Month: February 2016

Twitter Short Story Winners for March 2016

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WILDsound Festival

WILDsound has announced their 10 Twitter Short Story Winners for March 2016. The 2nd winners of 2016. Now their 140 character stories will be made into a video.

Read the 10 winners:

Reunited by DianesDigitals

The years flew by with him. The years dragged since he passed. Now it’s time to reconnect as he takes my hand and we share an endless kiss.

BIRDS by Goldie Alexander

Magpies
butcherbirds
cockatoos and
wattlebirds
swoop over our garden to
dive swoop plunge plummet
whistle argue & quarrel
in their constant search for worms
and love

The Way We Were by John Halili

I’ve seen first hand how a friendship can die. From an unspoken truth that became an all too told lie. Now all I have left are the memories.

Steve/Stephanie by Julie Balloo

You didn’t see me, but I recognised you. Your dress and heels and newly sculpted breasts finally solved…

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Watch FEAST Short Film. Oscar Winner 2015

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As the Oscars go on, we like to present last years’s Best Animation Short Film Winner.

Watch FEAST:

Feast is a 2014 American 3D hand-drawn/computer-animated romantic comedy short film directed by Patrick Osborne, and produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It made its world premiere on June 10, 2014, at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and debuted in theaters with Big Hero 6 on November 7, 2014.[5]

The short won both an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 87th Academy Awards, and the Annie Award for Best Animated Short Subject at the 42nd Annie Awards.

Movie Review: SPOTLIGHT (USA 2015) ****

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Festival for Drama in Film, Screenplays, Novels

Submit your Drama Screenplay to the Festival Today:
http://festivalfordrama.com/

spotlight.jpgSPOTLIGHT (USA 2015) ***1/2
Directed by Tom McCarthy

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci, John Slattery, Jamey Sheridan

Review by Gilbert Seah

SPOTLIGHT deals with the cover-up by the institution known as the Catholic Church of their priests committing the unspeakable sin of child molestation. But it is not so much a revelation drama – as everyone knows the fact already after the news has already spread – but how the Boston Glove uncovered the fact.

SPOTLIGHT is the account, based on actual events, that the words claim at the start of the film to add credibility of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Boston Globe investigation that rocked the city and eventually the world. The characters are the “Spotlight” team of reporters. These are investigative reporters who pick a controversial topic and take it all out to provide…

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Movie Reviews of the TOP OSCAR Nominated Films

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Read movie reviews of the top films of 2015, that also happen to have received Oscar Nominations. 

Movie Review: CAROL (USA 2015) Top 10 *****

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/27/movie-review-carol-usa-2015-top-10/

Movie Review: ANOMALISA (USA 2015) ***** TOP 10

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/27/movie-review-anomalisa-usa-2015/

Movie Review: SON OF SAUL (2015, Hungary)

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/20/movie-review-son-of-saul-2015-hungary/

Movie Review: CREED (2015)

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/19/movie-review-creed-2015/

Movie Review: JOY (2015)

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/15/movie-review-joy-2015/

Movie Review: THE REVENANT (2015) ***** TOP 10

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/22/movie-review-the-revenant-2015/

Movie Review: THE BIG SHORT (US 2015) *****

https://festivalreviews.org/2015/12/25/movie-review-the-big-short-us-2015/

Interview with Festival Director Patrick Vella (Malta Horror Film Festival)

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The Malta Horror Film Festival is somehow different from many other festivals, because it is always moving from one spooky venue to another every year! The festival attracts about 3000 horror adrenaline enthusiasts who also come to experience our yearly 30 minute Horror House Experience! The films are constantly running from 7pm till 2am for 3 days! The feeling is spectacular and the atmosphere is somehow atmospheric! This year 2016 we are including the Feature film sections and including new genres, such as Horror Comedy and Horror Cartoons!

Website: http://www.maltahorrorfest.com/ 

Interview with Patrick Vella:

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Patrick Vella: Well, besides more exposures in other countries, we do offer the best filmmakers an opportunity to film with us in Malta. Malta has been quite a target to many film Makers and Producers including Spielberg, Pitt, and lately Bay. Malta has lots to offer and is a great location for many various genres of films!

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

PV: As in the Past, our festival is a moving festival from one site to the other, We have to admit that our ScareThrough is much more famous than the film festival however thanks to the Horror House, the Festival is gaining every year more success!!! The festival is pretty vivid, and live, as you can experience (before or after) the Scarethrough! This is our 6th extended Edition!

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

PV: Shorts, Feature, Animation, and Comedy Horror.
Shorts not longer than 20 minutes, Feature we leave it open . Any language is considered as long as it is english subtitled.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

PV: It is a tricky question! We always receive tons of films! Hundreds of Films! Some are great, some are mediocre, some are “WTF”…. however we have always issues with judges who have always different opinions!!! 🙂 The problem lies in different opinions, rarely you find unison in understanding!

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

PV: The love and passion in arts combined with media and filming making. We are artists, we wanted to create something for Malta. This is not our only project, but surely it is one that we keep it on top!

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

PV: To be honest, not much, as we love the formula! What we are working on, is better promotion for the film festival per se… as we believe it could do better! We are not ashamed to say that the festival needs more visitors as much as it gets the live scare through and the parties! However we are working on it by really choosing carefully our selections.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

PV: A fixed Place perhaps, however as I said previously we do love the change of sites, as it helps the audience to come the year after, as they love the idea of having a themed festival, in various places, being a dungeon, an abandoned Mansion or a Haunted Cinema!!!! Yet, there will have to come a day where the festival has a fixed Place ( of course it will be used for various projects)

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

PV: I must admit, without sounding Cliche … I keep watching The Exorcist ( original movie) and though the effects are not relevant for todays technology, few films, beat that story! Story is essential, plot and the sense of point of no return are essential in such genres!

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

PV: STORY – PLOT – SCRIPT – GOOD ACTORS – GOOD FILMING – GOOD PRODUCTION – GOOD POST ( as in order)

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

PV: Film scene in Malta, internationally speaking is superb. Indigenous Film making still needs a lot of advancement…

—

Interview with Festival Director Nathan Fleet (Hamilton Film Festival)

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The 11th Annual Hamilton Film Festival (HFF XI) is one of Canada’s most important up-and-coming film festivals. This year’s festival will feature over $15,000 in prize value, plus the opportunity to network with, and pitch your projects to, film buyers, agents, distributors and other film-makers.

www.hamiltonfilmfestival.com

Interview with Festival Director Nathan Fleet

Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Nathan Fleet: Quality networking and in the past 2 years, getting distributors interested in our content, which is why we are bringing the Canadian Film Market this year.

So many filmmakers have met and made films because of their meeting at HFF

MT: What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2016)?

NF: The biggest change is the Canadian Film Market. The focus will be on film sales, film pitches and coproductions with Canada. This will be an affordable opportunity for people to participate in a Market setting along side our film festival. As far as the festival goes, our programming team is exceptional so you will see some of the world’s best films, including Canada. Our policy is to not pre select a theme or genre. We let the submissions dictate the way our festival looks.

MT: What are the qualifications for the selected films?

NF: Honestly, if it is good, we want to see in on our screens. Again, our programming team have keen eyes for great material. It blows me away sometimes that some of the top tier don’t accept some of these. We also have room for First Time Filmmakers and Student films and we don’t scale them as harshly as we might for an established production company.

MT: Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

NF: I do and while I am sure each has their own reason, it is nearly impossible for a festival to program everything they receive.

MT: What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

NF: Initially it was a cool thing to do to gather some films and screen them one evening. What better way to network with a hundred filmmakers in one week!

I’m a filmmaker as well so this is definitely the type of event I want to attend.

MT: How has the festival changed since its inception?

NF: We grew and grew but maintained our local connection. Our tag is Locally Focused, Internationally Recognized. We always want to make sure that we have room for local filmmakers to grow and exhibit. We earn the “Hamilton” in our title.

MT: Where do you see the festival by 2020?

NF: Unless there is a drastic change in formats and viewing habits, I love the road we are on. I would love for the Festival and the Market to become a destination and I think that is where we are already headed.

MT: What film have you seen the most times in your life?

NF: Star Wars: Episode IV

MT: In one sentence, what makes a great film?

NF: There is no one thing as it is a combination of all craftspeople presenting their best within the project.

MT: How is the film scene in your city?

NF: It’s growing everyday. We have a new film district with Digital Canaries, we have more and more talent from Toronto moving into the city, we have an 11 year old Festival and now a Film Market. You will be able to take your film from Concept to Acquisition in Hamilton.

—-

Nathan Fleet is a professional musician, filmmaker and educator from Hamilton Ontario Canada.
​He runs the Hamilton Film Festival, the Hamilton Film Expo,  the Canadian Film Market and Blue Pick Media.

In 2015, Nathan travelled to Comic-Con International in San Diego to support the screening of his short comedy Air Knob, which has screened around the world in theatres, broadcast and in the air!

​He is currently working to complete his rock album Talk To The Machine, which is expected in 2016.

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Fesival held in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

February 28 2016 Writing Festival Event

festreviews Uncategorized

WILDsound Festival

It’s a matinee festival this week as we will be the pre-game show event for the Oscars. This week the showcase is the best of the horor feature screenplay, plus the March 1st Scene screenplay winners.

Here are the details of the screenplays that will be performed.

#1 – Feature Screenplay – MOTHS TO FLAME by Fredric Maffei

Genre: Supernatural, Horror, Thriller

Synopsis:

When a sexy young couple are teased, tricked, and seduced by an older man more predator than human and it’s all they can do to survive him, one will but one won’t

#2 – 1st Scene Screenplay – BEFORE GOD by Stuart Wright

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Synopsis:

After surviving a suicide attempt, a troubled pastor is tormented by visions of a 12 Year Old Boy that force him to confront a suppressed childhood memory.

#3 – 1st Scene Screenplay – RENAISSANCE MAN by Robert Tolz

Genre: Drama…

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