DIMENSIONS: The Interrogation, 8min., USA Directed by Robert James Harden Jr. During an interrogation for the murder of his mother, a man pleads for his release in fear of his life. Two special detectives grill him in order to solve their case. In the shadows of these men’s dimension, the answers to all their mysteries live.
Aeolus 15, 11min., USA Directed by Diego Ugalde Haunted by his past, an old man waits for a cosmic phenomenon that could let him communicate with a young astronaut from the past – that astronaut is himself.
Three S3conds, 16min., USA Directed by Diana Shield Arlo, a 17 year old boy struggles to open up and express himself to his counselor. He is haunted by his past actions due to his inability to control his rage and anger issues.
My husband and I enjoy going on walks, driving long distances and we noticed people’s lack of patience at a Stop sign or red light. We talked about three seconds waiting for an individual to cross the road. This is all it takes to cease all movement from a vehicle. So we noticed a growing trend of people not coming to a complete stop or taking a red light. And it happens across a lot of major cities. But one day two young men were crossing and the driver clipped one of them. They both began shouting at the driver of the vehicle who did not stop. Luckily the young man was not hurt, his backpack was struck with the vehicle.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I would say about three months. However once we got our DP, everything moved quickly.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Intense, provoking.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Nothing, we were lucky enough to have it completed. We had great support and were surrounded by talented individuals.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
They said wonderful things about the film and the message got across clearly. I appreciate the feedback with sound, pacing, cinematography and acting. These were all elements we concentrated on and worked extensively. It makes one feel heard and seen. Stories are important and impactful, I want people to leave thinking about the story, I want it to resonate.
Question & answer session after the festival screening with filmmakers from the July 31, 2025 festival at the Carlton Cinemas, in downtown Toronto, Canada.
Conversation with directors:
Sohil Chhabra (OBSIDIAN)
Malcolm Jack (THE CALLBACK)
THE CALLBACK, 10min., Canada Directed Malcolm Jack ISAAC is one of several actors auditioning for the lead in the globally renowned action franchise: MAX STORM. Every actor has been invited into the audition room, which is empty aside from a table with a black covering. Suddenly, they’re greeted by the voice of director DEAN WEST over the intercom. “Do whatever it takes to secure the role.” The tablecloth comes off, revealing a massive collection of deadly melee weapons. Everyone is skeptical, but distrust is already growing. When one of the actors sets his sights on Isaac, snatches an imposing knife off the table, and begins to close in, Isaac is forced to fight to survive.
OBSIDIAN, 18min., Canada Directed by Sohil Chhabra David Smith, a deeply troubled detective grappling with a brutal murder case and the collapse of his personal life, finds himself spiraling into darkness—only to uncover a path to unexpected self-discovery.
AWARD WINNERS: Best Film: BAD BLOOD Best Story: HWANDO Best Direction: OBSIDIAN Best Performances: THE CALLBACK Best Cinematography: THE DROWNING POOL Best Sound & Music: DESIRE
EE THE LINEUP OF FILMS:
OBSIDIAN, 18min., Canada Directed by Sohil Chhabra David Smith, a deeply troubled detective grappling with a brutal murder case and the collapse of his personal life, finds himself spiraling into darkness—only to uncover a path to unexpected self-discovery.
HWANDO, 25min., South Korea Directed by Will LeForestier An assassin enhanced with a brain-to-computer interface and controlled by a dark organization must turn against her creators to protect her family and destroy the AI-driven system that enslaves her.
Bad Blood, 19min., Argentina Directed by Guillermo Ronco Abandoned by the state and with his daughter’s life at stake, police officer Rafael chooses to break his deepest convictions and commit a crime to resolve his situation. But when what was supposed to be a robbery turns into a kidnapping, he discovers that there are limits he cannot cross.
THE CALLBACK, 10min., Canada Directed Malcolm Jack ISAAC is one of several actors auditioning for the lead in the globally renowned action franchise: MAX STORM. Every actor has been invited into the audition room, which is empty aside from a table with a black covering. Suddenly, they’re greeted by the voice of director DEAN WEST over the intercom. “Do whatever it takes to secure the role.” The tablecloth comes off, revealing a massive collection of deadly melee weapons. Everyone is skeptical, but distrust is already growing. When one of the actors sets his sights on Isaac, snatches an imposing knife off the table, and begins to close in, Isaac is forced to fight to survive.
The drowning pool, 12min., Spain Directed by Enrique Novials Ariadna, a former police officer, is now a detective shocked by the recent death of her mother due to Covid. In the midst of this, she must find a child who has been kidnapped after school.
DESIRE, 7min., USA Directed by Jason Chu When a suave socialite lures a beauty back to his yacht for drinks, his hidden, darker passions stir, forcing him to choose whether romance is on the menu or something far more sinister.
Dystopian stories are a type of speculative fiction that explore the darker aspects of human nature and the human mind. They often serve as a warning about what could happen to modern society if certain aspects grow out of control.
SAVE $40 off the regular submission for full novel submissions. Get FULL FEEDBACK on your novel by our committee of industry professionals. Get a transcript of your novel performed by professional actors at the Festival.
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.
I had the best experience with this festival they are very communicative and provide feedback on project which really makes this festival stand out to me!
Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway. Deadline Today:
Awesome festival, can’t wait to see what you do in the future and how you grow! Very honored to have won best story!!!! Wukong Couriers!!!
Great festival! Much appreciation and many thanks
Absolutely 💯 the BEST FESTIVAL I’m ever been involved with. Definitely submit again
This festival includes so much for the creators and is all about getting the word out about their work. It was an honor to be a part of the festival, and they made me feel like an A-lister right off the bat. Would highly recommend!
Extremely well structured and organized! I truly enjoyed being part of it and I am looking forward to submit my next project!!!
We were happy to participate in this festival. We are happy that our project was liked and that it obtained a good rating. Thanks for the interview. We hope to participate in the future with new projects.
EXCESS BAGGAGE, 22min., UK Directed by Landon Vago-Hughes After murdering his friend Luke, Kevin is ready to skip town to get rid of the evidence. As he is about to leave, Eric, a concerned friend, shows up looking for Luke begging for Kevin’s help in finding him. Little does he know, Luke is closer than he thinks.
DIMENSIONS: The Interrogation, 8min., USA Directed by Robert James Harden Jr. During an interrogation for the murder of his mother, a man pleads for his release in fear of his life. Two special detectives grill him in order to solve their case. In the shadows of these men’s dimension, the answers to all their mysteries live.
Aeolus 15, 11min., USA Directed by Diego Ugalde Haunted by his past, an old man waits for a cosmic phenomenon that could let him communicate with a young astronaut from the past – that astronaut is himself.
Wukong Couriers, 15min., USA Directed by Peter Gabriel Gagnon An unwitting bicycle messenger is chosen as the mystical hero to save the city from an ancient horror.
Super Villain Coffee, 15min., USA Directed by Leonard Frank Smith “Supervillain Coffee” is a satirical comedy about Maximum “Chaos” Maxwell, a once-feared supervillain now slinging espresso in a hip downtown coffee shop. Max trades doomsday devices for latte art, grumbling about his past while perfecting milk foam with the precision of a mad scientist.
Dante’s Inferno – The Ascension, 29min., UK Directed by Sofian Francis Dante, a regretful ex military contractor and his companion, his horse, search for his missing wife and daughter in the remnants of civilization decimated by thousands of malevolent entities known as ‘ Reapers ‘,
I hadn’t directed a project of my own in over a year, and I was at a wrap party for a short film that I was an extra in (SPRINKLES, directed by the Andrew Korzenik, written by Riley Stockard, and produced by Sky Mattioli, all great talents). I tend to be off in my own world a bit at parties, and the image of a wild, tuxedo-laden man forcing tea on a guest at a table in an empty room came into my head. It was kind of out of nowhere, and seemed like a really simple, filmable idea for an unsettling story. It was an eerie, but also amusing to me since I grew up with an English father (who naturally was cast as the Englishman in this film).
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I initially had the idea around September 2023, we filmed in February 2024, and I had the final edit in December 2024, so it was a total of about 15 months from conception to completion.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Uncomfortably funny.
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
It was probably the audio editing. It really felt like everything came together fairly easily, everyone who worked on the film is a close friend or relative. Eric Alcaraz, our incredible cinematographer, is well educated in audio engineering and really saved me with that when I was editing.
Festival Reviews 