BELONG TO YOU, 6min., Iceland
Directed by Ísak Magnússon, Óliver Sólberg
Belong to you follows a swimming pool employee who thinks about his relationship with his coworker on a quiet night.

Get to know the filmmakers:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

We had just graduated from high school, where me and Ísak had worked quite closely together, and we wanted to continue our partnership and continue creating. I had this idea that was originally a poem and from that we started production. The poem was originally just meant for me to vent out my feelings.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The idea first came about when I wrote the poem in early 2024. From that there was the early drafts of the script, but that came to a halt until me and Ísak picked it up in august 2024. We started production but that also came to a short stop, because we couldn’t find the right actors. Then, by miracle, we found the two perfect ones. We shot the film in one day at a closed swimming pool on november 23rd and finished shooting after only eight hours of filming. Then came post production which took about two months and the film was finished in late february of 2025. So in total the film took about a year to complete, from idea to the big screen.

www.instagram.com/isak2814

www.instagram.com/olivertumi

BELONG TO YOU, 6min., Iceland
Directed by Ísak Magnússon, Óliver Sólberg
Belong to you follows a swimming pool employee who thinks about his relationship with his coworker on a quiet night.

Get to know the filmmakers:

What motivated you to make this film?

We had just graduated from high school, where me and Ísak had worked quite closely together, and we wanted to continue our partnership and continue creating. I had this idea that was originally a poem and from that we started production. The poem was originally just meant for me to vent out my feelings.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The idea first came about when I wrote the poem in early 2024. From that there was the early drafts of the script, but that came to a halt until me and Ísak picked it up in august 2024. We started production but that also came to a short stop, because we couldn’t find the right actors. Then, by miracle, we found the two perfect ones. We shot the film in one day at a closed swimming pool on november 23rd and finished shooting after only eight hours of filming. Then came post production which took about two months and the film was finished in late february of 2025. So in total the film took about a year to complete, from idea to the big screen.

Stratagem The Movie, 111min.,
Directed by Rick E. Cutts
Rellik and his girlfriend Nosaer witness a crime and are immediately on the run as they try and elude a killer who seems to always be one step ahead of them. Will they escape can they escape? Follow along as Rellik and Nosaer try and escape a killer and even more important who is behind all the carnage?

http://www.icikill.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was motivated to make this film after it seemed like all the doors kept closing on me when I tried to get someone to make it for me. John Schramm that I spoke to from Kinolime and he is the one who told me that I should direct the movie and after he put the bug in my ear I went forward with learning how to direct and produce a movie myself.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I started the idea almost 5 years ago. Then I wrote the book next the screenplay. We finished filming March of 2025 and all the editing was completed by May of 2025

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Action / Thriller

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle I faced in completing the film was probably some of the people not showing up on time and having to navigate around missing actors and filling in with other parts.

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

My initial reaction with the audience feed back was yes yes yes that’s exactly what I wanted them to say. They spoke on the volume to low which is what I wanted because I wanted people to lean in to really listen on purpose. I wanted the movie to mimic real life. We can’t make out all the words sometimes in real life but we know what’s going on.

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DIMENSIONS: The Interrogation, 8min., USA
Directed by Robert James Harden Jr.
During an interrogation for the murder of his mother, a man pleads for his release in fear of his life. Two special detectives grill him in order to solve their case. In the shadows of these men’s dimension, the answers to all their mysteries live.

https://instagram.com/dimensions_revealed

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-dimensions

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Wukong Couriers, 15min., USA
Directed by Peter Gabriel Gagnon
An unwitting bicycle messenger is chosen as the mystical hero to save the city from an ancient horror.

www.instagram.com/wukong_couriers

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Three S3conds, 16min., USA
Directed by Diana Shield
Arlo, a 17 year old boy struggles to open up and express himself to his counselor. He is haunted by his past actions due to his inability to control his rage and anger issues.

https://www.instagram.com/galacticbutterflyfilms

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My husband and I enjoy going on walks, driving long distances and we noticed people’s lack of patience at a Stop sign or red light. We talked about three seconds waiting for an individual to cross the road. This is all it takes to cease all movement from a vehicle. So we noticed a growing trend of people not coming to a complete stop or taking a red light. And it happens across a lot of major cities. But one day two young men were crossing and the driver clipped one of them. They both began shouting at the driver of the vehicle who did not stop. Luckily the young man was not hurt, his backpack was struck with the vehicle.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I would say about three months. However once we got our DP, everything moved quickly.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Intense, provoking.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Nothing, we were lucky enough to have it completed. We had great support and were surrounded by talented individuals.

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

They said wonderful things about the film and the message got across clearly. I appreciate the feedback with sound, pacing, cinematography and acting. These were all elements we concentrated on and worked extensively. It makes one feel heard and seen. Stories are important and impactful, I want people to leave thinking about the story, I want it to resonate.

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TEA TIME, 9min., USA
Directed by B.T. Goldman
A detective interrogates a strange elderly Englishman about a missing person in his neighborhood.

https://www.instagram.com/cybereggproductions/

https://www.instagram.com/b.t.goldman/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I hadn’t directed a project of my own in over a year, and I was at a wrap party for a short film that I was an extra in (SPRINKLES, directed by the Andrew Korzenik, written by Riley Stockard, and produced by Sky Mattioli, all great talents). I tend to be off in my own world a bit at parties, and the image of a wild, tuxedo-laden man forcing tea on a guest at a table in an empty room came into my head. It was kind of out of nowhere, and seemed like a really simple, filmable idea for an unsettling story. It was an eerie, but also amusing to me since I grew up with an English father (who naturally was cast as the Englishman in this film).

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I initially had the idea around September 2023, we filmed in February 2024, and I had the final edit in December 2024, so it was a total of about 15 months from conception to completion.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Uncomfortably funny.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

It was probably the audio editing. It really felt like everything came together fairly easily, everyone who worked on the film is a close friend or relative. Eric Alcaraz, our incredible cinematographer, is well educated in audio engineering and really saved me with that when I was editing.

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Watch the best of SHORT FILMS from around the world today. A library of over 500 award winning films: www.wildsound.ca (Plus, watch a new and original festival every single day.)

Submit your film or screenplay to the WILDsound Festival today: https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival

What is a Red Herring in storytelling?

A red herring is a device that is used to mislead or distract the viewer from the real answer or conclusion. Simply said - it's a false clue. And it takes people's attention away from the central point being considered.

A classic example is a detective or mystery series where the viewer tries to figure out who the murderer is. The attention is focused on an individual who could be the murderer. As we emotionally involve ourselves with that person and assume they are in fact the killer, we are distracted, and the real murderer is left alone.

Or, there is a "turncoat" or "rat" in a government building. Someone who is leaking information to the enemies. As everyone attempts to figure out who the "rat" is, we are introduced to a scenario where circumstantial evidence tells the audience that a certain individual is the rat! But they are not the rat, and while we are distracted, the real person keeps getting away with it.

Where did the term "red herring" come from?

False leads started to become known as “Red Herrings” in the early 1800s when an English journalist named William Cobbett used the term to compare the media’s premature reporting of Napoleon’s defeat to the practice of using smelly fish to distract hound dogs from chasing rabbits.

While Cobbett gets credit for the term, storytellers have been using false leads to surprise audiences since the beginning of time.

Famous red herring moments in film and TV.

Alfred Hitchcock was the master of using "red herrings" in most of his films. The best and most popular example is his 1960 horror/thriller film PSYCHO.

The entire first act of the film is about Marion Crane stealing money from her boss. The audience is wrapped into this heist for over 30 minutes. But that is an entire distraction from what is really the bigger question: What is really going on at the Bates Motel?

Hitchcock also uses music in his films as red herring devices. Screeches of violin noise, or intense bass instruments playing to emotionally put viewers on high alert. Only to have the situation be safe for the main character and distract the audience away from the real conflict.

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Red Herrings are even used in children's movies. A great example is the 2013 smash hit FROZEN.

The main plot is that the only way Anna can be stopped from turning into ice, is to have an "act of true love". Almost the entire audience assumes that Anna must get Prince Hans to kiss her - because, as we've learned in previous Disney films, true love's kiss solves everything!

But, Hans isn't Anna's true love at all. He's actually the VILLAIN of the film.

And, Red Herring #2 - it's not about a romantic true love. Anna thaws out because the real act of true love was her sacrificing herself to save her sister! Anna and Elsa's love was the actual TRUE LOVE of the film.

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Other famous red herrings are"

- "THE USUAL SUSPECTS" (1995) (Verbal's testimony and the entire plot of the film.)

- "THE SIXTH SENSE" (1999) (the "dead people" problem)

- "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) (The Winter Soldier)

- "GET OUT" (2017) (racism is the real enemy)

TV Series are loaded with red herrings:

The trend of viewing has definitely moved to the "binge watching TV series" experience. Most of us, if we're being honest with ourselves, have and can watch an entire season of a television show in one sitting. So to keep the viewers engaged, and to keep them moving to the next episode, red herrings are used time and time again no matter what the genre is.

BREAKING BAD is considered the most popular and well regarded series from the last 25 years. It had modest success on the AMC network with is first premiered, but when they put the show it on Netflix, the popularity of the show blew up. Why? Because people couldn't get enough of the plotting. This show is the masterclass of the red herring!

A few examples:

- Hank's investigation of Heisenberg

- The Ricin cigarette

- The Poisoning of Brock

- The Train Robbery

- The "Box Cutter" incident

- The Pink Teddy Bear

- The State Motto of New Hampshire

- Walt's bullet hole reflection

All moments and devices used to distract the audience from what is REALLY the going on!

And don't get me started on Better Call Saul! That's another video......

Bill W Conscious Contact, 58min, USA

Directed by Kevin Hanlon

Conscious Contact explores the personal spiritual quest of Bill W and his thirst for transcendence.

www.instagram.com/billwconsciouscontent

http://www.billwconsciouscontact.com/

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Dancing With Waves, 29min., USA

Directed by Emmitt Thrower

Tammi Judge, the founder of a transformative dance program, leads young dancers on a journey of self-discovery and personal growth, using the power of movement to heal, inspire, and change their lives forever.

Watch Emmitt’s other short film, DISABLED ARTIST SHOWCASE: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-disabled-artist-showcase

https://www.instagram.com/truth_thrower

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Routine, 5min., Canada

Directed by Abo Fall

Meet Benedicte, a happy young woman living in a beautiful, heavenly garden where she doesn't have a single worry in the world. She loves to wander around, lay on the grass and simply live in the moment.

What motivated you to make this film?

In an ironic way, I think I was trying to get out of a routine myself. It had been a minute since I made any short film or even attempted to finish old scripts. I started feeling trapped in the 9 to 5 life and saw that, unless I made the effort to pursue my passion despite the obvious obstacles, the current life I'm living would be it forever. It pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and make things happen. We filmed this short film with an iphone and a very restricted budget.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I'll say about 4 months. The main issue was that I work in Nunavik but wanted to shoot the short film in Montreal. So, there was a moment where I had everything ready from the script to finding the right team but had to wait for the occasion to fly back to Montreal and finally get to shooting. But once I was on site, things went fast. We shot the entire script in 3 weeks, mainly because we had to work around everyone's availability. And then I spent about 2 months with Vincent Loiselle-Latour, who worked on the sound engineering and Julien Ferland who worked on the score, to create an atmosphere for the film that we would all be satisfied with.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

''Literally me''

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Time! There was never enough time and, as I said, I work in Nunavik. I had to shoot everything before it was time for me to go back and I had exactly 3 weeks !

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

I was thrilled the entire time! I really loved one of the critic's comment, when he said the movie inspired him to want to go make movies himself, that's what's up ! That's what it's all about at the end of the day. Hopefully the story pushes more people to want to try something new and get out of their own ''Routine''!

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Sweet Dreams, 34min., USA

Directed by Gary Alvarez

Set in the near future when most people can no longer dream, "Sweet Dreams" follows the story of Esperanza, a young woman who's excited to be a mom for the first time. Weeks before the baby is due, her partner Kiké goes missing. As she searches for him and her savings dwindle, she comes across an opportunity to make some quick money: surrogate dreaming, a new technological advancement which allows her to sell the dreams of her unborn child through a dreamcatcher clinic. After a trial run, Esperanza begins to suspect that the clinic is somehow connected to Kiké's disappearance.

https://www.instagram.com/sweetdreams_film/

What motivated you to make this film?
A conversation I had with my wife when she was about 6 months pregnant with our son, Sol. We discovered that he was dreaming in the womb and that idea blew my mind! I thought it would make a good story and I started writing the script later that night.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
3 years and 5 months.

How would you describe your film in two words!?
Must watch!

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Post-production: from false starts on VFX to losing an AE to scheduling sound design and raising funds to pay for all of it! 

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The Line We Crossed, 110min., US

Directed by Liz Smith

A British story of dissent, drawn from the frontlines of climate resistance. Through the experiences of those who stood in defiance, it traces the quiet unraveling of our protest rights. The film challenges audiences to question what makes dissent effective and where the line of acceptability is.

http://www.thelinewecrossed.com/

https://www.instagram.com/p75investigates/

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Shame, 5min., USA
Directed by Kelly Lynn Warren
When a woman is sexually assaulted by a mutual friend the night before, her confrontation with her best friend leads to tragic consequences.

https://www.instagram.com/shametheshortfilm/

Get to know actor/writer/produer Ashna Sharan:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was a peer counselor in college and know of people in my life who have been sexually assaulted. I wanted to raise awareness of the issue and show it from the perspective of two friends instead of focusing on the assailant. The ultimate goal of Shame was to take it to universities and spark dialogue among students.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

9 months

How would you describe your film in two words!?

must-see, impactful

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

One of our actors had an emergency and had to back out of filming on Day 1, so I had to recast the same night because we were shooting the next day. Our actor, Sophia Cofino, stepped in and nailed the part.

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The Interrogation, 5min., USA

Directed by Kyle Riggs, Dylan Lighthall

A Russian mob interrogation goes awry when an over-eager enforcer tries to pitch in, but can't get his mind out of the gutter.

www.instagram.com/riggseyyy

www.instagram.com/dylanlighthall

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Tendon, 13min,. USA
Directed by Jannik Ehret
Recovering addict Rene sees a creature poison the city’s water supply and has to convince his skeptical sister and her no-nonsense boyfriend to stay away from the tap water.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I grew up in Germany from where Los Angeles always felt like a mythical place in another world. Through a street racing video game I was first introduced to the LA river; a concrete channel that splits Los Angeles in such a crude and inorganic way. At the time I thought it was an invention of the game designers. Why else would there be a perfect drag racing track going right through the city. Ten years later, when I first saw the LA river in person, I became enchanted by its otherworldly existence.

My parents are spiritual teachers. Witnessing their clashes with “the regular world” has forced me to contemplate the role of “the real” in our emotional lives. To an extent, the “real” is irrelevant if its effect is tangible. The fear we feel from the monster under the bed is happening regardless of the presence of the monster. With that in mind, people should treat the fears of others, no matter how otherworldly, with empathy. Tendon is the merging of my love of sci-fi, the LA river, the homelessness epidemic and my take on the deep seeded fear of not being believed.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I played around with the script for about five years. Once I landed on something I liked it only took about a month to get the project to the editing stage. Sound designing and composing was tricky since the film lives between genres but after another 4 months the project was done.

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As Long As You Want, 22min., Canada
Directed by Matt Santos
For as Long as You Want is a tender, conversation-driven short film about two actors, Liz and Brad, running lines in a quiet basement one afternoon. What starts as a simple rehearsal slowly turns into something deeper as they begin to open up about their relationships, their dreams, and the things they’re afraid to admit out loud. Liz is in a relationship that no longer feels right, with someone who doesn’t really see her. Brad’s charming, grounded, and unexpectedly honest. As they talk, laugh, and share food, the connection between them grows easy, real, and a little bit electric. With Liz’s train out of the city approaching, she has to decide whether to go back to the life she’s been trying to make work, or stay in this moment just a little longer. Quiet, raw, and full of heart, For as Long as You Want is about timing, chemistry, and the things we don’t plan for.

www.instagram.com/check_please_productions/

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She Loves Her John, 7min., USA
Directed by Ivan Alejandro Rivero
“She Loves Her John” is a story about redemption, the feelings that arise after betrayal, and the thoughts of moving forward.

https://facebook.com/shelovesherjohn

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Triggered 2.0, 22min,. USA
Directed by Mario Ricardo Rodriguez, Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm
A diabolical madman known as The Director 2.0, with a vendetta against Wolverine, plots a way to take his powers and use him as a distraction as he enacts his ultimate means of destroying all superpowered beings, by pitting him against his one ally, Blade, in a fight to the death. Lucas Bishop must find a way to break free of his control so he can save his friends and the rest of humanity.

https://instagram.com/triggeredfanfilm

Conversation with writer/co-director/actor Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm.

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New York Times Co. v Sullivan, 10min,. Canada
Directed by Yanjia Yang
In the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, a full-page ad in The New York Times sparked a legal battle that would redefine freedom of the press in America. Through archival footage, this short film explores how the case reinforced First Amendment protections and shaped journalism as we know it today. A must-watch for anyone interested in media, law, and the enduring power of free speech.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
I was driven by a desire to revisit the New York Times Co. v. Sullivan case not just as a historical legal milestone, but as a powerful reminder of how fragile our freedoms truly are. In an era where misinformation, polarization, and censorship continue to challenge democratic ideals, I felt a strong responsibility to explore the balance between rights and responsibilities. I wanted my generation to understand that free speech is not abstract; it is something we must actively reflect upon.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
This was my very first documentary, and as an 11th-grade student, it was a steep learning curve. From research to editing, the process took about three months. There were moments of doubt, technical setbacks, and challenges in simplifying complex legal ideas. Though it required a lot of effort and time commitment, I pushed through and was able to find the true meaning of creating this film.

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Med Selkies, 11min., UK
Directed by Kelly Ann Buckley
Med Selkies is a poetic film exploring a near-future climate crisis where land is ravaged, and a lone human drifts at sea. Succumbing to the depths, the human encounters an ancestral, aquatic force – beings who once diverged from humanity to adapt to life beneath the waves.

https://www.instagram.com/k_a_b_art_n_sound

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

~ This was an expansion of a project I did for Focal Point Gallery – a wonderful contemporary arts gallery in SouthendonSea, UK. I was lucky enough to be commissioned to create an exhibition for their FPG Sounds programme. My project – Echoes in the Fossils – was a sound-led audiovisual 5 part piece – focused on rising sea levels and lost past & imagined future soundscapes, ranging from Mesolithic to Anthropocene epochs, which touched upon futuristic polymer-human hybrids. Med Selkies was a continuation of that exploration, after Echoes in the Fossils had finished. I am interested in the Aquatic Ape theory and the idea that there may be some human cousin out there in parts of the ocean we don’t know about. Med Selkies evolved from my thinking about that, and what may happen if we are forced to return to the ocean, living with them, because of climate change. This was combined with the thinking about humans carrying micro plastics in their bodies vs the plastic eating microbes scientists are now working with. What if these grow huge, and we become the food? It’s all very mixed up thinking and dreamlike and I suppose this vibe was carried through to the film

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