MI NINA/MY LITTLE GIRL, 7min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Emanuel Loarca
Laura takes us by the hand on a moving journey through time with her mother. You experience how love overcomes suffering and builds lasting memories that give meaning to life and strengthen the soul.

Interview with Director/Producer Emanuel Loarca & Writer/Producer Laura Isabel Figueroa

Emanuel Loarca: What motivated me to make this film was the love imprinted on the page, this beautiful poem that celebrated and honored their unique kind love at different stages of their lives and beyond life itself. I wanted to honor that.

Laura Isabel: The vision of the director and producer Emanuel Loarca, who fell immediately in love with the poem I wrote to honor my mother’s resiliency and unconditionally love. I also wanted to raise awareness among potential viewers to care for their mothers and loved ones while they are still alive. Originally, I was planning to record myself reciting the poem and share the video on social media for Mother’s Day, but Emanuel believed it was meant to be a film and I decided to go along with the idea. I’m glad I did!

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

LIFE ALTERING GENDER REVEAL, 8min,. USA
Directed by Craig Wildenradt
The lives of unsuspecting party guests are forever changed after they learn of their friends’ baby’s gender.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27895666/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Get to know the filmmaker:
The vast majority of the time, when I write comedy I’m usually poking fun at things that actually frustrate me. So with that said, it’s probably unsurprising that the bulk of the comedy I write is social critique. It’s kind of a healthy catharsis for me to take those things and make them the butt of a joke. So that’s always a motivation for comedy writing in general. Speaking more specifically to LIFE ALTERING GENDER REVEAL, beyond the aforementioned I personally thought the concept was hilarious, ripe for getting really absurd (which I love to do), and would be a ton of fun to make. I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I predominantly create for myself first. As many challenges as there are to indie filmmaking, one of the luxuries is just being able to do what you want. For me, that’s plenty of motivation by itself. But the rest came when I started sharing the concept and other folks thought it was hilarious too!

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

BABY PROOF, 6min., USA
Directed by David Maddox, David Blood
A troublemaking toddler tests the limits of child safety.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The co-writer/co-director, David Blood, pitched the concept to me after coming up with it while sitting in a hotel room. At that point, I had an 11 month old baby who was crawling, but I wasn’t sure for how long. So I said, “Let’s shoot it. But we have to do it right now!”

It also just seemed like a way to point out something ridiculous about society is an unusual way, which I always love doing. In this case, how America is so concerned about product safety, but when it comes to guns, we’ve just given up. A topic which sadly never stops being relevant.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

THE RED LADY FROM FOLEY STREET, 10min., Canada
Directed by Tanin J. Risdon
In a new spin on urban legend slashers, we meet Beth, a teenage outcast, who, at the end of her birthday party learns that her boyfriend Jesse is cheating on her, leading her to exact her revenge on him and all of the people involved with the help of an urban legend of Beth’s own creation.

https://www.instagram.com/foleystreetfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:
The DOP Max Humphreys and I just began watching slashers films and got really into the idea of making one ourselves. The next step was to look for writers and we got lucky enough to have Haya Abdul-Hadi and Pablo Lopez take interest in it and come up with the idea for The Red Lady from Foley Street.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

THE SILHOUETTE, 14min,. Malta
Directed by Oldrich Werner
Mila is just your average college student, studying abroad for the semester in a beautiful new country. But little does she know, her trip is about to take a terrifying turn. Haunted by a traumatic experience from her past, Mila struggles to cope with the psychological aftermath. But her handsome boyfriend is there to support her, even as he battles his own demons. As Mila tries to settle into her new surroundings, she can’t shake the feeling that someone, or something, is watching her.

https://www.thesilhouettemovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/people/The-Silhouette/100090883093121/
https://twitter.com/silhouette_2023
https://www.instagram.com/thesilhouettemovie/

Get to know the filmmaker:

As a graduate thesis for the Master of Arts in Film Studies at the University of Malta, we could choose between a long dissertation and a short film with a shorter dissertation, so I was motivated by the degree and most importantly by the idea of making film itself. As this was my first film that I wrote, produced and directed myself, it felt natural that my first thing should be horror, as that’s been my favorite genre since childhood. I had previously worked on several short films of others in various roles, but this was my first own thing, so I wanted to prove myself I can do this. Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to do so without help from my cast and crew, so big shout out 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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

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.

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

THE MONSTER, 15min., Canada
Directed by Gabriel Després
Alice keeps drawing a monster that seems to terrify her. Everyone in the family has a different opinion about this monster.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

¡Quédate en casa!, 33min., Mexico
Directed by Dominique Caron
As the world battles with an evolving global pandemic, a bohemian paradise coastal town is put into lockdown. Alvaro, a local resident panicked by the virus threat, volunteers as a vigilante to fend off any possible transgressions to the lockdown regulations. However, his fragile authority is challenged when a group of free spirited party-goers refuse to abide.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Self producing a film is always a challenge, especially with no money. One of the greatest challenges is to find dedicated collaborateur that will be willing to work on your project. I was in a small Mexican town when the first covid 19 lockdown happened. I immediately thought it was an amazing opportunity to make a film because everything was closed and all the people had a lot of time available. It was therefore easier to produce a film with almost no budget in a collaborative way.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

IT’S A BEAUTIFUL WORLD, 47min., Canada
Directed by Victor Kushmaniuk
Join Global Heroes and adventurer Jeff Fuchs on a thrilling expedition deep into the heart of Colombia’s lush and vibrant Amazon rainforest.

https://www.globalheroes.com/its-a-beautiful-world/
https://www.facebook.com/globalheroesmag/
https://twitter.com/Global_Heroes_m
https://www.instagram.com/global_heroes/

Get to know the documentary host Jeff Fuchs:

A great desire to peer into places and lives that revolve around the idea of restoration – in whatever form it takes. Restoration through meals, through intention, and through simple communing…and to perhaps remind that it is often in the smallest of deeds that our spheres of life can progress.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook