Month: June 2025

Soularis

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER 2025 (Category: Experimental Film)

Gold Glory & Nobility

BEST AMERICAN ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

Dead On The Sand

BEST AMERICAN TELEVISION SCRIPT

Shattered Rainbows

BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER 2025

The Pathos of Hamlet

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE ACTOR

The Stones of Rome

BEST WRITING STYLE (Category: Indie Screenplay Short), BEST INSPIRATIONAL SHORT FILM & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING

Antidote Man

BEST SCREENWRITER 2025 (Category: Feature TV Series)

On My Special Day

BEST INDIE SHORT FILM & BEST ACTING

Glimpse

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE PRODUCER (Category: Video Poetry)

The Spiritualization of Jeff Boyd

BEST INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE 2025, BEST MOVIEMAKER, BEST CASTING DIRECTOR & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY

 Revisited – Life is Short

BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC VIDEO

Flint&Ema

BEST ANIMATED INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

A Child’s Voice

BEST PILOT TV 2025

Antidote Man

BEST FEATURE TV SERIES

Noise

BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Experimental) & BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Louie KR.ONE Gasparro 5POINTZ

BEST FIRST TIME DIRECTOR 2025

Ye Ole Glorya

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT COMEDY 2025

Big Momma Earth

BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Comedy)

Atlas Of Uncertainty

BEST SOUND DESIGN

Iriso

BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER (Category: Drama)

Mecca

BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL LGBT

I Rose

BEST VIDEO POETRY & BEST ARTHOUSE EDITING

Hotel Purgatorio: Epiphanies

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE WEB/TV SERIES

Sakli (Hidden)

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENPLAY

Unmaskyourlife

BEST PRODUCER (Category: Music Video) & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SONG

The Days of Knight: Chapter 3

BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY, ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER, BEST INDIE PRODUCTION COMPANY & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

The way of Mizoguchi

BEST EUROPEAN DOCUMENTARY 2025 

Katabasis

BEST INDIE DIRECTO, BEST INDIE FILM OF THE YEAR, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature), BEST ARTHOUSE ACTRESS, & BEST EUROPEAN PRODUCER

Lambada The Dance of Fate

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL SCREENPLAY, BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER, BEST FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

The Duchess

BEST INTERNATIONAL CAST & BEST ORIGINAL DRAMA 2025

The Assassin’s Apprentice 2: Silbadores of the Canary Islands

BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILM, BEST MOVIEMAKER, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST ACTING (Category: International Indie Narrative Short Film)

Routine

BEST AMERICAN FILMMAKER 2025, BEST INDIE PRODUCER, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST EDITING

Wacko

BEST FILM 2025, BEST INDIE FILMMAKER, BEST PRODUCTION COMPANY BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY & BEST CAST

The Connecting Betrayal

BEST THRILLER SCRIPT 2025

Senility

BEST EUROPEAN ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

Ragzi & The Danseuse

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

NeverWere: a Lycan Love Story

BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST AMERICAN INDIE SCREENWRITER 2025

Wave Man

BEST EUROPEAN INDIE SCREENWRITER 2025

Josh’s Employment Agency of Brooklyn/the Hereafter

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

The Solomon Project

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER

The Dream

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENPLAY SHORT

Cassandra Venice

BEST INTERNATIONAL CINEMATOGRAPHER

I Can’t Save You

BEST INTERNATIONAL SUPER SHORT FILM, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING & BEST PRODUCER (Category: Super Short Film)

Monument to Love

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE 2025 & BEST EDITING (Category: Documentary)

Shucks

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILMMAKER, BEST FANTASY & BEST SOUNDTRACK

Sinestesìa

BEST EUROPEAN MUSIC VIDEO & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Music Video)

Voyage in the desert

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE FEATURE FILM

Elevation to the Depths III

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT

Not Without Gloves

BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

The Rorschach Test

BEST EUROPEAN EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR, ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST CAMERA OPERATOR

Prodigio

BEST INTERNATIONAL SONG & BEST INTERNATIONAL SINGER

Fortezza

BEST SOCIAL SINGER 2025

Planetary Rebellion

BEST SOUND DESIGN & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Arthouse Music Video)

Brothers of Babylon

BEST AMERICAN WRITER, BEST INDIE FEATURE SCRIP & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Darker Realities

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER (Category: Indie Feature Script)

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER

Hoplove — A Journey through the hop year at Lake Constance

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE MUSIC VIDEO

Running in circles

BEST WEB/TV SERIES & BEST SCREENWRITER 2025

Le disubbidienti del San Zaccaria

BEST ORIGINAL IDEA (Category: International Screenplay)

Cock Robin

BEST ORIGINAL COMEDY 2025

Something Ain’t Right

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY 2025

Get out Breathing

BEST DRAMA 2025

Effata

BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR (Category: Musiv Video) & BEST INDIE SINGER 2025

Colombano & La 21Esima Fetta

BEST FILMMAKER & BEST SCREENWRITER (Category: Indie Film 2025)

Thankful

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT 2025 & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENWRITER

Water

BEST INDIE DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Urban Eats MTL

BEST DIRECTOR (Category; WEB/TV SERIES)

2020: life and death of a virus

BEST EUROPEAN EXPERIMENTAL ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR

The reasons of time

BEST INTERNATIONAL FANTASY, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST EDITING (Category: Fantasy)

The Dragonfly Dreaming Project

BEST FILMMAKER, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST EDITING (Category: Documentary Short)

Out of State-A Gothic Romance

BEST PICTURE 2025, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST CASTING DIRECTOR

The Liminal Space

BEST INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER & BEST EDITING (Category: Experimental Film)

Chateau De Tarot

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER

Omnipotent Resolution

BEST MUSICAL SHORT FILM, BEST DANCE FILM, BEST ORIGINAL CHOREOGRAPHY, BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER & BEST PRODUCER

Magic Moment

BEST INDIE INTERNATIONAL SONG & BEST ARTHOUSE SINGER

In a Whole New Way

BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR & BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER

Boxed In

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT, & BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT FILM

Déjà Vu On The Ledge

BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL FILM 2025

Can’t Figure It Out

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST EDITING (Category: EXPERIMENTAL FILM)

In Search of A P-I-G

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST PRODUCER, BEST SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA (Category: Web/TV Series)

Eye of the Storm

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE, BEST FILMMAKER & BEST CAMERA OPERATOR (Category: Documentary)

Borderline Justice

BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT

Alta California

BEST AMERICAN SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR & BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FEATURE SCRIPT

Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding

BEST AMERICAN NARRATIVE FEATURE

The Arcangel Of Death

BEST INDIE DRAMA SHORT & BEST YOUNG ACTOR OF THE YEAR

Phoebe’s Echo

BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST CASTING DIRECTOR & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Indie Narrative Feature)

Heat and Love

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: Animation)

The Days of Knight: Chapter 1

BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST EDITING

Sheldon Mashugana gets Stooged

BEST ORIGINAL ACTING & BEST COMEDY

Nossos Caminhos

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENPLAY

The contemporary film industry is undergoing an irreversible transformation, with independent producers at the forefront. It’s no coincidence that at the latest edition of the Oscars, one of the most awarded films was Anora by Sean Baker. Today, the technical means to express oneself through audio-visual media is no longer a privilege reserved for a few.

In this context, we are very proud that WILD FILMMAKER has become the largest global community of its kind. Our philosophy is to continue spreading independent cinema with passion and humility—but we cannot hide the fact that certain milestones fill us with joy.

The idea of bringing together artists from all over the world has allowed us to reach the most important film events. In the coming months, we’ll be in Toronto, New York, and at the American Film Market, which in its next edition returns to Los Angeles after the Las Vegas experiment.

In addition, in just a few days, WILD FILMMAKER will arrive in Silicon Valley, home to the world’s most innovative communication and entertainment companies. Perhaps we can even say that the New Hollywood is now in Silicon Valley.

These and many other projects are only possible thanks to a community that has now grown to over 70,000 artists. It’s obviously impossible to mention everyone, but in this Press Release dedicated to our latest event in Venice, we include the artists from the WILD FILMMAKER Community who chose to be part of it. To those not mentioned, we still want to embrace and thank you for believing in a dream that has now become a successful project.

Long live free cinema—today and forever!

Brooke Harris Wolff, Robin Williams & Howard Storm

Lena Mattsson

Lynn Elliott

Earnest Diaz

Susan Downs

John Martinez

Danilo Del Tufo

Don Pasquale Ferone

Matthew Roch

Anaya (Anaya Music) Kunst

Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

Ken Kimmelman

Reid Barwick

Arnold Curry

Dean Morgan

Jeremy & Christine Stork

Gabriel Womack

Gianni Salamone

Kai Fischer

Hugo Teugels

Laura Calderini

Pamela Perry Goulardt

Carla Di Bonito

Who is Diane Thomassin?

I write scripts. I don’t just write words on a page, I search for the treasure in people’s stories. Especially survivor stories! When you have been through some stuff, (and we’ve ALL been through some stuff) sometimes our brains locks that pain away in a vault we never touch. But a good screenwriter knows how to open that vault. Screenwriting for me isn’t just about entertainment. It’s about taking human experience and translating it, so others can feel it too. When I help survivors tell their stories, I say, “Your pain matters, but more importantly, your resilience matters!” Sometimes we forget we have resilience and we are walking around acting like we can’t handle anything, when our ancestors survived everything. I want to remind everyone of that strength in their DNA through story. I believe in transforming pain into art and pain into triumph.

Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

Yeah. I was 8 years old watching Star Wars. Just sitting there, my first time in a movie theater with no concept of what filmmaking even was, and suddenly there’s this whole universe happening in front of me. But then I fell in love with cinema all over again in college, taking these film appreciation classes. It’s like being in a relationship with someone for years and then one day they tell you this deep thing about their childhood or you discover their hidden talent and you go, “Oh wow, I’m falling for you all over again but deeper now.” It’s a renewed appreciation and respect. I learned film history, which is basically watching how humans figured out how to tell stories with this technology. Silent films, man… they had to tell the whole story with just images. No dialogue to bail them out. Buster Keaton could make you laugh and break your heart without saying a word. That’s pure cinema. The bad thing about falling in love with cinema is it ruins you for normal viewing. You can’t just watch a movie anymore. You’re seeing all the choices, all the invisible work. It’s like being a chef and tasting a sauce and going, “Oh, they used tarragon in this.” Regular people just enjoy the sauce. You’re cursed with film knowledge.

Tell us about your project “The Evolution of Low Joe”.

“The Evolution of Low Joe.” This script is a what I call a backwards hero’s journey.
In your typical hero’s journey, the protagonist starts in the ordinary world, gets a call to adventure, faces trials, and returns transformed. But Low Joe? He started at the top. He’s already a successful rapper with money, fame and he can have anything or anyone he wants. His journey is about falling DOWN before he can truly rise up. Low Joe has to lose everything he thinks matters to find what really matters. He hits rock bottom before he can look up and see the light. This is the point, sometimes we have to lose our false identity before we can find our true self. Low Joe was a walking wound and that caused him to hurt the people he loved and even those he didn’t love. His open wound was bleeding on everyone. This is what unhealed  trauma does to people. Enter Alma. She understands love and redemption and she believes in Joe. The script should call us to ask ourselves…What’s real power? Is it controlling others through fear like Low Joe did at first? Or is it having the courage to be vulnerable, to face your demons, and to choose love even when it’s hard? That’s the evolution from Low Joe to WHOLE Joe.

Which Director inspires you the most?

Sofia Coppola stands out to me because she understands life in a way that few filmmakers get. She knows that life is more than an action movie with things exploding. It’s closer to real life to be sitting in a room, having complicated emotions that are hard to express. The explosion for Sofia is showcasing the human experience. Sofia realized that women in film existed to serve the narrative of male protagonists. So, women in Sofia’s films take center stage to tell their own stories without needing to be a wife or girlfriend or a male fantasy. The stories she tells are naturally small and quiet because that is where life’s best drama unfolds, in these small moments. The industry demands filmmakers to produce obvious and loud content because it seems to believe audiences are like lab rats who need their stimulation increased again and again. But Sofia shows courage by concentrating on the small moments that make up life beyond the fleeting dopamine hits. Like, the glance between people that reveals a complete relationship through its silent exchange. The moment of silence follows when someone speaks words they can’t take back. That’s why she’s so good with actors. She doesn’t need them to explain their psychology through dialogue. She just puts the camera on their face and lets us watch them think. That’s harder than it sounds. Most directors would panic and add a voiceover. Sofia’s doesn’t need the voiceover, her directing is solid.

What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?


We’ve created this weird thing in society where we’re obsessed with our differences and ignore our similarities. It’s like we’re all drowning, and instead of helping each other, we’re arguing about who has the better swimming technique.
We’re the only species that does this. You don’t see a bunch of squirrels forming groups based on tail fluffiness. “Oh, you have a less fluffy tail? Stay on your side of the tree. You are inferior. You don’t deserve to exist .” It’s ridiculous when you think about it.
We need to start treating each other better. What sounds simple as that is actually the hardest thing in the world. Because treating people better means you have to see them as complex as you see yourself. That’s terrifying for too many people. I wish people would stop hating so much and love more.
We need to acknowledge the importance of healing trauma. That’s the thing about humans…we’re all just walking collections of unprocessed experiences pretending we’re fine. “Oh yeah, I watched this horrible thing once when I was seven and never talked about it, but I’m totally fine!” No, you’re not. None of us are. We all have trauma and if we don’t process those feelings, they will come out in a toxic way.
And we stigmatize mental health like it’s some luxury problem. “Oh, you’re sad? Have you tried just… not being sad?” Meanwhile, we’ll spend ten hours researching the best phone case but won’t spend ten minutes figuring out why we keep sabotaging our relationships.
If I could change anything, I’d make us all a little more honest about how broken and similar we all are. Because once you realize everyone else is also terrified and confused, it’s harder to hate them. It’s like being mad at someone for also being caught in the same rainstorm as you.
But we are humans…we’re terrible at accepting simple truths. We’d rather build elaborate systems of denial than just admit we’re all scared animals, pretending we’re fine and trying our best not to die alone.

How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?


There’s probably going to be these virtual reality glasses that we all wear, and the experience will be so immersive that you’ll feel like you’re actually there.
I see diversity in film where all perspectives are given equal time, because right now, we basically get the same seven stories told by the same twelve people. And we pretend that’s the human experience.
I see different opinions respected. Which is funny because we can’t even do that now with low stakes things. People lose their minds over whether a superhero movie is good. Imagine actual challenging content.
The weird thing about cinema in 100 years is that it’ll probably be both more advanced and exactly the same. Because no matter how fancy the technology gets, we’re still telling the same ol’ Hero’s Journey stories about love and death and why we’re here. We’ve been doing that since we were painting buffalos on cave walls. So yeah, we’ll have the amazing technology, but we’ll still be using it to process the fact that we’re conscious animals who know we’re all here on earth for a limited time. That’s the thing about humans…our tools evolve faster than our hearts.

Wacko

BEST AMERICAN INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST SCREENPLAY

The Demon

BEST INTERNATIONAL YOUNG ACTOR OF THE YEAR

L’arcangelo della Morte

BEST EUROPEAN ACTOR & BEST EXPERIMENTAL ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY

Rough Shot

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2025 & BEST WRITING STYLE

Walking In Memhis

BEST INTERNATIONAL Pilot/TV Script

Cassandra Venice

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER

The Assassin’s Apprentice 2: Silbadores of the Canary Islands

BEST AMERICAN NARRATIVE SHORT 2025, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT, BEST CAST & BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER

Routine

BEST INDIE PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, BEST INDIE SHORT FILM & BEST SOUND DESIGN

Brothers of Babylon

BEST ARTHOUSE WRITER & BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Boombox (The God of THe Dance) – TV Series (pitch deck)

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Lambada The Dance Of Fate

BEST ORIGINAL IDEA, BEST BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE WRITER

Eye of the Storm

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY, BEST AMERICAN DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL EDITING & BEST HUMAN RIGHTS FILM (Category: International Documentary Feature)

Canta la gioia

BEST MUSIC VIDEO & BEST ORIGINAL SONG WRITER

Prodigio

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SINGER

The Broken Road

BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: Feature Script)

The Priory of Sion

BEST EUOROPEAN WRITER 2025 & BEST HISTORICAL FEATURE SCRIPT

Hummel

BEST WRITER (Category: Short Script)

K Bender (The Bloody Benders)

BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: Short Script)

Adelaide’s Magic Sunglasses

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT SCRIPT

The Wood Ranch Country Club

BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST ARTHOUSE SHORT SCRIPT

The Insomnia Experiment

BEST ORIGINAL WRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: Short Script)

Prima del giorno dopo

BEST ARTHOUSE FILM OF THE YEAR & BEST EUROPEAN SCREENPLAY

The Mint

BEST INDIE SHORT SCRIPT 2025

Split Endz

BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE

The White Chronicles: The Beginning? Book One

BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK/MANUSCRIPT

The Taste of Rain

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

NEVERWERE: a Lycan Love Story

BEST ORIGINAL INTERNATIONAL WRITER & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT

The Duchess

BEST INTERNATIONAL DRAMA 2025 & BEST CASTING DIRECTOR

Moomtaz Khatoon: A gender fluid queer Muslim

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER (Category: Documentary Short)

The Hallmark Couple

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Only in Malibu

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR

 Gold Glory & Nobility

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER (Category: International Feature Script)

Something ain’t right

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR (Category: Documentary)

I Can’t Save You

BEST ARTHOUSE SUPER SHORT FILM 2025

The Days of Knight: Chapter 3

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST DIRECTOR, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT (Category: Narrative Short)

Iriso

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR & BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENPLAY (Category: Drama)

When the Withered Leaf Awakens

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE

Destination Marfa

BEST PICTURE, BEST SCREENPLAY & BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE FEATURE

Doctor Hyphoteses

BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDIAN

Katabasis

BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER, BEST INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE 2025, BEST CAST, BEST SCREENPLAY & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHER

Riding on Duke’s Train

BEST VIDEO POETRY 2025 & BEST SPIRITUAL SHORT FILM 2025

Omnipotent Resolution

BEST DANCE FILM 2025, BEST MUSICAL, BEST EXPERIMENTAL SOUND DEISGN & BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Monument to Love

BEST EDITING & BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Dragul and Forbes

BEST INDIE FEATURE SCRIPT

Drowning

BEST MUSICIAN & BEST SONG OF THE YEAR

The way of Mizoguchi

BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER, BEST EUOPEAN PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY

Static

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER & BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT 2025

The Hourglass

BEST INDIE DIRECTOR, BEST CAST, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Arthouse Narrative Short)

Mind Over Matter

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST EDITING (Category: International Super Short Film)

Ye Ole Glorya

BEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDY & BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER

Big Momma Earth

BEST ARTHOUSE FILMMAKER & BEST SCRIPT (Category: Comedy)

Over Exposed

BEST COMEDY 2025

Thankful

BEST WRITER 2025 (Category: Feature Script)

Roses are Blind

BEST FILMMAKER & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Thriller)

I’ve Fallen

BEST ARTHOUSE MUSIC VIDEO

Ageless

BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE DIRECTOR & BEST SOUNDTRACK

Giulietta e Romeo?

BEST YOUNG SCREENWRITER, BEST ORIGINAL SHORT FILM & BEST INTERNATIONAL FIRST TIME DIRECTOR

Out of State-A Gothic Romance

BEST FILMMAKER, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY & BEST INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTION COMPANY

Two Fridges

BEST ARTHOUSE SHORT FILM

The Dragonfly Dreaming Project

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT

Asherah’s Colors

BEST PICTURE OF THE YEAR

Ice Hockey Orphans

BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY SHORT

The Dinner Party

BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST INDIE FILMMAKER, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT & BEST SOUNDTRACK

NOI Crusaders – 30 anni di football americano in Sardegna

BEST EUROPEAN INDIE DIRECTOR

Fascino d’altri tempi

BEST EUROPEAN NARRATIVE SHORT OF THE YEAR

Der Rote Klang

BEST ARTHOUSE NARRATIVE SHORT & BEST INDIE ACTRESS

Sam and Dukes Big River Adventure

BEST ORIGINAL ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Walking With God

BEST INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE 2025

Sequoia Spirits

BEST INTERNATIONAL DANCE MOVIE

Vessel – 2024

BEST INTERNATIONAL HORROR OF THE YEAR & BEST SUSPENSE

The G-Files

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY FEATURE OF THE YEAR

Dogma

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM

Everland

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT

Boxed In

BEST SHORT FILM OF THE YEAR & BEST INDIE CINEMATOGRAPHER

Wave Man

BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE SCRIPT

Revisited – Life is Short

BEST ORIGINAL AUTHOR (Category: International Music Video)

In Search of A P-I-G

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY, BEST EDITING & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA (Category: Web/Tv Series)

The Second Coming

BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST SOUND DESIGN & BEST ORIGINAL CAST

In a Whole New Way

BEST INDIE PRODUCER, BEST FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR & BEST EDUCATIONAL FILM

Homeless Street Artist Documentary

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT & BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR

Not Without Gloves

BEST EUROPEAN SHORT FILM, BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR & BEST SPIRITUAL FILM

The Rorschach Test

BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Edgar

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR 2025 (Category: Animated Film)

A Perfect Love

BEST ORIGINAL INDIE FILMMAKER & BEST ARTHOUSE EDITING (Category: International Indie Documentary Short)

I am God

BEST ORIGINAL NARRATIVE SHORT, BEST CAST & BEST DIRECTOR (Category: International Narrative Short)

Effata

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO, BEST ORIGINAL SINGER & BEST SOUND DESIGN

Ciccillo

BEST EUROPEAN DRAMA & BEST EUROPEAN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Nossos Caminhos (Our Paths)

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE SCRIPT & BEST ORIGINAL INDIE WRITER

Luck Court

BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Category: International Comedy)

Princess Zarabanda

BEST ANIMATION 2025 & BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR (Category: Animated Short Film)

The Dead Ringer

BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE WRITER OF THE YEAR (Category: International Feature Script)

Something ain’t right

BEST CAMERA OPERATOR & BEST INDIE ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY

Is He Cheating?

BEST INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ+ FILM

Riding on Duke’s Train

BEST ORIGINAL FILMMAKER & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE VIDEO POETRY

Sheldon Mashugana gets Stooged

BEST ARTHOUSE COMEDY

The Waiting Room

BEST POETRY SHORT FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATOGRAPHY

THE BLANKET -Die schwarze Decke

BEST FILMMAKER & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Animated Short)

Revisited – Life is Short

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST SOUND DESIGN & BEST EDITING (Category: International Music Video)

Remnant

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST PICTURE, BEST DIRECTOR & BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Film)

YOU ARE HERE – a dylan brody project

BEST INDIE NARRATIVE FEATURE, BEST CAST & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Category: International Film)

Antiquarius

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING & BEST CAST (Category: International Short Film)

The Stones of Rome

BEST AMERICAN NARRATIVE SHORT FILM, BEST EXPERIMENTAL CINEMATOGRAPHER & BEST INTERNATIONAL INDIE ACTOR

The Pathos of Hamlet

BEST POETRY SHORT FILM & BEST ORIGINAL ACTING

BLIND FAITH: Moments of Missed Understanding

BEST DIRECTOR, BEST EDITING & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY (Category: Experimental Film)

Planetary Rebellion

BEST EUROPEAN MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR & BEST ARTHOUSE MUSICIAN

Alta California

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT & BEST INDIE WRITER OF THE YEAR

Pirandello’s Wife

BEST INTERNATIONAL SCRIPT & BEST BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT

Louie (KR ONE) Gasparro 5POINTZ

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT DOCUMENTARY OF THE YEAR

Chateau De Tarot

BEST ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER & BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCRIPT

Life is Beautiful

BEST SONG OF THE YEAR

Precious the Baby Dragon

BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK 2025

Can’t Figure It Out

BEST ORIGINAL PRODUCER & BEST INTERNATIONAL EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Turtle On A Fence Post

BEST SCREENWRITER 2025 (Category: Indie Feature Script)

Running Out Of Time

BEST INDIE PRODUCER & BEST ARTHOUSE PROJECT (Category: International Music Video)

Umbra/Eclipse of the moon

BEST EUROPEAN CINEMATOGRAPHER

Flint&Ema

BEST ARTHOUSE DIRECTOR (Category: International Animated Short)

Blooming Sisters

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTRESS

The Age of the Empath

BEST PILOT/TV

Ghost Executioners 2

BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER (Category: Comedy)

Enipheres

BEST INDIE FILMMAKER (Category: Arthouse Narrative Short)

Willow’s Journey

BEST ARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT

2020: life and death of a virus

BEST FILMMAKER & BEST EDITING (Category: International Experimental Film)

Amen-Amen-Amen: A Story of Our Times

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

Mashuga Wedding  and Sheldon’s Jewish Christmas

BEST AMERICAN COMEDY & BEST EDITING

L’Amour est temps de reflets

BEST INSPIRATIONAL FILM & BEST EUROPEAN SHORT FILM 2025

Lifes Mapped Out

BEST INDIE FILMMAKER

– Who is Jean-François Rodrigues?
I suppose you could say I’ve always been searching for a path that gives my life true purpose. Over the years, I’ve been a trained engineer, a professional pastry chef, a journalist, and most recently, a government intelligence officer. But everything changed when I was diagnosed with an incurable chronic pain condition, which abruptly ended my government career.

It was during that difficult time that I discovered a new sense of purpose through independent filmmaking. It gave me a powerful way to explore and address issues I felt deeply mattered in society.

– Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
To be honest, my introduction to cinema wasn’t love at first sight—it was born out of one of the saddest chapters of my life. After a tragic misdiagnosis, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and passed away within a week of hospitalization. Despite being 53 at the time, I found myself completely unprepared to navigate palliative and end-of-life care. I felt lost.

I realized how many others might feel the same way during such a vulnerable time, and I wanted to help change that. So I made a documentary about palliative and end-of-life care, which was screened in 28 locations across the UK and used to educate healthcare professionals. It helped me reclaim a sense of purpose after losing my previous career, and it marked the beginning of my journey into filmmaking.

– Tell us about your project Letters to Mother Earth.
Letters to Mother Earth is my third film project, and it represents a shift in both subject and style. Climate change has become my raison d’être, and I wanted to approach it in a more creative and experimental way. Rather than creating another traditional documentary, I chose to explore how music—one of the most universal and timeless forms of expression—can communicate urgent messages.

Historically, music transcends borders, cultures, and generations, so I curated three original tracks around the theme of climate change: a hip-hop piece, a Christian worship song, and a classical piano composition. Each artist shared their personal reflections on the topic, giving the project a unique and emotional resonance. It has been well-received on the festival circuit so far, which is incredibly encouraging.

– Which director inspires you the most?
As someone still new to filmmaking, my list of influences isn’t long, but one director who’s had a profound impact on me is Dallas Jenkins, the creator of The Chosen. In a world growing increasingly secular, his series about the life of Jesus is not only bold but beautifully executed. His vision is now defying expectations and, in many ways, feels like a cinematic Christian revival.

– What do you dislike about the world, and what would you change?
I wish my generation—the older generation—would take more responsibility for the world we’re leaving behind. Too often, we focus only on the short-term impacts on our lives and forget the bigger picture.

Climate change is a real and urgent issue that will deeply affect future generations. Governments need to take more honest, focused, and bold action. I want to leave my children and grandchild a world that’s still filled with beauty, mystery, and, above all, more love—for our planet and all the life it sustains.

– How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
Given the pace of technological advancement—especially in film—I can imagine a future where you input a script into an AI and it generates a full holographic film ready for distribution. It might sound far-fetched, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

Even so, I believe there will always be a human yearning for the authentic. Just like how analog photography has made a nostalgic comeback, perhaps cinema will also experience a revival that values human emotion, storytelling, and imperfection.

– What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I see WILD FILMMAKER as an essential platform—giving a voice to small, independent filmmakers who can so easily get lost in today’s oversaturated industry. It’s incredibly important to have a space where emerging voices can be heard and seen.

There’s so much talent out there, and it would be a true shame if that creativity remained unnoticed. Your platform helps elevate those voices, and for that, I’m truly grateful.