Telling stories through film and conversation.
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WILDsound's The Film Podcast

In each episode, the C.E.O. of WILDsound, Matthew Toffolo, chats about all things storytelling and film. Conversations with talented individual from all around the world.

Posts in Directing
EP. 1139 - Screenwriter Gary Porpora & John Fichera (AMERICAN BREAKDOWN)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rbzGDWo548

Logline: At the mercy of an accelerating dementia, Jonas Flemming, aka, America’s Coroner–the state’s lead witness in yet another high profile murder trial–melts down on the witness stand, setting a psychopath free.

When the L.A. detective on the case reopens his investigation, Jonas becomes the prime suspect.

Get to know the writer:

A world famous coroner, scientist and murder trial expert, think Cyril Wecht–experiencing a rapid deterioration of his mind due to Alzheimers–breaks down on the witness stand, setting a murderer free. When the LAPD reopens the investigation, America’s coroner becomes the main suspect…

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.

EP. 1138 - Filmmakers Michael J. Gonzales & Allan Wasserman (LOSING FAITH)

OSING FAITH, 19min., USA
Directed by Allan Wasserman
Gil, the detective who helped capture Richard Ramirez, now in his 70s, reflects on the events from the 80’s to his priest as he now questions his faith. “How could God let this happen?”. Michael J. Gonzales plays both Richard the Killer and Gil the detective.

Get to knowMichael J. Gonzales

The director Allan Wasserman had reached out to me about writing and acting in a short about the Night Stalker case. The twist was that he wanted me to play both the Killer and also the detective that helped bring him to justice.

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.

EP. 1134 - Filmmaker Alex Alexander (BAPTISM)

BAPTISM, 8min, USA
Directed by Alex Alexander
The relief, the rest that comes from truth.

https://www.instagram.com/alexx.alexxander/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The inspiration and the motivation were very separate things.

The desire to be seen and known is intrinsic to the human experience, to be held in your truest most authentic form and understood in that moment, and I too am human. This is a self exploration, aided by the love and attendance and patience of a partner. The patience and gentleness of my partner, the way they often bathed me, the way they support whoever I am and guided me without ever forcing.

This was my first attempt at making a film, I wanted to do something close to my heart that I understood innately to iliminate any complications with foreign subject matter. This is actually a nugget of an idea for a much more complicated story.

The actual motivation was that the locations and team were going to become unavailable at the end of summer and I knew it was time to start moving on this idea!.

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.

EP. 1130 - Producer Irene Pang (RE:BIRTH)

RE:BIRTH, 8min., Taiwan
Directed by Laticia Fan
A lost soul traumatized by her past and trapped in the confines of her own imagination. Unable to move forward with life until she was led to begin her journey of recovery and discovery by a sound healer, ultimately conquering her darkest memories, fears, and desires, and transcending the perpetual tug-of-war between attachment and letting go.

https://www.laticiafan.com/
https://instagram.com/sheng.shortfilm

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.

EP. 1118 - Joseph J. Parisi & Michael Amman (SHOOTING YOUR OWN SHADOW)

SHOOTING YOUR OWN SHADOW, 4min., USA
Directed by Joseph J Parisi, Michael Amman
A jaded and delusional assassin rethinks some life choices with her manager, while believing she’s the main character in a 90s style tv show called, “Shooting Your Own Shadow”.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28597286/?ref_=ttawd_ov_i

Get to know filmmaker Joseph J. Parisi:

We’ve been working in the TV/ Film industry for over 17 years and never had the chance to make something that was “ours” and we decided to make something short, sweet and to the point!

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.

EP. 1116 - Evgeniy Matvienko (CHERUBIM)

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.

EP. 1112 - Claude Edward Fethiere (MR BULLOCH: CHICAGO’S DONUT KING)

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.

EP. 1111 - Aidan Byrne (THE HUNTER’S EXCHANGE)

THE HUNTER’S EXCHANGE, 10min., Canada
Directed by Aidan Byrne
This 8-minute action film throws an experimental twist on the fight scene genre while taking new directions with popular tropes from fantasy and science fiction films, telling a story about the price of power, with no dialogue.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had made a minute long lightsaber fight scene years ago, which I had also done all of the VFX for. My brother (and co-star) Mac was looking over my shoulder one day when I was working, experimenting with different lightsaber colour combinations which were unlike anything that had been seen in the Star Wars films. And we both agreed, there was a story in there somewhere. That’s how it started, was finding the story behind this weapon which has been around for decades, that had suddenly been given new life in our eyes.

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.

EP. 1104 - Camilo Velásquez A. (EQUILIBRIO)

EQUILIBRIO, 3min., Columbia
Directed by Camilo Velásquez A.
Dance and fluidity. Strength and movement.
Energy that arises from the very center and always carries itself in circular motion.
Opposing forces that are observed and acknowledged, reflecting and merging at the same time to become one and create balance.

https://alamoaudiovisual.com/
https://www.instagram.com/alamoaudiovisual/

Get to know the filmmaker:

When Punto Blanco (the brand) added Álamo, our production company, to the project in the first brainstorming meetings, we wanted to show the immensity, that nature had so much power that it visually influenced our being. We find the stillness, the fertile darkness that gives rise to life. In its mystery, we find introspection, receptivity and hidden wisdom. It is the seed deep in the earth, the calm before the storm. Counterbalanced by the vitality of nature, the burning fire that drives the action. It is the radiant sun that illuminates the world, the energy that drives us to seek new experiences and conquer horizons. In its dynamism, we find the power of transformation and passion. When Nuquí was finally proposed, we knew that this was the place that would transmit the idea.

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.

EP. 1102 - Robbi Stevens & Abbie Elliott (THE NIGHTINGALE)

THE NIGHTINGALE, 37min., UK
Directed by Robbi Stevens
Set in London and inspired by real-life events, The Nightingale follows Grace, a second-year university student, on her reckless and dangerous path through the different stages of PTSD. With unflinching honesty, the film explores the lasting impact of sexual assault and the courage it takes to overcome it.

https://raawlondon.org/the-nightingale
https://instagram.com/thenightingalefilm_

Get to know director Robbi Stevens & producer Abbie Elliott:

Robbi: I’ve always wanted to tell stories that asks the audience to contemplate what life is really like for people who have been through injustices like Grace or for anyone who has suffered discrimination. Then around 2019, so many girls and young women I knew were going through different levels of trauma after been sexually assaulted or raped or just having to contend with rape culture. It had become normalised – even decriminalized. It started to feel like an emergency with everyone looking in the other direction and no-one coming to help. Then COVID hit and I sat down and wrote it. It was a call to action! We wanted to shatter the complacency surrounding sexual violence by bringing attention to the lasting impact it has on victims. We refuse to accept a society where violence against women and girls is deemed baseline, and where the burden of preventing assault falls solely on women. Through the raw power of storytelling, we want audiences to witness and truly comprehend the immense struggles victims endure long after the act.

‘The Nightingale’ is not intended to focus on the perpetrator but rather on the strength and resilience of the survivors as they overcome adversity. It is crucial to shift the narrative away from victim-blaming (‘cover your drink, don’t go home alone, stop wearing short skirts) and instead foster a collective responsibility to address this societal problem.

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.

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

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.

EP. 1085 - Rodrigo Oliva & Jandy Ayala (El Capitán Paco)

EL CAPITAN PACO, 25min., Mexico
Directed by Rodrigo Oliva
Paco is a public transportation driver who deals with his stressful job every day, until the imagination of Sarah, his daughter, turns him into the captain of a spaceship and gives him another perspective on his problems.

https://www.instagram.com/capitanpacocortometraje/

Get to know filmmakers Rodrigo Oliva & Jandy Ayala:

The idea of experimenting in the musical genre was constantly on my mind. After understanding that a significant part of this genre is about the spectacle, I wanted to explore this aspect without neglecting the narrative. On the contrary, I aimed to achieve a balance between audiovisual language and the spectacular. “El Capitan Paco” seemed like a story that needed to be told in this format. After analyzing the situation faced by public transport truck drivers, I felt the need to breathe life into the most monotonous aspects of daily life within public transportation.

