Author: Christian Candido

Following the special events organized during the Cannes Film Festival, and as preparations continue for the upcoming international events of the season, WILD FILMMAKER is proud to announce its independent special event, taking place alongside the Toronto International Film Festival this September.
Over the past few years, WILD FILMMAKER has strengthened its international presence by providing filmmakers from around the world with a significant platform for promotion and visibility. Directors within our network have received critical acclaim, been featured in some of the world’s leading magazines, and earned selections at major international film festivals, further establishing their presence within the global arthouse cinema landscape.
Toronto, traditionally regarded as the city hosting the most important event marking the beginning of the new international film season and the first major North American film event after the summer, provides the ideal setting for the second edition of Neon on Contemporary Cinema, the biennial event promoted by WILD FILMMAKER and dedicated to celebrating excellence in contemporary independent cinema.
Beyond celebrating creative talent, the event also serves as an important meeting point between filmmakers and the film industry.
Selected filmmakers will have the opportunity to showcase their works to producers and industry professionals, fostering new collaborations and opening up concrete opportunities for international development.

Below is the list of this year’s outstanding filmmakers, all eligible for NEON on Contemporary Cinema:

AnayaMusic Kunst

Arnold Curry

Aurélie Latona

Camy De Mario

Carla Di Bonito

Carol Dorn

Casey Williams

Charli Brown

Christopher Pennington

Colleen Fuglaar

Daniel Arreola

Daniel Smith

Danilo Del Tufo

David Williamson

Dianne Lang

Dr Dawn Menge

Earnest Diaz

Fabrizio Fuochi

Faye Fayerman

Gabriel Womack

Gary Beeber

Gleison Castro

Harold Brown

Ian S. Williams

Jacek Krawczyk

L. Scooter Morris

L. S. Strange

Laura Calderini

Lena Mattsson

Lesley Ann Albiston

Lynn Elliott

Margaret Bihong Sha

Marie Bryan

Matthew Roch

Michelle Lynn

Monte Albers de Leon

Patricia Planck

Roger Paradiso

Sean Gregory Tansey

Suzanne Lutas

Terri Battee

Timothy A McGhee

Vicentini Gomez

Vincenzo Amoruso

Vivian Tsang

Kev Franzi – Works 80 Years in the Film Industry HD

By Dianne Lang

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL STORYTELLING & BEST FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR (Category: International Documentary Short)

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST WRITER 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Eyesolation

By Damiano Rossi

BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR, BEST INDIE EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM, BEST EDITING & BEST SHORT SCRIPT

Precious the baby dragon

By Dr Dawn Menge

BEST WRITING STYLE, BEST INTERNATIONAL BOOK OF THE YEAR & BEST WRITER 2026

The Novice

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST EUROPEAN ACTOR OF THE YEAR, BEST INTERNATIONAL INSPIRATIONAL SHORT FILM 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHORT

Your Father, who sees in secret

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE SHORT FILM, BEST EUROPEAN INDIE PRODUCER & BEST ORIGINAL CINEMATOGRAPHY 

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST AMERICAN SCREENWRITER 2026, HISTORICAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL DRAMA

IVA Delta 7

By Magno Brasil

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR, BEST NEW CINEMATIC VISION, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature) & BEST AI FILM 2026

Ritratto temporale IV – Teresa

By Ilaria Pezone

BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE SHORT FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL DIRECTOR 2026

I Waited for You

By Jennifer Glee

BEST ART FILM 2026, BEST ORIGINAL MOVIEMAKER, BEST STORYTELLING & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE EXPERIMENTAL FILM

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST GLOBAL FEATURE SCRIPT 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENWRITER, BEST VISIONARY STORY & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Feature Script)

Doctor Hyphoteses

By Vicentini Gomez

BEST INTERNATIONAL ACTOR, BEST INDIE SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE 2026, BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (Category: Narrative Feature), BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, BEST INTERNATIONAL DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR, BEST SOUND & BEST INDIE PRODUCTION COMPANY

The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL YOUNG DIRECTOR 2026, BEST ORIGINAL STORY, BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER

The Cassandra Venice Project

By Hugo Teugels

BEST GLOBAL FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR & BEST VISIONARY PRODUCER

The Duchess

By C. Arnold Curry

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE DRAMA 2026, BEST ORIGINAL WRITER, BEST SCREENPLAY (Category: International Drama)

An Ever After Drama

By Michelle Lynn

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM 2026, BEST INDIE DIRECTOR 2025, BEST ACTRESS, BEST SCREENPLAY SHORT, BEST SOUNDTRACK, BEST ORIGINAL STORY (Category: Short Film) & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Whispers of of Montana

By Michelle Lynn

BEST VISIONARY SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR & BEST ARTHOUSE WRITER

Dessert Land

By Michelle Lynn

BEST ARTHOUSE SONG WRITER, BEST SOUND & BEST ORIGINAL IDEA

Heaven

By AnayaMusic Kunst

BEST INTERNATIONAL MUSIC VIDEO, BEST SONG 2026 & BEST FILMMAKER (Category: Indie Music Video)

Brothers of Babylon

By Gabriel Womack

BEST AMERICAN FEATURE SCRIPT, BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE & BEST CINEMATIC VISION (Category: Feature Script)

Pretty Little Lucy

By David Williamson

BEST VISIONARY FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR, BEST INTERNATIONAL SCREENWRITER & BEST THRILLER 2026

Staycation

By Russell Emanuel

BEST VISIONARY NARRATIVE FEATURE 2026, BEST ORIGINAL DIRECTOR (Category: NARRATIVE FEATURE), BEST CAST, BEST SCREENPLAY, BEST SOUNDTRACK, BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST ORIGINAL EDITING

Mettersi… in gioco

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST EUROPEAN SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR

Colombano & La 21esima Fetta

By Paolo Pier Luigi Guglielmetti

BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE FILM, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST SCREENPLAY

Stalker Hair Twirl

By Faye Fayerman

BEST ARTHOUSE MOVIEMAKER 2026 (Category: Experimental), BEST STORYTELLING & BEST POETRY SHORT FILM

Scachs d’Amor

By Daniel Arreola

BEST SHORT SCRIPT 2026, BEST INDIE WRITER, BEST ORIGINAL IDEA & BEST VISIONARY SCREENWRITER (Category: Short Script)

Plandemic: Tribunal

By Chris Ross Leong

BEST AMERICAN WRITER 2026, BEST FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST ORIGINAL WRITING STYLE

Novice

By Vincenzo Amoruso

BEST VISIONARY ACTOR & BEST EXPERIMENTAL ACTING

Not Without Gloves

By Lena Mattsson

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY & BEST EUROPEAN ARTHOUSE SHORT FILM 2026

The Aesthetics of Failure

By Lena Mattsson

BEST ART FILM & BEST EXPERIMENTAL MOVIEMAKER OF THE YEAR

The Rorschach Test

By Lena Mattsson

BEST VISIONARY FILMMAKER, BEST ORIGINAL ARTHOUSE EDITING & BEST INDIE PRODUCER

The Dead Ringer

By Suzanne Lutas

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INDIE SCREENWRITER OF THE YEAR & BEST ORIGINAL STORY

Hot Afternoons Have Been in Montana

By Ken Kimmelman

BEST AMERICAN DIRECTOR 2026, BEST EDITING (Category: EXPERIMENTAL FILM), BEST STORYTELLING & BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY 

The Stones of Rome

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST INTERNATIONAL VISIONARY ACTOR 2026, BEST ARTHOUSE PRODUCER & BEST POETRY SHORT FILM 2026

The Pathos of Hamlet

By Sean Gregory Tansey

BEST EXPERIMENTAL INDIE ACTING & BEST INSPIRATIONAL SHORT FILM 2026

Kev Franzi – Works 80 Years in the Film Industry HD

By Dianne Lang

BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY SHORT 2026, BEST VISIONARY EDITING & BEST FILMMAKER OF THE YEAR (Category: International Documentary Short)

Noise

By R. Scott MacLeay

BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM, BEST GLOBAL FILMMAKER, BEST SOUND DESIGNER & BEST VISIONARY CINEMATOGRAPHY

American Money

By Timothy A McGhee

BEST INTERNATIONALARTHOUSE FEATURE SCRIPT 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER

Borderline Justice

By Lynn Elliott

BEST ORIGINAL WRITER 2026 & BEST INTERNATIONAL WRITING STYLE (Category: Feature Script)

Pirandello’s Wife

By Lynn Elliott

BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SCRIPT & BEST BIOGRAPHICAL FEATURE SCRIPT OF THE YEAR

Alta California

By Lynn Elliott

BEST AMERICAN SCREENPLAY 2026, BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTHOUSE SCREENWRITER & BEST HISTORICAL SCRIPT

The New Immigrant- Hong Kongers

By Vivian Tsang

BEST INTERNATIONAL YOUNG DIRECTOR 2026, BEST CAMERA OPEAROR, BEST ARTHOUSE DOCUMENTARY & BEST ARTHOUSE CINEMATOGRAPHER

Your Father, who sees in secret

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST EUROPEAN DIRECTOR, BEST SCREENPLAY & BEST HUMAN RIGHTS SHORT FILM

Hito

By Danilo Del Tufo

BEST CINEMATIC VISION, BEST ORIGINAL STORYTELLING, BEST INDIE MOVIEMAKER & BEST ART SHORT FILM 2026