A showcase of the best animation films from around the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:
Best Short Film: Wall Unit
Best Visual Design: Striking Gold
Best Direction: The Legend of King Nibbles
Best Story: The Happy Balloon
Best Experimental Film: Self-Shot Film
Best 1 Minute Film: Beautify
Best Action Film: Total Opposites
Best Drama Film: Alyssum
Best Family Film: Beetle Summer
Best Comedy Film: Date Knight
Best Horror Film: Dogs of Bishkek
Best Fantasy Film: Harmonia
Best Romance Film: Right Hand Man
Best Slapstick Film: Jurassic Ward
Best Coming of Age Film: Loud & Proud
Best 3D Animation: Praying For Love
Best Hand Drawn Animation: If I Were a Carpenter

The Happy Balloon, 4min., Iraq
Directed by Ahmed Najm
The film talks about the dreams and ambitions of young people that mix illusion and reality, so the hero discovers the way to reach the truth he wants to achieve his dreams.

https://www.instagram.com/a7med.njm/

Self-Shot Film, 13min., Kazakhstan
Directed by Marat Narimanov
The pre-life, life and after-life of a human, featuring problems that we meet and decisions that we take. A surrealist film told in a non-narrative form: in non-concrete images, emotions and associations. A journey, a meditation, a disturbing experience.

Beautify, 1min,. Russia
Directed by Elizaveta Makarenko
Beautify follows a young woman’s surreal journey to self-acceptance as she confronts society’s beauty standards and embraces her true identity.

https://www.instagram.com/chelikot/

Beetle Summer, 3min,. USA
Directed by Jian Yuan, Anyue Chen
A young girl, Rika, who lives in the countryside of Japan, is raising a rhino beetle for beetle fights in order to gain friends. But before then, she needs to train and nurture it.

Date Knight, 3min., USA
Directed by Amber Schmoyer, Kareena Bhatia
A knight catfishes a dragon on a date in an attempt to slay her.

https://www.instagram.com/dateknight_film/

Dogs of Bishkek, 2min,. USA
Directed by Viktor Niksdorf
Set in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, a young boy named Sasha has to evade a ravenous dog on his way home from the market.

https://www.instagram.com/vikniksdorf.art

Harmonia, 3min., USA
Directed by Alex Rodarte, Victoria Sjostedt
In a magical forest, a reckless young knight discovers a music box but unleashes an ancient wrath upon winding it and must run to safety.

Jurassic Ward, 2min., USA
Directed by Max “Amber” Bellomio
A troubled employee for the “Wishes Come True Foundation” needs
to bring a dangerous dinosaur through the hospital to fulfill a child’s only wish.

https://www.instagram.com/Max_Bellomio

Loud & Proud, 2min. USA
Directed by Eliana Anselmo
A young volleyball player tells her story of how it’s not the tough conditions that make volleyball hard… “It’s her mom”, embarrassed by her overbearing mother putting strain on their relationship and her relationship with volleyball.

https://www.instagram.com/anselmo.3d

Praying for Love, 2min., USA
Directed by Sofia Tonin
Female praying mantis struggles with cannibalistic tendencies while
looking for love.

https://www.instagram.com/sofiatonin_art

Right Hand Man, 3min,. USA
Directed by Emma Greenman, Yaumara Carrion
Lucas tries to navigate his first date with Cristine at a fancy
restaurant; however, his conjoined hand puppet brother, Cade, also wants in on the fun.

https://www.instagram.com/egg.animations/

Striking Gold, 2min., USA
Directed by Marin Francis
When gold miners Alonzo and Rufus come across a stuck nugget of
gold, their disagreement on how to get it unstuck leads to chaos.

https://www.instagram.com/mairinart

The Legend of King Nibbles, 3min,. USA
Directed by Alison Chang, Selin Bekiroglu
A hamster king is a victim of his own demise when he refuses to
share his excessive wealth with the rest of his kingdom.

https://www.instagram.com/alisonrchang/

Total Opposites, 2min., USA
Directed by Afek Felix Eyal
Two beings, Dark and Light, fight to impose control of the world in order to achieve peace- only to realize peace can only come through co-existence.

https://www.instagram.com/felixeyal

Wall unit, 10min,. Poland
Directed by Joanna Polak
A ramshackle wall unit is a symbol of the monotonous life of a certain 40-year-old man living in a grey, dirty post-communist block of flats district. Right after his birthday, suffering from the midlife crisis, the man decides to change his dull and routine-based existence. Alas, his wife stands in the way.

