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

Project Links

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

"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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

August 18, 2022 - Filmmaker Josef Steiff (JESSE JAMES)

Matthew Toffolo

THE JESSICA CABIN was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

https://www.instagram.com/marykateandashtray

Director Biography - Daniel Montgomery

Daniel Montgomery is an LA-based director/writer/actor known for his work in the worlds of comedy and horror. A USC School of Dramatic Arts, NC School of the Arts and UCB alum, Daniel is the artistic director and writer of LA’s premier immersive theatre company JFI Productions (Creep LA, The Willows). He is also the co-founder of sketch comedy duo turned production company Mary-Kate and Ashtray. Recent work includes award-winning short film Tall Betsy and onscreen in HBO’s Barry.

Director Statement

I wrote and directed The Jessica Cabin in the heart of the pandemic. My time stuck inside was measured by a listlessness and unsettlingly deep introspection that permeated my days: these are the bones of this film. I felt like a ghost. So I wrote about being one.

Inspiration also came from outside of myself. Shortly into the pandemic, two of my best friends, both in their early 30s, came out: one as gay, the other as non-binary. I was moved to create this film as an opportunity for them to be authentically represented onscreen for the first time. (They star in the film)

So, if those elements are the bones, the heart of this film is the universal desire to intimately connect with others. To be seen. And find reciprocated love. Everyone in the film is looking for a connection, and somehow the wires have gotten crossed. At times, to the extreme. I was inspired to portray this theme in every color: dark and light, grounded and fantastical.

Most importantly, I wanted to make a (slightly) spooky film that's decidedly queer: where the "fear" and drama doesn't come from the horror being queer; rather it's just an aspect of the characters' lives. Or, in this case, after-lives.

I hope you chuckle a few times, I hope you get the tingles, and I hope you disappear for a little while.
But not forever.

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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

August 16, 2022 - Actor/Director Daniel Montgomery (THE JESSICA CABIN)

Matthew David Toffolo

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

• Website

• Twitter

• Instagram

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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

August 15, 2022 - Filmmaker Matthew Gratzner (MUTINY!)

Matthew David Toffolo

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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

August 11, 2022 - Filmmaking team of WHERE THERE'S A WHEEL THERE'S A WAY

Matthew David Toffolo

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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

August 10, 2022 - Filmmaker Matthew Jehle (CINEFILIA)

Matthew Toffolo

SIGNAL DARK was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the June 2022 FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival.

“Lucas Anderson is an insular IT technician whose life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a mysterious email and its reality bending contents.”

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

August 6, 2022 - Filmmaker Alex Murray (SIGNAL DARK)

Matthew Toffolo

GHOSTLY LABOR: A DANCE FILM was the winner of BEST FILM at the WILDsound Film Festival.

“Ghostly Labor: A Dance Film” explores the history of labor in the US–Mexico borderlands through Tap Dance, Mexican Zapateado, Son Jarocho, Afro Caribbean movement, and live music. This work brings together polyrhythmic movement and an original score to look at the (ongoing) years of systemic exploitation of labor while highlighting the power and joy of collective resistance.

Based on farmworker interviews in California, this excerpt honors the sacred hands that feed us and was filmed on a farm with support from Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS), a non-profit advocacy organization for farmworkers in Half Moon Bay, CA. A full-length dance theater production of Ghostly Labor will premiere in 2023.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

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

August 5, 2022 - Filmmakers John Jota Leaños, Vanessa Sanchez (GHOSTLY LABOR: A DANCE FILM)

Matthew Toffolo

THE DOOR was awarded BEST PERFORMANCES at the June 2022 LA Feedback Film Festival.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17055052/?ref_=nm_knf_i1

Director Statement

The Door is a proof of concept short film created in the hopes of finding funding or a distributor for a feature film that has been in the works for over 5 years. This short is an altered version of the beginning of the feature film. There are many more mysteries to unravel and explore.

This short in particular is incredibly personal. It’s essentially how I view the concept of death. After losing people very close to me in the winter of 2020, I made this as a way to cope with and accept what happened. This film is very special and personal to me. Although it will never be explicitly stated in the film, The Door is an allegory for death and my view of it. When someone dies, they’re taken from you. Out of the billions of people on the earth, at some point our loved ones will be “chosen”. They will be taken from us and sent into the unimaginable void that is death. Are they okay wherever they are? Will we ever see them again? To me it’s almost like they pass through a door, never to be seen again. Death itself is not evil, it is natural. It comes for us all no matter how we lived in life. No matter how good you are or how evil and vile you are, you will not be spared by your own mortality. I’ve always viewed horror as an exaggeration of our reality. Our everyday fears translated into things that are larger than life. I want to incorporate these very thoughts into the film.

Something as simple as a door can be terrifying if perceived in the right context. As odd as it sounds, I see a stationary door as the perfect embodiment of death itself. Wherever it may be, no matter if you see it throughout your life or only at the very end, it is always out there. Patiently waiting until it is your time to open it up and pass through.

This short film is dedicated to everyone we lost and those we wish to see again.

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

August 3, 2022 - Filmmakers Nicholas Carrodo & Ella Evans (THE DOOR)

Matthew Toffolo

DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES was the winner of BEST ANIMATION at the June 2022 Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/death-and-magic-castles

“On a beautiful, sunny day five year old Zizou fell to the ground and died when his heart suddenly stopped. In that moment of losing my son I was thrown into the cold reality of America’s complicated relationship with death. Through animation, "Death and Magic Castles" explores traditions of mourning and loss in different cultures and follows my quest to bring death and life closer together in a culture where mourning is taboo and the goal is to live forever.”

Director BIO: Kari Barber is a journalist-turned-filmmaker based in Reno, Nevada. Her feature-length documentary debut STRUGGLE & HOPE aired nationally on public television on the series America ReFramed. DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES is her personal story of suddenly losing her son at five years old.

Watch the Festival 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

July 25, 2022 - Filmmaker Kari Barber (DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES)

Matthew Toffolo

12 SHADES OF GREY was awarded BEST FILM at the June 2022 SCIENCE & NATURE Festival.

Watch the Short Film Trailer: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/12-shades-of-grey-short-film-trailer

“To have followed mainstream media for best on four decades, together with countless films and television programs relating to the Great White Shark, its no surprise that the overwhelming public and social sentiment is one of fear and loathing.

In a similar light to foreign and domestic governments inoctrinating the populations to despise a supposed enemy, the Great White has become the common foe of people throughout the globe. There appears to be a gap between public sentiment and the views of scientist and shark enthusiasts across the board. The question remains, how to we bridge this gap?”

Conversation with Anthony Gordon on the making of 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

July 23, 2022 - Filmmaker Anthony Gordon (12 SHADES OF GREY)

Matthew Toffolo

FINDING VEGA played to rave reviews at the June 2022 WILDsound Feedback Film Festival.

https://www.mutualityfilm.com/

https://www.instagram.com/mutualityfilm

Director Statement

After I flew for twelve hours to the dry climate of Los Angeles in the autumn of 2019, my nose started to bleed severely during the first shoot in AFI, and I was sent to the emergency room. I passed out and had a transient loss of consciousness, and I felt like I was continuously falling to a bottomless black hole. It was so dark and deep; all I could feel was that I wouldn't remember anything that happened in my life before. It was for the first time I was so close to death.

Then I had a tough time during the one-year-quarantine since March 2020, experiencing an intimate friend's death, and undergoing the darkest hour in life, as I felt further-away from home than I ever had before. During this time, I thought a lot about life and death extensively. I had this vision of rowing a small boat, lonely, on the endless sea surrounded by danger, and the only light was the stars above. To me, those stars were family affection. There is a Chinese saying that says, "You can't know about life without knowing death." I didn’t realize what I had and how blessed I was in terms of my parents' love until I was faced with my friend’s and my mortality.

I always wonder what if we could find the time we lost? What if we could regain the warmth and beauty that we buried deep in our minds? And I discovered that Eastern philosophy and Western science make this possible on the screen. As an individual, what responsibilities do you need to take towards the ones loving you or the ones you love? And what are the “invisible” larger group social issues behind the superficial dilemma?

In this era of speed and consumerism, many people are used to talking about the intangible macroscopic world, but seldom observe the daily minute details around them. Still, it is precisely the trivial bits that determine the temperature of life. Especially after experiencing so many deaths and losses worldwide, how will human beings evolve? As a storyteller, I want my audience to think about what is most important to them in life. I strive for them to feel love and be in love and treasure what they have from the womb to the grave.

Playing at the Festival APP 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

July 19, 2022 - Filmmaker Joey Xuetong Zhao (FINDING VEGA)

Matthew Toffolo

VELVET SKY was the winner of BEST FILM at the June 2022 LA Feedback Film Festival.

“A young naive filmmaker on the verge of making his first feature film agrees to be mentored by a director he idolizes but realizes too late that his jealous mentor is only out to sabotage him for his own personal gain, so he must break way form this toxic relationship and find the story he was meant to tell before his chances of success are tarnished.”

Conversation with Charles Jon Gray on the making of the film.

Watch film later this 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

July 6, 2022 - Filmmaker Charles Jon Gray (VELVET SKY)

Matthew Toffolo

AV Super Sunshine and his wife Philomena Victor were abducted by aliens and taken to their ship, or at least that’s what he claims….

…conversation with AV Super Sunshine about this abduction experience and the reason why they made the award winning feature documetnary “Alien Abduction”.

Played at the May 2022 FANTASY/SCI-FI Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

Film played on the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

June 13, 2022 - AV Super Sunshine (Alien Abduction Documentary)

Matthew Toffolo

SHOW ME THE END OF TIME was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the June 2022 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film Festival.

“In a punk dystopian world where it is possible to extract memories, a callous and cold-hearted man involved in the memory industry all of a sudden comes across his own memory. This awakens him to see who he has become and the downward spiral he has undergone since the passing of his wife.”

Conversation with filmmaker Jack Benjamin Murphy on the making of this film at the London Film Academy.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

June 3, 2022 - Filmmaker Jack Benjamin Murphy (SHOW ME THE END OF TIME)

Matthew Toffolo

ADONAI was the winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the BLACK Feedback Film Festival.

Project Links

• Twitter

• Instagram

“Adonai tells the story of Paul, a man in emotional turmoil from a recent accident in which he mistakenly shot a marine veteran in the head. What exacerbates his misery, is that this particular marine, is his own brother. In a desperate attempt to rid himself of the guilt, he decides that his only way forward is to take his own life. That attempt is undoubtedly thwarted by a gorgeous party goer named Adonai, who in her innocence and mysterious commonality with Paul appears to leave behind a trace of hope.”

Conversation with writer/actor Hess Wesley on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

May 28, 2022 - Filmmaker Hess Wesley (ADONAI)

Matthew Toffolo

ONE NIGHT STAND was voted BEST SHORT FILM at the April 2022 COMEDY Feedback Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

“A romantically confused woman wakes up with a hangover, a dead guy in her bed and no recollection of how she got there. When her clingy ex-boyfriend shows up and desperately wants to get back together, she recruits him and his doofus friend to help her uncover the events of the night before while discovering what she wants, and doesn’t want, in her love life.”

Conversation with writer/producer Dana Serao & director Mark Serao on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

May 27, 2022 - Filmmakers Dana Serao & Mark Serao (One Night Stand)

Matthew Toffolo

THE GLOOMY VERACITY OF SEPARATION was the winner of BEST FILM at the March 2022 STUDENT Feedback Film Festival.

Project Links

• Instagram

“A short silent film, expressing a man experiencing the after math of the separation of a passionate, volatile and emotional relationship through visuals and memories.”

Conversation with filmmaker Cylia Marti Chasman on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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

May 4, 2022 - Filmmaker Cylia Marti Chasman (THE GLOOMY VERACITY OF SEPARATION)

Matthew Toffolo

THE 90’S CLUB was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the April 2022 LA Documentary Film Festival.

“A charming documentary film that showcases the vibrant wisdom and life lessons from a dozen diverse individuals between 90- and 99-years-old.”

Conversation with Entertainment Lawyer turned director on the making of the film and interviewing the 12 subjects in the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

April 18, 2022 - Filmmaker Robert Darwell (THE 90's CLUB)

Matthew Toffolo

VERDURE PRO was the winner of BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY at the March 2022 COMEDY Film Festival.

”A small team of professional filmmakers is shooting a commercial in Montreal. Unfortunately, they don't seem to know the product they have to sell.”

Conversation with Quebec filmmaker Gabriel Després on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app this weekend. 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

April 15, 2022 - Filmmaker Gabriel Després (VERDURE PRO)

Matthew Toffolo

“Roe v. Wade: A Legal History” was the winner of Best Documentary Short at the 2022 Female Film Festival.

“As one of the most consequential decisions in the history of the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade articulated the right to abortion as a fundamental right. But where did this landmark case originate? In this documentary short, six law professors discuss how and why Roe v. Wade made it to the Supreme Court.”

Conversation with producer Samantha Schroeder on the process making the film and her way of getting the best out of her interview subjects.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

March 31st - Producer Samantha Schroeder (Roe v. Wade: A Legal History)

Matthew Toffolo