CHRISTMAS CREW, 7min., Canada
Directed by Moumita Das
“Christmas Crew – A Story About Collective Kindness” is a heartwarming documentary that follows the inspiring journey of John and Junie White, affectionately known as the Christmas Crew. What began as a simple act of generosity in their living room has blossomed into a remarkable community tradition, transforming the lives of many in Cape Breton’s Sydney and Glace Bay areas.

https://www.facebook.com/dasmoumita

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I am always drawn to human interest stories. They captivate me because of their realness, and I find immense joy in discovering and sharing the stories of real-life heroes. By pure coincidence, I came across the Christmas Crew, a group of kind-hearted people who spread joy during the holiday season by providing turkey dinners to those in need. Their generosity and compassion inspired me to create a film that would tell their story and share it with the world.

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

The audience feedback was invaluable. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who took the time to watch and review my film. I was overjoyed that they appreciated my work, and winning the Best Human Interest Film award, as chosen by the audience, was a truly humbling experience.

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DIPPERS IN THE ALTAI IV; EMERGENCE OF THE CHICKS, 54min., UK
Directed by Andrew Laurie
In the course of his work as a wildlife conservation advisor to the Mongolian government, Andrew Laurie followed up on a childhood fascination with White-throated Dippers on the Teme near Ludlow, by finding out more about their lives in the Altai Mountains. Now resident in Cambridge, Andrew has made four films on Dippers in Mongolia – covering nest-building, incubation, feeding of the chicks in the nest, and this, the most recent one (2023) on the emergence of the chicks and their early lives on the river.

https://www.youtube.com/@andrewlaurie64/featured

Get to know the filmmaker:

Early experience and fascination with the White-throated Dipper in UK as a schoolboy led me to search for its breeding sites in the Mongolian Altai when there on an assignment much later in life – because although sigthings were common, particularly in winter on unfrozen streams, the local ornithologists did not know where it bred.

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WHERE THE ROPE ENDS, 70min., USA
Directed by Baylee Sinner
In her relentless pursuit of happiness, Nichole found herself drawn to the exhilarating realm of canyoneering. Little did she know that this new daring interest would lead to a life-altering 60-foot fall, during which she would catch a glimpse of the happiness she was chasing.

http://www.wheretheropeends.com/
http://www.facebook.com/wheretheropeends
http://www.twitter.com/wtredocumentary
https://instagram.com/wheretheropeends

Get to know the filmmaker:

I met Nichole in a 6-month yoga teacher training program. At the time, I was destressing from my commercial advertising job and she had just got in the accident and was in a wheelchair, and looking for a way to get outside of her body and connect with others. I learned more about her story and was fascinated with her as a person. Within 10 minutes of our first conversation, we started talking about making a 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.

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MITTI (Discovering Ikigai), 30min., Canada
Directed by Sangita Iyer
Mitti (Discovering Ikigai) is a story of young woman of colour in Canada who chose organic farming as her career choice. Through her story the film highlights the Japanese concept of Ikigai to inspire others, especially youth, to find their passion and purpose in life. The film also highlights environmental and sustainability challenges the world is facing and how ancient cultures considered Mother Earth with gratitude instead of a commodity. The film also attempts to break stereotypes we have about how/what a farmer looks like. The film poster has been conceived and created by at 12 year art enthusiast who seems to have discovered her Ikigai.

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

Get to know the filmmaker:

Several reasons actually.
This is one of the topics I am passionate about because culturally I was raised to have a sense of gratitude towards Mother Earth who is considered a life giver, the one who nourishes and sustains us and is worshipped as a Divine Mother. As a mother myself, I believe knowing where our food comes from, learning how to grow our own food and being connected to nature is really important for our future generations because as a society we seem to be getting more and more disconnected from nature. When I formed my production company Mettle Films, it was born with a vision of making films for a cause. Films that are simple, yet thought provoking stories of people, places and things which could also be utilized as a learning resource by schools and parents. I also decided to tell this story to support a local young female farmer, and by showcasing her journey, my hope is to empower others to discover their Ikigai.

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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ROOMMATES, 9min., USA
Directed by J Brooke, Beatrice Alda
After completing lengthy prison terms (for murder and arson, respectively), two women forge a strong bond within a nursing home catering to the formerly incarcerated. Creating a positive present tense in the wake of complicated pasts, these survivors cling to simplicity, routine, and each other.

Get to know the filmmakers:

I (Beatrice) have a strong interest in prison reform. I had read a local CT article about this nursing home that serves the formerly incarcerated – and they are the only ones in the country doing so- filling an enormous whole in the realm of post-incarceration issues.

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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CHERUBIM, 17min., Ukraine
Directed by Evgeniy Matvienko
«VARTA» is a series of documentary novellas about the Ukrainian military, created by the authorial team of filmmakers called NEUTRINO. Since the full-scale invasion of russia of Ukraine, the team has been documenting the military events and telling the stories of our soldiers.

Get to know the filmmaker:
There is a war in the country, people are dying every day, our military are dying. I am tired of hearing about heroes only after their deaths, and I decided to change this, namely to make a film about the inner world of our fighters, and show the whole world their brave look, deep soul and sincere desire to live in peace. To document real people who resist evil and protect us, civilians. We want people to be able to see heroes when they are alive, not when they die, so that over time our generations can see those who have kept peace in our homes.

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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MR. BULLOCH: CHICAGO’S DONUT KING, 5min., USA
Directed by Claude Edward Fethiere
This short film celebrates Mr. Buritt Bulloch the successful owner of Old Fashioned Donuts Incorporated, a business which has thrived in the financially blighted Chicago south side neighborhood of Roseland for over 50 years.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I was motivated to make this film because in a world were food is ordered on kiosks, and mass produced by machines, seeing Mr. Bulloch hand make delicious masterpieces every day is a breath of fresh ( baked,raised, and fried ; ) ) air. I wanted to celebrate Mr. Bulloch’s artistry, resilience, wisdom, and charm.

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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MAKING USA ENAMEL, 17min,. USA
Directed by Regan Vasquez
The documentary “Making USA Enamel” takes viewers on a three-year journey to bring colorful enameling to US soil—in the middle of a global pandemic, too. Meet the people of Lodge Cast Iron who helped create USA Enamel™ in this documentary by Regan Vasquez, featuring interviews with leadership and employees from across Lodge, as well as footage from Lodge foundries and the enameling facility.

http://lodgecastiron.com/
https://facebook.com/lodgecastiron
https://twitter.com/lodgecastiron
https://instagram.com/lodgecastiron

Get to know the filmmaker:

In January of 2020, I had been working for Lodge Cast Iron a little over a year and was approached about this documentary. The film explores this, but essentially, USA Enamel was something our company had wanted to do for so many years and I was so excited to be given the opportunity to share that story with our audience. This isn’t a space that many people know too much about so the chance to highlight the people behind this product was very cool. I had no idea we’d be living and working through a global pandemic soon after—plus, so many other obstacles would come our way during the process—but as a team we kept persevering and finally ended up where we are today with a product line we’re so proud of and a documentary, too! I’m really grateful I was able to give such visibility into how something that we use in our home every single day was made.

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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GREENFINGERS, 16min., UK, Documentary
Directed by Max Hayes
Following fateful scientific reports, protestors pose the argument for a better future against the vested interest of industry. Small to large, individual to collective, where do I fit into this?

Get to know the filmmaker:

I knew throughout my Middlesex University Film BA that I wanted my final year project to be a documentary. Climate activism is a subject that I’m existentially tied to but I didn’t think I was well connected enough to make a film on it. When I fully considered how I wanted to use my time in education I decided to go for it, commit to researching environmentalism and hope that the experience could make a story.

I found that media coverage is set up to make activists defend their actions; whilst this is an important question to ask, I found this necessitates the activists to be combative towards the interviewer and I wanted to use my film to show their genuine humanity that may not be captured on the news.

I’ve studied Berthold Brecht and believe that addressing the audience directly and taking them out of the illusion of a film is important to communicate a political message. Barbara Kruger and Shepard Fairey’s bold work appealed to me as something that is both political, visually captivating and could be used to break my project up into chapters. They all motivated me to add a more experimental artistic side to the documentary.

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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Braving the realities of the harsh Montana winter and changing hunting regulations, hobby and career biologists track and study wolves in the Northern Tier of Yellowstone National Park. While the fate of wolves remains uncertain, the devotion and passion of Yellowstone’s Wolf Watchers are always a constant.

https://www.instagram.com/wolfwatchersdoc/

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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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.

