Telling stories through film and conversation.
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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 filmmaking
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.
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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.

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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

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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/

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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.

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EP. 1628: Filmmaker/Musician Daron Hagen (I HEAR AMERICA SINGING)

The conventions of documentary, musical theater, and magical realism are combined and subverted to address issues of personal, national, and artistic identity through the eyes of a composer desperate to pull off one final backer’s audition whilst hounded by a disdainful documentarian named Charon.

Feature Film: Musical, Meta-modernist, Documentary, Meta-fiction, Bardo, Opera, Musical Theater

https://instagram.com/americasinging

https://www.americasinging.art/

Director Statement

This film is the final installment of a project called "The Bardo Trilogy," which begins with "Orson Rehearsed," and continues with "9/10: Love Before the Fall." In the trilogy of features I explore, from the stance of an auteur composer-director-screenwriter-editor, the concept of "operafilm" -- a fusing of the procedures and tropes of lyric theater and cinema in a comprehensively correlative fashion in order to achieve a new form of "gesamtkunstwerk.,

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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/

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EP. 1622: Filmmaker Nadav Embon (The Planet That Doesn't Exist)

“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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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/

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EP. 1619: Filmmaker/Artist Meredith Adelaide (CHANGE - KRAMON Music Video)

Change - Kramon - Music Video.

The unconscious self and conscious self meet.

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.

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EP. 1616: Filmmaker Lucas Candelino (DETECTIVES & DRAGONS)

Detectives & Dragons, 8min., Canada
Directed by Lucas Candelino, Benjamin Kostecki, Evan McDowell
A know-it-all detective is tasked with incriminating a murder suspect through a fantasy role-playing game by recreating the scenario of the killing. Tensions escalate when he goes off-script.

https://instagram.com/candelino.jpeg

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-detectives-dragons

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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…

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EP. 1612: Filmmaker James Rigby (VERSIPELLIS)

Versipellis, 26min., UK
Directed by James Rigby
In this spine-chilling horror film, a young girl, Sophia, faces the dilemma of choosing whom to trust when an imposter infiltrates her home.

https://www.instagram.com/versipellis_film

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to challenge myself by making my first horror film. I was curious about how to approach the story, its themes, and the craft of building fear in an audience. I researched the genre, studied other films, and asked myself: what do I personally find scary, and why do I react that way? That exploration shaped the direction of the film.

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

The script was originally written and pitched during my time at Arts University Bournemouth. After taking a short break from it, I came back with fresh eyes, refined the concept, and pushed it forward. With the support of people around the world, we successfully crowdfunded £1,500, which allowed us to bring the project to life.

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EP. 1611: Filmmaker Amy Louise Pemberton (FOR LUCIE)

FOR LUCIE, 12min,. UK
Directed by Amy Louise Pemberton
When a devastating family secret comes to light, Nick and Liz must confront painful truths that will change their lives forever.

https://www.instagram.com/missamypembs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amy_Pemberton

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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

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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.

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EP. 1608: Filmmakers Laura Boyd Owen, Charles Edwin English (THE CALL)

The Call is a powerful documentary that breaks the silence around firefighter mental health, offering an unflinching look at the trauma, PTSD, and suicide crisis facing first responders. Through raw interviews, real-life stories, and behind-the-scenes access to firehouses in New Mexico, the film explores the emotional toll of a profession associated with bravery, but rarely with vulnerability.

http://thecalldocumentary.com/

Conversation with directors Laura Boyd Owen, Charles Edwin English.

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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.

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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.

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