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.
MARA, 18min., USA, Horror/Thriller
After years spent recovering from a botched exorcism, Jake prepares to reintegrate into society. However, the mounting pressures of everyday existence trigger a harrowing regression back into madness. Conversation with filmmaker Ben Harl
https://www.instagram.com/scompassstudios/
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Glistening Benevolence, 6min., UK, Music Video
Directed by Matt Cargill
https://instagram.com/familydrone
Sly & The Family Drone Unleash ‘Glistening Benevolence’: Take the trip into slime-drenched folk horror and the cosmic unknown. . .
Neo-jazz wrecking-crew Sly & The Family Drone summon forth a new vision of terror and transcendence with the video premiere of ‘Glistening Benevolence’. Filmed at an undisclosed, shadowy music festival in the heart of Hampshire, the visual journey is a macabre ritual of psychedelic sludge, blending live performance footage with ominous vignettes of slime-coated landscapes, cosmic dread, and unholy rites under the moon.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
The First Night, 7min., Brazil
Directed by Gabriel Milessis Braga
After collapsing at the altar, Elise awakens inside an old church, and something inside her has changed. Guided by a mysterious man who seems to understand her condition, she begins to confront a new, terrifying hunger. The First Night is a gothic meditation on becoming, resistance, and the quiet seduction of darkness in our lifes.
https://www.instagram.com/thegabrielwars/
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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.
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.
Folie Glacée, 11min., Canada
Directed by Louis Rémillard
Eli et Vincent se commandent une collation à la crèmerie locale sans s'attendre aux horreurs qui ruineront leurs rendez-vous en amoureux
What motivated you to make this film?
It all started with me and my friend, who's the director of photography on the film, hanging out in Montreal. We both got ourselves ice cream cones and as we were eating them, walking around, the idea of the story kind of came to us as a joke at first. I thought about it for a moment, and I ended up telling myself it would make a fun screenplay. I came up with the idea of the ice cream vendor being ill intended and serving contaminated ice cream and he suggested the idea of the couple being on a date. So I owe it a lot to my friend's encouragement and believing in my story once the screenplay was finally done. We were excited to make something that would be wacky, fun and horror since it is a genre we both liked very much.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
As it is for most passion projects, everyone was either working their full time job or started working on other projects. The crew was mostly composed of my newly graduated classmates so it was a dance of work-fun balance.I think it took about six months of production but since it was all done in free and voluntary time, those six months were spreaded throughout a whole year.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Wacky and bloody!
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
It was definitely having to shoot the film almost entirely at night. Scheduling became complicated because I wanted everyone on deck, comfortable and up to work. Having to rest throughout the day and having to shoot everything before sunrise became particularly challenging for the biological clock. We did everything possible to make the experience as fun as it could be and playing with fake blood, making scary scenes definitely contributed to the good ambiance on set. Although it was challenging, we have good laughs to look back to.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
FLESH WISH, 4min., UK
Directed by Timothy Benjamin Slessor
An experimental horror inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, David Cronenberg and Clive Barker, this music video / short details in an abstract way the summoning of demons through a ritual performed behind the locked doors of a 1970s terraced house.
What motivated you to make this film?
Several factors! Firstly, I wanted to make something visual to accompany the release of my album. Secondly, I wanted to experiment with a lot of different ideas and techniques, but importantly have a finished piece of work to show for it, not just a bunch of tests. Thirdly I wanted to see how I could kind of corrupt and pervert generative ai platforms and work them into my editing and animation / vfx practise and finally I wanted to make something that would surprise and confound my friends and colleagues!
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It was about three to four months of laborious work, mostly in after effects and premiere. I had to create all of the images and heavily distort and rework them and the editing was done frame-by-frame. About 6 months after it was finished I considered going back and tweaking some things but one look at the edit sequence was enough to convince me to leave well alone!
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Quite fleshy.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The hardest thing was just getting it finished! It was so hard to create enough interesting images and scenes, especially given the extremely fast cut-rate. I kept trimming the track down (ultimately from around 5 mins to about 3'45 I think) just so I could get it done (I had to keep pushing the release of the album back too as a result).
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Sitka’s Hidden Wonders, 43min., USA
Directed by Ben Hamilton
Sitka’s Hidden Wonders is a 40-minute theatrical nature film that blends sweeping cinematography with a deeply personal story of return. Told by award–winning wildlife filmmaker Ben Hamilton, the film explores what it means to truly see a place—through the hidden layers of one of Alaska’s wildest coastal ecosystems.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-sitkas-hidden
https://instagram.com/sitkawonders
What motivated you to make this film?
Every summer, over 600,000 people visit Sitka, but most just walk around town and never see the incredible natural wonders all around us. I wanted to create a film that connects them to this place—beyond the shops and the docks—into the wild heart of Sitka. After years of filming here for networks like BBC and National Geographic, this was my chance to make something for Sitka itself.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The film took two years of full-time work, plus a year of planning and permits before that. And some shots were collected over the last decade—moments I'd been saving for the right project.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Local. Connected.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle was really time. The focus and intensity it took to deliver a film like this while still being there for my small kids and wife. It meant weeks away in the field, long nights editing, and constantly trying to balance the work with family life.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Watch Today’s Best Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNkD7_Fp8HI
Get to know writer Darryl Mansel:
What is your screenplay about?
Once Upon a Time in Space is about perseverance and struggle. It asks the question ‘how far are you willing to go to obtain something that you need?’
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Science fiction, action, adventure
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It should be made into a movie because adventure is sorely lacking these days. Plenty of action, very little adventure. The audience wants to go on a ride with characters, this will give them the means to do so while having the choice of which character they ultimately want to succeed.
How would you describe this script in two words?
WILD BUSINESS.
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
2.5 years
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Immersed – A Cinematic Immersive Album by Justin Gray, 60min,. Canada
Directed by Justin Gray, Michael Fisher
Justin Gray’s Immersed is a groundbreaking cinematic album that transforms how audiences experience music. Composed, recorded, and produced as an immersive audio experience, the album features 38 artists from Toronto and around the globe, placing listeners at the center of a three-dimensional global orchestra.
https://www.instagram.com/justingraysound/
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
A Princess’s Plea, 8min., USA
Directed by Brooke Thornton, Madison Hubler
Princess Circe awaits in her tower when Vince Davenport, crown prince of a rich kingdom, comes to claim her as his wife. But with the beast left unslain and the princess left unimpressed, Vince’s quest takes a dark and unexpected turn.
https://www.instagram.com/aprincesssplea
Get to know filmmaker Madison Hubler:
What motivated you to make this film?
I have always loved dragons since I was a little girl. That is what originally drew me to the realm of fantasy, and when I discovered Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, my world shifted. It was the equivalent of a comic book kid seeing his favorite superhero come to life on screen. I had an epiphany: That is the kind of character I want to play. Being a ‘dragon queen’ became a self-proclaimed part of my identity, and it shifted the way I moved through the world. It gave me confidence and strength- to put myself out there and claim my place. I felt this creative fire inside me, pushing me to write a story that would bring that dream to life. When the idea came to flip a well-known trope on its head, nothing could stop me. All this to say, the story came from deep within my soul. I created it for myself, and everything that comes after is just the cherry on top to one of the best things I’ve done in my life.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The film took about one year to make. The writing and filming process went by pretty quickly. I had a very clear vision going in and knew exactly what story I wanted to tell. The bulk of the time was spent with the editor, watching over his shoulder, nit-picking each second, and then working up the courage to actually show it to people when it was finished.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Fun and unexpected!
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GncsGI4_L3o
Get to know the screenwriter:
What is your screenplay about?
Bitter is a belated coming of age story for anyone that feels like the paradigm of success has shifted. It takes the traditional geek vs bully high school sub-genre and basically turns it on its ass, focusing on WILLOW, a once-hopeful two-time valedictorian, slated for success. Now, 10 years later, she’s a bitter waitress, struggling with resentment and unmet potential, all while PARKER, her high school bully, lives the good life as a prominent influencer.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Bitter is definitely a comedy. When developing this story, it felt necessary to look through a humorous lens. The plot tackles a lot of socially-relevant themes and issues we all deal with on a daily basis: comparison culture, scam-influencers, toxic personalities—things that can absolutely consume a person. So, I thought it was important to craft the story and its characters from a place of comedy. I wanted to avoid the perception of whining or lecturing, and write a story that has something to say, but also has audience wanting to listen because they’re getting to laugh along the way.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Movies have changed drastically over the last decade—some changes good, some bad, but I think a gap has been created for some of the sillier, more light-hearted comedies that can still pack a punch—that have something to say, but do it in a way to invites, not divides. I think Bitter recaptures this approach, in line with early-2000’s movies like Mean Girls, Bruce Almighty, Miss Congeniality. The themes are there. The lessons are there. But so is the fun.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
After being embedded with the U.S. military in Afghanistan, which ends in tragedy, a journalist heads to rural Maine to fully recover and finds herself on the frontlines of another battle, between a family of wolves and the ruthless land developer who wants them hunted down.
After a comrade dies in a horrific incident on the frontlines in Afghanistan, a war correspondent, forced to take time off, travels to Maine, only to stumble upon a exotic-animal hunting resort that threatens the local wolf population. When two wolf pups come under her care, she risks everything to stop the corruption and return the wolves to their pack.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
This script is about a war reporter experiences the death of a close friend, she thinks she never known a tougher battle until she inherits his dog and they witnesses the murder of a wolf, then a brutal land developer set his sights on them when she informs his his land
belongs to the Penobscot Tribe, now with the two wolf pups they’ve rescued as she wages the biggest battle of her life to save them and absolve herself of her friends death.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
My screenplay is an action/ adventure/thriller with a kick-ass female lead.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
This screenplay is about a woman stepping outside of herself to do something for the greater good in a world she knows nothing about. We have become so detached from nature and what the true meaning of what balance is and how important it is, I know this- you won’t find any true meaning to life buried in your phone. This movie will remind everyone who sees it what it feels like to be connected to something bigger than your
little world when you experience nature through the eyes and hearts of animals.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Redemption. Love.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Watch best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1057hMo7JU
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
High Ground is a dramatic, near-future story set in climate-ravaged Miami. Gloria Tejeda, a brilliant, physically disabled architect, becomes an unexpected hero. As rising seas and political polarization threaten lives and values, her fight against societal judgment, and radical extremists transforms her from a misunderstood figure into a national symbol of strength, vulnerability, and moral courage.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama, with elements of Science Fiction, Social Commentary, and Thriller. It delves into abstruse disability issues and touches on Romance and Political Satire.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
High Ground is a blend of personal and planetary crisis, addressing timely issues of climate change, misinformation, overcoming disabilities, and extremism. Gloria is emotionally insecure and physically limited, yet her internal and external challenges bring out inner strength. Her journey is inspiring, cinematic, and relevant. The story delivers suspense, emotional weight, visual spectacle, and a message of hope in a divided world. It is a story that needs to be told.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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!
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
KHENTOPIA, 72min., USA
Directed by Job Michiel van Zuijlen
Khentopia is a peaceful society on the planet Zeeray, where ethereal energy generated through chanting at Harmony Center is used to feed a protective shield that envelops the planet. All is well, until one June morning in 2502, the crew of raider ship Space Wolf is intent on breaking through the shield to carry out a pillage mission. They succeed in obliterating the ethereal power generation and so the protective shield. On top of that, a parallel universe emerges with an alternate Khentopia that is harsh and hostile.
http://khentopia.com/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The idea for Khentopia already existed for another story, but the inauguration of Trump 1 in 2017 made me think that we had entered a parallel world. I developed a new story with that in mind.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took about seven years. To get the story itself right was a challenge. I knew the beginning and the end, but I struggled with the middle.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Khentopia regained.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Because it took such a long time, the biggest challenge was to stay interested. It is also a lot of work, and some scenes are necessary but kind of tedious to do.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was pleasantly surprised by the insightful comments, especially from the second woman. She was able to distill various elements that I had put into the story and expressed them clearly.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
STAYCATION, 93min,. USA
Directed by Russell Emanuel
How is the world affected by a catastrophic event? Everyday people live through a government mandated quarantine during a global pandemic while desperate scientists race to find a cure before it’s too late.
https://russem.com/
https://www.instagram.com/russem31/
Hannah Ehman chats with the lead actor of the award winning feature film STATCATION
Tanya Hobson-Williams Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaybutta823/
——
Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/
Watch Hannah’s commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
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.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
