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 tagged thriller
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. 1527: Screenwriter Tom Pratt (ONE MAD APPLE)

Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJWMb6F1GVY

What is your screenplay about?

A dark comedy feature inspired by a true story and based on the book of the same name.

After a man moves to a small town to care for his dying father, he embraces the community and his new life as a stepfather and husband, until he finds himself in the crosshairs of an unhinged townswoman who challenges him in a school board election and makes him look like the crazy one.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller/Dark Comedy

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

The story is inspired by real life and will be relatable to the viewer. Everyone has a crazy aunt like the antagonist!

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EP. 1498: Filmmaker Joseph Kandov (UNTIL DEATH DO US PART)

UNTIL DEATH DO US PART, 15min., USA
Directed by Joseph Kandov
A wife’s dark secret unravels late one night, binding her husband to an intense conversation that may take a turn for the worst.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I thought of the opening scene first. It sort of came to me, and I thought it was a killer opening for a story, but I wasn’t sure what I’d use it for at that moment, be it a feature or short film, an episode of a series, ect. I just knew I had an awesome opening that could be used for something, so I wrote it down and put it away until I figured out what to do with it. Over time, as I went back to it and thought about where the opening could go, how it could be used, ect. I had more ideas come to me such as the ending. And after I had the opening and ending figured out, I knew it could be something special, and decided that a short film format for the story would best for the time being, with the potential to become a feature length should the story garner significant interest from audiences. From there, I slowly but surely fleshed out the remainder of the story that would connect the opening and closing scenes.

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Nov. 4, 2023 - Filmmaker Eric Burleson (THE BEF)

THE BEF, 9min., USA
Directed by Eric Burleson
While being pursued by a police officer, a young boy struggles with his decisions for the baby in his care and how to help his sick mother.

https://instagram.com/burlesoneric

Get to know the filmmaker:

The motivation for the bef started because I wanted to do one more short film on the east coast before I moved to Los Angeles. Time was definitely not on our side. I had planned to do my cross country road trip at the end of July 2018 and it was May. Once the script was completed we hit the ground running on pre-production. Luckily when writing the script I already had the actors in mind for Sammy and Baby but I knew that if I could not get the families on board, then the film would not have happened. Thankfully, after talking with both sets of parents and children, they all were interested and agreed to be in the film. I had worked with Jacob Shapiro (Sammy) and Michael Harrington (Baby) before this so I knew they were the perfect choices. Jacob was the lead in a narrative music video I directed and Michael was in a commercial I directed earlier that year.

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.

Oct. 18, 2023 - Filmmaker Pete Harris (THE TALE OF BILLY O’C)

THE TALE OF BILLY O’C, 100min,. Ireland
Directed by Pete Harris
In 1970s rural Ireland, the murderer of an IRA safe house operative, must be stopped before executing his master plan.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550225274205
https://www.instagram.com/the_tale_of_billy_oc/

Get to know the filmmaker:


When I first started coming to Ireland from Australia over eight years ago I was swept up in the romantic mystique of the land and people like most tourists. There’s a magical quality about the place with its music, castles, cosy pubs and dramatic landscapes that just make you want to swing a pint and befriend people. After spending a lot more time here I’ve noticed in myself that I’m starting to take that first impression for granted like the locals do, so I wanted to make this film sooner rather than later to try to capture that original feeling of mystique and warmth in the style of the movie.

This being my debut film, I didn’t want to confuse things with lots of mad action scenes and VFX and just wanted to concentrate on telling a compelling story. Personally, I feel that a lot of modern films have become too much about the spectacle and telling a unique and interesting story still holds a lot of importance for audiences and that can often be overlooked. So, I really tried to strip it back to a story that isn’t predictable, and I wanted to avoid having the audience feel like they’ve seen this story in some form before, by keeping you wondering what’s going to happen next.

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.

July 20, 2023 - Filmmaker Jimena Huesca (MURO)

MURO, 12min., Mexico, Drama/Thriller

Directed by Jimena Huesca

Bruna wakes up from a nightmare due to some noises coming from her room.She suddenly hears a woman's voice as she approaches one of the ancient walls that surround her. They start talking cautiously as Bruna tries to get information in order to rescue her unaware that the woman on the other side is trapped between the wall and 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.

March 15, 2023 - Filmmaker Ryan Jafri (THE CALL)

THE CALL, 14min., USA, Thriller
Directed by Ryan Jafri
1965. A small man in a big world works hard to close a deal, doing everything he can to please his boss. But the clock is ticking, and someone is out to get him.

https://www.instagram.com/oneiro_films/

Get to know the filmmaker:

I’ve always been intrigued by films that have compelling stories told within the confines of few settings. So when the image of just one character in a single room came in front of my mind’s eye, I knew it was just a mere seedling of my next film. Despite The Call taking place in 1965, its representation of the effects of corporate culture, work burnout and fear of being replaced for any reason transcends eras. Therefore, I saw The Call as an opportunity to create a depiction of the anxious and paranoid times we live in.

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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October 29, 2022 - Filmmaker Robert Vassie (PROS AND CONS)

PROS AND CONS, 17min., UK, Thriller
Directed by Robert Vassie
A group of con artists, betrayed by one of their own during a recent sting, take refuge in their warehouse lair while attempting to force the traitor to reveal the location of the loot. However, the leader of the team, Alice, seems more determined to uncover the motive for the betrayal itself, much to the increasing frustration of her fellow grifters.

https://www.facebook.com/Pros-and-Cons-156196318315812

Award winning film that played at our Thriller/Suspense Film Festival.

