2016 ACTION/ADVENTURE Short Films

Submit your Action/Adventure Story to the Festival Today: http://actionadventurefestival.com

Best of Action/Adventure SHORT FILMS showcased at the festival in  2016:

MARTY: A WILD WEST NEVERLAND, 16min., USA, Fantasy/Adventure WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	HELIO, 20min., USA, Sci-Fi/Action WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

O, 29min, Norway, Horror/Mystery WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	GILT, 22min, UK, Thriller/Drama WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

THE TRAP, 16min, Canada, Crime/Thriller WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	TENGU: BIRDMAN OF THE MOUNTAINS, 8min., UK, Action/Fantasy WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

BLACKWELL SUMMERS MYSTERY, 12min., USA, Action/Crime WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	MOTEL MOTEL, 20min., Belgium, Crime/Mystery WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

THE APOLOGY, 7min, UK, Mystery/Crime WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	RED ROVER, 15min, Australia/USA, Fantasy/Action WATCH Audience FEEDBACK September 2016 Film Festival

THE LAST JOURNEY OF THE ENIGMATIC PAUL WR, 17min, France, Sci-Fi/Fantasy WATCH Audience FEEDBACK September 2016 Film Festival	UNCANNY VALLEY, 9min, Argentina, Sci-Fi/Experimental WATCH Audience FEEDBACK September 2016 Film Festival

FOOTPRINTS, 13min, Canada WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	TIME SMASH, 2min., USA, Animation/Sci-Fi WATCH Audience FEEDBACK

JAILBREAK, 1min., USA, Animation/Crime WATCH Audience FEEDBACK	FANTASY FOOTBALL: A NERD’S TALE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 2min, USA, Action/Comedy

QUPID WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 10min, Australia, Action/Romance	ACROPHOBIA WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 3min, Switzerland, Action/Documentary

KARATE GIRL BRAWL WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 10min, Canada, Action/Thriller	THE MEGA PLUSH WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 4min, USA, Animation/Action

BURGLAR WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 5min, South Korea, Crime/Action

 

 

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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson

ACROPHOBIA – AUDIENCE FEEDBACK Video from the April 2016 Film Festival

Watch Moderation Videos from the Best of Action/Crime Short Film Festival in 2016:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/april_2016_film_festival.html

Watch ACROPHOBIA Audience FEEDBACK Video. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

ACROPHOBIA, 3min, Switzerland, Action/Documentary
Directed by Philippe Woodtli

Acrophobia is about a BASE jumper that is afraid of heights. He has to overcome his deepest fear before every single jump.

Film Type: Experimental, Short

Genres: Extreme Sports, Base Jumping, Parachute, Afraid of heights

Runtime: 2 minutes 52 seconds

Completion Date: December 1, 2015

Production Budget: 8,000 EUR

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Country of Filming: Italy

Film Language: English

Shooting Format: Digital, 1080p, 4k, Slow Motion

Aspect Ratio: 1:2.35

Film Color:Color

Director’s Statement:

Do it or do not… there is no try 😉

FANTASY FOOTBALL: A NERD’S TALE – AUDIENCE FEEDBACK Video from the April 2016 Film Festival

Watch Moderation Videos from the Best of Action/Crime Short Film Festival in 2016:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/april_2016_film_festival.html

Watch FANTASY FOOTBALL: A NERD’S TALE Audience FEEDBACK Video. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

FANTASY FOOTBALL: A NERD’S TALE, 2min, USA, Action/Comedy
Directed by Joe Wesley

Two nerds have the time of their life fighting for gridiron glory against a horde of orcs, barbarians, and ogres.

Director’s Statement:

Fantasy Football, A Nerd’s Tale is what I wish Fantasy Football really was. Instead of crunching numbers and stuffing stat sheets, how much more fun would it be leading your team of Elven warriors to bloody victory on the battlefield, hacking and slashing through a horde of orc and troll linemen for a touchdown?

Film Type: Short

Genres: Fantasy, Action, Comedy, Adventure

Runtime: 2 minutes 29 seconds

Completion Date: November 10, 2015

Production Budget: 5,000 USD

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Film Language: English

Shooting Format: Digital 2K

Aspect Ratio: 16:9

Film Color:Color

KARATE GIRL BRAWL – AUDIENCE FEEDBACK Video from the April 2016 Film Festival

Watch Moderation Videos from the Best of Action/Crime Short Film Festival in 2016:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/april_2016_film_festival.html

Watch KARATE GIRL BRAWL Audience FEEDBACK Video. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

KARATE GIRL BRAWL, 10min, Canada, Action/Thriller
Directed by Andy Hourahine

The film follows Charli Hackmann, an 18-year-old girl with a talent for finding the fight. Her violent past has helped her realize that the only enemies of worth are her inner demons, personified in this short as the BOSS. Her outer toughness means nothing to Charli, her true character is who she is in the dark and that is yet to be galvanized.

Director’s Statement:

The real battle lies within.

As a writer/director, I am drawn to themes of self-awareness, mental illness, psychology, depression, addiction, self-medication, personal triumph and tragedy. This is why when I had the chance to expand on the first micro-film, Karate Girl STREETFIGHT, I was eager to add more story and depth to the characters.

The film follows Charli Hackmann, an 18-year-old girl with a talent for finding the fight. Her violent past has helped her realize that the only enemies of worth are her inner demons, personified in this short as the BOSS. Her outer toughness means nothing to Charli, her true character is who she is in the dark and that is yet to be galvanized.

Martial arts are a fascinating subject and I have been fortunate to study them in North America, Europe, Japan, and Okinawa. I truly feel they are misunderstood and often misrepresented in the mainstream media. Old masters will tell you that it has nothing to do with fighting and everything to do with living to your fullest. I hope our endeavors here can further that message.

Production brought together the resources of many talented local individuals and I was very pleased to see so many people committed to independent film. Thanks to diligent work in pre-production, principal photography was completed by a skeleton crew in various locations over multiple days. Depsite budget and time constraints, we were still able to make use of some innovative film tools and I was pleased with how everything came together in post-production.

I wish to thank everyone in the pre-screening process for their positive feedback which has shaped the final product for the better. As well, my sincere thanks to a great cast and crew for bringing this short story to life; especially the beautiful and talented Julia Hourahine who showed strength, maturity, and professionalism well beyond her years as she smiled through the punches, kicks, slams, yanks, and long night shoots.

QUPID – AUDIENCE FEEDBACK Video from the April 2016 Film Festival

Watch Moderation Videos from the Best of Action/Crime Short Film Festival in 2016:
http://www.wildsoundfestival.com/april_2016_film_festival.html

Watch QUPID Audience FEEDBACK Video. Moderated by Matthew Toffolo:

QUPID, 10min, Australia, Action/Romance
Directed by JE Flood

Kidnapped victim Roo must escape a wannabe Cupid before she is injected with an untested love syrum.

Director’s Statement:

Human beings are sexual beings and when we repress this side of ourselves there are destructive consequences. But QUPID isn’t a literal exploration of the issue. It functions as a fable, a warning against the detrimental impact of sexual repression.

Quentin (Paul Wilson) represents heteronormative society attempting to control and direct sexuality as a sy- ringe wielding Cupid. His antithesis is Roo (Sally Dulson), the story’s hero, a woman who does not allow society to deny her sexuality, nor her sexuality de ne her.

The backdrop for Quentin’s kidnappings is rural Australia, a setting heavy with ideas of tradition and somehow xed within our national psyche, despite the majority of Australians living in urban areas.

Although Australia is considered progressive on LGBTQI issues, correctional centres still operate in the country. these institutions provide “reparative therapy” for those who are supposedly suffering unwanted same-sex attraction. it is this delusion, equating homosexuality to a curable ailment, which first sparked the idea for a short film.

The consequences of Quentin’s attempt to control and direct sexuality is worn by Dominic. He is no longer a man, just an embodiment of his sex and sexuality. He exists solely to dominate Roo, without an identity. He is a warning against the detrimental impact of sexual repression.

Watch Audience Feedback: Action Short Film KNOCKED DOWN

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Watch FEEDBACK Video:

KNOCKED DOWN, Animation/Action, 3min, Spain
Directed by Pepe Gomez

A young boxer ponders about the world of boxing while fighting for the championship belt.

Director’s Statement:

There are three main goals I wanted to achieve to this film. First of all, I aimed to capture in a film some of my own experiences in the world of boxing. Secondly, I wanted to play with the black and white, the light and the darkness. My last goal was to explore the movement of the human body, especially in slow motion, and to experiment and discover new techniques to recreate slow motion in animation.

The whole idea behind this film is to offer the viewer a first person, immersive experience of a boxing fight, and everything we see is designed to achieve that: the close ups, the use of the light, the sound, the narration…. Everything tries to take us as close to the combat as possible, and even, at times, inside the mind of one of the boxers.

The story is actually quite simple, a young boxer fights for the title of champion, but during the fight he keeps thinking about how, despite like boxing, he is disgusted by the constant screaming of the fans, the useless advise of each coach, and all the charade that comes with every boxing fight. Then at some point he gets knocked down, and during the brief moment of his fall, which we experience in super slow motion, he ponders about if it is really worth it to fight so hard to get a belt.

The way the story is told defines the very structure of the film, which is divided in two parts. First, a succession of fast boxing scenes, with short, energetic thoughts. And a second part, after being knocked down, that happens all in slow motion, and the monologue goes much more quiet, relaxed and reflexive.

The design aspect is very straight forward, it was very important to being able to differentiate the boxers from each other, and I achieve that by making them very different in their faces, their bodies, and even the way they move, and their boxing styles. The rest of the characters are design to look realistic, but very static, to contrast to the fast, continuous movements of the boxers. The whole film is pure black and white, with influences of the noir and, of course, the Sin City graphic novels. This is a style I think fits pretty well with the general atmosphere of the movie, and it makes it easy to emphasize the crowd, or to isolate the two boxers when needed.

The sound is also very important to set the mood of the film, all the sounds made by the boxers were recorded in the Foley room: the breathing, the punches, the groans of pain… And they were combined with royalty free sounds used for the crowd, the cameras, etc. The sound, as the images, is design to bring us closer to what the main character is feeling, we hear his breathing when he is tired, we hear the constant screaming of the fans when he is annoyed by them… And then we also have a narration in voice over, which help us to understand not only what he is feeling, but also what is he thinking.

There is also two songs in the movie, one at the beginning, as part of the introduction of one of the boxers, and a second one, that will take the place of every other sound effect once the main character is knocked down, and will help to set this disorienting feeling as he falls in slow motion. The technical part was a very interesting process, particularly for the slow motion parts. I couldn’t find much of slow motion 2d animation to use as a reference. After much experimenting, the effect was achieve with a mixture of digital hand drawn in TV paint; and puppet tools and 3d cameras in after effects. All this gives the film a very unique style, and it helps to tell a story about boxing in a way it hasn’t been done before.

VIOLENT Stories from the Festival

Submit your Action/Adventure Screenplay to the Festival Today: http://actionadventurefestival.com/

Watch the best of VIOLENT stories and films showcased at the FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival.

CYCLE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Canada, War	SERENA WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Luxembourg, Drama

STALLED WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Canada, Thriller	LAPSUS WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Crime, France

VANISHED WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Action, USA	FAMILIAR WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Horror, Canada

THE HOPPER WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Animation, Germany	SHORT SCRIPT – CAGEY June 2014 Reading Written by JJ Hillard

TV PILOT – THE PURE February 2014 Reading Written by Jessica Seguin	CHAPTER NOVEL – Rabbit’s Man February 2014 Reading Written by Philip Oyok

1ST SCENE SCRIPT – THE ACE MESSIAH July 2014 Reading Written by Christopher E. Marchant	1ST SCENE SCRIPT – WEECHO July 2013 Reading Written by Kevin Gebhard

1ST SCENE SCRIPT – WHEN NIGHT TURNS TO DAY March 2014 Reading Written by Amy Guggenhein	LINK Video Pitch Novel Written by DA Karr

TV PILOT – ERASER February 2015 Reading Written by Kim Godfrey	1st Scene SCRIPT – HELLCAT February 2015 Reading Written by J. Alan Hostetter

NOVEL READING – HELLCAT February 2015 Reading Written by Alan Hostetter	boyz will b boyz, by cc lindh

Napalm by Lacie Brown	Feature Script: ORIGINS May 2015 Reading Written by Michael Panek & Guershon Moreno

Poetry Movie: HAMMER Horror/Serial Killer Poem Written by Cassandra Swan	1st Chapter: LOOKING INTO THE SUN April 2015 Reading Written by Todd Tavolazzi

BEST SCENE – BIONIC (From Bionic Man TV Pilot) March 2015 Reading Written by Craig Glatt	Best Scene – LONELY HEROES March 2015 Reading Written by Eddie Upnick

Feature Script – BESA March 2015 Reading Written by Michael Miceli	MEDIATION WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 14min, USA, Thriller/Film Noir

SHORT – BATMAN/SUPERMAN FAN Script March 2015 Reading Written by Glenn Magas & Dale Fabrigar	Chapter 1 Novel: COURAGE UNDER FIRE September 2015 Reading by Vanayssa Somers

TV PILOT – Max Cobra October 2015 Reading Written by Brad Heisler	TV PILOT – Westbound October 2015 Reading Written by Jeff Alulis

FEATURE SCRIPT – Pontiff No Return October 2015 Reading Written by Eric Boyd	FEATURE SCRIPT – Yellow Touch Red, You’re Dead November 2015 Reading Written by Lauren Hoekstra

SHORT SCRIPT – Batman: Patient Zero December 2015 Reading Written by Andrew Akler	VALOR CAT WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Animation/Comic Book, 7min, USA

KNOCKED DOWN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Animation/Action, 3min, Spain	A SIGN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 2015 17min., Belguim, Drama

A PEACEFUL MAN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 4min, Australia, Action/Thriller	HAMMER WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Canada/UK, 5min, Horror/Poem

Watch the Best of Action/Adventure Performance Readings:

QUEST Stories from the Festival

Submit your Action/Adventure Screenplay to the Festival Today: http://actionadventurefestival.com/

Watch the best of QUEST stories and films showcased at the FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Drama, Switzerland	PERFORMED – ARCHER TV Spec Script August 2014 Reading Written by Jay Mayhoffer

SELECTED SCENES: TO DIE IN TENNESSEE December 2014 Reading Written by Verlynn Kneifl & Laurie Larsen	Chapter 1 NOVEL – Please Hold November 2015 Reading Written by Tricia Stewart Shiu

1ST SCENE SCRIPT – CAVE KISSES March 2014 Reading Written by Ingrid Goldberg	CHAPTER 1 Reading – Liquid Diamond December 2015 Reading Written by Sebastien Blue

FEATURE SCRIPT – TO DIE IN TENNESSEE February 2015 Reading Written by Verlynn Kneifl & Laurie Larsen	1st Scene Script: REDNECK CHRISTMAS August 2015 Reading by JC Mercer Jr.

FIRST SCENE – WAYFARERS November 2014 Reading Written by Arnon Z. Shorr

Chapter 1 Novel: COURAGE UNDER FIRE September 2015 Reading by Vanayssa Somers	1st Scene SCRIPT – GRANDMA DEE AND THE LOST CONTINENT November 2015 Reading Written by Mark Perlick

FAT WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 2015 Animation/Experimental, 3min, Canada	GAME OF SENSES WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Animation/Experimental, 4min, Poland

Watch the Best of Action/Adventure Performance Readings:

GUN Stories from the Festival

Submit your Action/Adventure Screenplay to the Festival Today: http://actionadventurefestival.com/

Watch the best of GUN stories and films showcased at the FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival.

Watch the Best of Action/Adventure Performance Readings:

CYCLE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Canada, War	MOUSSE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Sweden, Drama

FOUND FOOTAGE WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Drama, Canada	LAPSUS WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Crime, France

VANISHED WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Action, USA	THE TROUBLE I GOT WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Western, CAN

ARREST ME WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video Comedy, Denmark	PICTURE PERFECT WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Drama, USA

THE HOPPER WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Animation, Germany	SHORT SCRIPT – CAGEY June 2014 Reading Written by JJ Hillard

Feature Screenplay Reading – SHOOTING STAR September 2014 Reading Written by Richard Harrison	SCREAMWRITER – Short Script May 2014 Reading Written by Lee Forgang

CHAPTER NOVEL – Rabbit’s Man February 2014 Reading Written by Philip Oyok	1st SCENE SCRIPT READING – PROMISES October 2014 Reading Written by Lee Forgang

FEATURE SCRIPT – FEATURE: FLEET WEEK: EVANESCENCE December 2014 Reading Written by David Redstone	TV PILOT – Max Cobra October 2015 Reading Written by Brad Heisler

THE WHEEL OF TIME WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 12min, Turkey, Thriller/Future	CORTO AUDIENCE FEEDBACK 10min, Film Noir/Comedy Short Film Showcase

TV PILOT: REDEEMING GRACE May 2015 Reading Written by WL Gorman	Feature Script: THE THIRD BOMB April 2015 Reading Written by Phillip Parker

Short Screenplay: GRAVEL HEART April 2015 Reading Written by Michael Curtis	Feature Script – BESA March 2015 Reading Written by Michael Miceli

Novel Prologue: DISTURBED May 2015 Reading Written by Suzanne Wilson	1st Chapter – DISTURBED March 2015 Reading Written by Suzanne Wilson

MEDIATION WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 14min, USA, Thriller/Film Noir	FEATURE SCRIPT – Pontiff No Return October 2015 Reading Written by Eric Boyd

FEATURE SCRIPT – Yellow Touch Red, You’re Dead November 2015 Reading Written by Lauren Hoekstra	SHORT SCRIPT – On Three December 2015 Reading Written by Ed Vassie

FAMILY ON BOARD WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 15min, USA, Drama

Watch the Best of Action/Adventure Performance Readings:

FIGHT Stories from the Festival

Submit your Action/Adventure Screenplay to the Festival Today: http://actionadventurefestival.com/

Watch the best of FIGHT stories and films showcased at the FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival.

SHORT SCRIPT – CAGEY June 2014 Reading Written by JJ Hillard	THE DEVIL’S LARCENY – Feature Script May 2014 Reading Written by Howard Fridkin

FEATURE SCRIPT – SHAPESHIFTERS June 2014 Reading Written by Andrew Fisk	FEATURE SCRIPT READING – THE FIX FACTORY October 2014 Reading Written by Kyle Jenkins

1ST SCENE SCRIPT – CAHOOTS September 2014 Reading Written by Elan Carlson	1ST SCENE SCRIPT – WHEN NIGHT TURNS TO DAY March 2014 Reading Written by Amy Guggenhein

1ST SCENE SCRIPT – DRAGGING THE MARK July 2013 Reading Written by Suzy Stein	THE GOOD BOY WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 15min, Drama/Sports, USA

CHUB WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 27min, USA, Youth/Drama	FEATURE SCRIPT Reading of LEGACY September 2015 Reading Written by Marc W. Johnson

ZARAUTZEN EROSI ZUEN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 16min, Spain, Drama	MEDIATION WATCH Audience FEEDBACK Video 14min, USA, Thriller/Film Noir

FEATURE SCRIPT – Pontiff No Return October 2015 Reading Written by Eric Boyd	FEATURE SCRIPT – Yellow Touch Red, You’re Dead November 2015 Reading Written by Lauren Hoekstra

SHORT SCRIPT – Batman: Patient Zero December 2015 Reading Written by Andrew Akler	SHORT SCRIPT – HOW IT STARTS July 2015 Reading Written by Ed Vassie

A PEACEFUL MAN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 4min, Australia, Action/Thriller	VALOR CAT WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Animation/Comic Book, 7min, USA

KNOCKED DOWN WATCH Audience FEEDBACK 2015 Animation/Action, 3min, Spain

Watch the Best of Action/Adventure Performance Readings: