PLASTIC TOURISM, 18min., Indonesia

Directed by Ira Setiawati

“Plastic Tourism” is more than a documentary; it challenges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths. It is a call to action and testament of the delicate balance between human leisure and environmental responsibility.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

There are many plastic trashes on beaches & we have tried hard to solve it by many ways but not effective enough to solve it. So we hope this movie can open eyes of many tourists, business people on beaches, government & local people to be aware more about these plastic trashes & together solve it well.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was so touched & happy that other people in other part of earth appreciate this movie well & pay attention to the earth’s critical condition at this moment.

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EP. 1398: Filmmaker Ira Setiawati (PLASTIC TOURISM)

Matthew Toffolo

GROCERY SHOPPING, 38min., USA
Directed by Harry Roseman
I am at the grocery store three to five times a week. It has become a ritual, picking out the items, going over the shopping list, interacting with the same people year after year. It seems to me, an important aspect of my and many other people’s lives. Something utterly familiar. Though filmed it becomes somewhat mysterious, seen anew, to be rethought about.

Harry Roseman is a sculptor, photographer, draftsman, practitioner of web based works, and professor of art at Vassar College where he currently chairs the Department of Art. In addition to having had many solo exhibitions, Roseman has produced a number of major commissioned public sculptures.

For more info, go to his Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Roseman

https://www.instagram.com/harryroseman/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My work takes many forms. An aspect of some of my work in photography, installation, and film centers on my interactions with people in my community as I go about doing errands. I had done some shorter film focused on checking out at the register with my purchases. These interactions are important to me because of the frequent interactions I have with the same people over months and years. They are specific kinds of relationships, These exchanges have an aspect of friendship, though bracketed by the relatively brief interchanges but enlarged by time and repetition. This film stems from those interactions, but also a way of showing a frequent and mundane activity as being worthy and possibly interesting as art. Possibly giving the viewer a new take on their own regular day to day activities, In addition I found aspects of the visual possibilities rather beautiful, as still lives, such as piles of fruits and vegetables. The added addition of bits of conversation that either I had with people or overheard was also interesting to me.

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EP. 1397 - Filmmaker Harry Roseman (GROCERY SHOPPING)

Matthew Toffolo

AFTERMATH, 10min., USA
Directed by Nevin Bolla
In a post-apocalyptic world, two survivors are caught in a tense struggle within a decaying building. As they confront their harsh reality, a siren signals the end of a critical survival round, forcing them to grapple with their fears and fleeting hopes.

http://www.nevinbolla.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nevinbolla/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I’ve always been fascinated by post-apocalyptic worlds where humans are forced into these intense fight-or-flight situations. When I started writing Aftermath, I wanted to bring that vibe to life while still keeping it character-driven. The idea was to make the world feel bigger than what’s shown in the short, like a teaser for something larger. With limited time and budget, I couldn’t dive into elaborate effects or massive world-building, but I could hint at it.

The goal was to test the waters for a story that could expand, maybe even into a series someday. I drew inspiration from I Am Legend, Hunger Games, and Squid Game, mixing the best elements to create a mysterious world that leaves the audience with questions, not about what’s happening to the characters in the moment, but about the world itself. That’s the kind of storytelling I love, where curiosity keeps people hooked.

How did it feel to watch the audience feedback on your film?

It made me smile. My goal is always to create something magical, and hearing people talk about the creativity in the shots or the direction was so rewarding. No film shoot goes perfectly, we had our share of issues, like reworking shots or cutting things in post. But seeing the audience still connect with the world we created and appreciate its originality was incredible. It’s moments like that that make all the effort worth it.

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EP. 1396: Filmmaker Nevin Bolla (AFTERMATH)

Matthew Toffolo

Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7fvjESla-Q

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Maggie May is a story about falling in love with your best friend and the fallout of that experience. This theme is set to the background of a female fictional rock band.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Maggie May is a drama but could be considered as a coming of age sub genre. It can be considered a musical as well.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Whether or not you are queer, many people share the experience of falling in love with a best friend. Maybe that’s worked out, but often we have experiences with unrequited love. Additionally in these times, it’s more important than ever to highlight unabashedly queer stories.

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EP. 1395 - Screenwriter Audrey Mosdell (MAGGIE MAY)

Matthew Toffolo

BUBBLING SYNAPSES, 4min,. France
Directed by William Eguienta
An idea… needs space, time & love to grow…
But, at what cost? Your friends ? Your wife ? Your kids ?
Of course not, it needs to be set aside, in a bubble, waiting for the right moment…
The wait is long, too long… This must emerge from its bubble, it must come to life, now !

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31189065

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to test 2d animation for the first time. so i was thinking about a subject that doesn’t need speaking characters, but with a strong emotional impact. 48 hours later, the script was written and I was starting working on a storyboard. It’s an impulsive creation, no filter, no overthinking, just pure expression of what’s in mind

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
This kind of film is always strange to evaluate. it’s depends a lot on who is the viewer more than an exact message the filmmaker try to spread. I was happy to see that they all catched the poetry behind images and sound to serve the story as an intense experience my film don’t hold the viewer by the hand, and everyone seems to understand subtilities in Bubbling Synapses’ metaphores, that help me to see and confirm ways to communicate emotions visually, so it’s a really important thing to me.

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EP. 1394: Filmmaker William Eguienta (BUBBLING SYNAPSES)

Matthew Toffolo

REMEDY, 30min., USA
Directed by Pat Mitchell
An intelligence agent must relive his past to remedy a mistake he once made.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2147487/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I love Sci-fi Films. Not just any sci-fi films but the surreal ones. The films that blur the lines of reality and fiction.

Films with heavy degrees of realism are my kind of films. Science fiction by definition is the belief that using science can explain what we can’t explain.

I have always been intrigued by how far reality can be pushed before becoming fantasy. Once you can’t explain your story grounded in science, your film is fantasy.

Don’t get me wrong. Fantasy can be intriguing but it comes at face value at times. Basically any existing nature leaves unexplained like fully industridalized extraterrestrial planets, Middle Earth, magical beings.
But nothing tops an imaginative story with its limits bound to what is right outside your window. Star Wars vs Star Trek debates always come to mind.

There is a major disconnect between the real world and Star Wars. As much as I love those movies, I prefer the rooted reality of Star Trek.

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EP. 1393: Filmmaker Pat Mitchell (REMEDY)

Matthew Toffolo

SECRET IDENTITY, 35min,. UK
Directed by Gurjoeth Singh Bassra
A closeted gay actor who’s known for playing a superhero character on an 80s TV show must confront his dual identity.

https://coffeebeanpictures.com/productions
https://x.com/CoffeeBeanPicUK
https://www.instagram.com/secretidentityfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was inspired by the story of Kevin Conroy, who remained in the closet for most of his life, and found it very interesting the way he played a superhero character who had a secret identity of his own, and suddenly it clicked, a light bulb turned on and I could feel a story coming to me. It also helped that I was really bored over my summer break so I essentially locked myself in a room, threw away the key, and started writing the first draft of the script.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It all made sense to me, the sound issues were also apparent to me, but to be entirely honest I kind of just got tired of trying to make the film exactly perfect and figured it was better to release it now or otherwise it will just never get released, and the time I spend trying to make this slightly better could be time I spend on the next project. Overall, I’m happy with how the film turned out.

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EP. 1392: Filmmaker Gurjoeth Singh Bassra (SECRET IDENTITY)

Matthew Toffolo

LIVE FROM THE GENEVA!, 13min,. USA
Directed by Nick Leahy
Amidst the hysteria of the Red Scare in 1953 Chicago, a nightclub staff becomes entangled in a political scandal when their star performer’s iconic red-and-gold pocket square becomes the focal point of media chaos.

https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1295719-live-from-the-geneva
https://www.instagram.com/livefromthegeneva/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to write a story that tackled themes of misinformation on the Internet, and especially how they influence our beliefs socially, politically, and economically. And I wanted to sort of find a good way to wake people up to sort of what’s been going on around them by comparing that period in which we live in today to that of the Red Scare, and sort of show a compare and contrast between what we know as a terrible period of American history and the Red Scare, and sort of seeing if there is anything we can really learn from it and apply to towards misinformation online today in order to not repeat the same mistakes that we may have already learned in the past.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was kind of crazy, because I hadn’t heard direct feedback before from people outside my friends and family, so I was a little nervous to see what people would say. But generally, the comments were very nice, and people said that they liked a lot of the stylistic choices and themes. They liked the creativity behind the project, which I am really grateful for. I think I got my message across in a good way. So that’s always good news. And yeah, I just appreciated all the kind words.

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EP. 1391: Filmmaker Nick Leahy (LIVE FROM THE GENEVA!)

Matthew Toffolo

HONORABLE, 16min., USA
Directed by Zachary Scott Clark, Mariah L. Richardson
Two months after he denounces the Nation of Islam and nine months before his assassination, MALCOLM X SHABAZZ has a chance encounter with his estranged brother and mentee MUHAMMAD ALI.

https://linktr.ee/Honorablefilm
https://www.facebook.com/Honorablefilm
https://www.instagram.com/honorablefilm/

Get to know writer/producer/actor Mia Bible:

What motivated you to make this film?

My need to create for creation’s sake and grief. The idea of “Honorable” began as a 3-minute scene where Ali & Malcolm X would simply have a conversation. The plan was for me to write it and Jason Little who plays Malcolm X in the film and Zach Clark who portrays Muhammad Ali to star in it. All three of us just worked together on a play called “The Meeting,” and it was super successful so I was condent in what they could do. However, in the same year I was dreaming this up, I was also processing the death of my friend, who was also an actor, my first producing partner, and 27 when he passed. I knew nothing about Ali and Malcolm’s brotherhood, but once I began researching it, I came across Ali’s quote in his autobiography and it triggered deep sorrow and and a desire for Asa to have a second chance at life. I wrote to get it out.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your lm in the feedback video?

I stopped breathing. I cried then I thanked God.

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EP. 1390 - Writer/Producer/Actor Mia Bible (HONORABLE)

Matthew Toffolo

Watch the 1st scene script reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urypTjeGVRY

After a twister rips a biker bar from its foundation, two rival biker gangs crash land in the mythical land of L. Frank Baum’s tales. Thinking they know the story, the two foes quickly unite, but encounter forces that they don’t know as well as they thought. In this Adult Swim style animated show, think of Sons of Anarchy surviving the twisted land of Oz. May also be live action.

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EP. 1389 - Screenwriters Drew Henriksen, Ken Hewski (BOZ: Bikers of Oz)

Matthew Toffolo

WIN/WIN, 5min., USA
Directed by Rafael Puga Valega
A group of friends gathers to drink beer and play cards after their national football team suffers a tough defeat in a tournament. While playing one of them mentions an interesting idea on how to confront the team situation

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32642576/?ref_=hm_rvi_tt_t_1

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I basically wanted to start my first steps as a filmmaker with a short film that wasn’t difficult (or too difficult) to produce and that also had a short runtime. This story fitted well with that.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was afraid of hearing them at first, but I had already seen the film had won an award for best story so I felt they were going to be mostly positive. And I was glad after hearing them most of the time! Still I have to admit I heard them in low volume for the first time just in case hahaha. But I think that’s my way when dealing with reactions or reviews.

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EP. 1388 - Filmmaker Rafael Puga Valega (WIN/WIN)

Matthew Toffolo

AN ADVERT FOR ONE NIGHT, 15min,. UK
Directed by Graham Birch
Lisa responds to a newspaper advert to meet Sarah in a hotel room for a night. They meet and have a wonderful night that sadly uncovers that one was badly abused and the other is currently suffering serious mental and physical bullying from a partner. Will this allow them to bond? What will they do?

What motivated you to make this film?

My friend was going through an abusive relationship at the time and it was terrifying. He was psychologically destroyed. So I flipped it to the more common female perspective as it is simply not acceptable. Domestic abuse isn’t just physical. It’s wider than that and destroys people.

I also wanted to highlight the dangers of getting drunk and thinking you are in control of a situation. I want people to watch the film and maybe question if they should go home with that person. Particularly when you are young and at a night club. I always tried not to let my friends go off alone (male or female) as there are people who are simply not good.

I also wanted to create a film of exquisite beauty and use the lighting to enhance everything. You’ll notice that the colours change in the film, sometimes suddenly, sometimes from scene to scene. Showing differing emotions and settings.

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EP. 1387 - Filmmaker Graham Birch (AN ADVERT FOR ONE NIGHT)

Matthew Toffolo

LOW DOWN LARRY CONQUERS THE MOON MEN, 4min., USA
Directed by Sammy Verni
At the height of the Space Race in July 1969, Larry Johnson and his trusty sidekick Spike, endeavor to be the first man (and dog) to set foot (and paw) on the Moon.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Low Down Larry Conquers the Moon Men is the first in a series of shorts that I have made based on a comic book character I used to draw when I was about ten years old. I see it as a love letter to that time in my life, as well as an homage to sci fi b movies, classic stop motion and the Saturday morning cartoons that I grew up with.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was happy to see the reviewers understood the style, the inspiration and the humor of the film. They even made me aware of some plot points and themes I hadn’t even considered when I was creating the story!

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EP. 1386 - Filmmaker Sammy Verni (LOW DOWN LARRY CONQUERS THE MOON MEN)

Matthew Toffolo

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cldgPYKZKnY

Get to know the screenwriter:

What is your screenplay about?
The central topic is a wildfire that grows uncontrollably, generating its own micro-weather followed by a downburst, which spreads destructive and fast winds of fire, while different civil defense officers try to fight it and save lives. It is a multicharacter plot, focusing on different layers of drama. At the same time, it’s also a conspiracy thriller, as a journalist tries to uncover the causes behind it.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Action, thriller, drama

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
First if all, it’s full of action and drama, possibly the main “ingredients” of any Hollywood blockbuster. Then, it’s a genuine, dramatic and heroic story with uncommon elements: wildfires are rarely depicted in movies; and, the story, which may seem incredible and fictional, was actually based on true events that no one could ever predict. So, if I do say so myself, I think it would be a great movie, something between “Band of Brothers” and “Dante’s Peak”.

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EP. 1385 - Screenwriter Carlos Galinho (DOWNBURST)

Matthew Toffolo

12 ANGRY LESBIANS, 22min,. Canada

Directed by Patrice Leung

A comedic riff on '12 Angry Men' set in the early 1990s, featuring a group of lesbians stuck in their team's annual softball meeting. This short film explores the diversity within 'diversity', and its tortuous need for democracy to triumph at all costs.

Conversation with Patrice Leung about her foray into narrative short film after an unbelievable 40-year career as a First Assistant Director.

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EP. 1384 - Filmmaker Patrice Leung (12 ANGRY LESBIANS)

Matthew Toffolo

VOICES FOR MADIDI, 24min., Canada
Directed by Jonathan Derksen
Bolivia’s Madidi National Park is considered to be the most biodiverse place on planet earth. The Uchupiamonas people, who call the park home, are in a constant battle against forces eager to exploit the protected area for its hydroelectric potential, hardwoods and gold. In this documentary, we hear from of the eco-warriors at the front lines.

https://www.instagram.com/jonathanderksen/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The Madidi area of the Bolivian Amazon is perhaps the most biodiverse place on earth. I first visited the area in 1982 as a teenager, when a group of friends and I ventured down the Beni River in a motorized dugout canoe during the rainy season, only to almost meet our fate in deadly rapids, whirl pools and a maze of giant tree snags. Fortunately, we were taken in by some Moseten hunters, who fed us and gave us shelter until the rains abated and we could carry on.

I returned to the area in the nineties as a photojournalist on a national parks beat, then, in 2007 as an expedition leader. In 2008, I filmed with National Geographic on Bolivia’s infamous “Death Road” traversing the Andes to the Amazon. In 2016 and 2017, I worked on a coffee table book “Madidi: an uncertain future” with photographer Sergio Ballivian.

On each expedition, I interacted with the extraordinary Uchupiamonas people, who taught me the ways of the jungle and the profound importance of protecting such unparalleled biodiversity. They also educated me about the various existential threats to the region and its indigenous people. This lit a fire under me.

In 2023, I returned with a film crew in hopes of bringing their story to the rest of the world, culminating in “Voices for Madidi”, a bilingual expression of the eco-warriors serving the front lives of a little-publicized battle.

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EP. 1383 - Filmmaker Jonathan Derksen (VOICES FOR MADIDI)

Matthew Toffolo

SKATE FAST TURN LEFT, 1min., USA
Directed by Mary Hawkins
Two friends, Fifi Fleshwound and Little Mary Switchblade, have a quick conversation about their roller derby years…

http://tookaturn.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thngstookaturn/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My friend Andrea came up with Things Took a Turn, and I’d wanted to submit ever since I’d heard about it. It’s an animation anthology for women and gender minorities, and it just sounded like good weird fun… I told Fifi about it, since I’m not a writer-of-things and she is, and we chatted a bunch about ways to react to the prompt for that season: the End of the World. We’d meet in a diner, talk for about fifteen minutes about how we were going to approach the project and then veer off into old derby gossip. Eventually, I told her that we needed to nail things down and while we were at it… why didn’t we make the film about us and our experiences. We’d been coming up with little fictional scenarios, but our actual experience was better and more interesting. We’d put years of work into roller derby. It’s an all-consuming hobby and a really interesting community.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I loved the reactions! People put so much love and thought into their feedback and I really enjoyed hearing what they had to say, especially since most of the people who’ve talked to me about my film have been people I already have a connection to, either because they’re friends or also played roller derby or live in NYC. To see that total strangers were also interested in my film and really got what it was about really made my morning. My movie is only 45 seconds long. so nearly any description of the film is longer than the film itself.

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EP. 1382 - Fifi Fleshwound/Erin Knitis & Little Mary Switchblade/Mary Hawkins (SKATE FAST TURN LEFT)

Matthew Toffolo

SEQUOIA SPIRITS, 12min., USA
Directed by Cherie Carson, David Creech
“Sequoia Spirits” is a playful vertical dance film which peers deep into the heart and soul of a Redwood Grove. Under the great canopy of California’s majestic coastal giants, we get a glimpse into the elements that bring life to the woods – fire, water and earth.

http://www.upswingaerialdance.org/
https://www.facebook.com/UpSwingAerialDanceCompany/
https://twitter.com/cc_upswing
https://www.instagram.com/upswingaerial

Get to know the filmmakers:

What motivated you to make this film?

Cherie- The desire to bring awareness to the beautiful Redwoods and to create and share vertical dance merging art and nature.

David – As an artist and filmmaker, it is great fun as well as a great challenge to combine film with other art forms. It is so satisfying when all the elements come together and magic happens.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Cherie- Wonderfully surprised, happy that it resonated with the audience so well

David- I was pleased to see and hear how much thought went into the viewers answers. I felt proud that they actually felt the way I had hoped they would after watching the film. My definition of successful Art.

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EP. 1381 - Filmmakers Cherie Carson, David Creech (SEQUOIA SPIRITS)

Matthew Toffolo

Hannah Enhman chats with Canadian actor J.C. Williams about his leading role in the feature film “Home Swiss Home”.

HOME SWISS HOME, 72min., Switzerland
Directed by Geert Smets
Mike, a defiant New Yorker, is left by his girlfriend Julie, who argues that he doesn't have the necessary means to provide for the future family she so desperately wants. Determined to win her back, he sets out to secure his long-awaited promotion.

Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/

Watch Hannah’s national commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman

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EP. 1380 - (WILDsound Actors Podcast) J.C. Williams (HOME SWISS HOME)

Matthew Toffolo

DARK CIRCLES, 4min., USA
Directed by Suswana Chowdhury
“Dark Circles” is a surrealist short poetry film directed and produced by Suswana Chowdhury, and written by Jean-Sebastien Surena.

Get to know the writer Jean-Sebastien Surena & director Suswana Chowdhury:

What motivated you to make this film?

Jean: Sometimes I write poems that I feel beg to be consumed in a different medium. This is a piece I’ve very seldom read out loud, and have never published anywhere. The moment it was written, I knew I wanted to visualize it in some way. I sat on it for a long time, as I don’t like to rush into projects that extend to mediums I’m not as well versed in. But once I started collaborating with Suswana on other projects, and saw the care with which she handles my work, I knew it was only a matter of time until I’d finally be able to bring this work onto the screen.

Suswana: After Jean and I made our first poetry film together, “Unbroken,” we were ready to make more. I’ve always been interested in creating interdisciplinary art as I grew up creating in all these separate mediums – theater, film, poetry, dance, photography – and I wanted to explore where and how these forms can intersect. “Dark Circles” was an opportunity to translate Jean’s beautiful poetic language into cinematic language and push the visual and sonic artistry further than we did with our first project.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Jean: My first thought upon hearing the feedback was “they get it.” Which was so important to me, because I know my words will always make more sense in my head than on paper. One of the challenges of a poet is conveying at least some of what you’re thinking to a reader/listener. And I’m grateful to have had an audience that gets it, and was moved by not just the words, but the entirety of our presentation.

Suswana: To be completely honest, I started tearing up after hearing the first person speak about the film. To know that the intentions of the project really came through and resonated with the audience made me feel like okay, I’m not crazy. Well, I am crazy, but it’s good crazy.

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EP. 1379 - Writer Jean-Sebastien Surena & Director Suswana Chowdhury (DARK CIRCLES)

Matthew Toffolo