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Ephemera

The story is about a young couple that have been married for ten years. They have a five year old daughter who bonds the family despite the mundanity of their marriage. But a new lifestyle that pushes boundaries might be the unexpected resolution to keep this family bound.

  • Chelses Venkadathu
    Director
  • Chelses Venkadathu
    Writer
  • Gustavo Martin
    Producer
  • Grishma Shah
    Producer
  • Chelses Venkadathu
    Producer
  • Minita Gandhi
    Key Cast
    "Maya"
  • Michael Silas
    Key Cast
    "Jim"
  • Sal Velez Jr.
    Key Cast
    "Thomas"
  • Gabby Mancuso
    Key Cast
    "Ruby"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Adult Drama
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 15, 2019
  • Production Budget:
    50,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    2K Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Chicago South Asian Film Festival
    Chicago, IL
    United States
    September 19, 2019
    World Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Chelses Venkadathu

Chelses Venkadathu is an Emmy® nominated (midwest chapter) editor making his debut as a writer/director in this short film "Ephemera". He also edited the Director's Cut of "CA$H" starring Chris Hemsworth and Sean Bean. Chelses started his career as a 3D animator for clients such as United Airlines and Labatt Beer Company. Afterward, he produced community based TV shows and eventually worked his way into film.

Chelses Venkadathu was born in a small town along the southwest coast state of Kerala in India. He moved and lived with his family in north and west India as well. He also lived in Bahrain for two years until finally settling down in Chicago at the age of seven. His father was an engineer and mother was a nurse. Chelses received his AA in Electronic Design and B.A. in Computer Animation & Media Arts. Although his true intentions were to pursue a career in video games, that slowly transitioned in to a love for filmmaking.

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Director Statement

Ephemera has taken over 7 years to produce from inception to completion. I've been chipping away on this project since 2012. In the meantime I also got married, had 2 kids, and maintained a regular job. Just so we’re clear on why it took me 7 years. It was shot in the Chicagoland area over the course of 6 days on the Arri Alexa Mini. This adult drama with a running time of 20 minutes has a production cost of $50,000. Needless to say, we have taken our time to carefully craft this piece of cinema.