Dark comedy short film

BRAINSOMNIAC

A hypochondriac, insomniac woman attempts to sleep, but her brain has other ideas.

Two women in matching pink pajamas lie together on teal bedding as one whispers to the other.
REQUEST SCREENER

Synopsis

In a darkly-hilarious exploration of mental health, a hypochondriac, insomniac woman attempts to sleep, but her brain has other ideas.

Using everything in her panic-inducing arsenal, MY BRAIN (personified by Kirsten Vangsness) keeps ME (Allison Munn) up all night with a series of escalating, imaginary emergencies. As the hours tick towards morning, fears of a kitchen-knife-wielding intruder, bladder cancer and early-onset Alzheimer's crescendo with an imaginary heart attack that sends ME running to the ER ... for the second time in a single day.

The diagnosis? Anxiety. ME begs, threatens, and tries to reason with MY BRAIN, desperate for relief. After losing her mind, quite literally in a black void, ME and MY BRAIN finally come together in their quest for happiness in the form of an SSRI. Can anxiety meds quiet her racing mind? ME finally convinces MY BRAIN to try.

Title BRAINSOMNIAC
Genre Dark Comedy
Status Festival materials in progress

Cast & Crew

Deva Dalporto

Writer / Director

Deva Dalporto

Deva Dalporto is a writer, filmmaker, actor, and digital creator @mylifesuckers, known for her funny viral videos about motherhood and her music parodies, for which NBC dubbed her the “Weird Al of YouTube Moms.” Her videos have garnered a billion views and have been featured on Good Morning America, The Today Show, People, and many more.

A three-time BlogHer Voice of the Year Award winner for video, Iris Award winner for Best Parenting Video, ABC’s Billboard Music Awards Special “Best Fan Cover Artist,” Deva has spent her career turning the chaos of everyday life into sharp, honest comedy.

BRAINSOMNIAC marks her debut as a narrative filmmaker, channeling the same sharp instincts that made her parenting content go viral into a darkly funny look at mental health.

Kirsten Vangsness

Actress — “MY BRAIN”

Kirsten Vangsness

Kirsten Vangsness is an actress, playwright, and arts activist best known for her beloved portrayal of tech genius Penelope Garcia across fifteen seasons of CBS’s Criminal Minds — a role she also extended as a writer, co-authoring five episodes. She currently appears as the maybe-evil Bigelow McFigglehorn in Wizards Beyond Waverly Place and in the new Scrubs reboot.

On screen, she executive produced and starred in the film noir spoof Kill Me, Deadly, and has appeared in Dave Made a Maze and Diane & Devine Meet the Apocalypse.

Her new play Outdated is touring through 2026. She is the creator and host of Bits!, a monthly creativity salon in Hollywood. Recipient of the Open Fist Excellence in the Arts Award, the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Natalie Schafer Award, and the HRC Visibility Award.

Allison Munn

Actress — “ME”

Allison Munn

Allison Munn is a Los Angeles-based actress with an extensive body of work across television and theatre. She is best known for her recurring roles on The Big Show Show, Nicky, Ricky, Dicky & Dawn, and the beloved teen drama One Tree Hill. Her television credits also encompass What I Like About You, That ’70s Show, Carpoolers, and guest appearances on numerous network and cable series.

A classically trained theatre artist, Munn began her career in New York, starring as Luisa in the Off-Broadway production of The Fantasticks. She is a graduate of the College of Charleston and originally hails from South Carolina.

Noah Freeman Hecht

Cinematographer

Noah Freeman Hecht

Noah Freeman Hecht is a filmmaker based in Encinitas, California. A graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in Film & Media Studies, his cinematography blends naturalism with emotional precision — chasing stories from the Pacific Ocean to the mountains of India, and everywhere in between.

His images lean into crafted light and lived-in spaces, often capturing the quiet in-between moments that say the most. Whether shooting narrative, commercial, or documentary work, Noah’s eye is drawn to intimate moments, textures, and the small visual details that make a story feel personal.

His work aims to feel present rather than performative — grounded in authenticity while still delivering a distinct visual and thematic punch.

Margo Zimmerman

Producer

Margo Zimmerman

Margo Zimmerman is a Producer and Production Manager with over twenty years of experience leading award-winning feature animation, live-action television, and global distribution operations. Her work in Production Management for Pixar Animation Studios includes Toy Story 4, Soul, Lightyear, and Inside Out 2.

Prior to Pixar, she managed English-language localization and co-production partnerships for iconic Japanese animation titles including Ghost in the Shell and Neon Genesis Evangelion at Starz Media and Production Managed several live-action series for ABC and Showtime.

BRAINSOMNIAC is her independent short film debut as Producer.

Stills

Two women in matching pink pajamas lie in opposite directions on dark teal bedding.
Two women in matching pink pajamas sit on a bed as one holds a yellow phone.
One woman whispers beside another lying awake on teal bedding.
Two women in pink pajamas sit on a narrow bathroom floor as one cries out.
Two women ride in a car at night, one driving and the other looking concerned.
Two frightened women in matching pink pajamas embrace in a bedroom.
A woman in pink pajamas speaks while holding a striped popcorn cup.
A blonde woman lies awake on a teal pillow in cool nighttime light.
Two women in matching pink pajamas lean toward each other while sitting on a bed.
Two women in matching pink pajamas brush their teeth together.

Festival & Press

For festival programmers, press & distribution

Materials available by request

Press materials and private screener access for BRAINSOMNIAC are available upon request. Public contact details are coming soon.