THIS PROMISE, 14min., Ireland

Directed by Naoimh Ni Luanaigh

This Promise highlights multiple issues faced by homeless women in Ireland, but primarily tells a story of resilience and hope. Cheryl is homeless, battling to access her young daughter and losing autonomy in her life. A chance encounter with another homeless woman gives her the strength to keep fighting.

https://www.thispromisefilm.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ThisPromiseFilm

https://www.instagram.com/thispromise_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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A CHANCE, 16min., USA
Directed by Jillie Simon, Ange Arabatzis
When Mia and Caroline reunite in a city park, they soon find out that the past is not always quite past. Conflicts are resurrected, sparks fly – and then things get complicated.

http://www.facebook.com/AChance
https://instagram.com/jilliesimon

Get to know Jillie Simon:

JILLIE: I’d been cast in the play version, “Be Still”, which takes place all on a park bench, and thought it was a very compelling situation with a powerful relationship between the two lead characters and clever dialogue – and I suggested to the playwright, Ange Arabatzsis that it could make a really interesting short film if we had flashbacks showing what brought them to this place – and got them off the park bench! The fact that it was a story about a lesbian couple gave me more motivation to make it, because fewer stories are told for the LGBTQ audience, and all groups that are more marginalized should have the opportunity to see themselves up on screen.

ANGE writes: He’d “originally envisioned “Be Still” as a man-woman piece. Then a seemingly unrelated conversation with a dear friend awakened in him the realization that love, true love is a meeting of the hearts. What followed was a reading at the Writers and Actors Group in NYC, where ( he) had the idea- based purely on chemistry to cast the wonderful Jillie Simon and Karen Irwin. The room held it’s breath during the entire read and he knew then, that he was onto something.”

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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HOW DO YOU FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH COUNTRY MUSIC?, 13min., USA
Directed by Shyamala Moorty
She just wants to sing country and western on stage, but it’s not easy for a South Asian-American in the deep south where every audience is a hostile one. “How Do You Fall Out of Love with County Music” is a humorous and moving short film about cultural alienation and the possibilities for human connection through music. Set on stage in a honky-tonk bar, Amy Singh courageously bares her soul to the audience and reveals deep truths about racism and belonging in our country today.

https://shyamalamoorty.com/how-do-you-fall-out-of-love-with-country-music/
https://www.instagram.com/shydance/

Get to know the filmmaker:
As a director, I was matched with a writer and an actor during the pandemic by Theater West for a new play reading. The script by Maximillian Gill was immediately compelling, I could feel the tension just in reading it, and the actor, Vidushi Chadha, claimed the stage so powerfully -even on zoom. The script was in-progress and the three of us had such great chemistry as a team working through the changes and staging together. When we were done, Vidushi suggested the film, and I had just finished directing my first short (a narrative dance called Fight the Fear) and was enthusiastic to try my hand at a monologue!

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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ANATEVKA, 4min., USA, Family
Directed by Danielle Durchslag
A group of school children perform a darkly comedic version of the song Anatevka, from Fiddler on the Roof, for their parents, with new lyrics exploring the modern tribulations of Jewish communal anxiety.

https://www.danielledurchslag.com/

https://www.instagram.com/ddurch/

Get to know the filmmaker:

Years ago, I attended a Fiddler on the Roof themed birthday party for a girlfriend’s daughter. Alongside the other adults, I watched a group of young Jewish ladies in pink ballet outfits, singing and dancing all the big hits from the show. One song they did not perform, I noticed, was my personal favorite from the musical, a sorrowful, sarcastic number sung by the ensemble about being forced to flee their beloved, poor, small village, Anatevka, due to the violent antisemitism perpetrated on them by their Christian neighbors. It’s a heavy, sardonic, shrug of a song. Not the tone we typically associate with children’s birthday parties.

Yet Anatevka’s exclusion haunted me, as did the party in general. Why, I kept wondering, with so many powerful examples of Jewish art, does this one story stubbornly persevere, especially in America? My people have not lived in shtetls for a very long time, thankfully, and though hatred of our community certainly and terrifyingly continues, the story of American Jewish life is largely one of safety and success. Yet this tale, of our poverty and victimhood, of being fundamentally unsafe, remains at the center of how we see ourselves and invite others to see us.

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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BLOOD BUDDIES, 12min., Canada, Drama
Directed by Suzanne Marie Moreau
A friend in need is a friend indeed – or are they? Two best childhood friends go to their first summer camp together – and it tears them apart.

From the filmmaker:

I felt motivated to tell the female experience of puberty including that momentous occasion, a first period, since it seemed to be missing from the screen. I looked into ‘first period’ stories and discovered an online trend was shaping up among today’s generation. It made sense emotionally and theoretically to try to capture the experience and how it coincided with friendships in a sensitive, vulnerable way with a mature perspective that drew from my own remembered feelings.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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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After the one-year anniversary of their mother’s death, Stevie and Julia must spread her ashes. They go to the field that their mother took them to as children to cloud watch. on arrival, Stevie is forced to confront her confusing feelings about her mother’s death. Stevie picks a fight with Julia because she realizes she is Jealous of the relationship that Julia got to with her mom. When Stevie eventually gives in to her feelings of sadness, the sisters leave the field with an understanding of the other’s pain.

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

Director Statement

I have always been someone who copes with life by making up and visualizing scenes and stories in my head. From the minute I had consciousness I had a camera in my hands. As a kid, I had more surgeries than anyone I know, so I spent a lot of time in bed watching movies and tv, and it become my safe place. I could talk to my mom and dad about how amazing the light in a scene from my favorite movie was or completely lose myself in the world that was created in front of me. Movies and tv helped me deal with a lot.

Greener Pastures is no different. As I was going to sleep one summer night after my dad called me to tell me to prepare myself for my mother's likely death, I saw a scene of two siblings in a field. They sat in a wood-paneled SUV with their mother's ashes in a silver box strapped to the roof with pink and green biker cables. The field was rich with tall green grass. They picked it because it was their mother's favorite. The siblings were not me and mine but they were strangers.

Stevie and Julia are both conversations that I was having with myself during this time. Part of me was mad at my mother for getting sick at all and the other was mad at her for almost dying.

I have always seen movie in my head but this is the first time it has become something that I can watch and show to other people.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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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Two couples in the same family face a new pregnancy, one for the first time, the other with a sorrowful past. After a miscarriage, the family dynamics change and they must learn to deal with tragedy in a whole new way.

Blog interview: https://matthewtoffolo.com/2022/08/07/interview-with-filmmaker-rachel-jacob-four-on-the-mantle/

Director Statement

I was driven to make this piece because I had the honor and privilege of walking closely alongside several amazing women who have had miscarriages. It's a subject that I find is still taboo and no one knows how to talk about it or bring up their own grief or experience of it. I felt that anguish and eventually it came out in this story. The point of this film is not to tell anyone how to talk or grieve about this experience, but to shed light on its existence in a very real way, with all that can be at stake, and to hopefully open the door so more conversations can start happening. Thank you for watching.

Film playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later this 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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PUT AWAY was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the June 2022 FEMALE Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

Director Biography - A. D. Cooper

From a copywriting background, A. D. has written and directed a string of short films and longer theatre productions. Many of her films have been screened at international film festivals and won a number of awards. More info at https://hurcheonfilms.com

Director Statement

During the lockdown, I wondered how the isolation I felt could be worse. This is a proof of concept for a feature project set in the same location.

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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REMEMBER BEGINNING was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the May 2022 WILDsound Film Festival.

“A fleeting glance into one man's journey from childhood into mature years with an object, a yellow tape, as a symbolic witness, which takes on a more mystical presence as the time goes on.”

Conversation with new filmmaker Elena S. Shelton on her amazing journey making this film.

Watch film tonight! 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 LARK was the winner of BEST LONG FORM SHORT FILM at the May 2022 FEMALE Feedback Film Festival.

“Iva (19) moves from her cosy home to a bustling Belgrade, where she finds her apartment in ruins. The first thing she sees after arriving is her childhood crush Vuk. That encounter gives her a painful headache and invokes blurry memories of repressed childhood trauma. Left to herself, the first time without her mother's support, she starts testing the boundaries of freedom. Met with new challenges, she must accept newly found aspects of womanhood, and her past, so she can move on to a new life.”

Go to the WILDsound TV app. 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 WORLD TO MY DAUGHTER played to rave reviews at the May 2022 Toronto FEMALE Feedback Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Instagram

“A fictional short film in which we see everyday moments of a father and a daughter and how life goes during the lockdown. The wishes and dreams of hundreds of women have been symbolically processed in the vision of the future.”

Film played on the WILDsound TV app next 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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NO HEARTBEAT was the winner of BEST PERFORMANCES at the April 2022 Female Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

• Twitter

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“In a near-future Roe Vs. Wade has been overturned nationwide, banning abortion under any circumstance. 15 year old Nola discovers she’s pregnant and must try to find a way to safely choose what she knows is best for her future, despite her family’s strong conservative beliefs.”

Conversation with filmmaker Jana Devino on the making of the film and the important subject matter.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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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STATIC SPACE was the winner of BEST SOUND & MUSIC at the April 2022 Female Film Festival.

Project Links

• Website

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Instagram

“Jamie is a young woman living in rural Indiana struggling to figure out her place and identity. When she inadvertently stumbles across a frequency on her ham radio and makes contact with astronaut Noa currently orbiting Earth, the two women are presented with the opportunity to find meaningful connection, even while worlds apart.”

Conversation with writer/star/co—director Kate Black-Spence & co-director John Klein on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app. 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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I WIN played to rave reviews at the March 2022 FEMALE Feedback Film Festival.

“Who will win the fight of imagination?”

Conversation with Filmmaker Evgenia Taneva on the making of the film.

Evgenia also has another film, 10 SECONDS, playing on the WILDsound TV APP. You can watch it here: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/10-seconds

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

UNMANNED was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the March 2022 Female Feedback Film Festival.

”An active-duty drone operator struggles with her decision to re-enlist in the Air Force when she receives life-changing news and a danger close mission reveals the true cost of saving lives.”

http://www.cristinapippa.com/

https://www.twitter.com/Unmanned2022

Conversation with filmmaker Cristina Pippa on the making of the film.

Film also showing on the WILDsound TV app next 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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“Roe v. Wade: A Legal History” was the winner of Best Documentary Short at the 2022 Female Film Festival.

“As one of the most consequential decisions in the history of the Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade articulated the right to abortion as a fundamental right. But where did this landmark case originate? In this documentary short, six law professors discuss how and why Roe v. Wade made it to the Supreme Court.”

Conversation with producer Samantha Schroeder on the process making the film and her way of getting the best out of her interview subjects.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app next 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.

Subscribe to the podcast via Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

“Doors” played at the March 2022 Female Film Festival to rave reviews. A dance film created in collaboration with three choreographers who designed scenes of movement with three very different, unique doors. This piece explores moving in outdoor spaces where doors appear in both nature and as brick n mortar. The camera was a witness to what was revealed.

Conversation with Alisa on the making of her first film.

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app all day on Sunday March 27th. 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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RAISE YOUR HAND played to rave reviews at the February 2022 FEMALE Film Festival.

“Gia and her best friend, Lila, try to survive a rough childhood in a neighborhood where every kid has a sad story to tell. As teenagers, their problems become more complicated, and the stakes get raised.”

Conversation with writer/director Jessica Rae on the amazing story making this personal film.

www.twitter.com/rae_jessyca

Film also playing at the WILDsound TV app on Tuesday March 22nd.. 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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APPEARANCES was the winner of best short screenplay at the Female Film Festival. Listen to interview with writer Joan Tofteland, followed by the short screenplay reading of “Appearances.”

Older gentleman and middle aged woman, who have never met before, have an interesting turned uncanny conversation at a baseball game.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Steve Rizzo

Woman: Hannah Ehman

Man: Allan Michael Brunet

Food Vendor: Julie Sheppard

Brunette Woman/Mother: Kyana Teresa

Father: Sean Ballantyne

Son/Psychologist: Geoff Mays -

Script also playing at the WILDsound TV app next 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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CHANCE DAY was the winner of Best Screenplay at the Female Filmmakers Festival. Conversation with writer Jill Murphy Long, followed by the audio-version best scene reading transcript of the screenplay. https://www.jmlfilms.com/

“On a chance day at a busy hospital in Portland, Oregon, the fatal prognosis is given to the wrong woman with a time stamp of only thirty days.”

Screenplay also showing at the WILDsound TV app next 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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