Author: festreviews

Filmmaker Mark Anatoly Falko (VAMPIRES AT NIGHT)

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VAMPIRES AT NIGHT, 20min., Canada
Directed by Mark Anatoly Falko
A young happy couple are attacked by a vampire. Soon, the young woman transforms into a monster. Will true love prevail?

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I was inspired by my love of horror films and classic black & white films, more specifically the films of F.W. Murnau.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took me a year, from October 2023 – October 2024. Most of the film was volunteers, so you had to work around their schedules.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Evoke Emotion.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time, money and organizing people. Again, since everyone was volunteers you had to work around their schedules.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was very happy that they enjoyed it. I was also very happy that the criticisms they had were the same ones I had, I feel like I have a better understanding of what audiences expect.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Around high school, I directed a couple one act plays but I found film more intriguing.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Honestly, probably 2008’s ‘Drillbit Taylor’. Through junior high and high school I played that movie on DVD over and over again on the weekends while I was home alone, usually falling asleep and waking up to the play menu. Otherwise, I’d say maybe Welles’ ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘F for Fake’ I’ve seen a lot. If not those, possibly my vhs of ‘Mystery Men’ or ‘Lion King’ when I was a child.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Nothing really, your festival is really the best festival I’ve seen so far. You guys offered wonder options and really helped me advertise my film with all the work you guys have done. I’m absolutely gonna apply to your festival for every horror film I make. Let me know if you guys branch off into other genres as well.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It’s going alright so far, very organized and the website looks aesthetically appealing.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Oven cooked hickory sauce pork chops and pan fried brown rice with steamed broccoli made by my Mother.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I’m working on a sister film to ‘Vampires At Night’ which will be about witches, hopefully I can get it finished by the end of 2025. Aside from that I’m just trying to write and get involved in more projects.

HomeNew Film on the Platform: QUEER MONGOL, 16min., Mongolia, Documentary/LGBTQ+

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Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-queer-mongol

Queer Mongol follows four characters over the course of Mongolia’s LGBTQ+ Pride Festival, who embody a diversity of gender and sexual identities. The film is a meditation on queerness in the non-west and a nuanced glimpse into a nascent movement on the Central Asian Steppe.

Directed by Brandt Miller

Associate Producer & Editor: Matt Wilkinson

About Me

https://www.instagram.com/bookofbrandt

New Film on the Platform: SALT, 3min,. Germany, Fashion/Experimental Film

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Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-salt

Salt tells the story of a group of people who shed their fear of the elemental forces of nature and instead rediscover the power of nature, returning more to their own roots.

Directed by Dominik Hill

Cast: Sophia Friesen, Marika Welling, Rachel Rep, Lotte Kleihaue, Aminata Sanogo, Nicola Müller-De Ahna

https://www.instagram.com/hello_dominik

March 2025 Toronto/LA LGBTQ+ Festival Testimonials.

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Deadline to Submit to the Festival for an Automatic Acceptance:

I am thrilled to share my experience with the LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival. The professionalism and communication from the festival team have been outstanding. From the submission process to the announcement of our win, they have been incredibly supportive and responsive. Their dedication to celebrating and showcasing diverse voices in film is truly commendable. It has been an honor to be part of such a well-organized and passionate festival. Highly recommend!

Great experience be part of your festival!!!!

I want to thank the LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival for selecting Somnium, and for the award for Best Student Film! I am very honored. What makes this festival stand out is the audience feedback, which was gracious and very appreciated. If you’re a filmmaker and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I highly recommend the folks over at this festival.

LGBTQ+ Toronto Film Festival provided our short film, ‘Ave Marie’ online and in-person screenings with feedback, opportunities for further promotion and clear communication.

Thank you for the opportunity to showcase Fruit Loops. The audience feedback was so valuable.

Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker James Jarosz (SPACE TRASH)

festreviews PODCASTS

Space Trash, 9min,. USA

Directed by James Jarosz

Short film and first installment of web series. A galactic garbage collector picks up a seemingly innocuous piece of space junk but it turns out to be more than he bargained for. This sci-fi action comedy will have you laughing, entertained and wanting more.

https://www.instagram.com/jimbrokenreelpics

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Back in the mid 90s I read an article about space junk and how difficult it was going to be for shuttles and rockets to launch without hitting orbital debris. I was also very interested in the idea of taking an ordinary blue collar job and making it the most dangerous job in the future. The marriage of those two ideas along with my love for 70s and 80s sci fi films became the seed for Space Trash.   


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

I was very pleased. It was great to hear what people outside of the project thought of the film and that they very clearly understood the world I was trying to create. I’m glad that the humer landed and that overall people found it entertaining.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod

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

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Watch Today’s Festival: Chicago DOC Shorts Festival: March 10/11 event

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Watch Festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/chicago-doc-shorts

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:

My Block My Hero, 25min., USA
Directed by Gina D’Onofrio
Jahmal Cole is the founder of My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to inspire youth and empower local communities. He has been shot twice in his day-to-day life, an unfortunate reality that the teenagers and communities he has dedicated the organization to uplifting face on a daily basis in the murder capital of the United States. By leading community-driven efforts, Cole has made it his goal to build a better world one block at a time, while positively impacting the lives of the teens who grow up there. Through the Explorers program, My Block My Hood My City enables youth from Chicago’s divested neighborhoods to discover the world beyond their blocks, by taking them on enriching experiences across the city and the country that open the doors to new possibilities. In their latest adventure, the Explorers went behind the scenes at the Shedd Aquarium to learn how researchers are working to preserve the world’s endangered coral reefs.

http://www.youreverydayheroes.com/https://www.instagram.com/youreverydayheroes/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-my-block-my-hero



Beehold, 18min., USA
Directed by Ben Berry
From his work with local nuns looking for answers about their barren apple trees to his consulting with golf courses in natural habitat management to classrooms, and his own design workshop – he is a true beeliever in the good story – the gospel of abundance as taught by bees and he’s helping protect Wisconsin’s beloved pollinators. It’s called Behold and our story starts here. Humm Productions, in collaboration with Mtn Craft Productions, has pioneered a new media format called DocuPod™. It combines the power of short, immersive documentaries with engaging podcast audio to create a captivating 360-degree experience for audiences.

https://www.hummproductions.org/episodes/
https://www.instagram.com/impactually_show/

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

More Than, 19min,. USA
Directed by Stephanie Strauss
After a year of aggressive treatment for metastatic breast cancer, Nina is processing her past trauma and her unexpected future. When a team of artists offer her a unique opportunity to explore healing through the performing arts, Nina is gifted a new perspective of her experience. “More Than” follows the creative process of translating a personal story into art, and the emotional impact it can have on the storyteller.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-more-than

New Film on the Platform: ZARDA, 17min., Pakistan, Drama/Family

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Watch Film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-zarda

ARDA (Sweet-rice, a local desert in Pakistan) is a slice-of-life, Docufiction film.
We peek into the life of a young Pakistani teenage girl Shella who comes from a conservative, lower middle-class family but dreams with an open heart. Slowly stepping out into the real world, Shella is fascinated by the ever-changing aesthetic of the modern life. One such occurrence accounts to her looking at a girl getting hair dyed pink, leaving her utterly mesmerized and longing for something like that for herself. Unfortunately, her cultural norms and lack of bodily autonomy renders it impossible until she is forced to realize and challenge these norms and find her own way out.

Directed by Zainab Hassan