MASTER SENSEI, 20min., Denmark
Directed by Theis Gavnbo Holmstrup

Written by Jes Bergholt Bach
The world-famous elite soldier Master Sensei decides to blow himself up after a series of public scandals have destroyed his career. However, his plan is put on hold when he meets the young boy scout “Piggy”, who is in desperate need of help. Piggy is harassed by the excentric bully and influencer, Lanky Lenny, who has stolen Piggy’s braces in an attempt to shake him down. Master Sensei must now go on one last mission, so he can help Piggy retrieve his braces and stand up against the evil tormentor Lanky Lenny.

https://styrvolt.dk/projekter/mastersensei

Get to know the filmmaker:

We started planting the seeds for this film back in the summer of 2021. Back then we were brainstorming on a tv show, about a boy who was training to become a local justice warrior, through an online YouTube course. That course was held by Master Sensei, and he was supposed to be a side character on the show. The show didn’t get picked up (who knows what might happen in the future), and we retooled it into a short film that incidentally sort of works as a prequel. We wrote a synopsis for the short film in April 2022, then we got the funding and started shooting in September 2022. The film was completed in February 2023.

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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VELA, 15min., Canada, Drama/Horror
Directed by Esteban Powell
Young Xime hopes to restore her family by arranging a Día de Los Muertos altar – meanwhile a looming presence closes in.

https://www.instagram.com/vela_shortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:
A: What motivated me to make this film was my personal experience with grief, and contextualizing it with my Mexican heritage. Merging the deeply personal subject matter, with the folk tale I grew up hearing felt like the right way to process and share how something seemingly dark can transform in our minds into something positive – no matter how painful. And how better to (re)explore that than through the eyes of a child protagonist again? Vela became a cathartic way to portray a short chapter in the tale of an immigrant Mexican family in Canada, and how through reconnecting with their roots, they can find a spiritually fulfilling transformation.

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

• Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook