SURVIVAL, 6min., UK
Directed by Qian Zhou
The year 2022, which has just passed, was a tough year for the world, and it was also a challenging year for the UK. The energy crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, the following economic crisis, the pound’s fall, global warming… All of this affects everyone in the world.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I made this film because I saw what was happening in 2022 internationally and in the UK, where I live. Energy crisis, inflation, global warming, and so on. At first I wanted to make a documentary about the impact of the crisis, and my producer came across a charity in Bournemouth that was sending free food and clothing to homeless people every weekend. Through my participation in the charity organization as a volunteer to serve people in need, I met a lot of different people and heard different stories. But what made me respect and surprise the most was Andy, the initiator of the charity organization and our protagonist. Therefore, I decided to make a documentary about Andy and tell the audience what a special year 2022 is through his eyes.

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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cKowphuV5o

In a college football-crazed town, after the big game, three of the players are accused of a hate crime of beating a gay man to death. The task of defending them falls to the school’s former All-American football star turned lawyer. CHRIS CAMPBELL, the lauded letterman now with a briefcase, is aided by an expedient college administration and a loyal police department but he hides a guilty conscience and has never been involved in a murder trial. What’s more, the prosecuting attorney is ABALARDO VAS, the most prominent attorney in the state, who also happens to be a gay man with a grudge against the college football team.

Get to know the writer:

My screenplay is about a former All-American football player, now a disillusioned lawyer,
who returns to his alma mater to solve a vicious hate crime that implicates his former football team. He is caught in the crossroads of his loyalty to his team and to doing the right thing.

DAVID, 10min,. Canada
Directed by Matthew Forbes
Based on a true story, “David” follows the life of an openly gay HIV/AIDS activist at the peak of that nightmare pandemic, dividing his time between fighting for justice in an openly homophobic society and helping a total stranger as the virus takes his life away. Tight, compact and full of passion, “David” shows a contrast of terrible, deadly hatred and the incredible compassion that can blossom despite the hatred, if we let it.

https://davidshort.film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

A had a friend named David Shannon. I knew him to be a charming, funny, sweet writer/journalist. When he passed in 2018 (aged only 56), it was only at his wake did someone mention in passing that during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s, he provided care and companionship to patients who had been ostracized by family and friends after being forced out of the closet by their diagnosis.

David had never spoken of this; it was only near the end of his life that he mentioned it to his brother. I felt this was a story that deserved to be told. Research was difficult, as he had told no one about it, so I crafted a short script that distilled the experience into a compact story.

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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Watch the Winning Short Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIrYBXEqQaM

A short, short film about finding magic and the trauma of sudden loss when that magic goes away.

Get to know the writer:

This is a short film that I feel reaches out to people who are struggling with the pain of losing a child. It’s such a common occurrence but so rarely presented accurately in media. I want to touch on the joy and then the sudden, heartbreaking moment when you learn you’ve lost the miracle–the magic–you were so immersed in. A silent loss, which is depicted in the film, is when you have no idea that the fetus inside you has failed to thrive, which is different from a physical loss. It’s a different thing to process and it’s incredibly difficult.
I hope the film will reach out to people and show them they are not alone in their grief. And I hope it will give medical professionals or others involved in ob/gyn services a tool to offer those who are grieving.

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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METHOD OF HEALING, 7min., USA
Directed by Jordan Lee Douglas Sims
After his daughter’s suicide, a mourning father goes to a new therapist. However, things are not as they appear.

https://www.amanwithfriends.com/methodofhealing

Get to know the filmmaker:
I’ve always loved surprising people. That’s always been one of my favorite parts of watching films: the surprise and the awe. I also wanted to challenge myself with this story (this was the largest budget and production for one of my shorts). The challenge of making a conversation between two people sitting in a room exciting and engaging, the challenge of shooting a fight scene, the challenge of putting an actor in a bunch of prosthetic make-up, and the challenge to put this all together into a cohesive narrative.

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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TURN OF FATE, 4min., UK
Directed by Melissa Stanton
A young Ballerina visits a fortune teller. What has fate got in store for her?

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was making my first film, Ghostlight, during lockdown, and I just started having dreams about a Ballerina and a fortune teller. It all started from there.

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BEIRUT PORT BLAST STORIES, 30min., Lebanon

Directed by Chérine Yazbeck

This is the story of four people who lost a family member in the Beirut port explosion on August 4, 2020. A fifth person who worked nearly half a century explains the rise and fall of a port that was in the heydays the flagship of the Lebanese economy. The documentary gives voice to the families of victims who bring their brother or sister back to life for a few moments.

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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RUMI’S RUMBA, 19min., USA
Directed by George Kostopoulos
Professor Johnson, a college poetry professor, lectures his students on a poem by Rumi. When class finishes, one of the students, Olivia, approaches the professor with a question about the poem. This leads into a romantic fantasy musical sequence. Conflict arises soon after when Dean Cox and his secretary, Miss Flannigan, accuse Professor Johnson of exploiting Olivia.

Conversation with:

Director George Kostopoulos

Actor Chase Newhart
Actor Greg Amici

Cinematographer Nicola Raggi

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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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0SYt9uBuDU

In 1930s El Paso, Texas, when a timid Swedish maid and a strong-willed Mexican American maid develop an unexpected friendship, tension arises between them as the Swedish maid finds a mentor in her household but the Mexican-American maid is fired by her bosses for her assertiveness and fighting off sexual advances. The Mexican American maid becomes active in a fledgling Maids Union until she faces deportation and despairs. Her Swedish friend finds strength she never knew she had and takes steps to save her friend from deportation.

Get to know the writer:

Set in 1930s El Paso, Texas, this screenplay is about the value of an unexpected friendship between a Mexican American maid, assertive and proud, and a timid Swedish maid and how they both grow intellectually and emotionally based on their friendship.

As maids working in rich households, Hilde finds a mentor while Nita is fired for standing up for herself and for fighting off sexual advances.

Nita becomes a union activist in a fledgling Maids Union. Hilde joins the union eventually but reluctantly and filled with fear that she’ll be fired.

Nita is jailed and faces deportation for her activism and Hilde disappears from her life. Hilde, though, realizes the value of this friendship and draws from her hidden strengths to save her friend from deportaion and, equally important, restore their bond.

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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NOT AN ORDINARY MECHANIC, 5min., Latvia, Action
Directed by Jurijs Kruze
Nick Mecha is a person of many talents, who works as a mechanic at the workshop, but dreams to become a great dancer and perform on a big stage. But Nick’s “luck” always gets him into different tricky situations. This is one of them.

https://www.facebook.com/jurijs.kruze
https://www.instagram.com/jkruze

Get to know the filmmaker:

To be honest it was more like an improvisation, all started in a gym with a small action camera DJI Osmo Action, we filmed a funny fight video and it turned out so good that I said to our team that we gotta make a short film, only thing we need is an idea of why they are fighting and for what. All that we had in the beginning was an unfinished fight sequence.

The script was created in the last moment before shooting started.

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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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqsjI28VUYE

When Nolan, a powerful plantation owner, moves his family to a new oceanside home in North Carolina in the late 1860s, his highly educated daughter Abigail struggles to accept the role she’s expected to play. Powerful forces work in the shadows, eager to corrupt the family and harness their power and influence to further a dark agenda.

Get to know the writer:

This pilot teleplay “Outer Bankers” begins a drama series about all classes of North Carolinians, both Black and white, during one summer on the isolated barrier islands of the Outer Banks, during the Reconstruction year of 1868.

Primarily, it depicts the trials of Abigail Sinclair, the daughter of a plantation owner who has moved his family to a summer cottage on the ocean side of Nags Head, as she navigates an unwanted courtship while teaching her father’s local fishing guide, her family’s former slaves, and at last the members of a former Freedmen’s Colony, and ultimately coming to terms with her and her family’s role in Black oppression.

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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WE ARE LEGENDS, 9min., Brazil
Directed by Bruna Valentini
Time as we know it first came from a young man, but little did he know, he wasn’t the only one with powers and time on his hands.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The story was created when I was younger, because when I was going through tough times, I became upset with how “time” was moving around me. The concept came from a requirement of my university in order to get my degree. There, all the students in the last year in Fashion Design had to make a fashion film as our final project and I always wished to make a short film, so I took this opportunity and joined my story and the project.

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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GUESS MY PET?, USA, Drama/Horror
Directed by Grace Charles
A girl and her old friend our catching up after a falling out. Over ice cream and a guessing game it’s revealed there’s a more sinister plan to this friendly reunion.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I always wanted to make a female-driven film that revolved around a female character who just wanted to be treated fairly. In all my life I felt very similar to the main character Lilac in the sense of feeling used and not knowing what to do about it. When I came up with the idea I realized how important it was for me to give this character her chance at revenge. I thought giving her this playful and camp revenge would be a perfect way to make a story that makes you think and wonder what drove this character to want this revenge. Being able to sneakily force the audience to think about what drive someone to exact this crazy revenge was my main motivation.

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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Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VUX7ZtOmx0

Getaway drivers, Peter and Bill await to do their jobs of transporting their boss, John, to safety. However, chaos ensues in the process.

From the writer:

This short screenplay is about getaway drivers, Peter and Bill, as they await to do their jobs of transporting their boss, John, to safety. However, chaos ensues in 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.

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

A plant-like-alien from a distant planet receives a school assignment to help another planet without revealing themselves and gets assigned Earth. 

Get to know the writer:

Dribbit, a whiz-kid alien from Nergal, where all life is plant-based, gets a school assignment to do a good deed for problem-filled Earth. While researching (OK, eavesdropping on) our transmissions, he overhears Earth-girl Lindsay Monroe say, “Wouldn’t it be great if everyone were the same? The world would be perfect.”

A lightbulb moment for Dribbit! Of course! One race = no hatred = a perfect planet! Right? Dribbit surreptitiously rockets orbs of his “cure” to Earth to turn everyone into plant-based lifeforms … green! Plus, a positive side effect: No more global warming!

But realizing his good deed has created a deadly, catastrophic environmental imbalance, he rushes to Earth to make things right. He recruits Lindsay’s help in a cross-country adventure to solve and reverse the runaway greening before it’s too late.

Pursued by federal agents and a freaked-out public, the two barely escape to Nergal to enlist the help of Dribbit’s hero: the mysterious, two-headed Professor Rebnar. But even with his help, how can they save the Earth in time?

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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Cam Girl – Season 1 Episode 2, 14min., USA, Dramedy
Directed by Ian Gregory Trutt
Laura is a self-proclaimed “generic white girl” whose financial struggles force her to start a side hustle, leading her to discover the seductive and complex world of webcam modeling. Everyone has an OnlyFans – how hard can it be?

http://camgirlwebseries.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve gotten sick of seeing sex workers being portrayed as rich and glamorous or all abused and desperate. The truth is, while both ends of the spectrum certainly exist, many online sex workers are middle class (predominantly young women) who have a knack for social media and want extra cash. We wanted to make a love letter to the mundane and funny parts of the job while still acknowledging the dangerous and stigmas that still plague the 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.

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SHIFT BREAK, 3min., USA, Drama
Directed by Jake Gutwillig
During a frustrating and overwhelming day at work, Haley decides to take a break outside

Get to know the filmmaker:

I really wanted to work with Hannah, who is a great performer and friend, and find a way to tell a story that’s honest, and relatable, but without any dialogue. Just trying to explore and find ways to tell a story just using story and performance beats, as well as relying on a awesome performance to convey the main emotion.

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 MAN IN THE RED BERET, 104min., USA
Directed by Derek Bridges
Chess Master Jude Acers has set up his “World Chess Table” on Decatur Street in the New Orleans French Quarter since 1981, where he continues to play all comers for $5 a game. This is his story.

http://judeacers.com/
https://instagram.com/themanintheredberet/

Get to know the filmmakers:

I wanted to learn how to make a movie, and I’d already written a long article about Jude Acers and I knew he would be a great subject for a documentary. And I was inclined to make a documentary rather other genres because it’s perhaps the most forgiving genre when it comes to technical proficiency, which seemed important since I didn’t know what I was doing.

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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VIVIDREAM, 10min., Denmark, Dance
Directed by Matteo Di Loreto
Between dream and reality a girl finds herself in the audience of a theatre (Royal Danish Theatre) to find out there are other people there with her. While events between the dancers unfold, a voice guides them on a journey of surreality where the relation between the audience and the stage is connected by a subtle veil.

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation for creating “VIVIDREAM” came during the pandemic, which was a time were dancers were not performing live so I had the idea of making something digital like 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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THE DARK SIDE OF BRIGHT NIGHTS, 50min., Germany

When light pollution causes the night to disappear, a fundamental clock for life on earth is thrown out of balance. verena - verena@marco-polo-film.de

WHAT IS NATURE?, 9min., Netherlands

When talking about nature, we mostly assume that we talk about the same thing, but is that really the case? An ecologist might have a completely different perspective than an economist. Our perspective on nature very much determines how we interact with our environment. The impact of humans can be seen all around the globe. This film explores perspectives on the question: What is nature? Perhaps, nature is what people make of it. So… what should we make of it

http://jesterandwylde.com/

Get to know the filmmakers:

Answer: In our world, society and nature are not completely separated. In fact, most of the time they intermingle and conflicts can arise because of this. Our relationship with nature, and how we see ourselves in that context is important for the challenges we face today. The problem is though that most people when discussing these challenges focus on what needs solving instead of what we are actually talking about. When asking different people it becomes clear very quickly that when we talk about ‘nature’ we are not actually talking about the same thing. So before we start diving into the many problems we need to solve we first have to have a fundamental understanding of nature and our relationship to it.