Submit your short film that’s 5 minutes or less and get it showcased at the FEEDBACK Short Film Festivals in Los Angeles and Toronto. A monthly film festival event!
(NEW: Also accepting smartphone made films.)
ALSO submit a short screenplay that’s 5 pages or under and get it performed by professional actors at the Writing Festival. FULL FEEDBACK on all entries.
Festival occurs 10 times a year! And gives accepted films multiple options to showcase and promote your film.
1) Screening #1 where you will also obtain your audience feedback video (private screenings). 2) Screening #2 virtually on the streaming service WILDsound TV 3) Podcast interview at Film Festival Radio on ITunes 4) Blog interview promoting you and your film.
AN ADVERT FOR ONE NIGHT, 15min,. UK Directed by Graham Birch Lisa responds to a newspaper advert to meet Sarah in a hotel room for a night. They meet and have a wonderful night that sadly uncovers that one was badly abused and the other is currently suffering serious mental and physical bullying from a partner. Will this allow them to bond? What will they do?
My friend was going through an abusive relationship at the time and it was terrifying. He was psychologically destroyed. So I flipped it to the more common female perspective as it is simply not acceptable. Domestic abuse isn’t just physical. It’s wider than that and destroys people.
I also wanted to highlight the dangers of getting drunk and thinking you are in control of a situation. I want people to watch the film and maybe question if they should go home with that person. Particularly when you are young and at a night club. I always tried not to let my friends go off alone (male or female) as there are people who are simply not good.
I also wanted to create a film of exquisite beauty and use the lighting to enhance everything. You’ll notice that the colours change in the film, sometimes suddenly, sometimes from scene to scene. Showing differing emotions and settings.
What a joy it was to chat with the extremely talented composer David Buckley. You can hear his music every Sunday on the hit TV series “The Good Wife”. He was also the composer on the upcoming film “The Nice Guys”, directed by Shane Black.
Matthew Toffolo: The action/comedy “Grimsby” is out in theaters. What can we expect to see? How was your working experience composing music on that film?
David Buckley: Well, the truth is now out! It’s a total flop. Shame really, as a lot of people spent a lot of time working on the film. Maybe the problem was that too much time was spent on it and it started to lose focus. I’ve always been a fan of Sacha’s work. I can see it’s harder for him to make movies like Borat and Ali G because everyone knows who he is now. Grimsby was a brave attempt at coming with a new character, but clearly the cinema-going world did not love him. The experience on this one was a bit unusual as it was a co-score with Sacha’s brother, Erran. He was based in London a lot of the time and I am in LA. It was also tricky as there were a lot of re-shoots for the film – new material was coming right up until the end. But we divided the work up and got on with it!
MT: Generally, how does one compose the music for a feature film? Do you receive the rough cut, and some guide music tracks for influence/inspiration? When do you generally begin working on the film?
DB: Yes. One is sent a rough cut, and this often includes temp tracks. Sometime after getting it, one hopes to sit down with the director and producer and discuss their musical needs. Sometimes the temp is spoken about as a reference point. Hopefully the conversation does not dwell too long on it, however! It varies, but on the whole I’d say I’ve had an average of about 2 months to write and record most of the scores I have composed.
PHOTO: David Buckley in his studio:
MT: What type of working relationship do you like to have with your director?
DB: A good one! With the demands of modern film-making, it’s not always easy to physically sit in the room with a director as he/she will have many things to deal with other than music. When there is a moment, I think it’s important to try and absorb as much information one can from the director or any other film maker. Not just specific things but bigger picture issues too. Learning what they know and what they have experienced (be it on the movie, or life in general), will presumably help deliver a score that is to their liking.
MT: You created the theme music for “The Good Wife”. A song that keeps on giving! Do you remember how you got inspired to create the music for the extremely successful TV series?
DB: Well, these days, I write a different opening title each week. There is not a lot of score in the show, so we thought to keep it interesting and relevant to each episode I would crescendo into the main title from the preceding scene. These have been some of the most enjoyable cues I have worked on for the show.
MT: You’ve composed a lot of music for action films? How is this genre different in terms of themes and tones than working on a straight up drama?
DB: I find one of the problems with action scoring is making sure the music is more than just functional. It often has some very specific jobs to do – keeping up energy, maintaining tension, heightening certain moments, etc, and this can either be done in a very plain fashion, or with some interest. The problem is that paranoid/fear-mongering film makers are not always going to allow for the interesting approach and will settle for the safe.
MT: You’ve also worked on a few video games. How has been your experiences working with this format?
DB: Fun. A lot of work but an interesting to genre to try my hand in!
MT: From a technology standpoint, where do you see the future of composing in the movies?
DB: Not really sure about this. Clearly technology has helped composers be able to realize their musical ideas and editors cut their movies a million times until the director (or a test audience!) is happy with it. I suppose for music, samples will get better and better and more realistic. I would wager that no technology will ever be able to beat human performance. I certainly hope not.
MT: How did you first begin? Was composing in the movies something you’ve also aspired to do?
DB: For a long time, yes. When I was a boy, I sung on a soundtrack to The Last Temptation of Chris, and a flame was ignited. I went through a couple of decades of classical training before moving to London and starting to compose for jingles and crappy tv. I was learning as I was going though, and building up my studio and knowledge-base. I got the opportunity to come over to LA just after I turned 30, and jumped at the opportunity.
MT: Out of all the TV shows, films, and video games you’ve worked on, do you have a favorite experience? What do you think is your best work?
DB: I really enjoyed scoring The Forbidden Kingdom. It was the first score I composed. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but I was lucky enough to have a big orchestra and solists at my disposal, and quite a fun movie to be inspired by. Just about every project since has provided me with some form of musical pleasure.
MT: Do you have a composer mentor?
DB: Richard Harvey was my initial mentor. He was the person who encouraged me to come to LA, and he set up a meeting with Harry Gregson-Williams. I had actually known Harry since I was 10 – we both came from the world of cathedral music. At the time we met in LA Harry was fantastically busy and he extended an invitation for me to come out and help him for a bit. From there he helped me find my own career and let me do my own thing. We remain good friends today (I’m supposed to meet him for a drink tonight!). So I can safely say I would not be doing what I am doing today with Richard and Harry. I have also been very fortunate to work alongside some other distinguished composers including Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, John Ottman, and Harry’s brother, Rupert.
MT: What film, besides the ones you’ve worked on, have you seen the most in your life?
DB: The Day After Tomorrow. Not my favorite film by a long way, but whenever I see it on the tv I get sucked in. A guilty pleasure for sure!
PHOTO: David Buckley working on a film:
____ 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 DAILY Festival held online and in downtown Toronto on the last Thursday of every single month. Go to http://www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
It was an honour to have GOGO premiere at the LGBTQ+ Toronto & Los Angeles Film Festival. The crowd was great, and so were the other films. Couldn’t recommend it more to other Queer filmmakers.
Political narrative is a term used in the humanities and political sciences to describe the way in which storytelling can shape fact and effect understandings of reality.
Submit your THRILLER/SUSPENSE Short Story to the Festival here and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video for yourself.
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.) 1) Full Feedback on your script 2) Actors performance video reading of your script 3) Blog interview promotion. 4) Podcast interview on the Film Festival ITunes show
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.) 1) Full Feedback on your script 2) Actors performance video reading of your script 3) Blog interview promotion. 4) Podcast interview on the Film Festival ITunes show
RIVER, 26min,. Hong Kong Directed by Lap Fung Cheung Based on the inescapable karma of the eight sufferings, assassin Fuk Kin Dai Ho runs and hides in the home of an eccentric old man Chung Ha Gong after being injured in the firefight during a mission. Could it be simply chance or fate that brings these two men together since they are both suffering from personal angst relating to the loss of loved ones and does this meeting help them in resolving some of that pain?
Stan’s Plan, 14min., Canada Directed by Barry Nerling, Baille Reid Stan, Izzy and Rip, three drug fuelled low life criminals return after a botched robbery of a local gangster. In the process, Stan is shot in the stomach and in a panic, they take one of the Gangster’s men as a bargaining chip only to find out they have taken the Boss’s oldest son.
Crisis Point, 3min,. Romania Directed by Valentin Raileanu As a result of resource depletion, a virus outbreak stripping the afflicted of what makes them human and finally, war, humanity’s sovereignty has fallen. In dwindling numbers, the survivors have been driven out of their homes in the search for safety, while a former soldier travels through the toxic environment in search of a cure.
Emerging from the Shadows, 15min., Belgium Directed by Mark Stas Takeda was forced to leave Asia after a tragic incident. He travelled but stayed close to the woods in order to remember his heart, but also to live a new life in Europe and tries to forget his past. After three years this peace is suddenly disturbed. While he goes running in the woods
HELLBOUND FUGITIVE, 5min,. USA Directed by Christopher Patrick Vallone In a desperate bid for freedom, a convict seeks refuge in a decaying fortress within the mountains. He inadvertently enters a nightmarish arena where ancient demons punish the wicked, and survival means fighting hell itself.
Phantom Quartz, 12min., France Directed by Marc David Nolan Le, a former DGSE agent, aspires to lead an ordinary life with his daughter after several years of service, but fate intervened differently
Bang Bang, 14min., China Directed by Guan Yi Chongqing, a city built on mountains in Southwestern China, remains a stronghold of porters known as “bang bang” who move goods along streets on the rugged terrain. But the porters are slowly fading from view in the face of modernization. From 400,000 people working as bang bang in the city in 2010, they have shrunk to fewer than 2,000, mostly elderly.
CHAPPILANA, 23min., India Directed by Komalankutty Methil Pudiyankom-Kattusseri Vela Festival of Palakkad District has many unique features, one of which is a Chappalana, an elephant made of wood, bamboo and dry grass, with an ancient and fascinating story behind it.
Deferred, 18min., Sri Lanka Directed by Lanka Bandaranayake Ambitious and academically successful young Sri Lankan women, who have long dreamed of studying abroad, now find themselves at crossroads due to new UK immigration policies that prevent them from bringing their spouses along. Deeply personal and emotional journey, also, Sociopolitical explanations of academics unfold how they have to navigate the harsh reality of choosing between their educational goals and their familial bonds.
Sayad Capello, 24min., Iran Directed by Rostam Nazari Teenagers from the outskirts of the city have dreams in their heads. Sayad, despite his physical disability and his love of coaching football, is trying to make the dreams of the children to be fulfilled!
Bang Bang, min., China Directed by Guan Yi Chongqing, a city built on mountains in Southwestern China, remains a stronghold of porters known as “bang bang” who move goods along streets on the rugged terrain. But the porters are slowly fading from view in the face of modernization. From 400,000 people working as bang bang in the city in 2010, they have shrunk to fewer than 2,000, mostly elderly. CD DOCS –
Bang Bang, 14min., China Directed by Guan Yi Chongqing, a city built on mountains in Southwestern China, remains a stronghold of porters known as “bang bang” who move goods along streets on the rugged terrain. But the porters are slowly fading from view in the face of modernization. From 400,000 people working as bang bang in the city in 2010, they have shrunk to fewer than 2,000, mostly elderly.
CHAPPILANA, 23min., India Directed by Komalankutty Methil Pudiyankom-Kattusseri Vela Festival of Palakkad District has many unique features, one of which is a Chappalana, an elephant made of wood, bamboo and dry grass, with an ancient and fascinating story behind it.
Deferred, 18min., Sri Lanka Directed by Lanka Bandaranayake Ambitious and academically successful young Sri Lankan women, who have long dreamed of studying abroad, now find themselves at crossroads due to new UK immigration policies that prevent them from bringing their spouses along. Deeply personal and emotional journey, also, Sociopolitical explanations of academics unfold how they have to navigate the harsh reality of choosing between their educational goals and their familial bonds.
Sayad Capello, 24min., Iran Directed by Rostam Nazari Teenagers from the outskirts of the city have dreams in their heads. Sayad, despite his physical disability and his love of coaching football, is trying to make the dreams of the children to be fulfilled!
Mimas, 5min. Turkey Directed by Ervim Inci Alican Peker, who takes on the task of bringing water to the goats who live alone on an island and have no drinking water sources, also does not remain silent about the problems of other creatures in the area where he lives.
On Village Community and the Digging of Turf in Bobry, 2min., Poland Directed by Joanna Polak Film about the olden village tradition of digging for turf.
On a Mysterious Rock in a Mysterious Forest, 2min., Poland Directed by Joanna Polak Film about childhood spent in a forest which children saw as Paradise.
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On My Great-Grandmother Julia’s Orchard, 2min., Poland Directed Directed by Joanna Polak Film about an orchard where deer came to live, and stayed the year round.
the sky is the limit, 25min., UK Directed by Mirka Anderson Despite all social, physical and psychological adversities she is a symbol of success as a prolific artist and emanates positive energy with calm, humour and affection. She is a genuine star !
Festival Reviews 