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.

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

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.

EP. 1076 - Filmmaker David Sackerman (BIG EXIT)

BIG EXIT, 11min,. USA
Directed by David Sackerman
Josh is a lonely, awkward individual who is ignored by his coworkers and disrespected by his boss, but when he gets some bad news, he comes up with a scheme to get the last laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/bigexitshortfilm2021
https://twitter.com/big_exit_film
https://www.instagram.com/big_exit_shortfilm_2021/

Get to know the filmmaker:

This started out as an assignment at Columbia College Chicago in which we were tasked to write a ten-page screenplay based on a true story. Our teacher suggested a “weird news stories” aggregator, which we all looked at, and the top headline was about a man from New Zealand who had just hired an “emotional support clown” for his layoff meeting! I added certain elements like his boss’s unlikeable personality and Josh’s meekness and desire to connect with others. As an autistic person I’ve had a lot of experience wanting to fit in but struggling no matter what I do, and one of the ways I overcame that was comedy. It’s a great tool for fighting sadness and for spitting in the face of an oppressive system!

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.

EP. 1074 - Filmmaker Richard Bazley (CENSURE)

CENSURE – 39min, UK
Directed by Richard Bazley

When introvert, Aaron, finds himself struggling under the weight of a revelation, he dreams of escaping to the only place he can breathe. But escape has a cost, and he must ask himself if it is a price he is willing to pay.

https://rmbazley.wixsite.com/censure
https://www.facebook.com/Censure-105527732039739
https://twitter.com/BazleyFilms
https://www.instagram.com/bazleyfilms/

Get to know the filmmaker:
Getting any film made is hard so if you do make a film you really want to have to make it! You need a reason! I had a pretty successful career as an Animator, Ex Disney, Ex-Warner Bros. After the death of 2D Classical Animation in Hollywood I found myself reinventing myself. I wanted to tell whole stories, not just animating a few seconds in a $150 Million Dollar Film for a Multi MIllion Dollar Corporation. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me. As soon as you get into big budgets you are restricted in so many ways. What the Execs want, what the clients want but what about the “Director’s” vision? That is what you get with a short film on a micro budget! It is pure and it is honest. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me and “Censure” is the first of many.

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.

EP. 1072 - Filmmakers Vitor Lopes & Stephen Brown (LAST CALL)

LAST CALL, 12min., USA
Directed by Vitor Lopes, Stephen Brown
A bartendress embroiled in a small-town romance is on the skeleton crew of a late-night dive bar when she encounters a mysterious patron who implores her to clean up an act of violence he has committed.

Get to know filmmaker Stephen Brown:
I was thrilled to read Vitor’s screenplay, and we saw an opportunity to film the short film in our hometown of Fayetteville, Georgia. It was encouraging to meet the cast virtually and to work with old friends and new ones to make the film safely during autumn of the first year of the pandemic.

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.

EP. 1047 - Filmmaker Robert Steven Mack (DANCING MAN)

DANCING MAN, 23min., USA
Directed by Robert Steven Mack, Clarisse Gamblin
David, a young and quixotic dancer, is confronted with the decision of whether to stay at a Midwestern ballet company with his new love interest Gabrielle or follow a promising choreographer to New York to chase his pipe dream of dancing in Golden Age musicals. Featuring vibrant cinematography, an elegant score by Yi-Chen Chiang, and toe-tapping choreography by Chris Lingner, Dancing Man showcases dancers from IU Ballet Theatre and Indianapolis Ballet in this colorful and bittersweet dramedy about conflicting passions.

https://www.robertstevenmack.com/dancing-man.html
https://instagram.com/dancingmanfilm

Get to know filmmaker Robert Steven Mack:

This film takes an audience inside the ballet world, pays homage to the classic Hollywood musicals we love, yet tells a very personal story about chasing greener pastures and the anxiety we face making life-altering decisions that are ultimately for the better. I have been making dance films since I was a freshman in college. And all my previous works have been leading up to this one.

