Director’s Talk: Danilo Del Tufo

-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?

I work completely alone, “one-man band”, style. When I make a documentary or a work of fiction, or an animated short, my goals are different. When it comes to documentaries, I try to create an arthouse film that is connected to the story of the author portrayed, like “The Way of Mizoguchi,” for example. When it comes to a fiction film based on my own script and screenplay, it’s much more demanding because as said before, I always work alone, and in this case I try to achieve a highly original result or at least something that has never been done before. For example, for my latest short film, “Your Father, who sees in secret,” I had to do extensive research on that type of narrative to ensure it included elements that would surprise the viewer, as well as very profound discussions on the subject, with philosophical and mythological reflections on femininity, creation, and spirituality. For my animated works such as “Forevermore”, I had to resort to very in-depth research on the figure of the American chapelan Anton Boisen, and on the cultural and historical contextualization of the man, so as to create a sort of parallel universe where the characters I created, and drawn by hand, with pencil, could express themselves in a manner appropriate to a dramatic story. The story is inspired by the clinical case of Anton Boisen, in particular about his reflections on the role of his family as he attempted to write a treatise about his faith during his mental illness.

-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?

I completely agree. It was possible for me to create stories set in Japan, for example, without the exorbitant production costs, as with “Zone” and “Your Father, Who Sees in Secret.” Artificial intelligence programs have always been helpful for the transition between key drawings to animation. Working on animated films alone is a tough job, so you’d need at least ten people, but as said I’m one-man band. Because I’m forced to write the storyboard in pencil, from the script to the screenplay, which is very time-consuming.


-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.

There’s a project called “Cette Vie Nouvelle” that I’m still working on, which is difficult to produce. It’s a feature film for which I wrote the story and developed the main characters. The screenplay is ready, but there are other complex steps to explain. The goal for now is to first make a short film to gauge audiences, and then move on to a feature film. I’ve been working on it for many years, and it’s a huge challenge. I hope it will attract the world’s major streaming platforms like Netflix or Amazon Prime. I’m also looking for producers. It’s a thriller movie with an interesting story. Here there’s a synopsys : “Cette Vie Nouvelle” follows Frank Penn, a talented but disillusioned photographer whose personal and professional lives spiral into chaos after he becomes entangled with a mysterious young photographer, Meredith, and a dark underground network known as the One Shot Club. The story begins with Frank’s ordinary life: his complicated relationship with his girlfriend Fabienne, his loving family, and his young sister Annabel, a ballet student. When Frank meets Meredith at a fashion shoot, they form a creative and romantic bond. However, Meredith introduces him to the One Shot Club — an exclusive and disturbing photography circle that pushes artistic limits through voyeurism and exploitation. As Frank learns more, he discovers that the club is connected to violent crimes and the disappearance of young women. Meredith herself becomes a victim, apparently murdered, leaving Frank devastated and descending into alcoholism. Later, he learns she is alive and that the club operates as a front for human trafficking and snuff imagery. Tragedy strikes again when Frank’s girlfriend Fabienne is murdered and Annabel is kidnapped by the same criminals. It’s a dark psychological thriller blending noir aesthetics, emotional drama, and moral introspection, exploring obsession, art, and the blurred boundary between creation and corruption.

-WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players” alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than Marketing.

Do you think we are doing a good job?

It was a brilliant idea; Wild Filmmaker is revolutionizing everything, making “filmmaking” not something exclusive to a select few, but rather allowing for the creation of works that can capture the audience’s interest. This is possible thanks to its creator, Michele Diomà, who had the foresight to see this revolution unfold. Participating in major festivals is certainly a great privilege that Wild Filmmaker is promoting. Everyone should be grateful for what they’re doing. I’m really glad to be a part of this community.

Director’s Talk: David B. Williamson  

When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?


My objective is to create work that resonates on both an emotional and psychological level-
something that lingers with the audience after the experience ends.
I approach filmmaking through three core pillars:

Emotional truth — characters that feel authentic, flawed, and human
Psychological depth — stories driven by internal conflict rather than surface-level plot
Cinematic identity — a visual and structural approach that enhances the narrative rather than
conforms to it.


With Pretty Little Lucy, the goal was to explore the psychological cost of digital intimacy and how
connection, when filtered through technology, can distort reality, identity, and self-worth. I’m not
interested in simply telling a story. I want the audience to feel it, question it, and carry it with them.

With Artificial Intelligence transforming cinema, what is your opinion on this shift?


Artificial Intelligence isn’t replacing storytelling, but it’s redefining the tools we use to tell stories.
Much like the transition from silent films to sound, this moment is forcing creators to clarify what
makes their voice unique. AI can assist with structure, iteration, and efficiency, but it cannot
replicate lived experience, emotional contradiction, or human vulnerability.
In my work, I use AI as a creative amplifier, not a replacement. It allows me to explore ideas more
rapidly and experiment with form, but the foundation of the story must remain human. The future of
cinema isn’t AI-driven storytelling. It’s human storytelling enhanced by intelligent systems.

To which production or distribution company would you propose your new project?


I see Pretty Little Lucy aligning with companies that understand character-driven psychological
storytelling and elevated genre work:


Blumhouse Productions — for grounded, commercially viable psychological thrillers
A24 — for emotionally complex, elevated narratives
NEON — for bold, unconventional storytelling and strong curatorial identity

Annapurna Pictures — for visually distinct, character-driven films.
I’m also paying close attention to newer studio initiatives like Clockwork under
Warner Bros., particularly those shaped by leadership with independent film backgrounds. That intersection between studio infrastructure and independent sensibility feels like the most natural home for a project like Pretty Little Lucy.

What is your approach to production and distribution in today’s landscape?


We’re in a moment where traditional pathways are no longer the only way forward.
My approach blends:

festival strategy
digital audience-building
data-driven visibility


Pretty Little Lucy has been developed not just as a screenplay, but as a living transmedia
experience, supported by analytics, audience engagement, and layered storytelling across
platforms.
I believe the future of distribution lies in creators who understand both:
storytelling how audiences discover and engage with that story.
The goal is not just to make a film, it’s to build momentum around it.

WILD FILMMAKER positions itself as a global cultural movement. Do you think it is doing a good
job?


WILD FILMMAKER has built something valuable in terms of accessibility and global reach. For
independent creators, visibility is often the first barrier and platforms that help break that barrier
serve an important role. At the same time, the long-term value of the platform depends on how
effectively it connects artists to real opportunities with development, production, and distribution.
Creating exposure is important. Creating pathways is what ultimately defines impact. If that
evolution continues, it can become a meaningful bridge between emerging creators and the broader
industry.

Final Thoughts.


My work focuses on the psychological cost of connection in the digital age- where intimacy is
immediate, but authenticity is uncertain. Pretty Little Lucy is designed to challenge the audience’s
perception of reality, identity, and emotional truth, while remaining grounded in a deeply human
experience. I believe the future of cinema belongs to creators who are willing to take risks- not just
in story, but in structure, perspective, and how they engage with the audience

Director’s Talk: Damiano Rossi

-When you plan the realization of a film project, what are your objectives?

I would like people, when watching my films, to ask themselves questions and perhaps discover within themselves aspects they may never have considered before. I realize this is a very high aspiration, but hasn’t this always been the true purpose of art?

-With Artificial Intelligence, cinema is undergoing a phase of transformation even more radical than the one that occurred in the 1920s with the transition from silent films to sound. What is your opinion on this?

A surgeon can use a scalpel to operate on a patient and save their life, or they can use the same instrument to commit a crime. It’s all a matter of measure and common sense. Technology shouldn’t frighten us but inspire us to create things that are even more interesting and expressive. Relying entirely on machines, in any field, could be very dangerous.

-To which production or distribution company would you like to propose your new project? Give us a profile, including some examples.

I would simply like to have no constraints and to maintain full control over my work. I would hardly accept conditions that limit what I want to express.

-WILD FILMMAKER can now “sit at the table with the big players” alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, but we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: to bring democracy into cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than Marketing. Do you think we are doing a good job?

I have always thought that your commitment, dedication, and respect toward content creators are truly commendable. I respect everyone who promotes creativity and beauty, and I hope that you will continue to be a constant point of reference for all of us.

Director’s Talk: Don Pasquale Ferone

When you plan the creation of a new musical piece, what are your goals?

When I plan a new musical piece, my main goal is that every listener can feel good and at peace while listening to my work; the primary intention is to communicate peace and serenity, as well as universal values such as peace and brotherhood. Of course, also Christian values that help us live our lives well, with mutual respect and in union with God.

With Artificial Intelligence, cinema and music are undergoing a phase of metamorphosis. What is your opinion on this?

My opinion is that artificial intelligence can be a valuable aid, but there is a very high risk: that it becomes a shortcut at the expense of human ingenuity and personal effort. Personally, I do not like artificial intelligence, especially when applied to music. Perhaps it could be useful in cinema, given the many special effects used in some films, but I believe that in music, in many cases, it can become a replacement for human work, which remains unique and original.

Therefore, in my musical experience, I will never make use of artificial intelligence, because I have always tried to be as faithful and original as possible, even with some mistakes. However, it is important to remain human. That is the beauty of being original individuals. As Saint Carlo Acutis said: “All are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.”

Do you think that music can truly be a way to break down barriers and bring people closer together?

Music has always been a universal language, so I firmly believe that it is a valuable opportunity to bring people together and to communicate important values; music is an incredibly powerful tool for conveying strong and clear messages, especially for the purpose of peace.

WILD FILMMAKER can now ‘sit at the table of the greats’ alongside The Hollywood Reporter and Variety during the Cannes Film Festival, yet we have chosen to continue being a Global Cultural Movement with an ethical mission: bringing democracy to cinema, placing the Work of Art at the center of our project rather than marketing. Do you think we are doing a good job?

I believe you are doing an excellent job in bringing democracy to cinema, especially by giving space and resources to independent creators. I hope you will continue to provide your valuable contribution to cinema, always safeguarding important and universal values such as peace, love, and brotherhood among peoples.

“The Blackest Lens” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Ricardo Fleshman

-Who is Ricardo Fleshman? 

Having started his filmmaking career in screenwriting with Killing Moses in 2017, the award-winning American author, filmmaker, and photographer Ricardo M Fleshman completed his first documentary in 2019 entitled Hope’s City.  The Blackest Lens (2026), Fleshman’s second documentary captures the fillmmaker’s experience making the collection of black and white portraits that depicts the sexuality of black people.  

Ricardo is an avid reader, travels extensively with favorite destinations in the United States South and international locations in South America and Europe. He is a fan of sci-fi, detective, and horror genres, classical art and jazz music, and pairing fine wines with his cooking based on international cuisine. He resides in Northern Virginia with his family where he continues to write and make independent documentary films.


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

 I fell in love with cinema when I first saw The Maltese Falcon (1941) with Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, directed by John Houston and based upon Dashiell Hammet’s novel. I was captivated by the acting, the emotion, the nuance of character portrayals as related to the concepts of greed, good and evil, and human nature. It has shaped my works and how I play with human desire, character building and the relationships of those characters to each other.


-Tell us about your project "The Blackest Lens".

The Blackest Lens, Fleshman’s current project, is a compelling documentary that details his journey creating a thought-provoking artistic collection by the same name that explores black sexuality using a unique blend of photography and storytelling. The Blackest Lens documentary and photographs have both received multiple awards from international film festivals including Best Short Screenplay, Best Photography and Best Original Song.



-Which Director inspires you the most?

I am inspired by actor and director Michael B Jordan, who as a young black man continues to chart a course from acting to directing using that vehicle to tell the most captivating and interesting stories of black people.


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

 I am unsatisfied with the emphasis people place on politics, material possessions and how instead of establishing true and real connections with each other, they use social media to manipulate and berate others. Changing that would mean changing behaviors and having people focus on the things that matter, like genuine lasting relationships, finding the beauty in art and nature, and allowing themselves to create and contribute in a way that is conducive the the human experience. 


-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years? 
In 100 years, I see cinema as evolved into more intimate, yet diverse storytelling as the proliferation of micro-budget and smaller budget productions continue to drive the viewer experience and where streaming services (that are slowing replacing big budget studio productions and movie theaters) incorporate more independent works into their offerings.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

I love how Wild Filmmaker has incorporated cinema and the experiences of film lovers into its DNA. It offers diverse, thoughtful looks into the world of cinema creatives and promotes the introduction to artists worldwide.

“The Soft Core” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Justin Gizzi

-Who is Justin Gizzi?

 Justin Charles Gizzi is a writer and musician from Pittsburgh, PA. His screenplays “The Soft Core”, and “Tomorrow’s Dream”, have been selected for numerous  film festivals, winning several awards nationally. He is also the bass player in heavy metal bands Urns, and Demoralizing. 

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

Not the exact moment, but at a young age I found films to be magical. I liked a lot of fantasy and adventure films, comedies. As I was getting to my early teen years I leaned more into sci-fi and horror. Shortly thereafter I watched The Godfather for the first time, and realized that there was a whole other level to the story-telling and production of a film. I feel like that opened up a whole other world for me. 

-Tell us about your project “The Soft Core”.

The Soft Core follows Charles Coxe, a once promising writer/director/actor of the stage, who years later finds his career stagnated in the world of erotic late night cable TV features. He’s balancing work with placating his Emmy-award winning actress ex-wife, spending time with his 11 year old daughter, and being intertwined with his closely knit group of co-stars. 

-Which Director inspires you the most?

It’s impossible to pick one. I love the look of Michael Mann’s films. The rawness of Friedkin.  The imagination of Lynch.  The style of Scorcese.

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

Conflict. I still work as a Doorman and I find there are very few situations that can’t be resolved peacefully.  Nothing but peaceful resolutions, that’s the change I would want to see.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

That’s a good question, I had to think on it for a moment.  I suppose my hope is for a vibrant and celebrated cinema culture. Where the artists are still the creative force. 

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

Any organization that champions artists gets a thumbs up right away from me. But I’ve really enjoyed how Wild Filmmaker gets inside the minds of the artists and brings out the heart in their work. 

“Our Brilliant Destruction” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Sarah Bitely

-Who is Sarah Bitely?

Sarah Bitely is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker specializing in psychologically driven, visually distinctive storytelling. Her work spans thriller, music, and fashion film, where she blends narrative tension with experimental form to create immersive, tone-forward experiences. With a focus on rhythm, atmosphere, and sensory impact, her films push beyond traditional structure to engage audiences on a visceral level

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

I first fell in love with cinema in college, when I was introduced to a breadth of international and unconventional films that completely reshaped my understanding of storytelling. Encounters with works like The Marriage of Maria Braun and Nights of Cabiria struck me with the force of revelation—opening me to the idea that film could operate on multiple emotional, psychological, and aesthetic layers at once. What began as discovery quickly became fascination, as I recognized cinema’s ability to move beyond narrative into mood, subtext, and visual language. That formative experience continues to inform my work today, where storytelling is driven as much by feeling and atmosphere as it is by plot.

-Tell us about your project “Our Brilliant Destruction”.

Our Brilliant Destruction was born from grief—and urgency. As climate collapse becomes increasingly visible, our cultural response often drifts toward distraction or denial. I wanted to create a film that resists that numbness.

This immersive music film transforms an album about climate change into a cinematic journey through the consequences we’ve engineered—and the fragile hope that remains. Rather than instructing, it moves through emotion: denial, indulgence, destruction, and reckoning. Music drives the experience; image confronts it.

Visually, the film is built on contrasts—beauty and ruin, machinery and nature, intimacy and devastation—mirroring our collective trajectory and questioning our capacity for change.

I’m not interested in passive viewing. I want the audience to feel implicated, unsettled, and awake. If it creates discomfort, that is intentional. If it sparks responsibility or urgency, it has done its job.

Hope, to me, is not soft—it’s defiant. This film is an act of defiance, and an invitation to protect the only home we share.

The film’s production reflects its message: prioritizing environmental responsibility by relying on archival and stock footage to minimize travel, emissions, and ecological impact.

-Which Director inspires you the most?

I’m deeply inspired by Lynne Ramsay’s work—her films feel raw, unfiltered, and emotionally fearless in a way that prioritizes sensation over explanation. She has a remarkable ability to distill interior experience into image and sound, often stripping away traditional dialogue and exposition in favor of something more visceral and instinctive. Her visual language is intensely intimate—fragmented, textural, and deeply subjective—drawing you into a character’s psychological state until you’re not just observing it, but inhabiting it.

What resonates most with me is her trust in atmosphere and ambiguity. She allows silence, rhythm, and image to carry meaning, creating a tension that lingers beneath the surface and refuses easy resolution. Her films don’t guide the viewer—they immerse you, unsettle you, and stay with you long after. That approach continues to shape how I think about storytelling: less as something to explain, and more as something to feel.

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

Greed is accelerating the unraveling of our world. If I could change anything, it would be our collective perspective—the belief that scarcity must define us. There is enough for all of us, if we choose to live with care rather than excess. By supporting one another and remaining conscious of our impact on the environment, we move toward a way of living that is not only more sustainable, but more humane—for everyone who shares this planet.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

Imagining cinema 100 years from now is both exciting and a little unsettling—change is happening so quickly that it’s hard to predict where it will lead. I hope that independent cinema continues to be valued, because it’s where some of the most personal, risk-taking, and culturally vital work lives.

The rise of AI is daunting, but I believe there will always be a need for human-driven storytelling—for work that carries lived experience, emotional truth, and a genuine point of view. As a society, we need those voices more than ever.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

What stands out to me about WILD FILMMAKER is its sense of community. It feels like a space where artists are not only showcased, but truly seen and supported. There’s an openness to unconventional work and a real appreciation for filmmakers who are pushing boundaries and exploring new forms of storytelling.

“Foxton Hall” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Emily Joshua

Who is Emily Joshua?


I’m a screenwriter drawn to stories about ‘survival despite the odds’; the outsider’s perspective on longing, identity, power and belonging. I write inclusive, character-led genre drama for television and film, and I’m especially interested in the tension between what people feel and what they are either permitted or able to reveal. My background is in theatre, music, and BBC research and broadcast, so I came to screenwriting through performance. My disabilities prevent me from performing now, so screenwriting enables me to be a part of the stories that I want to see. As a disabled and neurodivergent writer, that perspective is central to how I create character narratives. I want to write work that is entertaining, emotionally rich and socially aware, where underrepresented audiences are included on screen without the storytelling ever becoming didactic.

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


As a small child, I used to write and illustrate my own little books, and I was allowed to use the dining room for my artwork. An old black and white television lived in the corner of that room. So, I used to create my own stories whilst I watched and listened to other people’s tales. Everything was monochrome, so I became habituated to seeing black & white films as equally important to colour. My love of film grew from listening to perfect clipped post-war received pronunciation and watching the crazy stunts by Harold Lloyd as much as through going to large cinemas to see the latest films. When I switched on the old black & white TV, I never knew what sort of world I would enter before I was immersed in it… and it captivated me. In my mind… I could be anyone anywhere, anytime.

Tell us about your project “Foxton Hall.”


Foxton Hall is an eight-hour coming-of-age Regency romance set in 1807, where love, scandal and underhand deals collide in the ruthless world of the debutante society. At its heart is the relationship between Phoebe, a wealthy heiress and young woman of colour, and Amelia, the housekeeper’s daughter, who has been raised beside her almost like a sister. When Phoebe enters London society and insists Amelia masquerade as a lady to accompany her, their friendship is tested inside a world built to divide women by class, race and marriage value. The cost to Amelia for being found out is not only social, but also physical and mental injury. What interests me is the tension between intimacy and competition, the emotional cost of trying to belong in a society shaped by exclusion and how we overcome these obstacles whilst still positively seeking love.

Foxton Hall has specifically been written as a returnable / infinite serial for streaming platforms with interweaving narratives built on intrigue, lies and the desperate desire to succeed at any cost.

Which Director inspires you the most?


Steven Spielberg. I love the emotional and tonal range of his large portfolio of filmmaking. The fact that the same filmmaker could create something as viscerally gripping as Jaws and something as devastating and humane as Schindler’s List deserves my admiration. He understands our need for family, our desire for love and success, compassion and, for some, cruelty. He understands that audiences want a depth of feeling that will leave the cinema with them. That’s inspiring. 

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

There are 2 things:

Firstly, I dislike exclusion masquerading as normality. So many systems still quietly decide who belongs, who is valued, who is heard, and who is expected to adapt in silence, without discussion, notification or choice. I want a world where difference is not treated as a problem to explain but is viewed as part of the diverse experience of being human and is embraced. 

Secondly, I dislike the mindset that chooses money over humanity. I would like to see more support for the climate clean-up (like the Earth Shot Prize) and help for those suffering through man-made climactic disasters. I have written an Indie Horror Sci-Fi television series (Last Apocalypse) that suggests where we are headed if we don’t sort things out… but let’s hope that over the long term it proves less prophetic than it has been over the past few years! 

How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?


Story telling will always exist. It’s an important part of the human narrative: it’s how we learn, share and connect. But 100 years into the future is hard to predict. Thinking positively, I would love cinema to continue to develop technologically. Perhaps it would become fully immersive, or even holographic, with the audience walking into the action, like theatre in promenade. But I can also imagine the future ‘us’ having to go back to reels of film, edited with sticky tape, projected onto a wall from a bunker under a wasteland…  

What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?


I think WILD FILMMAKER plays an important role in championing independent voices. It opens filmmaking up to more than just the large studios, which brings a culturally rich and diverse perspective to the industry. I value spaces that promote artistic identity, creative process and cinematic ambition. Publications like this matter because they give filmmakers and writers room to speak about what drives the work beneath the surface. Any platform that supports arthouse cinema, bold perspectives and an international creative community is doing something vital for underrepresented storytelling.

“CICADA” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Dojong Kim

-Who is Dojong Kim?

I call myself a “digital storyteller,” though that single phrase can hardly contain the trajectory I have traveled. As an IT strategist, I dissected the inner logic of technology; as a mystery novelist, I explored the darkest strata of narrative. Now, I am redrawing the horizons of cinema through the unprecedented language of generative AI. Where three identities collide, I have not fractured — rather, I have converged them into a single vision, one determined to make visible on screen what conventional cinematic grammar has never quite been able to reach.

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

Growing up, my family did not have much. As the youngest of four brothers, the cinema was not a space I was easily permitted to enter. I can still vividly recall being caught by a caretaker after sneaking over a crumbling wall, and made to stand in punishment. Yet even that moment could not drive me from the films. Those particles of white light cascading down upon the screen — to the boy I was, they were not mere entertainment. They were the very archetype of mystery and wonder.

Among the many works that have marked me, the one I would name as a defining imprint is Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso (1988). That film, which traces the life of a man who carries within him a near-obsessive love for cinema, was the catalyst that first made me fall in love with the art form in my childhood.

-Tell us about your project “CICADA”.

The cicada is often perceived by human eyes as a fragile creature — one that waits seven years beneath the earth only to sing through a single summer before vanishing. I have never considered it fragile.

CICADA is my tribute to that waiting, and to that singular, luminous moment of existence. The song of freedom finally released by a being long suppressed — it is also an allegory for the “freedom” and “self-realization” that modern people crave most desperately, yet so rarely manage to hold in their hands. Employing generative AI to heighten its surreal texture and aesthetically refined mise-en-scène, the work went on to receive recognition at the Cannes Arts Film Fest 2026, proving how gracefully technology and art can coexist. To me, CICADA is not merely an award-winning film. It is the milestone from which every journey that follows will begin.

-Which director inspires you the most?

“From Godard, I learned the liberation of form; from Scorsese, I was profoundly moved by a cinematic legacy that pierces to the very essence of things.”

In my twenties, I liberated myself before Godard’s films. But as time passed, my gaze settled deeply upon the work of Martin Scorsese. What Scorsese’s camera captures is not simply story — it is anthropological insight, the abyss of human nature trembling between guilt and redemption. That unflinching gaze, which persists in looking beyond violent reality, compelled me to ask from the very foundations: what is narrative, truly?

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

What I fear most is not an external enemy. It is the destruction of human beings by human beings themselves — that is the danger I am most vigilant against.

In an age when everything is volatilized and fragmented, people are imprisoned by the gaze of others, losing the opportunity to look inward and encounter their own authentic selves. Through cinema, I wish for audiences to pause — just briefly. That momentary stillness in which the forgotten value of human dignity, and the beauty of life itself, might be rediscovered. Now that an era has arrived in which films can be made without a camera, I find myself wanting to say, with even greater conviction: precisely now, we must be on guard against lightness, and never cease to wrestle with the question of truth. AI is, in the end, only a tool.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

A century from now, in the world I envision, cinema will no longer be something one watches. The boundary between screen and audience will have dissolved; people will commune in real time with infinite worlds through the power of imagination alone. They will generate their own narratives, becoming protagonists or directors at will. That world — where the border between reality and fiction is redrawn anew at every moment — may be a utopia, or it may be a world that poses an entirely different order of questions. Standing before that possibility, I find myself filled with wonder, while still refusing to let go of the solemn questions that must accompany it.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

WILD FILMMAKER strikes me as the most vital artistic community of this era. Its commitment to rejecting the grammar of mainstream cinema and championing the auteur spirit and artistic experimentation serves as an immense lighthouse, pointing the way for independent creators such as myself. To have become part of this singular platform — where artists from across the world may share their inspirations and stand in solidarity with one another — is something I regard as a genuine honor. I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to the WILD FILMMAKER team for lending an ear even to the smallest of voices. I hope that you will continue to open doors of opportunity for independent creators like me in the years to come.

“American Mythos” (EXCLUSIVE) Interview with Craig Graaff

Who is Craig Graaff?

I’m a writer focused on serialized storytelling that examines how systems—intelligence, finance, and political institutions—shape individual lives over time. I’m particularly interested in placing ordinary people inside those systems and exploring how they respond when circumstances become far larger than they can control. My work is built around causality, where decisions made within those structures reverberate across decades, often in ways the characters themselves don’t fully understand.


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

What drew me in wasn’t a single moment, but the realization that film could operate simultaneously as intimate character study and as a way to explore larger historical forces. I’m particularly interested in stories where cause and consequence unfold over long periods, revealing how personal lives are shaped by events far outside a character’s immediate awareness.


Tell us about your project “American Mythos”.

American Mythos is a serialized Cold War psychological thriller told across three decades, where a covert rivalry between Len, a U.S. intelligence officer, and Marguerite, a KGB strategist, embeds itself deep within American life. As their decisions ripple forward, an unsuspecting generation in the 1980s is drawn into the system they built.

The series unfolds across interlocking timelines, revealing how quiet, strategic decisions made during the Cold War resurface years later in unexpected and deeply personal ways. At its center are individuals who begin as ordinary participants in their own lives, only to find themselves shaped by forces they neither see nor fully understand—where what appears local and personal is ultimately part of something much larger.


Which Director inspires you the most?

I’m particularly influenced by filmmakers like Michael Mann and David Fincher, whose work demonstrates a high level of structural precision and control. One of the things I find most compelling in their films is the use of tonal layering—where procedural detail, psychological tension, and atmosphere operate simultaneously rather than in isolation.

Their stories often balance a grounded, almost clinical realism with an underlying sense of unease, allowing meaning to build through accumulation rather than exposition. That approach is central to how I construct American Mythos, particularly in maintaining tension across timelines and allowing larger systemic forces to emerge through character-driven moments.


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

There’s a tendency to reduce complex systems into simplified narratives, particularly when it comes to history and power. That simplification can obscure how decisions actually get made and how long their effects persist. I’m interested in creating work that reflects that complexity rather than resolving it too cleanly.


How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

The tools will change, but the underlying purpose will remain—understanding human behavior through story. What I think will continue to evolve is the scale of narrative structure, with more emphasis on long-form storytelling that can reflect the layered, interconnected nature of real-world systems.


What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

Platforms that provide visibility for structurally ambitious and independent work play an important role, particularly at early stages of development. Creating space for projects that operate outside traditional models allows those ideas to begin finding an audience and identity before entering larger systems.