CHERUBIM, 17min., Ukraine
Directed by Evgeniy Matvienko
«VARTA» is a series of documentary novellas about the Ukrainian military, created by the authorial team of filmmakers called NEUTRINO. Since the full-scale invasion of russia of Ukraine, the team has been documenting the military events and telling the stories of our soldiers.

Get to know the filmmaker:
There is a war in the country, people are dying every day, our military are dying. I am tired of hearing about heroes only after their deaths, and I decided to change this, namely to make a film about the inner world of our fighters, and show the whole world their brave look, deep soul and sincere desire to live in peace. To document real people who resist evil and protect us, civilians. We want people to be able to see heroes when they are alive, not when they die, so that over time our generations can see those who have kept peace in our homes.

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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MR. BULLOCH: CHICAGO’S DONUT KING, 5min., USA
Directed by Claude Edward Fethiere
This short film celebrates Mr. Buritt Bulloch the successful owner of Old Fashioned Donuts Incorporated, a business which has thrived in the financially blighted Chicago south side neighborhood of Roseland for over 50 years.

Get to know the filmmaker:
I was motivated to make this film because in a world were food is ordered on kiosks, and mass produced by machines, seeing Mr. Bulloch hand make delicious masterpieces every day is a breath of fresh ( baked,raised, and fried ; ) ) air. I wanted to celebrate Mr. Bulloch’s artistry, resilience, wisdom, and charm.

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 HUNTER’S EXCHANGE, 10min., Canada
Directed by Aidan Byrne
This 8-minute action film throws an experimental twist on the fight scene genre while taking new directions with popular tropes from fantasy and science fiction films, telling a story about the price of power, with no dialogue.

Get to know the filmmaker:

I had made a minute long lightsaber fight scene years ago, which I had also done all of the VFX for. My brother (and co-star) Mac was looking over my shoulder one day when I was working, experimenting with different lightsaber colour combinations which were unlike anything that had been seen in the Star Wars films. And we both agreed, there was a story in there somewhere. That’s how it started, was finding the story behind this weapon which has been around for decades, that had suddenly been given new life in our eyes.

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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EQUILIBRIO, 3min., Columbia
Directed by Camilo Velásquez A.
Dance and fluidity. Strength and movement.
Energy that arises from the very center and always carries itself in circular motion.
Opposing forces that are observed and acknowledged, reflecting and merging at the same time to become one and create balance.

https://alamoaudiovisual.com/
https://www.instagram.com/alamoaudiovisual/

Get to know the filmmaker:

When Punto Blanco (the brand) added Álamo, our production company, to the project in the first brainstorming meetings, we wanted to show the immensity, that nature had so much power that it visually influenced our being. We find the stillness, the fertile darkness that gives rise to life. In its mystery, we find introspection, receptivity and hidden wisdom. It is the seed deep in the earth, the calm before the storm. Counterbalanced by the vitality of nature, the burning fire that drives the action. It is the radiant sun that illuminates the world, the energy that drives us to seek new experiences and conquer horizons. In its dynamism, we find the power of transformation and passion. When Nuquí was finally proposed, we knew that this was the place that would transmit the idea.

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 NIGHTINGALE, 37min., UK
Directed by Robbi Stevens
Set in London and inspired by real-life events, The Nightingale follows Grace, a second-year university student, on her reckless and dangerous path through the different stages of PTSD. With unflinching honesty, the film explores the lasting impact of sexual assault and the courage it takes to overcome it.

https://raawlondon.org/the-nightingale
https://instagram.com/thenightingalefilm_

Get to know director Robbi Stevens & producer Abbie Elliott:

Robbi: I’ve always wanted to tell stories that asks the audience to contemplate what life is really like for people who have been through injustices like Grace or for anyone who has suffered discrimination. Then around 2019, so many girls and young women I knew were going through different levels of trauma after been sexually assaulted or raped or just having to contend with rape culture. It had become normalised – even decriminalized. It started to feel like an emergency with everyone looking in the other direction and no-one coming to help. Then COVID hit and I sat down and wrote it. It was a call to action! We wanted to shatter the complacency surrounding sexual violence by bringing attention to the lasting impact it has on victims. We refuse to accept a society where violence against women and girls is deemed baseline, and where the burden of preventing assault falls solely on women. Through the raw power of storytelling, we want audiences to witness and truly comprehend the immense struggles victims endure long after the act.

‘The Nightingale’ is not intended to focus on the perpetrator but rather on the strength and resilience of the survivors as they overcome adversity. It is crucial to shift the narrative away from victim-blaming (‘cover your drink, don’t go home alone, stop wearing short skirts) and instead foster a collective responsibility to address this societal problem.

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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ST. GEORGE, 12min., USA
Directed by Lane Womack, Scott C. Crenshaw, Nickolas Klesmith
A tale of two brothers getting raised by the wrong parents, in this short film part one of a 6 part mini series comes Bodie and Ricki George. Bodie, a cleancut mommas boy gets caught up in his older brother Ricki's troubled past. The two embark on a mission that fails before it started. Bodie gets left with a dead mother, brother in prison and a wife who can't stand him, the only thing standing on the other side of the sun is hope.

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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EL CAPITAN PACO, 25min., Mexico
Directed by Rodrigo Oliva
Paco is a public transportation driver who deals with his stressful job every day, until the imagination of Sarah, his daughter, turns him into the captain of a spaceship and gives him another perspective on his problems.

https://www.instagram.com/capitanpacocortometraje/

Get to know filmmakers Rodrigo Oliva & Jandy Ayala:

The idea of experimenting in the musical genre was constantly on my mind. After understanding that a significant part of this genre is about the spectacle, I wanted to explore this aspect without neglecting the narrative. On the contrary, I aimed to achieve a balance between audiovisual language and the spectacular. “El Capitan Paco” seemed like a story that needed to be told in this format. After analyzing the situation faced by public transport truck drivers, I felt the need to breathe life into the most monotonous aspects of daily life within public transportation.

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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TWISTED GAZE, 19min., Mexico
Directed by David Sanchez V
Diego travels to Turkey, makes a layover in Dubai. There he suffers a series of abuses by authority, sexual and homophobic by the police and military. This leads to a ceaseless search of identity and an obscure social questioning — psychological about masculinity, diversity and the “Who am I”.

https://instagram.com/diegoavilamx

Get to know the filmmaker;

The fact that in 2023 we can still be sexually abused for being homosexual. It took us 8 months from kicking off the project to wrapping it up. It all kicked off when we were working on another short film with Diego. He shared his experience in Dubai, and it stuck with me for a few days. When we caught up again, we decided to do something about it. Diego wrote everything down in great detail. After that, we recorded the “interview” (the voiceover you hear in the film). It was a two-hour-long recording… After that, we spent 2 months in post-production.

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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BIG EXIT, 11min,. USA
Directed by David Sackerman
Josh is a lonely, awkward individual who is ignored by his coworkers and disrespected by his boss, but when he gets some bad news, he comes up with a scheme to get the last laugh.

https://www.facebook.com/bigexitshortfilm2021
https://twitter.com/big_exit_film
https://www.instagram.com/big_exit_shortfilm_2021/

Get to know the filmmaker:

This started out as an assignment at Columbia College Chicago in which we were tasked to write a ten-page screenplay based on a true story. Our teacher suggested a “weird news stories” aggregator, which we all looked at, and the top headline was about a man from New Zealand who had just hired an “emotional support clown” for his layoff meeting! I added certain elements like his boss’s unlikeable personality and Josh’s meekness and desire to connect with others. As an autistic person I’ve had a lot of experience wanting to fit in but struggling no matter what I do, and one of the ways I overcame that was comedy. It’s a great tool for fighting sadness and for spitting in the face of an oppressive system!

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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CENSURE – 39min, UK
Directed by Richard Bazley

When introvert, Aaron, finds himself struggling under the weight of a revelation, he dreams of escaping to the only place he can breathe. But escape has a cost, and he must ask himself if it is a price he is willing to pay.

https://rmbazley.wixsite.com/censure
https://www.facebook.com/Censure-105527732039739
https://twitter.com/BazleyFilms
https://www.instagram.com/bazleyfilms/

Get to know the filmmaker:
Getting any film made is hard so if you do make a film you really want to have to make it! You need a reason! I had a pretty successful career as an Animator, Ex Disney, Ex-Warner Bros. After the death of 2D Classical Animation in Hollywood I found myself reinventing myself. I wanted to tell whole stories, not just animating a few seconds in a $150 Million Dollar Film for a Multi MIllion Dollar Corporation. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me. As soon as you get into big budgets you are restricted in so many ways. What the Execs want, what the clients want but what about the “Director’s” vision? That is what you get with a short film on a micro budget! It is pure and it is honest. I wanted to tell stories that meant something to me and “Censure” is the first of many.

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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LAST CALL, 12min., USA
Directed by Vitor Lopes, Stephen Brown
A bartendress embroiled in a small-town romance is on the skeleton crew of a late-night dive bar when she encounters a mysterious patron who implores her to clean up an act of violence he has committed.

Get to know filmmaker Stephen Brown:
I was thrilled to read Vitor’s screenplay, and we saw an opportunity to film the short film in our hometown of Fayetteville, Georgia. It was encouraging to meet the cast virtually and to work with old friends and new ones to make the film safely during autumn of the first year of the pandemic.

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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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.

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!

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 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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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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GIVE US A SMILE, 13min., USA
Directed by Alessia Fionda
A humorous retelling of the sitting of the Mona Lisa featuring the master himself, Leonardo da Vinci and his not so talented pupil, Alessio.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt20850030/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk
https://instagram.com/alessiafionda

Get to know the filmmaker:

I was motivated to make this film because the script I had written encompassed everything I love. Women’s issues both past and present, art history and of course my favorite, comedy. The Mona Lisa is the most recognizable and discussed piece of art in existence, yet there is little to no information regarding the subject of the painting, Lisa del Giocondo. I wanted to add a colorful reinterpretation of what could have happened during the sitting. Also, I deeply wanted to play the character of Mona Lisa and challenge myself from an acting perspective.

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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MY ROOMMATE, DEATH, 7min,. Canada, Comedy
Directed by Becca Isaias
Over 200 years after making a bet for Margaret’s soul, Death is still losing every game to her, which has resulted in them getting demoted from collecting human souls- they want their old position back, but they have also developed a soft spot for Margaret.

Get to know producer Emma M. Cooke:

We wanted to make a fun, silly film that had at its heart a story about friendship. We were motivated because we wanted to have fun, and we wanted everyone to laugh and be able to take a break from the real world with a little bit of fun. We thought mockumentaries are a currently popular genre of comedy and we wanted to put a little bit of a different spin on it- taking a character, or figure, so widely known and recognized as Death, and turn it on its head. By making it a comedy centered on a quirky friendship rather than a horror focused on Death reaping souls, we thought it would provide a little extra punch to the finished product.

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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BEACH DAY, 14min., USA
Directed by Robin Johnson
A newlywed unwinds with a solo day at the beach full of peculiar activities.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26492794/?ref_=hm_rvi_tt_i_2
https://www.instagram.com/beachdaythefilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, my partner Casey and I were on the hunt for isolated, outdoor activities. We found ourselves on a beach in Rockaway, NY and discovered an abandoned, graffitied, once-building on one of the smaller beach lots. Shells, rocks, flowers and other items had been arranged carefully and intentionally on the ground, and to me, it looked like a beautiful, hyper-feminine altar. I started wondering what the story was behind this altar – why would someone hide out in this dilapidated building on the beach and perform a sort of ritual? When we came home, I wrote the first draft in about 20 minutes, and Casey encouraged me to keep developing the script and make the film. I’d been a professional actor for about 10 years, and had felt the quiet itch to jump into directing for a long time, and he is a cinematographer, so from there, it came together quite naturally.

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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