BEFORE THE OIL, 11min., Netherlands
Directed by Roel Swierenga
Deep in the mountains in southern Norway Odd Kvinen runs a husky farm. Teaching about the energy transition from before the oil was found until the present day, about respect for nature and choices we have to make.

http://www.roelswierenga.com/films
https://facebook.com/roelswierenga
https://twitter.com/roelswierenga
https://instagram.com/roelswierenga

Get to know the filmmaker:
I came across Odd Kvinen and his Norwegian husky farm in preparation for a possible program during one of our events in Scandinavia to showcase sustainable solutions. We got to talk about the energy transition, respect for nature and the choices we as humanity will have to make if we want more energy but at the same time we want to phase out our oil. Odd told me about the history of Norway from the time before the oil was found, before hydro power plants were build. The country was poor at that time. He told about the changes that came with the discovery of oil, with the first hydro power plant built in his area deep in the Norwegian mountains in the beautiful nature, forcing his family to sacrifice their home so that a water dam could be build and their home was put under water. The family was compensated and Norway became rich due to this energy transition. But did they become happier? A story so pure and true and so relevant in our present time that I just wanted to capture his story.

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STAG HUNT, 12min., USA
Directed by Andre Kezzyn
Trapped in a closed timelike curve, our duo is learning to cooperate by running through a paradox inside of an infinite hotel. By doing so, they seek an escape from the loop and meaning in a quantum multiverse.

Get to know writer Michele Reilly:

We started shooting on this plot theme with the two characters, Seth and Michele, in 2021 in our first silent short film, Steeplechase. Steeplechase was well-received and won many awards. So, with “Stag Hunt,” I wanted to put these characters into a situation where they are shown facing their inescapable destiny, and the repeated failed predicament leads to something new revealed to the audience.

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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A CHANCE, 16min., USA
Directed by Jillie Simon, Ange Arabatzis
When Mia and Caroline reunite in a city park, they soon find out that the past is not always quite past. Conflicts are resurrected, sparks fly – and then things get complicated.

http://www.facebook.com/AChance
https://instagram.com/jilliesimon

Get to know Jillie Simon:

JILLIE: I’d been cast in the play version, “Be Still”, which takes place all on a park bench, and thought it was a very compelling situation with a powerful relationship between the two lead characters and clever dialogue – and I suggested to the playwright, Ange Arabatzsis that it could make a really interesting short film if we had flashbacks showing what brought them to this place – and got them off the park bench! The fact that it was a story about a lesbian couple gave me more motivation to make it, because fewer stories are told for the LGBTQ audience, and all groups that are more marginalized should have the opportunity to see themselves up on screen.

ANGE writes: He’d “originally envisioned “Be Still” as a man-woman piece. Then a seemingly unrelated conversation with a dear friend awakened in him the realization that love, true love is a meeting of the hearts. What followed was a reading at the Writers and Actors Group in NYC, where ( he) had the idea- based purely on chemistry to cast the wonderful Jillie Simon and Karen Irwin. The room held it’s breath during the entire read and he knew then, that he was onto something.”

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CLEMENCY, 10min., USA
Directed by James T. George
A soldier fights for his life after surviving a battle in the enemy occupied Elven woods.

https://instagram.com/stephonikawkaye

Get to know filmmaker James T. George:

JAMES: I’ve always been a big fan of fantasy or period pieces, even sci-fi – Anything that breaks out of the normal and can help build a new world for the audience to imagine and immerse themselves in. I originally started out only seeking to pursue acting, but I found that there weren’t many roles in the styles I was interested in. I started to study filmmaking and fell in love with the whole process which led me to creating my own pieces to act in. With this film specifically, I wanted to push for the absolute bare minimum in terms of fantasy production needs while maintaining the absolute highest quality of perceived production value and visual storytelling. I wanted a story that told as much as possible, without a ton of exposition or dialog, to convey the message as succinctly as possible.

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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EL CAPITAN PACO, 25min., Mexico
Directed by Rodrigo Oliva
Paco is a public transportation driver who deals with his stressful job every day, until the imagination of Sarah, his daughter, turns him into the captain of a spaceship and gives him another perspective on his problems.

https://www.instagram.com/capitanpacocortometraje/

Get to know filmmakers Rodrigo Oliva & Jandy Ayala:

The idea of experimenting in the musical genre was constantly on my mind. After understanding that a significant part of this genre is about the spectacle, I wanted to explore this aspect without neglecting the narrative. On the contrary, I aimed to achieve a balance between audiovisual language and the spectacular. “El Capitan Paco” seemed like a story that needed to be told in this format. After analyzing the situation faced by public transport truck drivers, I felt the need to breathe life into the most monotonous aspects of daily life within public transportation.

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DANCING HEART, 13min., Mexico
Directed by Amaranta R. Saavedra
Lesbian love has always been a rebel act. But a relationship between two women, teenagers and feminist is pure anarchy. Dancing heart is a pathway over the time Luisa and Violeta have been together, how they have faced discrimination and how with courage and feminism they have hold to go on and get around any obstacle. It is the story about two women who love each other in a world made for straight people, trough acceptation, change and a constant struggle for taken a happiness that seems to be denied for woman who love other woman.

https://cactoproducciones.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CactoProducciones
https://www.twitter.com/Cactoproduccion
https://www.instagram.com/cactoproducciones/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I feel lesbians an LGBTQ community need more love stories with happy endings. So for me it’s important to have positive representation for the younger generation.

