Private Project

Cataract

A desperate woman robs a gas station with her nearly-blind younger brother and catapults herself into deep water in order to pay for his cataract surgery.

FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS

Odense International Film Festival 2023 (Oscar- and EFA qualifying)
LA Shorts 2023 (Oscar- and Bafta qualifying)
Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023 (BAFTA qualifying)
San Diego Intl. Film Festival 2023 (Canadian Screen Guild qualifying)
Best Intl. Short Film Nominee – Norwich FF 2023 (BAFTA qualifying)
New Danish Talent Winner – Copenhagen Short Film Festival 2023
Best Intl. Short Film Winner – Greenwich Film Festival 2023
Best Cinematography Winner – IndieX Film Fest 2023
Best Intl. Short Film Special Mention – IndieX Film Fest 2023
Cerdanya Film Festival 2023 (Goya qualifying)
Best Narrative Short – LA Super Shorts Film Festival 2023
Remi Winner – WorldFest Houston Int. Film Festival 2024
Best Drama Film – Los Angeles Cinematography Awards 2023
Best Cinematography – Los Angeles Cinematography Awards 2023
Best Cinematography – Hollywood Shortsfest 2023
Best Male Director – Hollywood Shortsfest 2023
Best New Actress – Hollywood Shortsfest 2023
Best Production Design – European Cinematography Awards 2023
Best Editing – European Cinematography Awards 2023
Best Director – European Cinematography Awards 2023
Best Cinematography Nominee – New York Film Awards 2023
Up-and-coming Intern. Film Festival Hannover 2023
London Super Shorts Film Festival 2023
Venice Film Week 2023
Brussels Independent Film Festival 2024
Toronto Film Week 2024
Ghent International Film Festival 2024
Brussels Independent Film Festival 2024
New Jersey Independent Film Festival 2024
Tisvilde Kortfilmsfestival 2024
Kalakari Film Fest 2024
Best International Film – Lonely Wolf Film Festival 2024
Best Drama – Lonely Wolf Film Festival 2024
Best Cinematography Nominee – Lonely Wolf Film Festival 2024
Nightmares Film Festival 2024
Seattle Film Festival 2024

  • Jonatan Egholm Keis
    Director
    Sail On My Love, Here at the End of All Things, A Dance, Backlash
  • Jonatan Egholm Keis
    Writer
    Sail On My Love, Here at the End of All Things, A Dance, Backlash
  • Emma Lykke
    Producer
  • Jonatan Egholm Keis
    Producer
    Sail On My Love, Here at the End of All Things, A Dance, Backlash
  • Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen
    Executive Producer
    1899, Borgen, The Rain
  • Carla Viola Thurøe
    Key Cast
    "Sami"
    Chassé, Try Hard, Valerie
  • Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen
    Key Cast
    "Arlo"
    1899, Borgen, The Rain
  • Johannes Kuhnke
    Key Cast
    "Koma"
    Force Majeure, The Rain
  • Anders Hove
    Key Cast
    "Dr. Steffensen"
    Nymphomaniac Vol. 1, The Idiots
  • Robin Holtz
    Director of Photography
    Sail On My Love, Valerie, Darling
  • Louis Bülov
    Editor
    In The Soil
  • Simon Pedersen
    Sound Designer
    Inherent
  • Rasmus Christian Pedersen
    Composer
  • Martin Johannsen
    Production Designer
    Nordland '99, Lily's Ghost, Dopamin
  • Nicke Cantarelli
    Colourist
    Utmark, Exodus, The Hunt for a Killer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Katarakt
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Thriller, drama
  • Runtime:
    24 minutes 24 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    17,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Denmark
  • Country of Filming:
    Denmark, Sweden
  • Language:
    Danish, English, Swedish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital Arri Alexa Mini LF
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Odense International Film Festival
    Odense
    Denmark
    September 4, 2023
    Danish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Aesthetica Short Film Festival
    York
    United Kingdom
    November 12, 2023
    UK Premiere
    Official Selection
  • San Diego International Film Festival
    San Diego
    United States
    October 20, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Norwich Film Festival
    Norwich
    United Kingdom
    November 16, 2023
    Best Intl. Short Film Nominee
  • Copenhagen Short Film Festival
    Copenhagen
    Denmark
    November 3, 2023
    Winner: New Danish Talent
  • LA Shorts
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    July 31, 2023
    Official Selection
  • Cerdanya Film Festival
    Cerdanya
    Spain
    August 9, 2023
    Spanish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Venice Film Week
    Venice
    Italy
    August 25, 2023
    Italian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Shortsfest
    Hollywood
    United States
    August 19, 2023
    Winner ‘Best Cinematography - Best Male Director - Best New Actress’
  • Greenwich Film Festival
    Greenwich
    United Kingdom
    September 15, 2023
    Winner 'Best International Short Film'
  • Up-and-Coming Intl. Film Festival Hannover
    Hannover
    Germany
    November 16, 2023
    Official Selection
  • London Super Shorts Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    December 4, 2023
    Official Selection
  • LA Super Shorts Film Festival
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 7, 2023
    Best Narrative Short
  • IndieX Film Fest
    Los Angeles
    United States
    November 30, 2023
    Best Cinematography, Best Foreign Language Short Film ‘Special Mention’
  • New York Film Awards
    New York
    United States
    December 12, 2023
    Best Cinematography Nomination
  • Brussels Independent Film Festival
    Brussels
    Belgium
    February 14, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Ghent International Short Film Festival
    Gent
    Belgium
    February 29, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Toronto Film Week
    Toronto
    Canada
    March 20, 2024
    Official Selection
  • WorldFest Houston Int. Film Festival
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    April 17, 2024
    Texas Premiere
    Remi Winner
  • Kalakari Film Fest

    India
    May 14, 2024
    Indian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Tisvilde Kortfilmsfestival
    Tisvilde
    Denmark
    April 6, 2024
    Official Selection
  • New Jersey Independent Film Festival
    New Jersey
    United States
    May 30, 2024
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Jonatan Egholm Keis

Jonatan Egholm Keis [b. 1998] is a selfmade film director from Copenhagen, Denmark.

He kicked off his career as a still photographer at the age of 13, and within the span of just one year his stills were featured online by large and acclaimed brands such as Adobe and Canon. His passion for photography however was slowly replaced by a burning desire to make his own films, and, at the age of just 20, Jonatan wrote, co-produced and directed his first 30 minute film, SAIL ON, MY LOVE, starring Netflix stars Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen (1899, BORGEN, THE RAIN), Karoline Hamm (EQUINOX), Rex Leonard (THE RAIN) and Oscar Giese (CHERNOBYL). The film went on to be a part of the Official Selection at the Oscar- and EFA-qualifying Odense Film Festival in 2021.

Since then, Jonatan was signed by New Land (www.newland.tv) as a commercial director.

With 'CATARACT', Jonatan got into the National Film School of Denmark where he's currently studying film direction.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

With CATARACT, I set out to see if I could move my audience by finding beauty in the rough. I wanted to seek out the fragile and warm in surroundings, situations and lives that are all but that and make a film that didn't look, sound and feel like a regular low budget short film. The idea was to make it feel as alive as its characters.

In other words: It had to be unpredictable, stressful, illogical and organic as the people who live in its world.

CATARACT is a rollercoaster ride of dimensions... And I hope it comes across as a drama, an absurd comedy and a thriller all in the same package.

It should make hearts pump and cause sweaty palms...
And to me, it is a celebration of the struggle that is life...