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Exclusive: Indie production company Thornbyrd Films has launched production on Healed, a psychological thriller starring Guinevere Turner (American Psycho), Shantell Yasmine Abeydeera (The Influencer), Emily Goss (Snapshots), Benjamin Barrett (The Politician) and Todd Lowe (True Blood), which has been awarded the coveted ReFrame Stamp from the Sundance Institute and Women in Film for gender-balanced hiring.

The film written by Abeydeera watches as former pop icon Jazz Powers (Abeydeera) and her pregnant wife Olivia (Goss) attend an intimate meditation retreat at the invitation of renowned mindfulness expert Georgia Chambers (Turner). A string of unorthodox therapy sessions and unusual events involving Georgia’s neighbor (Barrett) evoke memories of Jazz’s father (Lowe) and leave her questioning Georgia’s practice. Additional probing later reveals that the women are unknowing participants in an experiment that could change the course of their lives forever. Shirin Etessam produced with Abeydeera, Goss, Nanci Gaglio, Meghan Weinstein, Stacy Schneiderman...

Another week, another installment of VOD Vault – taking a look at some on-demand releases that have hit various VOD platforms recently. It’s been more than a few months since our last installment, so we’re diving straight into a handful of films that are all available on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play now.

The Influencer

Stars: Kasia Szarek, Janeva Zentz, Shantell Yasmine Abeydeera, Victoria D. Wells, Ian Richard Jones, Thea Cantos | Written and Directed by Meghan Weinstein

Abbie Rose is a popular social-media influencer known for her lifestyle, fashion and makeup videos. One night she signs a coveted contract with Nutrocon, a notorious cosmetic company known to pollute, test on animals and treat female workers unfairly… Immediately, she’s taken down and tied up in her home by a group of masked activists. Overnight, they force Abbie through the filming of a video, advertising a mysterious new makeup kit...

Ahead of The Influencer's release to digital services and VOD on September 14th from Breaking Glass Pictures, we have an exclusive look at the film just for Daily Dead readers!

"Breaking Glass Pictures is set to release the comedy thriller The Influencer, a satirical tale that examines the life of a vain social media influencer from first-time director Meghan Weinstein (producer of IFC Midnight's The Djinn).

"The Influencer is way more relevant now than when I wrote it three years ago, it reflects real life in ways I didn't expect", said Weinstein. "Watching how internet virality has led to such a dramatic spike in consumerism and waste with fast-fashion, or an obsession with how we appear online, it warps reality and values for so many people in an effort to distract us from the bigger issues going on in the world."

The film stars real life influencer and comedian...

Tales Of The Nightwatchman: "In a city overrun by the supernatural, the Spectral Eye gang--made up of three baristas: the aspiring journalist Nora, the tent-dwelling vagrant Serena, and the unflappable Charlie, a.k.a the Night Watchman--takes up the charge to keep things under control. But, um, be prepared to wait for that cortado. It's gonna be a minute."

About the Series

"Tales of the Night Watchman was created by Dave Kelly & Lara Antal. This issue was one of three published right before Covid, so we're planning to come back strong in print and digital this year. It marks a new creative direction and is a great jumping-on point for readers. This is the first time anything from the series has been available on ComiXology. "The Final Kill," along with the Red Hook crossover, will lead directly into the upcoming, brand-new story arc "A Dream of Death."

Other issues feature...