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Watch today’s Festival:  https://www.wildsound.ca/events/movie-trailers-film-festival-october

Freedom- Faith & One Final Push, 1min., India
Directed by Chandramauli Singh
What does freedom mean to a novice driver? On a gravel slope, Akshay stalls the car again and again, panic mounting with each rollback. At his side, Shalini refuses to give in to anger or doubt. Instead, she offers steady guidance and calm faith. Through humour, tension, and the ordinariness of a familiar situation, Freedom- Faith & One Final Push transforms a simple driving lesson into a story of resilience, partnership, and belief.

FOLLOW THE DOG, 1min., USA
Directed by Cayce Mell
Follow The Dog is a documentary focusing on the wrongful conviction of former pro hockey player Thomas Clayton, in his wife’s homicide in 2015.

https://www.2ndstatefilms.com/

DYNAMICS, 35sec., Netherlands
Directed by Teo Baehler
DYNAMICS (Frozen Movements) is an experimental, dreamy and surreal stop-motion film, created using everyday materials. The film offers a visual reflection on transformations that emerge through the intuitive blending of dissimilar elements. The result is a non-narrative art film where fantasy, form and texture merge into a sensory experience.

https://www.instagram.com/teobaehler

TURMOIL – CHAPTER ONE, 14sec., Lebanon
Directed by Sary Andre El Asmar
A young woman lives between two worlds: Europe, where she’s built a life, and Lebanon, the home she can’t stop longing for. Torn between memory and desire, she drifts back and forth, riding the emotional rollercoaster of exile, identity, and belonging.

GINNY’S ENTERPRISE, 1min., Canada
Directed by Suzanne Marie Moreau
She boldly goes where no girl has ever been allowed before! How a young Star Trek fan foils her family’s restrictive roles for girls by becoming the Captain of her own starship.

Pie In the Sky, 1min., USA
Directed by Susan Lim
Pie in the Sky” is an enchanting music video that marries playful animation with the raw power of original recordings at Abbey Road Studio One, and a resplendent orchestral performance at the Barbican Concert Hall, London. The video opens with world-acclaimed pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler, in a captivating orchestral performance, his artistry setting the stage. From this vibrant live spectacle, we’re ushered into a whimsical animated adventure that playfully asks: “What is the ‘pie in the sky’?”

Maeve’s Mirror, 26sec., USA
Directed by Paul Odgren
Maeve’s reflection in her bedroom mirror begs to be set free into the real world.

https://www.instagram.com/maevesmirrorfilm

No One Save Me, 1min., UK
Directed by Ben Rafferty
A woman grapples with the sudden loss of her partner and sets out on a search for answers that may change everything.

Walkers, 33sec., USA
Directed by William Mesa
Leanna, a rugged female pilot, meets up with her scruffy estranged ex, Jax, on a desolate desert world. Before they can get more than a few words in, they are attacked by a squadron of metallic robotic walkers. After a fierce battle, they defeat the walkers and go off together to get dinner.

http://flashfilmworks.com/

Ancient Magic, 3min., USA
Directed by Bean Hill
An elderly magical girl most come out of retirement to save her granddaughter.

https://www.instagram.com/ancientmagic_film/

Ryder Calloway and the Bounty for Bill Creed, 2min., UK
Directed by John Lukey
In a lawless frontier town, notorious outlaw Bill Creed rules with an iron fist and a twisted sense of justice. But his reign is about to be challenged by Ryder Calloway, a hardened bounty hunter with a quiet demeanour and a deadly aim.

Demon, 26sec., USA
Directed by Patrick Torres

https://instagram.com/illuminatingswordsman

Sunburn, 36sec., UK
Directed by William Allum
We all face trauma, some worse than others. It’s what makes us and sometimes breaks us. We follow Jason’s life as he enjoys his time with friends at the beach until it suddenly hits him in the middle of the game. Can he hold it in and hide it, or will it show and affect his life?

https://www.instagram.com/akistudiolondon/

Vapor Trails, 39sec., USA
Directed by Matt Jenkins
Mandy has just given Jethro an ultimatum, quick vaping or else. His friend Chuck thinks its going to be easy to quit.

https://www.instagram.com/misfits_of_film/

Blues Born of Fire: Nina Simone’s Four Women Reimagined, 34sec., USA
Directed by Karen Moore
Blues Born of Fire is a poetic tribute to the strength, complexity, and resilience of Black women, inspired by Nina Simone’s hauntingly powerful song “Four Women.” Told through original spoken word, stirring music, and layered visual storytelling, the film reimagines each woman—Aunt Sarah, Saffronia, Sweet Thing, and Peaches—not just as characters, but as living, breathing reflections of our past, our struggles, and our survival.

ALTAR EGOS, 42sec., USA
Directed by Mayrav Jette Estrin
Charlotte listens to strangers’ fantasies for a living. A priest listens to their guilt. But when this disillusioned phone sex operator confesses to him, what begins as a confession spirals into something that blurs the lines of sinner and savior. A sequel to “Father Daddy” (2023).

https://www.instagram.com/altaregosfilm/

LUCKY ALIEN, 1min., USA
Directed by Jasmin Please Haugstuen
“Lucky Alien” is a gripping short film that explores one woman’s fight for love and dignity against the merciless bureaucracy of immigration, shedding light on the dark corners of a broken system. This social drama with a sprinkle of dark humor will evoke feelings and moments of intense suspense, witnessing uncomfortable but real situations that happen everyday on these country borders. With it’s fast-paced dialogue and seemingly endless levels of hell, the cast of characters in this world of limbo will make you laugh and cry, and hopefully inspire conversation and actions for change. – BASED ON A TRUE STORY

https://www.instagram.com/luckyalienfilm/

YAGA, 30sec., USA
Directed by Kate Grossman
When a woman accidentally summons an immortal witch while hiking with her girlfriend, she must learn to stand up for herself or risk losing herself forever.

MY SAFE PLACE, 1min., USA
Directed by Brenda Patricia Garza
After surviving a tragic classroom shooting, Lisa finds herself as the sole survivor, carrying the weight of unimaginable trauma. As she struggles to rebuild her life, Lisa must confront her memories, face the haunting questions of guilt and fate, and find the resilience to overcome her pain in the hope of reclaiming her future.

GO LIVE, 36sec., USA
Directed by Michael J Gonzales
A young man goes live on social media to resolve a distressing life event. His widowed father and close friends do their best to bring him comfort.

https://www.instagram.com/golivefilm

Avatars of Destiny: The Reckoning Begins, 3min., South Africa
Directed by Ess-Jee Rautenbach
In a realm where prophecy collides with technology, four heroes stand at the edge of reality itself. Scarred by battle but bound by purpose, Kael and his allies must confront the collapse of an ancient prison—and the resurgence of a cosmic evil that threatens all worlds.

https://www.fearlesswolfreads.online/

Watch the festival by signing up for the FREE 3-DAY trial using the link, or go to http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch today’s Festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/best-of-chicago-festival-shorts

Emma, 11min., Canada
Directed by Robert Bockstael
Two women, associated through addiction are spiraling downwards. In a rare moment of clarity, nearing the end of their salvageable lives, Emma remembers a long-forgotten ‘secret stash’ of money she and her grandmother kept for an emergency. Embarking on a quest for this treasure – this perceived salvation – they find instead an offer of redemption.

https://www.instagram.com/fantasyofcompanionship/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-timeless

NEXT UP, 30min., UK
Directed by Marion H von Loewenstern
Juliette Mandeville and Tilly Anders, two actresses follow a call for an audition to London. Juliette is already a successful and well-known actress who, however, due to her age, is no longer offered good film roles. Tilly Anders on the other hand, is at the beginning of her career, she is very young, inexperienced and full of self-doubt. The director is a shady character driven by selfishness. Juliettes audition doesn’t go well . Tilly is overcome nervousness and flees from the theatre before it’s her turn. How will the two women deal with it and will their lives take a turn? In the style of a surreal dramedy, the story gives a socially critical insight into the entertainment industry, with its possible obstacles and difficulties.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-next-up

Night Shift at Ned’s, 25min., USA
Directed by Hagen Mattingly
A seasoned waitress starts a new job at an overnight diner in the deep south, and learns new meaning to the term “customers from Hell.”

https://www.instagram.com/night_shift_at_neds

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-night-shift-at-neds

Chicago Crime, 19min., USA
Directed by Marcus DiPaola
Marcus DiPaola and Jermaine Kelly chase crime across Chicago, finding shocking differences between how police act in minority neighborhoods versus wealthy neighborhoods.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-chicago-crimes

Pesticide, 7min,. USA
Directed by Justin Graham
An exterminator duels both late night insects and an overbearing car salesman.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-pesticide

Invincibles, 25min., France
Directed by Shane Rosilio
This film is a dinner party behind closed doors. Hannah is hosting a dinner party at her house with her grandmother, her old school teacher, one of her classmates, and her brother, who lives with her. The classmate seems unaware of what he’s doing there, the school teacher tries to be as discreet as possible, and the brother keeps coughing. The atmosphere at dinner is heavy, as if everyone is superfluous, and the room is increasingly filled with unease…

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-invincibles

THE TENDER ONES WILL TRIUMPH, 15min., Poland
Directed by Francisco Bassignana
A young Ukrainian girl live in Poland as immigrant. she received several calls from her mother but she doesn’t want to answer because she think that something bad is going on.

https://wildsound.vhx.tv/videos/audience-feedback-the-tender-ones

Submit via Submittable: https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/328673/horror-stage-play-writing-contest-get-play-performed-by-professional-actors

Festival contest brough to you by the Horror Underground Festival: https://festivalforhorror.com/

I have to really thank the actors for my reading, nothing short of terrific as they were, nothing short of incredibly smart, attractive, and perceptive as they were. They brought the script to life.  – F. Maffai

FULL FEEDBACK on your stage play from our committee of Professional Playwriters, Production Heads and Story Consultants. Get a best scene of your stage play performed at the writing festival and made into a video for the winner.

Submit your 10 Page Play, 1 Act Play, or Full Stage Play to the Festival.

SUBMIT your STAGE PLAY Today  You will receive feedback on your play in 3-5 weeks

Submit via Submittable: https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/340639/ballad-poetry-contest-get-poem-made-into-a-movie-every-submission-gets-a-poetry

Submit via the site: https://festivalforpoetry.com/ballad-poetry-contest/

BALLAD – A poem narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed onorallyfrom one generation to the next.

 Accepting any poetry in any genre or length that’s about BALLAD in any way.

All poems will be posted on this network. Over 95,000 unique visitors a day. The winning poem will have their poetry made into a movie.

The RULES are simple:

1. Write a POEM that’s about BALLAD. Send it to this contest for $15 and it will be POSTED on this site, guaranteed for 100,000s to see. (you own all rights to this poem)

2. SUBMIT as many poems as you like.

3. The poem can be anything about BALLAD. An event/situation that occurred about BALLAD in general.