May 2025 ACTION/FANTASY/SCI-FI/THRILLER Festival Testimonials 

Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway. Deadline Today:

My team and I were beyond thrilled once we went through thorough reviews and feedback provided my the festival. And even beyond thrilled to find out we were selected as best feature film. The Last Pirate team warmly thanks Action/Adventure Film & Screenplay Festival for the time, professionalism and for what you do. We live in times we’re independent platforms level the playing field and give a true chance to recognize creatives.


Absolutely 💯 the BEST FESTIVAL I’m ever been involved with. Definitely submit again


Amazing opportunity to get professional feedback for free and a scene reading with pro actors! Great festival to showcase our work, and also providing additional services to improve it.


Excellent Festival! Their communication is just wonderful, they keep you in the loop with it all, and very few festivals offer feedback on your film, these guys do it!


This festival includes so much for the creators and is all about getting the word out about their work. It was an honor to be a part of the festival, and they made me feel like an A-lister right off the bat. Would highly recommend!


Today’s Writing Deadlines: May 17, 2025

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

PARANORMAL 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.


MAGICAL REALISM Short Story Festival (everyone wins):

Submit your MAGICAL REALISM 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 MAGICAL REALISM genre. Magical realism stories feature fantastical elements that seem ordinary and blend into the story.The focus is on what the magical elements mean for the characters, rather than the elements themselves.


LITERARY Fiction Novel Festival:

Literary fiction isa category of novels that prioritize style, character, and theme over plot.It’s often considered to be more serious than genre fiction, which is commercial fiction written for entertainment.

3 ways to submit: 1st chapter. full novel. performance reading.


1 Page Screenplay Contest (everyone wins):
https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/297775/1pg-short-story-contest-everyone-wins



ACTION/FANTASY/SCI-FI/THRILLER Festival:


Watch Today’s FREE Film Festival: Best of ENVIRONMENTAL Shorts

Event goes LIVE for FREE at 8pm EST (New York time) Wednesday May 14, 2025!

Watch on the site page: http://www.wildsound.ca/browse

Direct page link https://www.wildsound.ca/events/best-of-environmental-shorts

Or watch on the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/wildsoundfest

Mosnel di Franciacorta, 28min., Italy
Directed by Massimo Zanichelli
Twenty-eight minutes, which are an exciting journey into memory, remembering the figure of Emanuela Barzanò Barboglio, pioneer of the Franciacorta area and mother of Giulio and Lucia Barzanò, and above all in the present of the company, which Zanichelli interprets by showing in a poetic way the work in the countryside and in the cellar during the succession of the seasons.

http://www.mosnel.com/https://www.instagram.com/ilmosnel

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-mosnel-di-fran



2124, 4min., USA
Directed by Konstantine Vlasis, Marcus Neudigate
Data sonification of glacial change over the next century.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-2124



FROZEN WATERS, 25min., USA
Directed by Anastasia Fetisov
Frozen Waters chronicles the awe-inspiring journey of endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh as he becomes the first person to swim beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet. In this historic feat, Pugh swims 1 kilometre through subglacial rivers, navigating icy tunnels and freezing waters, all while advocating for the protection of the planet’s oceans. The documentary captures not only the physical challenge but also the urgent environmental message behind his swim, highlighting the delicate balance of Antarctica’s ecosystem and the global consequences of climate change. Through Frozen Waters, Pugh’s mission for marine conservation comes to life, urging world leaders to act before it’s too late. The film is a powerful call to action, showing the connection between human resilience and environmental preservation.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-frozen-waters

WINGS OF GOLD, 6min,. India
Directed by Sanjeev Venkataramanan, Navaneeth Krishnan
Presenting Wings of Gold – A Symphonic Thillana in Hamir Kalyani —a groundbreaking musical experience where the grandeur of symphonic orchestration meets the timeless beauty of Carnatic music.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-wings-of-gold

Baka, The Wisdom Of The Forest, 46min., Cameroon
Directed by Rui Diogo, Denis Ndeloh, Muleng Timngun
At a time of international chaotic events, wars, global warming, and ecological collapse of several crucial global habitats, it is urgent to pay attention to, and learn from, indigenous groups that have lived in complete balance with other organisms for millennia. Among the very few human groups that have some members that still live completely in tropical forests, the Baka is one of the oldest ones – they have lived in the Congo basin forests of Africa for more than 50,000 years. No other group knows the forest, the behavior of its animals, the medical properties of its plants, and the very delicate ecological connections between them and all other organisms, as the Baka.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-baka-the-wisdom

ICE BREATH, 43min,. Romania
Directed by Leonard Alecu
Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu filmed the melting icebergs off Greenland’s East coast. Sailing dangerously close to icebergs, Alecu handled his camera to record the ice masses yielding to the ruthless ocean. Filmed in black and white, Ice Breath is a cinematic poem whose only elusive actor is the filmmaker’s gaze. In 43 minutes, a sequence of flat pictures turn into dynamic tableaux, an existential journey from genesis to extinction. The hypnotic feature of the film is enhanced by the soundtrack Become Ocean, a haunting composition by John Luther Adams suggestive of a relentless tidal surge, of melting polar ice and rising sea levels. Become Ocean received critical acclaim, earning the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. More than an environmental documentary, Ice Breath and Become Ocean is an experimental fusion exploring the vast, inscrutable meanings of climate change.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-ice-breath-film

MOVIE TRAILER: ICE BREATH, 43min,. Romania

The film goes LIVE for FREE at 8pm EST (New York time): Friday, May 16, 2025!

Part of the best of ENVIRONMENTAL Shorts Film Festival lineup.

Watch on the site page: http://www.wildsound.ca/browse


ICE BREATH, 43min,. Romania
Directed by Leonard Alecu
Between 2015 and 2024, Leonard Alecu filmed the melting icebergs off Greenland’s East coast. Sailing dangerously close to icebergs, Alecu handled his camera to record the ice masses yielding to the ruthless ocean. Filmed in black and white, Ice Breath is a cinematic poem whose only elusive actor is the filmmaker’s gaze. In 43 minutes, a sequence of flat pictures turn into dynamic tableaux, an existential journey from genesis to extinction. The hypnotic feature of the film is enhanced by the soundtrack Become Ocean, a haunting composition by John Luther Adams suggestive of a relentless tidal surge, of melting polar ice and rising sea levels. Become Ocean received critical acclaim, earning the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Music and the 2015 Grammy for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. More than an environmental documentary, Ice Breath and Become Ocean is an experimental fusion exploring the vast, inscrutable meanings of climate change.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-ice-breath-film

MOVIE TRAILER: FROZEN WATERS, 25min., USA

The film goes LIVE for FREE at 8pm EST (New York time): Friday, May 16, 2025!

Part of the best of ENVIRONMENTAL Shorts Film Festival lineup.

Watch on the site page: http://www.wildsound.ca/browse


FROZEN WATERS, 25min., USA
Directed by Anastasia Fetisov
Frozen Waters chronicles the awe-inspiring journey of endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh as he becomes the first person to swim beneath Antarctica’s ice sheet. In this historic feat, Pugh swims 1 kilometre through subglacial rivers, navigating icy tunnels and freezing waters, all while advocating for the protection of the planet’s oceans. The documentary captures not only the physical challenge but also the urgent environmental message behind his swim, highlighting the delicate balance of Antarctica’s ecosystem and the global consequences of climate change. Through Frozen Waters, Pugh’s mission for marine conservation comes to life, urging world leaders to act before it’s too late. The film is a powerful call to action, showing the connection between human resilience and environmental preservation.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-frozen-waters

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1495: Screenwriter Olivier Ross-Parent (TAKE CARE)

Watch best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrexqrq7AIE

Something has happenned in Mady’s life. As an immigrant woman in America, she has achieved the American dream; A successful career as a doctor of psychology, a lavish home, nice car, and, most importantly a husband and two wonderful children, yet something is missing. Not knowing what it is, she goes looking for it in strange places and in ethically-questionable ways.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?
It’s about an immigrant woman, who has embodied the American dream by becoming a successful psychologist, a wife, and a mother, yet has started living an increasingly destructive double life to escape her existential despair.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller. Dark Comedy, maybe. Always find this question hard to answer.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Control and abandon.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

It’s a tie between Eraserhead, and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers.(1978)

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

2 years, on and off.

Subscribe to the podcast:

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

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

May 2025 FEMALE Feedback Film Festival Testimonials!!

The FEEDBACK Female Film Festival (FFFF) was created for women filmmakers and screenwriters. The goal is to showcase the best of female talent in film & TV from around the world.

Deadline Today to submit via FilmFreeway:

The FEEDBACK Female Film Festival is a great platform that really supports female filmmakers. They offer amazing opportunities to get your work seen and promoted. One of the best parts for me was getting the audience feedback video to my short film ‘Sequoia’—seeing real reactions to ‘Sequoia’ felt truly special and rewarding. Huge thanks as well to the festival for awarding us Best Visual Design. It was an honor to be part of it!


This is an amazing festival!! The communication and the professionalism of the team is wonderful. The promotion of my short film “Another Saturday” has been beyond what I have experienced in other festivals. The amount of promotional options for my film has helped my as a filmmaker most notably the video of the audience FEEDBACK. I know of no other festival that provides this capability. I am so honored that it was chosen as Best Story. Thank you FEEDBACK Female Film Festival for an experience that I will never forget and am so grateful.


A very positive experience overall. I was delighted with some very insightful feedback on “The Birthday List” and love that this festival supports female writers. Highly recommend! Thank you.


I love this festival because it offers so many opportunities for the director, it is really original like no other. Thank you for the award to our The finger and the moon, we are very happy. Thank you for the feedback and thanks to all the people who have spent words on our film. Great!!!


I really appreciate the ability to hear from the audience members as this is the main thing I miss since many festivals have gone on-line. Here, I am able to get that connection from the comfort of my own home! I also appreciate the opportunity for a podcast interview and other publicity opportunities and am so grateful for the award! Overall it has been a wonderful experience.


Today’s Writing Deadlines: May 16, 2025

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

EXPERIMENTAL Short Story Festival (everyone wins):

Accept only stories that fit into the experimental genre. An experimental story is a narrative that challenges traditional storytelling conventions and explores new concepts and representations of the world. Experimental stories often use innovative language, non-traditional narrative structures, and metafiction to create unconventional and complex stories.

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


DYSTOPIAN 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 Novel 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.

3 ways to submit: 1st chapter. full novel. performance reading.


FEMALE Feedback Film & Screenplay Festival:

New Film on the Platform: FRUIT LOOPS, 15min., Romance/LGBTQ+/Comedy

Watch the film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-fruit-loops

Sign up for the FREE 3-day trial to watch the film and 450+ award winning films.

A 30 something year old lesbian from NYC documents a series of horrible dates as she tries to find the one.

http://www.daniellebero.com/fruitloops

https://www.instagram.com/fruitloopsfilm

Directed by Danielle Bero

Cast: Naomi Zabasajja

Director Statement:

I wanted to be a poet and film director since I was a kid because I wanted to tell critical stories and be ultimately be bossy. I wanted to tell stories and hold an audience captive momentarily with something incredible, just for a moment. The way Free Willy held me captive as a child. I ended up spending 17 years in education because everything seemed to being going to shit and it felt like the easiest way to make an impact. What do all my students over the last 17 years all have in common? .. they all consume media.. and a lot of it. No better way to make an impact than through film, more specially short films and series so people can pace themselves or get the bite sized chunks our ADHD world facilitates.


Growing up, I was not exposed to much queer media other than the occasional episode of Will and Grace, but not for lack of trying. By the time I got to college, The L Word was the closest we got to relationships that resembled ours. Any queer films or shows I could get my hands on was about belonging riddled in trauma- important stories to tell but it was the only lens that was filtering. I longed for something that showed the nuance, universality, humor and most importantly joy in lesbian relationships.


As a poet, I believe in exploring identity and experience as the substance of my art. Fruit Loops is the extension of my own experience which in some ways is a very universal one. This is my first project as a screenwriter and also as a director and after several decades in a different field, I was finally able to begin my pathway in film. I intentionally cultivated a cast and crew of women, nonbinary and queer folks to work on this mockumentary style short film. Fruit Loops is a love letter to queer storytelling where the focal point isn’t trauma or fighting for acceptance. I seek to display raw, genuine intersectionality and raw, genuine human connections in all their beauty and ugliness with the queer community as the backdrop for these stories being told.


It is time that entertainment and media can relate and connect to all facets of the human condition and not just the most dominant narratives. In a country that moves deeper each day in seeking to destroy the trans community and working to erase LGBTQIA+ rights, it is a priority now more than ever to tell joyful and normalizing stories to connect all of our experiences and find the humor in our struggles to find love and belonging.

MOVIE TRAILER: OBJECTS OF DESIRE – BLADE, 18min., USA, LGBTQ+ Tragic Drama/Dark Comedy

Watch Film HERE: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-objects-of-desire-blade

Sign up for the FREE 3-day trial to watch the film and 450+ award winning films.


https://www.instagram.com/susurrone

Miami Film Festival Winner – This captivating dark comedy follows the eventful journey of Jessy, a morally ambiguous young man who finds himself entangled in a web of challenges when his mother is kidnapped. To settle his debt, Jessy reluctantly sets out to seduce Carlos, an older man in a vulnerable state of decline.

Directed by Alejandro Renteria

Written by Jorge Luis Sanchez-Noya

Cast: Alex Cowley, Mauricio Renteria, Lili Renteria

Director Statement
This first story is part of a feature film design to reflect this statement.-
The time spent on this earth is marked by the attention we give to our desires or the time we spend running away from suffering. This story develops and shows us the tragic force behind these silent motivators of human behavior. Miami is a hub for the Spanish speaker community world wide. This story happens to be spread out between Argentina, Mexico, Spain and Miami. This is a device to show the difference of tone, color and/or flavor of these cultural idiosyncrasies. This will aid to highlight how these silent motivators of human behavior remain the same regardless of the location. Using these four stories in different geographic spots while they are conceptually intertwined will show the audience these silent motivators with the hope they will recognize them, not just to be entertained but learn deeper truth about themself. As a result of having lived for long periods of time in different countries, has allowed me to perceive this simple truth, I want to share it and to show how similar we are at the core, no matter the location. The four short stories are tragedies with a tone of dark comedy, (one of those four has already been shot, link is attached.) The rest will be shot in similar manners, cinematic, subdued color schemes, low key lighting, high contrast cinematography. The fifth one is more of a dreamlike and will be closer to a romantic comedy look. One actor will play 4 different characters as he symbolically represents death, This will be evident with the final story.

Story short review

“Objetos de Deseo” is an 18-minute indie short film directed by Alejandro Renteria. It revolves around Jessi, played by Alex Cowley, who finds himself in a desperate situation in Miami and must make ethically questionable decisions to resolve it. The film expertly combines dramatic misdirection, tension, and a touch of dark humor. It explores themes of need, manipulation, and the lure of easy money, all set against the backdrop of Miami’s nighttime streets. The story unfolds as Jessi attempts to strike a deal with Mr. Lord, portrayed by Mauricio Rentería, but soon realizes he may not be in control of the situation. As the layers of deception are peeled back, the narrative keeps viewers engaged, leading to a surprising and impactful finale. The performances by the leads, Cowley and Rentería, showcase their characters’ complexity and the film’s understated style complements the storyline. Overall, “Objetos de Deseo” offers a fresh take on a cat and mouse game, making it a captivating indie film that explores human nature and the choices we make under extreme circumstances.