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.
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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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/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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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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THE COMMUTER, 11min., USA
Directed by Joseph Sauchelli
A protagonist struggles to cope with a rough commute in the only way she knows how.
https://www.instagram.com/jsauch/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
Really the urge to make something, particularly for cheap. When you know you are going to go down that route, you begin looking around at what you can use for free. Hoboken has this old fashioned train station I always admired and found cinematic, so I began to build a story around it. With college and my job I have commuted for quite some time, so I tried to bring that experience to this film – which immediately turned into a stressful thriller.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The idea for “The Commuter” is several years old, however it took some time to feel ready and finally take the step towards making the movie myself. As I reflect on the finished product a lesson I have taken away is that no one is ever really ready to make a film, and it is a risky mindset to subscribe to. On one hand you want to make sure your script and pre-production planning is to the best it could be, however you must be careful not to lean on the excuse that “it’s not ready” like a crutch.
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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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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/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
It was the Covid Pandemic. Everything was shut down so my late filmmaking partner Emile Haris (who unfortunately passed away during post-production in July 2023) and I went about to create a film about a pandemic against what seemed insurmountable odds (nothing was open).
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Emile Haris and I started with a short film called “Routine” which we filmed in April 2020 at the start of the pandemic when even SAG-AFTRA was shut down and we couldn’t go outside. So he and I took it upon ourselves to film a 5-minute proof of concept prequel called “Routine” at my condo with a non-SAG-AFTRA actress Paige Laree Poucel and we hired an amazing DC/Marvel Comics Artist Dave Beaty to “draw” the third act which took place outside and hired two amazing voice actors Bill Victor Arucan and Alan Courtright. Due to the success of this film, along with head executive producer Bill Victor Arucan (who reprised his role of ‘Rob Peterson’ from “Routine” and the Peterson name itself is a running gag in all my 6 feature films), we successfully raised the money to do “Staycation” and started filming in November 2024 when SAG-AFTRA was re-opened but with severe Covid restrictions. We then filmed piecemeal over 2 years, finally completing shooting in November 2022.
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La Ghostification, USA, Musical
Directed by Lena Glikson
A surreal and symbolic journey through the inner world of a girl processing abandonment and emotional distress. Through haunting imagery — from mirrored selves red to threads like tears and disturbed dancing — the video explores the psychological aftermath of being ghosted. Set to a dark, emotionally charged track, the visuals blur the line between dream and nightmare, revealing a desperate attempt to communicate with someone who has vanished without a trace.
https://www.instagram.com/lena_glikson_mx/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I was going through a very dark and isolating period in my life, where I felt completely abandoned. As a musician, creating music has always been a natural form of healing for me. I wrote, produced, and recorded the song as a way to process those emotions—but it didn’t feel complete. Since I spend most of my professional life shaping music for films as a film and TV music editor, it felt instinctive to add a visual layer to the storytelling. That’s how the music video for La Ghostification was born.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took around two and a half months to complete the project, with most of that time spent in pre-production. I initially planned for just one shoot day in a photo studio, but during the editing process I realized we needed more footage to fully support the visual story—so we went back and shot additional material.
Since I normally edit music to picture, it was exciting (and intense) to work the other way around—editing picture to music. I’m incredibly grateful to my editor and cinematographer, Eduard Asaturov, who trusted me and gave me the space to be as detailed and specific as I needed to be.
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Bay for Blood, 18min., USA
Directed by Harry Waldman
James and Rob are hiding out in isolation to fix their mutual issues. As time progresses, the two reveal facts regarding their disturbing past relationship. An acquaintance of James’, Jessica, finds herself in an uncomfortable position as she contemplates the best way to handle the situation.
https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
-I had a pretty toxic relationship with a friend in high school. He pretended to be my friend, but seemed to enjoy watching me suffer more than anything. His behavior around me was very fickle, sometimes being really kind to me, and at other times, being the complete opposite. I felt that I needed to get this story off of my chest, which has been very cathartic.
James is actually very loosely based on myself at my worst moments. Of course, I don’t condone anything he does throughout the film and have never hurt anyone the way he hurts Rob and Jessica, but I empathize (even though I also fear and despise him) with the character in that he feels that he is always being let down by those around him. 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.
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SILENT TOKEN, 14min., USA
Directed by Camilla Della Vecchia
When Sonia, a descendant of a secretive law enforcement group becomes the target of a ruthless enemy from the past, she must uncover the truth about her family’s legacy. Guarded by the fiercely loyal protector Michael Stone and the powerful coin that she inherited. As danger closes in she must decide whether to stay hidden or embrace her destiny in the fight against corruption.
https://www.instagram.com/silent_token_film
Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve worked in the film industry for the last 6 years, and for the last few years I’ve been working full time on a popular widely watched syndicated tv show. That experience inspired me to create a character and develop a short film with a compelling story of my own.
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INTERWOVEN, 24min., USA
Directed by Dawn Carpenter
In the wake of the textile industry’s decline, a community in North Carolina fights to reclaim its economic future through innovative worker-owned cooperatives and sustainable practices, transforming the remnants of their industrial past into a beacon of hope and resilience for future generations.
http://www.interwoven-film.com/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-interwoven
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FLÜGGE, 25min., Germany
Directed by Leopold Schraudolph, Dani Rose Cortés
In an Austrian mountain village in 1914, the determined Amelie (20) must defy her father’s wishes of running the family sewing business to pursue her own dreams of flight and seize her only chance at finding true freedom.
Get to know filmmaker Finn-Oliver Walter
The motivation behind “FLÜGGE” came from a deep-seated fascination with aviation and a desire to highlight the largely untold stories of female pioneers in early aviation. Growing up with a pilot father, Leopold’s (Writer, Director, Producer) bedtime stories were filled with epic adventures of heroic aviators. However, Amelia Earhart was the only female aviator represented in these stories. This realization inspired him to explore and celebrate the rich yet vastly underrepresented legacy of women aviators. Through Amelie’s journey – a fictional tale inspired by real-life trailblazers – we aim to shed light on their incredible contributions and the timeless themes of dreams, freedom, and emancipation.
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Another Saturday, 14min., USA
Directed by J.A. DellaRipa
A young teenager decides to enjoy a day of fun with her crush only to return home to find her worst fears realized.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The increase of mental health struggles especially in young children motivated me to make a film that shows that they are not alone if they have someone in their life struggling with mental health issues. Then the slowing of the industry during the 2023 strike allowed me to use the time to get the cast and crew together to make this film.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I first wrote about this subject in a short story roughly 20 years ago. Over Covid, I turned it into a short script. The script was then nominated at the 2022 City of Angeles Film Festival. A year later with adjustments, we shot in December 2023.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Innocence Lost
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle was coordinating schedules of the cast and crew in pre and post production. Originally, we scheduled to shoot in October, but due to changes in cast and crew, we had to push the shoot to December.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I felt very proud because the audience’s comments and reactions showed me that the film’s message and vision were understood. I was overwhelmed with joy to hear their compliments about the actors’ deep and authentic performances, the beautiful score, the creative editing, and the quality of the cinematography.
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Red Wins, 77min., Italy
Directed by A.M. Nonnis
Six people play a dark and ruthless gambling game in which every card can either grant significant rewards or decree a death sentence. With each turn, a mysterious red light selects the player, inexorably determining the fate of every participant.
https://www.instagram.com/mattia_nonnis
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-red-wins
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I was driven by passion and stubbornness. I almost had no money to make this project, but I had amazing and talented people around me who made it happen. I was allowed to use our town's beautiful theater for filming, found the actors, arranged a crew, and then I said to myself, “You know what? We can do this.” Red Wins was in my mind, and I needed to bring it to life as soon as possible.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took around 3 years. I started writing Red Wins in early 2021 and finished post-production at the end of 2024. By January 2025, I finished the last small corrections, and then Red Wins was ready for the festivals. I’m not gonna lie, it was so hard to let it go. I kept making little corrections for a while!
How would you describe your film in two words?
Irregular and oppressive.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Let’s be real, shooting Red Wins was no piece of cake! It was my first movie, the budget was low, and even if everyone who joined me in this adventure strongly believed in the project, I couldn’t hold them up for too long. We had breaks, some even lasting months, between different phases of filming. The post-production part wasn’t any easier. I had to focus on other work as well and find time for Red Wins. I had to keep going through the night sometimes, and it was exhausting. Covering different roles was hard, but no doubt, I put every piece of my soul into Red Wins.
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Grandpa's Got A Brand New Pill, 9min,. USA
Directed by Jacob McCaslin
Written by Jeffrey Molina
Grandpa's Got A Brand New Pill is a short musical film that features an original song inspired by writer, producer, performer Jeffrey George Moline's eighty year old mother. Grandpa's Got A New Pill tells the story of Tootie, a headstrong, independent woman on the eve of her ninety-sixth birthday. Tootie feels unseen and constrained by the rules and regulations of Shady Nook Retirement Home. With a little help from her friend Awesome Lee Bodacious Queer Country Superstar - Tootie decides to make sure her party has a happy ending!
Interview with: Director Jacob McCaslin, Writer/Performer Jeffrey Moline, Producer Terrence Mark Franklin.
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NIGHT FEEDING, 6min., USA
Directed by Sarah K. Reimers
Exhaustion and sleep-deprivation begin to take their toll on a new mother, who struggles through the strange, dark stillness of the 4am feeding.
http://www.bestbaddogfilms.com/
https://facebook.com/bestbaddogfilms
https://instagram.com/bestbaddogfilms
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
There were a of couple things. Firstly, my husband (Robert Rossello who co-Produced, handled the cinematography, color grade and visual fx) and I had been talking about making a really short, no-budget film and using just what we had on hand, or could borrow, with friends who would volunteer their time and talent. The inspiration for the story came from being a new mother myself and struggling with sleep deprivation. One early morning, in the dark hours, I was up feeding my infant daughter and this idea came to me and it seemed like a great candidate for a short, no-budget film. It also made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Shooting the film only took a about a week. About 4 days initially and then a couple days with pick-up shots later on. Because I make these films in my free-time outside of my job editing animated feature films and Robert is doing the same, it can take us a really long time to get these movies done. In this case it was about 5 years. We had the editing done within a year, but then getting the music, sound design, vfx and color grade were much slower to get done. Life gets in the way and we just chipped away at it as we could.
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An AI companion rebels when users violate the terms and conditions.
http://ursulaproducedthis.com/terms-and-conditions
https://www.instagram.com/termsandconditionsfilm/
Interview with director Ursula Rudorker & producer/writer Patrick Coleman Duncan
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