A LINE OF VERSE was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the March 2022 ROMANCE & RELATIONSHIPS Festival.

https://www.oxfordcommafilms.com/

https://www.facebook.com/OxfordCommaFilms/

https://twitter.com/oxfordcommaflms

https://www.instagram.com/oxfordcommav/

Director Biography - Vanessa Powers

Vanessa M. H. Powers is a theater director, filmmaker, artist, coffee enthusiast, and occasional human being. She can often be found trying to be in too many places at once. She is always working on a host of projects with her film company, the Oxford Comma Film Cooperative. She is also gearing up for another season of directing with St. Matthew Community Theatre in Columbia Heights (crosses fingers for 2022.) In addition, she does video freelance work as an AD, Editor, DIT, and Script Supervisor. In her (clearly abundant) free time, she can be found trying to be a human - spending time with her supportive family, friends, and snort-tastic bulldogs.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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THE TIME YOU LEFT is an award winning short film made at the Toronto Metropolitan University by Yvette Sin & Nikita Zhang.

https://www.facebook.com/The-Time-You-Left-110591541273026

https://www.instagram.com/thetimeyouleft/

Director Statement

The Time You Left is a story born from our experiences as East-Asian women, daughters of immigrants, female artists, and as families impacted by illness. Through this project, we hope to connect with those from similar intersections, and to play what part we can in diversifying the media landscape with thoughtful BIPOC stories.

If you’re like us, elementary school kids made fun of your exotic smelling lunches. Your mother relentlessly assured you nothing was wrong, even when you knew something was up. You didn’t see stories like yours on screen very often, so you thought they must be too mundane, too unimportant to share.

You want the permission to see yourself in the stories we tell, break generational cycles, and honour the strength of your family. Call it a form of activism, but to you, it’s as pure as storytelling.

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MESSAGES FROM THE MARSH – PARTS 1-3, 3min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Amy Kaczur
Messages from the Marsh, 2021 to current, is an immersive experience with multiple video projections, sound art, and mapping. The project focuses on marsh locations on the east coast, and the work is developed via site-specific research, video documentation, and in-person engagement. Videos depict marsh spaces inhabited, spaces transformed, and spaces potentially lost.

https://www.instagram.com/amykaczur

Director Statement

I’m an artist and a citizen scientist, doing my part in bringing awareness about coastal risk, and action in marsh preservation and restoration. I've started working in Massachusetts marsh areas that are projected to be under water by 2050 through combinations of sea level rise, tides, and storm surge. I video above and within the marsh water bodies, and create topographical maps of the marshes and threatened areas. I'll continue researching the impact of the coastal marsh loss on the ecosystem and probable species extinction, and efforts in preservation, restoration and management.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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“As a meteor hurls towards Earth, Felix tries to party and reconnect with old friends.” A dream sequence short film that played at the Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWFFzbLdbX4&t=2s

Director Biography - Robert Campbell Sturdevant

Robert Sturdevant is a filmmaker at Occidental College (Class of 2023). He is best known for his stop-motion work on the YouTube channel The Action Brick, which includes his ambitious Minecraft-inspired fan series, "Night of the Nether".

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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EVERGREEN. 7min. short film. Played at the Female Feedback Film Festival.

The line between reality and dream blurs for Swedish Mia, who suffers from anxiety induced paranoia on the day of her immigration interview.

https://www.instagram.com/evergreentheshortfilm

Director Statement

With this film, I hope to raise awareness of the hardship that immigrants of all nationalities are facing while applying for permanent residency in the U.S and open up for a conversation around the subject. This issue is a reality regardless of what skin color you have, what country you are from, or what languages you speak. Ironically, as the US country that is in fact created by immigrants.

In this story, we follow Mia, a European immigrant’s story, yet “Mia” could be anyone in the world. For me, her story represents the issue of the immigration process in the U.S.

The film explores through an experimental, nightmare-like lens, the fear and feeling of paranoia that immigrants might experience, while being tested by a system that is not only difficult and scrutinizing but also intimidating, overwhelming and even at times disrespectful. Having to respond to endless requests, both personal and professional, being challenged as to the existence of a job, the validity of a relationship or being able to prove that oneself is “extraordinary” enough to live in the country. The sentiment I managed to gather from my own experiences as well as other immigrant friends, was the sense of not being wanted, trusted or welcomed.

Therefore, I hope to shed light on this issue and open up a discussion around the questions:
Is this process really fair and respectful? To what extent is this a valid test or is it an exercise and abuse of control? How do we decide who is worthy to stay in a country based on their ethnicity, gender, fortune, skills, nationality, religion or who they love and marry?

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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FOR I AM DEAD. A Belgium short film.

