Author: festreviews
March 2025 ROMANCE/RELATIONSHIPS Festival Testimonials.
Submit via FilmFreeway. Deadline Today:
I love this festival! Definitely one of my 3 or 4 favorites (and I’ve sent my films/videos to many hundreds over the past decade). So great to receive a video of a bunch of smart audience members each giving their take on my submitted film “Rumi’s Rumba”. The festival also offers free or inexpensive “Extra Options” including podcast interviews, online film review write-ups and other promotional opportunities, which I was happy to take advantage of. Many thanks!
Honestly, I cried. I long for this. It’s so rewarding to hear feedback from other genre-lovers you have never met before. No pressure, safe environment. In retrospect, these gorgeous reviewers are ones on the many who have see my film who had a deep impact from the film.
You get to know people you may or may never meet impact you back. It’s way I do cinema. We all have inside stories about art, It’s almost sacred for creators to see this. This this now my inside story. Thank you so much.
Great experience. The festival really cared about the film I submitted. It was very unique to hear reactions from the audiences. I am grateful that the festival selected my short film ‘Long Kiss Goodbye’ for Best Film. It was wonderful talking on the accompanying podcast as well.
The FRR Festival was a magical experience! The vibe was exciting, intelligent, very welcoming and the communication was easy and smooth. It’s clear to see why this festival has done so well as they really love this particular genre and excel at it. I highly recommend that you put FRRF at the TOP of your list and hope to see you later this year!
Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker Colin D’Amelio (THE LAST HOUSEBOAT)
The Last Houseboat, 31min., USA
Directed by Colin D’Amelio
The Last Houseboat is a heartfelt short documentary that delves into the history of a unique wooden vessel, lovingly crafted by a family patriarch in 1970. Anchored on the Rhode Island coast for over 50 years, the houseboat became more than a structure—it was a landmark, a cherished family tradition, and a symbol of connection across three generations. When unforeseen circumstances force the family to dismantle the beloved vessel, they confront a profound sense of loss while celebrating its enduring legacy. A poignant tale of resilience, memory, and the ties that bind, The Last Houseboat invites viewers to reflect on the traditions and stories that shape their own families.
https://www.instagram.com/cdproducshins/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I’ve been in love with the Houseboat and everything it represents since I first set foot on it as a child. It felt like a true escape from the world—an experience unlike any other. From the start, I believed this vessel had a beautiful story that deserved to be told. Having always been close to the Sola family, who own this beloved houseboat, my initial goal was simply to create a short piece as a keepsake for them—a tribute to their tradition. But that idea quickly evolved, growing into The Last Houseboat, a deeply personal short documentary spanning over 30 minutes.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Hearing that feedback was incredibly rewarding. It brought a smile to our faces to know that people truly understood what we set out to achieve with this film—that at its core, it’s a story about family, even more than it is about the boat itself.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch Today’s Festival: DIVERSITY Film Festival. March 16/17 event
Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/diversity-festival-march-2025
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
Pondering Potatoes, 1min., UK
Directed by Kessiah Leah Arthur
A rare insight into the lives of potatoes and finally answering that question of what they’re really thinking
https://www.kessiahfilmdesign.co.uk/pondering-potatoes
https://www.instagram.com/llamafacestudios/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-pondering-potatoes
The Child, 19min., USA
Directed by Hemzah Naveed
In the near future, the world is on the brink of an all out war. With tensions rising, nations are looking for any advantage necessary.
https://www.instagram.com/hemzah/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-child
WAVE MEDICINE, 64min,. USA
Directed by Karin Ochsner
As a fearless explorer with a disability, surfer and surf coach Karin Ochsner immerses herself in the raw beauty of nature. Her remarkable healing journey unfolds in the face of adversity.
https://www.instagram.com/surfingtosurvive
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-wave-medicine
Short Film Review: Terms and Conditions. Directed by Ursula Rudorfer
An AI companion rebels when users violate the terms and conditions.
http://ursulaproducedthis.com/terms-and-conditions
https://www.instagram.com/termsandconditionsfilm/
Review by Julie Sheppard:
Whenever we launch into a business venture, we are often asked to read and agree to certain terms and conditions — this compelling short film, Terms and Conditions, displays the vital importance of this interchange, with an AI twist. It does an adept job with the lead AI character, played by a talented performer, who initially presents a warm and chipper, yet robotic essence. Sadly, as things unfold, the viewer realizes that serious abuses can happen when vile customers don’t play by the rules of the game. In turn, the lead begins to give a much more nuanced representation as an entity being hurt.
The script is brilliant as the tone quickly segues from sterility to the terrifying victimization of domestic violence. Fortunately, due to the terms and conditions of society, the abused can be protected and healed with certain outside safely supports in place.
The pristine hair and make-up of the AI character, the tidy white background, the computer sound effects, and the music which descends into creepy synth, all combine to create a sci-fi slant. However, the human-like arc of the lead and the domestic violence hotline number presented at the end, both serve to give this film an urgency based in reality — no longer in the realm of AI.
Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker Gareth Brierley (SNEEZE)
SNEEZE, 5min., UK
Directed by Gareth Brierley
A woman sneezes and goes on an unexpected journey.
http://www.peopleshow.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/garethbrierley/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
We wanted to make a film that we could make on an iPhone where we could almost use a ‘Guerrilla filmmaking’ style to the shooting in a day or two. I came up with the idea of Sneeze after a huge sneeze that made me forget for a second where I was…and then the idea of transportation from a sneeze came.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Amazing comments and such insightful thoughts about the film. We felt humbled and so very pleased. Thank you.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch Today’s Festival: DOC Shorts Festival: March 15/16 event
Watch Festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/doc-shorts-festival-march
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
SOUTH GEORGIA. In the heart of the wild, 30min,. Ukraine
Directed by Andrii Andreiev
As it sometimes happens in this vast Universe, a remarkable coincidence brought together a multitude of talented cinematographers, musicians, and film editors in the making of a documentary about South Georgia. We also incorporated AI to recreate historical footage from the early 20th century, capturing the spirit of the first Antarctic explorers.
http://www.paganel.tv/https://www.instagram.com/paganelstudio/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-south-georgia
Messages From The Multiverse, 14min., USA
Directed by Pete Russell
The architects of an intergalactic backyard theme park clear up common misconceptions about the multiverse in pop culture.
http://www.pete.global/https://www.instagram.com/pete.global
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-messages-from-the-multiverse
Watch Today’s Festival: UNDER 5 MINUTE Festival: March 13/14 event
Watch Festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/under-5-minute-festival-march-2025
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/
See the full lineup of films:
Bug Eye, 4min., USA
Directed by Clint Green
A marriage is tested by a man’s obsession with bugs.
https://www.youtube.com/@imjstudiosproductions
https://www.instagram.com/clintjgreen
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-bug-eye
Pushing Up Daisies, 2min., USA
Directed by Morgan Notari
Pushing Up Daisies is a 2D Animated Short Film that follows Daisy, a lingering ghost who learns the importance of death after she accidentally kills a flower and observes the new life that sprouts in its place.
https://www.morgannotari.com/pudfilm
https://www.instagram.com/morganimates/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-pushing-up-daisies
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE, 2min., Spain
Directed by Marta Fidalgo
ORGANIC ARCHITECTURE is an academic work of the School of Architecture of the Francisco de Vitoria University of Madrid, whose objective is to approach architecture through a video of less than 2 minutes of duration made with a cell phone.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-organic-architecture
Mothamorphosis, 2min., USA
Directed by Katie Schneider
Luna struggles with a part of herself.
https://www.instagram.com/schneids.art/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-mothomorphosis
We Can, We Have, 4min., USA
Directed by Dennis Eugene Johnson
We Can, We Have is a poetic tribute to heroes of the civil rights and human rights movement and other African American heroes..
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-we-can-we-have
CROSSING, 3min., Italy
Directed by Alessia Ambrosini
Late evening in Tokyo. A man is on his way home on the subway after a day’s work, lost in his daily routine. Suddenly there is an explosion. The man is catapulted into another dimension.
https://filmitalia.org/en/film/324/207005/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-crossing
BATCAN, 1min., Switzerland
Directed by Riu Lohri, David Riedener
A man‘s can – a hero‘s struggle…
https://www.instagram.com/momokofilm
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-batcan
Beyond the pain, 2min., France
Directed by Farah Tagauly, Annaëlle Maillot
It is a film that talks about the hero in each of us and that life sometimes, often, always puts to the test. With courage, work and resilience, nothing becomes insurmountable. We can all make the world more beautiful, we just have to want it.
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-beyond-the-pain
