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 Independent Film
January 28, 2023 - Filmmaker Harry Waldman (ENTER THE ROOM)

ENTER THE ROOM, 15min., USA
Directed by Harry Waldman
A young adult (Brian) is visited by his brother, Jeremy, who needs a place to stay as he settles into his new city. The two polar opposite personalities begin to clash as Jeremy’s presence poses a threat to Brian’s way of life. Brian’s uptight personality and unreasonable living standards rub off on Jeremy, creating an incredible amount of tension. Bad blood, stemming from a traumatic past event reveals the shocking truth of the brothers’ current situations, as Brian struggles to differentiate between reality and his worst nightmares.

http://www.edgewaterfilmproductions.com/
https://www.facebook.com/EntertheRoommovie/

https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/

Get to know the filmmaker:
-My relationship with my roommate during the first semester of my freshman year of college is what gave me the idea for “Enter the Room”. Almost all of the various things that Brian was getting on Jeremy’s case about during the narrative were actual things that my roommate accused me of. (And there were other things he said/did to me that I wasn’t able to fit into the film)

Living with him was a very unpleasant experience for me, and I felt that I needed to get it off my chest by telling this story. In addition to Brian being based on my college roommate, I added a disturbing and tragic backstory about him and decided that he and Jeremy being brothers would make for a more interesting narrative. While I am not nearly as uptight as my college roommate was, I can be a bit neurotic, so I took “pieces of myself” which I injected into Brian in order to make him more layered. In general, I believe that creating complex characters often requires giving them flaws that can make them unlikeable at times, and I always do my best to try to walk in the shoes of the anti-hero or villain in order to portray them in a more genuine manner.

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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January 26, 2023 - Filmmaker Jekyns Pelaez ([Aphrodite])

[Aphrodite], 12min., USA
Directed by Jekyns Pelaez
A goddess decides to visit us.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The thesis for my Master’s Degree was based on an adaptation of Oedipus Rex, which ended up being a fulfilling, yet difficult project. Nonetheless, it gave me the idea of pursuing a dance film with yet another Greek story. With the experience I have in dance, I figured the story of Aphrodite would be very interesting to put as dance in film because she is a figure with characteristics that lend themselves with this kind of format. My wife, who is the dancer in the film, was very receptive to my idea and agreed to embark in this project with me. I wanted to explore the idea of beauty of the etherial from an internal point of view instead of the public point of view. I wanted Aphrodite to explore whether or not she felt beautiful.

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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January 25, 2023 - Filmmaker Lance Hopper (STAR WARS: FALLEN KNIGHTS)

STAR WARS: FALLEN KNIGHTS, 15min., USA, Fantasy
Directed by Lance Hopper
Kidnapped! Jedi Knights Pem’Aiara and Tala Vane have been abducted by the evil Galactic Empire. Taking place 3 years after the Great Jedi Purge, our heroes must face brutal truths about their beliefs while being interrogated by the insidious Commander Strand. After being beaten by a Purge Trooper, all looks hopeless for these brave Jedi as they prepare to meet The Emperor himself…

http://www.patreon.com/SWFK
https://www.instagram.com/swfallenknights

Get to know the filmmaker:

My motivation to make this film was based around my start in filmmaking, as Star Wars was the first film franchise I saw and really latched onto as a young lad. I felt as though certain elements of the Disney Star Wars universe had lost the grimey and dirty feel of the original trilogy, and I wanted to bring that back a little, with the added inclusion of making the Empire scary, as they once were.

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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January 24, 2023 - Filmmaker Guy Noland (STAGE MANAGED)

STAGE MANAGED, 28min., USA, Comedy
Directed by Guy Noland
A suburban community theater must successfully produce a knock-off version of “My Fair Lady” in order to keep their doors open.

http://www.viralentertain.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I grew up in the theater and made the transition to filmmaking in college, but always held onto my love for the stage. When the pandemic hit, everything shut down in Hollywood and all of my friends were out of work, so I thought, “Hey, let’s put something together to keep everyone working!” Then I had to come up with something that we could do on a shoestring budget, easy, not a lot of locations, and would hit a niche audience. That’s when I came up with the idea of Stage Managed.

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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January 23, 2023 - Filmmaker Minnie Nguyen & Actor/Writer Phil Nguyen (SLEEPLESS IN SAIGON)

SLEEPLESS IN SAIGON, 9min., USA, Drama
Directed by Minnie Nguyen
Saigon, Vietnam – 1972 – Two men who come from two backgrounds fall in love at first sight – a love story between a Vietnamese tailor and an American customer.

http://www.wdaentertainment.com/work

Filmmaker Minnie Nguyen:

Our friends were getting married and one of the grooms wanted to create a love letter to his husband, imagining what their lives would be like if they were to meet in the 70s in Saigon. I thought it would be a meaningful project for the LGBTQ+ community by demonstrating more diversity within the community, as well as showcasing Vietnamese culture/etiquette to the world.

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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January 20, 2023 - Filmmaker Zoe Kim (PHONE CALL)

PHONE CALL, 5min, USA, Comedy
Directed by Zoe Kim
Why everyone with a Korean mom needs to go to therapy.

http://www.thezoekim.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thezoekim

Get to know the filmmaker:
Few months ago when I was having lunch with a friend, they said “I want to make movies but I don’t have money, I don’t have equipment, I don’t know how, I don’t know where to start…” Filmmaking can be a daunting challenge for those of us who didn’t get any formal education in it or know of anyone around us who does it. Everything I know about filmmaking has been self-taught through constant trial and error and the generous help of Youtube content creators sharing their tips and tricks online for free.

I decided to make PHONE CALL to show them that you can start the journey of filmmaking with whatever you’ve got – even if that’s just you and your smartphone. I had no budget, no other equipment, no fancy tricks or skills to shoot something amazing, but I hope that this microfilm of mine can serve as evidence that anybody can create something and have it be included at festivals.

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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January 17, 2022 - Filmmaker Jannik Ehret (HER SWEATER)

HER SWEATER, 25min., USA, Relationships
Directed by Jannik Ehret
After Desmond spends a surreal post-graveyard shift day with his enchanting co-worker Freya, he has to choose between following his heart and his own advice.

https://www.instagram.com/madronepictures

Get to know the filmmaker:

The first draft of the script was verbatim a real life experience. Making the short was my way of processing the frustrations of things not working out the way I wanted them to. Despite this, the experience felt like a gift. Getting to be in a real life Richard Linklater movie. Even if it was only for a day. Showing the real Freya the final product was terrifying. I made the short for myself but having her approve the final product was emotional. I’ll treasure the screenshot of her response forever. We’re still friends to this day.

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

January 14, 2023 - Filmmaker Yashaswini Nath (ENTANGLEMENT)

ENTANGLEMENT, 32min,. India, Fantasy
Directed by Yashaswini Nath
A couple struggles to make sense of the past, and their vastly different versions of the bizarre event that made their relationship spin out of control.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had been writing scripts to turn into my first film, but out of everything I’d written, this story spoke to me with the greatest immediacy. The idea came to me in bits and pieces as philosophical themes and metaphysical ruminations. Musings about emotional consequences of people and events we can’t quite make sense of, and psychological implications of realities we aren’t familiar or comfortable with. I wanted to put these questions out there to a larger audience.

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

January 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Zainab Hassan (ZARDA)

ZARDA ( Sweet-rice) a local desert in Pakistan, 17min., Pakistan, Drama
Directed by Zainab Hassan
In this slice of life/drama we peek into the life of a young Pakistani teenage girl Shella who comes from a conservative, lower middle-class family but dreams with an open heart. As she is slowly stepping out in the real world, she is fascinated by the ever-changing aesthetic of the modern life. One such occurrence accounts to her looking at a girl getting hair dyed pink, leaving her utterly mesmerized and longing for something like that for herself. Unfortunately, her cultural norms and lack of bodily autonomy renders it impossible until she is forced to realize and challenge these norms and find her own way out.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Being very aware about my confinement into this socially constructed narrative of genders I’ve always been very sensitive and vocal about issues regarding women. Therefore, personally I always knew I wanted to make a women centric film. Around the time when I was brainstorming for ideas, I read an article in a magazine somewhere about this group of Indonesian women who in Malaka culture were tattooed when they got married, to mark them as “taken”. but after World War 2 some of the single women from that clan tattooed themselves to escape being taken away by Japanese soldiers. So really this idea of taking something which was once used to oppress or put one in a box and to use it as one’s strength, and the spirit to live and flourish in the most unlikely of environments is what inspired me. This central idea then gelled in with my own struggles for bodily autonomy eventually birthed this 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 10, 2023 - Filmmaker Jorge Diaz Zamora (PROJECT MYCROFT)

