Watch the film here: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-a-small-act-of-courage
Recorded during a live performance in Brattleboro, VT, humorist, story-teller and now… musician? Dylan Brody brings a guitar and a looping box to his act risking poetry, confession and an actual song to his act!
Directed by Dylan Brody
http://dylanbrody.com/a-small-act-of-courage
https://instagram.com/dylanbrody
A powerful and inspiring documentary that follows a group of talented female drummers as they unite for a life-changing three-day retreat in Dallas, Texas. Through the raw energy of rhythm, unwavering mutual support, and a shared passion for music, these women forge deep, lasting connections and celebrate the transformative power of music to heal, empower, and unite.
Review by Victoria Angelique:
BEAT KEEPERS: THE NEXT CHAPTER is an amazing documentary about inspirational female drummers. The community of ladies come together in Dallas, Texas for not only training women interested in drumming, but a weekend of support.
The women that make up Beat Keepers come from various backgrounds, yet it doesn’t deter them. The time they come together is more than just classes and performing, it’s about sisterhood. Many of the women have a solid connection of being breast cancer survivors. This weekend is about lifting each other up and enjoying the company of their fellow drummers. They don’t judge the backgrounds of the women that come to take the course or perform in the Breast Cancer Can Stick It! Drummathon. They simply have fun and inspire music.
Beat Keepers have become a family of women from across multiple locations. They accept drummers that have been performing for a short time or their entire lives, the whole point is to lift each other up within their musical family. They fly out to Dallas to join in this weekend and for the women that can’t, they still manage to include them so that they know they are still a part of this remarkable sisterhood. According to the documentary, only about 10% of drummers are female. This makes the need for community that much more important as without support of their fellow women, someone might become discouraged.
BEAT KEEPERS: THE NEXT CHAPTER is an inspirational story of sisterhood and music. Everyone should have a community like these remarkable women.
Directed by Cindy Goldberg
Project Links
Desperate to escape the supernatural visions that haunt her, Anna falls prey to a fanatical cult that plans to transform her life forever. A dark satire, Virgin Forest subversively critiques the historically patriarchal control of the mental health industry, and pits feminist awakening against the cult of cultural and spiritual conformity.
Review by Victoria Angelique:
The sick interworkings of a cult is depicted from the inside in the feature length film, VIRGIN FOREST. It begins with an eye-catching scene that contradicts itself, a girl that is running naked and covered in blood as peaceful classical music plays. It isn’t something that goes together as the girl appears afraid, yet the music gives a feeling of peace. Once Anna is introduced, the reason begins to be clear, this is a cult.
The vibe of the entire film gives nods to Alfred Hitchcock. The story is drawn out, to give moments of confusion that builds suspense. The cinematography is vibrant when Anna is aware of what is going on & blurred when she is drugged. It appears she is dreaming. The score accompanies the story perfectly. It’s crisp and clear when Anna is alert. It echoes when she is drugged.
The storytelling delves into the dangerous workings of cult life, in how they slowly suck a person into their web of deceit. Anna has been chosen to be possessed by the “Virgin Mother”, someone the cult believes has been given many names throughout history. They make her doubt her dreams and torture her, so that they can worship her. She will be their new leader.
What begins as a typical horror trope of a character coming to a secluded location quickly turns darker in this horror film. VIRGIN FOREST is a slow burn, but it works to make the viewer feel like they are going as crazy as Anna to understand the complex working of a cult that practices blood magic.
Project Links
In a Bronx bar, a clash between traditional Italian-American “wiseguys” and the LGBTQ+ community leads to a confrontation that challenges the characters’ preconceptions and the dynamics of power.
Review by Julie C, Sheppard:
Arthur Ave. is a touching short set in the heart of the Bronx, New York City. There are fabulous, dizzying drone shots of the area off the top, then zooming in to Arthur Ave., and then finally landing inside the dark, smoky bar.
The narrative is excellent, with a clear situational arc — starting with the dialogue by the racist, sexist jerks in the bar, the transition to their homophobic cruelty towards the happily married gay couple and, finally, the segment of understanding towards the couple by the bar owner. The performances of the cast are outstanding, notably the gay couple and the bar owner — such genuine vulnerability and warmth in their deliveries. Kudos to Roxy the dog, who also nails her performance.
While it was satisfying to see justice delivered in this fictional tale, the real stat presented onscreen that more than 1 in 5 hate crimes are motivated by LGBTQ+ bias is quite sobering. The film is vitally important for all to see, and underscores the importance of the final note, writ large — “BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER” — a sincere message of compassion and love.
Watch the Film Festival HERE: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/lgbtq-shorts-festival-february
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 3-day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
See the full lineup of films:
MOM-CRETE, 5min., USA
Directed by Jeremy Andrew Davis
Combative siblings travel to a lakeside to spread their Mom’s ashes.
http://jeremyandrewdavis.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thejeremyandrewdavis
https://www.instagram.com/jeremyandrewdavis/
Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-mom-crete
COOP, 19min., USA
Directed by Moriah Doepken
After sustaining a bad injury, a stubborn retired sheriff must learn to talk with his estranged son as they build a fence together, or risk losing the relationship.
Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-coop
ROSALIND, 32min,. USA
Directed by Veronica A. Hodge-Hampton
Vivian and Rosalind love each other, but after Rosalind was diagnosed with lung cancer she became abusive to her only caregiver, Vivian, for nine life draining years. When Vivian leaves town to see her dying father, a nurse and their close friend, Phoebe, teaches both Rosalind and Vivian a lesson in love they will never forget.
http://www.gloryfilmworks.com/
https://facebook.com/gloryvisionworks
https://www.instagram.com/gloryvisionworks/
Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-rosalind
2025 FilmFreeway Discount Codes – 50% off codes!
FREE Film Festival: WILDsound Daily Festival https://filmfreeway.com/dailyfilmfestival
ANIMATION Feedback Film Festival (Guaranteed acceptance festival) https://filmfreeway.com/FEEDBACKAnimationFilmScreenplayFestival 50% off code: animations50
Toronto DOCUMENTARY Feature & Short Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoDocumentaryFilmFestival
50% off code: torontodoc50off
THRILLER/SUSPENSE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ThrillerSuspenseFestival
50% off code: 50thriller
STYLE, EXPERIMENTAL, FASHION Film Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/stylefashionexperimental
50% off code: style50
CRIME/MYSTERY Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/crimemystery
50% off code: crime50
ROMANCE & RELATIONSHIPS FESTIVAL
https://filmfreeway.com/RomanceFestival
50% off code – romance
ACTION/ADVENTURE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ActionAdventure
50% off code: actions50
TELEVISION Screenplay & Web Series Festival (Guaranteed acceptance festival) https://filmfreeway.com/TELEVISIONFEEDBACKScreenplayWebSeriesFestival 50% off code: television50
FEMALE Feedback Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FEEDBACKFemaleFilmFestivalFFFF
50% off code: female50
Toronto COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoComedyFilmandScreenplayFestival
50% off code: torcom
BLACK & WHITE Film Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/BlackandWhiteFilmFestival
50% off code: 50blackandwhite
CHICAGO Feedback Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ChicagoFilmFestival
50% off code: chicagofestival
FANTASY/SCI-FI Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FantasySciFiFilmScreenplayFestival
50% off code: scififantasy50
POLITICAL Film Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/PoliticalFilmFestival
50% off code: 50politics
EXPERIMENTAL, DANCE, & MUSIC FESTIVAL
https://filmfreeway.com/ExperimentalFilmMusicVideoFestival
50% off code – 50offexperimental
UNDER 5 MINUTE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/Under5minFilmFestival
50% off code: under50
FIRST SCENE Screenplay Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/FirstSceneScreenplayFestival
50% off code: firstscene50
ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFestival
50% off code: environment50
Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/LGBTTorontoFilmFestival
50% off code: lgbt50
FAN FICTION Film Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/FanFictionFestival
50% off code: fanfiction50
New York FEEDBACK Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/NewYorkfeedbackfestival
50% off code: nature50
HORROR Underground Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/horrorunderground
50% off code: underground50
GENRE Film & Screenplay Festival (Guaranteed Acceptance Festival)
https://filmfreeway.com/genrefilmscreenplayfestival
50% off code: genres50
WILDsound Film & Screenplay Festival
1st Scene & Short Screenplay Festival
Student FEEDBACK Film Festival
FAN FICTION Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival
50% off code: wild50
ELIZA, 11min., USA
Directed by Bianca Roth
After hitting rock bottom, 23 year old MIA, updates her home AI system to help turn her life around. What start out as small “life improvements” slowly begin to control her.
http://biancarothfilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/biancaaroth/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I first got the idea to make this film when I kept hearing about everyone using chat gpt… honestly myself included! Obviously this AI helps a lot of people in their day to day life which I think can be a great thing. However, as the uprising of AI technology becomes more and more prevalent I started to think about where the boundary is. How much can AI help until it begins to just do things for us, and then at what point does that begin to take over. This led me to a bigger thought of will AI get so smart it begins to take over…. I hope not! These are some of things I had in my head and I wanted to create a snapshot of one person’s experience during that AI takeover.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was very happy to hear that a lot of the themes and messages I had put into the film came across. I wanted to show the buildup of how AI can start as helpful and pose the question of what can happen if it becomes too much. I am so happy people enjoyed it!
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Audio engineer Becca desperately tries to convince unhinged podcast host Sean Palermo to cancel his provocative live episode featuring a controversial guest, which sparks disturbing online rhetoric and escalating violence outside their studio.
Review by Andie Karvelis:
When a controversial guest appears on a live podcast taping, things go horribly wrong. This suspenseful thriller was written and directed by Christian La Morte and what an intriguing tale he created. Sean Palermo is our influential podcast host, portrayed brilliantly by Thomas Philip O’Neill. He captured that egotistical, narcissistic charm as only a very accomplished actor could. Becca, is Sean Palermo’s audio engineer and you instantaneously like her and feel empathy for her situation. Sophia Lucia Parola portrays Becca and her acting skills are an equal match to Thomas’s making it a joy to watch them interact.
I have to admit, I fell in love with the cinematography in this film. The clarity and depth of colors brought out by Anthony Altamura was just sensational. Every frame had a cohesive look and the lighting was perfect.
Right from the start the filmmakers grab your attention with some lovely foreshadowing and visual fx from Maxwell Seiler and Greg Joblove. Adding in the talents of Benjamin Doherty to create a score that was beautifully unsettling, making you feel there was something sinister on the horizon. The entire team really paid attention to the details and it paid off
The story reminded me of an episode of Black Mirror, this is something that could easily happen in our near future if we aren’t careful. I also appreciate it when a film doesn’t spoon feed the audience everything, instead giving you enough breadcrumbs to figure it out. The filmmakers had a good balance here but I wish there were a couple more breadcrumbs at the very end.
All in all, this was definitely an edge of your seat thriller that is worth a watch.
Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu filmed the melting icebergs off Greenland’s East coast. Sailing dangerously close to icebergs, Alecu handled his camera to record the ice masses yielding to the ruthless ocean. Filmed in black and white, Ice Breath is a cinematic poem whose only elusive actor is the filmmaker’s gaze. In 43 minutes, a sequence of flat pictures turn into dynamic tableaux, an existential journey from genesis to extinction. The hypnotic feature of the film is enhanced by the soundtrack Become Ocean, a haunting composition by John Luther Adams suggestive of a relentless tidal surge, of melting polar ice and rising sea levels. Become Ocean received critical acclaim, earning the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. More than an environmental documentary, Ice Breath and Become Ocean is an experimental fusion exploring the vast, inscrutable meanings of climate change.
Review by Andie Karvelis:
On Greenland’s east coast from 2019 to 2024 Leonard Alecu lived on a sailing ship filming the ice caps in the area. With the help of an intrepid inuit sailing crew, Leonard was able to capture the most breathtaking footage ever seen. Upon first glance, the detail and texture that he captured in the ice caps almost seemed like it was computer generated with artificial intelligence. It wasn’t! It was all gloriously real and I am sure it was an exceedingly dangerous journey to get that close to these majestic ice caps.
The clarity and depth he achieved with the black and white cinematography was incredibly impressive, as was the sheer size of the ice caps against the ocean. There is no voice over to distract you from the beauty you are witnessing in each frame, only the film’s soundtrack to guide your senses.
The musical score was written as a separate piece called Become Ocean by John Luther Adams. Even though it was not written for this film, it complimented it beautifully. The fading dissonance in the score gave the music depth as it seamlessly transitioned from one musical segment to another. In some areas it was light and ethereal and others it was hauntingly melancholy. Leonard Alecu’s choice to use this particular score was a definite triumph.
LILI, 15min., Puerto Rico, Drama/Thriller
Directed by Brian Rios
A father and daughter must cross the border in order to find a better life, but the daughter cannot speak.
Festival Reviews 