WILDsound's The Film Podcast

Screenplay Writing, WritingMatthew ToffoloOctober 30, 2024Mary Oleske, THE LAWS OF THE GODS, screenwriter, writer, Matthew Toffolo

EP. 1341 - Screenwriter E. Wendell, R. M. Olivier (MINA PLAYS THE GAME)

Watcth the screenplay reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsW9eL6aqck

A woman plays a poker game for a second shot at life, but what are the stakes and what is the real prize?

(NOTE: Podcast stopped abruptly due to a power outage.)

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feature screenplay, Independent Film, Matthew Toffolo, Screenplay WritingMatthew ToffoloOctober 30, 2024E. Wendell, R. M. Olivier, Matthew Toffolo, MINA PLAYS THE GAME, screenwriter, writer, screenplay

EP. 1336 - Screenwriter Mel Masry (SHADOWS OF STARDOM)

Watch Best Scene Screenplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX2e0_LBGVI

“Shadows of Stardom” (Inspired by True Events) is a screenplay that follows the journey of Jack, a middle-aged man with unfulfilled dreams of acting and dancing. The story delves into the stark contrast between Jack’s vivid dream sequences, where he experiences success and fulfillment, and the harsh realities of his daily life in his dimly lit living room. Through a series of poignant scenes, Jack grapples with perseverance, resilience, and the pursuit of his passions as he navigates the challenges of pursuing his artistic ambitions. The screenplay explores themes of longing, disappointment, and determination, offering a character-driven narrative that resonates with the complexities of human experience.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay, Shadows of Stardom, is inspired by true events and explores the intense pressures and hidden struggles of an up-and-coming actor in the entertainment industry. It delves into themes of ambition, identity, and the cost of fame, as the protagonist navigates the fine line between personal integrity and the seductive allure of stardom.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Shadows of Stardom offers a fresh and poignant look at the entertainment industry, providing an introspective and authentic portrayal of the challenges faced by actors behind the scenes. It speaks to universal themes of ambition, self-discovery, and the human cost of success, making it a story that resonates with a wide audience. Additionally, the script’s blend of drama and psychological tension, grounded in real-life experiences, makes it a compelling piece for the big screen.

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http://www.vanstralenwrites.com/

Writing, Screenplay Writing, screenplay contestsMatthew ToffoloOctober 23, 2024Mel Masry (SHADOWS OF STARDOM), screenwriter, writer, experimental, Matthew Toffolo

EP. 1321 - Screenwriter Beckett Van Stralen (ENGINE OF EVIL)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9umcIT1JMg

A sixteen year old receives an old car as a birthday gift from his stepfather. When he drives it for the first time, he realizes it isn’t powered by conventional gasoline – but instead, an engine of pure evil.

https://twitter.com/vanstral

Get to know the writer:

Engine of Evil is about a belligerent 16 year old who receives a car for his birthday. Only instead of being ecstatic like most 16 year olds would be to receive such a gift, he doesn’t appreciate it. Little does he know that what powers the car is anything but ordinary – instead, it’s an engine powered by pure evil.

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http://www.amoreperfectunion.co/
https://Moreperfectunion@facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/louisaluxentertainment/

film and television, feature screenplay, Matthew Toffolo, screenplay contests, Screenplay WritingMatthew ToffoloSeptember 4, 2024ENGINE OF EVIL, beckett van stralen, screenwriter, Matthew Toffolo, writer

EP. 1318 - Screenwriter Rebecca Day Robinson (TAMARA’S ESCAPE)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/tamaras-escape-pilot

In 2052 after the dissolution of the United States 30 years earlier, a young woman, 17 year-old Tamara O’Neal, is smuggled out of the Confederacy to New Albion, liberal bastion based in the Colorado Rockies, to what her father thinks is safety. After a difficult transition to life in New Albion and multiple threats from mysterious forces, Tamara becomes radicalized and vows, with the help of her new friends, to burn down the system.

Get to know the screenwriter:
Tamara’s Escape is the first part of my larger story, More Perfect Union, which jumps between 2020 and 2052 in a post-Civil War North America. Tamara’s Escape, set in 2052, is how a spoiled, entitled young woman, Tamara O’Neal, is smuggled out of ConFed or the Confederacy by her parents, who, after the tragic death of Tamara’s sister, realize that her future safety is imperiled and send her to New Albion, the utopian Colorado-based country that was carved out of the United States at the end of the Civil War in 2020.

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Independent Film, Screenplay Writing, screenplay contests, WritingMatthew ToffoloAugust 27, 2024TAMARA’S ESCAPE, Rebecca Day Robinson, screenwriting, writer, screenplay, Matthew Toffolo

EP. 1313 - Writer/Producer Jony Yuwono (SHADOW OF THE LIGHT)

SHADOW OF THE LIGHT, 7min,. Indonesia

Directed by Tono Wisnu

This short film tells the journey of three generations traditional puppet master and his struggle to preserve the ancient craft of Wayang Kulit (Javanese traditional shadow puppetry).

