exploits of Siriol, a young mute girl and a small dragon as they journey across the land to help the wildlife.

https://www.tealeavespics.com/the-stolen-kingdoms
https://www.facebook.com/TheStolenKingdoms

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have been a huge fantasy fan since I was a child. Ones like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Disney fairy tales and so on. I have been wanting to create a fantasy story of my own for a while. And for this film, the original idea actually came from a dream I had one night. Where I was experiencing and adventure for three storylines. One which featured a usurped kingdom. Another featured a young girl with a pet dragon. And the third where we save civilians from a winter castle guarded by dark winged riders. I was starting my University Masters degree in animation at the time and I wanted to incorporate these stories into one for my project. Obviously, there was a lot going on, so my tutor at the time, suggested I would break them down and pick one story to focus on. And I was most intrigued with the girl and dragon 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.

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