Month: March 2025

March 2025 Toronto DOCUMENTARY Festival Testimonials

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DEADLINE TODAY: Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

This festival experience has been fantastic. The feedback videos were outstanding, and the podcast interview was delightful. The communication was excellent, and the value provided was exceptional. Thank you for celebrating Tararau S-K 😊

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We love the format of this festival. The video interviews of the festival audience is tremendous fun. And most importantly the festival and the audience totally get it!! Gratitude !

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I would highly recommend this festival. Not only was the communication solid throughout, but getting feedback from the judges who watched our documentary was invaluable. Thank you for honoring our film, Burton Rocks Calling!

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One of the most incredible festival experiences. Thank you Toronto Documentary Feature and Short Film Festival for such a positive experience. Your out of the box four tier screening & promotion option for filmmakers is truly unique and sets you apart as a festival. Heartfelt gratitude to the festival team members, audience and reviewers for awarding my short film MITTI (discovering Ikigai) as the best environmental film at the festival.

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What an unusual and helpful festival! We make these films obviously to share with an audience, and to ideally hear how it resonates with them— so it was very special to be able to receive several people’s articulate responses to our film! And thanks so much for the good communication and the honor of Best Human Interest Film!

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Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker Andrew Pritzker (HOMEPLANET)

festreviews PODCASTS

HOMEPLANET, 26min., USA
Directed by Andrew Pritzker
Barefoot on a country highway, a Disoriented Man is picked up by Two Local Cops who suspect he may be a space alien.

http://qikfingerfilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/qikfingerfilmsllc/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I had a funny idea kicking around in my head about two cops picking up guy on a country road because they thought he was a space alien. But when I fleshed out the story I decided it wasn’t really about the cops but the guy they arrested. So the questioned remained, “Who is he and what is he doing there?” When the script refocused it turned from comedy to a character drama. Once I found the emotional thread, I wanted to shoot the film.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was really happy by the response. The reviewers spoke positively about the film and connected to it emotionally. We loved their reactions. They had a personal experience with the film and that’s terrific.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Watch Today’s Film Festival: WILDsound Festival Documentaries.

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Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/wildsound-docs-february-2025

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:

Echoes of the Ice (Indigenous Geographic), 18min., Canada
Directed by Matt LeMay
In Echoes of the Ice, Inuk filmmaker & Indigenous Geographic Co-founder Crystal Martin embarks on a journey to Iqaluit during late spring to delve into contemporary Inuit life and the profound impacts of climate change. From sharing a traditional meal with family to traveling with Inuit hunters to the iconic floe edge—a hub for traditional hunting and community connection—Crystal experiences firsthand the challenges and resilience of Arctic life.

http://www.indigenousgeographic.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/matt_lemay_/

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-echoes-of-the-ice



ICE BREATH, 42min,. Romania
Directed by Leonard Alecu
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.

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-ice-breath

Short Film Review: MY BLOCK MY HERO. Directed by Gina D’Onofrio

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Jahmal Cole is the founder of My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to inspire youth and empower local communities. He has been shot twice in his day-to-day life, an unfortunate reality that the teenagers and communities he has dedicated the organization to uplifting face on a daily basis in the murder capital of the United States. By leading community-driven efforts, Cole has made it his goal to build a better world one block at a time, while positively impacting the lives of the teens who grow up there. Through the Explorers program, My Block My Hood My City enables youth from Chicago’s divested neighborhoods to discover the world beyond their blocks, by taking them on enriching experiences across the city and the country that open the doors to new possibilities. In their latest adventure, the Explorers went behind the scenes at the Shedd Aquarium to learn how researchers are working to preserve the world’s endangered coral reefs.

http://www.youreverydayheroes.com/

https://www.instagram.com/youreverydayheroes/

Review by Andie Karvelis

Chicago resident Jahmal Cole is one of those people who naturally inspires others. Just listening to him speak draws you in and the wisdom in his outlook makes you realize that you too can help ignite change for the better. Jahmal is the CEO and Founder of My Block, My Hood, My City and this non-profit is shaping young lives by giving them the knowledge and resources they desperately need.


This documentary was directed by Gina D’Onofrio, who did such a wonderful job weaving not only Jahmal’s story, but the story of what My Block, My Hood, My City is and how impactful it is to the community. A fantastic blend of interviews, photos and videos paint an inspiring picture of a man’s resilience to help his community and form a team of like minded individuals who care about Chicago’s children.


The cinematography and sound design was stunning thanks to Doug Shee and David Camargo. The addition of the uplifting score really added to the emotion running through this. Jahmal is living proof that it only takes one person to start a change and more people will follow until you have a beautiful organization that’s making a massive difference in so many lives.

New Film on the platform: OKAY. 22min. Egypt. Horror

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Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-okay

OKAY, 22min., Egypt, Horror
Directed by Seif Sayed Abdel Raouf
A young man experiences strange events when his parents send him to their newly bought house.

Director Statement
I believe that real life moments could sometimes be more horrific than your typical ghost story. This is what “Okay” tries to tackle. The film was a huge challenge to undertake especially with the huge amount of details involved in it. “Okay” is a film that I feel a strong personal connection to, not only because it is based on my favorite genre but also because it has a powerful statement to deliver regarding parenthood. While watching this film, I wanted the viewer to be immersed into the main character’s world to experience what a person feels when they have to deal with aggressive parents and what it can do to individuals.

Short Film Review: DRAWN TOGETHER, TORN APART. Directed by Kaden Cooper

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In this whimsical tale, a young artist’s fantasy becomes reality when he awakens to find the girl from his sketch has come to life. As he marvels at this miraculous creation, a sudden gust of wind snatches away the drawing, causing his dream girl to vanish as quickly as she appeared. They are drawn together and torn apart.

Review by Julie Sheppard;

Drawn Together, Torn Apart, a stirring romantic short reveals how an artist’s rendering materializes into reality. The performer playing the artist does a fabulous job showing both earnestness and expectation, as does the young woman playing the object of desire, whose performance is both delicate and sweet. 

The settings in which the two of them find themselves are fitting for their burgeoning young love, notably in the artist’s bedroom/art studio (where his dreams begin) and walks outside on a summer night in front of fireworks and graceful palm trees. The slow build of the soundtrack — with soulful piano, synth and tinkling notes — serves the rather magical tone of the film. The cinematography is quite sophisticated with the use of extreme close-up shots of sketches and enamoured eyes, in addition to the brilliant fade convention at the end. 

This film is a testament to the blur between art and life. It is the heartbreaking action of the artist’s rendering of his fantasy lover that moves him from dream to reality and back to dream again.

March 2025 NEW YORK FEEDBACK Film Festival Testimonials. Deadline Today to submit.

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Deadline Today – Submit via FilmFreeway:

Felt like family. The review feedback video of Fleeting Structure (winner – best feature) captured how the film is connecting with people on many levels. The podcast interview with Matthew Toffolo added a cool vitality. Great experience!

Thank you New York FEEDBACK Film & Screenplay Festival! Having a video of feedback when so many social events have been canceled is uplifting. The comments were well thought out and insightful! Watching the feedback reinforced the reason we made the film.

Wonderful feedback and great interviews, written and interview. Just amazing and sooo encouraging. Thank you! Great work!

Thank you very much for valuing our short film DIE INSIDE, a lot of love from the Dominican Republic.

Great feedback! Awesome taste in films.

Today’s Podcast: Screenwriters Nigel Lee & Ashley Barrios (HOPPA)

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Watch the best scene reading of HOPPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzN8nTYJLIQ

Get to know the writers:

What is your screenplay about?

Log Line: Struggling with insecurity and doubt about the longevity of their relationship, an American couple travels to Iceland for answers through a unique form of therapy, threatening both their relationship and their lives. Every relationship is a leap of faith.

Synopsis: In the mesmerizing landscapes of Iceland, a disillusioned yet determined American couple, Fawn and Rabbit, embark on a desperate journey for answers to their critical relationship questions through an unconventional couple’s therapy program – HOPPA. Their path leads through a series of harrowing experiences designed to reveal their truest selves while challenging their perception of reality and their beliefs about love and life. As their experiences grow increasingly eerie and nightmarish, they struggle with their inherent differences, relentless lack of communication, and uncompromising needs of each other. Their journey culminates at the edge of a cliff, where a moment of revelation leads to chaos and unfathomable implications from their decisions throughout their HOPPA experience.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Psychological Thriller, Horror, Drama

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

The story explores relatable, honest partnership struggles as both parties navigate the possibility of compromising their individuality for a shared life together, and the depths they will go to know if their relationship is worth that risk.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Watch Today’s Festival: Best of WILDsound Shorts Festival

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Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/best-of-wildsound-shorts-march-2025

Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 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:

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/
https://www.instagram.com/_riley_young_/

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-sowing-the-seeds-of-love



The Story of Marjan the Bunny, 3min., Slovenia
Directed by Mitja Man?ek
Marjan the bunny was the first pet of little Mitja, which was named after his dad. One day boy found an empty cage and he didn’t know where the bunny had disappeared.

http://www.mancekmitja.si/en/Films/ProfessionalYears/TheStoryOfMarjanTheBunny/

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-story-of-marjan-bunny



Wizard of Oz, 7min., Germany
Directed by Alex Sebastian
Young Astronomer Truth needs to prevail in a world of social media misinformation.

http://alexsebastian.de/https://instagram.com/alexsebastianmuc

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-wizard-of-oz


Eldritch Karaoke, 5min., Ireland
Directed by Joe Loftus
A young woman on the road to escape her past is hit by a car and descends into a chaotic musical after-life. She must decide whether to join the song or die.

https://joeloftus.art/
https://www.instagram.com/brokenmotor/

Watch the audience feedback video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-eldritch-karaoke-wildsound

Short Film Review: Birthday Blues. Directed by Elisabet Johannesdottir

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A couple on the rocks struggles with honesty, leading the woman to make a fateful decision.

Project Links

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The happiness of what should be a happy day is ruined in the short film BIRTHDAY BLUES. This very tense film depicts a moment between a husband and wife that are near the end of their relationship. It’s made in a way that even makes the audience tense, wanting to look away from this fight as if it’s being done in public though the couple are in the privacy of their home. 

The cinematography is shot in a way that adds to the tension, coupled with the fact that there is no score. There are long shots that don’t cut, following the actors as the tension builds up between them. The cuts become quick as the fight heats up, making it come across the screen to the viewer. 

The story is one that is quite common across the world. A wife that is married to a narcissistic man that only puts on the appearance of thinking about her. The moment she walks in the door, he makes fun of her for liking ice cream cakes as he presents her with his favorite cake. He continues to attack her, stating fictitious reasons that she would be a horrible mother simply because he does not want to be a father. His wife can do nothing right and when she calls him out on his behavior, he gaslights her by blaming his dark sense of humor. 

This very tense film shows how a self centered person can ruin something as joyous as a birthday. It can quickly destroy a person when their significant other is the one destroying their self worth. This is depicted expertly as the husband is the type of person that everyone should run from, someone that will never change and cannot stand when anyone else has a day to celebrate themselves. It’s very well done.