In late-1800s Europe, Oscar, a wealthy but lonely middle-aged man who has lived a decadent, extravagant life in a chateau filled with wine, courtesans and opium, confesses love to his gardener Jude before he dies of his excesses.

Conversation with the lead actor/producer Al Nazemian and director Patricia Delso Lucas on the making of the film.

Director Statement

“A period piece, 18 minutes. A dark, surreal drama. A story about unrequited love, self-acceptance and the limits of the sane mind.”

With the script of For I Am Dead, I wanted to show the personal and social struggle to accept the nature of who an individual is, when his/her desires or choices do not correspond to the majority. In this particular case, Oscar is fighting with his repressed homosexuality, but this is just one of many possible incarnations portraying this dilemma.

I chose to set the story at this moment in time, the late 1800s, with the intention to accentuate the fact that these kinds of questions, although they have progressed, are still relevant today.

Will belonging to a minority ultimately end in tragedy?

This story can be extended to any situation of identity repression: Oscar being a victim of a time, an ideology, of himself; Jude being the response to him, in the form of love or hate.

Seen through the eyes of Oscar, the character of Jude embraces a duality between the kind and respectful young man he really is and the devil, the grotesque deformation Oscar projects onto him as a result of his tortured soul.

The unusual use of sound in the film, going in and out of sync at times - as well as a few jump cuts - emphasize Jude's duality and highlight Oscar's loss of sanity, as he is no longer able to tell what's real and unreal. Despite his wealth and status, Oscar was never able to buy people’s minds, not even his own.

What I want to show with this film is what happens inside of a person when they are brutally denied the freedom to choose who they are, the right to define how they want to live.

In this story, Oscar finds relief from his anguish the moment he confesses his love to Jude, but he is rejected and the price he pays is death.

In any case and despite the consequences, this permission to be yourself should start from within.

-Patricia Delso Lucas

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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When a daydreamer falls in love with a book smart, things might get complicated - in her head, flying to the moon is more feasible than asking him out for ice cream, but on this bus ride, she will find the courage to speak up before the end of the line.

Conversation with director Michael Sternberg & producer/actor Shira Alon)

Director Statement

This story is inspired by a true event that I myself witnessed between two people sitting on a bus wanting so badly to speak to each other but struggling to express themselves. This event was very magical to me and I was touched by how both of them tried different ways to get to each other's hearts but kept stopping themselves because of their shyness. I could relate to this feeling of struggling to express love and how hard it is to approach someone you want to be with - it's not accessible, there are obstacles.

The moment where the guy gets up and leaves the bus was such a magical heartbreak representing the loss of the most important things we own, like sand disappearing from our hand. A bus represents something temporary, ephemeral, not something permanent. Nothing is stable, there are bumps in the road, even stops in the road but nothing really stops, people join you and people leave you, everything is passing... I chose to make this film in a foreign language because it takes me to a whole different world, to a magical world, just like a kid traveling abroad. In fact, just like a kid listening to a story before bedtime. 

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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“Inside an old cottage, a middle-aged man, K, is sitting at his desk. As K struggles to create on his working desk, he looks over at his pictures of yesteryears.” Conversation with EVERY DAY writer/director on the making of the film.

Director Biography - Navjyot Singh

Born in India, Navjyot studied Architecture in pursuit of a stable career. However, he soon realized that a screenplay's structure is much more interesting to him than a building's beam grid. During college, he made a few short films and later worked on a film set. Since 2017, Navjyot has called Canada home. After two years of studying filmmaking, he has started working on his own projects.

Director Statement

I'm a storyteller interested in exploring the human condition through intriguing stories.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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WHERE TEARS, PERHAPS is a music video featuring a dance duet between two female dancers that represents the act of creation. Interview with the Columbian filmmaker Walter Escamilla on the making of the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy7QN8rwGPY

Director Biography - Walter Escamilla

Walter Escamilla is a filmmaker based in Bogotá, Colombia. He studied Visual Arts at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He's first short film, Video Pulso, premiered in 2008 and was selected in various local film festivals including Cartagena International Film Festival. He's second short film, Prayer for Transformation, premiered in 2012 to further acclaim.

Apart form his artistic career, he has extensive experience as a Director and Editor of TV shows and documentary films. In 2012 he co-founded MONARCA, a young and highly creative team that produces music videos, fashion films and experimental media.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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SOUR played to rave reviews at the Toronto Comedy Film Festival. Conversation with the creative team of the short film.

SOUR is a dark comedy horror exploring one woman’s experience of lockdown whilst isolating with a sourdough starter!

Project Links

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

Director Statement

Directing and co-writing SOUR has been an absolute pleasure! I was inspired by the originality of the premise and its fresh perspective on the madness of lockdown. Drawing inspiration from films exploring the anxieties and fears of suburban modern life such as Swallow (Carlo Mirabella-Davis, 2019), American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999), Blue Velvet (David Lynch, 1986) as well as the iconic TV series Desperate Housewives, I wanted to make a film that would not only make people laugh and smile during this difficult time but also provide a somewhat cathartic experience. Aside from being a comedic exploration of the effects of isolation, I see SOUR as a cautionary tongue-in-cheek tale about what happens when reality fails to live up to expectation and we upset the balance between the organic and the human!

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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“A heartwarming comedy about appreciating what you have whether you are single, in a relationship or it's complicated. It's Valentine's day and none of the couples coming in have a reservation, one of them suffers from OTD. The chef is giving the server shit for not being able to pronounce Shahi Paneer. A single guy comes in with a book and he has a reservation. What is he writing? why is he by himself on Valentine's day? What is OTD? How do you actually say Shahi Paneer?”

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

Director Statement

Humour is one of the most underrated emotions especially when it comes to films. Making people laugh lowers their inhibition and more receptive to what you are trying to say, which is why I love comedies. Gratitude was made by a small team of wonderful humans with huge hearts, we laughed every day on set, during rehearsal and while shooting. Even if I don't get into your festival, if I made you smile and start appreciating what you got, I have achieved my goal, enjoy!

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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Sarah plays rugby at top level and is about to go up a division with her team. When her wife Emily finds out she cannot have children, she asks Sarah to do something the rugby player had never considered: putting her career on hold to carry their child.

Read blog interview with filmmaker: https://matthewtoffolo.com/2022/08/07/interview-with-filmmaker-alexandra-favard-momentum/

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this month. 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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HORNBEAM was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Under cover of darkness, two strangers bond over a shared secret. But how well do they really know each other?

Director Biography - Mark Pluck

Mark is a London-based writer, director and producer. In 2017 he wrote voyeuristic thriller ‘The Photographer’ starring Sophia di Martino (Marvel's Loki) which screened at the East End Film Festival, Danny Boyle’s festival ‘Shuffle’ and the British Independent Film Festival. In 2019 he produced the comedy-horror short 'Meat is Murder' - in collaboration with London advertising agency VCCP, which was described by the British Comedy Guide as “Really funny, then genuinely unsettling”. In 2020 Mark made his directorial debut with horror short ‘Platform’ which received its world premiere at Grimmfest and later screened at Lund Fantastic Festival and the British Horror Film Festival, where Mark was awarded the Rising Star Award.

Director Statement

I’ve always been drawn to stories that explore the lives we live behind closed doors, beyond the carefully curated façade we project out to the world. I’m interested in the lengths we go to in order to conceal these truths and, more importantly, how these actions affect those we care for the most. HORNBEAM is a film that aims to explore some of this rich and rather murky territory through the lens of a tender love story. Set almost entirely within the confines of a van over several nights, it follows two men who are both living a lie and seeking a safe space to come clean. But unfortunately, as is so often the case in life, the truth can be hard to bear.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service today. 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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SIGNAL DARK was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the June 2022 FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival.

“Lucas Anderson is an insular IT technician whose life is turned upside down when he stumbles across a mysterious email and its reality bending contents.”

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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ONLY HUMAN was the winner of BEST FILM at the WILDsound Film Festival.

Conversation with director Katerina Giannakopoulou and the creative team.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

Director Statement

The first episode of the documentary series “Only Human” introduces the moving stories of refugees. Their escape from their native countries, their journey to hope, through danger and desperation and their challenging start in an unfamiliar culture.

When Germany opened its borders to refugees six years ago, the non-profit organization "music4everybody! e.V." initiated a series of musical projects with young refugees and native peers. These projects use art to create a safe space, where they could get closer and learn more about themselves and one another. With the guidance of professional coaches and social workers, these musical
projects focus on building bridges between people from a variety of cultural backgrounds through the process of creating art together. The artistic modes of expression, such as singing, acting, and dancing, require a deep and trusting connection with oneself and others. Therefore, they are particularly powerful in building bridges between cultures and individuals.

My collaboration as a multidisciplinary artist and director with music4everybody! started in 2014. Since then, I have contributed to more than 100 music theatre projects as a choreographer, coach, or director. It has been a privilege for me to work and grow as a human being alongside the team and the participants, as well as share my own experiences and work on my own traumas. Art offered us increased inner peace through the processes of expression and creation.

CineMars were the obvious partner of choice because of their familiarity with the participants and being an integral part of the music4everybody! community since 2018. This was vital to provide a secure space in which the participants could feel supported enough to share their journeys with us. CineMars’ motto ‘filming for change’ captures their goal as a production company, creating films with a social impact.

In the first part of “Only Human” we wanted to show ten people - ten cultures - ten destinies. In combination, their work enabled them to recount their stories and illustrate that art truly has a very special healing power. This empowered them to help others, turn darkness into light and unite us. The interview approach for this film was crafted to achieve the highest impact, fully integrated within the structure of slow cinema. This gives viewers a deeper understanding of the humanity of each of the participants as they recount their experiences of escape and immigration. Every word spoken was carefully considered and delicately woven into the shots we chose, allowing a more powerful and profound perception of each participants’ experiences within their unique stories.

Although the movie is very much a documentary, we agreed that an artistic presentation of the emotional truth and impact of each participant’s story would reach viewers far more directly than a simple ‘free’ interview structure. We were very careful to support the emotional significance of each story with its own color palette and mood depending on its theme. The documentary itself is a testament of how creating artwork based on real life experiences and emotions is cathartic and healing. It was important to me that the creation of the film itself be a healing process for the participants and not a situation in which they might be re traumatized. In this sense, the film is both and functions as an artistic work and process, which includes all the participants as well as the viewer. Watching the film, hopefully, will make the viewer slow down enough to really absorb its human impact and realize how much we all want the exact same things - no matter where we are from, or which side of the camera lens we are on. We all want to be seen, heard and respected, whilst being allowed to retain our dignity, love and be loved.

Ultimately, my hope is that “Only Human” allows us a moment, through artistic expression, to be reminded that we are not so significantly different from others. The universal language of art and music lets us communicate and maybe share a space where freedom is accessible and boundaries don’t exist, aiming towards and re-imagining a better world … together.

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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THE DOOR was awarded BEST PERFORMANCES at the June 2022 LA Feedback Film Festival.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17055052/?ref_=nm_knf_i1

Director Statement

The Door is a proof of concept short film created in the hopes of finding funding or a distributor for a feature film that has been in the works for over 5 years. This short is an altered version of the beginning of the feature film. There are many more mysteries to unravel and explore.

This short in particular is incredibly personal. It’s essentially how I view the concept of death. After losing people very close to me in the winter of 2020, I made this as a way to cope with and accept what happened. This film is very special and personal to me. Although it will never be explicitly stated in the film, The Door is an allegory for death and my view of it. When someone dies, they’re taken from you. Out of the billions of people on the earth, at some point our loved ones will be “chosen”. They will be taken from us and sent into the unimaginable void that is death. Are they okay wherever they are? Will we ever see them again? To me it’s almost like they pass through a door, never to be seen again. Death itself is not evil, it is natural. It comes for us all no matter how we lived in life. No matter how good you are or how evil and vile you are, you will not be spared by your own mortality. I’ve always viewed horror as an exaggeration of our reality. Our everyday fears translated into things that are larger than life. I want to incorporate these very thoughts into the film.

Something as simple as a door can be terrifying if perceived in the right context. As odd as it sounds, I see a stationary door as the perfect embodiment of death itself. Wherever it may be, no matter if you see it throughout your life or only at the very end, it is always out there. Patiently waiting until it is your time to open it up and pass through.

This short film is dedicated to everyone we lost and those we wish to see again.

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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ALL YOU CAN CARRY is a winning short screenplay from the Chicago Feedback Film Festival.

Logline: Vladislav and Inna live with Inna’s 92-year old mother, Daria, in Ukraine when Russians start to invade and they are all forced to make difficult choices.

Conversation with Max Orkis on the writing of the script and it’s timely aspect.

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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THE TRYOUT played to rave reviews at the June 2022 Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video from the festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/the-tryout

Project Links

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

“The story of a young man who tries out for a big league baseball team, whether you like it or not.”

Watch the Festival Today. 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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DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES was the winner of BEST ANIMATION at the June 2022 Under 5 Minute Film Festival.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/death-and-magic-castles

“On a beautiful, sunny day five year old Zizou fell to the ground and died when his heart suddenly stopped. In that moment of losing my son I was thrown into the cold reality of America’s complicated relationship with death. Through animation, "Death and Magic Castles" explores traditions of mourning and loss in different cultures and follows my quest to bring death and life closer together in a culture where mourning is taboo and the goal is to live forever.”

Director BIO: Kari Barber is a journalist-turned-filmmaker based in Reno, Nevada. Her feature-length documentary debut STRUGGLE & HOPE aired nationally on public television on the series America ReFramed. DEATH AND MAGIC CASTLES is her personal story of suddenly losing her son at five years old.

Watch the Festival Today. 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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BAOBEI (BABY) played at the June 2022 STUDENT Film Festival.

Conversation with teenage filmmaker Josh Li on the making of this personal documentary about this mother.

“This short film highlights the struggles of my mom trying to teach me about the piano and pass down her passions that were never achieved.”

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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