In each episode, the C.E.O. of WILDsound, Matthew Toffolo, chats about all things storytelling and film. Conversations with talented individual from all around the world.
ANADROMOUS, 5min., USA
Directed by Ari Grubb
When they find themselves evolving out of their aquarium home, two fish set off on a musical journey of self-acceptance and queer joy, and find community in a freaky fish gay bar in the deepest depths of the ocean.
https://www.instagram.com/anadromous_film
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SHAMDEMONIUM, 6min., USA
Directed by Grace Ann Rathbun
SHAMDEMONIUM is a music video style narrative short film that follows young aspiring actor Barb as she leads up to her final moments alive and her time in the After Life.
https://instagram.com/graceannimation
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A rag tag trio of criminals are tasked by the devil, to hunt down an outlaw trying to outrun his debt.
https://www.instagram.com/nightielightie/
https://kmoore304.myportfolio.com/
What motivated you to make this film?
This was my college thesis, and my passion project I have been working on for several years. What motivated me was the characters I crafted along the way, and ths wonderful preformances the Voice actors gave to the characters.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took me around 10-11 months of work.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Questionable Protagonists
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
My biggest challenge was making time on top of other classes. As a transfer student my senior year I was doing 3-4 animation classes on top of my Thesis. So time management was super hard when you have to do over hundreds of frames for different projects.
There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.
What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
That’s difficult to say, as I love the whole process. But if I had to, I really enjoyed the pre-production, and the production. Once I get my idea I love to tweak and edit it. Polishing and getting all the assets and characters done. I want to say once I got the ok by my professor, I just ran off leash. Made tons of work for the pre-production book, as well as completing the backgrounds.
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Requital, 3min,. UK
Directed by Ande Case
A short Animation of how history repeats itself. Frustratingly.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The original idea was from my partner who talked about history repeating itself. We despise inequality, that people so wealthy they will never want for anything still end up being so cruel and disgusting. The worst of us. They have the ability to end hunger, disease, homelessness yet they always end up being fascists who only want to visit cruelty upon others.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
About 6 months from script to final version as Lucy, the animator, was very kindly developing this film in between all the other work she had on and, due to budget, we had to rethink some scenes and visuals.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
History Repeats.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Finance, it’s always finance. I have reached a point where ‘funding streams’ are some fairy tale old filmmakers tell newbies about how good it was in their day
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Cats Cradle is inspired by the Greek myth Ariadne and her journey from Crete to Naxos. Like The Fates, she is associated with the symbol of the thread, which she uses to help Theseus kill the Minotaur. Central to Ariadne’s story is her deification, her transcendence from mortal to divine through a union with Dionysus. By revisiting this ancient myth, Cats Cradle invites viewers to reflect on how they navigate their own inner labyrinths of identity and transformation.
https://www.instagram.com/allysonglennart/
https://www.facebook.com/allyson.glenn.1/
What motivated you to make this film?
I was preparing for a solo art exhibition called Date with Hermes: Journeying between Dreams and Reality for the Vorres Museum in Greece (2024). The curator, Dr. Katerina Pizania, suggested I create an animation to connect the Greek myth themes. While the show focused on large-scale paintings and works on paper, the film became a companion piece to my series on Ariadne and Dionysus.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I only had two months to develop the animation for the first exhibition, so the first version was more of an “outline.”Completing the film took a year and a half.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Intense!
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time! As a full-time Associate Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, I worked on the animation during weekends with invaluable help from students and alumni.
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“The Planet That Doesn’t Exist” is an 8-minute Animation film from Israel, based on the Graphic Novel by Navy Bird Revital Bronshtein.
Navy Bird passed away at the age of 24 last year, caught in the midst of a terrorist attack. Her mother, Liora Bronshtein, brought a team of artists to make this film.
You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/2fKOtua6s1I?si=bvEzOPU1Afe2Sq0n
Conversation with the director of the piece, Nadav Embon, on the making of the film.
Synopsis:
Professor Star l'Etoile set at her desk, her notes, were packed into spiral leather bound notebooks, stacked one atop of the other. They contained years and years of calculations, which sprung from her notebooks and rose up in a spiral, covering hundreds of desks and antique gold plated wooden boards, that covered the entire room.
BIO:
Nadav Embon is an Israeli director, animator, and multidisciplinary creator. His graduation film Talk About Samson screened at festivals in Japan, Russia, Romania, and Israel, and is taught in both academia and high schools as a tool for biblical studies. He later became Creative Director at Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, and co-founded the global commemoration initiative Zikaron Basalon. Today he lectures at Bezalel Academy and Minshar College, leads a new digital content house at NMC United, and directs In Your Face, a portrait-drawing talk-show blending performance and illustration. His latest work is the animated short The Planet That Wasn’t There, adapted from Navy Bird’s graphic novel.
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Meevil the Weevil: Breakfast of Champions, 4min., USA
Directed by Kyle Arneson
Meevil https://filmfreeway.com/submissions/32428116#ff_javascriptthe Weevil is a little bug with big dreams of being a stuntman. “Breakfast of Champions” mixes stop motion animation with live action footage where we follow Meevil’s thrilling ride across a 1970s breakfast table on rocket roller skates.
https://www.instagram.com/stunt.bug/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The film came about after developing the character as a hesitant hero with big dreams of grandeur. It’s strongly inspired by the stunt men and women of the 1970’s and 80’s that I found so captivating back when the world was a little more shag-carpeted and wood-paneled. During this initial creative period I lost my father unexpectedly and it was at some point in the haze of the grieving process I realized that the relationship between Meevil, and Olis, his coach, mirrored that of my relationship to my father. So with that guiding light, the ethos of the project became clear and bringing it to reality became a goal for me as a way to honor my dad.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
From idea to final prduct this film took 3 years to make. Nothing happens fast in stop motion animation, the puppet had to be designed and built, all of the props and sets were hand made and the entire film was shot one frame at a time.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Nostalgic fun!
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KHENTOPIA, 72min., USA
Directed by Job Michiel van Zuijlen
Khentopia is a peaceful society on the planet Zeeray, where ethereal energy generated through chanting at Harmony Center is used to feed a protective shield that envelops the planet. All is well, until one June morning in 2502, the crew of raider ship Space Wolf is intent on breaking through the shield to carry out a pillage mission. They succeed in obliterating the ethereal power generation and so the protective shield. On top of that, a parallel universe emerges with an alternate Khentopia that is harsh and hostile.
http://khentopia.com/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The idea for Khentopia already existed for another story, but the inauguration of Trump 1 in 2017 made me think that we had entered a parallel world. I developed a new story with that in mind.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took about seven years. To get the story itself right was a challenge. I knew the beginning and the end, but I struggled with the middle.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Khentopia regained.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Because it took such a long time, the biggest challenge was to stay interested. It is also a lot of work, and some scenes are necessary but kind of tedious to do.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was pleasantly surprised by the insightful comments, especially from the second woman. She was able to distill various elements that I had put into the story and expressed them clearly.
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FLY AWAY, FROGGY BOY, 8min., Canada
Directed by Mia Lobo
Fly Detective Francis McFly loses his partner to the infamous ‘Croaks’, a frog gang at the centre of his most recent investigation. Stricken by grief, he decides to get revenge, and go head to head with their ravenous leader, The Frogfather.
https://mialobo.com/home
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
Fly Away, Froggy Boy was my final year thesis film. Everyone in their final year at my animation program was required to pitch a film idea, present it to our final year classmates, and the film ideas were chosen based on popular vote. The idea came from a joke between me and my partner (the co-creator, foley artist and voice of McFly), quite literally “Imagine if you pitched a film about a fly getting revenge on frogs”. I decided to pitch it to my class to see if anyone would be drawn to the idea as much as we were. We ended up one of the four films chosen to be made that year! People really love the idea.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was a great feedback video!I found it really interesting to see what aspects of the film jump out at people. The whole project is a lot less surprising and fresh for me because I worked on it for so long. Being able to hear people talk about the specific elements of the film that they found really unique, fresh and fun, reminds me of how great the project is, and how I felt the exact same way during the process.
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WHEN I’M WITH YOU, 4min., Canada
Directed by Kanja Chen
An emotional tale of how the enduring love between a young boy and his grandfather bridges the gap between generations.
https://www.instagram.com/kanjachen/
Kanja has directed several award-winning short films that have been showcased at numerous film festivals. This animated short marks his directorial debut in the genre, allowing him to focus on a deeply personal story.
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Low Down Larry Versus the Giant Reptile, 7min., USA
Directed by Sammy Verni
In their latest adventure together, Larry and Spike set out in a time machine to be the first to bring a living dinosaur back with them to present day. They’ve already been to the Moon and back, but this time have they gone too far?
Get to know the filmmaker:
Low Down Larry Versus the Giant Reptile is the second in a series of shorts that I have made based on a comic book character I used to draw when I was about ten years old. I see it as a love letter to that time in my life as well as an homage to sci fi b movies, classic stop motion and the Saturday morning cartoons that I grew up with.
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ROOM OF MEMORIES, 2min., Australia
Directed by Suniva Maya Miller
The story of heartbreak told from the memory center of the brain.
https://instagram.com/caffeinated_dream_dream
Get to know the filmmaker:
It was my first ever animated film that I developed during my first year of university. For some reason I had this feeling that I had to make something so emotional and deep. At the time I had just been through a pretty rough breakup with someone who I had been friends with for much longer. So I wanted to write and make something that would reflect the complicated emotions I had surrounding this person and our 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.
STIGMA, 3min., USA
Directed by Mark Schoen
The three-minute film STIGMA demonstrates that no matter what your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity all human beings ae basically the same.
The three-minute film STIGMA demonstrates that no matter what your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity all human beings ae basically the same.
https://www.sexsmartfilms.com/company/
Get to know the filmmaker:
The motivation for this film came from a telephone conversation I had with Liana Zhou, Head of Collections at The Kinsey Institute. We were talking about discrimination and how so many people are stigmatized because of superficial factors when we both agreed that basically all people are the same!
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.
WHAT A DAY, 5min., Thailand
Directed by Allen Cheng
Our world is busy, lonely, and exhausting. It is so common for us to go through a rough day, come home and lay on our bed with tears and sweats, then simply complain to ourselves, “ugh, what a day”.
https://www.instagram.com/allenuknowwhatimsaying/
Get to know the filmmaker:
The topic is something I can resonate with, and I’m sure most people do too. Just the idea of finding purpose(s) in a mundane life, because if everyday ends up being a “what a day”, then it eventually stacks up to “what a life”. I don’t like the sound of that, so I figured I would make something that portrays that.
You can sign up for the 7 day free trial at www.wildsound.ca (available on your streaming services and APPS). There is a DAILY film festival to watch, plus a selection of award winning films on the platform. Then it’s only $3.99 per month.
Lil’ RED is RIDING the wrong way in the HOOD!, 8min., USA
Directed by Venus Jones
This short film with a long title is a Hip Hop twist on a classic cautionary tale starts with an adventurous little boy getting lost on the wrong side of town. Childhood labor and public safety may sound like heavy topics, but they’re presented in an approachable manner in this timely and important project.
Get to know the filmmaker:
It began as a novelty book for “woke” grandmas and after it was rejected by some traditional publishers. l learned about an individual artist grant and I was interested in doing something new to elevate my work. I wrote my proposal to turn my poetic narrative based on a classic tale into a film and l won. I spoke of partnering with a nonprofit organization on the front line of the human trafficking epidemic. The funding inspired me to create the animation for Lil Red is Riding the Wrong Way in the Hood. I’m the first on record to make the main character a boy because the safety of boys has historically been overlooked in comparison to little girls. I also made the characters African American because our communities are presently reimagining public safety.
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.
THE LOST NIGHT, 6min., Japan
Directed by YUXUAN ZHANG
One night, at a crowded street, a woman meet these illusions. Everyone passed, but only she couldn’t. This is a dream made with light and shadow. But is it just a ephemeral dream?
https://misazyuhin.wixsite.com/misanimations
https://twitter.com/misa41478318
https://www.instagram.com/_misa_3333/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D
Get to know the filmmaker:
This is my graduation film work and I wanted to find some experimental methods to make it.Finally I used the light and shadow style of drawing things by not drawing them. And the story comes from my real experience , the first time I had to face the decision of death.
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.
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.
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.
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.
AUBREY GRUMP, 1min,. USA
Directed by Mike Dietz
“Some people are only happy when they’re not.”
Get to know the filmmaker:
Last year I met artist/animator/producer Casey Follen while working on a freelance job. Several times a year Casey and her partners release a compilation of animated shorts called Animation Wild Card. It’s a fun platform for independent animation artists to collaborate and showcase super short-shorts created just for the joy of animating. The only requirements are that the films be animated and have a runtime somewhere between 15 and 90 seconds. Casey invited me to submit a film for an upcoming episode, so I tried to come up with an idea that would be fun to animate and could tell a worthwhile story in a minute or less. Aubrey Grump is what I ended up with.
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.