Alyssum, 6min,. USA
Directed by Alex King
Alyssum follows Alyson, a young woman who’s struggling with perfectionism as she attempts to craft the perfect bouquet for her wife, Lilith. Overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt, she battles her inner critic, represented by corrupting vines. As she spirals deeper into self-doubt, she must decide: will she push forward and embrace imperfection, or will her fears consume her?

https://www.instagram.com/alyssum_film/

If I Were a Carpenter, 3min., Canada
Directed by Elizabeth Lewis
This hand drawn animated film is based on the classic song If I Were a Carpenter and sung by the great Bobby Darin. How can love conquer the social divide? This film is a tender slightly tongue in cheek story of how love can transform us and ultimately bridge our differences.

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Watch today’s Festival: https://www.wildsound.ca/browse

LUCKY ALIEN, 15min., USA
Directed by Jasmin Please Haugstuen
“Lucky Alien” is a gripping short film that explores one woman’s fight for love and dignity against the merciless bureaucracy of immigration, shedding light on the dark corners of a broken system. This social drama with a sprinkle of dark humor will evoke feelings and moments of intense suspense, witnessing uncomfortable but real situations that happen everyday on these country borders. With it’s fast-paced dialogue and seemingly endless levels of hell, the cast of characters in this world of limbo will make you laugh and cry, and hopefully inspire conversation and actions for change. – BASED ON A TRUE STORY

https://www.instagram.com/luckyalienfilm/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-lucky-alien

Love & War, 15min., USA
Directed by Amy Johnston
Kalie and Connor, two lonely assassins, form an unlikely bond when they meet on an online dating app and find themselves on the run from the hitmen and women hired to kill them both.

https://www.instagram.com/amyejohnston/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-love-and-war

BODIES OF WORK, 25min., USA
Directed by Rabia Khan
“Bodies of Work: The Stories That Live in Jen Hyde.” In this evocative documentary, journey through the emotional landscape of Emmy-award-winning documentary producer Jen Hyde. Known for her courageous and compassionate storytelling at NBC and CNN, Jen has consistently illuminated humanity’s hidden pains and resilience.

https://www.instagram.com/rok_on_rk

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-bodies-of-work

Dividing Line, 28min., Georgia
Directed by Mevlud Sabashvili
A woman finds the strength to leave an abusive relationship. A woman does not find the strength to leave an abusive relationship.

https://www.facebook.com/mevludi.sabashvili

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-dividing-line

Submit via the site; https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/travel-novel-festival/

Submit your TRAVEL Book by the deadline.

A travel story is a piece of writing that describes a location, its people, culture, and customs. It can also be a narrative of a journey that provides information about the physical, biogeographic, and ethnographic characteristics of an area.

Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Get FULL FEEDBACK on either the 1st chapter or entire novel book from our committee of professional writers and writing consultants. Get your novel performed by a professional actor at the festival.

NEW OPTION: Or, just submit for an actor performance reading transcript of your novel (any 5 pages of your book). Great way to promote the sales of your book if you’re already published. (see examples on the video playlist below.)

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

Submit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

An in-person & hybrid festival. Multiple screenings are presented, plus interviews with filmmakers, screenwriters, and their team.

This festival is designed to showcase the best of LGBTQ+ stories from around the world today! We accept screenplays (short, TV Pilot, feature) and short & feature films.

Film Festivals:

Festivals occur every single month. We accept an assortment of shorts & feature films from around the world today monthly. We are proud to announce that we will be using the audience feedback format, where all accepted films receive a video of people talking about their film at the festival. Excellent video to use for promotional purposes too.

