MARBLE MUSIC VIDEO, 4min., USA
Directd by Kevin Andrew Bailey
A music video for the band Marble for the song “marble.” We follow a young woman on the day she leaves an abusive relationship.

https://www.daymuseum.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Daymuseum
https://www.instagram.com/daymuseum/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The music! Marble was kind enough to let me pick which song I wanted to make a music video for and gave me complete creative freedom over the concept. I wanted to direct their self-titled song as soon as I heard it, the lyrics about a relationship turned loveless. I really enjoy writing about the big transformative times in life, and I find leaving a long term relationship to be one of the greatest examples of that.

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NINE TO FIVE, 7min., UK
Directed by Gareth Matthews
Mark Greyson is working the endless cycle of a 9/5 job and the weight that follows takes a toll on his mental health, gradually building up over time leading to an unbearable breakdown costing him his job.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have had a similar experience of mistreatment in the workplace, working in sales and trying to manage deadlines, as well as, getting that next sale. All that anxiety led to me writing it down and doing research into neoliberalism – this is where my experience was turning into a script and I felt passionately focused on telling this story, where people do experience mistreatment in the workplace.

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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REPERCUSSIES, 11min., Netherlands
Directed by Ivan Groenheijde
Two years after ending his toxic relationship, Brian is being held hostage in his own home by his ex girlfriend Katja, who is willing to risk everything to get him back. Katja gives him an ultimatum which makes Brian realize that his and his current girlfriend’s life are at stake

www.ivangroenheijde.nl
https://www.instagram.com/ivan.groenheijde/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I wanted to tell a story about a man who’s a victim of domestic violence. We have seen and heard so many stories about women being a victim, but rarely about men.

I think that we need more awareness about this topic, so we can help the victims whenever they are ready to escape a toxic relationship.

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 BEF, 9min., USA
Directed by Eric Burleson
While being pursued by a police officer, a young boy struggles with his decisions for the baby in his care and how to help his sick mother.

https://instagram.com/burlesoneric

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation for the bef started because I wanted to do one more short film on the east coast before I moved to Los Angeles. Time was definitely not on our side. I had planned to do my cross country road trip at the end of July 2018 and it was May. Once the script was completed we hit the ground running on pre-production. Luckily when writing the script I already had the actors in mind for Sammy and Baby but I knew that if I could not get the families on board, then the film would not have happened. Thankfully, after talking with both sets of parents and children, they all were interested and agreed to be in the film. I had worked with Jacob Shapiro (Sammy) and Michael Harrington (Baby) before this so I knew they were the perfect choices. Jacob was the lead in a narrative music video I directed and Michael was in a commercial I directed earlier that year.

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TIDES, 8min,. USA
Directed by Andre Silva
Filmed at Masonboro Island, an undeveloped barrier island in southeastern North Carolina, “Tides” contemplates the liminal space between the modern technological world and that more ecological dimension we label as “nature” or “the environment.”

https://www.andresilvaspace.com/
https://www.instagram.com/andresilvaspace/

Get to know the filmmaker:
One of my favorite places to be is one of the uninhabited barrier islands, including the neighboring salt marshes, of Southeast North Carolina early in the morning. When I’m in this environment, I feel like I’m in a liminal space outside of my normal day to day life. I had been waking up before dawn on a weekend day every few weeks to head out to the barrier islands over a 5 year period and noticing the changes in light from pre-dawn to an hour or so after sunrise as well the way different animal sounds populated the environment throughout the morning. I had never intended to create a film about these experiences, but eventually decided to create the film as more of a quick light study (which is the first part of the film). As I continued working on “Tides,” over a 5 month period, I added in the reflective text components (part 2 and 3) resulting in a much more involved project than I had initially intended. Originally, I was just looking to create a 1-2 minute film to allow me to take a break from what would eventually be a 3-year time-intensive animation project titled “Revelation to the Disembodied,” which also happens to be inspired by the coastal environment.

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RUTHFUL, 29min., Canada, Drama

Directed by Jocelyn Au-Yeung, Ariane Nopra

When a Chinese-Canadian college student returns home to Toronto, she visits a Hong Kong cafe she frequented during her childhood. Through eating the food, she is suddenly able to relive suppressed memories of her deceased grandmother. Now she must confront their multifaceted relationship and her own identity to find her peace.https://www.instagram.com/ruthfulshortfilm/

Get to know producer Anna Spencer & co-writer/director Jocelyn Au-Yeung

Jocelyn: This project was really born out of my experiences growing up, my relationship with my grandparents, and coming to terms with my identity. I couldn’t communicate deeply with them because I couldn’t speak Cantonese well, but I spent a lot of time with them instead. They would often take me out for afternoon tea after school at a Hong Kong cafe, and through sharing food together, that was how they expressed their love to me. After my grandfather died in 2017, I found myself asking what I could have done differently, how I could have been a better grandchild, how I could have expressed my love to them more. Ruthful was a way for me to explore those questions, and also show that I couldn’t be where I am now without my grandparents.

Anna: When I read the synopsis of this film, I was so touched by the themes of family and I knew right away that I wanted to work on this project. As well, diversity on-screen and off is something that I feel very passionately about. This film brings important stories to the forefront that aren’t always told in mainstream media.

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THE PIRATE, 8min., UK
Directed by Ruth Carnegie
A young girl, stuck in the city, dreams of running away to the sea. With the help of her grandfather, she finds a rather unusual way to break free.

https://www.instagram.com/girl_finds_the_sea/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Like so many people during the Covid Pandemic, I was in desperate need of finding a way to get through the day. I joke that I was awful at making sourdough and so I took up writing instead but it’s based in truth. I come from a theatrical background and so I was surrounded by unemployed actors, I asked a few of them to read some of my work and the encouragement I got from those sessions was really the spur to make me want to take what I was doing off the page and actually try and make it.

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TO KEEP YOUR VITAL ORGANS WARM, 14min,. USA
Directed by Sophie Aguila
A troubled young pianist is haunted by the memory of her contemptuous instructor as she practices.

https://www.instagram.com/vitalorgansfilm_

Get to know the filmmaker:
Before I began working in film, I trained as a pianist. I realized that the music felt alive, and began to chase the thrill this created for long after. My determination was slowly taken advantage of by a former mentor. As I began healing, I learned many other artists had dealt with a similar relationship. I wanted to make this film to show the strength of the bond between a person and their art, superseding external conflict.

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CLOSET COMBAT EPISODE 2, 3min,. USA
Directed by Augustus Hinton
Ted, a closeted, gay high school boy, imagines literally fighting his way out of an encounter with bullies at a track meet.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I wasn’t seeing my experience of being in the closet represented on screen. I wanted to add something to queer media that I would have liked to have seen when I was younger. I also wanted to push my character animation craft, and used those two motivations to create the piece.

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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DOTGABI – FIRE, 3min,. USA
Directed by Kaia Kim, Jenna Vopat
There’s a lame birthday party going on. DotGabi, a party lover, is sick of this boring event. With her magical powers, she turns it into the ultimate kick-ass party.

Get to know the filmmakers:
We wanted to make an exciting film that would stand out from the crowd and be fun to watch! We wanted to create a music video and bring bright energy and visuals!

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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GAY BODY OF MUSIC, 31min., USA
Directed by Daniel Beliavsky
The life and work of American composer David Del Tredici

Get to know the filmmaker:

My focus in documentary filmmaking is on living composers who are often in the late stages of their careers and have decades of experience upon which to reflect. Specifically, I’m interested in creating a document wherein composers have the platform to communicate their artistic legacy. I started my career in music as a classical pianist, and the majority of my repertoire was by composers who had died decades or centuries before me. Any interpretations of their music were through the teacher-student chain and never directly from the composers themselves. Accordingly, my motivation for this film, like the ones before it, has been to give composers a voice to directly and without compromise communicate their musical desires, goals, and contexts to the current and next generation of performers and audiences.

