Creator-era independent studio announces first feature film, Crush Party

MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / June 22, 2026 / Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN), a leading entertainment marketing and content production company, and KYNETIC Media Ventures, a media and venture investment holding company, today announced the launch of Graviteur Studios, a creator-led, audience-first independent film and television studio built for an entertainment landscape increasingly driven by creators, fandom, and intellectual property.

Led by KYNETIC CEO David Freeman and Dolphin CEO Bill O'Dowd, Graviteur Studios is designed to bridge the worlds of digital influence and premium entertainment, reshaping how creators develop, finance, produce, market, and distribute original scripted films and television projects.

Graviteur will focus on financing projects in the $1-10 million range, providing creators with ownership in each property. The slate will cross genres and cultural passion points that resonate with digitally native audiences, including thriller, comedy, horror, YA, romance, sci-fi, sports, anime-inspired storytelling, and creator-led franchises.

The studio is developing an initial slate of scripted projects, including its first feature film, Crush Party, a YA thriller written by Johnny Saras. O'Dowd and Freeman are in talks with creator talent to star in the film, which will be announced in the coming months.

Crush Party follows a group of college students invited to an exclusive Valentine's Day "Crush Party," where attendees are anonymously selected by someone secretly harboring feelings for them. But when guests begin dying one by one, and blackmail tied to their darkest secrets surfaces, the students realize they've been lured into a deadly game where the killer is one of them.

Graviteur positions creators as the next generation of filmmakers and franchise owners. The entertainment industry and media landscape have a history of evolving and expanding; Graviteur is entering the next phase of that evolution which is increasingly powered by audience ownership, community engagement, and creator-driven discovery.

"We're seeing a fundamental shift in how audiences discover and engage with entertainment," said Bill O'Dowd, CEO of Dolphin. "Creators are increasingly shaping culture and commanding audience attention. Graviteur was built to support that evolution by giving creators the production and distribution infrastructure, marketing power, and strategic partnership needed to build premium scripted entertainment franchises."

The venture combines Dolphin Entertainment's nearly three decades of expertise across financing, production, communications, marketing, and distribution with KYNETIC's deep experience building creator-driven media businesses and culturally relevant IP.

"We believe the future of independent entertainment will come from talent and communities that already command attention and cultural relevance," said David Freeman, CEO of KYNETIC Media Ventures. "Creators are building global audiences long before a traditional studio gets involved. Graviteur was launched to elevate Creators as owners and fandoms into scalable entertainment properties."

Through the venture's integrated entertainment ecosystem, including Dolphin subsidiaries 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects, and The Digital Dept, Graviteur will provide creators and projects with coordinated access to strategic brand partnerships, publicity, influencer strategy, creator marketing, social amplification, experiential activations, impact marketing, and audience engagement under a unified platform.

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About Graviteur Studios

Graviteur Studios is a creator-first entertainment company connecting talent, platforms, capital, and audiences to develop, produce, market, and distribute premium content across film, television, streaming, and digital platforms.

Founded by Dolphin Entertainment (NASDAQ:DLPN) and KYNETIC Media Ventures, Graviteur combines creator-native development instincts with production financing, integrated marketing infrastructure, and global distribution capabilities to build the next generation of entertainment franchises.

About Dolphin Entertainment

Dolphin (NASDAQ:DLPN) is where cultural creation meets marketing execution. Founded in 1996 by Bill O'Dowd, Dolphin operates as both a venture studio developing and investing in breakthrough content, products, and experiences and a marketing consortium, featuring leading agencies across every communications discipline.

At its core, the venture studio creates, produces, finances, markets, and promotes new businesses and cultural ideas - ranging from acclaimed film, television, and digital content to consumer goods, live events and partnerships that define entertainment and lifestyle. Surrounding this entrepreneurial engine, Dolphin's marketing prowess brings together best-in-class firms including 42West, The Door, Shore Fire Media, Elle Communications, Special Projects and The Digital Dept. Together, this collective delivers unmatched cross-marketing expertise and relationships across every vertical of pop culture - from film, television, music, influencers, sports, hospitality, and fashion to consumer brands and purpose-driven initiatives. Dolphin marketing has been the recipient of many accolades, including #1 Agency of the Year on the Observer PR Power List in 2025, The PR Net 100, and the PR News Elite 120.

About KYNETIC Media Ventures

KYNETIC Media Ventures is a Los Angeles-based media holding company that partners with creators, athletes, artists, brands, and IP holders to build the next generation of talent-owned audience-first entertainment and media businesses. Founded by David Freeman, former head of the Digital Media Department at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), KYNETIC operates at the intersection of culture, technology, marketing, and venture investment, helping transform cultural influence and fan engagement into scalable intellectual property, owned audiences, and long-term enterprise value.

PRESS CONTACT

Susie Arons, 42West
susie.arons@42west.com

Eloise Detmering, 42West
eloise.detmering@42west.com

INVESTOR CONTACT

James Carbonara
HAYDEN IR
(646)-755-7412
james@haydenir.com

SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Dolphin Entertainment and KYNETIC Media Ventures Launch Creator-Led, Audience-First Graviteur Studios