Very impressed with the table read of ‘Auberon’s Last Chance’. Far more professional than other’s I’ve seen. Full marks to all at the Toronto Festival!
FEEDBACK is unique in that creators are getting to hear from people who saw the film. Sometimes entering a film festival can feel like putting a message in a bottle and throwing it into the ocean — with FEEDBACK we actually find out what resonates with viewers. It’s so valuable, especially for comedy filmmakers! Highly recommended.
It was a good festival. Quite different from others. I liked the fact that they provide audience feedback video. It was special. Thanks for giving my film the best cinematography award at your prestigious festival.
My screenplay of “Death Offers Life last moments of Vincent Van Gogh” got official selection which is a great encouragement for our team.
As a screenwriter for the comedy script, Hal The Spud King of Japan, I was honored that it was selected as a SemiFinalist and you chose this fun, irreverent story of three misfits trying to solve the problem of world hunger by building an underwater farm. You got it, eh? Thank you.
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
Submit you HISTORY 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.
History is a narrative that describes, analyzes, and questions past events, and examines the patterns of cause and effect. It’s a collection of stories told by many different people, and is subject to constant revision and reinterpretation. Accept only stories that fit into the HISTORY genre.
Get FULL FEEDBACK on either the 1st chapter or entire novel book from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.
NEW OPTION: Or, just submit for an actor performance reading transcript of your novel (any 5 pages of your book). Great way to promote the sales of your book if you’re already published. (see examples on the video playlist below)
In search of lost time, 7min., USA Directed by Marta Renzi A man and a woman inhabit the same surreal location though not, apparently, at the same time. Marta Renzi directs this black-and-white meditation on memory and absence, joined by long-time collaborators Charles Caster-Dudzick (camera), as well as Aislinn MacMaster & David Thomson (performers). With a nod to the sound score for Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker and a location inspired by Joelle Bouvier and Regis Obadia’s La Chambre.
OUTSIDER, 2min., China Directed by Shuo Liu The magic between ‘frames’ acts on clay, making the table a contradictory object that can be both soft and hard. Some people embrace it, while others do not. There is no distinction between superior and inferior, right or wrong, only how we engage with the world.
The Image of The Fox, 4min., USA Directed by Alec Iselin The Image of The Fox is a film that explores the transformations of a mysterious gray matter as it constructs and deconstructs haunting sculptures
A Beautiful Life, 15min Directed by Zsolt Kormendy Two detectives investigate a mysterious kidnapping in Vác, Hungary. One of them is relentlessly being pursued by a malevolent dark figure that will stop at nothing to undermine the case and his life.
that’s the plan, 8min Directed by Michael Ringdal When you feel that you have nothing more to live for. It’s good to have a true friend to help you out.
Formaldehyde, 9min., Turkey Directed by Oğuz Yenen Last days of an old and lonely Armenian fisherman in Istanbul.
EL COLOR NEGRO, 4min., Canada Directed by Andy Hodgson Color only exists in the presence of light, so all things are essentially black. But really, what is black? A short, elegant and experimental exploration of the value and meaning of BLACK. Pauline –
A Little Western Story, 13min., Italy Directed by Francesco Maffei Two Cowboys walk under the sun, one of them holding a showel. When they get close to a cliff, they start digging a hole in the ground, but someone is lurking and watching them from above…
A Little Western Story, 13min., Italy Directed by Francesco Maffei Two Cowboys walk under the sun, one of them holding a showel. When they get close to a cliff, they start digging a hole in the ground, but someone is lurking and watching them from above…
The film goes LIVE for FREE at 8pm EST (New York time): Sunday, June 8th, 2025! Part of the best of the BLACK & WHITE Short Film Festival lineup. Watch on the site page: http://www.wildsound.ca/browse ====
OUTSIDER, 2min., China
Directed by Shuo Liu
The magic between ‘frames’ acts on clay, making the table a contradictory object that can be both soft and hard. Some people embrace it, while others do not. There is no distinction between superior and inferior, right or wrong, only how we engage with the world.
In search of lost time, 7min., USA Directed by Marta Renzi A man and a woman inhabit the same surreal location though not, apparently, at the same time. Marta Renzi directs this black-and-white meditation on memory and absence, joined by long-time collaborators Charles Caster-Dudzick (camera), as well as Aislinn MacMaster & David Thomson (performers). With a nod to the sound score for Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker and a location inspired by Joelle Bouvier and Regis Obadia’s La Chambre.
Watch the festival NOW for the next 48 hours by signing up for the FREE 3-DAY trial using the link, or go to http://www.wildsound.ca
Spelonk unfolds in a dystopian Cape Town in the year 2044, a world ravaged by climate collapse and social upheaval. At its heart is Dante, a disillusioned bounty hunter, grappling with the moral dilemmas of his task to hunt rebels fighting over scarce water supplies. His fateful encounter with Ophelia, a rebel leader with secrets that could change the world, sets the stage for a thrilling, emotional journey of redemption and revolution.
Inspired by South Africa’s “Day Zero” water crisis, the film’s themes resonate globally, addressing pressing issues like climate change, resource inequality, and moral leadership in times of crisis. Spelonk blends local folklore, steampunk aesthetics, and intense action to craft a narrative that is both culturally authentic and universally relevant.
Jeff Russo is one of the most talented musicians and composers working in the industry today. His list of credits in the last 9 years is loaded with successful TV series and movies. In the last 2 years alone his has composed for the series Bull, Legion, Counterpart, Star Trek: Discovery, Lucifer, and his Emmy winning work in Fargo. It was an honor chatting with him one afternoon in his office while he was taking a break.
Matthew Toffolo: Where were you born and raised? Was music something you always saw yourself doing as a career?
I was born and raised in New York City. As far as I can remember, I loved music and it became apparent to me that this was something I always wanted to do – to be a musician. From middle school on I was always playing in bands. It’s something I was better at than other things. I was better at music than math or science for example. And I loved it too! It was obvious very early on that this was what I was going to do.
Are you from a family of creative people and musicians?
My dad was in fashion. He died when I was very young so I’m not all that familiar with what exactly he did. My mom was a homemaker. Not a huge fan of music, but very supportive in my passion for it.
So you’re in high school – where did you think you were headed as a musician?
I always wanted to be in a Rock Band. Rock and Roll was my drive! I was in a band for 25 years. Only 9-10 years ago did I change careers and think about composing.
What was your first composing job? And how did you get the job?
In 2006, my band took a break from playing and I had to figure what I had to do with my life. A good friend of mine, Wendy Milette, was working on a couple of television shows and asked me to come by. I watched what they did for a bit, and then they asked me to come to work. Watching what they did got me intrigued and eventually they asked me to write music cues for them and from there I was hooked. I worked for them for about a year and a half and eventually I got hired as a composer for my first job which was a TV show called THE UNUSUALS. Then things took off from there.
Noah Hawley was the showrunner of that show, and also the showrunner/creator of the TV series FARGO. So you guys have a relationship?
Yes. Great one. He called me up in 2013 and said he’s doing a series based on the FARGO movie and told me I’m on board. Then we got to work.
How did you prepare for doing that show? Did you go back and watch the original film?
I didn’t see a need to. I just read the scripts and looked at the emotional places in the script. Saw that the same tone was involved.
You were nominated for an Emmy for best music composition for the first two years, and eventually won the Emmy last year for your work in season 3. What is the Emmy winning experience like?
It’s a feeling is disbelief. The Emmy sits on the shelf in my office and it’s a crazy reminder. The feeling going up there and accepting the award is hard to describe. That moment – incredible. People will now say to you, “You’re an Emmy winner”. People have that in their minds from now on. My peers acknowledged me. It’s an honor.
What are you currently working on right now as we speak?
Season #2 of LEGION. And a Mark Wahlberg film coming out this summer (MILE 22, directed by Peter Berg). It’s been a lot of fun working on that film.
Besides the films you’ve work on, watch move have you watched the most time in your life?
Empire Strikes Back. I’ve seen it over 40 times.
Is there a type of project that you would like to work on that you haven’t yet?
I’d like to work on a Western.
What advice do you have for people who would like to work as a composer some day in the industry?
Most important thing is for someone to create their own voice. We are all unique and original in our own way so we all have a voice. Find it. It’s the only way to move forward.
