THALIA, a 6-year-old autistic girl, lives her happy days somewhat isolated from her peers. Her world changes when she receives an invitation that finally pulls her out of her familiar, safe comfort zone. This is how she meets Attila Halász, a special education teacher and karate master, and his inclusive developmental program based on karate. She also encounters a small, close-knit, accepting, and diverse community currently sharing their summer camp at HEGYEM „HEART CAMP”.

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Review by Andie Kay

Dojo Master / Sensei Attilla Halasz has a wonderful way of teaching students with intellectual disabilities martial arts, specifically Karate. He calls it “Inclusive Karate” and it’s just a whole lot of brilliance. Using colored wristbands and floor diagrams with shapes and numbers helps his students easily learn this ancient martial art.

I really loved that the filmmakers chose to shoot this in black and white. Kardly Palfai was the Cinematographer, Director, Producer and Editor and they really understood how to make black and white hold depth and texture. The camera work was equally as well done, giving the audience some marvelous close ups and nicely composed shots. The only drawback I noticed was the font choice for the film since it was a bit hard to read.

Musically this film was gorgeous. Aron IpsIcs was the Composer and he definitely understood the assignment. This is a feel good documentary that centers around Thalia, and watching her blossom as she tries I-Karate for the first time is just joyful. Beautiful film and definitely worth watching.

When a man grows tired of eating the same milk and cookies meal every day, he lets a mischievous deer into his house to tackle him for supper.

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Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

Milk And Cookies, a classic snack beloved by young and old, is the focus of this amusing and almost absurdist short. The central figure, with his shocking white unruly wig, enjoys his milk and cookies immensely and finds himself consuming them over and over again, shortly followed by a repeated hygiene routine. The directorial choice to reveal this series of events recurrently adds to the frenetic nature of the piece. It is the zany orchestral music under these almost mechanized actions that enhances the film’s humour.

The cinematography makes particularly good use of extreme close-ups, notably of the central figure’s teeth, which is of particular focus in the screenplay. The character’s ongoing desire for intense brushing after cookie eating takes on an almost OCD energy, which builds and builds. And yet, the viewer is privy to the fact that this cannot go on forever.

Enter the glitchy, super-imposed image of an alternate food source which, in turn, gives the sound designer plenty of motivation for some raucous effects. All in all, Milk And Cookies is primarily a comical romp, and it slyly suggests that variety, especially with food, truly is the spice of life.

A dance class for seniors in Catalonia decides to create an extraordinary show for the 93-year-old mother of their Paris-born dance teacher. Their journey to France to perform for her turns into a life-affirming, inspirational voyage of discovery.

Project Links

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Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

DANCE: Generations is a heartfelt documentary which underscores the importance of living one’s dreams as a senior, when much of society focuses its energy and glory on the younger generation. Seeing seniors join in as dance performers, despite physical challenges that age often brings, is inspiring. The film does a superb job of letting the viewer hear about the excitement and stimulation that participation in dance provides for these people, with many intimate interviews.

The piece makes use of a variety of thoughtful filmic conventions, such as multi-split screens to show all dancers currently, as young adults and as children. This is highly effective given the other topic that the film addresses – – a historical investigation of refugee children during tumultuous times under Franco in the late 1930’s. Dance is not the only thing that these participants get to experience. Their group dance trip to France allows them to consider the dark history of the war and unearth some long-hidden family information.

Serious historical travesty aside, the overarching environment of the film is one of invigoration and joy, as the camera captures the various dance numbers beautifully. The attractive sparkly costumes, lively choreography, and catchy musical numbers, both locally and internationally famous, are thrilling to watch, the dancers giving their all in entertaining unison. The various narrators ground the film, almost as if a travelogue, and round it off as a well-considered look at this inspiring group of seniors.

A chaotic funeral service descends into scandal, confession, and absurdity as mourners battle to define the legacy of beloved teacher George Spelvin — proving it’s impossible to be completely urn-est about the dead.

Review by Julic C. Sheppard:

O’Bitch-uary is an engaging and somewhat sardonic look at the commentary about a deceased person by those attending a funeral. The setting of a classic wooden pew church and brightly coloured religious stained-glass windows is suitable for the theme of the piece, as are the occasional organ refrains, and the brief bursts of classical choral music as various characters are introduced.

The screenplay taps into many moments of humour, such as the hilarious introduction by the funeral director who runs “Grave Undertakings Funeral Home”, and whose slogan is “We burn ’em, You urn ’em”. The turn of events is surprising as the descriptions of those attending the funeral are far from universal — for some, the deceased was endearing, helpful, appreciative or sensual and, for others, he was a calculating troublemaker.

Although the piece is obviously satirical in many respects, it does reveal a universal truth that not one of us is perfect, and descriptions of us by others can vary widely. The cast members skillfully depict such distinct emotional impressions about the deceased, from fondness, attraction and admiration to outright visceral disdain. The cinematography is clear and naturalistic throughout, save for some slow-motion work with the topsy-turvy urn. The unifying presence of ashes from the urn eventually serves to pull the funeral attenders together, despite their wide range of views.

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-mind

Directed by Cindy Sophie Solombrino

Sound & Music: Tom Paley-Menzines

A Young girl travels down into the underground, where lack of caution may not be warranted…

Director Statement
As a director, I strive to have as much fun as I can with my work and to show emotion and vision within the actual style of the film.

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-in-your-hands

After a traumatic event, Hanna begins therapy to make sense of what happened. When her therapist introduces an alternative treatment, she’s plunged into a hypnotic journey through the memories that shaped her—each more unsettling than the last. As the boundaries between healing and influence begin to blur, Hanna must confront the stories she’s buried to reclaim her sense of self.

Directed by Cassandra Isabelle Hedberg

Written by Axel Österholm

Cast: Disa Blom, Fia Adler Sandblad, Ebba Canvert, Andreas Luukinen

Director Statement
I use animation as a way to give form to the invisible—what is felt but not always seen. In Your Hands (2025) explores personal themes such as mental illness, substance use and violence, and shows how animation can hold fragile, complex stories with both precision and emotional depth. I’m especially interested in narratives about power and control, and how violence can be disguised as care. Animation, with its ability to bend reality and visualize the subconscious, offers a unique space to explore these tensions—where emotional truth can be expressed beyond the limits of realism.

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-rat-trap

Rat Trap follows Sarah, who wakes after a drunken night out to find herself abducted and imprisoned in a grim, windowless dungeon, watched constantly through a security camera. Disoriented and terrified, she soon discovers she is not alone. Sharing the space with her is another captive, an eerily quiet and scarred man whose behaviour suggests he knows far more about their situation than he is willing to say. As the hours pass, fragments of a horrifying truth begin to emerge. The dungeon is governed by brutal rules, and survival is tied to a choice neither of them should have to make. With paranoia mounting and trust eroding, fear turns inward as much as outward, forcing Sarah to question the limits of morality under extreme pressure. Claustrophobic and relentless, Rat Trap explores power, guilt, and desperation, examining what happens when survival itself becomes a weapon.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39330338/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk

https://www.instagram.com/rat_trap_film

Directed by Emilia Stevens

Produced by Mia Scudds

Starring: Chloe Lavine, William Parsons

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-ring-a-bell-documentary-film

Ring A Bell has been officially selected for 5 international Film Festivals.

Jon has devoted his life to battling landfills, reducing carbon footprints, and combating greenhouse gases. He champions healthy lifestyles and re-mobilizes substance abusers, prisoners, and asylum seekers with the help of a German invention known as the Velocipede, or more commonly, the bicycle. Does that ring a bell?

Directed by Ravi Ranjan

https://imraviranjan.wixsite.com/storyteller

https://www.instagram.com/avbyravi

Director Statement

Ring A Bell, It’s a feel-good, positive film, about being passionate and dedicated to the work of Jon in recycling. It would also educate the viewers that no person or platform is small or big enough to bring a positive change to society or ecology.

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-summoning

A weekend getaway takes a terrifying turn when four friends Olivia, Daniel, Maya, and Ethan discover an old Ouija board in the attic of their rental cabin. What starts as an amusing game soon spirals into a waking nightmare as the board unlocks a sinister force that preys on their fears and hidden traumas. Liv, the skeptic, refuses to believe at first, but when the entity begins manipulating their reality, she is forced to reconsider everything she knows. Dan, the eager believer, finds himself drawn to the board in ways he cannot explain. Maya, with her deep emotional sensitivity, becomes the entity’s primary conduit, making her both an asset and a liability. Ethan, the rebel of the group, laughs it off until he vanishes without a trace. As the supernatural occurrences escalate, the group must band together to solve the mystery behind the board and the force it has unleashed before they become its next victims.

https://www.instagram.com/sachinmaddumahewa

Watch film: https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/watch-irreplaceable

The spirit of a recently deceased pet must get his owner’s attention before she throws away all the memories of the life they had together.

Directed by Samantha Lauren Reyna

Produced by Wen Tong Everitt, Samantha Lauren Reyna

Lead Animators: Katia Antablian, Fiji Simon, Tsolin Kadian

https://www.instagram.com/samreyna