Lexus Short Film Winner Kev Cahill's Film to Premiere at Raindance Film Festival

Lexus and The Weinstein Company will be heading to Raindance Film Festival opening night to premiere an exciting new film The Nation Holds Its Breath, created and directed by Kev Cahill, an award-winning writer and director. Cahill comes from a VFX background and is a frontrunner in this space – known for his dedicated work on popular films such as The Huntsman: Winter’s War, Thor: The Dark World and Alice Through the Looking Glass. Cahill has also contributed to the hit HBO television series Game of Thrones. This experience coupled with his directorial expertise, has launched his career not only within the digital industry but also the film and television industries overall.

The Nation Holds Its Breath is one of four films being produced by Joey Horvitz of The Weinstein Company as part of this third season of Lexus Short Films which is a partnership between Lexus International and The Weinstein Company to support up-and-coming filmmakers.

The Nation Holds Its Breath features an exciting story about a young father to be who is torn between witnessing the miracle of childbirth and witnessing the miracle of Ireland reaching the quarter finals of the 1990 World Cup. This monumental event in Ireland was one of the most important football matches in the country’s history and the film explores this one man’s journey and the difficult and highly anticipated challenges that he faced along the way.

The Nation Holds Its Breath stars notable Irish actor Sam Keeley, who has recently appeared in the film Burnt alongside Bradley Cooper and in the film In the Heart of the Sea as well as Irish actress Barbara Brennan, who is known for her roles in the films Veronica Guerin and A Date For Mad Mary. Cahill’s cast embodies and highlights the momentous occasion that is featured in this film. Viewers will be captivated by their performance in more ways than one.  

The Weinstein Company co-chairman Harvey Weinstein said, “There’s a tremendous amount of untapped talent among aspiring filmmakers. Kev Cahill’s drive to make a name for himself within the industry was clear from the moment he was selected to participate in this series. We are thrilled that The Nation Holds Its Breath will be opening Raindance and look forward to many more incredibly directed films from Cahill.”

David Nordstrom, global branding department General Manager of Lexus International, added, “Each year, the work of our directors never ceases to amaze us. We are honored to be in partnership with The Weinstein Company to bring these filmmakers aspirations to life.”

According to Takayuki Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative, Middle East and North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor Corporation, “We look forward to entertaining festival goers around the globe with this latest film from Kev Cahill as part of the third season of Lexus Short Films. The Lexus Short Films Series has given talented filmmakers a wonderful opportunity to gain exposure and turn their celluloid dreams into reality. We would also like to acknowledge the support from our customers who have backed our efforts with the Lexus Short Films Series.”

Two of the other Lexus Short Films Series films, Friday Night and MESSiAH, were also selected to be shown at Raindance Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival and Calgary International Film Festival and other world famous film festivals.