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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DADDY, 20min., USA
Directed by Jay Beckett
Rodrigo is an unstable, and materialistic queer man who falls madly in love with his sugar daddy. Rodrigo’s best friend finds out that he is married to a woman and has a new born son. His world collapses along with his mind. Heartbroken and mentally disturbed, he goes on a quest to seek revenge.

https://www.2ndactfilms.com/daddy
https://www.instagram.com/daddy_theshortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:
Well, this was my thesis film at LA Film School. I’ve done dramas and documentaries in the past, but never a thriller. So it was a perfect time to explore the horror/thriller genre specially about queer people.

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BIG EXIT, 11min,. USA
Directed by David Sackerman
Josh is a lonely, awkward individual who is ignored by his coworkers and disrespected by his boss, but when he gets some bad news, he comes up with a scheme to get the last laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/bigexitshortfilm2021
https://twitter.com/big_exit_film
https://www.instagram.com/big_exit_shortfilm_2021/

Get to know the filmmaker:

This started out as an assignment at Columbia College Chicago in which we were tasked to write a ten-page screenplay based on a true story. Our teacher suggested a “weird news stories” aggregator, which we all looked at, and the top headline was about a man from New Zealand who had just hired an “emotional support clown” for his layoff meeting! I added certain elements like his boss’s unlikeable personality and Josh’s meekness and desire to connect with others. As an autistic person I’ve had a lot of experience wanting to fit in but struggling no matter what I do, and one of the ways I overcame that was comedy. It’s a great tool for fighting sadness and for spitting in the face of an oppressive system!

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 LOST NIGHT, 6min., Japan
Directed by YUXUAN ZHANG
One night, at a crowded street, a woman meet these illusions. Everyone passed, but only she couldn’t. This is a dream made with light and shadow. But is it just a ephemeral dream?

https://misazyuhin.wixsite.com/misanimations
https://twitter.com/misa41478318
https://www.instagram.com/_misa_3333/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D

Get to know the filmmaker:
This is my graduation film work and I wanted to find some experimental methods to make it.Finally I used the light and shadow style of drawing things by not drawing them. And the story comes from my real experience , the first time I had to face the decision of death.

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CENSURE – 39min, UK
Directed by Richard Bazley

When introvert, Aaron, finds himself struggling under the weight of a revelation, he dreams of escaping to the only place he can breathe. But escape has a cost, and he must ask himself if it is a price he is willing to pay.

https://rmbazley.wixsite.com/censure
https://www.facebook.com/Censure-105527732039739
https://twitter.com/BazleyFilms
https://www.instagram.com/bazleyfilms/

Get to know the filmmaker:
Getting any film made is hard so if you do make a film you really want to have to make it! You need a reason! I had a pretty successful career as an Animator, Ex Disney, Ex-Warner Bros. After the death of 2D Classical Animation in Hollywood I found myself reinventing myself. I wanted to tell whole stories, not just animating a few seconds in a $150 Million Dollar Film for a Multi MIllion Dollar Corporation. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me. As soon as you get into big budgets you are restricted in so many ways. What the Execs want, what the clients want but what about the “Director’s” vision? That is what you get with a short film on a micro budget! It is pure and it is honest. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me and “Censure” is the first of many.

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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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgpA0h30_HQ

Merritt and Hylan are returning to their high school for their ten year reunion. Friends and roommates, the two complete each other in being completely different; Hylan — a confident, sexually active and adventurous extrovert, and Merritt — a shy, hopeless romantic who is struggling with her sexual identity. Unlike Hylan, Merritt does not enjoy sex or physical intimacy and believes she may be asexual.

Get to know the writer:

A-OKAY is about Merritt, a hopeless romantic, grappling with the fact that she’s asexual… or somewhere on the asexual spectrum. Still longing for romantic fulfillment, she sets out to define the boundaries of her sexual identity.

In this pilot episode, Merritt goes to her ten-year reunion, planning to reconnect with her high school flame, Rohan. She’s accompanied by her best friend/roommate (and probable nymphomaniac) Hylan, who has plans of her own for revenge against an old high school bully.

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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HOW DO YOU FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH COUNTRY MUSIC?, 13min., USA
Directed by Shyamala Moorty
She just wants to sing country and western on stage, but it’s not easy for a South Asian-American in the deep south where every audience is a hostile one. “How Do You Fall Out of Love with County Music” is a humorous and moving short film about cultural alienation and the possibilities for human connection through music. Set on stage in a honky-tonk bar, Amy Singh courageously bares her soul to the audience and reveals deep truths about racism and belonging in our country today.

https://shyamalamoorty.com/how-do-you-fall-out-of-love-with-country-music/
https://www.instagram.com/shydance/

Get to know the filmmaker:
As a director, I was matched with a writer and an actor during the pandemic by Theater West for a new play reading. The script by Maximillian Gill was immediately compelling, I could feel the tension just in reading it, and the actor, Vidushi Chadha, claimed the stage so powerfully -even on zoom. The script was in-progress and the three of us had such great chemistry as a team working through the changes and staging together. When we were done, Vidushi suggested the film, and I had just finished directing my first short (a narrative dance called Fight the Fear) and was enthusiastic to try my hand at a monologue!

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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