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.
Come the Nightfall, 23min,. USA
Directed by Tom Michaels
A wealthy licentious offers a lift to a beautiful femme fatale in the middle of a deserted road with a shocking aftermath.
http://www.orzelfilms.com/
—-
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
My project, “Pieces of Me”, is a self-reflection of my emotional journey from self-doubt to self-acceptance. There are always moments in life where we feel confident we can complete something, but then encounter an obstacle and feel self-doubt. Eventually, we accept the weaknesses in ourselves, overcome the obstacle and gain confidence again.
What motivated you to make this film?
Coming from a medical background, it took a tremendous amount of effort to transition into the design and animation field. There were many moments when I struggled to keep up with other artists and questioned
whether I belonged in this industry. That emotional vulnerability during periods of transition is what inspired the film. It became a way for me to express how self-identity can shift, break, and ultimately reform through
personal experiences—showing that every struggle contributed to shaping me into the stronger person I am today.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Took me quite some time! I illustrated and animated the textures, and this part of the process required the most effort. Overall, the film took about three months to complete.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I guess the biggest challenge was figuring out the transitions. I designed each frame individually based on the script, so connecting them in a way that felt coherent and emotionally fluid was difficult. I ran into
several technical hurdles when animating, which added to the complexity.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Cats Cradle is inspired by the Greek myth Ariadne and her journey from Crete to Naxos. Like The Fates, she is associated with the symbol of the thread, which she uses to help Theseus kill the Minotaur. Central to Ariadne’s story is her deification, her transcendence from mortal to divine through a union with Dionysus. By revisiting this ancient myth, Cats Cradle invites viewers to reflect on how they navigate their own inner labyrinths of identity and transformation.
https://www.instagram.com/allysonglennart/
https://www.facebook.com/allyson.glenn.1/
What motivated you to make this film?
I was preparing for a solo art exhibition called Date with Hermes: Journeying between Dreams and Reality for the Vorres Museum in Greece (2024). The curator, Dr. Katerina Pizania, suggested I create an animation to connect the Greek myth themes. While the show focused on large-scale paintings and works on paper, the film became a companion piece to my series on Ariadne and Dionysus.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I only had two months to develop the animation for the first exhibition, so the first version was more of an “outline.”Completing the film took a year and a half.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Intense!
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time! As a full-time Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, I worked on the animation during weekends with invaluable help from students and alumni.
----
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Film Synopsis: After serving time in prison for a crime that shattered her family, a mother returns to reconnect with her estranged daughter for the first time in fifteen years, only to realize that her daughter is on the verge of moving overseas to start her own family.
Project Links
1. What motivated you to make this film?
It initially started with me, wanting to challenge myself to craft a short film with emotional depth and compelling characters. As a director, I am always interested in exploring relationships on-screen in unconventional settings. I also had almost nothing to show for my work before that other than a short 3-minute scene I directed during COVID, so I was eager to prove myself. After brainstorming, I became interested in exploring the theme of forgiveness and the relationship between a mother and a daughter. As the script developed, I felt a deep connection to the story, and that further pushed me to make the film.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The screenplay itself took me almost 10 months to write and re-write. The pre-production and production were about 6 months due to so many scheduling conflicts, and post-production for about 6 months. So almost two years!
NAFKOT - YEARNING, 70min., Israel, Documentary
Directed by Malka Shabtay
An Israeli Anthropologist traveling throughout Amazonia to meet the descendants of the Moroccan Jews who immigrated to this region since 1810. Together they are sharing their unique story of resilience and persistence in this special part of the world, as well as their daily lives and their deep feelings towards their Jewish origins, which sometimes still exist only in their hearts.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I worked with the community two years before we did the film. i did my research to understand their story..and after two years they were ready to share their story with the world.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Since we started the shooting until completing it took very intensive two years.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Life mission
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle is to do a film with a hidden community, oppressed and full of fear. to get their trust and collaboration and belief that the film will help in their struggle.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Director Statement on HANDYMAN
Handyman was born from a reflection on what it means to help others and still feel misunderstood. It’s a film about strength, not the kind that dominates, but the kind that endures and gives. Children play a central role in that vision; they see people as they are, without judgment, and remind us what empathy really means. At its heart, Handyman is about the passing of the torch, the moment when resilience becomes legacy, and when care becomes connection.
https://www.instagram.com/thomas_faccini_/
----
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Conversation with Abigail Espinal about her winning short screenplay MANTEL, and her winning film from the Under 5 Minute Festival, QUEER STUDY.
Queer Study, 4min., USA
A hopeless romantic tries to figure out if her best friend is gay in the worst ways possible.
https://www.instagram.com/abigailespinal1/
----
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c35q4I1NZss
When an unnamed virus begins to kill off human males, a family takes refuge on a sailboat in hopes they can escape the virus.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
This story, like all of the stories I seem to write, is about my daily agony knowing one day I will have to say goodbye to my only Son, and figuring out how to make the most of the little things in life that bond us and my family.
The story itself is about an unnamed, new virus that is causing a mass die-off of human males. A father takes his wife and young daughter to his own father’s sailboat on the Atlantic Ocean to try and evade the virus.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
If I can pull this film off, it has the potential to be visually stunning, relying on the simplicity of a sailboat, human drama, moments of levity, grief, and elation. My attached actors, the stellar and criminally underutilized John Conway and a fantastic tiny powerhouse of an actress, Mila Rose, have the ability to push you far into the reaches of emotion. I am looking forward to working with a very intriguing, talented actor, Heidi Danea Crane who is also signed on.
——-
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Conversation with Co-Director/Co-Writer of the multiple award winning film “Memoria Obscura”, David Christopher Nelson, on the making of the film and filmmaking in general.
Synopsis of film: In a world where memory erasure is a legitimate industry, the underground black market known as Memoria Obscura serves as a hub for stolen and repurposed memories.
David Christopher Nelson is an award-winning filmmaker whose talents are as diverse as his projects. A native of Los Angeles, David has been working independently since 2015, shaping himself into a well-versed visual storyteller with a passion for editing, cinematography, and directing. He strives to bring each story to life with cinematic depth and emotional clarity.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
An actor faces the dilemma of going back to her roots in Austria in pursuit of her vocation and belonging or staying in the UK for love. ‘To be or not to be’ is the question within the question: 'Is love as important as belonging?'
https://www.instagram.com/alinejewell/
Conversation with director/actor Aline Jewell. Star Katarina Gerlich and co-star Alex Crockford.
Director Statement
With CHOICES, I delve into a character-driven story that explores the themes of belonging, language, love, identity, and self-assurance.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
An insecure Korean-American woman struggles with old resentments against her beautiful best friend, exposing the impossible beauty standards that caused them.
https://www.instagram.com/iwishiwere_pretty/
Conversation with actor/director Hanah Chang & Producer Quand C. Robinson
Director Statement
I Wish I Were Pretty is not just the title, but also a phrase I have constantly thought since I was old enough to understand that with beauty comes power. Many of the elements included in this story are inspired by my personal experiences. One of my constants while growing up was hearing my mother say to me that I would be prettier if I had “ssanggeopul” (double eyelids). I will never forget the drunk customer from my bartending days who asked me to bring him a pretty server. And more recently, when my father saw a K-Pop music video and asked if that is the kind of thing I want to do, his then-girlfriend said “that is for the young and beautiful.” These experiences were painful, and I wanted to redeem them by turning them into part of my art.
The struggle to feel that we are enough is felt across all genders. As I was revising the script, I sent it to a family friend in the film industry in Korea, only to find out he had just recently undergone plastic surgery. I both hate that he felt that he had to make that choice and understand it. After all, I can understand how much emotional turmoil he had to suffer for him to decide to permanently alter his physical appearance.
Because I know how important representation is both in front of and behind the camera, I hope this film will be inspiring specifically for folks who work in the industry. I am so proud to state that I made this film with a crew of mostly womxn/people of color from beginning to end!
For these reasons and more, I believe this film will be impactful, influential, and monumental. There are already many Korean dramas and movies about beauty standards, but the story typically begins after the protagonist undergoes plastic surgery. My intention with ‘I Wish I Were Pretty’ is never to judge anyone who chooses that, but to provide a fresh take and a different way to deal with what we have internalized. And my hope is that we will learn to be kinder to and more accepting of ourselves as we are.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Director Locky Boaretto, Co-Writer Loki Acciarito, & Actor Tom Simpson join the podcast to talk about their “Jumping at Shadows” series.
In a world secretly at war with an ancient alien race, a teenage girl discovers a crash landed alien, and uncovers shocking truths about her estranged father… After teaming up with a pair of rebel brothers, she uncovers a galaxy-wide conspiracy and an impending alien invasion. When one of the brothers is captured, the team must risk everything to rescue him from the alien mothership before it can begin its invasion of Earth. Amidst explosive battles and impossible odds, she must face her family’s dark past and rewrite their legacy in order to save the future.
https://www.instagram.com/lochnesslegendsproductions/
http://www.youtube.com/@lochnesslegends
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Terrific conversation with screenwriter/actress Bella Martinez, chatting about her multiple award winning film “Once More, Like Rain Man”.
Beautifully directed by Sue Ann Pien, and also starring Matt Jones & Joe Mantegna.
Synopsis: ‘It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it…’ We follow Zoe (Martinez) and her dad, Gerry (Jones) in a ‘day in the life’ of an autistic actress running the gambit of stereotypes she has to deal with - and her dad’s battle in supporting her forging that path for herself - in a funny, frustrating, painful and sometimes triumphantly sarcastic kind of way.
https://www.instagram.com/omlrmovie
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
Watch the Best Scene Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_fYb7My2Qk
A young man attends the final session of his compensated work therapy program. The therapist remains ever oblivious as his lies begins to swallow the room whole.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
The conventions of documentary, musical theater, and magical realism are combined and subverted to address issues of personal, national, and artistic identity through the eyes of a composer desperate to pull off one final backer’s audition whilst hounded by a disdainful documentarian named Charon.
Feature Film: Musical, Meta-modernist, Documentary, Meta-fiction, Bardo, Opera, Musical Theater
https://instagram.com/americasinging
https://www.americasinging.art/
Director Statement
This film is the final installment of a project called "The Bardo Trilogy," which begins with "Orson Rehearsed," and continues with "9/10: Love Before the Fall." In the trilogy of features I explore, from the stance of an auteur composer-director-screenwriter-editor, the concept of "operafilm" -- a fusing of the procedures and tropes of lyric theater and cinema in a comprehensively correlative fashion in order to achieve a new form of "gesamtkunstwerk.,
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
After being kidnapped and forced into a brutal assimilation camp where the English language is used as control, two teenage girls from different countries must find a way to escape, before they are stripped of their identity.
Conversation with director Felipe Marinheiro https://www.instagram.com/marinheirofelipe/
& actor/producer Carolina Liz https://www.instagram.com/caaliz/
—-
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
“The Planet That Doesn’t Exist” is an 8-minute Animation film from Israel, based on the Graphic Novel by Navy Bird Revital Bronshtein.
Navy Bird passed away at the age of 24 last year, caught in the midst of a terrorist attack. Her mother, Liora Bronshtein, brought a team of artists to make this film.
You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/2fKOtua6s1I?si=bvEzOPU1Afe2Sq0n
Conversation with the director of the piece, Nadav Embon, on the making of the film.
Synopsis:
Professor Star l'Etoile set at her desk, her notes, were packed into spiral leather bound notebooks, stacked one atop of the other. They contained years and years of calculations, which sprung from her notebooks and rose up in a spiral, covering hundreds of desks and antique gold plated wooden boards, that covered the entire room.
BIO:
Nadav Embon is an Israeli director, animator, and multidisciplinary creator. His graduation film Talk About Samson screened at festivals in Japan, Russia, Romania, and Israel, and is taught in both academia and high schools as a tool for biblical studies. He later became Creative Director at Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, and co-founded the global commemoration initiative Zikaron Basalon. Today he lectures at Bezalel Academy and Minshar College, leads a new digital content house at NMC United, and directs In Your Face, a portrait-drawing talk-show blending performance and illustration. His latest work is the animated short The Planet That Wasn’t There, adapted from Navy Bird’s graphic novel.
——
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Vapor Trails, 11min., USA
Directed by Matt Jenkins
Mandy has just given Jethro an ultimatum, quick vaping or else. His friend Chuck thinks its going to be easy to quit.
https://www.instagram.com/misfits_of_film/
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Change - Kramon - Music Video.
The unconscious self and conscious self meet.
Interview with star/director Meredith Adelaide on the making of the video.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
Black People Don’t Tango, 13min., USA
Directed by Robert Xavier Clark
An African American man learns to tango after a trip to Argentina.
Based on a true story.
What motivated you to make this film?
This short film Black People Don't Tango is adapted from a feature-length film script that I developed in 2019. That feature script is further adapted from a short story that I wrote in college.
The primary motivation for the short film is to function as a proof of concept for the larger Black People Don't Tango idea.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Roughly one month.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Scheduling and securing locations. The short film was put together and shot in a very tight timeframe. Also most of the people in the film are not professional actors, so getting everyone on the call sheet to show up on specific days was challenging. We also had some late talent and location changes happen, so we had to stay flexible and adapt.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
