Author: festreviews

Deadline Today: ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival (Today’s FilmFreeway Deadline)

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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.

Submit via FilmFreeway:

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.

Recent Testimonial:

I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt appreciation for the remarkable experience I had at the Environmental Film & Screenplay Festival.

The entire event was impeccably organized, and the selection of films and screenplays presented was not only enlightening but also inspiring. It was evident that each piece was chosen for its powerful message and its potential to provoke thought and stimulate discussion regarding our environment and sustainability.

What truly stood out to me was the audience engagement. The feedback and reactions during the screenings were profound, reflecting a diverse audience deeply invested in environmental issues. This interactive aspect of the festival enriched the experience, providing invaluable insights and fostering a community spirit that was truly special.

  • K. Jacobs

Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker Al Chang (award winning short filmmaker)

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Al Chang, a distinguished filmmaker from Los Angeles’s Koreatown, is passionately pursuing his dream of crafting authentic narratives in the film industry. With a background that includes 10 years of service in the U.S. Army and a deep connection to the post-L.A. riots culture, in addition to being a dedicated husband and father of four, Chang brings a unique perspective to his work. Currently pursuing his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) with an Editing emphasis at Chapman University, Chang is an emerging talent in the world of filmmaking. His journey began with a passion for editing, which eventually led him to write and direct his own short films, driven by the desire to create entertaining short films. Despite the challenges of balancing life as a full-time student, husband, and father of four, Chang continues to push on, proving that creativity can thrive even in the busiest of lives. https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm/ Listen to previous podcast interview with

Al Chang: https://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/1/18/ep-1091-filmmaker-al-chang-viral

Subscribe to the podcast:

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

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Today’s Writing Deadline: 1st CHAPTER FESTIVAL.

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1st CHAPTER FESTIVAL. Submit here: https://novelwritingfestival.com/1st-chapter/

Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Get FULL FEEDBACK on your 1st chapter novel. from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Winners get their novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.

Submit your Project via Submittable:
https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit

SUBMIT your novel now (1st chapter) To be eligible for our Writing Festival Events. Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation

Just VOTED one of the top festivals in the world today!

Submit a novel book and get it seen by the world.

A great way to get your words out there, obtain the Agent you’re looking for or just get your story seen by more people. If you win, your story will be seen by 100,000s of people when it’s read online using a top professional actor. It’s a rush you’ll never experience in your life seeing it come to life that way.

Watch Today’s Festival: Best of WILDsound SHORTS

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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/

CLICK the link to watch the film directly:

MISS YOU MOM, 10min., Canada
Directed by Steve Sugarman
Kelsey and Julian meet Marcella, an odd antique store owner, who overhears Kelsey’s regrets about her mom. Marcella offers her a mysterious building permit contained in a curious wooden box. The permit allows them to build anywhere they want, up to an astonishing 68 floors high. They start building the house as described in the permit, much to Julian’s dismay. But what may be driving the insane construction may be something Kelsey has yet to realize about her mom’s death.

https://www.stevesugarman.org/missyoumom
https://www.facebook.com/missyoumommovie

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/miss-you-mom

ANGELITO, 13min., USA
Directed by Brent L. Peterson
12-year-old Angelito dreams of becoming a gang member like his older brother until a tragic accident forces him to grow up far too quickly.

https://antigravityfilms.com/projects

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/angelito

NOWHERE TO GO, 12min,. USA
Directed by Annabelle Kumaar
A young girl is haunted by her past as trauma follows her in the form of what she thinks is an illusion.

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/nowhere-to-go

MOISTURE, 25min., Brazil
Directed by Duda Gorter
Brazil: In a gray city in the near future, religious sects and rats live on the prowl. It rains non-stop.

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/moisture

FEM/DOM – Empowered, 15min., USA
Directed by Mitchell Suikess
Violet is a resourceful, independent, and modern woman. By day, she works as a soft-spoken assistant for an abusive, and misogynistic boss, Mr. Mann. By night, Violet swaps her powerlessness for power, when she moonlights as a dominatrix in the Los Angeles underground. The almost schizophrenic nature of Violet’s life puts her on the path to facing her demons, and ultimately choosing the type woman she wants to be.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/FemDomFilm
https://instagram.com/donnaa_victorya

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/fem-dom

CHHAVA, 39min., India
Directed by Anurag Srijit, Arman Shaikh
Set in the storied Apshinge Military Village in Maharashtra, ‘Chhava’ offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of families bound by centuries of military service, from the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to today. Crafted with care by first-time student filmmakers, the documentary weaves together personal sacrifices and enduring bravery, revealing the profound human spirit at the village’s heart.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32117939/
https://instagram.com/chhava.official

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/chhava

HOME, 16min., USA
Directed by Al Chang
Seo-won navigates a fragmented reality filled with emotional encounters and haunting memories, seeking solace and clarity in her search for home.

https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/home

TORII, 13min., Germany
Directed by Martin Gerigk
Torii ?? is a short film in the form of an audiovisual composition about the traditional Shinto gates of the same name in Japan. The film uses these gates which symbolically mark the transition from the mundane to the sacred as representatives of a personal synaesthetic and spiritual journey through five levels of consciousness, traveling from existentialism to metaphysics, abstraction, and the Shinto deities called Kami, culminating in a final transition that weaves together these diverse philosophical threads.

https://www.martin-gerigk.de/
https://www.facebook.com/martin.gerigk.79/

Watch the film directly here:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/torii

Zoom Table Read Workshop

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Workship for writers to hear their feature screenplay or TV Pilot read out loud using professional actors.

