Happy Holidays Jackrabbit Media friends,

This year draws to a close, but don't worry - we're ending on a high note! 

From festival wins to major releases, 2025 has been an incredible year for Jackrabbit. December marks the official release of Kombucha - our final film for this 2025 slate. Alongside it is the much anticpated sequel, Influencers and new titles being prepared for 2026 announcements. 

As the credits roll on this year, we're filled with gratitude for everyone who's helped us grow, expand our audience, and keep independent storytelling alive. We look to 2026 with excitement for bold new films, fresh voices, and stories that stick with you long after the screen goes dark.

🎬 Read All About It:

At the start of AFM, Screen Daily exclusively announced Theater is Dead as an official addition to JRM's ever-growing slate. Alongside it an exciting collection of micro-budget films in production for 2026. 

Cassandra Naud reprises her role as everyone's favorite globe-trotting serial killer in the exclusive first trailer for Influencers seen on People Magazine. Only this time her past threatens to catch up in a bloody way.

Dread Central gave horror fans and health nuts alike an exclusive first look at Kombucha in a clip that warns of the dangers of a corporate 9-5.

Influencers made headlines again in Screen Daily amidst AFM day two with Jackrabbit announcing the closing of multiple key territories for the Shudder Original Sequel. 

Also coming to Tubi this December is John Berardo's, possession horror hit, The Mannequin. The film has been well-received by reviewers and has been called "...a standout supernatural slasher in a world that’s seeing a resurgence in the subgenre." (Dread Central)

🎥 Festival Announcements:

Kombucha continues its festival run post digital release with a screening at Another Hole in the Head Film Festival. Also in the lineup is upcoming Shudder Original Influencers and Katherine Dudas' Theater is Dead.

📣 Up and Coming:

A new year brings new opportunities. Stay tuned for fresh, exciting news from Jackrabbit as we enter 2026 with momentum!

Thanks for always supporting indie film!

– The Jackrabbit Media Team

'A mind-altering drink makes employees work themselves to death.'

Jake Myers' workplace horror film, Kombucha, starring Terrance Carey, Paige Bourne, and Claire McFadden releases on digital and DVD/Blu-ray on December 2nd.

November 11th, 2025 - Screen Daily EXCLUSIVE: Jackrabbit Media reported closing key territories on the upcoming Shudder Original Influencers during this year's American Film Market.

Read More

November 11th, 2025 - Dread Central EXCLUSIVE: Take a sip and get to work in the first look at Jake Myers' workplace horror, Kombucha.

Click the link below to watch!

Read More

November 10th, 2025 - People Magazine EXCLUSIVE: Cassandra Naud returns as everyone's favorite globe-trotting serial killer in the trailer for Influencers. This time her past threatens to catch up with her in new and vicious ways.

Click the link below to watch the trailer now!

Read More

November 10th, 2025 - Screen Daily EXCLUSIVE: Jackrabbit Media rounded out their AFM roster with the addition of Katherine Dudas' fresh horror thriller, Theater is Dead.

Alongside a slate of micro-budget films for 2026 in conjunction with James Cullen Bressack and Sandaled Kid Productions.

Read More

November 3rd, 2025 - Bloody Disgusting EXCLUSIVE: Described as David Cronenberg meets The Office, check out why Kombucha has caught the attention of cinephiles everywhere.

Watch the exclusive trailer on Bloody Disgusting! Kombucha will be available on digital and DVD/Blu-ray on December 2nd. 

Read More

Jackrabbit Media attended the 2025 American Film Market with rallying success and is excited to roll into the new year alongside our colleagues.

Kombucha

December 7th at 5:30pm, Balboa Theater Auditorium 2

Purchase tickets HERE.

Influencers

December 10th at 6:15pm, Balboa Theater Auditorium 2

Purchase tickets HERE.

Theater is Dead

 December 14th at 3:00pm, Balboa Theater Auditorium 2

Purchase tickets HERE.

See the festival's full schedule HERE.

Christmas in Mistletoe

Directed by: Collins Abbott White

'A disillusioned Christmas movie location scout rediscovers her Christmas spirit while falling in love with the perfect leading man in the cozy mountain town of Mistletoe.'

Against the Spread

Directed by: Mitchell Cole

'A down-and-out gambling addict reignites a deep-rooted rivalry with a ruthless loan shark to finance his dimwitted nephew's half-baked scheme.'

Lookout

Directed by: Stefan Colson

'A young woman steps away from her chaotic life to work at a fire lookout tower, but things take a sinister turn when strange, otherworldly events begin to occur.'

Jake Myers - Director (Kombucha)

Headshot credit Johnny Call/@johnnycallme

Jake Myers is a filmmaker based in Chicago. He is known for directing Kombucha, Alien Seduction, and Leland & Teddy. Myers has also worked as an animator and vfx lead for The People's Joker, Show Her the Money, One Golden Summer, and Dilemma of Desire. His favorite sport is volleyball and he coached a boys varsity team to win the Chicago City Championship in 2019.

JRM: Kombucha started as a short film- When you first conceived Kombucha, did you see it more as a character piece, mood piece, satire or something else entirely?

Jake: Geoff Bakken first conceived this idea and I felt immediately drawn to the concept because it combined corporate satire and body horror in a way that felt fresh and relatable. It’s about the fear of starting a new job, the fear of losing that job, and the existential terror that your job might turn you into the shell of your former self.

JRM: Did any major aspects of the film- tone, setting, structure- change once production began?

Jake: Liz Kaar is a brilliant editor and rearranged the order of scenes and truncated dialogue to keep the pace moving. The major tonal shift that happened was between the short and the feature. The short was a little more campy and absurdist. I love that kind of humor in the short form but I think it can get exhausting in the long form when you need to sustain a narrative for 90+ minutes. 

JRM: What cinematic influences- directors, writers, or films- shaped your approach to this story?

Jake: I was talking with my DP Matt Brown about this tonal shift before we started filming the feature and I said I wanted it to feel like we were taking a B movie plot as seriously as possible. Chic, muted tones, soft backlighting, and minimal until we see the big bad. He showed me stills from Alex Garland’s Ex Machina and Devs and I yelled “exactly!” Ex Machina is one of my favorite films and I think it’s the perfect example of elevating a mad scientist plot to a razor sharp thriller. The humor of the film is also influenced by Mike Judge’s Office Space and Silicon Valley. His jokes simultaneously feel over-the-top and grounded in the realities of office culture. The Fly by David Cronenberg is also one of my favorite films and Jeff Goldblum’s transformation inspired some of our SFX.

JRM: How did you cultivate the on-set environment to keep the cast and crew aligned with your vision? Did you all drink kombucha while on set?

Jake: Some people might consider this overkill, but I also made separate pitch decks for production, camera, art department, and sfx. We only had 15 days of principal photography so there wasn’t going to be time to learn as we went and I really needed everyone to get on the same page as quickly as possible. I also told the cast and crew that we can not wink at the audience. We can’t let them know how crazy this movie will get until the big reveal in the third act. I had so many hilarious performers on set but I think they balanced the humor and anxiety perfectly.

JRM: Kombucha has had a great festival run- How has the festival or audience response shaped your view of the film now that it’s out?

Jake: I didn’t sleep in the lead up to our world premiere at Dances with Films but I was so relieved when the audiences laughed and shuddered at certain moments. I also felt like I needed to hit some horror beats harder and did a day of filming inserts before our international premiere at FrightFest in London. Some filmmakers dread sitting with the audience but I feel like I have to do it so I know what’s working and what could be improved with the next film. With Kombucha, I feel like audiences love the big, gross, unhinged scenes and reflect on whether or not they are turning into a slimy version of themselves.

JRM: What advice would you give indie filmmakers trying to bring personal or unconventional stories to life?

Jake: Don’t wait for the industry to say yes. Start with a short film and see if people respond to it. If you have a feature length idea in mind, reach out to filmmakers who worked with similar films and ask how they made it happen. Keep that curious mentality when you are in pre-production and talk with your heads of department early so everyone is on the same page. 

During the pitching phase, post-production phase, and promotion phases of the film you need to be relentless. If you want 1 person to say yes to your film, reach out to 20 producers. After you feel incredible burnout from production, immediately start post-production and be willing to learn new skills and hop on the assembly line because indie filmmakers rarely have the budget to hire a large team to take the film across the finish line. After you are “done”, brace yourself for deliverables and promotion. You just did all of this work to bring your story to life, now make sure people see it. 

Celebrate everyone who helped you along the way. They believed in your vision so tell them thank you. 

JRM: Do you have a favorite scene or moment from the film

Jake: I love “Let me circle back to you on that” and Kelsey providing fresh squeezed Kombucha to Luke. They are insane moments and I love watching them with an audience. Another one that I added right before our world premiere was “rest in power” and hearing the audience cackle at that dumb joke felt great. 

JRM: What direction do you see your filmmaking evolving towards after this film? Any new exciting projects coming up?

Jake: I’d like to continue making horror films with a satirical hook. In future projects, I’d like to narrow the scope of the film to free up some time and resources to amplify the dread and make each scare hit harder. Initially, I planned to direct a slasher with John Condne and Take Care Productions in the summer of 2026. But a couple weeks ago, he called me and said “I have this gut feeling that we need to do Kombucha 2.” Geoff and I jumped right in and started crafting a story about a culty wellness center claiming to possess cure-all kombucha.

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