Author: festreviews

WINNERS: July 2025 Action/Fantasy/Sci-Fi/Thriller Festival

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AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Fantasy Film: Dante’s Inferno – The Ascension
Best Sci-Fi Film: Aeolus 15
Best Thriller Film: DIMENSIONS: The Interrogation
Best Student Film: Super Villain Coffee
Best Story: Wukong Couriers
Best Direction: Obsidian

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.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-super-villain-coffee

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.

https://instagram.com/dimensions_revealed

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

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.

https://www.instagram.com/diego_ugpna/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-aeolus-15

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.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-wukong-courier

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.

https://www.instagram.com/abortedcinema/

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

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 ‘,

https://instagram.com/sofianfrancis

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

Watch Today’s FREE Festival: FEMALE Directors Shorts Festival

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FREE festival starts at 8pm EST tonight at http://www.wildsound.ca/browse

Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/events/female-directors-shorts-festival

AIRBORNE ABYSS, 3min., Bangladesh
Directed by Soumya Shah
As the world suffocates, a helpless father fights desperately to keep his family breathing.

Together with ALS: a wife’s perspective, 25min., USA
Directed by Kimber Leigh, Diane Dresback Dresback
ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, affects thousands each year, but the true impact extends far beyond the diagnosis.

(French) Stories from my window, 4min., UK
Directed by Marie Chiriac
Super short poetry film about one possible end of the world and love.
Contemplative perspective on what makes this world beautiful and worth saving is love, as this realm being the backdrop and anchor of a universal love story.

https://www.instagram.com/addicted.to.lines

If I Were a Carpenter, 2min., Canada
Directed by Elizabeth Lewis
This hand drawn animated film is based on the classic song If I Were a Carpenter and sung by the great Bobby Darin. How can love conquer the social divide? This film is a tender slightly tongue in cheek story of how love can transform us and ultimately bridge our differences.

Wall unit, 10min., Poland
Directed by Joanna Polak
A ramshackle wall unit is a symbol of the monotonous life of a certain 40-year-old man living in a grey, dirty post-communist block of flats district. Right after his birthday, suffering from the midlife crisis, the man decides to change his dull and routine-based existence. Alas, his wife stands in the way.

HOUSE, 6min., Afghanistan
Directed by Zainab Entezar
A female individual is actively seeking a residential property for rent within the Kabul region. However, despite her diligent efforts, she has not yet been able to secure a suitable dwelling for shelter.

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1550: Screenwriter Noah Zayn Mortier (BLUE IDAHO)

festreviews PODCASTS

Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDHl6jdZ3M4

Blue (formerly Logan) is a gifted transgender surgical nurse whose life spirals after a violent romance exposes her truth. Surviving a suicide attempt, she’s sent to an off-grid trauma retreat, where healing begins amid a web of broken souls, betrayal, and revelation. Returning home to confront family and memory, Logan reclaims his identity—detransitioning not in retreat, but in power. Blue Idaho is a raw, redemptive journey of self-forgiveness, queer identity, and the quiet strength it takes to choose yourself.


What is your screenplay about?

This screenplay is a bold, soul-stirring exploration of identity, redemption, and the courage to love one’s true self. At its heart is Blue (also known as Logan) — a precise, compassionate, and quietly suffering OR nurse who identifies as a trans woman. Behind her composed exterior lies a turbulent past: a childhood marred by neglect, abuse, and rejection. She inflicts harm on herself not for attention, but as a tragic ritual — a conversation with the inner child who was never allowed to speak.

Based on real memories, true events, and lived characters, this story is an emotional autopsy of shame, survival, and transformation. When Blue opens her heart to Connor, a young doctor who genuinely sees her, it shatters the rule she swore to live by: never mix vulnerability with proximity. When Connor uncovers her truth, the rejection that follows is brutal — familiar — and almost final.

Blue’s near-death suicide attempt leads her to an unconventional retreat, where healing unfolds in messy, unexpected ways. There, she finds not only herself, but also her voice — as Logan.

This story is not about being trans. It’s about being human in the aftermath of trauma. It’s about reclaiming dignity when the world has tried to erase it. It’s about survival — and the raw, beautiful work of learning to live again.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama and Coming-of-Age, with powerful psychological and emotional undercurrents that resonate universally.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Because it tells a story that has rarely — if ever — been told with such honesty, depth, and compassion.

Blue/Logan is a protagonist we haven’t seen before: a trans woman, a detransitioner, a medical caregiver, a wounded survivor, a human being whose experiences speak across lines of gender, politics, or identity. This is not a culture-war film. It’s a human story, and that is its power.

The screenplay holds a mirror up to all of us who have felt unworthy of love, who carry an injured inner child, who have learned to survive by shrinking. It dares to say: you are still here — and that matters. It is intimate yet universal, deeply personal yet painfully relatable.

This is not just an LGBTQIA+ story. It’s a redemptive character journey that speaks the emotional language of anyone who’s felt voiceless, invisible, or broken — and longs to heal.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundp

Today’s Writing Deadlines: July 29, 2025

festreviews writing and film festival, writing festival

Submit to these exciting festivals today. Festivals that offer feedback from the industry, plus performance videos.

CONTEMPORARY FICTION Short Story Festival:
https://politicalfeedbackfestival.events/contemporary-fiction-short-story/

Submit your CONTEMPORARY FICTION Short Story to the festival, and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video for yourself.

Contemporary fiction is a literary genre that describes stories set in the present or recent past that could happen to real people. Contemporary fiction often explores the social, cultural, and political climate of the time.

BLACK & WHITE Screenplay Festival:
https://blackandwhitefilmfestival.com/black-white-screenplay-festivals/

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

ENVIRONMENTAL Novel Festival (3 options to submit):
https://environmentalfestival.com/environmental-novel-festival/

An environmental novel, also known as eco-fiction, is a literary work that explores the relationship between humans and the natural world, or how humans impact the environment.

Toronto LGBTQ+ Film & Screenplay Festival:

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.

Awards & Prizes

We will perform a winning Environmental screenplay(s) at our festival every single month using professional actors. Then we send the writer a video of the performance reading.

We will showcase a festival every month using our flagship FEEDBACK Film Festival format. All festival dates are private screenings with the same Audience FEEDBACK videos made for the short & feature films, and recorded script readings performed by professional actors for the screenplays. This is our way of showing community over distance so everyone around the world can experience our Audience Feedback videos.

This Month’s FREE Film Festival Deadlines (and guaranteed acceptances)

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Upcoming Deadlines for FREE Film Festivals to Submit to via FilmFreeway::

There’s also an option for GUARANTEED ACCEPTANCE submissions. Interviews, audience feedback video etc… Geared to help promote the filmmakers and their films!

DIVERSITY Film & Screenplay Fetsival                                                                 https://filmfreeway.com/diversity

EUROPEAN Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/europeanfeedbackfestival

ASIAN Feedback Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/ASIANFeedbackFilmFestival

FAN FICTION Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/FanFictionFestival

DRAMA Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/dramafestival

SPORTS, Fitness, and Recreation Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/SportsFilmFestivalMonthly

LATINO Feedback Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/LatinoFEEDBACKFilmFestival

DOCUMENTARY Feedback Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/DocumentaryFilmFestival

Style, Experimental, Fashion Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/stylefashionexperimental

POLITICAL Feedback Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/PoliticalFilmFestival

ACTION/ADVENTURE Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/LosAngelesFestival

STUDENT Feedback Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/StudentFestival

BLACK & WHITE Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/BlackandWhiteFilmFestival

Toronto FEMALE Film Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoFemaleFeedbackFilmFestivalTOFFFF

LGBTQ+ Los Angeles Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/LGBTLosAngelesFilmFestival

ANIMATION Feedback Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/feedbackanimationfilmscreenplayfestival

Toronto FANTASY/SCI-FI Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/torontoscifi

FAMILY Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/FAMILYFilmFest

BLACK Filmmakers & Screenwriters Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/BlackFestival

Los Angeles COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/ComedyFilmScreenplayFestival

TELEVISION Screenplay & Web Series Festival:
https://filmfreeway.com/TELEVISIONFEEDBACKScreenplayWebSeriesFestival

Watch Today’s FREE Festival: DOC Feature Winner “Before Everest”

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FREE festival starts at 8pm EST tonight at http://www.wildsound.ca/browse

Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/events/doc-feature-winner-before-everest

BEFORE EVEREST, 90min., India
Directed by Kovid Mittal

We all once in our lifetime have dreamt of reaching top of the world, haven’t we?

Mount Everest the highest point on earth the most fearful mountain in the world, Kovid Mittal will have to battle this last 7000 meter mountain before he can attempt and be fully prepared for the monster Everest. A journey of young boy battling his own emotions & demons in hope one day he shall conquer Mount Everest. A motivational journey of human spirit of not giving up.

https://www.instagram.com/kovid_mittal/

Watch the DOCUMENTARY Shorts Festival (in case you missed it)

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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

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

Navigating the Clickety-Clack: How to Live a Peace-Filled Life in a Seemingly Toxic World, 22min,. USA
Directed by Keith Leon S.
Navigating the Clickety-Clack is a 24X award-winning
enlightening TV Series, based on the 4-volume award-winning international BESTSELLER book series with the same name. Producer / director, Keith Leon S. hosts this 7-episode series exploring topics that include, death, fear, job loss, money fear, family issues, relationship challenges, and how to stay peace-filled in a seemingly toxic world.

JDZ lab, 28min., Portugal
Directed by Miguel Gaspar
In September of 2019 we arrived in Jingdezhen (JDZ), China, for an artistic residency supported by a scholarship granted by the Fundação Oriente. Jingdezhen is a unique city in what ceramics are concerned, everything revolving around this activity.

COLD ISOLATION, 4min., Portugal
Directed by José Augusto Carvalho
We travel in the empty interior of ourselves,
meaningless passengers.

Manuel the barber, 7min,. Portugal
Directed by José Augusto Carvalho
One daughter and two grandchildren. He loves his daughter very much, but he hasn’t told her yet, maybe he’ll tell her today, after shooting this film.

A Good Place to Be, 14min., Denmark
Directed by Marcus Mandal
This film is produced for the Danish “Autism Center Storstrøm” to tell about their big effort to help people with autism.

Advertisement

Mayday, 7min., Portugal
Directed by Miguel Gaspar
From a report by a Portuguese volunteer who carried out maritime rescue missions on a ship of a German NGO during the current refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, “Mayday” builds a visual narrative, giving space to a reflection on the drama of this humanitarian issue.

Advertisement

PORTRAIT OF KELLY GAVINOSER, 5min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser
PORTRAIT OF KELLY GAVINOSER- DOCUMENTARY SHORT OF LIFE

Today’s Writing Deadlines: July 28, 2025

festreviews writing and film festival, writing festival

Submit to these exciting festivals today. Festivals that offer feedback from the industry, plus performance videos.

HISTORICAL FICTION Novel Festival:
https://festivalfordrama.com/historical-fiction-novel-festival/

Historical fiction is a literary genre that involves a fictional story set in the past, often inspired by real historical events or figures. Historical fiction novels are set in the past and pay close attention to the details of the time period, such as social norms, customs, and traditions. Characters can be based on real people or be entirely fictional.

POLITICAL Screenplay Festival:
https://politicalfeedbackfestival.events/political-screenplay-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

MEMOIR & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Short Story Contest:
https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/memoir-autobiography-short-story-festival/

The main difference between a memoir and an autobiography is the scope of the story:a memoir is about a specific time period or event in the author’s life, while an autobiography is a comprehensive account of the author’s entire life. Both memoirs and autobiographies are written from the author’s perspective.

FANTASY/SCI-FI Film & Screenplay Festival: