SHE IS MY FEAR AND FEAR IS A BONE, 4min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Kylie Heewon Park
An experimental short film inspired by a spontaneous collective score written by multiple people. The director asked random people around her to contribute a sentence or two to build a narrative. Using their sentences and words as inspirations, she reinterpreted the narrative into a performance.

https://www.instagram.com/kymlpq/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was inspired by a spontaneous collective score written by multiple people. I started the first sentence, and then I asked random people around me to contribute a sentence or two to build a narrative. Using their sentences and words as inspirations, I reinterpreted the narrative into a performance.

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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Sept 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Kylie Heewon Park (SHE IS MY FEAR AND FEAR IS A BONE)

Matthew Toffolo

FIRST SLOVAK PRIDE, 29min,. Slovakia
Directed by Roman Stranai

What is PRIDE? How it came about in Slovakia? Was the 2010 PRIDE parade in Bratislava the first one in Slovakia? Activists from the 2010 PRIDE team as well as Hana Fabry, Jaroslav Gyurik, which where present in queer activism in the early 90s talk about important events which led to the creation of the first PRIDE parade in Slovakia.

https://www.romanstranai.com/project/prvy-slovensky-pride

Get to know the filmmaker:
I shoot and document Pride parades in Slovakia since 2013 and almost every year I shoot and edit a short video for the Pride festival. For some time I played with the idea of creating something more meaningful than just simple edits of the Pride parades to music, so when Richard Fekete, one of the organizers of the first Pride in Slovakia came to me with an idea of interviewing the team behind the first one in Slovakia in 2010, it sparked in me the need to learn more about the history of queer activism in the country. When I eventually persuaded the activists which were present in creation of queer activism in the early 90s, it was a great opportunity to merge the history of the queer movement with the creation of the first Pride and subsequent Prides using my own footage I gathered over the years.

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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Sept. 9, 2023 - Filmmaker Roman Stranai (FIRST SLOVAK PRIDE)

Matthew Toffolo

HAKKI RISING, 30min,. USA
Directed by David Larson
An immigrant from Turkey comes to America seeking a better life and after struggling through homelessness, finds success in the world of acrobatic pizza tossing.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I love telling stories of human resilience and capturing people doing what they are passionate about. It makes for compelling storytelling and I was moved by Hakki’s story of becoming a successful entrepreneur and his rise through the pizza industry. Once I contacted him and started getting to know him, his positivity seemed so infectious and I felt like I had to bring his story to life.

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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September 7, 2023 - Filmmaker David Larson (HAKKI RISING)

Matthew David Toffolo

TRIGGERLAND, 59min., USA
Directed by Sean Edward Neukom
The filmization of Beo String Quartet’s album, triggerLand. The movie, of the same title, is a fairytale-esque gun creation myth. Alvin, a construction worker, discovers a new material. This new material leads to the invention of the first gun. As the use of the gun is explored and expanded, a young girl is accidentally killed when a firearm falls from a table. Alvin is left to contemplate his course of action.

http://www.beostringquartet.com/#beohome
https://www.facebook.com/beostringquartet/
https://www.instagram.com/beostringquartet/?hl=en

Get to know the filmmaker:
— In 2023, Beo (my string quartet) had a string of album releases through our own label. One album was triggerLand. The music and story evoked such strong imagery. Rather than produce music videos, it seemed like a natural step to produce a feature film instead.

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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September 6, 2023 - Filmmaker Sean Edward Neukom (TRIGGERLAND)

Matthew David Toffolo

MY GIRLS, 2min., Canada
Directed by Veronika Marsland
This is a story of how my daughters taught me to be more present.

Get to know the filmmaker:
It started as one of my ideas for a film school project. I wanted to tell a short and sweet story that would be both meaningful to me and others. I quickly realized that if I wanted to achieve that I had to let myself be open to share some vulnerable moments of my life.

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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August 28, 2023 - Filmmaker Veronika Marsland (MY GIRLS)

Matthew David Toffolo

JUST SHORT OF REALITY, 37min., Canada
Directed by Matt Alfano, Chad McFadden
Just Short of Reality is a series of shorts that are told through the genres of surrealism, silent film and dance. Co-existing in one neighbourhood, seven individuals are presented with adversity and choice in this allegorical tale.

https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome

Get to know the filmmakers:

The Golden Era, vaudeville, silent film and movement-based storytelling have always inspired both of us from when we were aspiring artists and continues to throughout our professional careers. Dance is a universal language that can be shared by everyone.

Physical narrative is a genre that we intend to modernize and reintroduce. It’s such an effective, unique and beautiful way to create. We were trusted with the opportunity to develop our series of shorts for the new digital department at the Stratford Festival,

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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August 27, 2023 - Filmmakers Matt Alfano, Chad McFadden, Kris Von Kleist (JUST SHORT OF REALITY)

Matthew David Toffolo

FAIRY FINGERS (DOIGTS DE FEE), 22min,. Canada
Directed by Siham Kortas
Fairy Fingers is a documentary that tells the story of my son, who, despite his difference was able to grow up, take on challenges and realize his potential. It’s a story about how I, as a parent, went from a feeling of helplessness to one of pride and fascination.

https://www.facebook.com/doigtsdefeeparsihamkortas
https://mobile.twitter.com/sihamkortas?lang=en

Get to know the filmmaker:

When my son Paul told me in May 2021 that my daughter-in-law Lilie was pregnant, I immediately thought it was time to tell his wonderful story of hope, confidence and perseverance.
I had to produce a short film to tell his story, our story, with the idea of giving courage and hope to other families who also live with differences.

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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August 26, 2023 - Filmmaker Siham Kortas (FAIRY FINGERS (DOIGTS DE FEE))

Matthew David Toffolo

VIVIDREAM, 10min., Denmark, Dance
Directed by Matteo Di Loreto
Between dream and reality a girl finds herself in the audience of a theatre (Royal Danish Theatre) to find out there are other people there with her. While events between the dancers unfold, a voice guides them on a journey of surreality where the relation between the audience and the stage is connected by a subtle veil.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation for creating “VIVIDREAM” came during the pandemic, which was a time were dancers were not performing live so I had the idea of making something digital like a short 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.

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Aug. 8th - Filmmaker Matteo Di Loreto (VIVIDREAM)

REVOLUTION X, 92min,. UK,
Directed by Matthew Philip Cannon
Revolution X is a time-twisting film of good against evil. It tells a story of humanity and the grounding, undeniable power of human will. Through the juxtaposition of positive and negative forces, the consequences of disregard to our individual purposes, parallels the liberation that comes with empathy and connection. By transcending time and reality, the dual narrative explores the debate of nature vs nurture, and their impact on the film rejects conventions of mainstream sci-fi that conforms to an action orientated spectacle, and instead focuses on the why rather than the what, allowing for a thought provoking production.

https://www.planetxltd.com/revolutionx

Get to know the filmmaker:

I love anything to do with time travel, but I wanted to try and make a film that reject the conventions of mainstream sci-fi films, and instead focuses on the why rather than the what. To produce a really gritty first film, a caustic collision of beauty and abrasion, where the abrasion slowly grinds it’s way deep into the human soul, to produce a thought-provoking kick ass Sci Fi film. Something quite cruel in parts, that mirror life at times, but then also had the sun shine, daydream. I also feel as a society we have lost connection with our spiritual side, so I wanted hints of the importance of the human soul through the film, like the Daydream charity, and I left little easter eggs in the film for people to figure out, what my next film is about, and also the three door theme that runs through the film. Ancient lost civilizations used this in most of there pyramids, it symbolizes our third eye, and the importance of balance in the world. Did you also notice the connection to the last supper painting.

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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August 3, 2023 - Filmmaker Matthew Philip Cannon (REVOLTION X)

Matthew Toffolo

THE FAUN HEALWOOD, THE EDGE, 16min., France
Directed by Stephane Artus
During a walk in the forest, a young woman, Jane, meets a wounded stranger pursued by strange hunters. She asks her to help her reach a dolmen in order to bring a magical object. Jane is reluctant to accept the adventure for which she seems destined.

https://www.facebook.com/TheFaunOfHealwood
https://www.instagram.com/the_faun_of_healwood2021/?hl=fr

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation to make this film came from frustration at the lack of French fantasy films.

French cinema shuns the fantastic, whereas it’s part of our culture through books, music, painting and storytelling. As a fan of fantastic creatures, I wanted to deliver my vision of a mythological creature.

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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August 2, 2023 - Filmmaker Stephane Artus (THE FAUN HEALWOOD, THE EDGE)

Matthew Toffolo

MURO, 12min., Mexico, Drama/Thriller

Directed by Jimena Huesca

Bruna wakes up from a nightmare due to some noises coming from her room.She suddenly hears a woman's voice as she approaches one of the ancient walls that surround her. They start talking cautiously as Bruna tries to get information in order to rescue her unaware that the woman on the other side is trapped between the wall and 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.

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July 20, 2023 - Filmmaker Jimena Huesca (MURO)

Matthew Toffolo

VIRTUALLY SINGLE, 15min., USA, Romance
Directed by Amy Gardner, Lorien Haynes
It’s lockdown. Emboldened by red wine, a fortysomething woman braves her first Zoom date with a guy in snowy Montana. A short play devised through improvisation, VIRTUALLY SINGLE explores the tragicomic challenges of dating during the pandemic.

https://www.finitefilmsandtv.com/projects/virtually-single/
https://m.facebook.com/100063726603408/
https://twitter.com/finitefilmsldn
https://www.instagram.com/finitefilms/

Get to know filmmaker Lorian Haynes:

Amy Gardner and I have been working together since my film project – Everything I Ever Wanted To Tell My Daughter About Men – [23 shorts, directed by 21 women, making one feature to support survivors of abuse] and subsequent to that on Good Grief; a virtual interpretation of one of my plays, which Amy approached me to do at the beginning of the pandemic. Our aim was to help sustain theatre during this time and it was doing Good Grief that made us aware of how important it was to develop creative work, despite the extreme restrictions Covid presented.

As friends, we talked a lot about isolation and how on earth people were supposed to find love and break through loneliness during Covid. I had just returned to the UK from living in LA for 15 years and was living in a 10ft square room in my mother’s house – going slightly mad. And it was from these conversations that the idea of a woman’s first ever zoom date emerged and we started trying to work out the challenge of how to do it. What was it? Was it a short? Was it a series? How did we make it with zero budget and no way of leaving the house?

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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July 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Lorien Haynes (VIRTUALLY SINGLE)

Matthew Toffolo

PURPLE, 4min,. Australia, Music Video
Directed by Kyan Li Rong Soh
Music Video depicting cold loneliness.

https://vimeo.com/kyans

Get to know the filmmaker:

In the aftermath of a painful, personal experience, I felt really lonely. This is my expression of that. It took my maybe two weeks (to make the film). That’s not normal for me, I usually spend a lot of time conceptualizing things before I shoot/record stuff, but this one flowed really quickly.

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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July 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Kyan Li Rong Soh (PURPLE)

Matthew Toffolo

THE LAST SEED, 118min., South Africa, Documentary
Directed by Andréa Gema Heunis
The Last Seed focuses on broad themes relating to the state of food and agriculture in Africa in the 21st century. Placing the struggle over the control of seed at the centre, it explains the processes that have led to this moment in human history and what it would take to interact with the planet in a way that does not threaten the very basis of life on earth.

https://www.instagram.com/rosaluxglobal/
https://www.facebook.com/rosaluxglobal

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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June 30, 2023 - Filmmaker Andréa Gema Heunis (THE LAST SEED)

Matthew Toffolo

ISLAND LOBSTERMAN, 23min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Andrew Lyman-Clarke
Island Lobsterman is the story of Malcolm Fernald, who, with his father Dan, lobsters the waters in the Acadia region of Maine. This film is about the unique lifestyle they lead and the challenges they face. The island they live on, Little Cranberry, is only a mile an a half long and a mile wide.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I wanted to make something in Maine near the family house that I’ve been going up to every summer my whole life, and I wanted it to be something that could help me get work in nature/travel TV (like National Geographic). After thinking a while about it, I decided a documentary about lobstering was the best opportunity.

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

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June 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Andrew Lyman-Clarke (ISLAND LOBSTERMAN)

Matthew Toffolo

BRING BACK THE WHISTLE DOG, 18min., Canada
Directed by Bob Simpson
Fast food menu items come and go, but none have ignited lasting passion quite like Canadian restaurant chain A&W’s Whistle Dog. This “hot dogumentary” profiles diehard fans fighting the good fight to bring back the iconic dog.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Most of the team that worked on this film works at Rethink, A&W’s ad agency, and the Whistle Dog has always held a place in our hearts. This documentary came out of our own curiosity about it, the quirky name, the fact it’s an oddball item at a burger chain, and, most of all, the cult-like passion behind it.

When we found out A&W was bringing it back, the initial plan was to show up at a bunch of diehard fans’ homes and surprise them with Whistle Dogs, then use the best of these surprises for a TV spot. But it quickly dawned on us that dragging a film crew across the country just for a couple minutes at each stop seemed like such a waste. We had cameras, we had crew, we had super passionate fans—we had to do more with this. Our art director Ashley blurted out, “We should do a documentary!” We just laughed. A documentary! About the Whistle Dog! How ridiculous! But then we started talking about it and realized, no, there really was a story here. Let’s do it!

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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May 20, 2023 - Filmmaker Bob Simpson (BRING BACK THE WHISTLE DOG)

Matthew ToffoloMay 20, 2023 - Filmmaker Bob Simpson (BRING BACK THE WHISTLE DOG)

EARLY RETIREMENT

A 30-something year old man, on the heels of a breakup with his boyfriend, moves in with his parents who live in a 55+ adult community. Through confronting his own insecurities and examining family relationships and dynamics, he's able to move forward.

ANTISEMITE

Seth, a college senior, is home for winter break. He’s spending a day relaxing and shopping on Fairfax Avenue when he’s suddenly confronted by an Orthodox Jewish man asking Seth if he’s Jewish. Seth’s chance encounter leads to a profound spiritual experience with life-changing implications.

https://www.airebedd.com/antisemite
https://www.instagram.com/mbossydirects/

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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May 16, 2023 - Filmmaker Michelle Bossy (ANTISEMITE, EARLY RETIREMENT)

Matthew Toffolo

HOME, 13min., USA, Dance
Directed by Shari Coleman
When her parent’s domestic violent relationship comes to a head, Harley must choose between protecting her family and keeping her sanity.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Growing up, I unfortunately witnessed the terror that is a domestic violent relationship. Though it did get me thinking about how the scope of what domestic violence is and who it affects is very spotlighted on the couple but how about the children? What does it do to them?

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

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May 2, 2023 - Filmmaker Shari Coleman (HOME)

Matthew Toffolo

PIANO-SOLEIL, 8min., Brazil, Dance
Directed by Caio Amon
A young woman feels trapped in a claustrophobic reality. She yearns for vast and awe-inspiring landscapes, where freedom of movement and communion with nature are possible. Yet she realizes that the wondrous beauty of these natural environments is threatened by mankind’s seemingly unrelenting exploitation of Mother Earth.

https://montrealmusica.com/album-videos/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The film was an international commission from Canadian pianist Marc Bourdeau to Brazilian filmmaker Caio Amon and thought as an experimental music video for a piano piece in his last album.

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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April 27, 2023 - Filmmaker Caio Amon (PIANO-SOLEIL)

Matthew Toffolo

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, 14min., UK, Drama
Directed by Billy Klotsa
A father and son spend a day at the beach. Bobby’s father wants to share some of his wisdom with his son by taking him away from the city, to reconnect with nature. The two engage in a meaningful conversation that illustrates their strong bond but also the difference of generations and personal experiences as Bobby is a trans ‘millennial’ man and his father a typical ‘baby boomer’. Bobby’s father tragically drowns as the two swim in the ocean. Bobby is left paralysed and disorientated without his validating figure and enters a surreal journey to find his father in the afterlife composed of an intimate childhood flashback, and facilitated by a trio of angels.

Get to know filmmaker Billy Klotsa:

As a filmmaker coming from a fine arts background, my practice naturally evolved towards a more narrative structure. During the pandemic one of my main anxieties was the mortality of my parents and the void this loss would birth. I made this film to fill the void with love.

From writing the script to the final edit, the process took around a year. I was lucky enough to work with an amazing team, notably Rosie Taylor the immensely talented cinematographer, who was so generous in sharing her knowledge working years in the industry, Nigel Barber and Pete MacHale the incredible actors, and Anne Duffau the composer who created the beautiful score that tied the work together.

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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April 18, 2023 - Filmmaker Billy Klotsa (IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER)

Matthew Toffolo