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.

EP. 1043 - Filmmaker Brent Peterson & Actor Virginia Asbury (STAR WARS: RENDEZVOUS)

STAR WARS: RENDEZVOUS, 20min., USA
Directed by Brent L Peterson
A pair of do-gooders attempt to protect a young, force-sensitive girl from bounty hunters on their way to rendezvous with a mysterious contact with the power to protect her much better than they can.

https://antigravityfilms.com/projects

Get to know the filmmaker:

Many motivations. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid and after seeing so many Star Wars fan films on YouTube, thought it was a great option to dive into the universe on my own terms. To make a Star Wars film that I had always wanted to see. I also felt like it would be a good venue to further my career, by showing that I could do with an established and beloved IP. But without a doubt, the most personal reason to make this film was because of my seven-year-old son, who was a huge Star Wars fan. He passed away due to brain cancer a few years ago, and I felt like I needed to make this film for him. Star Wars: Rendezvous is dedicated to him.

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.

EP. 1042 - Filmmaker Jamie Norrie (TOXIC SHOCK)

TOXIC SHOCK, 9min., Canada
Directed by Jamie Norrie
Tatiana wakes up confused about where she is, what happened the night before, and why there’s a gorgeous man sleeping next to her. She discreetly makes her way to the washroom to avoid disturbing her mystery partner, until she discovers an unwanted surprise. She hurries back to the bed and finds out that her worst nightmare has come true. She’s left a giant red period stain on the bed. Suddenly, Tatiana feels like a criminal in a crime scene and does everything in her power to hide the evidence. Despite her best efforts of hiding the stain, it only gets worse. She ends up calling her best friend Sarah to come to the rescue. Just as she’s about to escape, Tatiana realizes that maybe she’s not so guilty of a crime after all.

https://www.jamienorrie.com/toxic-shock
https://www.instagram.com/toxicshockfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Toxic Shock is actually loosely based on a true story, where I was the one who got my period at the worst possible time, while sleeping next to a guy I was seeing. It was always something I thought I would never recover from if it actually happened in real life. I thought I would actually pass away from humiliation, but to my surprise, the guy I was seeing was totally comfortable with it. I was so relieved to find out that the fear that I had built in my head turned out to be over something so normal, and I actually began to feel frustrated that I ever cared so much over something so normal. After processing all these new feelings, the idea of Toxic Shock, a story of a cute romantic comedy about getting your period during a one night stand, was born!

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.

EP. 1041 - Filmmaker Matthew Lee (THE STOLEN KINGDOMS)

THE STOLEN KINGDOMS – PILOT, 4min,. UK
Directed by Matthew Lee
The series follows the exploits of Siriol, a young mute girl and a small dragon as they journey across the land to help the wildlife.

https://www.tealeavespics.com/the-stolen-kingdoms
https://www.facebook.com/TheStolenKingdoms

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have been a huge fantasy fan since I was a child. Ones like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Disney fairy tales and so on. I have been wanting to create a fantasy story of my own for a while. And for this film, the original idea actually came from a dream I had one night. Where I was experiencing and adventure for three storylines. One which featured a usurped kingdom. Another featured a young girl with a pet dragon. And the third where we save civilians from a winter castle guarded by dark winged riders. I was starting my University Masters degree in animation at the time and I wanted to incorporate these stories into one for my project. Obviously, there was a lot going on, so my tutor at the time, suggested I would break them down and pick one story to focus on. And I was most intrigued with the girl and dragon 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.