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THE SAVIOR OF CONEY ISLAND played to rave reviews at the June 2022 Toronto Documentary Film Festival.

https://www.filmsbygarybeeber.com/savior

“Meet Dick Zigun, “Honorary Mayor of Coney Island” and learn about the beginnings of Coney Island USA. Under Dick, Coney Island USA developed and produced a number of beloved summer programs including the Mermaid Parade and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow.”

Conversation with Gary Beeber about the making of the film and why he made it.

Watch film 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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SPEAK KDSK was the winner of BEST SHORT FORM SHORT FILM at the May 2022 Toronto Documentary Festival.

“This short documentary film pays tribute to the great painter Wassily Kandinsky, illustrating the fruition of his work, his artistic uniqueness and some stories of his life through animation.”

Ileana Dana Darie is a professor of 3D animation and traditional animation at NAD School since 2007. She started her 3D animation career in 1999 in charge of rigging. In August of 2008 she debuted her film “Abstract Trilogy” at the World Film Festival in Montreal. Her second short animation “The cage that is my beauty” received two international awards in 2010 and 2011, and played in numerous festivals around the world.

Go to 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.

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PANDALAND: MAKING IT COUNT was the winner of BEST FILM at the June 2022 Toronto DOCUMENTARY Film Festival.

https://www.instagram.com/davisphotog727

“PANDALAND:  Making IT Count” is about how children become engaged and learn to grapple with big social issues. The filmmaker accomplishes this by encouraging playful exploration in a multi-media installation of 70+ toy pandas she created in her neighbourhood. The vibe of the film is lighthearted and optimistic. As the children initiate an election on behalf of the pandas, their experience embodies community building, demonstrates acts of civic engagement and conveys the important message that, by working together, even young children can effect change.  The film is a life-affirming tribute to kids’ compassion and the birth of their activism!”

Go to 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.

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JOHN POP’S STORY played to rave reviews at the May 2022 Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

https://www.morganemlyn.com/filmography

“A short documentary following the story of John Davies and his experience working within the Welsh mines.”

Conversation with director Morgan Emlyn Thomas 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.

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ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the April 2022 Toronto DOCUMENTARY Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

“Faced with the possibility of her son Nicholas dying from intractable epilepsy, Dr. Jennifer Anderson, a Canadian physician and single mother of three, decides to treat her own child with cannabis. With the treatment, Nicholas goes from 3-4 seizures an hour, and in a near catatonic state, to playing with his twin brother and older sister, participating in life, and no longer needing emergency admissions to hospital.”

Conversation with Chase Gouthro 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.

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REPAIR UP THERE is a short documentary film that follows a group of Wind Turbine Blade Repair Rope Access Technicians that travel around the world and by utilizing Rope access repair wind turbine blades.

This short documentary follows one crew as they complete a fiberglass repair on a wind turbine for Invenergy on a wind farm in Snyder Texas.

Conversation with director Michael Barry & producer John Adams 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.

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Jonothon Lyons is an off-broadway performer with a very New York alter ego: “Buddy the Rat.” A short film about Jonothon/Buddy called “The Face Behind the Rat” (dir. Emma Keatley) played at the Documentary Shorts Festival in March 2022.

Wonderful conversation with Jonothon about creating “Buddy the Rat” and the day in the life of the character he plays throughout New York City.

https://twitter.com/jonothonlyons

https://www.instagram.com/jonothonlyons

https://www.tiktok.com/@jonothonlyons

https://www.instagram.com/jonothonlyons

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day on Sunday March 27th. 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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THE FACE BEHIND THE RAT played at the February 2022 Toronto Documentary Film Festival.

Performance Artist, Jonothon Lyons, tells his story behind the face of his Tik Tok famous character, Buddy the Rat. https://www.tiktok.com/@jonothonlyons

Conversation with NYU Student filmmaker Emma Keatley on the making of the film.

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.

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NO SMALL DREAMS was the winner of BEST FILM at the February 2022 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival.

http://www.newstorycharity.org/

”After a trip to Haiti, where he saw thousands living in unimaginable conditions, young entrepreneur Brett was shaken. Upon his return, Brett met Alexandria, an inner-city educator recovering from a devastating loss, and Matthew, a tech-savvy social impact advocate. The three bonded over a belief that the shelter crisis needed new solutions, and despite their qualifications, they set out to change the narrative for thousands of families in need.”

Conversation with director Nathan Bach on the making of the film.

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