A HARMONY OF TOUCH: THE HIGH-FIVE, HANDSHAKE, AND HUG, 3min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Kristyna Archer
Human connection thru physical touch are as critical to our survival as a species as is the air that we breathe. Standing the test of time, these visceral, bodily, mortal connections remind us we are still alive. Synchronicity being the master. Firmness being the gauge. Vulnerability being the superpower. Without them, we are powerless. I leave you with, the undeniable forces of nature found in the hive five, handshake, and hug.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The music was the biggest challenge, I had something in my head, yet it really needed a complex music composition that could not be sourced and needed to be composed which I didn’t originally budget for. Because originally I wanted a playfulness, and awkwardness really to come through all the way like 2 beings from another universe learning and experimenting with these forms of communication, yet upon watching the hug sequence after we shot, I realized it was not possible to take the emotion & intimacy out of those moments, so I need a track that transformed from playful lighthearted to deeply intimate. The visuals were more complex and truly has a turning point I wanted recognized in the track, that I wasn’t expecting before.

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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January 18, 2023 - Filmmaker Kristyna Archer (A HARMONY OF TOUCH: THE HIGH-FIVE, HANDSHAKE, AND HUG)

Matthew Toffolo

SWISH, 5min,. USA, Drama
Directed by Andrew Roland
Two brothers grow up in the sport of basketball, pushing and challenging one another. Until one day, one gets killed. Years after grieving, it drives the remaining brother to keep the standard and work ethic that he and his brother shared.

https://instagram.com/brokenpockets_

Get to know the filmmaker:
It’s loosely based on my life. Ultimately, it’s the story of grief, so I used my life experiences, added my favorite sport and a little drama. It took about a month to complete. It was shot over two days.

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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January 13, 2023 - Filmmaker Andrew Roland (SWISH)

Matthew David Toffolo

FLORES, 4min,. Germany, Music Video
Directed by Asbirg Anderson
Artur is strolling around the city of Münster. ‘What shall I do?’ he asks himself – ‘Live wild and dangerous’ was the response. Three encounters help him to be courageous.

https://instagram.com/asbirg.naranjo

Get to know the filmmaker:
The idea of making a film about the people and their deeds or words that stayed with me for years was not new. Then I went to diffferent short film festivals and what stood out to me was with which feeling I left the cinema. And I was like, wait, what if I make a positive short film. How would the audience feel about hat?

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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January 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Asbirg Anderson (FLORES)

Matthew Toffolo

OUR VOICE NOW, 56min., Documentary
Directed by John Redlinger
An in-depth examination of youth incarceration and probation in Los Angeles County. The film highlights organizations such as The Arts for Healing and Justice Network and the Antirecidivism Coalition, as well as testimonials from real victims of the justice system.

From John Redlinger:

My producing partner and I were approached by one of the organizations highlighted in the documentary, AHJN, to create a short film in response to a propaganda piece put out by LA’s probation department. In truth, this issue was not on our radar… but after we watched the probation video (which was utter nonsense) and spent some time researching the current state of affairs, we were moved to action.

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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January 2, 2023 - Filmmaker John Redlinger (OUR VOICE NOW)

Matthew Toffolo

WALLS BENEATH OUR FEET, 5min., Finland, Experimental
Directed by Antti Suniala
Circus short film exploring urban life from unexpected angles. Inspired by the Pasila Street Art District in Helsinki. Collaboration between Race Horse Company, music producer RRKK and the Helsinki Urban Art.

https://www.racehorsecompany.fi/shows/walls-beneath-our-feet
https://www.facebook.com/RaceHorseCompany
https://instagram.com/racehorsecompany

From filmmaker Antti Suniala:

I think beneath it all the main motivation was the beauty of circus and how circus skills can be used to express something out of the ordinary. I have been inspired by certain theater shows that included circus artists and while they didn’t perform circus in it’s traditional or even contemporary sense, they still had that quality of physicality where you could tell yeah only a circus artist could do this. I guess I wanted to approach that same area and also create something that could fit some of the amazing world of dance films without it being circus artists trying to actually dance. I mainly work in management and non-artistic production for our contemporary circus group Race Horse Company, but this was a production where I was the artistic director and looked for ways to expand our creative force into film, while still remaining true to our common vision.

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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December 26, 2022 - Filmmaker Antti Suniala (WALLS BENEATH OUR FEET)

Matthew David Toffolo

LOST AT SEA, 6min,. Germany, Music Video
Directed by Alex Sebastian
A fairy tale gone wrong: A woman between two men.

http://alexsebastian.de/
https://facebook.com/alexsebastianmuc
https://instagram.com/alexsebastianmuc

From filmmaker Alex Sebastian:

I’m basically a self producing independent rock/pop artist and as such in control of the whole creative process start to finish. First there was the song which was inspired by a friends poem. While I was working on producing song with some great musicians (e.g. drummer Jerry Marotta, who also played for Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and many many more) I had to listen to it over and over again while out running. Images of a drifting abandoned boat came into my head (The starting image and the ending image.) and I crafted the initial plot.

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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December 25, 2022 - Filmmaker Alex Sebastian (LOST AT SEA)

Matthew Toffolo

THE STRUGGLE, 5min., USA, Comedy
Directed by Keith Armonaitis
Adulting is hard. Morning is harder.

From director Keith Armonaitis:
As a filmmaker, I have always been interested in how life contains universal moments, and I try to bring those out in a unique story on the screen. Sometimes it is done through drama, but I really enjoy finding the funny in those moments as well. The Struggle was about finding the absurd in the mundane, and putting it upon the screen so that we can laugh at the film, and ultimately, ourselves.

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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December 21, 2022 - Filmmaker Keith Armonaitis (THE STRUGGLE)

Matthew Toffolo

CLOSURE, 9min., USA, Action
Directed Gui Agustini
A detective. A mercenary. Of course it didn’t work out but when a relationship ends messy, can you ever really have Closure?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt13954882/?ref_=nm_knf_i2
https://www.instagram.com/nycstagecombat

From Kaitlyn Farley:

This project began as part of a stage combat summer intensive with the goal being to create new opportunities, help actor-combatants put to use their trained skills and create a space for the crew to play and gain experience in the world of action. Personally, I began producing to create strong female leads and opportunities to play complex characters in the action world.

Interview conducted by Matthew Toffolo

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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December 2, 2022 - actor/writer/producer Kaitlyn Farley (CLOSURE)

Matthew Toffolo

THE DEAD THAT LIVE, 9min., USA, Drama/Horror
Directed by Mark Oguschewitz
A lonely zombie must fight for his life during the zombie apocalypse

From the filmmaker:

Writer/Producer Mario Mabe brought me the 7-page script and I immediately fell in love with the last page and a half.

This is where the script turned into something different – it showed some real humanizing elements still present within the zombie character. Unlike most zombie films, this script took the zombie’s perspective and challenged us to understand him. The zombie wasn’t just a mindless body walking around trying to kill people. I thought that was interesting and wanted to explore that idea more.

Interview conducted by Matthew Toffolo

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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November 23, 2022 - Filmmaker Mark Oguschewitz (THE DEAD THAT LIVE)

Matthew Toffolo

DANCE. DANCE. DANCE., 2min., USA, Dance
Directed by Karen Mueller Bryson
A collage film about the joy of dance made with images in public domain.

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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November 1, 2022 - Filmmaker Karen Mueller Bryson (DANCE. DANCE. DANCE.)

Matthew Toffolo

ONE SHILLING, 6min., UK, Dance
Directed by Monica Nicolaides
One Shilling. A contemporary dance film where four strangers from different backgrounds escape everyday life for one night, drinking and dancing in one of London’s underground bars during the Blitz.

Director Statement

'One Shilling' is a short dance film, inspired by true encounters of people in WWII; where 4 strangers from different backgrounds came together to enjoy a night out, in one of the underground places in London during the Blitz. At a time of constant danger, where under-represented communities and being different was not welcomed by society. One shilling gave access to underground safe havens, where strangers escaped everyday life, social conformity and daily bombings; and became friends.

‘One Shilling’ celebrates the formation of community and unity, by embracing ones individuality. When the community does not look at class, race or sexuality. Everyone comes together to celebrate being alive; to forget the danger and casualties surrounding them in their everyday lives. At this bar, we see the temporary deconstruction of social class, race and sexuality for one night only. It is a story of the places where people from all walks of life find refuge, and a community that welcomes their differences even for a moment in time.

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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October 28, 2022 - Filmmaker Monica Nicolaides (ONE SHILLING)

Matthew Toffolo

A LINE OF VERSE was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the March 2022 ROMANCE & RELATIONSHIPS Festival.

https://www.oxfordcommafilms.com/

https://www.facebook.com/OxfordCommaFilms/

https://twitter.com/oxfordcommaflms

https://www.instagram.com/oxfordcommav/

Director Biography - Vanessa Powers

Vanessa M. H. Powers is a theater director, filmmaker, artist, coffee enthusiast, and occasional human being. She can often be found trying to be in too many places at once. She is always working on a host of projects with her film company, the Oxford Comma Film Cooperative. She is also gearing up for another season of directing with St. Matthew Community Theatre in Columbia Heights (crosses fingers for 2022.) In addition, she does video freelance work as an AD, Editor, DIT, and Script Supervisor. In her (clearly abundant) free time, she can be found trying to be a human - spending time with her supportive family, friends, and snort-tastic bulldogs.

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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October 27, 2022 - Filmmaker Vanessa Powers (A LINE OF VERSE)

Matthew Toffolo

ISLE OF RUM, 52min,. Documentary

A glimpse into life on a remote Scottish Island, human inhabitants about 37 and counting...

https://www.sarahvianney.co.uk/

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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October 26, 2022 - Filmmaker Sarah Vianney (ISLE OF RUM)

Matthew Toffolo

USED FURNITURE, 10min., Canada, Drama
Directed by Conor Forrest
On an idyllic afternoon at the beach Philly faces his unrequited love for his roommate Jamie while trying to distance himself from their trio friendship.

https://littlecatpictures.com/short-film-three
https://www.instagram.com/usedfurniturelgbtshortfilm/

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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October 25, 2022 - Filmmaker Conor Forrest (USED FURNITURE)

Matthew Toffolo

APPETHAI is an award winning STUDENT Film. Nippich chats about this “independent” journey making this film.

From the filmmaker:

This film is loosely based on my own experience upon my arrival in the US for the first time in 2019. I found it very hard to adapt to the new environment. Everything was so different. I had a rough time making friends and completely felt like an outsider. I was always feeling like I was in a fever dream. It was a tough time and of course, I didn’t enjoy the food very much. So, that’s what motivated me to make this film. I wanted to share my experience with homesickness with everyone.

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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October 24, 2022 - Filmmaker Nippich Suppasiripoka (APPETHAI)

Matthew Toffolo

“A pie thief is thwarted by a clever detective.” Conversation with writer & star Mickey Casab on the art of making a 1 minute movie.

https://www.twitter.com/mickeycasab

https://www.instagram.com/mickeycasab

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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September 25, 2022 - Actor/Writer Mickey Casab (BUSTED!)

Matthew Toffolo

Student Film from the talented filmmaker Jaehee Cheong on the making of their award winning film STILL ALIVE. Played at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film Festival.

“After the death of her never-met senior colleague, Seol, Penelope visits her house for the first time with a special balloon made out of her breath. Going through the strange service provided by the strange funeral company Still Alive, Penelope, for the first time, feels Seol's existence more than ever after all these years of working together "remotely."“

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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September 23, 2022 - Filmmaker Jaehee Cheong (STILL ALIVE)

Matthew Toffolo

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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September 7, 2022 - Filmmaker Walter Escamilla (WHERE TEARS, PERHAPS)

Matthew Toffolo

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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September 2, 2022 - Filmmaker Zhihao Deng (BLOSSOM IN SILENCE)

Matthew Toffolo

“A homeless man, hoping to see his estranged son for Christmas is forced to steal a priceless copy of the Blind Faith album signed by Eric Clapton and The Beatles from a beautiful black blind woman, who ends up changing his life.”

Director Statement

Blind Faith was inspired by a homeless man I met in 2020 in Los Angeles who almost gave up hope, but the love of a woman who had faith in him gave him a second chance. His moral strength inspired me not to give up on my dreams as a filmmaker, so I used what was left in my savings to produce this film. He reminded me that behind each nameless, homeless person we pass on the street is a human being with dreams. He met a beautiful blind woman who helped heal his wounded soul. Their romance inspired this tagline -- Love Without a First Sight.

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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August 19, 2022 - Filmmaker Bruce Hickey (BLIND FAITH)

Matthew Toffolo