Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-rogue-reflection
A tap dancer, discovering that her reflection refuses to mirror her movements, engages in a playful battle with herself.
https://www.instagram.com/julietmcmains/
Directed by Juliet McMains
Cast: Rachel Zuraek
Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-zarda
ARDA (Sweet-rice, a local desert in Pakistan) is a slice-of-life, Docufiction film.
We peek into the life of a young Pakistani teenage girl Shella who comes from a conservative, lower middle-class family but dreams with an open heart. Slowly stepping out into the real world, Shella is fascinated by the ever-changing aesthetic of the modern life. One such occurrence accounts to her looking at a girl getting hair dyed pink, leaving her utterly mesmerized and longing for something like that for herself. Unfortunately, her cultural norms and lack of bodily autonomy renders it impossible until she is forced to realize and challenge these norms and find her own way out.
Directed by Zainab Hassan
Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-a-state-of-bliss-film
A user goes on a virtual, blind date to meet an individual that challenges their process of life and death.
Directed by Abriana Blount
https://blountabriana.wixsite.com/filmfruit
Watch the Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-eosphere
A grieving scientist struggles to accept help from his robotic creation; which is trying to address the cause of his guilt.
Directed by Kolton Alexander Nowaczynski
https://www.instagram.com/eospherefilm/
Director Statement
I love creating and telling simple narratives with complex characters that expose our perfect imperfections.
Watch the Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-triggered-a-cinematic-superhero-fan-film
A brilliant madman known as The Director believes that Superheroes are a threat to humanity. With Captain Marvel and Blade in his clutches, their rivals Wolverine and Rogue must escape before they too are turned into one of his minions.
Directed by Mario Ricardo Rodriguez, Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm
http://www.urbanrenassianceentertainment.com/
https://facebook.com/TriggeredFanFilm
https://instagram.com/TriggeredFanFilm
Submit via FilmFreeway:
This festival has been very good to me. They have gone out of their way to make sure that my film is shown to many people. They also provided some very helpful opportunities!
Thank you so much for your excellent communication, and creating a wonderful viewer feedback video, i am so honoured and grateful, it really means a lot, thank you
Great festival, I am honored to have been included in this festival. My film ended up winning best Sci-Fi movie award! The audience feed back they provide is very helpful.
I won best short sci-fi film, and I was taken good care of by staff. They really focus on the heart of what drives filmmakers. It’s how festivals used to be, and still should be.
I was so honored to have several projects selected for this awesome festival! Looking forward to sharing more in the future. 🎬
Sowing the Seeds of Love, 18min., USA
Directed by Riley Young
Sowing the Seeds of Love explores the obscure and peculiar sex lives of animals through the eyes of Hulk Hogan (1980’s WWE wrestler icon), Joyce DeWitt (Janet Wood from the popular 1970’s sitcom Three’s Company), and Robert Picardo (known for his character as the Holographic Doctor on the 1990’s Star Trek: Voyager series). Their role in this film is to satire their popularity to make the subject of animal sexuality more digestible to those without a scientific background.
https://www.rileyoung.com/new-page-1
Get to know the filmmaker:
What was your motivation to make this film?
My true motivation for making this film was to find an engaging and accessible way to communicate science to a broad audience. With a background in Marine Science, I experienced firsthand during my capstone research project how challenging it can be to make scientific concepts exciting and understandable for those without a science background. That realization led me to pursue documentary filmmaking as a way to bridge that gap—bringing science to life in a way that is fun, accurate, and captivating for viewers of all backgrounds.
Two major inspirations shaped this film. The first was Jean Painlevé, a French filmmaker and pioneer of underwater cinema. His films explored the mysteries of marine life while blending science with humor, making complex topics engaging and accessible. The second was Isabella Rossellini’s Green Porno series, where she playfully reenacts animal mating behaviors in surreal, theatrical settings. Her bold, unconventional approach to documentary filmmaking opened my eyes to new ways of presenting science—ways that are visually striking, thought-provoking, and deeply entertaining. Both of these influences challenged traditional documentary styles, incorporating themes of sexual identity, gender norms, and finding beauty in the unexpected—ideas that became a driving force behind my own film.
Drawing from these inspirations, I wanted to create something fresh, quirky, and exciting while still staying true to scientific accuracy. That’s how Sowing the Seeds of Love was born. My film follows a trio of celebrity hosts who use humor, animation, and their star power to educate audiences about unconventional animal mating science—while drawing thought-provoking parallels to societal conversations around sexual identities. My goal is to reach people who might not typically watch documentaries—because let’s face it, the word “documentary” alone can turn some people away. I want to change that by proving that science can be just as entertaining as it is enlightening.
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https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/doc-mini-features-festival
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https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
See the Full Lineup of Films:
I Am 18, 40min., India
Directed by Sasi Kumar
“I am 18” is a powerful documentary set in India that delves into the lives of young adults as they reach the significant milestone of turning 18. This age marks a pivotal moment in many cultures and societies, symbolizing the transition from adolescence to adulthood. The documentary captures the emotions, aspirations, and challenges faced by these individuals as they stand on the threshold of a new chapter in their lives. Through intimate interviews, candid footage, and compelling narratives, “I am 18” offers a poignant exploration of what it means to come of age in the modern world.
https://www.instagram.com/sasikumardir/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-i-am-18
Smile for the Dead, 54min., USA
Directed by Hamilton Young Ward
True crime meets the paranormal as “Smile for the Dead” uncovers the eerie mystery of William H. Mumler’s spirit photography and his ghostly portraits that baffled the 1800s. This documentary investigates Mumler’s techniques and why society so needed him in the post Civil War era.
https://www.309filmsllc.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ham_on_vvry
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-smile-for-the-dead
The completion of the material for the song was made during the corona epidemic’s first half of 2020. This circumstances gave an extra push to promote nature as a gift of security we can involve in when the society around us collapses.
FLORA is a musical poem and the lyrics is in my local Norwegian dialect from Kristiansand. Translated for english subtitles in the video that was released 30.12.20.
Directed by Liv Nome
http://livnome.com/https://www.instagram.com/livnome.art
Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-her-sweater
After Desmond spends a surreal post-graveyard shift day with his enchanting co-worker Freya, he has to choose between following his heart and his own advice.
https://www.instagram.com/madronepictures
Directed by Jannik Ehret
Director Statement
This project is based on a surreal first hand experience. The first version of the script was a verbatim retelling and felt like a Richard Linklater plot. As the script evolved to better serve the story, the theme remained the same: timing is more powerful than love. What compelled me to share this story was not its dreadful thesis but the affirmation that it became. Real connection is rare and should be managed with gratitude. In the end, timing was more powerful but the sooner I recognized the fantasy I could revel in the feeling verses deconstructing the result.
Festival Reviews 