Telling stories through film and conversation.
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WILDsound's The Film Podcast

In each episode, the C.E.O. of WILDsound, Matthew Toffolo, chats about all things storytelling and film. Conversations with talented individual from all around the world.

February 17, 2023 - Director Maclovia G. Martel & Producer Michael Potter (TRACKS)

TRACKS, 11min., Netherlands, Documentary
Directed by Maclovia G Martel
A visual Journey of remembrance in Amsterdam.

From filmmaker Maclovia G. Martel:

The producers of the film Michael Potter and Margaret McCarhty lived on the canal in Amsterdam where this particular Stumbling Stone project to honor Holocaust victims took place. We felt a tremendous amount of satisfaction connecting with the audience and really appreciating that we were successful communicating a powerful and meaningful message in a short film.

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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February 16, 2023 - Filmmaker Sharon Mayo (THE STAMP)

THE STAMP, 10min., USA, Comedy
Directed by Sharon Mayo
A satire on how to complete a task within government bureaucracy.

https://linktr.ee/anniewaits18
https://instagram.com/the.stamp.shortfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

used to be a government contractor and one day, the person who did a specific task was out for the day. I thought I was doing everyone a favor when I decided to do it myself so I can finish my assignment early. Apparently not. I was told that I was threatening other people’s job for going above and beyond, so I wanted to examine that under a comedic lens.

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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February 15, 2023 - Filmmaker Vanessa Powers (50 ML)

50 ML, 8min., USA, Drama
Directed by Vanessa Powers
A young man struggles with his sobriety while he and his wife host a holiday dinner with her dysfunctional family.

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

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

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have had this idea in my head for a while. My dad is 35 years sober, and so alcoholism and sobriety have ALWAYS been part of my understanding of the world. Even when I was a little kid, my parents never lied to me about it. In that spirit, there was a time my dad ran to the liquor store to pick up wine for a family event, and had the experience of being drawn to the tiny bottles at the counter. He was sober enough with enough skills to walk away, but I wondered what might happen to someone younger and earlier in their sobriety journey. In addition, my good friend, Casey Hoekstra, who plays the lead in the film, is a professional actor. We worked together on a couple film projects when we were younger, but we had reconnected and discussed working on another project together for a while. I knew I wanted someone of his talent to play the lead, since the film was so complicated in nature. He had this small gap in his schedule, and so once he was available, it was a done deal.

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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February 14, 2023 - Filmmaker Ed Akselrud (KEEP COOL: FORTIFYING BRITISH COLUMBIA)

KEEP COOL: FORTIFYING BRITISH COLUMBIA, 30min.,
Directed by Ed Akselrud
In 2017 and 2018 British Columbia experienced devastating wildfires that reshaped the province. From the ashes, a surprisingly complex “war machine” arose to reforest the scarred land. Keep Cool: Fortifying British Columbia explores this machine, the key players involved, and the significance of government-designated Old Grown Management Areas in the province’s north.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23793080/
https://instagram.com/edakselrud
https://twitter.com/edaxmedia

Get to know the filmmaker:
At the risk of sounding cheesy, it was definitely the people we met and interviewed. The project was originally meant to be a 3-5 minute video, but when we arrived we were taken to so many sites and locations and introduced to so many people involved by our partner Zanzibar that I felt that this needed to be a bigger project. There are so many moving parts in forestry and we got to interact with so many (though not all) of them. So the planned runtime expanded from those 5 minutes, to 12-15, then to 20, and finally somehow landed at 30 minutes. Going in, I had no idea how much there was to this story and how many different people and characters were involved in this herculean effort, so I felt compelled to try and illustrate their work at the scale I thought it deserved.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 13, 2023 - Writer Jennifer Kurani (FEELING SPECIAL)

FEELING SPECIAL, 5min,. USA, Animation
Directed by Carlos Hoffman
Animated film adaptation of the children’s book, Feeling Special, about a Turtle who believes that all his friends are special, but that he is just ordinary, and finally realizes that he is special too.

http://www.jenniferkurani.com/
https://instagram.com/jenniferkurani
https://facebook.com/jenniferkurani

Get to know writer Jennifer Kurani:

The motivation to make this film came from the desire to spread a very important message about believing in yourself. Everyone truly is special in their own way! When you believe in yourself, you’re accepting who you really are. You’re not afraid to give your opinion and you’re going to be proud of this person you’re becoming. When you believe in yourself you feel like you can handle the world! Positive energy and a little confidence gives a major lift. Believing that you are special gives you the strength and ability to accomplish goals. Deep down inside, you know you can do anything.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 12, 2023 - Filmmaker Tanin Risdon (TEGG SANDWICH)

TEGG SANDWICH, 9min., Canada, Comedy
Directed by Tanin Risdon
A short comedy about an over-confident HR Rep who is tasked with putting an end to the largest problem in the office: A bizarre, outcast employee and their foul smelling lunches.

https://www.instagram.com/taninjr/

Get to know the filmmaker:
My friend Ian Boyd wrote the script (as well as produced it) and a few people had told me he was looking for a director so I had him send me the script. After reading it I knew I had to be involved because I thought it was hilarious. I immediately had so many ideas to contribute to Ian’s brilliant writing so I was just so happy he gave me the opportunity to direct it.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Malka Shabtay (NAFKOT – YEARNING)

NAFKOT – YEARNING, 70min., Israel, Documentary
Directed by Malka Shabtay
An Israeli anthropologist traveling to meet a hidden Jewish community in north Ethiopia. Together they telling their special story of survival Abera, a young artist joins to discover what has been hidden from him

Get to know the filmmaker:

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. 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. Only when i turned 60 years old, after writing 15 books I felt I wanted to learn filmmaking, so I went to film school and studied for almost two years.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 10, 2023 - Director Ashley Brajaé & Producer Askia E Drew (OUR CROWN AND GLORY)

OUR CROWN & GLORY, 29min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Ashley Brajaé
A group of friends explores their hair journey and what it means to embrace black hair joy!

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated me to do this film is the fact that hair is such a big part of the black culture, but with that it’s also been ridiculed, misunderstood, then imitated for “trend” without knowing the tragic and beautiful history of our hair. It was important for me to give the story told embracing our black hair joy and how we are all connected with it (men and women) . Lastly to show how we finally embraced and loved our true self.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 9, 2023 - Filmmaker Duy Viet Hai Tong (LONG KISS GOODBYE)

LONG KISS GOODBYE, 8min., Canada, Relationships
Directed by Duy Viet Hai Tong
A window into the last day of a relationship.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I made this film during a period where not a lot of things were happening around me. I was just trying to find my feet in a new environment. I had just graduated from university and moved to Canada. So, I think there was a personal component to making the film because it was for me to reflect on such a long journey from when I was a kid to just being done with the education environment and moving to another phase in life.

The relationship aspect of it came down to reflecting on past experiences and combining them with other things I know of. That’s where the European arthouse influence came in and I thought what a great tribute it would be to have a romance film in that style set in the modern day. We did ditch the excessive smoking though.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Victoria Lacoste (RENAISSANCE)

RENAISSANCE, 6min., France, Experimental

Directed by Victoria Lacoste, Penelope Caillet

The sensuality of being alone.

https://www.edelweissfilmproductions.com/

https://www.instagram.com/edelweissproductions/

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 7, 2023 - Screenwriter Olivia Belluck (READY TO MINGLE)

Ready to Mingle follows Dr. Millie Ward, a defensive self-help columnist for the clickbait-dependent news site Nova Press. Millie thrives on applying her analytical mind to patients she cannot see, snuggled in sweaters that ensure that no one can ever see her. After a lifetime of being told she would never be enough because of her weight and her harsh disposition, she has resigned herself to living on the sidelines of everyone else’s fairy tale. That is until she is needed at the last minute to cover Nova’s behind-the-scenes column for “Ready to Mingle’s” 25th season. “Ready to Mingle” prides itself on using its famed algorithm to produce 5 perfect couples in just 10 weeks, with one being voted as “Most Likely to Last.” But as Millie immerses herself on-set, questions are raised about the psychological implications of such a show, both on its lovers and society itself. Soon Millie finds herself on a mission to dismantle the toxic fantasy “Ready to Mingle” has cultivated, to change the math, to prove that love doesn’t always follow a pattern.

Watch the Best Scene Reading of the Script: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/ready-to-mingle-script

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 6, 2023 - Filmmaker Matthew Catanzano (SPIRITS)

SPIRITS, 9min., USA, Comedy/Horror
Directed by Matthew Catanzano
Some haunts are haunted.

http://thehappyghostproductions.com/
https://instagram.com/MattCatanzano

Get to know the filmmaker:
My two great loves are horror and comedy. I have many MANY sketches online and I wanted to add a more straight-forward horror short to the list. Especially since it more accurately reflects the feature scripts I write. I really wanted to make a short that was scary first, had a lot of lore/rules, and showcased what I could do with no budget.

And subject matter-wise, Ghosts scare the hell out of me. I’m a big fan of creatures and monsters, but it’s ghosts that actually keep me up at night. And I really love the idea of haunted places that are also regular businesses that have to operate day-to-day. haha.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 5, 2023 - Filmmaker Azure Kwok (MONODIALOGUE)

MONODIALOGUE, 5min, USA, Drama
Directed by Azure Kwok
A surreal encounter with Adam reveals everything about Addison’s past, present, and future.

https://www.theythemfilms.com/
https://instagram.com/theythemproductions

Get to know the filmmaker:

Monodialogue was initially just a shower thought. I wrote it into a stage play at first and I wasn’t exactly happy with how it turned out. I was living in Seattle at the time and was surrounded by a group of talented and ambitious friends who are all eager to work and learn in the filmmaking field. So I adapted it into a screenplay and brought them all onto this project. They loved the idea and were incredibly supportive of me. Honestly, my friends were my biggest motivation behind making this film. We wanted to make something together that we’re proud of, and Monodialogue happened to be the thing.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Angelique Kalani Axelrode (L’APPRENANTE)

L’APPRENANTE (THE LEARNER), 7min., France, Drama
Directed by Angelique Kalani Axelrode
L’Apprenante is an American college student in the process of “finding herself abroad” in Paris. She takes French classes to immerse herself in the culture, even though her accent is tragique. In one particular class, she struggles to recount her weekend where she goes to a Parisian party and meets La Femme; a girl she is immediately drawn to. As she navigates the discomfort of learning a new language, she also navigates the discomfort of discovering her queerness. Her inability to get out of her head inhibits her not only from improving her French, but also from being vulnerable with La Femme. Will she ever be able to commit to the accent and make a move? Impossible n’est pas français.n

https://www.tiktok.com/@lapprenantefilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

I made this film as a way to process some things I was personally grappling with. Like many queer people, I knew I wasn’t straight long before I said or did anything about it. My queerness lived in my head where I would replay interactions I had with people almost obsessively- oh were we flirting? Was she hitting on me? Why did I run away? If only I had said this. Or maybe if I hadn’t been so drunk. Or maybe if I had been a bit more drunk… Imaginary scenarios where I finally mustered up the courage to be intimate with someone else were only temporarily satisfying. I had to learn to get out of my head and actually act on my queer impulses. “L’Apprenante” is about this awkward process. The idea for this film came to me while I was living in Paris at the beginning of 2022 and feeling a sense of freedom I haven’t experienced since studying abroad in college. I was rediscovering myself and relearning what it means to be vulnerable, realizing I had very little vocabulary to work with. It felt like learning an entirely new language- one, like French, that sounds nothing like it is written.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 3, 2023 - Filmmaker Nell Dashiell (GPS)

GPS, 10min., USA, Comedy/Drama
Directed by Nell Dashiell
Kim and Jamie – an upscale, young urban couple – have just arrived home after an evening out with friends when Kim hears a noise. Fearing that a burglar may be prowling around downstairs, Kim dispatches Jamie to investigate. As it happens, Kim is on the right track: Rob, an amateur cat burglar, is hiding in a coat closet – and, as Kim gives Jamie instructions as to where she has carefully hidden their valuables, Rob is given just the detailed info he needs to accomplish his mission.

http://gpsshortmovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GPSshortmovie

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
• I had what I thought was a cute idea and I was dying to actually make a film.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
• The short answer is bound to be deceptive. Here’s the long answer: technically it took three years – but I had a slew of major interruptions including a day job, a family and a pandemic. If you subtract the interruptions, the actual script took about four hours over two separate days, and the actual filming took 48 hours. Editing took forever.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 2, 2023 - Filmmaker Katharina Keil (WAVES)

WAVES, 2min., Australia, Comedy
Directed by Katharina Keil
Two friends Sam and Ethel play a fun game to reconnect at their local beach.

Get to know filmmaker Katharina Keil:

* The motivation to make this film was an application for the Australian Director’s Guild. They had an initiative and as my last short film was 18 years ago, I felt I needed to show my improved skills as director and decided to do a short film for the initiative.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

February 1, 2023 - Filmmaker Alex Sjobeck (SILHOUETTE)

SILHOUETTE, 9min., USA, Dance
Directed by Alex Sjobeck, Rulon Wood, Marla Hansen
Silhouette is short dance film portraying the ubiquitous theme that members of society have to masquerade in order to blend in, anxiously minimizing aspects of their own identity in order to avoid judgment.

Get to know filmmaker Alex Sjobeck:
I composed the piece “Silhouette” prior to the creation of the film. It was a composition with such a deep meaning that I had to find a way to portray the theme through multimedia. Jazz and dance have a long history of being associated together, more in the past than in modern times. I wanted to help bring this relationship to modern times and believed this would also be the perfect way to portray the meaning of the composition in a new, more apparent way. I was very happy that dance choreographer Marla Hansen and cinematographer Rulon Wood were willing and passionate about taking on this project 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 31, 2023 - Filmmaker Joshua Ashish Dawson (SPA SYBARITE)

SPA SYBARITE, 3min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Joshua Ashish Dawson
The World health organization states that “Although it is unequivocal that climate change affects human health, it remains challenging to accurately estimate the scale and impact of many climate-sensitive health risks. In the short- to medium-term, the health impacts of climate change will be determined mainly by the vulnerability of populations, their resilience to the current rate of climate change, and the extent and pace of adaptation.”

https://instagram.com/joshuaadawson

Get to know the filmmaker:

The thoughts that led to writing this film have been very organic. It started when a few years ago I worked in an architecture firm as a designer. The firm mostly designed high-end hotels and I was very intrigued by the conversations that I would have with clients regarding how the designs of these projects were driven by its marketing. Most of which aimed to target the wealthiest people.

This sparked an idea in my head to think about how the marketing surrounding wellness ebbs and flows with the current preoccupations of its target demographic and isn’t held to the same level of scientific scrutiny as the pharmaceutical industry.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 30, 2023 - Filmmaker Ford Mckeown Larose (CREATURA)

CREATURA, 13min., Canada
Directed by Ford Mckeown Larose, Phethsari Pathammavong
If the world were to recreate itself in an empty space, how would new forms of life appropriate this environment? How would they evolve? Through lights and movements, Creatura explores the concept of genesis and evolution in a post-apocalyptic universe.

https://www.facebook.com/ForwardMovements
https://www.instagram.com/fwdmovements

Get to know the filmmaker:
The film was inspired by the third season’s opening video of Westworld created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy. I was really inspired by the story, the aesthetic and the message and wanted to find a way to recreate that feeling. CREATURA is the story I was able to create through that feeling?

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

January 29, 2023 - Filmmaker Patrick Guthrie & Mayor Mike Dunafon (RUGBYTOWN)

RUGBYTOWN Ep. 1, 28min., USA
Directed Patrick Guthrie
Having failed to reach their dreams of starring in the NFL, the players in RugbyTown tell their own stories of crossing over to become professional athletes in a new sport as they help the USA win the Rugby World Cup.

https://rugbyfactory.tv/
https://www.facebook.com/rugbyfactory.tv/

https://www.instagram.com/rugbyfactory.tv/

Get to know filmmaker Patrick Guthrie:

RugbyTown focuses on new opportunities for elite athletes who were rejected by the NFL, by offering them a new path to being a professional athlete and representing the United States internationally in a new sport. The show features the players transformation as they learn, fail and succeed, both on and off the field. Season 1 & Season 2 both consist of ten (10) half-hour episodes, cleared worldwide.

Season 1 @ 2 are available in UHD 4K. The music used was scored for the RugbyTown series, with original music that is cleared worldwide.

RugbyTown has been licensed for distribution in Oceana on ESPN, in South Africa on SuperSport, in the UK on BT Sport, in LATAM on DirecTV, plus other territories globally.

You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook