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 film and television
Sept. 16, 2023 - Filmmaker Anthony A. DiMaria (UNCANNY VALLEY: SAUVAGE)

UNCANNY VALLEY: SAUVAGE, 21min., USA
Directed by Anthony A DiMaria
Uncanny Valley is a series focusing on the culinary scene in Phoenix, Arizona. Sauvage is the second episode in the series, introducing the audience to owner and natural wine connoisseur, Chris Lingua. Learn about natural wine – what it is and how it is made – and discover the challenges and inspiration behind Chris’ journey of bringing natural wine to the city of Phoenix through creating the only all natural wine bar in the state: Sauvage.

https://instagram.com/uncannyvalleyseries

Get to know the filmmaker:

Chris Lingua’s story captivated me from the moment I heard it. An entrepreneur, a connoisseur, and an artist in his craft, Chris’ story is a unique look at the world of wine and one I felt needed to be told. Additionally, having lived in Phoenix for nearly a decade, it is important to me to shine a light on the wonderful things happening in that city through my work. These elements created the perfect recipe to educate audiences on natural wine, showcase Chris’ story, and ultimately tell a piece of the greater story of the food and beverage landscape in Phoenix, Arizona.

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.

Sept. 15, 2023 - Filmmaker Dominic Mercurio (HE WON’T BELONG)

HE WON’T BELONG, 22min., USA, Drama
Directed by Dominic Mercurio
In the midst of a storm on a desolate strip of California’s lost coast, Theo spots a young shivering stranger named Connor on the side of the road and brings him back to his home for shelter. While they wait for the storm to pass, they begin to uncover each others past wounds.

http://www.hewontbelong.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

A personal experience I had with a close friend kicked off the initial concept, but there were so many more moments of inspiration along that way that continually made me so excited to make this film. After the bones of the story were in place it became really exciting to be telling a story that played around with audience expectations. Especially expectations we have when two gay men are at the center of a story. I also was very motivated to offer my portrayal of anxiety / panic attacks / nightmares on screen. It was very cathartic.

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.

Sept. 14, 2023 - Producer/Star Jon Paul (DOJO)

DOJO, 15min., USA
Directed by Armin Alic
Shane Lucas, an ex-Yakuza member and 4th degree black belt in Judo, is hunted down at his local dojo in Los Angeles 1985 by his long-time rival, Elias Da Rosa and his crew members from the same crime family. Shane is threatened to come back to the Yakuza or would suffer the consequence of not.

https://www.facebook.com/realjonpaul
https://www.instagram.com/j_o_n_p_a_u_l

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.

Sept. 12, 2023 - Filmmaker Douglas Alan Cunningham (HIGHWAY)

HIGHWAY, 11min,. USA
Directed by Douglas Alan Cunningham
Betrayed by her husband, Amanda, a former Army Ranger, drives hours to meet a revenge lover but is followed by a mysterious and menacing truck on lonely desert roads.

https://www.facebook.com/highwayashortfilm
https://www.instagram.com/highway_the_movie/

Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve always been fascinated by neo-noir westerns, films like Steven Spielberg’s Duel (1971), Oren Shai’s The Frontier (2015), and the early works of director John Dahl, especially Kill Me Again (1989) and Red Rock West (1993). John Sayles’ Lone Star (1996), Jonathan Mostow’s Breakdown (1997), and the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007) are three other greats in this same subgenre. Although I wouldn’t call Wim Wenders’ Paris, Texas (1984) a neo-noir western, per se, it shares many of the same aesthetics and was a huge influence on my early thoughts about HIGHWAY. Equally influential were Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1982) and Mad Max Fury Road (2015), both directed by George Miller. Finally, Ridley Scott’s Themla and Louise (1992) also influenced HIGHWAY, not just because of the road movie aspects, but also because of the theme of sisterhood that features so prominently in that film. When I first saw Lindsey Hawkes (who plays Amanda, the lead in HIGHWAY) in a different short film in late 2021, somehow her look–that mixture of physical toughness and emotional vulnerability–brought all those different influences together into one story in my mind. Once that happened, the script was not difficult to write at all, and I was determined to 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.

Sept. 12, 2023 - Filmmaker Devin Christian (APPARITION GLIMMER)

APPARITION GLIMMER, 5min., USA
Directed by Devin Christian
Meanwhile winding down at her home. Yeilda finds her lost foster sister at her doorstep. Their past has caught up to them. Frantically trying to figure out what to do. The connection between them has brought them together again like nothing never happened.

https://instagram.com/devin_christian_

Get to know the filmmaker:

My Actor friend Aixa Tovar came up with the script. I took a look at it and wanted to challenge myself for the piece. Adding Suspense/Drama to the catalog was a great thing for me to experience.

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.

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

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.

Sept. 11, 2023 - Filmmaker David VanDyke (BRINK)

BRINK, 27min., Canada
Directed by David VanDyke
Out of work and desperate for money, a struggling family man plots an elaborate scheme to secure a cash grab that would exceed his drug-fueled ambitions.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt16899900/?ref_=nm_knf_i3
https://www.facebook.com/brinkofficialpage

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve always loved crime films, especially true crime so when I discovered an old newscast on the Brinks truck robbery that my film is based on, I was immediately hooked to adapt it into 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.

Sept. 10, 2023 - Filmmaker Jamin Mears (STATIC)

STATIC, 5min., USA, Music Video
Directed by Jamin Mears
“Static”, the first part of a trilogy, tells the story of Qira and Dr Calvin Pilgrim trying to reconnect as the EPOCH Corporation is hunting them down. Can they complete their quest before time runs out?

https://facebook.com/farewellfortune
https://twitter.com/farewellrocks
https://instagram.com/farewellfortune

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.

Sept. 9, 2023 - Filmmaker/Writer Bradley Hawkins (CALF ROPE)

CALF ROPE, 29min,. USA, Drama

Directed by Bradley Hawkins

During the summer of '66, a former rodeo champion and cattle auctioneer from Oklahoma bonds tightly with his young grandson from suburban Pennsylvania while teaching him a few tricks from his previous trades. Shot entirely in rural Pennsylvania, Calf Rope captures the intense love that grandparents often share with their grandchildren and the legacy that lives on long after they have gone.

Also a feature screenplay…….

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.

Sept. 8, 2023 - TWAIN: CANCELLED film team. Jon Silver & Grant Troyer

TWAIN: CANCELLED, 89min., USA
Directed by Jon Silver
An aspiring stand-up comic struggles with stage fright, a demeaning bartender job, and caring for her rebellious nephew; until she is mysteriously visited by a trouble-making Mark Twain.

https://kernelproductions.com/

Talk with director Jon Silver and writer/producer Grant Troyer

Get to know writer/producer Grant Troyer:

I wrote the first draft over in either summer of 2020 or 2021 (time is meaningless at this point) and then sat on it until March of 2022 (I am just the writer and lowly EP). The real credit goes to our director and producer Jon and Jake who, at that time, helped me give Twain mouth to mouth (the script not the man). Production was completed in July, and post the following January. Very grateful for the efficient and talented team who knows eons more than 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.

Sept. 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Alain Alfaro (DON’T WAIT UP FOR ME)

DON’T WAIT UP FOR ME, 18min., USA
Directed by Alain Alfaro
A lonely and troubled writer jeopardizes his own life when he hires a hitman on himself.

Get to know the filmmaker:
A passion for filmmaking and a need to tell a personal story through a genre lens (led me to make this film). My mission as a filmmaker is to show Latinos in complex roles that is beyond what we’re used to seeing, but also grounded in truth.

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.

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

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.

September 6, 2023 - Filmmaker/Choreographers Olaf Kollmannsperger, Filipa Cavaco (MERCY)

MERCY, 7min., Germany
Directed by Olaf Kollmannsperger, Filipa Cavaco
“Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.” -The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

https://olafk.art/
https://www.instagram.com/kollmanns/

Get to know filmmaker Olaf Kollmannsperger:

After being at the new National Gallery of Berlin I knew I had to make a dance film at this location.
The combination of Max Richter music with David Dawson Choreography and the breath taking location was my motivation.

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.

September 5, 2023 - Filmmaker Adam Joel (THE LAST DROP)

THE LAST DROP, 41min., USA
Directed by Adam Joel
A young woman links minds with her boyfriend using a device that lets couples relive shared memories— but when she spots overlooked signs of abuse, she must escape before he can manipulate her memories in his favor.

https://www.thelastdropfilm.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:


I never learned about “emotional abuse” until after I had already experienced it. That really hurt me! As I connected with other survivors, I realized we all had that in common— we only learned about the early signs of abuse in hindsight. That’s how I was inspired to make The Last Drop— a sci-fi journey inspired by the memories of real-life survivors (like me!)

Abuse thrives in silence. That’s why I’m using this film to launch an international impact campaign to change the way we learn about abuse, heal from it, and legislate it. More specifically, we’re starting conversations about the lesser known forms of abuse— like gaslighting, digital abuse, emotional abuse, and more.

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.

September 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Arie Forma (THROUGH ROSE COLORED LENSES)

THROUGH ROSE COLORED LENSES, 5min., USA
Directed by Arie Forma
In the midst of a toxic triangle with the love of his life, and her abusive boyfriend, Shawn Anderson, a college student blinded by love, is seeing his world fall apart.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was motivated to make this film after living through the events of this film. This film is a culmination of the years of lessons, mistakes and wearing of my pair of “Rose Colored Lenses”. This is a very personal story that I felt needs to be told. Plus, I felt very alone going through this trauma, and felt no one could understand the pain heartbreak and toxic love has on your heart and soul. So, I wanted to reach out to those who may have felt this pain, to let them know they aren’t alone, and that others can relate to 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.

September 3, 2023 - Filmmaker Kelly Diaz (DOM BANGS A ROCKETTE)

DOM BANGS A ROCKETTE, 19min., USA
Directed by Kelly Diaz
After picking up his nephew from elementary school in the Valley, East Coast transplant and aspiring adult film actor Ray, loses track of the kid, leading to the “New York style” kidnapping of an innocent man.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Tom wrote the screenplay for ‘Dom Bangs a Rockette’ a few years before we shot it, a few years before we even moved to LA. It was a project we kept putting off – life events just seemed to pop up in the way. Then March of 2020, I was in my second year of grad school at UCLA when everything shut down. Tom and I sat at home for a few months, like everyone else, and then we thought, “Maybe this is the perfect time to make this movie. Our schedules are certainly open.” And we found that a lot of our friends, who were also grad students and filmmakers, felt the same way. We all wanted to keep working, to get back on set again. And I think making a comedy at that time was perfect. We all had enough stress; it was nice to escape into work, to throw ourselves into a project we cared about and then… laugh.

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.

September 3, 2023 - Filmmaker Robin M. Gee (WHAT’S BRED IN THE BLOOD AND BONE)

WHAT’S BRED IN THE BLOOD AND BONE, 5min., USA
Directed by Robin M Gee
Inspired by the work of Ida Bell Wells, whose writing documented the episodic period of lynching’s in the 1890’s, What’s Bred in the Blood and Bone is a study of space and place, girded by the collective experiences of brown bodies. “Blood” explores “blood memory” as body memory and the ways in which our collective experiences bind and fortify us as African Americans.

https://instagram.com/what’s_bred_in_the_blood

Get to know the filmmaker:

A program began at my university celebrating the suffragette movement. I found the participation of black women in the movement problematic and wrote a grant which I received. This I began to explore more deeply ida b wells as a participant and read The Red Record. It all flowed from there.

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.

September 2, 2023 - Filmmaker Jamie Robertson (B&E)

B&E, 12min., Canada
Directed by Jamie Robertson
When his ex-con brother, Chris, enlists his help on a break-in, Duncan Fitzpatrick doesn’t know what to do. He’d agreed to run away with his brother, but only under the belief that he had turned over a new leaf. Now stuck, waiting in the car for his brother’s return, Duncan grows restless as his brother breaks into a mysterious suburban home. There’s only one problem with Chris’s plan; someone else is in the house. As the hour grows late, Duncan enters the house, only to discover how truly lost his brother has become.

https://fmtvfilms.wixsite.com/breakingandentering
https://twitter.com/BnE_ShortFilm
https://www.instagram.com/bneshortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The biggest motivation for this film was really just proving it was something I could do. Humber gave me an excellent opportunity, greenlighting this film with myself as Director and I didn’t want to take that opportunity for granted. Entering the independent filmmaking landscape, it may be some time before I am afforded the budget and resources these capstone films received and so I really wanted to make the most of it and show the world what I’m currently capable of, and what I’m going for with my films. Throughout my time at school, I’d met a lot of great people and filmmakers as well and so, not squandering an opportunity to work with all of them provided excellent additional motivation that I think was felt throughout our year and really brought the lot of us 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.

September 1, 2023 - Filmmaker Daniel Gold (IN THE BACKGROUND)

IN THE BACKGROUND, 4min,. USA
Directed by Daniel Gold
This film glimpses the subconscious archetypes surrounding the ideas of consciousness, duality, and reincarnation.

http://aftereverpictures.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:
– I wanted to make this film for many years and it just came very organically. It was a vision of mine that I wanted to see for myself and was intrinsically motivated 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.

September 1, 2023 - Filmmaker Darieus Legg (STOKER MACHINE)

STOKER MACHINE, 12min., USA
Directed by Darieus Legg
Stoker Machine is a must-see animated surf documentary. Chad Campbell, an expert surfer discovers a mysterious surfboard on the big island of Hawaii. The retro board provides only a phone number and an email address as clues to its origin, leading Chad to accidentally uncover a central-coast California surf legend. The man they call, “Stoker”.

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

Get to know the filmmaker:
My motivation to make this film was born out of a deep need to contribute something to the world beyond corporate DEI “content”. I wanted to make a personal film on my own terms with no censorship. I made a feature film in my home state of Hawaii twelve years ago and it was a traumatic experience for me. I spent the next eleven years working in Hollywood learning from experts and avoiding the elephant in the room – doing personal artwork. The pandemic happened and it gave me the space and time to be quiet and listen to what the Universe was asking me to do. Luckily I was paying attention when my neighbor Chad Campbell came home with this mysterious surfboard, the Stoker Machine. I knew immediately this was the story I had to tell.

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.