Screenplay Festivals:

We are proud to showcase 2-5 winning LGBTQ+ screenplays at our festival every single month!! Go to the site and watch the winning readings each month.

All entries receive full feedback from the industry. Accepted screenplays get their screenplays performed by professional actors.

One of North America’s leading gay destinations, Toronto has been holding Pride observances since the ’70s. The Pride parade draws more than 1.2 million spectators and participants annually, making it one of the top such draws in the world. The cinema is located in the Church & Wellesley area, where all of the Pride Events take place.

LGBTQ+ festivals occur 12 times a year. Go to the website for information on the next events.

All submissions receive feedback on their film no matter what.

Submit to the festival on their site: https://documentaryshortfilmfestival.com/history-screenplay-festival/

Submit your screenplay that’s a historical story genre and/or plot line to the festival.

FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay from our committee of Professional Screenwriters, Production Heads and Script Consultants. Get your entire script performed at the writing festival.

SUBMIT your FEATURE, TV PILOT or SHORT SCREENPLAY.

Submissions take 3-5 weeks for evaluation. Looking for screenplays from all over the world.

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This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.)

1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)

2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.

3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.

4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.

(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)

Submit on the submission page: https://sportsfilmfestival.video/sports-short-story-festival/

Submit your SPORTS short story to the festival, and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video for yourself.

Accept only stories that fit into the sports genre.

Sports storytelling is more than just reporting scores. It’s about weaving narratives that connect us emotionally to athletes, teams, and events.

See example of recent reading completed:

Submit to the festival today: https://festivalforfamily.com/family-kids-novel-writing-festival/

Submit your Family or Kids Book by the deadline. 

FAMILY and KIDS Books will always be needed and wanted in our society. If you can write a great family story, then you are definitely on your way to having a great career. This portion of the Writing Festival would like to present at least 20 new works of Family Novels in the next 12 months. Submit your family novel today:

Watch Novel Performance Readings:

Submit your Stage Play via Submittable: https://wildsoundwritingfestival.submittable.com/submit/331401/political-stage-play-writing-contest-get-play-performed-by-professional-actors

Festival contest brought to you by the  Political Feedback Festival: https://politicalfeedbackfestival.events/

I have to really thank the actors for my reading, nothing short of terrific as they were, nothing short of incredibly smart, attractive, and perceptive as they were. They brought the script to life.  – F. Maffai

FULL FEEDBACK on your stage play from our committee of Professional Playwriters, Production Heads and Story Consultants. Get a best scene of your stage play performed at the writing festival and made into a video for the winner.

Submit your 10 Page Play, 1 Act Play, or Full Stage Play to the Festival.

SUBMIT your STAGE PLAY Today  You will receive feedback on your play in 3-5 weeks

Submit via the festival page: https://fantasyscififestival.com/

Get your screenplay performed by professional actors at the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival.

The Fastest Growing FANTASY/SCI-FI Festival and Contest in the World today!

– 0ffers screenwriters at all levels the fantastic opportunity to hear their stories read aloud using TOP PROFESSIONAL ACTORS (see below for recent performance readings).

– No matter what happens, you will receive full feedback on your work by our established committee. No other place in the world will you get coverage for the price you pay.

– Even if you’re just looking for feedback of your work, this is the festival for you.

– It’s there for all to see. The proof is in the viewership. These videos garner 1000s of views online. Some of the screenplay readings are more popular than actual studio films made!

– We specialize in showcasing Fantasy/Sci-Fi stories and making sure that when the work is ready, the writer will benefit by at least obtaining a solid agent.

Submit via the festival page: https://crimemysteryfestival.com/mystery-short-story/

Submit your MYSTERY short story to the festival here, and we will automatically have it performed by a professional actor and turned into a promotional video for yourself.

Accept only stories that fit into the MYSTERY genre. A mystery story is a type of fiction that involves a crime or other event that remains a mystery until the end of the story. The main character, often a detective, works to solve the mystery by: Finding clues, Examining motives, Identifying suspects, and Using logical deduction.

See example of recent reading completed: