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.

July 15, 2023 - Filmmaker Jake Skrok (WHAT I NEED)

WHAT I NEED, 13min., Romance
Directed by Jake Skrok
Two lifelong friends try to reconnect a year after breaking up. But on their snack run for one who is now pregnant and married they find there are still feelings between them.

https://www.instagram.com/whatineed_short

Get to know the filmmaker:
The origin of this story came from a break-up I had in 2019. It had a moment when we tried to reconnect a few months later, and there was still a scary connection there. So I found myself feeling many things I felt out of control and I wanted to explore a character making a choice I was struggling to accept myself.

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.

July 14, 2023 - Screenwriter Michael Harris (PREMIUM ECONONY)

Watch the Winning Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3--iiwTEfKE

Falling Down meets Dude, Where’s My Car? Over 24 hours, a recently divorced accountant loses his job, his Jeep and accidentally traffics Heroin. His only escape? Become a beige pants badass aka a Dad Ass.

From the writer:

Premium Economy is How Stella Got Her Groove Back meets Dude, Where’s My Car meets Falling Down (without the racial animus). It’s funny with deceptively touching relationships, even amongst the criminals, and it would be a low budget movie to shoot.

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.

July 13, 2023 - Filmmakers Mike Schmiedeler, Michael O’Brien (DON'T TURN YOUR BACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT)

DON’T TURN YOUR BACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT, 103min., USA
Directed by Mike Schmiedeler, Michael O’Brien
From EP Tom Morello – Meet former gravedigger turned doorman at the Park Hyatt in Chicago turned frontman to his own band, Ike Reilly. At 40 years old he landed a recording contract with Universal and in true rock & roll fashion he bought his family a dream home in his hometown of Libertyville, IL. Ike took his band out on the road where they became what The New York Times called “one of the best live bands in America.”

https://www.dontturnyourbackonfridaynight.com/the-film
https://www.instagram.com/mikeschmiedeler/
https://www.facebook.com/mike.schmiedeler/

Get to know the filmmakers:

Michael O’Brien: I introduced Mike to Ike and his music about 12 years ago…I showed him a demo/sizzle Ike and I had made for AMC that sadly was given a pass. Mike became a huge fan of Ike’s music and eventually a good friend. It took a few years of persistent cajoling but Ike finally agreed with Mike’s premise that his is a story that demanded to be told.

Mike Schmiedeler: What he said  I came as a fan. I knew how his music touched me and I also knew his story was so unique that it had to be told. He got his first record contract at age 40 while he was working as a doorman at a hotel. And he had been a gravedigger. Literally. But then he also married his high school sweetheart and had these 4 amazing kids. But then wrote some of the most insightful, provocative lyrics on life, death, money, lust, loss and hope that I’d ever hear. It’s like he exists in worlds he should not simultaneously.

July 12, 2023 - Filmmakers Chloe Stafford, Suneina Badoni (LILY)

LILY, 10min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Chloe Stafford, Suneina Badoni
Desperate for a cure for their daughter’s illness, a California couple finds hope from an unexpected source.

Get to know the filmmakers:

– I think what motivated us to make this film was the story of Lily. Suneina is close to the family so she already knew about the story. We felt like this triumph and these medical mushrooms were something that needed to be shared on a large level.

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.

July 11, 2023 - Filmmaker Lorien Haynes (VIRTUALLY SINGLE)

VIRTUALLY SINGLE, 15min., USA, Romance
Directed by Amy Gardner, Lorien Haynes
It’s lockdown. Emboldened by red wine, a fortysomething woman braves her first Zoom date with a guy in snowy Montana. A short play devised through improvisation, VIRTUALLY SINGLE explores the tragicomic challenges of dating during the pandemic.

https://www.finitefilmsandtv.com/projects/virtually-single/
https://m.facebook.com/100063726603408/
https://twitter.com/finitefilmsldn
https://www.instagram.com/finitefilms/

Get to know filmmaker Lorian Haynes:

Amy Gardner and I have been working together since my film project – Everything I Ever Wanted To Tell My Daughter About Men – [23 shorts, directed by 21 women, making one feature to support survivors of abuse] and subsequent to that on Good Grief; a virtual interpretation of one of my plays, which Amy approached me to do at the beginning of the pandemic. Our aim was to help sustain theatre during this time and it was doing Good Grief that made us aware of how important it was to develop creative work, despite the extreme restrictions Covid presented.

As friends, we talked a lot about isolation and how on earth people were supposed to find love and break through loneliness during Covid. I had just returned to the UK from living in LA for 15 years and was living in a 10ft square room in my mother’s house – going slightly mad. And it was from these conversations that the idea of a woman’s first ever zoom date emerged and we started trying to work out the challenge of how to do it. What was it? Was it a short? Was it a series? How did we make it with zero budget and no way of leaving the house?

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.

July 10, 2023 - Writer/Producer Nikki Apostolidis (THE COST OF MONEY)

THE COST OF MONEY, 14min., USA
Directed by Robbie Ryde
Battling with her own emotional numbness, sheltered socialite Serena sets out to experience hardship by joining an NA meeting where she discovers real connection, friendship and personal truth.

https://fitzcarraldopictures.com/

Get to know writer/producer Nikki Apostolidis:

During my time in LA, I was enrolled in AAFTA (American Arts, Film & Television Academy) where the emphasis was on creativity and encouraging students to develop their own projects. It was within this environment that we were encouraged to pitch ideas for short films and work with our fellow peers.
For this particular project, my third short film, I had a personal attachment and a strong vision. I aimed to create a humorous story that could potentially evolve into a TV series, drawing inspiration from beloved shows like “The Office” and “Schitt’s Creek.”
By blending comedy and genuine themes, I aimed to create a show that resonated with audiences, providing an enjoyable viewing experience while also touching upon deeper subjects. This project held a special place in my heart, as it allowed me to explore my creative vision and aspire towards a future where the concept could expand into a full-fledged TV series.

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.

July 9, 2023 - Filmmaker Amy Geist (DYSMORPHIA)

DYSMORPHIA, 13min., USA, Thriller/Horror
Directed by Amy Geist
After Isabella fakes cancer to pay for cosmetic surgery she is haunted by a menacing shadow figure.

https://www.facebook.com/dysmorphiahorrorfilm
https://www.instagram.com/dysmorphia_horrorfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had an eating disorder for 20 years and am still in recovery. Whenever I see depictions of eating disorders they are all very clean, clinical, and made to be very digestible with a happy ending and none of this represented my experience. I wanted to make a film that represented the internal experience of an eating disorder and horror was the best way to do that!

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.

July 8, 2023 - Filmmaker Kyan Li Rong Soh (PURPLE)

PURPLE, 4min,. Australia, Music Video
Directed by Kyan Li Rong Soh
Music Video depicting cold loneliness.

https://vimeo.com/kyans

Get to know the filmmaker:

In the aftermath of a painful, personal experience, I felt really lonely. This is my expression of that. It took my maybe two weeks (to make the film). That’s not normal for me, I usually spend a lot of time conceptualizing things before I shoot/record stuff, but this one flowed really quickly.

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.

July 7, 2023 - Filmmaker Matthew Beltz (NUCLEAR!)

NUCLEAR!, 14min., USA
Directed by Matthew Beltz
With mom gone, dad in a pit, and the neighborhood watching, Randy is trying to hold it together before everything explodes.

http://www.gonfalonpictures.com/
https://instagram.com/gonfalonpictures

Get to know the filmmaker:

It really came from a desire to keep creating with people that I love to work with. My producing partners, Jimmy Luc and Alex Caimano, and I had made two short films prior to Nuclear (Death March and Four Pins) which both took place during war time and were period pieces and we wanted to complete what we were calling our loose trilogy. So Jimmy and I went away to work on the script for a number of months and we just felt that a family drama taking place against the backdrop of a nuclear war was fitting. The hysteria and absurdity of that time period felt contemporary and relatable.

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.

July 6, 2023 - Screenwriter Elliot Stanton (DEADLINE TO DEATH)

Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtsUeGVTRvE

Get to know the writer:

Here is the synopsis –

Author CJ Billings is under pressure from his publisher to finish a novel. He has an idea that a few days away in the setting of the finale will give him the inspiration he so desperately needs.

After arriving in Bude, Cornwall, a fan of his recognises him and invites him back to her cottage for a bite to eat and to sign her CJ Billings novels. Margaret is an older woman who lives alone. An unfinished painting in her house curiously provides the inspiration CJ was looking for. The harsh, depressing, stormy harbour scene gives CJ the ending for his protagonist.

CJ visits the following day again, and Margaret admits to him that her younger life was far from idyllic, and she escaped to Cornwall for reasons she keeps to herself. Margaret begins to feel tired, and CJ promises to visit again the following day before returning home to London.

When CJ knocks on Margaret’s door the following morning, he is met by a neighbour, Emily, who informs him that Margaret has died. She gives him one of his books that Margaret had marked ‘For Chris’.

On his return home, a shell-shocked CJ finds a letter within the pages of the book. It is a confession by Margaret, albeit that is not her real name. She moved from London to escape justice after murdering a baby in her care when she was a nanny. The confessional story bears an uncanny resemblance to the conclusion of CJ’s book. The conundrum he has is a moral one. Does he submit his manuscript knowing that a real-life murderer inspired the inspiration for ending, or does he delete the whole computer file, preserving his morality but possibly ruining his career? The story ends with CJ’s finger hovering over the ‘delete’ button.

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.

July 5, 2023 - Filmmaker Andrew Mercado (OUTRAGEOUS: THE QUEER HISTORY OF AUSTALIAN TV)

OUTRAGEOUS: THE QUEER HISTORY OF AUSTALIAN TV, 60min., Australia
Directed by Andrew Mercado
Every LGBT milestone happened on Australian TV in the 1970s, years before the rest of the world. And nobody ever saw it, because the nudity, adult stories and queer themes from these TV series could never have been tolerated on commercial TV anywhere outside of Australia. This documentary event, which includes a specially edited episode of Number 96 to highlight several queer stories, will finally set the record straight.

https://www.instagram.com/outrageousdoco/

Get to know the filmmaker:

On the 50th anniversary of Stonewall in 2019, I kept seeing articles that detailed the biggest LGBT moments in pop culture history ever since , and Australian TV never got a mention. I started rolling that idea around in my head, and by the time of the first COVID lockdown, I was deep into it. Originally I wrote it as a book, but quickly realised it would work best as a documentary.

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.

July 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Joel Eggimann (LEAP OF FAITH)

LEAP OF FAITH, 28min., Austria
Directed by Joel Eggimann
A bucket list goal so big that others might think you’re crazy. The stunning journey of Joel Eggimann attempting to do a flip across the gap of a remarkable pinnacle on the Lofoten Islands in Norway.

https://instagram.com/joel_eggimann

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have a bucket list with 100 things that I want to do before I die. Doing a flip across Svolvaergeita was one of those items. The plan first was to make a 10-minute YouTube video but as soon as we got the we noticed that this story deserves a lot more attention and should be shared in a longer documentary to give the audience more context about the process.

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.

July 3, 2023 - Filmmaker Aparna Sharma (STILL LIGHT)

STILL LIGHT, 3min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Aparna Sharma
Still Light is an experimental short made of photographic stills. The film explores the relation of light to perception. It is entirely shot and edited on a mobile phone.

Get to know the filmmaker:

Over a few years I had been spontaneously making pictures using my mobile phone while on long walks. I had a sense making these images that I was interested to see how light impacts our perception of a space. I kept making these images and storing them on a mobile phone. During the pandemic I had to travel to India for an emergency. This was before the vaccines had come out. So I had to undertake a 10 days quarantine in a hotel. I was locked up in a room and to bring some semblance to that time I started to look at these pictures I had been making. Impulsively I felt like selecting and editing them into some form and that’s how the film really started and came about.

When I was taking pictures, I had no idea that it would result in a 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.

July 2, 2023 - Filmmaker Carlos E. Lesmes (PLAY/REPEAT)

PLAY/REPEAT, 8min., Estonia, Dance
Directed by Carlos E. Lesmes
There is a couple. Two bodies. Two beings. 1+1. Sometimes it feels like only one. This film piece wants to explore aspects of a relationship through movement, through the bodies of the performers. The unfathomable distance between two people. Broke but never broken.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The film was born out of real life. It came as the result of a complicated relationship and the desire to express it and live it bodily, but it was shaped together with Real, Alis and Arolin. We worked together about the concept and a wish to explore the notion of loneliness and companionship that exists in a relationship. We all brought our stories and experiences to try and make something that could be expressive in a film form, without it needing text. We wanted the bodies and the images to speak.

This was an exploration process, of getting to know each other and trying something new. Exploring the types of materials and places around us to really connect with our past and present experiences.

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.

July 1, 2023 - Filmmaker Nathaniel Henry (GOING DOWN)

GOING DOWN, 1min., USA, Action
Directed by Nathaniel Henry
Two guys can’t keep their cool on elevator, and it starts going down.

Get to know the filmmaker:

My actors are both experienced in martial arts and I also wanted to get into more exciting action filmmaking so we came up with this idea and made it happen. We really just wanted to make something fun and exciting to watch.

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.

June 30, 2023 - Filmmaker Andréa Gema Heunis (THE LAST SEED)

THE LAST SEED, 118min., South Africa, Documentary
Directed by Andréa Gema Heunis
The Last Seed focuses on broad themes relating to the state of food and agriculture in Africa in the 21st century. Placing the struggle over the control of seed at the centre, it explains the processes that have led to this moment in human history and what it would take to interact with the planet in a way that does not threaten the very basis of life on earth.

https://www.instagram.com/rosaluxglobal/
https://www.facebook.com/rosaluxglobal

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.

June 29, 2023 - Filmmaker Adam J. Vaughn (THE LAST ZOMBIE)

THE LAST ZOMBIE, 16min., USA
Directed by Adam J. Vaughn
At the conclusion of a zombie apocalypse, a lone zombie wanders the planet, isolated and threatened by every human in sight. When Nova, the last zombie, comes across a little girl who knows no fear, the two form an unlikely – and tragically short lived – friendship.

Get to know the filmmaker:
During my studies at Stevenson university, I conceived, scripted, shot, and finalized many student film ideas, many of which went on to be award-winning films. “The Last Zombie” was a project from my studies that I had scripted, revised, but never actually filmed while in school. Partnering with Charm City Filmmakers, I was able to complete “Last Zombie,” inspired by the influences of such things like “The Walking Dead,” “Warm Bodies,” as well as the famous ‘Maria and the Monster’ scene from the 1920’s Universal film, “Frankenstein.”

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.

June 28, 2023 - Filmmaker Robert Jauregui (INCORRIGIBLE)

INCORRIGIBLE, 11min., USA
Directed by Robert Jauregui
Noah has a unique set of skills that has always frustrated her best friend Alex. After yet another one of Noah’s episodes, the duo must decide on the best course of action. A farce ensues, which leads both down a path to which there is no turning back.

https://www.instagram.com/incorrigiblethefilm2022/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I wanted to make a different kind of film. Something that would turn a very serious subject (in this case, a serial killer) and turn it on its head. Have fun with it, and make it a dark comedy.

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.

June 27, 2023 - Filmmaker Rommel Villa (PIEDRA DURA)

PIEDRA DURA, 20min,. USA, Drama

Directed by Rommel Villa

An altar boy is disciplined after being caught watching gay porn at church

Rommel also has his short film, TEDDY MATE, play at our festival back in 2019.

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.

June 26, 2023 - Filmmaker Greg Womble (LOVE WITHOUT PAROLE)

LOVE WITHOUT PAROLE, 27min., USA, Documentary

Directed by Greg Womble

Michael falls deeply in love and matrimony follows. But married life can be tough when you’re serving a life-without-parole sentence in a notorious Alabama prison. The union soon dies, but the love doesn't. When Michael is miraculously freed after serving 36 years for relatively minor crimes, will the romance be reignited?

https://www.womcom.net/love-without-parole

https://www.facebook.com/Love-Without-Parole-a-short-film-by-Greg-Womble-Elaine-Witt-108611718616646

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.