Telling stories through film and conversation.
WSPodcast New Logo.png

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 LGBT
February 5, 2023 - Filmmaker Azure Kwok (MONODIALOGUE)

MONODIALOGUE, 5min, USA, Drama
Directed by Azure Kwok
A surreal encounter with Adam reveals everything about Addison’s past, present, and future.

https://www.theythemfilms.com/
https://instagram.com/theythemproductions

Get to know the filmmaker:

Monodialogue was initially just a shower thought. I wrote it into a stage play at first and I wasn’t exactly happy with how it turned out. I was living in Seattle at the time and was surrounded by a group of talented and ambitious friends who are all eager to work and learn in the filmmaking field. So I adapted it into a screenplay and brought them all onto this project. They loved the idea and were incredibly supportive of me. Honestly, my friends were my biggest motivation behind making this film. We wanted to make something together that we’re proud of, and Monodialogue happened to be the thing.

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

December 31, 2022 - Filmmaker Michael Dufek (GOODBYE, SAM)

GOODBYE, SAM, 29mi., USA, Dark Comedy
Directed by Michael Dufek
After being caught up in an unexpected love triangle, Sam must find out who she is on her own.

From Michael Dufek:

I always wanted to make a film like this. I first loved the idea of an extremely flawed protagonist who just can’t seem to do the right thing. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? From writing the first scene to the finished edit, it took me a full year. I actually started writing the first scene on my down time when I was PA on a bunch of sets.

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

December 8, 2022 - Filmmaker Robbie Kruithoff (THINGS WE SHOULDN’T TALK ABOUT)

THINGS WE SHOULDN’T TALK ABOUT, 11min,. USA, Documentary
Directed by Robbie Kruithoff
The mental health impact of religion on the LGBTQIA+ community is unchecked and misunderstood. Alone and largely ignored, queer individuals from conservative, religious communities commit suicide at alarming rates. How many must die before we start talking about it?

https://thingsweshouldnttalkabout.com/

From Robbie Kruithoff:

This film first started when I was doing research for my memoir. Growing up the gay son of two Pentecostal Pastors from a small town in Australia, I know first hand the mental health struggles that religious trauma and suicide survivors face in the religious world. What I didn’t know was how prevalent suicide among religious queer individuals is in today’s society. This spurred me to find other survivors to understand the issues a little better.


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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

November 27, 2022 - Filmmaker Brandt Miller (QUEER MONGOL)

QUEER MONGOL, 16min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Brandt Miller
Queer Mongol follows four characters over the course of Mongolia’s LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, who embody a diversity of gender and sexual identities. The film is a meditation on queerness in the non-west and a nuanced glimpse into a nascent movement on the Central Asian Steppe.

From Brandt Miller:

I’ve been working with the queer community in Mongolia for 16 years, first as a study abroad student doing research. I then returned to Mongolia on a Fulbright Fellowship in 2009 and created a multimedia exhibition about the very underground community back then—the first of its kind in the nation. Back then, the exhibition had to be faceless because it was too dangerous for individuals to reveal their identities to the public. I helped co-found the Mongolian LGBT Center and returned in 2019 to film Queer Mongol. I feel a deep connection with the place. The story of the Mongolian LGBT movement is a story I will be documenting my whole life.


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

October 13, 2022 - Filmmaker Dan Nieders (MONOCHROME)

MONOCHROME, 13min., Switzerland, Erotic
Directed by Dan Nieders
Behind closed doors, Juan lives their fantasies through Elise, with an intense and strange fascination. While Elise and Marius are flirting during a night out with friends. Juan is drawn into the introspection of a wicked game, and must regain control of their body to access their desires.

https://www.instagram.com/monochromemovie/

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

August 18, 2022 - Filmmaker Josef Steiff (JESSE JAMES)

JESSE JAMES was the winner of BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN at the July 2022 Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

"Jesse James" traces the moments between a neighbor's phone call and the arrival of the police, when Jesse and his lover test the boundaries of their relationship and come face to face not just with what they are losing but with what they have already lost -- when Jesse can no longer save his relationship but only himself.


Director Statement

“Write what you know.” That’s the mantra, right? When I started film school, “Jesse James” was the story I knew. The story I had to tell. The story I had the experience to tell. But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to talk about my first boyfriend. So instead I made films about the VietNam War, AIDS, sexual assault. Until now. Last year, I published an account of the event at the core of “Jesse James” in the creative nonfiction journal Hinterland (“Flashpoint”). Watching this film in the editing room, my face burns hot with shame and vulnerability. Even after all these years, those feelings remain closer to the surface than I could imagine.

Just as in heterosexual relationships, domestic violence in queer relationships is often hidden, at least until it can be no longer. My hope is that “Jesse James” serves as a reminder that love is complex and complicated; that domestic violence among gay couples does exist even if it is not readily visible.

"Jesse James" weaves Greek mythology with other types of cultural stories, such as the fable of Jack and the Beanstalk and the outlaw west of Jesse James. These allusions form a child-like world as the young boy in the film might perceive it, but just as it is in those fairytales and legends, the world is fraught with danger and risk. More importantly, it is a world where strength and goodness can prevail.

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

August 16, 2022 - Actor/Director Daniel Montgomery (THE JESSICA CABIN)

THE JESSICA CABIN was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

https://www.instagram.com/marykateandashtray

Director Biography - Daniel Montgomery

Daniel Montgomery is an LA-based director/writer/actor known for his work in the worlds of comedy and horror. A USC School of Dramatic Arts, NC School of the Arts and UCB alum, Daniel is the artistic director and writer of LA’s premier immersive theatre company JFI Productions (Creep LA, The Willows). He is also the co-founder of sketch comedy duo turned production company Mary-Kate and Ashtray. Recent work includes award-winning short film Tall Betsy and onscreen in HBO’s Barry.

Director Statement

I wrote and directed The Jessica Cabin in the heart of the pandemic. My time stuck inside was measured by a listlessness and unsettlingly deep introspection that permeated my days: these are the bones of this film. I felt like a ghost. So I wrote about being one.

Inspiration also came from outside of myself. Shortly into the pandemic, two of my best friends, both in their early 30s, came out: one as gay, the other as non-binary. I was moved to create this film as an opportunity for them to be authentically represented onscreen for the first time. (They star in the film)

So, if those elements are the bones, the heart of this film is the universal desire to intimately connect with others. To be seen. And find reciprocated love. Everyone in the film is looking for a connection, and somehow the wires have gotten crossed. At times, to the extreme. I was inspired to portray this theme in every color: dark and light, grounded and fantastical.

Most importantly, I wanted to make a (slightly) spooky film that's decidedly queer: where the "fear" and drama doesn't come from the horror being queer; rather it's just an aspect of the characters' lives. Or, in this case, after-lives.

I hope you chuckle a few times, I hope you get the tingles, and I hope you disappear for a little while.
But not forever.

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

August 8, 2022 - Filmmaker Mark Pluck (HORNBEAM)

HORNBEAM was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Under cover of darkness, two strangers bond over a shared secret. But how well do they really know each other?

Director Biography - Mark Pluck

Mark is a London-based writer, director and producer. In 2017 he wrote voyeuristic thriller ‘The Photographer’ starring Sophia di Martino (Marvel's Loki) which screened at the East End Film Festival, Danny Boyle’s festival ‘Shuffle’ and the British Independent Film Festival. In 2019 he produced the comedy-horror short 'Meat is Murder' - in collaboration with London advertising agency VCCP, which was described by the British Comedy Guide as “Really funny, then genuinely unsettling”. In 2020 Mark made his directorial debut with horror short ‘Platform’ which received its world premiere at Grimmfest and later screened at Lund Fantastic Festival and the British Horror Film Festival, where Mark was awarded the Rising Star Award.

Director Statement

I’ve always been drawn to stories that explore the lives we live behind closed doors, beyond the carefully curated façade we project out to the world. I’m interested in the lengths we go to in order to conceal these truths and, more importantly, how these actions affect those we care for the most. HORNBEAM is a film that aims to explore some of this rich and rather murky territory through the lens of a tender love story. Set almost entirely within the confines of a van over several nights, it follows two men who are both living a lie and seeking a safe space to come clean. But unfortunately, as is so often the case in life, the truth can be hard to bear.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

June 28, 2022 - Screenwriter Clare Bradley Smyth (BEAUTY/BEAU)

“BEAUTY/BEAU” is the winning LGBTQ+ TV Pilot screenplay written by Clare Bradley Smyth.

Conversation with Clare, followed by the best scene screenplay reading.

“The story of a teenage rock star whose journey begins the night they reveal being F to M. It’s prom night in Kalamazoo, IL 2003. BEAUTY ROBERTS dressed like a prom queen shakes in front of a mirror. Their prom date SAM pleads under the window to understand why she took off. Beauty wants to see themselves for who they truly are, which is Beau. Beauty/Beau is transgender. He is also a talented singer songwriter with a rock star edge. Beauty cuts off their hair, washes off their makeup, and takes off to Chicago to make it as Beau. “

Go to the WILDsound TV app. 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

May 31, 2022 - Filmmaker Charlie Steers (I’M NOT CHRIS HEMSWORTH)

I’M NOT CHRIS HEMSWORTH played to rave reviews at the May 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

I'M NOT CHRIS HEMSWORTH is a ridiculous adventure comedy that parodies the "mistaken identity trope" and has a surprise musical ending!


Conversation with writer/director/actor Charlie Steers on the making of this very funny comedy.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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

May 29, 2022 - Filmmaker Oliver Crawford (A TREE FELL TODAY)

A TREE FELL TODAY was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the May 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

“Elise revisits the traumatic memories of her lover Jessica committing suicide due to the catastrophic death of their child, struggling to escape the eternal circle of anguish and misery she tries to move forward, but is she just stuck in an endless loop?”

Interview with the talented filmmaker Oliver Crawford on the making of the film from concept to distribution.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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

May 26, 2022 - Filmmaker/Actor Jesus M. Rodriguez (TWO WEEKS TO 29)

TWO WEEKS TO 29 played to rave reviews at the May 2022 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

Two Weeks to 29 gives us snapshots of the sexually charged relationship between Ricardo, a lonely art photographer who just turned 51, and Paulo, a sexy Brazilian man who will turn 29 in two weeks. What starts as just sex, develops into a deep and complex relationship, despite the age difference and the fact that Paulo is engaged and will marry his girlfriend in just six months.

Conversation with award winning actor & director on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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

May 16, 2022 - Filmmaker Matthew Perifano (COME AWAY DEATH)

COME AWAY DEATH played to rave reviews at the May 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

“The Clown's Song in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night evokes the fear an isolation of the early years of the AIDS epidemic.”

Conversation with filmmaker/creator Matthew Perifano on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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

May 9, 2022 - Writer/Producer Giovanna Ferraro (LENNON)

LENNON was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the April 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

“Lennon” is a film about an individual experiencing homelessness who craves to be seen and heard, but all it takes is a stranger offering a cup of coffee to ignite some compassion. The best part is... that compassion can be contagious.


Conversation with creator Giovanna Ferraro on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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

May 8, 2022 - Composer/Producer Madstone Rowan (LIPSTICK OF THE BRAVE)

LIPSTICK OF THE BRAVE was the winner of BEST SOUND & MUSIC at the April 2022 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Project Links

Directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Bill Plympton, “Lipstick of the Brave” represents the animated journey of Madstone Rowan, composer and performer, as they find inspiration in the rock and pop music which inspired them to move beyond the gender binary and embrace their non-binary self.


Conversation with Madstone Rowan on the process of how the film got made.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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

April 22, 2022 - Filmmaker Yiqin Ng (SAM)

SAM was the winner of BEST ROMANCE FILM at the Feb. 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.


”Sam is a newly divorced man who decides to question and explore his sexual identity. He goes out all out to impress his dinner date and it goes well until a revelation turns the situation awry. The dinner date unexpectedly falls apart and Sam is forced to come to terms with his perceptions and possibly misguided notions about people with HIV.”

Conversation with Singapore filmmaker Yiqin Ng on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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

March 30, 2022 - Filmmaker Jack Hessler (SHY LITTLE BOY)

SHY LITTLE BOY played to rave reviews at the March 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

“In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a newspaper reporter interviews two teenage drag queens as they get ready for a performance.”

Conversation with filmmaker Jack Hessler on the purpose and personal story making this film.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day on April 3rd. 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

March 29, 2022 - Filmmaker Véa (THE KISSING GAME)

THE KISSING GAME was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the 2022 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

“An urban fantasy that explores love, betrayal, friendship, and identity. Kate and Sam are best friends, but there’s a tension building in their relationship. Based on a stage play. Done in one shot.”

Conversation with director Véa on the making of the film.

http://youdigital.ca/jai-jamais

https://instagram.com/youtheatremtl

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day in April. 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

March 27, 2022 - Filmmaker Col Dymock (LOVE DOESN'T EQUAL SEX)

LOVE DOESN’T EQUAL SEX played to rave reviews at the March 2022 LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

“Documentary about five people on the asexual spectrum sharing the stories of how they knew they were asexual, who they told, and how it affected their lives afterwards.”.

Conversation with Producer Col Dymock on the making of the film at Humber College and their reasons for making it.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day on April 3rd. 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

March 25, 2022 - Filmmaker Eddie Baca (LOOK IN MY EYES)

LOOK IN MY EYES is a LGBTQ+ feature film that played at the March 2022 WILDsound Festival.

“A sober gay man meets a NYC taxi driver from Crimea. Romance, Self deception. Pursuit of truth and oneself. Intrigue.”

Conversation with writer/co-director Eddie Baca on the making of the film and where he wants it to go from here.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day on Sunday March 27th. 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