Playing on the Film Festival Streaming service later today. 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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September 12, 2022 - Filmmaker Scott Herriott (UNVERIFIED)

UNIVERIFIED was the winner of BEST FEATURE FILM at the 2022 THRILLER/SUSPENSE Film Festival.

Jason Sutherland wants to prove that such things as Sasquatches exist, but he doesn't want to kill one to do so. He and others come up with a non-lethal way to possibly verify their existence but a pro-kill advocate tries to beat them to the punch.


Project Links

Director Biography - Scott Herriott

Scott Herriott is a documentarian, former stand-up comic and Bigfoot enthusiast. He won a regional Emmy for his hosting duties on Internet Tonight on ZDTV (later known as TechTV) and was also a contributor on the channel’s The Screen Savers. He was also a contributor on CNN’s NewsNight with Aaron Brown and co-hosted “The Bigfoot Show” podcast. His trail name is Squatch, but please don’t call him that at any social events involving tuxedos and/or martinis. He’s been shooting his own documentaries for the last 17 years. "Unverified" is his first scripted feature.

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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August 3, 2022 - Filmmakers Nicholas Carrodo & Ella Evans (THE DOOR)

THE DOOR was awarded BEST PERFORMANCES at the June 2022 LA Feedback Film Festival.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17055052/?ref_=nm_knf_i1

Director Statement

The Door is a proof of concept short film created in the hopes of finding funding or a distributor for a feature film that has been in the works for over 5 years. This short is an altered version of the beginning of the feature film. There are many more mysteries to unravel and explore.

This short in particular is incredibly personal. It’s essentially how I view the concept of death. After losing people very close to me in the winter of 2020, I made this as a way to cope with and accept what happened. This film is very special and personal to me. Although it will never be explicitly stated in the film, The Door is an allegory for death and my view of it. When someone dies, they’re taken from you. Out of the billions of people on the earth, at some point our loved ones will be “chosen”. They will be taken from us and sent into the unimaginable void that is death. Are they okay wherever they are? Will we ever see them again? To me it’s almost like they pass through a door, never to be seen again. Death itself is not evil, it is natural. It comes for us all no matter how we lived in life. No matter how good you are or how evil and vile you are, you will not be spared by your own mortality. I’ve always viewed horror as an exaggeration of our reality. Our everyday fears translated into things that are larger than life. I want to incorporate these very thoughts into the film.

Something as simple as a door can be terrifying if perceived in the right context. As odd as it sounds, I see a stationary door as the perfect embodiment of death itself. Wherever it may be, no matter if you see it throughout your life or only at the very end, it is always out there. Patiently waiting until it is your time to open it up and pass through.

This short film is dedicated to everyone we lost and those we wish to see again.


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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February 4, 2022 - Filmmaker Abraham Mike Yousaf (IMAGO DIABOLUS)

IMAGO DIABOLUS was the winner of BEST DIRECTION at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film Festival. . Also playing at the WILDsound TV app next month. You can watch for free and sign up 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.

“While chasing a serial killer, a police officer receives a package with mysterious clues in form of photographs. He follows the clues and makes his way through the city and reaches an abandoned hall where he finds himself facing an unnatural element of his investigation.”

Conversation with filmmaker Abraham Mike Yousaf on the making of the film.

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April 12, 2021 - Filmmaker Bryan Santiago (GRAFTON)

“GRAFTON” was the winner of BEST SHORT FILM at the April 2021 THRILLER Film Festival. Sign up to watch for FREE all day Sunday HERE

Making a short film that’s also a television pilot. Great chat with director Bryan Santiago.

A psychological thriller about a woman who gets lost on the interstate and stumbles upon a small town where she reluctantly assumes the identity of someone else.


Follow WILDsound Podcasts on all social media channels: @wildsoundpod

Submit to the festival anytime via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival

Subscribe via Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildsoundfest

April 9, 2021 - Filmmaker Anthony Martino (BRUISES)

BRUISES was the winner of BEST SOUND & MUSIC at the April 2021 HORROR Film Festival. Sign up to watch for FREE all day Sunday HERE

The art of making a film when you can’t go anywhere! Great chat with filmmaker Anthony Martino on the process of making BRUISES.

A woman discovers that each time she sees her reflection, a bruise appears on her face.


Follow WILDsound Podcasts on all social media channels: @wildsoundpod

Submit to the festival anytime via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival

Subscribe via Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildsoundfest

March 8, 2021 - Screenwriter Stephen John Beyer (Solstice)

“Solstice” is written along the lines of films like “April Fool’s Day” and “Wicker Man.” The story is about Angela who tries to overcome her fear of death while friends from her past are being murdered around her.

Conversation with the screenwriter Stephen John Beyer. He talks about his writing process, and the art of getting it done on the page.

Watch the best scene of SOLTICE HERE

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Val Cole
Angela: Julie Sheppard
Peter/Julius: Steven Rizzo
Fred/Thomas: Allan Michael Brunet
Amy: Kyana Teresa
Clayton: Andy Kamp
Ken: Bill Poulin

Follow WILDsound Podcasts on all social media channels: @wildsoundpod

Submit to the festival anytime via FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival

Subscribe via Twitter: https://twitter.com/wildsoundfest