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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ALIVE, 3min., USA
Directed by Pavithraa Sudhakar
“Alive” is a music video that captures the essence of New York City through a simple yet captivating storyline. Follow the journey of a young adult as they embark on a surrealistic adventure through the city on a magical taxi.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have always loved singing and have the most fun doing it. Additionally, I have a passion for art and creativity, so I enrolled in the 3D animation and VFX course at the School of Visual Arts, where I was extremely inspired by all the work that was being created. I ended up loving the visual effects course and wanted to create a project that would challenge my skill level while also being enjoyable for the audience to watch. I decided to make a music video that combined both of my interests, and I was motivated by the learning experience in the process of songwriting and visual effects.

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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CIRCULAR, 10min., Netherlands
Directed by Inge Theunissen
In the history of the future lab technicians clone themselves. Overheating strikes when a clone emerges that deviates.

http://itmoves.tv/

Get to know the filmmaker:

When I saw the choreography Circular from Adriaan, it reminded me of those SF series from the sixties/seventies, also partly through the music and costumes. As a child I watched series like Star Trek, Doctor Who and I still really love the old science fiction imagery. That is where it started, I wanted to make a short sci-fi film, based on the choreography but with my own script so I started writing.

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FOLLOW THE SUN, 4min,. Mexico
Directed by Ernesto Ruvalcaba

Get to know the filmmaker:
Since I’ve started doing music videos and commercials, my goal was to reach the sensible fiber of people. Most of the times we do not see this sensorial and emotional projects and with YEKE (the client) we had a a lot of creative freedom to propose this beautiful ode to the sun.

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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MASTER SENSEI, 20min., Denmark
Directed by Theis Gavnbo Holmstrup

Written by Jes Bergholt Bach
The world-famous elite soldier Master Sensei decides to blow himself up after a series of public scandals have destroyed his career. However, his plan is put on hold when he meets the young boy scout “Piggy”, who is in desperate need of help. Piggy is harassed by the excentric bully and influencer, Lanky Lenny, who has stolen Piggy’s braces in an attempt to shake him down. Master Sensei must now go on one last mission, so he can help Piggy retrieve his braces and stand up against the evil tormentor Lanky Lenny.

https://styrvolt.dk/projekter/mastersensei

Get to know the filmmaker:

We started planting the seeds for this film back in the summer of 2021. Back then we were brainstorming on a tv show, about a boy who was training to become a local justice warrior, through an online YouTube course. That course was held by Master Sensei, and he was supposed to be a side character on the show. The show didn’t get picked up (who knows what might happen in the future), and we retooled it into a short film that incidentally sort of works as a prequel. We wrote a synopsis for the short film in April 2022, then we got the funding and started shooting in September 2022. The film was completed in February 2023.

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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FAMILY AFFAIR, 16min,. USA
Directd by Julio Dowansingh
A young adult’s secret relationship puts him at odds with his friends, family, and other commitments in this short queer comedy.

http://www.familyaffairfilm.com/
https://instagram.com/family_affair_film

Get to know Writer/Producer Ernest Anemone::

I think comedy is a non-threatening way to talk about big ideas. But mostly, I just wanted to make people laugh. Too many comedies these days are hyper-focused on what makes the filmmaker laugh and they forget about creating an experience for the audience. I wanted my film and its characters to feel easy to be with and anxiety-free, like you’re sitting with an old (incredibly funny) friend.

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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WILD TERRITORY, 27min., USA
Directed by Samuel Steiner Riley
Wild Territory explores the relationship between a daring wildlife photographer, Etienne Littlefair, and the vast freshwater ecosystems that define Australia’s far north. From free-diving in murky water to find crocodiles and rare turtles, to spending days on end staking out drying riverbeds for parrots and finches, Etienne and his wife Cara go to extreme lengths to photograph rare and under-appreciated species – all with the hope to spread awareness and appreciation for the wildlife and waterways they have come to care so much about. This film is a combination of beautiful imagery, exceptional wildlife, and true human connection with nature. It is a testament to the importance of protecting what we have before it’s gone.

Get to know the filmmaker:

My initial motivation for creating the film was Etienne’s extraordinary underwater photography of aquatic freshwater reptiles. The reason that his photography stood out to me was three-fold. Firstly, it is no secret that swimming in the Northern Territory is notoriously dangerous due to the prevalence of Saltwater Crocodiles, and he is undoubtably the only person doing this type of photography in the region. Secondly, he is representing a largely unseen, little known, and widely misunderstood selection of wildlife that is generally swept under the rug and poorly prioritized when it comes to conservation policy and public opinion. And thirdly, I felt that the range of photography that his work encompasses tied together various realms of a larger ecosystem that is critical to the preservation of Northern Australia’s beauty and biodiversity.

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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SUNFLOWER NICKY, 19min,. USA
Directed by Clifton J. Adams
Eight year old Nicolas dreams of owning a Nikki doll, but when his dream becomes a reality it sends a shift through his home as his parents grapple with their beliefs of how their young son should express himself.

https://facebook.com/sunflowernickythefilm
https://twitter.com/sunflowernickythefilm
https://instagram.com/sunflowernickythefilm

Get to know the filmmaker:
This film started as a “coming of age” writing prompt for a competition I was planning on submitting to in early 2019. At that time there was a lot of vitriolic debate regarding a particular Oscar host situation. A lot of the debate centered around how young Black boys and Black girls (or just children in general) should express themselves in accordance to the binary society around them. And how emotional, mental and even physical abuse is seen as an appropriate way to adjust your child’s behavior should they choose to express themselves outside of that. A debate that consistently happens today and that has happened time and time again even before 2019. It is my opinion, that this control of expression is one of a child’s first experiences with trauma. And how this kind of trauma deeply impacts their growth and how they view and interact with themselves and others in the world around them. I wanted to show the importance of allowing a child, especially a Black child, to be free to fully be themselves because as Black fol(x) we often don’t have that freedom. Gender norms are destructive and placing them and sexuality on various hobbies, items and colors is a parasite on the human experience.

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 REFLECTION OF FRANCISCA NEWMAN, 15min., USA
Directed by Jon Frenkel Garcia
In this cinematic fairytale, Francisca Newman, a psychologically disturbed ballerina, fails at her life audition. Her perfectionism starts to take a noticeable toll on her mental health, where in a world of passion and beauty, sensibility and enlightenment becomes darkness.

Get to know the filmmaker:
It was the urge to explore this feeling of passion mixed with perfectionism that made me feel so alone as an artist but also as a friend, a son and as a human being in general. I’ve always been a very existentialist kid, looking for answers about myself and Francisca Newman is a huge aspect of who I am (and still am) that I am still trying to understand, respect and give the space that it deserves and not anymore. I found the concept of a dancer locked inside a space, ironic and beautiful and a great visual metaphor of how our creative headspaces work, psychologically speaking.

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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SANKOFA CHICAGO: THE UNTOLD, 102 minutes, USA
Directed by Vanessa Wright
Sankofa Chicago: The Untold is a powerful documentary that is the second part of a three-part series exposing the inadequacies of American History curriculums in Chicago Public Schools, a problem across the US. It highlights the overlooked contributions of Black and Brown people in American history. It explores methods of enhancing the current History and Social Science curriculum and alternative avenues for incorporating this vital history into other academic disciplines. The film stresses the significance of accurate representation and continuous learning, inspiring viewers to question conventional narratives and seek a more comprehensive understanding of American history.

http://www.sankofachicago.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation behind creating “Sankofa Chicago: The Untold” stems from a twofold source of inspiration. Firstly, the positive feedback received from the previous installment in the series, “Sankofa Chicago,” encouraged the pursuit of this sequel, affirming its potential to resonate with and educate a broad audience. Secondly, I was motivated to create “Sankofa Chicago: The Untold” because my two kids are currently studying social science and history in the Chicago Public School system. I felt a strong need to investigate what they were learning and explore various ways in which they could be exposed to their history, mainly black history and the histories of other ethnic groups.

My motivation stems from a personal passion for uncovering untold histories. Throughout my life, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of delving into the hidden narratives of our past. Sharing these stories can enrich my children’s education and contribute to a more inclusive and comprehensive learning experience for everyone. As a parent, I’m acutely aware that we don’t always have complete insight into what our kids are learning, which further fueled my desire to provide a glimpse into their education, shed light on why it matters, and explore alternatives for teaching history.

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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