PROJECT MYCROFT, 15min., Mexico, Sci-Fi
Directed by Jorge Diaz Zamora
Mycroft is a machine that will show you a personalized work of art, for better or for worse.

https://instagram.com/proyectomycroft

Get to know the filmmaker:
This feeling that I needed to create something, and the pandemic made it even stronger.
I knew I wanted to get something out, I had a notebook filled with ideas, so in the end, it was a combination of what was possible and what do I want to tell.

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

January 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Asbirg Anderson (FLORES)

FLORES, 4min,. Germany, Music Video
Directed by Asbirg Anderson
Artur is strolling around the city of Münster. ‘What shall I do?’ he asks himself – ‘Live wild and dangerous’ was the response. Three encounters help him to be courageous.

https://instagram.com/asbirg.naranjo

Get to know the filmmaker:
The idea of making a film about the people and their deeds or words that stayed with me for years was not new. Then I went to diffferent short film festivals and what stood out to me was with which feeling I left the cinema. And I was like, wait, what if I make a positive short film. How would the audience feel about hat?

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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January 7, 2023 - Producer Brett Langolf (WIN(D) OVER CANCER)

WIN(D) OVER CANCER, 9min., USA
Directed by Andrew Jowett
Last summer the world was closed, but our waters were open. This crew took the opportunity to make a difference – More Kids On Sailboats, a 501(c)(3) organization is proud to present our first short film – WIN(D) OVER CANCER.

https://morekidsonsailboats.org/
https://www.instagram.com/more_kids_on_sailboats/

Get to know the producer Brett Langolf:
The motivation was the desire to do SOMETHING! My wife, Katie, and I were sitting in the dining room both working (pandemic online elementary school teacher and me trying to run a Creative Advertising department remotely) and we started talking. We had just received our 501(c)(3) status for our non-profit More Kids On Sailboats. We decided to find a path to do something with kids and activate them in these crazy times. Andrew was involved in the new non-profit and was one of our new Board Members. In the real world, he and I had been doing TV Commercials, Sailing Shorts, etc but it was the pandemic and this work had taken a pause. Getting a group together outdoors was basically our only option. So we plotted the course, and we got this crew together….we were not sure what would unfold or what may or might not happen. So we hit record and let the story come to us.

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

January 5, 2023 - Filmmaker Erik Nelson (THE BOUNDARY WATERS TRAVERSE)

THE BOUNDARY WATERS TRAVERSE, 12min., USA, Documentary
Directed Erik Nelson
The Running for the Boundary Waters project is designed to highlight the issue of potential sulfide-ore copper mining proposals in the watershed of, and directly adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to the running community. Trail runners and environmental advocate Alex Falconer ran the Border Route and Kekekabic trail, creating the boundary waters traverse, a 110 mile run, in 38 hrs 15 mins and 3 seconds. This shows his journey.

https://www.savetheboundarywaters.org/
https://www.instagram.com/savethebwca/

Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve always been a big fan of the Boundary Waters, having paddled and camped there many times over the years. When the opportunity came to put our filmmaking skills to use and help spread the word of Alex’s run and the fight to protect such a special place, we had to do it.

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

January 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Thomas Gilchrist (MONEY TALKS: THE LIMITS OF FINANCIAL INFLUENCE IN POLITICS)

MONEY TALKS: THE LIMITS OF FINANCIAL INFLUENCE IN POLITICS, 10min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Thomas Chen Hui Gilchrist
The history and importance of governmental regulation of money in United States politics.

Get to know teenage filmmaker!

Storytelling is my passion. When choosing topics for films, I often ask myself what story my audience needs to hear. Often, the most impactful stories are those buried behind the headline and as soon as I started research into money in politics, I knew I had to uncover this amazing 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 3, 2023 -- Filmmaker Lyla Ruth (MEMORIAM)

MEMORIAM, 2min,. USA
Directed by Lyla Ruth
My dad passed away recently and I’ll be completely honest here, watching him die slowly from cancer is a hell I would not wish on my worst enemy. Family and friends ask me how I am feeling, or how I am handling it all. In actuality, the emotions are too intense to verbalize.

https://www.lylaruth.com/
https://www.facebook.com/dancelyladance

From filmmaker Lyla Ruth:

Well, here’s the true story. My father had a very rare form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma. It made him extremely confused. My father was a 6’3” Buffalo Fire Chief, who ironically was incredibly claustrophobic. He could not do an MRI. In order to get him to do it, I had to lay in the bed with him for 25 minutes and hold his hand. He had medication to distract from the enclosed space and the sounds, I did not. I noticed a really interesting rhythm with the machine. And in between the rhythm I would breathe to try and slow down his breath. Later that evening I recorded the rhythm in my head in a few different time signatures. I called my friend Buck Snow, a Grammy Award winning sound engineer, and together we created the beat. It’s a reverse heart beat. I needed a place to channel my emotions while handling the daunting task of being the caretaker of my parents. Thus, the video 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 2, 2023 - Filmmaker John Redlinger (OUR VOICE NOW)

OUR VOICE NOW, 56min., Documentary
Directed by John Redlinger
An in-depth examination of youth incarceration and probation in Los Angeles County. The film highlights organizations such as The Arts for Healing and Justice Network and the Antirecidivism Coalition, as well as testimonials from real victims of the justice system.

From John Redlinger:

My producing partner and I were approached by one of the organizations highlighted in the documentary, AHJN, to create a short film in response to a propaganda piece put out by LA’s probation department. In truth, this issue was not on our radar… but after we watched the probation video (which was utter nonsense) and spent some time researching the current state of affairs, we were moved to action.

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

January 1, 2023 - Filmmaker Brian Bowers (REVERIE)

REVERIE, 9min., USA, Dance
Directed by Brian Bowers
The past can be an unreliable narrator, and the future is simply a shifting reflection of where we are right now. Driven by choreographed movement, original music and sound, REVERIE is an experimental visual narrative that seeks to question and explore. An ensemble dance casts guides us through the delicately narrated introspective, inner dialogue that an emerging artist is having with time itself. Is it true, what they say, that life is but a dream?

http://reverie.nabircreative.co/
https://www.facebook.com/nabircreative
https://www.instagram.com/nabircreative

From Brian Bowers:

Without sounding too cliché, it was like a dream state. I didn’t really set out on pursuing this as my first film project, so it was an accident. I was in the middle of developing a production kit for a film based on classical animation, and it became just a massive undertaking. I shelved the project. And by the end of that week, the idea came to me. What it started off as, and what it turned into, are very different.

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

December 31, 2022 - Filmmaker Michael Dufek (GOODBYE, SAM)

GOODBYE, SAM, 29mi., USA, Dark Comedy
Directed by Michael Dufek
After being caught up in an unexpected love triangle, Sam must find out who she is on her own.

From Michael Dufek:

I always wanted to make a film like this. I first loved the idea of an extremely flawed protagonist who just can’t seem to do the right thing. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? From writing the first scene to the finished edit, it took me a full year. I actually started writing the first scene on my down time when I was PA on a bunch of sets.

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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December 30, 2022 - Writer/Actor Chris Tergliafera (THE SCREENING)

THE SCREENING, 13min., USA
Directed by Orhun Timur

Writer/Actor: Chis Tergliafera
A tale we know all too well; hopeful actor waits to be called into his commercial audition. However, things are not as they appear. Our hopeful young actor is struck with confusion when he is met with an interrogation from a Sag-Aftra Agent. This satire takes a dive into our relationship with rules and regulations, and how we choose to bend them when it is convenient to us.

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

December 28, 2022 - Filmmaker Kyle Briot (EXPRESSION)

EXPRESSION, 2min., USA, Drama
Directed by Kyle Briot
A young woman talks to a professional about her past, but all is not as it seems.

From the filmmaker:

I’ve been making films consistently since I graduated college in 2016 both as a director and a crew member on my friends’ films but after COVID hit we took a long break, obviously. So my brother Kevin used the quarantine time to write a feature film called Losers of Eden that we shot in the summer of 2021. And we had such a blast doing it that I didn’t want to keep waiting to do another one, so I started pre-production on Expression while Losers of Eden was in post.

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