Braving the realities of the harsh Montana winter and changing hunting regulations, hobby and career biologists track and study wolves in the Northern Tier of Yellowstone National Park. While the fate of wolves remains uncertain, the devotion and passion of Yellowstone’s Wolf Watchers are always a constant.

https://www.instagram.com/wolfwatchersdoc/

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.

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UNIVERIFIED was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the 2022 THRILLER/SUSPENSE Film Festival.

Jason Sutherland wants to prove that such things as Sasquatches exist, but he doesn't want to kill one to do so. He and others come up with a non-lethal way to possibly verify their existence but a pro-kill advocate tries to beat them to the punch.

Project Links

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Director Biography - Scott Herriott

Scott Herriott is a documentarian, former stand-up comic and Bigfoot enthusiast. He won a regional Emmy for his hosting duties on Internet Tonight on ZDTV (later known as TechTV) and was also a contributor on the channel’s The Screen Savers. He was also a contributor on CNN’s NewsNight with Aaron Brown and co-hosted “The Bigfoot Show” podcast. His trail name is Squatch, but please don’t call him that at any social events involving tuxedos and/or martinis. He’s been shooting his own documentaries for the last 17 years. "Unverified" is his first scripted feature.

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.

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Would you eat human for humanity? By 2050, the global population will be 10 billion. How can we produce food without wrecking the planet? The aim of the campaign was to highlight this question, and Sweden’s answer. In the film Eat a Swede, viewers follow Erik Karlsson, a Swedish scientist with a controversial business idea: to produce and sell lab-grown human meat to feed our planet. But you know what, why eat a Swede, when you can eat Swedish!

Project Links

• Website

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.

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When a daydreamer falls in love with a book smart, things might get complicated - in her head, flying to the moon is more feasible than asking him out for ice cream, but on this bus ride, she will find the courage to speak up before the end of the line.

Conversation with director Michael Sternberg & producer/actor Shira Alon)

Director Statement

This story is inspired by a true event that I myself witnessed between two people sitting on a bus wanting so badly to speak to each other but struggling to express themselves. This event was very magical to me and I was touched by how both of them tried different ways to get to each other's hearts but kept stopping themselves because of their shyness. I could relate to this feeling of struggling to express love and how hard it is to approach someone you want to be with - it's not accessible, there are obstacles.

The moment where the guy gets up and leaves the bus was such a magical heartbreak representing the loss of the most important things we own, like sand disappearing from our hand. A bus represents something temporary, ephemeral, not something permanent. Nothing is stable, there are bumps in the road, even stops in the road but nothing really stops, people join you and people leave you, everything is passing... I chose to make this film in a foreign language because it takes me to a whole different world, to a magical world, just like a kid traveling abroad. In fact, just like a kid listening to a story before bedtime. 

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.

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“Inside an old cottage, a middle-aged man, K, is sitting at his desk. As K struggles to create on his working desk, he looks over at his pictures of yesteryears.” Conversation with EVERY DAY writer/director on the making of the film.

Director Biography - Navjyot Singh

Born in India, Navjyot studied Architecture in pursuit of a stable career. However, he soon realized that a screenplay's structure is much more interesting to him than a building's beam grid. During college, he made a few short films and later worked on a film set. Since 2017, Navjyot has called Canada home. After two years of studying filmmaking, he has started working on his own projects.

Director Statement

I'm a storyteller interested in exploring the human condition through intriguing stories.

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.

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WHERE TEARS, PERHAPS is a music video featuring a dance duet between two female dancers that represents the act of creation. Interview with the Columbian filmmaker Walter Escamilla on the making of the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy7QN8rwGPY

Director Biography - Walter Escamilla

Walter Escamilla is a filmmaker based in Bogotá, Colombia. He studied Visual Arts at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He's first short film, Video Pulso, premiered in 2008 and was selected in various local film festivals including Cartagena International Film Festival. He's second short film, Prayer for Transformation, premiered in 2012 to further acclaim.

Apart form his artistic career, he has extensive experience as a Director and Editor of TV shows and documentary films. In 2012 he co-founded MONARCA, a young and highly creative team that produces music videos, fashion films and experimental media.

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.

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Teo Belton is a French and Mexican film director and screenwriter based in Peru. His talent for photography and storytelling is immense, and it really shows in his recent short film CUIDANTSIQMI: Love and Care for the Land.

“The Wari Indigenous people of the Llupa community, located below the Cordillera Blanca of the Peruvian Andes, are facing an environmental disaster that is directly affecting their physical and mental health.”

Director Statement

Dedicating myself to film directing has allowed me to be versatile in my interest and ability to reveal unique worlds and atmospheres in both fiction and documentary.

I am interested in staging singular worlds, since I can understand them from my own life, forged from encounters and dreamlike journeys, since my childhood since I was born in Zapopan, a town in Mexico, where I lived and grew up with native peoples. Native cultures have always accompanied me and today they persist as memories that direct my gaze towards different ways of existing.

The cinema is for me, the possibility of continuing with an oneiric journey that marked my existence.

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.

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JOY! BLUE MOON is an animation music video based on the legendary song “Blue Moon” by The Marcels.

Read blog interview with director: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/joy-blue-moon

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.

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“Circles” is a music video of a song composed by Charlie Lim. He is visualized as a pixel art character journeying through a surrealistic pixel art landscape to find his love. Conversation with the amazingly talented Singapore filmmaker Guo Xiang Khoo on the making of the film.

https://youtu.be/jaH7laaq808

Director Statement

Circles was my first time directing a music video. I had a thought that the idea of a character running around, looking for something he lost no matter the period or era a rather romantic thought.

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.

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BLOSSOM IS SILENCE is an amazing extreme sports short documentary about the meaning of life.

“Laura ran away from home after junior high school, but she found her self in vertical caving and painting. This film is about extreme sports and meditations on how to live an authentic life.”

Director Statement

There are plenty of films about the coolness of extreme sports. However, I want to focus on the reasons behind it. This film is about caving but more about how to be a modern hermit. It's made for young people who are wondering about their place in this over-competitive society. I want to inspire them: it's okay to step out of what the society tells you.

Read blog interview with Zhihao Deng: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/blossom-in-silence

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.

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In this fun monster romcom, a first date is interrupted by the oddest thing - a roaming Kaiju.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1501183/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Director Biography - Christian Gossett Vila

From the age of nineteen I have been a professional storyteller. My drawing ability has led me from theater design to graphic novels to film, television and video games. My favorite directors are all illustrators (Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Cameron, Ridley Scott, Joe Johnston) and it wasn't long after learning this that I moved into directing television. I am currently working on the story art team for Zac Snyder's animated series, Army of the Dead - soon to be streaming on Netflix.

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.

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SOUR played to rave reviews at the Toronto Comedy Film Festival. Conversation with the creative team of the short film.

SOUR is a dark comedy horror exploring one woman’s experience of lockdown whilst isolating with a sourdough starter!

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Director Statement

Directing and co-writing SOUR has been an absolute pleasure! I was inspired by the originality of the premise and its fresh perspective on the madness of lockdown. Drawing inspiration from films exploring the anxieties and fears of suburban modern life such as Swallow (Carlo Mirabella-Davis, 2019), American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999), Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986) as well as the iconic TV series Desperate Housewives, I wanted to make a film that would not only make people laugh and smile during this difficult time but also provide a somewhat cathartic experience. Aside from being a comedic exploration of the effects of isolation, I see SOUR as a cautionary tongue-in-cheek tale about what happens when reality fails to live up to expectation and we upset the balance between the organic and the human!

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.

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CHASE THAT FEELING in the winning feature film from the Action/Adventure Film Festival.

Project Links

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Chase That Feeling is an adventure travel feature film about two best mates who travel the world to chase that feeling.

From a young age these two childhood friends, Blake ‘BT’ Thornton and Matt ‘Gilso’ Gilsenan, had surfing as a common interest, and as the years went on their skills improved and they started to push each other further out of their comfort zones.

When Gilso & BT are not adventuring, they’re your everyday Aussie blokes slogging it out as a carpenter and a lifeguard. Saving enough money to fund their next trip, they drop the tools for a snowboard and swap a rescue board for a surfboard. They pack up and pile into a van to hit the open road in search of new destinations and to chase swell and snow across the globe. They find freedom in empty waves, back country mountains and at fourteen thousand feet above the earth.

