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 Film Festival
EP. 1305 - Filmmaker Jana Sturmheit (MITOTE – SMOKEY MIRROR)

MITOTE – SMOKEY MIRROR, 9min,. South Korea
Directed by Jana Sturmheit
In today’s world us humans have developed a complex social system of rules and expectations. Children are taught from the day they are born on how they are expected to behave. They are told what is right and wrong, what is possible and what not. That is, by the standards of the children’s parents and other people in their surroundings, in other words the society they grow up in.

https://instagram.com/jaystorm24.mov

Get to know the filmmaker:
It was not a graduate requirement to make a film in my department of video content design, but I felt like it would be the perfect opportunity to create my first work as director and choreographer. I have choreographed stage performances before but never a video and I wanted to portray the vision that I had inspired by the opening excerpt from the book “The Four Agreements” by Miguel Ruiz talking about Mitote – the smokey mirror.
When I have a dance vision, it plays like a movie in my head, rather than a stage performance. Often I find dance visuals intensely focused on the movement rather than the cinematic aesthetics and depth that different camera angles, movement and shot size and cuts add on the final film. I find one of the decisive factors are the intimate closeness that you can create through a camera that is impossible in a stage performance. A second factor is that the camera can move in between the dancers, which a spectator of a stage performance can’t either in most cases.

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EP. 1304 - Filmmaker Rita Hencke (SALT IN THEIR VEINS)

SALT IN THEIR VEINS, 16min,. Australia
Directed by Rita Hencke
East Indonesia. Communities of sea people live a life that ties them closely to the marine environment. They are known as Bajo, descendants of former sea nomads who were once roaming the ocean to fish and trade.

https://www.ritahencke.com/film

Get to know the filmmaker:

The inspiration for “Salt in their Veins” came from my passion for freediving. I was captivated by the extraordinary diving and spearfishing skills of the Bajo sea people. During my visit to one of their remote communities in Indonesia a few years ago, I saw how their lives are being transformed by modern influences. This experience motivated me to capture the contrast between their traditional and modern fishing practices.

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EP. 1301 - Screenwriter Matthew W. Kelcourse (GEMINI WORLD)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwV3Uzcjzrg

The climate apocalypse and extinction of mankind is about to erupt when a NASA pilot, recalled to lead her crew and precious cargo to an exoplanet 4,000 light years away, must defeat a vengeful enemy that hijacks her ship to be the first colonists on the new world.

Get to know the writer:

A NASA firebrand challenges personal loss, inner demons, and a vengeful wartime adversary to unite her crew on a perilous journey for humanity to thrive on a new world. Discovering climate change is beyond the point of no return, an international coalition builds a transport ship to send a small crew and 2,500 passengers on a 4,000 voyage to reach Gemini One, an exoplanet thought to be Earth’s “twin”. With all the potential dangers on such a long flight, it turns out that mankind has much to learn about humanity cooperating to save mankind.

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EP. 1300 - Filmmaker Karin Isabelle Ochsner (SURVIVING TO THRIVING)

SURVIVING TO THRIVING, 106min., Australia
Directed by Karin Isabelle Ochsner
As a fearless explorer with a disability, surfer and surf coach Karin Ochsner immerses herself in the raw beauty of nature. Her remarkable healing journey unfolds in the face of adversity.

http://www.surfingtosurvive.com/film2
https://www.instagram.com/surfingtosurvive/

Get to know the filmmaker:

This film is the sequel to a documentary about my health challenge, which has been organised by my friends. The purpose was to help me in my incredibly difficult struggles to survive with my countless severe allergies. During the filming, I was very sick and wasn’t able to put the messages in the documentary which I really wanted to pass on, hence I decided to do a second one to do so. The first documentary gave me so much support from my community and clarity in how to manage my disability, it improved my situation so much that I then could focus on filming my own story.

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EP. 1298 - Filmmaker Chris Durr (OTHERS)

OTHERS, 19min., USA
Directed by Chris Durr
In a midwest suburb, an aging radio enthusiast becomes suspicious that a lonely hispanic teenager is a response to his interstellar transmissions. As misunderstanding and coincidence collide, Mateo perceives Frank as a potential threat, while Frank becomes convinced Mateo is a response to his message that he transmits to the skies. Their misperceptions are flipped over when they are interrupted by a close encounter with an unexpected guest.

http://chrisdurr.com/

https://www.instagram.com/others.film

Get to know the filmmaker:

The polarization I’ve been experiencing in my country over the past decade has had me pondering what on Earth could drive humanity together…not saying “Others” is the answer, but I wanted to tell a story about two very different people misperceiving one another while experiencing the same isolation or loneliness. The sci fi alien stuff came from an experience I had in 2009 that left me very open minded, so I thought that might be a fun way to get us there in the film.

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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/

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

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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EP. 1293 - Filmmaker Jerrod D. Brito (HORNED)

HORNED, 4min,. USA
Directed by Jerrod D Brito
When a cocky cam boy jokingly live-streams a creepypasta dare, he inadvertently summons an ancient demon who craves more than just his soul.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Funny story. I attended Dan Savage’s HUMP Film Festival, a traveling film fest that features short films of an adult nature, and though they had many diverse films, I didn’t see any strictly horror movies. I felt there might be an opportunity there, so I tried to come up with a way to merge horror—my signature genre—with sex. I just started jotting notes and tried to find a way to combine them both, but be fair to both, too, and then I added a little humor. Those were the ingredients for “Horned.” But I really wanted to make sure it stood alone as a horror story, with a beginning, middle, and end, and as much character development as I could squeeze into a short in under five minutes of length. So I cut it two ways—a more explicit version for HUMP with thirty more seconds of content and a better punchline to the film (it was selected, by the way—it tours this fall), and the somewhat censored version we were lucky enough to screen at Horror Underground.

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EP. 1292 - Filmmaker Mick Strawn (SOLITUDE)

SOLITUDE, 87min., USA
Directed by Jeremy Brown, Mick Strawn
A famous upbeat survivalist is cast for a popular television
series about surviving in solitude, but survival turns to despair when she discovers a supernatural entity's presence.

Interview with well renowed Production Designer Mick Strawn about his upcoming co-director horror film "Solitude".

http://www.brownspacefilms.com/
https://www.facebook.com/solitudefilm2023
https://twitter.com/brownspacefilm
https://www.instagram.com/solitude_film_2024/

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EP. 1289 - Writer/Producer/Star Jacqueline Godbout & Director Jajube Mandiela (FIRST GRADE HEADACHE)

FIRST GRADE HEADACHE, 13min., Canada
Directed by Jajube Mandiela
A burnt out first-grade teacher finds herself in a night from hell when a group of vindictive parents break into her home.

Get to know writer/producer/star Jacqueline Godbout & director Jajube Mandiela

Jacqueline (writer): I was wanting to make a horror film next, but it seems whenever I start writing anything remotely dark, it always becomes a dark comedy. I’m leaning into it now. Growing up, my mom was a teacher and I also work part time as a music teacher so there were likely some thoughts from that world floating around in my brain when daydreaming ideas. One day, I was just doing my favourite activity of playing around with loglines (no joke) when I came up with the logline of First Grade Headache. Right away, it was very clear to me that I wanted… needed to make this film now.

Jajube (director): It’s quirky, absurd and yet plausible. Looked like a fun script to film, I could relate to it, and genuinely laughed upon first reading it. How to direct it was very clear in my mind, and for a while Jacqueline (writer) and I had been regularly meeting to see how to collaborate on another project together.

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EP. 1287 - Filmmaker Britt Dallyn (THE HARDSHIPS OF SUMMONING A DEMON)

THE HARDSHIPS OF SUMMONING A DEMON, 14min., Canada

Directed by Britt Dallyn

In order to woo his school crush, a determined but highly misguided Stan attempts to summon a demon with the help of his sister stuck at home on Halloween night, by kidnapping a heavily intoxicated young man under the ruse of his own sacrifice being an after party.

https://www.instagram.com/summoning_a_demon/

Get to know the filmmaker:

While attending Vancouver Film School, the course allows six story ideas to be voted on by the class to get made for our "final" projects. With these "finals" we are given our highest budget and longest shooting schedule to film our original 9 page scripts. I had made many short films in the past, but all with minimal (mostly zero) other people, less knowledge and no money. I saw this as a great chance to create a film to showcase my creative voice with the type of resources I never had before.

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EP. 1286 - Filmmaker Andrew Wakeman Proctor (LOST DREAMS)

LOST DREAMS, 10min., USA
Directed by Andrew Wakeman Proctor
Lost Dreams is about dreams. Scientists have not fully figured out dreams. The ancients believed you could predict the future through your dreams, Native Americans created dream-capturing devices. Some people keep dream diaries. Freud believed that we could fix people’s psychological problems by analyzing their dreams.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32021226/?ref_=ttawd_rvi_tt_i_4

Get to know the filmmaker:

I took an experimental film class at Connecticut College. We studied the works of Maya Dern and Stan Brackage. I was inspired by Anticipation of the Night by Stan Brackage. In the fall of 2009 I received an email inviting me to submit a film to an Experimental film festival in Switzerland. My friend John Prevedini sent me his music “Lost Days” and it inspired “Lost Dreams”.

