Author: festreviews

Today’s Writing Deadlines: July 7, 2025

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

LITERARY FICTION Short Story Contest (everyone wins):
https://festivalfordrama.com/literary-fiction-short-story/

Submit your Literary Fiction 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.

GRAPHIC NOVEL Festival:
https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/314021/graphic-novel-full-novel-festival

“Graphic Novel” isa format, not a genre. Graphic novels can be fiction, non-fiction, history, fantasy, or anything in-between. Graphic novels are similar to comic books because they use sequential art to tell a story. Unlike comic books, graphic novels are generally stand-alone stories with more complex plots.

STUDENT Screenplay Festival:
https://studentfeedbackfestival.com/student-screenplay-festival-2/

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

Toronto/LA LGBTQ+ Film & Screenplay Festival:

Actor’s Podcast #18: Elena Franke (FLÜGGE)

festreviews PODCASTS

FLÜGGE, 25min., Germany
Directed by Leopold Schraudolph, Dani Rose Cortés
In an Austrian mountain village in 1914, the determined Amelie (20) must defy her father’s wishes of running the family sewing business to pursue her own dreams of flight and seize her only chance at finding true freedom.

Hannah Ehman chats with actress Elena Franke about her award-winning performance in the short film FLÜGGE.

Elena Franke Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elena_frnke/

——

Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/

Watch Hannah’s commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman

Subscribe to the podcast:

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

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1532: Filmmaker Job Michiel van Zuijlen (KHENTOPIA)

festreviews PODCASTS

KHENTOPIA, 72min., USA
Directed by Job Michiel van Zuijlen
Khentopia is a peaceful society on the planet Zeeray, where ethereal energy generated through chanting at Harmony Center is used to feed a protective shield that envelops the planet. All is well, until one June morning in 2502, the crew of raider ship Space Wolf is intent on breaking through the shield to carry out a pillage mission. They succeed in obliterating the ethereal power generation and so the protective shield. On top of that, a parallel universe emerges with an alternate Khentopia that is harsh and hostile.

http://khentopia.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

The idea for Khentopia already existed for another story, but the inauguration of Trump 1 in 2017 made me think that we had entered a parallel world. I developed a new story with that in mind.

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

It took about seven years. To get the story itself right was a challenge. I knew the beginning and the end, but I struggled with the middle.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Khentopia regained.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Because it took such a long time, the biggest challenge was to stay interested. It is also a lot of work, and some scenes are necessary but kind of tedious to do.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was pleasantly surprised by the insightful comments, especially from the second woman. She was able to distill various elements that I had put into the story and expressed them clearly.

Subscribe to the podcast:

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

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Today’s FilmFreeway Testimonial: HORROR Underground Film Festival

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Deadline Today to Submit via FilmFreeway:

Horror Underground Film Festival goes above and beyond for indie filmmakers. From the hybrid screening and detailed audience feedback to the filmmaker interview and generous promotional tools, every step felt intentional and supportive. I’m truly honored to receive the Best Director award from the audience—thank you for creating such a dynamic and engaging platform for the storytellers!

July 2025 CHICAGO Feedback Film Festival Testimonials

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Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

The team at Chicago Feedback Film Festival were so welcoming – it’s well run with excellent communication. To receive such positive feedback from a neutral audience was encouraging and held real value. Delighted to have won Best Thriller. Thank you Chicago!

The festival was great and we received a lot of good feedback. We were happily surprised to see that they also gave out recognition awards. We will submit to this again.

Very good festival with feedback that showed some understanding of the project.

This festival is absolutely amazing. I love, love, love them. I hope all of my films can get in. I’m so happy that my short, Rock Island Prison 1864 was selected. They treat filmmakers extremely well, they are caring, they are helpful, and they really want to promote films made by their selected filmmakers. Thank you!

Very nice folks, and an interesting process of getting the feedback video, doing a Q&A, and then recording an interview. The recorded responses are thoughtful.

Great experience! We got a video-feedback reviews and we participated in an interview as well as in a podcast! Such a nice guys, moreover our movie won May edition thus we are very happy 🙂

Today’s Writing Deadlines: July 6, 2025

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

WESTERN Screenplay Festival:
https://storypitches.com/western-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

PARANORMAL Short Story Festival (everyone wins):
https://fantasyscififestival.com/paranormal-short-story-festival/

A paranormal story is a work of fiction that explores phenomena and beings that are beyond the scope of scientific understanding. They include elements like ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, and other entities that cannot be explained by the laws of nature. They can be set in the real world, but generally includes elements that defy scientific explanation.

MEMOIR & AUTOBIOGRAPHY Novel Festival:
https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/memoir-autobiography-novel-festival/

– 3 options to submit. (full novel. 1st chapter novel. performance reading.)

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.

Deadline Today: Toronto COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival:

Watch Today’s FREE Film Festival: Best of MUSIC Film Fest

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

Watch the festival here: https://festivalreviews.org/2025/07/04/watch-todays-free-festival-khentopia-sci-fi-feature-film-winner/

Watch the best of MUSIC Shorts Films around the world today anytime (library of over 50 films):
https://www.wildsound.ca/music-short-films

See the Full Lineup of Films:

Chaton – From the Future, 3min,. USA
Directed by Marcus CB Soori
Chaton’s super-danceable and hard-punching debut track is inspired by futurism, the aspiration to create technologies seemingly from the future, to enable a better life for us all today.

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

The Once Upon a Time that Never Was, 3min., Canada
Directed by Deb Ethier
Animated experimental music video for the original song “The Once Upon a Time that Never Was”. With words and music by Deb Ethier and sung by Belén Mariscotti, the song evokes those compelling (and often disquieting) moments from childhood fairy tales, challenging our memories of them.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-once-upon-a-time

Immersed – A Cinematic Immersive Album by Justin Gray, 60min,. Canada
Directed by Justin Gray, Michael Fisher
Justin Gray’s Immersed is a groundbreaking cinematic album that transforms how audiences experience music. Composed, recorded, and produced as an immersive audio experience, the album features 38 artists from Toronto and around the globe, placing listeners at the center of a three-dimensional global orchestra.

https://www.instagram.com/justingraysound/

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

Churches Rise On My Skeleton, 3min,. USA
Directed by Gina Furnan
“Churches Rise On My Skeleton” is the lead single and first short film connected to Eric Terino’s conceptual live album “Indelible Sundries”. The track, which sets an autumnal mood to introduce the project, is a meditation on the shared experience of bereavement that Terino describes as “a desperate plea for understanding, addressed from one ghost to another.”

https://instagram.com/ericterino

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-churches-rise

Watch Today’s FREE Festival: KHENTOPIA (Sci-Fi Feature Film Winner)

festreviews Watch Free Films, Watch Today's Film Festival

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

Watch the festival here: https://www.wildsound.ca/events/khentopia-sci-fi-feature-film-winner

KHENTOPIA, 72min., USA
Directed by Job Michiel van Zuijlen
Khentopia is a peaceful society on the planet Zeeray, where ethereal energy generated through chanting at Harmony Center is used to feed a protective shield that envelops the planet. All is well, until one June morning in 2502, the crew of raider ship Space Wolf is intent on breaking through the shield to carry out a pillage mission. They succeed in obliterating the ethereal power generation and so the protective shield. On top of that, a parallel universe emerges with an alternate Khentopia that is harsh and hostile.

http://khentopia.com/

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

July 2025 FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival Testimonials

festreviews filmfreeway, FilmFreeway Review

Submit via FilmFreeway:

Such a wonderful fest, amazing feedback and really enthusiastic and attentive viewership. Would recommend!

Great festival, I am honored to have been included in this festival. My film ended up winning best Sci-Fi movie award! The audience feed back they provide is very helpful.

I won best short sci-fi film, and I was taken good care of by staff. They really focus on the heart of what drives filmmakers. It’s how festivals used to be, and still should be.

I was so honored to have several projects selected for this awesome festival! Looking forward to sharing more in the future. 🎬

Thank you for selecting ‘Spirit Traveler: Looking into the Past for a Better Future’ and awarding the film Best Documentary! It was a pleasure to work with Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film Festival! You made 2023 the best!