They explore the rugged wilderness of Alaska, Iceland, Canada, Tahiti, New Zealand and some hidden gems in their home country Australia. They surf the infamous reef break Teahupo’o in Tahiti and tackle some of the highest peaks in snowboarding; Haines, Alaska.

This is a story about friendship, tragedy and triumph. Going through painful experiences force them to shift focus, as they become even more driven to make the most out of life. These ambitious guys set themselves big challenges and show up with grit and determination. When faced with powerful swell, unforgiving mountains, the threat of avalanches, brutal cold, wild terrain, injury, loss and extreme elements at the mercy of mother nature – they never forget to have fun. A movie about making memories, where experiences are more precious than things.

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.

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

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"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.

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Shopping Cart People presents an unflinching exploration of people living in today’s world as homeless and those advocating for them. Stories are told, lives are shared, as a filmmaker delves into a community’s efforts to help those without a voice and protect their belongings. You’ll see interviews with community members and activists as they grapple with this controversial issue.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/shopping-cart-people-trailer

https://matthewtoffolo.com/2022/07/28/interview-with-filmmaker-duffy-hecht-shopping-cart-people/

Director BIO:

As a producer, Duffy’s films include the independent feature “First, Last and Deposit.” Peter Marin of Atlantic Magazine called it “the best movie about the homeless since Midnight Cowboy.” After winning awards at the San Francisco and New York City Independent Film Festivals, “FLD” became a popular staple on TV's Independent Film Channel.

His next two films were with with writer-director Stuart Gordon (Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Re-Animator). Their first project was the film version of Charlie Higson’s novel “King Of The Ants,” followed by “Edmond,” written by Pulitzer-prize winner David Mamet. “Edmond” featuring William H. Macy (Best Actor winner at Mar del Plata and Newport Beach), Julia Stiles, Joe Mantegna and Mena Suvari.

His films and videos have screened at many of the world’s great film festivals including Venice, Telluride, Seattle, Sitges, Leeds, the Berlin Film Market (sponsored by IFP and Kodak), Vienna, Deauville, Santa Barbara (twice), Seattle, Rio De Janeiro, Puchon (Korea), Cinequest as well as IndieFests in the US and abroad.

A life-long political activist, Duffy served on the board of the Santa Barbara Legal Defense Center. This activist spirit is reflected in his directing debut, “The 8th Street Bridge,” as well as his next directing effort, “Occupy Santa Barbara.” Both were Official Selections of The Santa Barbara Film Festival.

In 2020, Duffy Produced and Directed the documentary “Our Two Years With Trump” which screened at film festivals in Los Angeles, Taos, Prague and Bengal, India, winning awards for Best Documentary and Raising Social Awareness.

His latest documentary as Producer/Director is “Shopping Cart People” a look at an underreported segment of the homeless community. This project reunites Duffy with composer Bobby Johnston (This American Life, Wristcutters) for their third project together.

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.

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MUTINY! is the winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the July 2022 LA COMEDY Film Festival. Conversation with director Matthew Gratzner who is a fountain of insight with his multiple years working in the industry on many top film productions.

Project Links

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Director Biography - Matthew Gratzner

MATTHEW GRATZNER | Writer/Director
IMDB: https://imdb.to/3gTjaVc

Matthew’s foray into entertainment started in theater growing up in Miami, Florida, where he dove headfirst into writing, directing and acting— ever the resourceful artist, he also designed and built costumes, sets and props to further his vision.

Leaving Miami to pursue filmmaking in Los Angeles, Matthew started briefly as an actor, acquiring his SAG card in Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men In Tights.

Realizing quickly his passion was directing, he shifted to working behind the camera. Opportunities led to work in visual effects where he flourished as an art director, visual effects supervisor and co-founder of the Academy Award winning, New Deal Studios, Inc. (www.newdealstudios.com).

Between VFX projects Matthew directed several commercials and short films. After a number of successful years, Matthew decided to leave VFX to focus solely on writing and directing. Then the opportunity with the film, The Aviator, started a 10 year relationship with Martin Scorsese as a key member of Rob Legato's VFX team as Visual Effects/Miniature Effects Supervisor as well as Visual Effects Art Director.

Matthew was integral to creating scenes such as the horrific plane crash in The Aviator, the many subtle effects shots in The Departed, realizing the eerie environments for Shutter Island, and creating the epic train crash in Hugo.

He received a BAFTA nomination for The Aviator for best VFX, and Emmy nomination for best VFX on the Tom Hanks/HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon. Matthew also received a Clio and a Cannes Golden Lion for commercials as well as multiple VES Awards. Matthew is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

While Matthew never attended film school, he felt being on set with Martin Scorsese was a master class in filmmaking— which encouraged his passion to create content— pioneering cinematic virtual reality and co-writing and directing two independent feature films currently in post.

Matthew loves and feels most comfortable working with actors-- and thinks that while visual effects, art direction and stunt work are all extremely important visually—without the emotion of compelling characters and a strong story, a project’s success is diminished greatly.

Matthew also has several projects in development with his latest company, Proof of Concept Entertainment, Inc. (www.proofofconceptent.com)

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.

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From October 15, 1979 to January 16, 1992, El Salvador endured a civil war. More than 8000 people were forcibly disappeared, over 80,000 died, 1 million were displaced, and 500,000 were internally displaced. The Woman in White is a short documentary, produced by Jaberi Dance Theatre, that explores the true story of a nurse and mother, Juana Irma Cisneros Ticas, who was captured and forcibly disappeared in El Salvador during the Salvadoran Civil War.

"What an incredibly poignant film – it’s an amazing piece of work."
—Samer Muscati, Human Rights Watch

Project Links

• Website

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Director Biography - Roshanak Jaberi

Roshanak is an Iranian-born Canadian artist, producer, director, and a Dora nominated choreographer and performer with a career that spans over 20 years. She is also the founding artistic director of Jaberi Dance Theatre, based in Toronto. Described as a “force to reckon with,” she has created and co-created over 30 works in dance, visual arts, film and music, has performed in numerous dance works, and has presented her work in Canada and internationally.

Roshanak is the recipient of the ISPA-International Society of Performing Arts Global Fellowship (2020, 2021) and the Chalmers Arts Fellowship (2019), and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours from York University. She has been a guest speaker and lecturer in various forums, and her work has been referenced in adult education courses and in critical pedagogy at the University of Toronto.

Director Statement

We often hear stories about victims of forced disappearance, but rarely do we experience them from the perspective of their families who are still searching. This photo exhibit and film offers an intimate look into a daughter’s journey through love and loss, and her quest for justice. The items featured in these photos–an ID card and graduation cape–hold special memories and are among the few remaining pieces belonging to Juana Irma.

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.

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Conversation with directors Christian Montoya Johnson, Anton Ransom & the subject of the film Manny the Tru MC, a poet with Cerebral Palsy.

WHERE THERE'S A WHEEL THERE'S A WAY was the winner of BEST SHORT FILM at the August 2022 LA Feedback Film Festival.

"If you have the heart of determination, there is no such thing as limitations". -- Manny the Tru MC. This film is a testament to human determination and what is possible with a positive outlook and refusal to make excuses for your current circumstances. You will laugh. You will cry. You will leave grateful. Where There's a Wheel There's a Way.

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.

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CINEFILIA was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the July 2022 COMEDY Film Festival.

A hardcore cinefile goes on a killing spree since none of his friends understand his movie references.

Director Biography - Matthew Jehle

With a background in improv and sketch comedy Matthew develops branded content for clients as well as narrative films under his company Adara Entertainment.

Director Statement

This short film is my love letter to cinema. Comedy and horror films are the two I have the most fun watching, so I created one to highlight my style.

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.

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THE LAST CHAMPION was the winner of “Best Feature Film” at the Sports & Recreation Film Festival. Conversation with co-writer and actor Hallie Todd on the making of the film from creation to editing.

Project Links

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“A former championship wrestler is forced to face his past when he returns to the hometown he left in disgrace twenty years earlier. Can he become the hero his town expected… or will he remain a prisoner of his past mistakes?” Directed by Glenn Withrow. Starring Cole Hauser, Peter Onorati, Randall Batinkoff, and Hallie Todd.

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.

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