Festival Reviews

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Today’s PODCAST: EP. 1346 – Filmmaker Alexander Miguel (THE BRIDES OF DRACULA)

November 4, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS dracula, film-podcast, filmmaker, horror, movie review, movies, Today's PODCAST: EP. 1346 - Filmmaker Alexander Miguel (THE BRIDES OF DRACULA), vampires

LISTEN to the podcast: http://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/11/4/ep-1346-filmmaker-alexander-miguel-the-brides-of-dracula

THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, 5min,. UK

Directed by Alexander Miguel

Introducing a new breed of vampires – More alternative, more sensual, more dangerous. Loosely based on the legends of Draculas wives, the good, bad and the evil bride inhabit an old misty graveyard set in the high mountains, waiting for their beloved master to be resurrected once more. Inspired by original costumes and props by Derby-based designer Liam Brandon Murray, this is a unique film showcasing the finest in Wearable Art for the designer’s cinematic debut.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I had long wanted to do a fashion film based around vampires. I had initially envisioned a very dark classic victorian look, but when I found designer Liam Brandon Murray, a whole new world opened up to me. This was the most unconventional and bizarre kind of fashion I had ever seen the likes of. So intricate, so luxurious, yet so macabre and puzzling in it’s grandness. I knew that I had found something entirely unique and had access to a kind of innovative fashion that nobody else did. I thought to myself, I’ll be a real fool if I don’t jump on this opportunity! Liam and I clicked from the get-go, and it was clear that this would just be the start of many creative collaborations to come. I was able to pick and choose all my favourite pieces from his collection of work. We needed to piece together 4 complete looks and additionally threw in a few more items to showcase as much of Liam’s work as possible. His outfits carry heavy influences of otherworldly flair, his inspiration drawn from mythology, aliens and religious figures into a seamless blend.

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

It is such an unreal feeling to have strangers speak about my work, they don’t know me or my team, so their perceptions and notions of the work are completely unbiased, raw and organic. People loved the surprising elements of lavish colour, which I think is rather unusual in the gothic genre. The fashion of course, gains a lot of wow-factor, and the fact it is put together like a music video, driven by sound and music rather than dialogue.

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http://www.movementwithmarlea.com/

WILDsound Podcast EP. 1344 – Filmmaker Marlea van Grinsven (RED)

November 2, 2024November 2, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS film, Filmmaker Marlea van Grinsven (RED), horror, marlea-van-grinsven, movie, movies, podcast

LISTEN to the podcast: http://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/11/2/ep-1344-filmmaker-marlea-van-grinsven-red

RED, 5min., Canada
Directed by Marlea van Grinsven
Red depicts the story of a romance gone wrong, where paint is used to show the side revenge and how it slowly passes through everyone until revenge has taken over. It follows our couple as they work through their budding romance slowly getting more and more torn on the outcome as they go, until at the end, revenge wins and takes over.

https://instagram.com/_movementwithmarlea

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
They always say that the best art comes from the worst trauma, and I was hoping it was right. I went through a very traumatic breakup and I wanted to turn a dark time in my life into something beautiful. Dance has always been how I’ve expressed myself and creating this film allowed me to process my trauma in a beautiful and creative way.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was overjoyed with emotion. It was an amazing experience to hear people talking about my film and loving it. I always fear that the audience won’t get my story but to hear that they understood the story behind it and appreciated the difficulty of execution to create this film was delightful.

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https://www.instagram.com/kanjachen/

Today’s Podcast: EP. 1343 – Filmmaker/Animator Kenja Chen (WHEN I’M WITH YOU)

November 1, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Filmmaker/Animator Kenja Chen (WHEN I'M WITH YOU)

LISTEN to the podcast: http://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/11/1/ep-1343-filmmakeranimator-kenja-chen-when-im-with-you

WHEN I’M WITH YOU, 4min., CanadaDirected by Kanja ChenAn emotional tale of how the enduring love between a young boy and his grandfather bridges the gap between generations.

Kanja has directed several award-winning short films that have been showcased at numerous film festivals. This animated short marks his directorial debut in the genre, allowing him to focus on a deeply personal story.

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Today’s PODCAST: Screenwriter Mary Oleske (THE LAWS OF THE GODS)

October 30, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Mary Oleske (THE LAWS OF THE GODS)

Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E12uUF6vTZM

LGBTQ+ Drama

This is a study in gender rights and the rights of all humankind. What truly makes one female or male?

A female attorney is assigned to represent a transgendering inmate seeking a transfer from a male to a female prison. This is a study in the struggle for the balance of rights: personal, political and global. A glance into our past suggests nothing has changed in 3,000 years. Insight comes from an unexpected source.

Get to know the writer:
A female attorney is assigned to represent a transgendering inmate seeking a transfer from a male to a female prison.

This is a study in gender rights and the rights of all humankind. What truly makes one female or male? Portrayed is the struggle for the balance of rights: personal, societal, and global and, how amazingly, this struggle has existed and been depicted in literature and theater for over 3,000 years.

The screenplay deals with where we are now, what should be guiding our actions, what rules or laws should govern us – especially when those rules conflict: the laws of man (US constitution), personal conscience, or God (whose god by the way).

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1338 – Filmmaker Emir Cakaroz (AMERICANS SMELL GOOD)

October 26, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Filmmaker Emir Cakaroz (AMERICANS SMELL GOOD)

AMERICANS SMELL GOOD, 66min,. USA
Directed by Emir Cakaroz
The film combines the filmmaker’s story in the U.S.A. with people from different social, racial, and ethnic backgrounds that he wouldn’t have met if he hadn’t come to this country. It explores the experience of being in between many cultures when living in a foreign land.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
Immigration, a sense of belonging, connection, and isolation were always occurring themes in my films. However, I was mostly focusing on my family’s immigration from Bulgaria to Turkey and its long-term effects in my previous films. This time, I realized I had enough experience to make a film about my immigration from Turkey to the USA and I made it!

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was amazing! It was a great feeling to see people understand what you wanted to do, and they actually enjoyed the film. It was also great to see how the audience made personal connection with the film.

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WILDsound Podcast EP. 1335 – Filmmaker Hisham Iyad Hajir (WEASEL)

October 22, 2024October 22, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS, Uncategorized Filmmaker Hisham Iyad Hajir (WEASEL)

LISTEN to the podcast: https://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/10/22/ep-1335-filmmaker-hisham-iyad-hajir-weasel

WEASEL, 2min., Mexico

Directed by Hisham Iyad Hajir

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I would like to get rid of a lot of the clutter in my house, but I don’t know how. The film peers into an alternate reality where technology provides a solution to this problem.

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

I liked how they understood the film. Since it’s an extremely short film about an inexistent technological gadget, then the film didn’t only need to tell the story in its short runtime, but also establish and explain what the device is and how it works. I was happy that the audience wasn’t confused by the film.

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Today’s Podcast: EP. 1333 – Filmmaker Bryan Ribeiro (BRAISING)

October 19, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Filmmaker Bryan Ribeiro (BRAISING), PODCASTS

BRAISING, 19min., USA
Directed by Bryan Ribeiro
Conroy –a crestfallen, fast food cook who dreams of becoming a chef– finds community with a peculiar “charity” organization, all while he strives to deepen his connection with his widower father.

https://www.instagram.com/braisingfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to tell a story about group think. There’s always been a fascination about cults and mob mentalities and I wanted to explore what brings about a need to join the collective. The answers vary person to person but a lot of the cases I found illuminating were the ones where someone lacked a community of their own; they had no family they could rely on. Focusing on someone without a support system and seeing their descent sounded way too fun an opportunity. Food has always been something that brings people together and adapting that idea into a potentially negative tether was the last crux to bring everything together.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was really floored by the initial reception. The warmth in the reviews were really validating and a lot of the analyses were thoughtful. It’s my very first video review so it was a bit surreal.

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Today’s PODCAST: Producer Sudeep Mehta (CHHAVA)

October 18, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Producer Sudeep Mehta (CHHAVA)

CHHAVA, 39min., India
Directed by Anurag Srijit, Arman Shaikh

Produced by by Sudeep Mehta
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

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Today’s Podcast: Filmmaker Porter Justus (CARVED IN STONE)

October 16, 2024 festreviews PODCASTS Filmmaker Porter Justus (CARVED IN STONE)

LISTEN to the PODCAST: http://www.wildsoundpodcast.com/the-film-podcast-by-wildsound/2024/10/16/ep-1331-filmmaker-porter-justus-carved-in-stone

CARVED IN STONE, 30min., USA

Directed by Porter Justus

Cast out by the academic community at her college for her extreme beliefs that artifacts belong with their cultures, not locked up in some museum, young historical photographer AMELIA SLOANE is shocked to learn a former and beloved professor has bequeathed to her a collection of valuable and rare artifacts – including the legendary sword Excalibur – and a mysterious message “You’ll know what to do with this.”

Get to know the filmmaker:

There were a number of reasons for this film. I learned a long time ago that sometimes to com up with good story is turn one on its head, and so I wanted to explore a character who’s mission was the opposite to what is usually expected. In this case, what if Excalibur needed to be returned instead of claimed, so that just turned into a exploration into culture reclamation and restoring history to its rightful origins.

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