Interview with writer/producer Jony Yuwono

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http://www.alandavidpritchard.com/

Film Festival, film and television, Film of the Day, filmmaking, Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloAugust 27, 2024SHADOW OF THE LIGHT, Jony Yuwono, writer, producer, experimental, music

EP. 1307 - Screenwriter Alan David Pritchard (THE PEBBLE CHAMPION)

Watch best scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V89jjei3FHI

When a grieving teenage boy, sent to live with the father he’s never met, is haunted by memories and wrestling with his identity, it takes the magic of pebbles on water and the transformative power of kind friends to help him accept his past and welcome his future.

https://www.facebook.com/PoetryByAlanDavidPritchard/

Get to know the screenwriter:

The story centers around Chris, a 15-year-old who’s really struggling after his mother’s sudden death in a car accident. He’s forced to relocate to this quiet island off the south coast of England, where he has to begin a new relationship with his estranged father. He also ends up forming a close friendship with Thane, one of his new classmates. Thane becomes this kind of anchor for Chris as he tries to navigate this new, unfamiliar environment.

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Matthew ToffoloAugust 26, 2024Alan David Pritchard (THE PEBBLE CHAMPION), screenwriter, writer, screenplay

EP. 1299 - Screenwriter Frank Borne (NO WORDS)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2NTuJ462gA

With the exception of Grace Hart, students of Lexington Academy perform tunes at a fall concert. When she’s suspended, her divorced parents, Adam and Emma, squabble over the cause of her mutism. The Harts have attempted to put their divorce behind them, each with younger lovers, Emma with hunky Owen, Adam with law school student Dennis. However, Emma’s depression over the divorce persists, while Adam, committed to Dennis, has difficulty expressing affection for him in public.

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Matthew Toffolo, Screenplay Writing, WritingMatthew ToffoloAugust 16, 2024Frank Borne (NO WORDS), screeenwriter, writer, Matthew Toffolo

EP. 1295 - Screenwriter Carlos Gabriel Ruiz (Galentine's Day)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/galentines-day

After finding her fiance with another woman, Lisa and her friends all head on vacation together to celebrate Galentine's Day. However, they were not prepared for the dangers they came to face.

Get to know the writer:

Valentine's Day is etched in Lisa's memory as a day of betrayal. Four years ago, she embarked on a journey through a relentless snowstorm to surprise her fiancé, Jim, only to stumble upon a scene that shattered her – Jim with another woman.

In the wake of that devastating revelation, Lisa's friends — Debbie, Mandy, Jenny, and Katie — fashioned Galentine's Day, a cherished retreat where solidarity among the women reigns supreme. But nothing lasts forever. This is the final Galentine's Day because the women each have busy lives and romantic partners they'd rather spend Valentine's Day with. So the women get together for one last hurrah at a secluded lake house in the Ozarks.

Ultimately, Galentine's Day is about friendship, love, betrayal, and how people slowly grow apart and change, no matter how hard they try to stick together.

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https://www.instagram.com/irene_stepanenko/

Matthew ToffoloAugust 7, 2024Carlos Gabriel Ruiz (Galentine's Day)\, screenwriter, writer, writing, matthew toffolo

EP. 1294 - Writer/Actor Irene Stepanenko (THE LETTER)

THE LETTER, 6min., USA
Directed by Ruben Rodas
A daughter comes to terms with the loss of her father with a heartfelt farewell letter …

http://skyframepictures.com/

Get to know writer/actor Irene Stepanenko:
My motivation to create this film stemmed from a deep desire to honor my father for the immense love, care, and unwavering support he provided me throughout my life.
The idea for the film came to me two months after my father’s passing on May 26, 2021. I wrote the script as a monologue on July 27, 2021—our shared birthday. That day, alone in a Dallas hotel, I began writing a heartfelt letter to him, which later became the script. I held onto the monologue for a couple of years. When I shared it with my dear friend Ruben, a talented producer and videographer, he immediately connected with my vision. Our collaborative efforts led us to shoot the film at a beautiful location by the end of last summer. Overall, the journey from concept to completion took about two years.

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Acting, film and television, Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmakingMatthew ToffoloAugust 7, 2024Irene Stepanenko (THE LETTER), writer, actor, Matthew Toffolo, poem movie

EP. 1288 - Screenwriter Cory David Bortnicker (MY NAME IS JONAS)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWx2x_ogn58

A young gay songwriter in the grip of meth addiction must face his past when he learns he is actually a prophet who must save New York City from Judgement Day.

Get to know the writer:

My Name Is Jonas tells the story of a young gay songwriter in the throes of crystal meth addiction who gets a second chance at life when he meets God and learns that he’s actually a prophet. It’s a modern retelling of the Book of Jonah based on my own experiences as a person in recovery. The pilot episode introduces us to Jonas on his first day in rehab where he tries to convince his counselors that he’s a prophet who has been sent on a mission from God to save New York City from Judgment Day.

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Screenplay Writing, screenplay contests, WritingMatthew ToffoloJuly 28, 2024MY NAME IS JONAS, Cory David Bortnicker, screenwritter, writer, Matthew Toffolo

EP. 1283 - Actor/Producer/Writer Oliver de la Harpe (PARROT)

PARROT, 24min,. Canada
Directed by Cameron Faulkner
After forcibly being sold a parrot, Ollie is thrust into a surprise birthday party hosted by his roommates. The night spirals into chaos as he tries to regain control and sort his life out. Based on an unbelievable true story.

https://www.instagram.com/parrotfilmofficial/

Get to know Oliver de la Harpe:

Covid is the short answer. Charles (co-writer) and I were isolated across continents and in many FaceTime conversations we finally started to commit to a film project we had been talking about for a few years. It lived mainly as a script we would work on until Charles showed it to our director Cameron for notes. To which he signed on immediately and said he wanted to shoot. From there the only question was when.

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Acting, Directing, film and television, Film Festival, Film of the Day, Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloJuly 27, 2024Oliver de la Harpe (PARROT), writer, producer, actor, Matthew Toffolo, wildsound, filmmaker

EP. 1267 - Screenwriter Kristine Spindler Denton (WHAT ARE BEST FRIENDS FOR?)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG9Sloz1fUg

A woman who ran away from her past discovers that you can’t, as it catches up to her and drops off a 5 year old on her doorstep which forces her to grow up, face her past and move forward more honestly.

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Matthew Toffolo, screenplay contests, Screenplay Writing, WritingMatthew ToffoloJune 22, 2024Kristine Spindler Denton (WHAT ARE BEST FRIENDS FOR?), Matthew Toffolo, screenwriter, screenwriting, LGBTQ+, writer

EP. 1260 - Writer/Actor Jana Miley (LITTLE ISSUES)

LITTLE ISSUES, 4min., USA

Directed by Jerah Milligan

When Andy discovers mid-coitus that her new beaux has a micro-penis, she rushes to her roommates who remind her that he’s thoughtful, adventurous, and way too hot to let go of. Besides, he's had this Little Issue his whole life: he must know how to use it!

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https://www.instagram.com/reelworks

Comedy, comedy, Film Festival, film and television, Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloJune 13, 2024actor, writer, Jana Miley, LITTLE ISSUES, comedy, Matthew Toffolo, filmmaker

EP. 1243 - Filmmaker Chaya Gurkov (THE SHIDDUCH CRISIS)

THE SHIDDUCH CRISIS, 24min., USA
Directed by Chaya Gurkov
An Orthodox Jewish girl struggled with her mothers expectations for an arranged marriage.

Get to know the filmmaker:

It was something I wanted to talk about. I think there is a narrow scope of Jewish stories in the entertainment sphere and I wanted to talk about an experience that I, and many women growing up in the Orthodox Jewish community, feel being in this dating system. I wanted to write a story with nuance, humour, and honesty in a way that doesn’t demonize the religion that Shaina practices.

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Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloMay 26, 2024THE SHIDDUCH CRISIS, Chaya Gurkov, Matthew Toffolo, filmmaker, Jewish stories, writer

EP. 1238 - Screenwriter Rhyess Nash (SAND – Part I “Burial”)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buP7_6XCNEg

Summary: After Nefret goes missing, it puts Mazim’s place in the war in doubt, but despite his family’s safety, he won’t leave without Nefret, which leads him to face horrifying consequences.

Get to know the writer:

My screenplay is about, thematically, the struggle of reconciliation. The protagonist, Mazim Al-Farouq, chooses to have he and his family (wife and son) remain in their home village of Zareda, despite the encroaching invaders. His extraordinary super power is also his vice as he cannot emotionally live without his steppe eagle, Nefret. In reality, he should leave and put his human family members first, but he refuses to abandon his avian companion. This decision indirectly results in the death of son, Mezut. The remainder of the script explores the fallout from this tragedy.

Mazim and his wife, Layla, along with Mazim’s close friend, Firadh, escape the village upon the invasion, but Mezut falls to the sword by the Sojan warlord. Mazim and Layla must now emotionally reconcile the damage done by their beloved son’s demise. And Mazim, alone, must reconcile the fact that he could have saved his son from death and himself from unbearable guilt. As Layla grows increasingly resentful of Mazim, blaming him for Mezut’s death, the couple grows emotionally apart. However, despite this falling out of love, they must pick themselves up and return to the village to bury their son so that his soul may find peace in the Field of Reeds, for only those buried can find their way out of the Underworld and into Paradise.

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