Zoom Table Read Workshop

Read full screenplays (TV Pilot/Spec or Feature Screenplay), followed by conversation with actors after reading. Session generally takes about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. All recorded. Writer owns all material after reading.

Text festival at 416-568-9046 to receive examples of previous readings for context.

SEE list of actors who have performed at the Zoom Table Reading Workshops in 2024.

I can’t thank Matthew and the actors enough!!! This was such an amazing experience and I am forever grateful.
– Sami Richey

That was so awesome and so useful as well. Once I got over being a little self conscious it was truly rewarding on many levels. The best part was the discussion at the end of the session. Great to be able to get those opinions from professional actors who have spent the time considering the work.
– Russell Knight

Thanks for the files for the reading. — this is such a great resource to have.
– Shay Mourad

Thank you so much for providing this opportunity for me and my screenplay. The reading and the feedback were invaluable. I so appreciate this and all the opportunities you have given me!
– Janna Jones

Feature Film Review: NDAZKOH. Documentary

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A documentary about a first nations community showing strength, forgiveness and resilience.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

When you’re a child, you rely on adults. You depend on them to feed you, clothe you, care for you and to teach you. You learn history in school from your teachers and you have no reason to doubt what the adult is telling you. It’s only later, when you’re older that you realize those teachings were unintentionally, ignorantly biased.

Ndazkoh was written, produced, directed and edited by Tracey Cochrane and it centers on the 1st nation indigenous people of the Ndazkoh tribe and the horrors they faced from settlers invading their land. This is not just a film about injustice. It’s about hope. Tradition. Community.

This film is beautiful in so many ways. First, the cinematography and camera work from John MacKenzie and drone footage from Rob Cochrane is gorgeous. It’s also beautiful because Tracey gave us an inside look at the ceremonies and traditions of the Ndazkoh 1st nation people. The interviews alone are amazing, meeting Chief Leah Stump and learning about the resilience this community has is emotionally moving.

George Santayana once wrote “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. While we cannot change past events, we can make amends and learn from the mistakes our forefathers made. Bravo, Tracey. This film is invaluable, educational and heartfelt. I absolutely loved it.

Short Film Review: Quitting Drugs | A Musical Documentary.

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Directed by Ali Imran Ch, Fatima Mughal
Bumb Shah is a Pakistani rapper whose traumatic life experiences heavily influence his music. Like many artists, he began using drugs early in his career, hoping that they would fuel his creativity. Before long, he fell into a rabbit hole of addiction-centered depravity, something that was reflected.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

From the Health Advisory at the top of this stirring musical documentary, Quitting Drugs, it is obvious that the viewer will be exposed to the path to drug addiction and the aftermath. The actors, as mentioned in this advisory, are thoroughly convincing in their ability to create an atmosphere of temptation, leading the central figure to addiction. It is heartbreaking to see the young boy starting to smoke, and the clever use of CGI overlay gives these scenes a strong sense of reminiscence. 

The props and locations of the piece are also well done. The vignettes of hard partying in front of tables littered with drinks, smokes and drugs captures the unfettered availability of these temptations. The bold imagistic titles and the catchy music video feel, complete with lyrics about this addicted lifestyle, demonstrates the musician’s multifaceted talent for word and instrumentals. 

The phrase “what comes up, must come down” applies here. The piece does an amazing job portraying how the main character goes from exhilaration to suicidal. Fortunately, due to his steely resolve and many days of recovery, thanks to his heroic father’s help, he is able to come out the other side as a survivor, and the film enables the viewer to finally breathe a sigh of relief. The aftermath is positive – his talent for music, once glorifying a drug-infused existence, pivots to his love for a drug-free life. 

Watch film here: https://youreverydayheroes.com/hero/bumb-shah-musical-documentary-quitting-drugs/

Short Film Trailer: MONA’S NORTH BEACH NOIR. Directed by Kip Pearson

festreviews Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized

It’s San Francisco in the 1950s and post war paranoia is at its height. Mitch Marlowe (niece of detective Philip Marlowe) lands in town to start a new life…. passing as a man. She’s brash, confident and very comfortable presenting as a man. What she discovers in North Beach is a vibrant world of artists, criminals, corrupt cops, jazz clubs and the LGBTQ+ shadow world. But is it safe for her anywhere?

Project Links

Review by Andie Karvelis:

This film seems to leap from the pages of a Raymond Chandler hardboiled crime novel but with a modern twist. It’s 1950’s post war San Francisco and Phillip Marlow’s niece is new in town and decides to follow in her favorite Uncle’s footsteps. In an age where women must only be seen as women and it’s unheard of to identify as a man, Mitch Marlow has ( most ) of San Francisco fooled.


Kip Pearson wrote, produced and directed this exciting crime thriller. She captured the noir feel perfectly and gave the viewer a story that was rife with intrigue as well as empathy. An underlying theme of being LGBTQ+ and living in 1950 and having to hide who you are, who you love or how you identify will tug on your heartstrings. Ezra Reaves was beyond amazing as Mitch Marlow. The confidence, swagger, and cleverness were all wrapped up in a sensational performance that was believable and genuine. The entire cast of this film did such a marvelous job acting and making me believe this was 1950.


The Director of Photography, David Waldorf absolutely knew what he was doing. David and Donal Mooney did the coloring on the film and gave it that aged, muted colors that further drew you into the world of gumshoe detectives. The music also was very reminiscent of the era thanks to Kevin Mcleod, David Fesllyn and Tammy Lynn Hall who performed in the film.


I wish I could tell you how Mitch faired in the city of San Francisco, but you’re just going to have to stay tuned next review to find out if Mona’s was raided by corrupt coppers and our clever gumshoe Mitch is alright. Now over to you, Kip. Tell us when we find out what happened…

Interview with Screenwriter Nava R. Silton (PURE)

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Project Type: Feature Screenplay
Genres: Drama, Romance, LGBTQ

This gripping drama is set in 21st century Brooklyn, New York, wherein Talia, a young Orthodox Jewish woman strategizes how to subtly conceal her perceptible bruises before disrobing and immersing herself into a Mikvah, a Jewish ritual bath.

drnavasilton.com/

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay is about a young, Orthodox Jewish woman named Talia, who finally breaks free from harrowing domestic abuse and reclaims her true sexual identity and life purpose.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama, Faith/Religion, LGBTQIA

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

This film addresses a variety of taboos in a sensitive way and it has an authenticity to it, since it’s written by someone who is a part of and very familiar with Orthodox Judaism. While the film is intended to be viewed by the general public, I would imagine it might be particularly helpful and meaningful to those who struggle with how their religious and sexual identities can often conflict. It also gives a strong voice to those who are vicitimized by physical, sexual and domestic abuse; those who often feel silenced.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Deep, inspirational

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

Pretty Woman

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I started it during the pandemic

7. How many stories have you written?

This is my fourth screenplay and I currently have TV shows in development with the Jim Henson Company, LeVar Burton Entertainment, Two Shakes Entertainment and Neptune Studios.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
most times in your life?)

Madonna’s La Isla Bonita!

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The story really wrote itself; it had been in my head for a while. Often the hardest part is determining what feedback to take from reviewers and what to keep from the original screenplay. I also always love a good happy ending, so creating conflict in a story is sometimes difficult, I just want everyone to get along and be happy-especially in the end! 😉

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I have seven children, so I am clearly passionate about kids! 😉
I am also a Psychology Professor at a University and a Mental Health Professional at my kids’ school. But beyond that, I love creating TV, film and tabletop games for children and adults. I am currently working on my fifth game.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

It’s been a wonderful platform. All four of my screenplays have really received a lot of attention, astute feedback and lovely awards – so that is really nice to see. It is very user-friendly and I would highly recommend it to others.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

Attaining feedback is always invaluable and I so appreciated the opportunity.

Today’s Writing Festival Deadline: ROMANCE Full Novel Festival

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Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Get FULL FEEDBACK on your entire novel, from our committee of Professional Writers, and Writing Consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.

SUBMIT your novel now (full novel accepted) To be eligible for our Writing Festival Events. Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation

Just VOTED one of the top festivals in the world today!

Submit a novel book and get it seen by the world.

A great way to get your words out there, obtain the Agent you’re looking for or just get your story seen by more people. If you win, your story will be seen by 100,000s of people when it’s read online using a top professional actor. It’s a rush you’ll never experience in your life seeing it come to life that way.

Submit via Submittable: https://manager.submittable.com/opportunities/opportunity/298051

OR Email your story to romance@festivalforromance.com in .pdf, .doc, .wpd, .rtf, or .fdr format.

In the body in the email please add your:
– FULL NAME
– TITLE OF STORY
– TYPE OF STORY (genre, length)
– A 1-2 line synopsis of your story.

Feel free to email us for any questions. We will have the video completed for you in under 4 weeks.

Pay only $170 (limited time only):

Buy Now Button

FOr any questions/comments:

Email the festival at info@wildsound.ca

Or text the festival at 416-568-9046