Author: festreviews

June 2026 MOVIE TRAILERS Genre Festival

festreviews Uncategorized

Festival played at the end of May/June 2026. Showcasing the best of NEW movie trailers from around the world. Over 150 submissions!

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
 Movie Trailer: HYBRID
Action Trailer: ON THE SAME EARTH
Adventure Trailer: AVATARS OF DESTINY: THE RECKONING BEGINS
AI Trailre: DOG OR DIE
Comedy Trailer: HELL GIG
Dance Trailer: JINSHAN: Seams of Gold
Direction Trailer: CRIMEANTASY@ SERIES
Documentary Trailer: KIM WESTON: MOTOWN TO BLACK BOTTOM
Editing Trailer: THE MAN WITH NO FACE
Experimental Trailer: STILL HERE EP
Fantasy Trailer: HIGH MOON
Horror Trailer: HOLLER
LGBTQ+ Trailer: THE DON OF WEST HOLLYWOOD
Mystery Trailer: THE FINAL MISSION
Parody Trailer: HOT TUB ETIQUETTE
Performances Trailer: EDGE
Sci-Fi Trailer: ON THE SAME EARTH
Story Trailer: THE SPIRIT HILDA
TWist Trailer: THE OLD BENCH IN NEW YORK

HYBRID, 1min., USA
 Directed by Francisco de la Calle
Angelo, a Brazilian graduate student in San Jose, California, is weeks away from returning for good to his beloved Rio de Janeiro. Determined to leave a meaningful mark, he submits a proposal to the city with ideas to support the homeless community.

HIGH MOON, 1min., USA
 Directed by Sean Bridges
A group of good, bad and ugly bounty-hunters find themselves up against a clan of shapeshifters in the desert of West Texas in 1959.

ON THE SAME EARTH
 Directed by Sam Cox
In the 7th century, Eadlin, a Saxon settler, discovers a mysterious dragon egg and when unable to break it she panics, racing home but trips and struggles to move. When faced by Leir, a displaced Celt wanting to protect the egg, they apprehensively try to communicate through their native languages Cornish and Old English slowly beginning to understand and accept each other. After helping her back, Leir is amazed to discover Eadlin living in an abandoned roundhouse and begins to settle in his cultural heritage, but as they start to relax the creature that brought them together starts to hatch.

THE MAN WITH NO FACE, 1min.
 Directed by Geo Thelen
“In a world before blockchain, one ghost in the machine rewrote the future. In pursuit of answers from the atomic depths of cyberspace… comes only a name -and a following mining for meaning.”

MONSTER ISLAND, 2min.
 Directed by Orlando Mendes
When teenage racing prodigy Nick discovers that his sister’s mysterious coma is connected to a dark force feeding on children’s dreams, his search for answers leads him to a place no one has ever escaped — Monster Island.

Crimeantasy© Series, 1min.
 Directed by RaeAnne Hadley
A new book series scheduled to be released 2026, combining true crime with fantasy horror. This is one of the trailers for the series

THE SPIRIT OF HILDA, 1min.,
 Directed by Jasmine Banks, Justus Hightower, Griffin Bermea
A late/teen early young adult, dies in a freak accident. Her adoptive mother, Mrs. Lake who practices voodoo, attempts a spell to bring her back. But the Hilda that returns is not the one she knew.

HELL GIG, 3min., USA
 Directed by Luke Soin
Two stand-up comedians are offered a career changing opportunity where they must face the worst type of heckler… a literal man-eating succubus, from HELL.

KIM WESTON: MOTOWN TO BLACK BOTTOM, 2min., USA
 Directed by Valerie Denise Jones
A haunting, narration-driven trailer that traces the journey of Motown artist Kim Weston through the cultural shift from Motown to Black Bottom, where music, memory, and identity collide.

DOG OR DIE, 1min., USA
 Directed by Eric Hamilton
An AI-enhanced dramatic feature, Dog or Die follows Ethan, a young man forced to confront his past after surviving a near-fatal shooting outside a fraternity party. From navigating racial isolation in suburban America to pledging an elite Black fraternity, his pursuit of identity and belonging spirals into a world of power, humiliation, loyalty, and violence. As friendships fracture and consequences mount, Ethan must redefine what manhood truly means—and decide whether crossing the burning sands forged his strength… or cost him his innocence.

Hot Tub Etiquette: The Movie Trailer, 1min., USA
 Directed by Aidan Jack O’Connell
The Official trailer for hot tub etiquette the movie

https://www.instagram.com/hot.tub.etiquette

HOLLER, 2min., USA
 Directed by Devin Michael Smock, Samuel David
After the world ends quietly, a hardened loner and a pregnant young woman form an uneasy alliance across the ruins of rural America. Part western, part road movie, part slow-burn apocalypse — it’s a story about survival, guilt, and finding scraps of hope in a world that’s lost its soul.

The Don Of West Hollywood, 3min., USA
 Directed by Dominic Paolo Testa
A mafia don accused of being gay must prove that he is straight or die.

ON THE SAME EARTH, 1min., UK
 Directed by Sam Cox
In the 7th century, Eadlin, a Saxon settler, discovers a mysterious dragon egg and when unable to break it she panics, racing home but trips and struggles to move. When faced by Leir, a displaced Celt wanting to protect the egg, they apprehensively try to communicate through their native languages Cornish and Old English slowly beginning to understand and accept each other. After helping her back, Leir is amazed to discover Eadlin living in an abandoned roundhouse and begins to settle in his cultural heritage, but as they start to relax the creature that brought them together starts to hatch.

STILL HERE EP, 2min., UK
 Directed by Tehillah Hinds
Turning grief into hope, this visual album brings to life the lyrics of 5-track Disco-Dance EP ‘Still Here’.

THE FINAL MISSION, 1min., USA
 Directed by Winston James
Three unruly friends on the run from the law try to find out who among them may have provided secret information to law enforcement.

Avatars of Destiny: The Reckoning Begins, 3min.
 Directed by Ess-Jee Rautenbach
In a realm where prophecy collides with technology, four heroes stand at the edge of reality itself. Scarred by battle but bound by purpose, Kael and his allies must confront the collapse of an ancient prison—and the resurgence of a cosmic evil that threatens all worlds.

The Old Bench in New York, 1min., USA
 Directed by Alexandra Tomilina
Two people, one of whom is a hologram, try to start a better life together after their everyday lives fall apart.

EDGE, 1min., Spain
 Directed by Abel Moreno Pradas
Locked in, separated by a huge glass and deprived of speech, two people meet without knowing how they got there. Where are the limits that prevent us from acting in unjust situations? Are they physical or are they within us?

JINSHAN: Seams of Gold, 1min., USA
 Directed by Megan Lowe
Set against a majestic outdoor rock wall, “JINSHAN: Seams of Gold” is a site-specific vertical dance film that reimagines gravity as a partner in storytelling. Harnessing the power of rock climbing technology, dancers are lifted into the air—not just to defy gravity, but to awaken a sense of flight, freedom, and deep connection. Suspended in space, they soar, tumble, and reach across stone surfaces, turning sheer rock into a canvas for memory, imagination, and transformation.

Short Film Review: LINE DANCE. Directed by Timothy McCracken, Robert Kelly McAllister

festreviews Uncategorized

A woman in recovery finds a new community and maybe something more in a surprising place: Line Dancing at a community dance hall.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The short Line Dance takes the viewer down a linear path. The suffering central figure is introduced bit by bit, with reference to her divorce, missing her beloved son and her alcoholism. Fortunately, she finds joy and relief from the enjoyable and social hobby of line dancing. The scenes of her having fun participating in this delightful activity are so satisfying. She herself is a quick study in the choreography and it is quite entertaining to witness the huge dance hall full of active participants, all in step to the lively music. 

The scenes of passion and enjoyment with her new man are also lovely and intimate. Other well-directed scenes are far more subdued revealing sadness at her place of work, her humbleness at the AA meeting and her feelings of anger and rejection when she is ghosted by her new lover for several weeks. 

It is the film’s resolution that completes the journey of the narrative. While still fond of the new boyfriend that she has forgiven, her most beloved passion is for the dance.

Feature Film Review: THE SHOWMEN.

festreviews Uncategorized

Step right up!
The Showmen begins with a richly textured journey into the origins of travelling carnivals, using animated archival imagery to show a history that featured oddities and other curiosities. As the documentary moves to present day, it follows World’s Finest Shows, a midway operated by generations of the Jamieson family. This film reveals how iconic games and rides have evolved to modern day versions. From the origins of phrases like “close but no cigar” to the enduring appeal of indulgent carnival food, this film balances nostalgia with realism, exposing the long hours, physical strain, and financial pressure endured by the showmen. Beneath the lights and laughter, there’s a hardworking crew who sacrifice comfort to building dazzling, temporary worlds that foster lasting memories of spectacle and joy in our communities.

Project Links

Review by Julie Sheppard:

Memories of visiting a travelling carnival in my small Ontario town were reignited after viewing this charming feature documentary, The Showmen. It gives a full-fledged look at every element required to run a modern-day fair. It also provides detailed investigations around the origins of midways with fascinating archival footage beginning in the late 1800s onwards, with notable information about the invention of the Ferris Wheel to recounting shameful and horrifying midway acts of the past revolving around racism and disrespect for humans and animals, to revealing better developments over time with regards to human rights and technological advancements.

The film gives a cinematic exploration of entertaining sites and sounds, with dynamic footage of carnival lights and music, and the tangible excitement of the public enjoying themselves on rides, playing games and snacking on famous yummy treats of a fair, such as cotton candy, corndogs, candy apples, and popcorn. The camera work is so intimate that you can almost smell the delicious treats and feel the excitement on the various rides. Helpful graphics reveal the astronomical fees and supplies needed to run fairs.

The narration of the documentarian is so authentic and genuine, showing such enthusiasm and respect for those responsible for these travelling midways. Another heartwarming touch is how sweet vocals proudly and sentimentally describe the life of showmen and the transient, yet magical carnival — a recurring event that is still fresh in my memory from when I was a child in small-town Ontario.

VIDEO: 1min. Review: KNICKS win NBA Finals. 2026 vs Spurs

festreviews Uncategorized

Subscribe to the Film Festival APP. There is a library of films that you can watch every minute until the end of the year and you still won’t be able to watch everything!

http://www.wildsound.ca

First off, there is a brand new film festival every single day that occurs at 8pm EST at http://www.wildsound.ca/browse (or on the main page if you downloaded the APP)

You can also scroll through that page and watch the previous festivals of the month at anytime.

Interview with Filmmaker Katherine Costal (I WISH I WAS A DOG)

festreviews Uncategorized

I WISH I WAS A DOG, 12min., Canada
Directed by Katherine Costal
When a young woman’s desire to become a true member of her favourite art club turns her into a dog, she finds the newfound relationship between her and the members poses a different kind of challenge.

https://www.instagram.com/kat_costal

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The phrase “I Wish I Was A Dog” was a thought that had crossed my mind many times whenever I was around a group of people I either really admired or wanted to integrate myself into. Usually everyone in the group were very close-knit already and so they would all have inside jokes with one another and bonding experiences that you just can’t penetrate. Whenever that happens to me, I find that I just end up hanging out at the edge of the group like an extra piece. I thought of the dynamic like the family or friend group in a dollhouse, where sometimes the dolls will come with a pet. I feel like I want to be a dog because they’re very welcomed by humans but they’re also inherently different, so they can’t participate in human activities, and they’re sometimes a metaphor for loneliness. Being a dog means being how I am but literally embodying it in a way that is easier to process than it is for a human, who isn’t expected to experience these feelings as much. When I was thinking about what to do for a shorter film, this experience came into my mind and the idea of a girl turning into a dog immediately followed.

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

Almost nine months, it’s like my baby.

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

Fever Dream

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

Pretty much the same obstacle as my last film, which is coordinating the cast, crew, and location’s schedules to make the shoot dates work. We still had to work with limited time but thanks to the amazing team I had with me we were able to pull it off.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?

I think development. It’s the stage where everything’s brand new, and I feel very starry-eyed whenever I’m exploring a new idea for a script and it’s all coming together in my head for the first time. At this point it feels like anything is possible and I think this is a large part of filmmaking for me because I really love the brainstorming of: what questions am I trying to answer? What is this film going to do for me? What can I show the audience that will really surprise them or give them something they haven’t seen before? This stage guides all the other stages in creating a strong, cohesive artistic identity.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

When I was about nine I started recording little movies and music videos with my toys that I had seen other people do. I fell in love with the way people would design their own miniature sets and bring their scripts to life on the camera. I had known before that I wanted to be a writer and it felt like what I wrote branched out into these colourful, modern story ideas that you have to film and watch. Then when I got older I began thinking of making those with real people but hadn’t fully thought of it as making films yet. I always loved comedy and was fascinated with photography as well as drawings which inspired a specific style I felt like I wanted to create. By the time I was seventeen I decided to officially merge the two and make comedy films that told important stories to me and also gave me the thrill that I had gotten so many times from watching exciting media.

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?

Other than the children’s DVDs my family had, it was probably Finding Nemo. I feel like I’ve seen it maybe four or five times already, once in a theatre. I don’t know why but I think someone was always showing it to me or it was always playing wherever I was.

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate wit on a film?

There are many filmmakers that inspire me, but I would say my dream collaboration would be any of the photographers or artists that I’ve saved online. A lot of my inspiration doesn’t necessarily come from other films, but rather photographs and artwork that I come across where the composition or the colours or the setting just speak to me and I get an itch to create something like it. I’m usually drawn to portraits or landscapes that are showing a different angle than usual and inspire a sense of wonder or curiosity in me. I often wish that I could incorporate their artistry into films whether it’s through cinematography or promotional visuals. Especially because I’m not a visual artist, I can’t recreate it myself so any of the photographers or artists out there making these dreamy, mysterious, or wondrous pictures would definitely be a perfect collab for me.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

I’ve had a pretty good experience. I’ve found lots of interesting festivals on there, one of which was the Canadian International Film Festival, which was the first time I had a film premiere at a physical festival. I think the site is currently one of the best ways to share your work and I can’t wait to use it again.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Last time I said sushi, so I’ll go with dim sum and some milk tea

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I’m still going to work on a new film, but I’m also working on something else that’s a different genre and a different medium. I’m really excited to expand my craft beyond filmmaking.