WILDsound's The Film Podcast

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

film and television, Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmaking, magazine, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloDecember 12, 2025Director Aline Jewell. Stars: Katharina Gerlich, Alex Crockford, choices short film, matthew toffolo, Female film festival

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.

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

Acting, Directing, Film Festival, film and television, Film of the Day, filmmaking, Independent FilmMatthew ToffoloDecember 10, 2025Quand C. Robinson Thomas, hanah chang, actor, director, matthew toffolo, filmmaker

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.

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

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https://www.instagram.com/omlrmovie

Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmaking, Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloDecember 9, 2025JUMPING AT SHADOWS: ARMAGEDDON, Locky Boaretto, Loki Acciarito, Tom Simpson, matthew toffolo, filmmaker, australia filmmakers

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.

http://www.omlrmovie.com/

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Acting, Female Film Festival, Film of the Day, Film Festival, filmmakingMatthew ToffoloDecember 8, 2025Writer/Actor Bella Martinez (Once More, Like Rain Man), Matthew toffolo, Filmmaker

EP. 1631: Screenwriter Hannah Augenstine (PRIORITY ONE)

Watch the best scene reading: https://youtu.be/anulab1E4xw

Three interconnected teams - firefighters, police officers, and 911 dispatchers - face relentless emergenies in Indianapolis, balancing personal struggles with the split-second decisions that determine life or death.

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Matthew ToffoloDecember 7, 2025

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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Film of the Day, filmmakingMatthew ToffoloDecember 5, 2025EP. 1630: Screenwriter Teddy Andrews (SHRINK), matthew toffolo, filmmaker, interview

EP. 1629: John M. O’Leary & John W. McMullen (THE TRIAL OF ROMAN WEINZAPFEL)

In Indiana in 1842, an unhappily married woman accuses a young, immigrant priest of raping her in the confessional. His vow to keep the Seal of Confession prevents him from speaking in his own defense. A climate of xenophobia and anti-Catholicism fuels a sensational trial and violent, shameful events that ultimately prove redemptive. Based on a true story.

Get to know the writers:

What is your screenplay about?

A young, German seminarian comes to America to finish his preparation for the priesthood and enter the mission field. Upon ordination, the bishop assigns him to assist a pastor in southwest Indiana. An anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant climate poses challenges to his ministry. These come to a head when an unhappily married woman accuses him or sexually assaulting her in the confessional booth. The screenplay essays the accusation, the resulting trial, his conviction, incarceration, and ultimately his pardon and release from prison.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Historical Drama

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

O’Leary: This is a fascinating true story of how xenophobia, religious bigotry, racism, and misogyny plant deep roots in America’s cultural fabric. These forces combine and erupt in a gross miscarriage of justice in antebellum Indiana—a state that less than a century later would become the stronghold of the KKK.

McMullen: It reveals an often forgotten era of 19th-century American history, making it a compelling series for a general audience, while also exploring the depths of religion, law, and society in early American history.

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https://instagram.com/americasinging

Matthew Toffolo, Screenplay WritingMatthew ToffoloDecember 4, 2025John M. O’Leary & John W. McMullen, screernwriter, writing, Matthew toffolo, THE TRIAL OF ROMAN WEINZAPFEL

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://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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Directing, filmmaking, Independent Film, Matthew Toffolo, Musical, proof of concept filmMatthew ToffoloDecember 3, 2025Daron Hagen (I HEAR AMERICA SINGING), Filmmaker, matthew toffolo, film festival

EP. 1627: Filmmaker Herve Marcotte (ALONG THE THREAD OF THE OTHER)

Herve Marcotte is back on the podcast chatting about his next experimental feature documentary. Without getting TOO flaky, Herve and Matthew take a deep dive into the meaning of life and the human psyche.

Along the Threat of the Other synopsis:

After my first long documentary, “Encounter with remarkable souls”, with focus on the meaning of life, I am exploring the concept of self-realization with two 25 years old young adults. The film is a quest for an unknown treasure that cannot be found alone. Like the red thread of a fulfilled life !

A tightrope walker, a physiotherapist, a sculptress, a researcher and several adults take turns talking about the inner life... and their relationship with others. Throughout the film, fictional scenes resonate with their words. The film is constructed in the manner of an adventure.

Director Statement

In my films, there's a symbiosis between the "actors" (not in the traditional sense) and the director, creating an authentic truth that would otherwise remain undiscovered by them.

I enjoy incorporating elements such as animation, improvisation, experiments, games, self-thoughts. For examples, in "Encounter with Remarkable Souls," I incorporate scenes inspired by the emperor Marcus Aurelius, in "Fraternity is Contagious !" improvisational segments, in “Along the Thread of the OTHER" fictional scenes shot in black & white. Philosophical says constellate my films. I am meticulous in ensuring these elements resonate harmoniously with the documentary's themes, which originate from my thoughts but are never told during filming.

My films, directly or indirectly, revolve around universal love, portrayed by young characters (either in age or spirit), who offer viewers another perspective. I plan to give even more space to the Divine in my future works.

I film alone.

All my documentaries, under small budgets, are of cinematic quality, edited with the assistance of a professional team, including professional editing, music composition, sound design, and mixing.
Last but not least, all my films are films of faith.

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https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm

Directing, Documentary Film, ExperimentalMatthew ToffoloDecember 1, 2025Herve Marcotte (ALONG THE THREAD OF THE OTHER), documentary, experimental, filmmaker, matthew toffolo

EP. 1626: Filmmaker Al Chang (CINDY)

Al Chang is back on the podcast, chatting about his recent award-winning film CINDY.

"An aspiring rapper takes a vague driving gig hoping for a quiet night to himself. Instead, he meets Cindy, a bubbly and unpredictable passenger who drags him into an absurd and unexpectedly heartfelt adventure.
"CINDY" is a quirky dramedy about connection, detours, and the strangers who change our lives."

Director Statement

Storytelling, for me, is about finding truth in unexpected places. I’m less interested in delivering a message than I am in creating a space where audiences can feel something genuine and walk away with their own interpretations. Every film I make is a chance to explore a new genre, to challenge myself creatively, and to discover how far we can push with limited resources.
I’ve always believed that good filmmaking isn’t about scale, but about intent. Whether it’s a contained drama, a high-energy comedy, or a tense thriller, I approach each project with the same focus: building honest characters, crafting sharp visuals, and shaping rhythm in the edit until it feels alive. I like to leave room for humor, tension, and vulnerability—because that mix is what makes stories resonate.
At the heart of it, I see filmmaking as community-building. Each project brings together people who might not have otherwise crossed paths, and in that collaboration, something greater emerges. My goal is to keep creating films that entertain, that spark conversation, and that remind us of the power of storytelling to connect us.

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https://www.instagram.com/lbe.hackney/

comedy, Directing, Film FestivalMatthew ToffoloNovember 30, 2025al chang, matthew toffolo, wildsound podcast, cindy short film

EP. 1625: Screenwriter Lauren Hackney (In The House That Elle Built)

Watch script reading: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/in-the-house-that-elle-built

Elizabeth has her hands full with her two foster kids, a roommate and a new love interest that she's not sure can handle her lifestyle.

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Screenplay Writing, screenplay contests, WritingMatthew ToffoloNovember 29, 2025Lauren Hackney (In The House That Elle Built), screenwriter, wildsound, matthew toffolo

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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Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmakingMatthew ToffoloNovember 28, 2025Felipe Marinheiro & Actor/Writer Carolina Liz (AUDER, filmmaker, wildsound, Matthew toffolo

EP. 1623: Filmmaker Claire Tomlinson (Surviving Alone: The Tale of Simone)

Simone is the last Greater Bamboo Lemur in Ranomafana, a protected rainforest in south-east Madagascar. After a happy start in life, surrounded by family, Simone finds herself alone, as members of her family disappear one by one. Three years on, and she’s still alone - a social animal, a primate, just like us; how has this isolation affected her mental state? Through primatologist Dr. Patricia Wright and researcher, Alba Schielen, we witness Simone’s desperate bid for companionship, as she takes a bold step for survival. At last Simone is happy again, but is all as harmonious as it seems?

Director Statement

I had a chance encounter with the lemur featured in my film whilst trekking in the rainforest during my honeymoon in Madagascar in 2022. Upon hearing that this lemur was the last of her species in the area, I was eager to find out more about her and tell her story, which serves as a poignant reminder of how the global biodiversity crisis is affecting animals on a personal level.

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Director of Photography, diversityMatthew ToffoloNovember 26, 2025Claire Tomlinson (Surviving Alone: The Tale of Simone), filmmaker, environmental, documentary, film festival

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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Animation, Fantasy, Film Festival, filmmaking, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloNovember 23, 2025Nadav Embon (The Planet That Doesn't Exist), Navy Bird Revital Bronshtein, animation, Israeli short film, filmmaker, animation festival

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.

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comedy, Comedy, Directing, Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmaking, Independent FilmMatthew ToffoloNovember 22, 2025Matt Jenkins (VAPOR TRAILS), filmmaking, wildsound, comedy, Matthew toffolo

EP. 1620: Screenwriter Jaaered Brown (Eternal Life)

Watch best scene reading: https://youtu.be/lFYy7OmYfPo

Waking in a future with floating cities topping thousands of stories, run by radioactive intelligence, where imagination blends with machine, an amnesiac finds her destiny.

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Matthew ToffoloNovember 18, 2025

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

Change - Kramon - Music Video.

The unconscious self and conscious self meet.

Website
Instagram
Interview with star/director Meredith Adelaide on the making of the video.
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https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod
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Experimental, filmmaking, Independent Film, Matthew ToffoloMatthew ToffoloNovember 15, 2025Meredith Adelaide (CHANGE - KRAMON Music Video), experimenta, music video, Matthew Tofoflo, Matthew Toffolo, wildsound

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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https://www.instagram.com/delphineeyebrowcouture/

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Director of Photography, Directing, Film Festival, Film of the Day, filmmakingMatthew ToffoloNovember 14, 2025Robert Xavier Clark (BLACK PEOPLE DONT TANGO), Matthew Toffolo, filmmaker, black filmmakers festival

EP. 1617: Filmmaker Delphine Breyne (Heal avec Delphine)

Heal avec Delphine, 30min., USA

Directed by Delphine Breyne

Heal avec Delphine is a deeply personal docuseries that follows individuals navigating life after cancer, trauma, alopecia, and other challenges. Each episode invites viewers into a powerful journey of reconnection and renewal—beginning with an intimate look at the person’s world, followed by a transformative beauty restoration at Delphine’s atelier, and ending with a meaningful surprise to mark their new beginning. Through heartfelt storytelling, emotional connection, and light-touch artistry, the series introduces a new era of beauty and healing, where feeling truly seen becomes the start of renewed self-confidence, emotional healing, and personal transformation.

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Directing, Documentary Film, Film Festival, film and televisionMatthew ToffoloNovember 13, 2025Filmmaker, Delphine Breyne (Heal avec Delphine), documentary, wildsound, Matthew Toffolo, eyebrows

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

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