Movie poster with the title Sound Asleep in stylised text, at the top. Lower down it reads:

Sound Asleep is a quirky comedy short film, starring Red Dwarf’s Danny John-Jules.

Logline:
When an insomniac reaches breaking point, he declares war on every sound in his flat.

Synopsis:
Deen Peels needs sleep, but the world just won’t shut up. Over one relentless night he tries to take back control — even if it kills him.

Filmed in Madrid and London, the film uses physical comedy, in-camera effects and complex sound design, but no dialogue and only one actor.  

Festivals
The Lake County Film Festival, March 2026
Landshuter Kurzfilmfestival, March 2026
Cardiff Mini Film Festival, January 2026
CineSol Film Festival, December 2025
Lynchburg Film Festival, October 2025

Distribution
care of Festival Formula

The full film isn’t available online while it plays festivals. Here are a few stills and behind-the-scenes shots.

I wrote Sound Asleep after too many nights lying awake, obsessing over tiny noises that feel enormous at 3 a.m. I wanted to take that familiar frustration and push it into the territory of physical comedy and mild absurdity. It’s a simple idea executed with care: visual storytelling, rhythm, and a playful relationship with sound.

But Sound Asleep is about more than insomnia for me as a director. It was also a way to put my neurodivergent relationship with sleep on screen, long before I had any language for it.

Director Nadaav Soudry, Danny John-Jules and the crew of Sound Asleep watch playback on the set of Sound Asleep Short Film

Starring: Danny John-Jules

Writer / Director / Producer / Editor:  Nadaav
Producer:  Dino Webber
Co-producers:  Ajay Arora, James Taylor
Executive Producer:  Jonathan Livingstone
Director of Photography:  Franklin Dow
1st Assistant Director:  Josemari Martinez
Art Director:  Marcelo Renieblas Paredes
Sound Recordist:  Juan Carlos “Charlie” Arribas
Gaffer:   Adolfo Berzosa Rodriguez
Makeup Artist:  Marina H
Costume:  Sammm Agnew
Original Music:  Rich House
Camera Assistant:  Naomi Hancock
Art Department Assistant:  Luis Morales
Production Assistant:  Nick Gaven
Runner:  Kristen Abel
Dog Trainer:  Mariano Galán
Cuddles the dog:  Cavatina
Colourist:  Gareth Thomas
Visual Effects:  Cameron Smither
Additional Visual Effects:  Miland Suman
Additional Editing:  Ross McFall, Slade Lamey
Illustrations:  Peter Ayers, Marina H
Music & Sound Design:  Rich House
Distribution: Festival Formula

 

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