Telling stories through film and conversation.
WSPodcast New Logo.png

WILDsound's The Film Podcast

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.

Posts in Film of the Day
EP. 1635: Creative team of CHOICES: Director Aline Jewell. Stars: Katharina Gerlich, Alex Crockford

An actor faces the dilemma of going back to her roots in Austria in pursuit of her vocation and belonging or staying in the UK for love. ‘To be or not to be’ is the question within the question: 'Is love as important as belonging?'

https://www.instagram.com/alinejewell/

Conversation with director/actor Aline Jewell. Star Katarina Gerlich and co-star Alex Crockford.

Director Statement

With CHOICES, I delve into a character-driven story that explores the themes of belonging, language, love, identity, and self-assurance.
——

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1634: Actor/Director Hanah Chang, & Producer Quand C. Robinson Thomas

An insecure Korean-American woman struggles with old resentments against her beautiful best friend, exposing the impossible beauty standards that caused them.

https://www.instagram.com/iwishiwere_pretty/

Conversation with actor/director Hanah Chang & Producer Quand C. Robinson

Director Statement

I Wish I Were Pretty is not just the title, but also a phrase I have constantly thought since I was old enough to understand that with beauty comes power. Many of the elements included in this story are inspired by my personal experiences. One of my constants while growing up was hearing my mother say to me that I would be prettier if I had “ssanggeopul” (double eyelids). I will never forget the drunk customer from my bartending days who asked me to bring him a pretty server. And more recently, when my father saw a K-Pop music video and asked if that is the kind of thing I want to do, his then-girlfriend said “that is for the young and beautiful.” These experiences were painful, and I wanted to redeem them by turning them into part of my art.

The struggle to feel that we are enough is felt across all genders. As I was revising the script, I sent it to a family friend in the film industry in Korea, only to find out he had just recently undergone plastic surgery. I both hate that he felt that he had to make that choice and understand it. After all, I can understand how much emotional turmoil he had to suffer for him to decide to permanently alter his physical appearance.

Because I know how important representation is both in front of and behind the camera, I hope this film will be inspiring specifically for folks who work in the industry. I am so proud to state that I made this film with a crew of mostly womxn/people of color from beginning to end!

For these reasons and more, I believe this film will be impactful, influential, and monumental. There are already many Korean dramas and movies about beauty standards, but the story typically begins after the protagonist undergoes plastic surgery. My intention with ‘I Wish I Were Pretty’ is never to judge anyone who chooses that, but to provide a fresh take and a different way to deal with what we have internalized. And my hope is that we will learn to be kinder to and more accepting of ourselves as we are.

——

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1633: Creative team of JUMPING AT SHADOWS: ARMAGEDDON (Locky Boaretto, Loki Acciarito, Tom Simpson)

Director Locky Boaretto, Co-Writer Loki Acciarito, & Actor Tom Simpson join the podcast to talk about their “Jumping at Shadows” series.

In a world secretly at war with an ancient alien race, a teenage girl discovers a crash landed alien, and uncovers shocking truths about her estranged father… After teaming up with a pair of rebel brothers, she uncovers a galaxy-wide conspiracy and an impending alien invasion. When one of the brothers is captured, the team must risk everything to rescue him from the alien mothership before it can begin its invasion of Earth. Amidst explosive battles and impossible odds, she must face her family’s dark past and rewrite their legacy in order to save the future.


https://www.instagram.com/lochnesslegendsproductions/

http://www.youtube.com/@lochnesslegends

——

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1632: Writer/Actor Bella Martinez (Once More, Like Rain Man)

Terrific conversation with screenwriter/actress Bella Martinez, chatting about her multiple award winning film “Once More, Like Rain Man”.

Beautifully directed by Sue Ann Pien, and also starring Matt Jones & Joe Mantegna.

Synopsis: ‘It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it…’ We follow Zoe (Martinez) and her dad, Gerry (Jones) in a ‘day in the life’ of an autistic actress running the gambit of stereotypes she has to deal with - and her dad’s battle in supporting her forging that path for herself - in a funny, frustrating, painful and sometimes triumphantly sarcastic kind of way.

https://www.instagram.com/omlrmovie

http://www.omlrmovie.com/

——

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod


EP. 1630: Screenwriter Teddy Andrews (SHRINK)

Watch the Best Scene Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_fYb7My2Qk

A young man attends the final session of his compensated work therapy program. The therapist remains ever oblivious as his lies begins to swallow the room whole.

——

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1624: Filmmaker Felipe Marinheiro & Actor/Writer Carolina Liz (AUDER)

After being kidnapped and forced into a brutal assimilation camp where the English language is used as control, two teenage girls from different countries must find a way to escape, before they are stripped of their identity.


Conversation with director Felipe Marinheiro https://www.instagram.com/marinheirofelipe/

& actor/producer Carolina Liz https://www.instagram.com/caaliz/

—-

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1621: Filmmaker Matt Jenkins (VAPOR TRAILS)

Vapor Trails, 11min., USA

Directed by Matt Jenkins

Mandy has just given Jethro an ultimatum, quick vaping or else. His friend Chuck thinks its going to be easy to quit.

https://www.instagram.com/misfits_of_film/

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1618: Filmmaker Robert Xavier Clark (BLACK PEOPLE DONT TANGO)

Black People Don’t Tango, 13min., USA

Directed by Robert Xavier Clark

An African American man learns to tango after a trip to Argentina.

Based on a true story.

What motivated you to make this film?

This short film Black People Don't Tango is adapted from a feature-length film script that I developed in 2019. That feature script is further adapted from a short story that I wrote in college.

The primary motivation for the short film is to function as a proof of concept for the larger Black People Don't Tango idea.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Roughly one month.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Scheduling and securing locations. The short film was put together and shot in a very tight timeframe. Also most of the people in the film are not professional actors, so getting everyone on the call sheet to show up on specific days was challenging. We also had some late talent and location changes happen, so we had to stay flexible and adapt.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1615: Filmmaker Ted Clark (ALL EYES ON YOU)

ALL EYES ON YOU, min., UK

Directed by Ted Clarke

Paranoid couple Adam and Claire move to the peaceful countryside for a fresh start, but quickly become unsettled by a series of sinister interactions with their new neighbours, putting their trust - and relationship - to the test…

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1613: Filmmaker John Gardner (What's Locked Behind That Door?)

What's Locked Behind That Door?, 4min., USA

Directed by John Gardner

In the visually arresting music video for Lunavox’s “What’s Locked Behind That Door?”, a series of metaphorical doors open onto the full spectrum of human emotion, drawing viewers into a surreal journey through fear, desire, and obsession. These portals also frame the chilling descent of a scientist whose relentless experiments lead him into darkness. Guided by the song’s pulsing rhythm, the two narratives intertwine as human vulnerability and scientific ambition collapse into a single vision of corruption and revelation.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1610: Filmmaker Daniele Catini (DIFFERENTLY WATER)

Differently Water, 8min., Italy
Directed by Daniele Catini
Two Arab women meet underwater to express their love. The sea becomes an accomplice to a secret in which their eyes reveal that desire hidden from a world that cannot understand

.https://www.instagram.com/daniele_catini21

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-differently-water

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1609: Director Kevin Byrnes (with Brit Byrnes cameo) (THE CUPCAKE CHRONICLES)

The Cupcake Chronicles Vol. 2: The Cupcake Shop Ghost

Is the cupcake shop haunted? Or are those strange noises coming from the stomachs of hungry customers? Either way, everyone ends up satisfied.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1607: Filmmaker Adam Wakeling (The Inga Tree Model 2025)

The Inga Tree Model 2025, 10min., Honduras

Directed by Adam Wakeling

The Inga Alley-Cropping pilot is in year 13 in rural, northern Honduras and has impressive results for carbon sequestered and avoided--876,000 tons in 12 years--trained and assisted by an all-Honduran team, 500 smallholder families have planted over 3 million native, nitrogen-fixing trees on steep, highly degraded land. The clearing/burning stops when a family plants their alley (a process that destroys 200,000 acres a day).

http://www.ingafoundation.org/

https://www.instagram.com/ingafoundation/

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1605: Filmmaker Daniella Meggoe & Benson Jackson (TALE & BONES – DARK PRINCESS)

Tale & Bones – Dark Princess, 3min., USA
Directed by Daniella Meggoe, Benson Jackson
Dark Princess is a psychological short highlighting the unique relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild. The innocent yet menacing ques are overlooked as something mysteriously dark is brewing.

http://www.sistastalk.org/talebones
https://instagram.com/Nellamovieproduction

Get to know filmmaker Daniella Meggoe:

What motivated you to make this film?
I love horror and creating. I enjoy being challenged, after creating my first short film in 2021 I decided to a horror film.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
2 years

How would you describe your film in two words!?
Thriller Suspenseful

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Understanding angles and finding the right filming crew

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Excitement and joy, it’s interesting to see different perspectives on the film.

When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was 8 years old, my vision and creativity is pretty broad. I grew up watching movies from various genres and wondered “how did they do that” how did they make that look so real? I’m an avid story teller so I’m developing my creative side.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1604: Filmmaker Brandon Katcher (Resonance in the Castle)

Resonance in the Castle, 17min., USA

Directed by Brandon Katcher

A mysterious castle breathes with light and color, drawing all who enter into its shifting embrace. Stained glass spills vivid hues across ancient stone, golden reflections dance over strange artifacts, and ethereal performances flare up like living paintings. Surreal, electric, and unbound by space or time. Musicians, dancers, and performance artists bring their visions to life, each performance casting a ripple, before fading into the ether. A place of mystery and spectacle, this living museum exists only in the moment it is seen, leaving behind only echoes. Here, the castle is not a place but a state of mind, a dream in motion, inviting us to lose ourselves within its walls.

https://www.lostsummitfilms.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

The opportunity to make Resonance in the Castle came at a key moment in my life, when I felt directionless and depleted. I had just wrapped a grueling, two-year documentary production, and like so many filmmakers, I found myself in that fog of burnout and uncertainty. What’s next? And then, pure coincidence gave me the opportunity to join an artist residency in a century-old castle in Italy. I traveled there with only a few basic ideas, the glimmer of a story. But through collaboration with musicians, dancers, sculptors, and actors from around the world, a film was born through the freedom of creating without expectation.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Not knowing what to expect from the location or the artists involved, I arrived in Italy with only basic ideas and visuals in my head. Once I was able to see the castle in person and meet the artists, those ideas became collaborations, and the scenes took shape. Each artist had a plan for their live performance, which we adapted for each room and scene. The actual filming took place over two days and became an improvisation as I learned to “dance” with each performer. During the week in the castle, we also performed live in front of an audience and filmed a documentary of the event. Once I returned home, the editing process took about two months.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1602: Filmmaker Mevlud Sabashvili (DIVIDING LINE)

Dividing Line, 28min., Georgia
Directed by Mevlud Sabashvili
A woman finds the strength to leave an abusive relationship. A woman does not find the strength to leave an abusive relationship.

https://www.facebook.com/mevludi.sabashvili

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
– I was motivated by format first. I had the idea of making a film with a split frame that would show two different life-paths. When I settled on that idea, this particular story came to mind as a good fit for this format.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
– It took about 5-6 months. Actual filming took 7 days. The longest period was post-production. Tinkering with editing and due to the format of the film, many consideration had to be made in therms of color and sound, directing viewers attention to the necessary halves of the screen.

How would you describe your film in two words!?
– It’s okay.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1594: Filmmaker/Musician Donna Weng Friedman (A SILENT CRY)

“A Silent Cry” is a two-and-a-half-minute microfilm set in the Himalayan Mountains—one of the world’s most vital and fragile ecosystems. The film uses evocative visuals and music to highlight the urgent need to sustain and protect this unique environment, which is essential for countless species and provides life-sustaining resources for millions of people.

Project Links

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1587: Filmmaker Tom White (Connection)

Conversation with filmmaker Tom White on the making of CONNECTION - a film he directed remotely.

A government agent is tasked with interrogating a silent prisoner—but the true danger lies in whether the voice in his head is his own… or something else entirely.

https://instagram.com/twch757

Director Statement

I didn’t just direct Connection from my living room — I directed it live, in real time, over an iPad, collaborating with my cast and crew from home.

After being diagnosed with a chronic disability that left me homebound, I feared my days of directing were over. For a long time, I grieved the version of myself who could run a set, work shoulder to shoulder with my DP, and block scenes in person. But this film became the experiment that proved I could still do all of that — just differently.

Remote directing forced me to trust my collaborators more deeply, communicate with absolute clarity, and lean into a process most filmmakers never attempt. The result isn’t just a short film — it’s proof that my voice still has a place, even if the way I use it has changed.

Connection is my reminder that creativity can evolve. That even when life rewrites the rules, we can still tell the stories that matter to us — and maybe tell them in ways no one’s tried before.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

EP. 1582: Filmmaker Ryleigh Kennedy (THE BODY)

THE BODY, 6min.. Horror/Comedy Short Film

Alex thinks she is at home alone, finishing up her "work," when her brother Ansel interrupts. Now, she must clean up all the evidence before he can see it.


www.instagram.com/official.kennedy.productions

Director Statement

This film has been a seed in my mind for many years now. I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this. It is my thesis to complete my undergraduate degree. I think it perfectly captures my weird sense of humor and love for all things horror. Making this film meant everything to me as my friends and family rallied around to support me. It is my baby, and bringing it to life has been one of my greatest honors. I hope it makes you laugh.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod