Watch the Screenplay Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL_415N30eg

A woman with mental health issues, pressured by the insults of her own mother, attempts to stage the kidnapping of her daughter to prove she can make money… but the stunt goes wrong.

Get to know the writer:

– “A Dangerous Gamble” is the story of a woman who tries to circumvent her sensitive monetary situation and family peer pressure in risky or illegal ways, and it all goes drastically wrong. It is, ultimately, a reflection of the sinister influence of capitalism in mental health. The concept had been gestating on me for a long time, and it morphed into what it is today as I started becoming more politically aware. Often I would think to myself about people who may not have a choice other than try to survive and yet, their own attempts for survival represent the further deterioration of their health, but they can’t do anything about it because, well, you’re just expected to eat it up and move on. I kept going back to this old “conspiracy theory” elevator pitch of sorts that I came up with as a child, of a mother who faked her child’s kidnapping to earn money from donations. Think I came up with that during the early years of the Madeleine McCann disappearance case (I am Portuguese haha).

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THE LAST ASHLYN, 9min,. USA
Directed by AJ Moss
A young girl in an ancient, fantasy world attempts to stop her mother and father, the last of her family, from dueling to the death over honor and spite.

Get to know the filmmaker:

For a decade I have slowly added to this fantasy world as both a hobby and in hopes that one day it might become something more. I wanted to tell something very contained and personal so I chose this small story that took place early on in the world when the world was at a very low point filled with war and division. It reflects a lot of the division I see in our world today.

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VOLUCAP: CAPTURING THE FUTURE, 7min., China

Directed by Susie Song, Anatole Hou Yeung Sloan

Volumetric capture is an emerging form of video technology that delivers a close to the real experience, made the viewer feels like it is part of it. A German startup that is pushing the limits of what is feasible, which is one of the leading companies in the Volumetric capture field. The firm’s is currently focus on the film industry, such as The Matrix Resurrections, is one of the movies in which has used the Volucap’s. The film unfolds the founder Sven Bliedung’s big idea and challenging journey.

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 ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE 2: SILBADORES OF THE CANARY ISLANDS, 25min., USA

Directed by Russ Emanuel

Kaylee, an apprentice assassin for TAA Corp., is taking a long-deserved vacation in the Canary Islands, when her Freerunner drone arrives to project a holographic image of Rick, her handler. Rick explains to Kaylee that her vacation has been cut short, and that she is being urgently summoned by Roy, the head of TAA Corp.’s Canary Island Bureau headquarters, for a new mission. Kaylee follows the Freerunner drone to the TAA Corp.’s Canary Island headquarters, where Roy explains that F.A.D., a rival group of counter-assassins, are on the island to eliminate TAA Corp.’s drone trainers, known as “Silbadores.” Kaylee drives her ninja motorcycle at breakneck speeds along beautiful coastal roads to TAA Corp.’s drone training grounds where she saves the Silbadores from deadly Swarmbots unleashed by the F.A.D. counter-assassins. A final showdown with the F.A.D. counter-assassins Sork and Karla ends with a surprising result.

https://www.taamovie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/taamovie/

https://twitter.com/russellemanuel

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DANCING MAN, 23min., USA
Directed by Robert Steven Mack, Clarisse Gamblin
David, a young and quixotic dancer, is confronted with the decision of whether to stay at a Midwestern ballet company with his new love interest Gabrielle or follow a promising choreographer to New York to chase his pipe dream of dancing in Golden Age musicals. Featuring vibrant cinematography, an elegant score by Yi-Chen Chiang, and toe-tapping choreography by Chris Lingner, Dancing Man showcases dancers from IU Ballet Theatre and Indianapolis Ballet in this colorful and bittersweet dramedy about conflicting passions.

https://www.robertstevenmack.com/dancing-man.html
https://instagram.com/dancingmanfilm

Get to know filmmaker Robert Steven Mack:

This film takes an audience inside the ballet world, pays homage to the classic Hollywood musicals we love, yet tells a very personal story about chasing greener pastures and the anxiety we face making life-altering decisions that are ultimately for the better. I have been making dance films since I was a freshman in college. And all my previous works have been leading up to this one.

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GUMMIES, 5min,. USA
Directed by Renetta G. Amador
A tomboy transforms the gender trappings of her room to show her cruel mother how sugar and spice don’t equal nice.

http://www.mexecutionerproductions.com/
https://www.instagram.com/gummies_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

After I graduated college I worked as a Program Director for a GLBTQI++ organization working with teens from 12 – 19 who were struggling with their sexual identity. I met the writer of Gummies through a film festival that my first short film was in. When I read his script, I thought of all the people I worked with, the people I was friends and family with, that in some way or another had been constantly put into a box they didn’t want to be in. I knew I had to make this short and show the consequences of this.

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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KARIBU NYUMBANI, 12min,. UK
Directed by Matthew Williams-Ellis
“Karibu Nyumbani” translates as “Welcome to my Home” in Swahili. Guides in the Maasai Mara have a deep-rooted pride, knowledge, and love for wildlife. This film encapsulates that passion from the perspective of George Osono, a guide in Mara North Conservancy, who completely embodies this spirit of caring for nature.

https://www.matthewwilliams-ellis.com/karibu-nyumbani

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had a month in Kenya and knew I wanted to produce a film in that time, but arrived with no specific narrative in mind. After speaking to the guides (and George in particular), I was struck by their genuine love, knowledge and passion for wildlife. Their desire to protect and conserve the animals that call the Maasai Mara home deserves recognition and I think often goes under appreciated. They are the ones who see the animals everyday and are often the first to alert charities if for example lions are found having been speared by humans. They are at the forefront of and are true ambassadors of conservation.

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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EVERYTHING’S FINE, 14min,. USA
Directed by Christina Hulen
A young teacher suffering from trauma induced memory loss finds herself spiraling dangerously out of control as the impending anniversary of the event nears, threatening to destroy her carefully crafted veneer of normalcy, her relationships and her life.

https://www.everythingsfinethemovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/152022827084682
https://twitter.com/EF_themovie
https://www.instagram.com/everythingsfine_themovie/

Get to know the filmmaker:

There was an amazing confluence of events that led to this film. This film was born out of a conversation with the lead actress, Charlotte Rothwell. It was the height of the Covid lock down and we were discussing Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, specifically my own struggles with PTSD. She asked if I had ever written about it. Given the times, I thought it was an especially relatable topic, though I had no interest in writing anything autobiographical. As we were speaking, breaking news came over the television of a mass shooting in Colorado. If you’re asking yourself which one, that’s the point? That same week my brilliant friend Staci Witt called me and asked me to write something for her to produce.

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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STAR WARS: RENDEZVOUS, 20min., USA
Directed by Brent L Peterson
A pair of do-gooders attempt to protect a young, force-sensitive girl from bounty hunters on their way to rendezvous with a mysterious contact with the power to protect her much better than they can.

https://antigravityfilms.com/projects

Get to know the filmmaker:

Many motivations. I’ve been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid and after seeing so many Star Wars fan films on YouTube, thought it was a great option to dive into the universe on my own terms. To make a Star Wars film that I had always wanted to see. I also felt like it would be a good venue to further my career, by showing that I could do with an established and beloved IP. But without a doubt, the most personal reason to make this film was because of my seven-year-old son, who was a huge Star Wars fan. He passed away due to brain cancer a few years ago, and I felt like I needed to make this film for him. Star Wars: Rendezvous is dedicated to him.

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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TOXIC SHOCK, 9min., Canada
Directed by Jamie Norrie
Tatiana wakes up confused about where she is, what happened the night before, and why there’s a gorgeous man sleeping next to her. She discreetly makes her way to the washroom to avoid disturbing her mystery partner, until she discovers an unwanted surprise. She hurries back to the bed and finds out that her worst nightmare has come true. She’s left a giant red period stain on the bed. Suddenly, Tatiana feels like a criminal in a crime scene and does everything in her power to hide the evidence. Despite her best efforts of hiding the stain, it only gets worse. She ends up calling her best friend Sarah to come to the rescue. Just as she’s about to escape, Tatiana realizes that maybe she’s not so guilty of a crime after all.

https://www.jamienorrie.com/toxic-shock
https://www.instagram.com/toxicshockfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Toxic Shock is actually loosely based on a true story, where I was the one who got my period at the worst possible time, while sleeping next to a guy I was seeing. It was always something I thought I would never recover from if it actually happened in real life. I thought I would actually pass away from humiliation, but to my surprise, the guy I was seeing was totally comfortable with it. I was so relieved to find out that the fear that I had built in my head turned out to be over something so normal, and I actually began to feel frustrated that I ever cared so much over something so normal. After processing all these new feelings, the idea of Toxic Shock, a story of a cute romantic comedy about getting your period during a one night stand, was born!

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THE STOLEN KINGDOMS – PILOT, 4min,. UK
Directed by Matthew Lee
The series follows the exploits of Siriol, a young mute girl and a small dragon as they journey across the land to help the wildlife.

https://www.tealeavespics.com/the-stolen-kingdoms
https://www.facebook.com/TheStolenKingdoms

Get to know the filmmaker:

I have been a huge fantasy fan since I was a child. Ones like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Disney fairy tales and so on. I have been wanting to create a fantasy story of my own for a while. And for this film, the original idea actually came from a dream I had one night. Where I was experiencing and adventure for three storylines. One which featured a usurped kingdom. Another featured a young girl with a pet dragon. And the third where we save civilians from a winter castle guarded by dark winged riders. I was starting my University Masters degree in animation at the time and I wanted to incorporate these stories into one for my project. Obviously, there was a lot going on, so my tutor at the time, suggested I would break them down and pick one story to focus on. And I was most intrigued with the girl and dragon 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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SPARROW STREET, 93min,. USA
Directed by Billy Jack
A typical suburban neighborhood is plunged into a nightmare as an invisible, monstrous force begins picking the neighbors off, one by one. The terror outside the house is no match to the terror that forms inside the house where survival, isolation, and hunger all play tricks of the mind for a man, an expectant wife, and their unborn child. The film begs the big question and the great reveal – What is eating the neighbors?

https://sparrowstreetfilms.com/
https://instagram.com/sparrow_street_movie?igshid=MzRIODBiNWFIZA=

Get to know the director Billy Jack & writer Justin Cole:

BILLY – We wanted to create a product (Sparrow Street) that entertains people, and we achieved this based on the data from our test screen and feedback from audience members. Very exciting for us and for those who get the chance to experience this story.

JUSTIN: We wanted to scare the heck out of audiences by fusing environmentalism and horror in a completely ridiculous and unseemly way. We think we did that with Sparrow Street. It is a film like none other ever made. Think about the idea of an environmental horror – the time is rife for this kind of emerging idea. That’s the story we are telling. Mankind vs. Nature in a completely original, unique, and distinctive point-of-view. Our hope…blow the minds of our audiences. Leave them reeling with thought and meaning. That’s ultimately why we made this 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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AMEND, 19min., USA
Directed by Jianna Maarten Saada
Rachael lives an isolated existence, haunted by an unspeakable past. But when a young boy upends her tightly controlled world, she’s forced to face her own demons.

https://www.amendshortfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/amendfilm
https://twitter.com/amend_film
https://instagram.com/amend_film

Get to know writer/producer Belinda Gosbee:

I was so desperate to express what I was feeling about gun violence in America. As a foreigner (Australian) I was constantly in a state of disbelief/anger/fear/confoundment over the gun issue. And that nothing was being done. And then I read an article about some survivors from Columbine and it was very eye opening. I felt horrified that I’d never thought about them before. We all react heavily to the event and then things go back to the status quo and these people who are deemed to be the “lucky ones” are left with a life that is barely a life at all in many cases. I mean the suicide rates are very high and even decades later many survivors have not been able to move on and live their lives. And that’s just the emotional trauma. Some have severe injuries that physically prevent them from truly “living” as well.

The trauma is almost insurmountable and there are very little resources to even begin to help them (though some organizations are starting to crop up today). They’re like combat vets who never left their “safe” American towns.

So I started thinking about what that might look like. How might it completely destroy your life? What if you tried to run away and it just kept following you? How might guilt and PTSD consume you? The memories? What if no one in this “new” life you’ve created even had an inkling of what you’ve experienced? And what if the very thing you were running from (the thing you once loved – kids) was the very thing that suddenly turned up in your life. What if they were the only way forward?

I was always adamant that this film needed to be about the aftermath of gun violence, about survivors. Not the event. But when we did finally show a peek of the “event” it would be minimal. Terrifying but extremely restricted.

What I loved was that our director, Jianna Maarten Saada, absolutely took that up a notch. She was like – “It’s all in the sound” and she was spot-on. If you rewatch the ending you’ll realise how very little you are actually seeing outside of Rachael’s face but the SOUND is leading you astray. The sound design (Thanks, Jeremy Jardine) is what’s truly terrifying you in those seconds.

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 PENCIL, 10min., USA
Directed by Thomas Calvin Schultz
Sara, a struggling artist who discovers a unique pencil that can solve all her problems. But her dreams turn into a nightmare when a malevolent demonic creature from Kazakh legends gets unleashed.

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

Get to know writer/director Madina Baimakhanova & director Thomas Calvin Schultz:

My wife and I always wanted to do a project together, and in fact it was one of the very first conversations we had when we had first met each other. When the opportunity arose we decided it would be a great time to have a short family/friends project in Kazakhstan where we would be traveling for a month.

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

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FLOAT ON HOPE, 5min., USA
Directed by Debra DeNicola, John DeNicola
Float on Hope reflects on our feelings of how we are leaving planet Earth to our children and fellow beings. We thought the idea could be illustrated through the eyes of a young mouse that lives in the Amazon rainforest near Manaus, Brazil. The Mouse from Manaus can represent any living being on this earth that will be affected by the escalating global perils of Climate Change. John DeNicola’s music inspired lyricist Jason Stutts to write about his sadness of how we are leaving our planet to our children. Jason was reminded of music that affected him like Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush and the possibility of having to find another place for humanity to live. After a few months of searching we came across the amazing animation of Jenna Shot.

https://john-denicola.com/

Get to know director John Denicola:

John Denicola (Director / Songwriter / Musician): We thought that the song “Float On Hope” from my album She Said with its message regarding Climate Change was an important song to have a video to represent it. We had talked about a character The Mouse From Manaus to represent the Amazon before and thought it would be a great opportunity to make an animated video to voice our concerns about what could be done regarding climate change in a unique way that matches the music . We looked at many animators for many months that could convey that and when I ran across Jenna Shot I knew we had the right artist for this story. The lyrics of the song helped write the 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.

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THE FIVE STAGES, 12min., USA
Directed by Jessica Orcsik
Eva Allen is a recently single, devastated young woman. She enters a black box theatre being filled with well-dressed and put together people, laughing and drinking. A variety act performance is about to begin.

http://www.diversitypictures.org/
https://www.instagram.com/thefivestages_

Get to know producer/actor Hannah Carman:

At the time of making the film, I was studying full time as a student at the American Arts Film and Television Academy in their full-time Actors Conservatory, and had moved at the age of 18 to Los Angeles all the way from Australia. It was an incredible experience, but also a big emotional rollercoaster. Amid going through all these new emotional challenges, I felt motivated to make a film that explored the complexities of more challenging feelings like loss and sorrow. My coproducer Jess Orcsik and I felt that there was no better way to do that than structuring a short film using the five stages of grief.

I also was really set on making a film that incorporated musicality, as I’m a singer and was surrounded by some amazing singers and dancers that loved musicals like I do.

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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MISSING IN THE MIDWEST, 18min., USA, Documentary
Directed by Harper Brock
Filmmaker Harper Brock journeys back to her roots to learn what happened to her cousin Joelle Lockwood whose 2014 abduction case shocked southwestern Indiana.

http://missinginthemidwestdocumentary.com/
https://www.instagram.com/missinginmidwest/

Get to know the filmmaker;
My family, both my parents and extended family in Indiana really pushed for me to do this project as my student thesis at SCAD. I don’t think I could have done it without their support.

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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FREE SPEECH TO CANCEL CULTURE; PROFILES IN CANADIAN COMEDY, 96min., Canada
Directed by William Davern
Ten veteran comedians and TV personalities share insightful, often hilarious tales of the comedy business and the shifting attitude(s) of audiences.

http://www.davernproductions.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve been a touring stand up comic for 25 years. Am also a film school graduate and recipient of the Norman Jewison Award for a short drama now part of the National Film Board of Canada. Over the years, I made several shorts including an unsold pilot for TV along with three 22 min “Profiles” of the local comedy scene.

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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ECHO, 15min., UK, Family/Fantasy
Directed by Jo Southwell
Echo, tells the story of Alice, a young woman so traumatized by the loss of her baby that she shuts herself off emotionally from her partner and retreats into a fantasy world where she is able to connect with the essence of the child she lost, who we call Echo. After an elaborate underwater game of hide and seek, which clearly fills her with joy, Alice comes to the realization that she must make a choice; sink down into the dark water with Echo, or come up for air where Tom is desperately searching for her.

https://www.astonmgt.com/aston-productions/
http://twitter.com/josouthwell
https://www.instagram.com/jo_southwell1

Get to know the filmmaker:

Echo is the story of loss. My journey began after I had a miscarriage..many years later when I was writing, the story of Alice appeared on the page! I have written Echo in many different versions – originally as a short story but from the moment Sara at Troy TV agreed to produce the screenplay – about a year until we were in production. Post production then took place over an additional four months. Creating Echo was no easy task and we had so many super talented people on board who all wanted to be part of the journey but it took 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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BEYOND THE DOOR, 12min., USA
Directed by Gregory Klino, MJ Palo
When a man buys a cuckoo clock for his wife, he discovers that there is more behind the cuckoo’s door than just the cuckoo.

Get to know writer P. James Norris:

I took Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass on screenwriting in 2018 and our first assignment was to adapt a short story as a no more than 10 page screenplay. I don’t remember remember how I stumbled across Philip K. Dick’s 1954 short story, “Beyond the Door”—I know I was searching for stories in the public domain, and I think I was searching for Philip K. Dick stories in particular as he has got to be the most adapted American writer, period.

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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