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EP. 1284 - Filmmaker William Thibodeau (MORNING ROUTINE)

MORNING ROUTINE, 2min., Canada
Directed by William Thibodeau
Inspired by the epic true story. After sleeping in, Jack must go through his morning routine before it’s too late…

Get to know the filmmaker:

I wanted to turn something seemingly boring into something exciting. We are all in a rush during our morning routine and I wanted to depict it in the most epic way possible.

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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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EP. 1277 - Producer/DP Sandeep Abraham (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.

Interview with the producer/cinematographer Sandeep Abraham

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EP. 1274 - Filmmakers Izabella Sandra Alda, Ovidiu Claudiu Moldovan (HEART WORN OUT & AGAINST THE WALL)

HEART WORN OUT & AGAINST THE WALL, 6min., Romania
Directed by Izabella Sandra Alda, Ovidiu Claudiu Moldovan
This short “Heart Worn Out & Against The Wall” is a short movie about loneliness and fear. Fear of losing a loved one, of being superficial, of being unlovable. About the struggles of filling a void that can never be filled and mannerisms used to cope with these feelings. About wanting affection but not being able to deal with human interactions. About feeling disconnected, but never allowing this to be seen, and thus, constantly having to deal with the inauthenticity.


https://www.facebook.com/midoristarsmidore
https://twitter.com/midoristars24
https://www.instagram.com/midoristars/

Get to know director/singer Izabella Sandra Alda:

Ren's music video for "Hi Ren" ahaha. When I saw his video, it really gave me the confidence to make a similar music video, as I already had a piano version of "Against The Wall" and the "Heart Worn Out" spoken word poetry. It was meant to be something really simple, a one-shot type of video filmed from different angles, but while working on the script, it naturally shifted into what it is now.

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EP. 1272 - Filmmaker Daron Hagen (9/10: Love Before the Fall)

9/10: Love Before the Fall, 58min., USA

Directed by Daron Hagen

The myths of Orpheus and Charon are interwoven with the entirely sung magical-realist story of four friends dining in an Italian bistro who are fated to perish the next morning in the attack on the Twin Towers. At meal’s end, through magical realism, the restaurant’s mysterious strolling violinist is revealed to be Charon, hand extended, awaiting payment. Complying, each reconciles with death, and departs to the sounds of the next morning’s busy signals and the calls of first responders.

https://www.9-10operafilm.art/

https://facebook.com/burningsled

https://instagram.com/910_operafilm

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EP. 1272 - Filmmaker Arie Forma (THE SHEPHERD)

THE SHEPHERD, 14min., USA
Directed by Arie Forma
Struggling with the news of his son’s interfaith engagement, a religious father seeks solace in his estranged brother.

https://www.arieforma.com/the-shepherd
https://www.instagram.com/rosecolored.pictures/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was motivated to bring The Shepherd to life for a few reasons. The first is that the topic of interfaith marriages is very prevalent in my life. I was confused by the negative reactions to my sister dating a non-Jew. Upon further research, I saw that this issue extended beyond other religions and that there were stories where families could take these reactions a step too far (HINT HINT).”

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EP. 1270 - Filmmaker Chris Hinton & Brian Todd (SYNTHETIC HOPE)

SYNTHETIC HOPE, 16min., USA
Directed by Chris Hinton
Faced with certain death a young girl unleashes a mysterious AI to help her escape.

https://www.instagram.com/synthetic_hope

Get to know the filmmaker:

Listening to the first 30 seconds of Gravastar by Hybrid when I was sick. It sounds like what a robot would hear when it’s booting up. I thought to myself what scenario could I create to have this in live action. So I wrote a story that created this situation. Unfortunately I couldn’t get Hybrid to let me use the song. I was close though, they were talking to me about it. Also I want to say, recent advances in AI motivated this story as well, there are a lot of unknowns as to how this emerging technology will be used.

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EP. 1269 - Filmmaker Sammy Verni (Low Down Larry Versus the Giant Reptile)

Low Down Larry Versus the Giant Reptile, 7min., USA
Directed by Sammy Verni
In their latest adventure together, Larry and Spike set out in a time machine to be the first to bring a living dinosaur back with them to present day. They’ve already been to the Moon and back, but this time have they gone too far?

Get to know the filmmaker:

Low Down Larry Versus the Giant Reptile is the second 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.

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EP. 1268 - Filmmaker Paul Ambe Ngang (CLAIRE)

CLAIRE, 25min., USA
Directed by Paul Ambe Ngang
Committed to getting his crush to love him, Mark uses an AI to snoop into her private life; but when the AI unexpectedly develops love for him and spite for her, he must choose the AI or lose everything.

https://www.instagram.com/claireshortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I started to write this when it started to be a hot topic in 2023. Soon after the writers strike happened so I felt like it was now or never to get the story going.

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