Year: 2025

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1604: Filmmaker Brandon Katcher (Resonance in the Castle)

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Resonance in the Castle, 17min., USA

Directed by Brandon Katcher

A mysterious castle breathes with light and color, drawing all who enter into its shifting embrace. Stained glass spills vivid hues across ancient stone, golden reflections dance over strange artifacts, and ethereal performances flare up like living paintings. Surreal, electric, and unbound by space or time. Musicians, dancers, and performance artists bring their visions to life, each performance casting a ripple, before fading into the ether. A place of mystery and spectacle, this living museum exists only in the moment it is seen, leaving behind only echoes. Here, the castle is not a place but a state of mind, a dream in motion, inviting us to lose ourselves within its walls.

https://www.lostsummitfilms.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

The opportunity to make Resonance in the Castle came at a key moment in my life, when I felt directionless and depleted. I had just wrapped a grueling, two-year documentary production, and like so many filmmakers, I found myself in that fog of burnout and uncertainty. What’s next? And then, pure coincidence gave me the opportunity to join an artist residency in a century-old castle in Italy. I traveled there with only a few basic ideas, the glimmer of a story. But through collaboration with musicians, dancers, sculptors, and actors from around the world, a film was born through the freedom of creating without expectation.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Not knowing what to expect from the location or the artists involved, I arrived in Italy with only basic ideas and visuals in my head. Once I was able to see the castle in person and meet the artists, those ideas became collaborations, and the scenes took shape. Each artist had a plan for their live performance, which we adapted for each room and scene. The actual filming took place over two days and became an improvisation as I learned to “dance” with each performer. During the week in the castle, we also performed live in front of an audience and filmed a documentary of the event. Once I returned home, the editing process took about two months.

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Today’s FilmFreeway Deadline: EXPERIMENTAL/DANCE/MUSIC Festival (201 FIVE STAR Reviews!)

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Deadline Today to Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

OVER 200 FIVE star reviews on FilmFreeway!

In-person public screenings, plus other avenues to enhance the filmmaker’s film (audience feedback video, virtual festival, blog & podcast interview).

NOTE: The festival has created a hybrid festival with 4 tiers to enhance your film and your festival experience. All accepted films receive all four tier options:

Tier #1 – Your film plays at a public live event where we will record the audience reactions of your short or feature and then send you the feedback video. Or, it plays at a private festival event where the audience will record their comments/reactions to your film on their camera or phone, then we edit them and send you a promotional video. No matter what you will receive a promotional video of your film of people commenting on your film.

Tier #2 (optional) – We put up your film live on the Film Festival Streaming Service for 30 hours and invite a select industry audience to watch it. With this system, some films have already received a distribution deal, as many platforms are looking for solid feature and short films. We can not guarantee anything, of course but this has been very helpful to many in the past. (see testimonials below.)

Then (Tier #3) we will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film. Then after that (Tier #4) we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we chat with you about the process of how the film was made.

——

The goal of this festival is to showcase the best of new experimental short films and independent music videos from around the world. Films that don’t get a fair shake from other film festivals because programmers don’t know where to “categorize” these films. There isn’t a typical linear story occurring so most festivals can’t truly understand the talent and beauty around these films.

We want to showcase films that showcase true originality and talent from filmmakers from every corner of the globe. And also showcase new musicians who have made a music video and want it to be shown.

Deadline Today: HISTORY Screenplay Festival

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Submit to the festival on their site: https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/history-screenplay-festival/

Submit your screenplay that’s a historical story genre and/or plot line to the festival.

FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay from our committee of Professional Screenwriters, Production Heads and Script Consultants. Get your entire script performed at the writing festival.

SUBMIT your FEATURE, TV PILOT or SHORT SCREENPLAY.

Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation. Looking for screenplays from all over the world.

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.)

1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)

2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.

3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.

4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.

(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)

Deadline Today: Sports Short Story Festival (automatic acceptance)

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Submit on the submission page: https://sportsfilmfestival.video/sports-short-story-festival/

Submit your SPORTS short story to the festival, and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video for yourself.

Accept only stories that fit into the sports genre.

Sports storytelling is more than just reporting scores. It’s about weaving narratives that connect us emotionally to athletes, teams, and events.

See example of recent reading completed:

Deadline Today: Family & Kids Novel Writing Festival

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Submit to the festival today: https://festivalforfamily.com/family-kids-novel-writing-festival/

Submit your Family or Kids Book by the deadline. 

FAMILY and KIDS Books will always be needed and wanted in our society. If you can write a great family story, then you are definitely on your way to having a great career. This portion of the Writing Festival would like to present at least 20 new works of Family Novels in the next 12 months. Submit your family novel today:

Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Deadline Today: POLITICAL STAGE PLAY Writing Contest (get play performed by professional actors)

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Submit your Stage Play via Submittable: https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/331401/political-stage-play-writing-contest-get-play-performed-by-professional-actors

Festival contest brought to you by the  Political Feedback Festival: https://politicalfeedbackfestival.events/

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

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1603: Screenwriter Amy Kolquist (BEASTIES)

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

Desperate to escape her abusive, Christian Nationalist family, a teenage girl finds an unlikely ally when a female werewolf from a pack dead set on killing her family lands in her home, and the attraction they develop for each other forces them into a fight for their very survival.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?
Beasties is a coming of age, horror story, about Mara, a late teen girl living on a remote ranch in Montana with her abusive, Christian nationalist family with dreams, but no means, of escaping. Her life changes when Lilly, the daughter of an equally toxic werewolf clan traveling through Montana, ends up saving Mara’s life and consequently lands in Mara’s family’s home during an extreme winter storm. As Lilly’s family descends on the farm to retrieve Lilly, Mara’s family realizes that Lilly and Mara have formed a romantic connection, going against the very roots of their family moral system. With Lilly’s family hell bent on destroying Mara’s, and Mara’s family hell bent on destroying Mara and Lilly, the two girls find themselves in a desperate battle for survival that forces them to each question their own moral compass if they are to win.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Horror and coming of age

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
This movie works with current and relevant themes that are being questioned in our current political climate. The idea of “beasts” is examined in the film superficially as the werewolves, but more authentically of how we have characterized people as beasts within our society based on our morale beliefs. While Mara’s mom tries to initially save Lilly because it is the Christian thing to do, once she realizes that Mara and Lilly have connected romantically, she moves to kill not just Lilly, but also Mara, as her religious beliefs are so compromised by the thought of her daughter being a lesbian. The script also explores the hypocrisy of using our beliefs to defend our actions. In spite of his strong religious beliefs, Mara’s father kills Lilly’s father early in the script because he feels that Lilly’s father is morally beneath him. The script also explores themes of toxic masculinity and the difference in the rules in our society depending on gender. It’s also a fun horror movie set in a remote, barren setting, that has some good old fashioned fun horror scenes.

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Today’s FilmFreeway Deadline: ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival

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Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

We have created a hybrid festival with 4 tiers to enhance your film and your festival experience. All accepted films receive all four tier options:

Tier #1 – Your film plays at a public film festival event where the audience will record their comments/reactions to your film on their camera or phone, then we edit them and send you a promotional video. No matter what you will receive a promotional video of your film of people commenting on your film.

Tier #2 (optional) – Your film plays on the Film Festival streaming service for 30 hours and invite a select industry audience to watch it. With this system, some films have already received a distribution deal as many platforms are looking for solid feature and short documentaries. We can not guarantee anything of course but this has been very helpful to many in the past. (see testimonials below)

Then (Tier #3) we will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film. Then after that (Tier #4) we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we chat with you about the process of how the film was made.

A festival designed to showcase the best of new environmentally themed films (shorts, features) and screenplays (shorts, features, TV pilots) from around the world. We accept any genre (animation, comedy, experimental, horror etc.) as long as it has an underlying environmental thematic. We seek to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film and storytelling; which is why this festival has been created.

Watch Today’s FREE Festival: ENVIRONMENTAL Shorts Festival

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Watch the festival at 8PM EST FOR FREE 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/events/environmental-shorts-festival

Roots of Resilience: Stories of Caribbean Women in Agriculture, 48min., Saint Lucia
Directed by Curmiah Lisette, Keithlin Caroo-Afrifa
Roots of Resilience: Stories of Caribbean Women in Agriculture is a moving portrait of St. Lucia’s agricultural journey, celebrating the strength of its women and the enduring spirit of a community deeply connected to its land through the lens of the local non-profit, Helen’s Daughters.

https://helensdaughters.org/
https://www.instagram.com/helensdaughters/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-roots-of-resilience

Manly Dam Something Incredible Stirred, 4min., Australia
Directed by Malcolm John Fisher
A glimpse into the Incredible Biodiversity of Manly Warringah War Memorial Park and why it is so important to protect it.

https://manlydambiodiversityproject.org/
https://www.instagram.com/keepmanlydamwild/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-manly-dam-something-incredible-stirred

A Silent Cry, 2min,. USA
Directed by Donna Weng Friedman
“A Silent Cry” is a two-and-a-half-minute microfilm set in the Himalayan Mountains—one of the world’s most vital and fragile ecosystems. The film uses evocative visuals and music to highlight the urgent need to sustain and protect this unique environment, which is essential for countless species and provides life-sustaining resources for millions of people.

https://www.instagram.com/5wengfriedmans/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-a-silent-cry

From Waste to Wages: Tennessee’s Economic Potential in Recycling, 7min., USA
Directed by Ryan Scott, Jeffrey Barrie, Shelby White
Tennessee is in the midst of a crisis. Landfills are reaching capacity, and raw materials are becoming more expensive. But all across the state, major companies are looking to recycling as a solution. Aluminum, glass, and plastic are precious resources that are being lost in landfills – but with improved recycling infrastructure, Tennessee can reclaim that wasted value.

https://www.instagram.com/iamjeffbarrie/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-from-waste-to-wages

Walking With Elephants, 9min., China
Directed by Yuqing Jiao
Every Asian elephants is a living archive, deciphering the rifting of the Gondwana supercontinent. Fifty-five million years ago, as the ancestors of Asian elephants began their evolutionary journey in Africa, a slow-motion collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates thrust the Himalayas to the roof of the world.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-walking-with-elephants

Blu’s, 10min., India
Directed by Rajesh PK
Growing up freely in harmony with nature, witnessing her beautiful environment being swallowed up by industrialisation, BLU decides to fight for the wildlife, meadows, rivers and trees before they disappear completely.

https://www.instagram.com/blusshortfilm/#

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

The Inga Tree Model 2025, 10min., Honduras
Directed by Adam Wakeling
The Inga Alley-Cropping pilot is in year 13 in rural, northern Honduras and has impressive results for carbon sequestered and avoided–876,000 tons in 12 years–trained and assisted by an all-Honduran team, 500 smallholder families have planted over 3 million native, nitrogen-fixing trees on steep, highly degraded land. The clearing/burning stops when a family plants their alley (a process that destroys 200,000 acres a day).

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-inga-tree-model-2025