DIGGING OUT, 5min., USA

Directed by Lara Britton

Trapped in the trauma of her past and haunted by the voice of her abusive partner, a woman sorts through a wall of boxes in an old, rusty shipping container. With each box she discards, the voice gets louder, the effect of chronic abuse, until she uncovers a long-hidden artifact that sparks long-suppressed memories of who she once was, forcing her to confront her past in order to move on to the future.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Two things, really. First I've been in an abusive relationship in the past and have heard every one of these phrases. I know other women have heard similar things

Secondly, my mother in law was a hoarder, an organized hoarder, but a hoarder nonetheless and she lived in the memories of her past, surrounded by boxes and boxes of well-organized things. I thought how awful to be so mired in the past that she literally surrounded herself with remnants and never really moved on with a life after her husband died.

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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EP. 1107 - Lara Britton (DIGGING OUT)

Matthew Toffolo

A PROPER EDUCATION, 20min,. USA
Directed by MaryLanae Linen
Filmmaker MaryLanae Linen, frustrated by her lack of sex education, sets out to discover if her peers feel the same way. She meets with sex educators, parents, and friends and surveys the streets of Los Angeles to discover that they also lacked an informative and comprehensive sex ed. MaryLanae opens up about her own exploration of sex and reflects on how a lack of knowledge has hurt her. With the encouragement of her mother and peers, MaryLanae redefines her relationship with sex and reimagines a better future where young people can be uplifted and empowered with knowledge regarding boundaries, relationships, and bodily autonomy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuikVtFT7Cc
https://www.instagram.com/propereducation_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:
Growing up I always had a weird and strained relationship with my body and the idea of sex. As a victim of sexuall trauma it was hard for me to see sex as anything other than a bad thing. But as I grew up and met people with similar experiences and questions about sex I felt less alone. I realized that the lack of sex education isn’t just about parents not talking to their kids, it’s about parents not knowing what to say, it’s about the government not providing adequate education. AS seen in the film, there is so much that people don’t know about their own bodies. I wanted this film to open their eyes and make them less afraid of sex and their bodies.

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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EP. 1106 - MaryLanae Linen (A PROPER EDUCATION)

Matthew Toffolo

WICKED PLANS, 6min., Canada

Directed by Lee Chambers

Style Dayne, the Pizza Guy from Deadpool stars as a foreign extremist from Amadajiya, who accidentally chooses Halloween to enact a moment of terror. To his surprise, he discovers that North American life and culture is truly special, unique and sweet.

http://www.leechambers.com/

http://www.instagram.com/leechambersdotcom

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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EP. 1103 - Lee Chambers (WICKED PLANS)

Matthew Toffolo

ST. GEORGE, 12min., USA
Directed by Lane Womack, Scott C. Crenshaw, Nickolas Klesmith
A tale of two brothers getting raised by the wrong parents, in this short film part one of a 6 part mini series comes Bodie and Ricki George. Bodie, a cleancut mommas boy gets caught up in his older brother Ricki's troubled past. The two embark on a mission that fails before it started. Bodie gets left with a dead mother, brother in prison and a wife who can't stand him, the only thing standing on the other side of the sun is hope.

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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EP. 1101 - Lane Womack, Scott C. Crenshaw, Nickolas Klesmith (ST. GEORGE)

Matthew Toffolo

MISSING YOU, 6min., USA
Directed by Anika Jensen
A teenage girl visits a beach where she often went to as a child and reminisces about how things aren’t the way they used to be.

https://filmfreeway.com/anirozai

Get to know the filmmaker:

This might come as a surprise, but the song featured in my film is what came first. I’ve struggled with relatively severe mental health issues this past year and a half and so I wrote a song expressing how I felt about missing the simplicity and innocent joy of childhood. Many people who are in pain use art as a way to express themselves. Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether I would even share the song due to its personal nature. However, in a film class I took over the summer, I was trying to come up with ideas and remembered this song. Even though it’s difficult to be so vulnerable, I knew I could make an impactful story with it. I’m glad I made that decision. Opening up to others always makes me feel less alone and (hopefully) my film will make others who are struggling feel less alone as well.

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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EP. 1098 - Filmmaker Anika Jensen (MISSING YOU)

Matthew Toffolo

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

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

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

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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EP. 1089 - Filmmaker Roel Swierenga (BEFORE THE OIL)

Matthew Toffolo

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

Get to know writer Michele Reilly:

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

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

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EP. 1088 - Producer/Screenwriter Michele Reilly (STAG HUNT)

Matthew Toffolo

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

https://instagram.com/stephonikawkaye

Get to know filmmaker James T. George:

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

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

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EP. 1086 - Filmmakers James T. George & Stephonika W. Kaye (CLEMENCY)

Matthew Toffolo

TWISTED GAZE, 19min., Mexico
Directed by David Sanchez V
Diego travels to Turkey, makes a layover in Dubai. There he suffers a series of abuses by authority, sexual and homophobic by the police and military. This leads to a ceaseless search of identity and an obscure social questioning — psychological about masculinity, diversity and the “Who am I”.

https://instagram.com/diegoavilamx

Get to know the filmmaker;

The fact that in 2023 we can still be sexually abused for being homosexual. It took us 8 months from kicking off the project to wrapping it up. It all kicked off when we were working on another short film with Diego. He shared his experience in Dubai, and it stuck with me for a few days. When we caught up again, we decided to do something about it. Diego wrote everything down in great detail. After that, we recorded the “interview” (the voiceover you hear in the film). It was a two-hour-long recording… After that, we spent 2 months in post-production.

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

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EP. 1080 - Filmmaker David Sanchez V (TWISTED GAZE)

Matthew Toffolo

TRIPPING, 11min., USA
Directed by Amelia Xanthe Boscov
A flirty-butch, lesbian mom (Dot-Marie Jones – GLEE, BROS), goes on a road trip with her pregnant high schooler daughter in order to get an abortion at the nearest women’s health clinic.

http://trippingfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/trippingfilm/
https://www.instagram.com/trippingfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:
The main motivation was the idea that every film about abortion does not have to be a tragedy. I thought, what if traveling due to the lack of women’s health clinics wasn’t a low point in the character’s life, but instead a comedic road trip? Somehow, everyday abortions are made more and more relevant by our governments trying to end access to them.
I’m tired of abortion being a dirty word. While starting to make Tripping, I keep repeating that “it’s important to show the things and say the things.” This film won’t shy away from showing a fetus, from saying the word abortion, from showing queer relationships — the things your high school health class should have done. That being said, the abortion is just one thing that happens in Tripping. The abortion is the launchpad for an exploration of family and personal growth.

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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EP. 1078 - Filmmaker Amelia Xanthe Boscov (TRIPPING)

Matthew Toffolo

MATERNITY, 5min., Finland
Directed by Joel Koskinen
A timid, pregnant woman living alone, finds her inner strength when she must defend herself against a mysterious intruder.

https://www.instagram.com/maternity_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

My motivation of making this film was to tell meaningful stories. There are moments in life when particular ideas and elements of the story hit me and won’t leave me alone. That is a sign that the idea is something worthwhile really doing. One topic that has been in my mind in the past years is the problem of equality and how badly women are treated in the world. Not only in the countries where women are legally oppressed but also how they are individually being treated in the western countries. So the idea of a single woman living alone with her baby in the zombie-apocalypse surviving and showing her strenght was something that stuck in my head as a fan of the zombie genre.

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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EP. 1055 - Filmmaker Joel Koskinen (MATERNITY)

Matthew Toffolo

JUST A GIRL, 19min., UK
Directed by Kieran Freemantle
A girl escapes from a secret government facility and tries to convince a hermit to help her get home.

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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EP. 1054 - Filmmaker Kieran Freemantle (JUST A GIRL)

Matthew Toffolo

GUMMIES, 5min,. USA
Directed by Renetta G. Amador
A tomboy transforms the gender trappings of her room to show her cruel mother how sugar and spice don’t equal nice.

http://www.mexecutionerproductions.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gummies_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

After I graduated college I worked as a Program Director for a GLBTQI++ organization working with teens from 12 – 19 who were struggling with their sexual identity. I met the writer of Gummies through a film festival that my first short film was in. When I read his script, I thought of all the people I worked with, the people I was friends and family with, that in some way or another had been constantly put into a box they didn’t want to be in. I knew I had to make this short and show the consequences of this.

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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EP. 1046 - Filmmaker Renetta G. Amador (GUMMIES)

Matthew Toffolo

KARIBU NYUMBANI, 12min,. UK
Directed by Matthew Williams-Ellis
“Karibu Nyumbani” translates as “Welcome to my Home” in Swahili. Guides in the Maasai Mara have a deep-rooted pride, knowledge, and love for wildlife. This film encapsulates that passion from the perspective of George Osono, a guide in Mara North Conservancy, who completely embodies this spirit of caring for nature.

https://www.matthewwilliams-ellis.com/karibu-nyumbani

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had a month in Kenya and knew I wanted to produce a film in that time, but arrived with no specific narrative in mind. After speaking to the guides (and George in particular), I was struck by their genuine love, knowledge and passion for wildlife. Their desire to protect and conserve the animals that call the Maasai Mara home deserves recognition and I think often goes under appreciated. They are the ones who see the animals everyday and are often the first to alert charities if for example lions are found having been speared by humans. They are at the forefront of and are true ambassadors of conservation.

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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EP. 1045 - Filmmaker Matthew Williams-Ellis (KARIBU NYUMBANI)

Matthew Toffolo

EVERYTHING’S FINE, 14min,. USA
Directed by Christina Hulen
A young teacher suffering from trauma induced memory loss finds herself spiraling dangerously out of control as the impending anniversary of the event nears, threatening to destroy her carefully crafted veneer of normalcy, her relationships and her life.

https://www.everythingsfinethemovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152022827084682
https://twitter.com/EF_themovie
https://www.instagram.com/everythingsfine_themovie/

Get to know the filmmaker:

There was an amazing confluence of events that led to this film. This film was born out of a conversation with the lead actress, Charlotte Rothwell. It was the height of the Covid lock down and we were discussing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, specifically my own struggles with PTSD. She asked if I had ever written about it. Given the times, I thought it was an especially relatable topic, though I had no interest in writing anything autobiographical. As we were speaking, breaking news came over the television of a mass shooting in Colorado. If you’re asking yourself which one, that’s the point? That same week my brilliant friend Staci Witt called me and asked me to write something for her to produce.

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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EP. 1044 - Filmmaker Christina Hulen (EVERYTHING’S FINE)

Matthew Toffolo

TAKING FLIGHT, 11min., USA
Directed by Will Chehab
In an area where traditional education fails students, one Mayan woman starts her own school in order to rebuild her community from the ground up. Through er integral education, which includes meals for students and workshops for their parents, Ingrid Villasenor strengthens her home of Panajachel one step at a time.

Get to know the filmmaker:
My motivation to make this film came from my desire to learn how to tell a good story through documentary. I’m currently a senior at the University of Michigan, and when looking for what to do over the summer, I saw an email from the department about making a documentary in Guatemala with Actuality Abroad. I signed up, interviewed, and was lucky enough to get in. Actuality Abroad set us (the crew) up with Tejiendo Futuros. What motivated me to tell Ingrid’s story specifically was the fact that she dedicates herself to her people, to her country, after her country’s government kidnapped her father whom she never saw again. The fact that Ingrid services her community after what happened to her family is powerful and incredible, and I knew right away that this was a story to tell. I really wanted to make sure that I did everything I possibly could to tell it right, and to be honest, there’s so much more to the story I want to explore and highlight because it is much more incredible than what we were able to capture in our four weeks in Guatemala.

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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Ep. 1020 - Filmmaker Will Chehab (TAKING FLIGHT)

Matthew Toffolo

B.L.T., 5min., UK
Directed by Luca J. Galea
Follow our narrator on a holistic journey through philosophy, history and time all while pursuing the humble BLT.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091651015489
https://twitter.com/meadhaus_?s=21
https://www.instagram.com/meadhaus_/

Get to know the filmmaking team:
Luca J Galea – Director
Harris Walter – Cinematographer
Nathan N K Mills – Production Designer

Get to know the team:

This was my first proper time writing a script so I wasn’t sure where to start, I have heard the term write what you know before, so decided to start there. I have always had a deeply passionate love for food, and have been raised around the artistry that it withholds as I spent most of my childhood in Italy where the culture is predominantly centred around food. What shocked me was the fact that in the U.K and many other countries food isn’t seen like this by a lot of people and more as a source of fuel or even a chore. When it came to writing I want my focus to be on making the people view a simple concept in a completely different way to how they had once seen it.

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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Nov. 17, 2023 - Filmmaking team of B.L.T. (Luca J Galea, Harris Walter, Nathan N K Mills)

Matthew Toffolo

YOUNG BOY, 8min., USA
Directed by Rachel Jacob
A young boy dealing with a hard family situation is offered an opportunity to find hope again in the form of a wish.

https://www.instagram.com/youngboyproductionsllc/

Get to know Rachel Jacob:

It was a short piece I wrote about 5 years ago that I never thought I would be able to make. It eventually became a feature length script, but I still held onto the original 5 page version that inspired it. I got a call to work with a film summer camp for middle and high school kids who where learning and training to be in the film industry and they were interested in the script and decided to take on the project.

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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Nov. 12, 2023 - Filmmakers Rachel Jacob & Beth Burvant (YOUNG BOY)

Matthew Toffolo

MARBLE MUSIC VIDEO, 4min., USA
Directd by Kevin Andrew Bailey
A music video for the band Marble for the song “marble.” We follow a young woman on the day she leaves an abusive relationship.

https://www.daymuseum.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Daymuseum
https://www.instagram.com/daymuseum/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The music! Marble was kind enough to let me pick which song I wanted to make a music video for and gave me complete creative freedom over the concept. I wanted to direct their self-titled song as soon as I heard it, the lyrics about a relationship turned loveless. I really enjoy writing about the big transformative times in life, and I find leaving a long term relationship to be one of the greatest examples of that.

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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Nov. 7, 2023 - Filmmaker Kevin Andrew Bailey (MARBLE MUSIC VIDEO)

Matthew Toffolo

NINE TO FIVE, 7min., UK
Directed by Gareth Matthews
Mark Greyson is working the endless cycle of a 9/5 job and the weight that follows takes a toll on his mental health, gradually building up over time leading to an unbearable breakdown costing him his job.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have had a similar experience of mistreatment in the workplace, working in sales and trying to manage deadlines, as well as, getting that next sale. All that anxiety led to me writing it down and doing research into neoliberalism – this is where my experience was turning into a script and I felt passionately focused on telling this story, where people do experience mistreatment in the workplace.

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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Nov. 6, 2023 - Filmmaker Gareth Matthews (NINE TO FIVE)

Matthew Toffolo