Director behind Issa Rae’s TikTok microdrama hit ‘Screen Time’ makes her feature directorial debut on the creator-driven studio’s first film, announced at Cannes Lions

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 6, 2026 / Graviteur Studios, the creator-driven independent film and television studio from Dolphin (Nasdaq:DLPN) and KYNETIC Media Ventures, has set Kristen Brancaccio to direct the studio’s first feature, Crush Party. The film marks Brancaccio’s feature directorial debut and is slated to begin production in early 2027.

Dolphin, a leading entertainment marketing and content production company, launched Graviteur Studios with KYNETIC Media Ventures in June 2026, when the studio and Crush Party were both announced at Cannes Lions. Led by Dolphin CEO Bill O’Dowd and KYNETIC CEO David Freeman, Graviteur develops, finances, produces, markets, and distributes projects built around creators, audiences, and culturally relevant IP.

Crush Party, a YA thriller written by Johnny Saras, 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.

“Kristen represents exactly the kind of filmmaker that we hope to support at Graviteur Studios. The boundaries between emerging formats and traditional filmmaking are disappearing, and Graviteur is a home where exceptional creative voices can move from audience building to bolder, long-format storytelling,” said Emerson Davis, Head of Development and Production for Dolphin Entertainment and Graviteur Studios. “Kristen has proven her ability to create stories that connect with audiences worldwide, and we are excited to give her a feature platform with Crush Party.”

Brancaccio has directed more than 20 microdramas across platforms including ReelShort, TikTok, NetShort, Shorts App, and DramaShorts, and her work has reached hundreds of millions of digitally native viewers. Most recently, she directed Issa Rae’s debut vertical series Screen Time, which has garnered more than 250 million views on TikTok. Other recent credits include Audible’s series Southern Belle Insults, starring Keke Palmer, Phaedra Parks, and Zachariah Porter, which premiered in August 2026. She is also behind Hollywood Starlet for the microdrama app aTwist, produced by Bradley Bell (The Bold and the Beautiful).

An early adopter of YouTube in 2007, Brancaccio was among the platform’s first generation of viewers and creators. She began posting skits and vlogs and eventually worked directly with YouTube as an independent contractor. During the platform’s early days, she worked both in front of and behind the camera for the popular comedy channel “The Key of Awesome,” whose content garnered more than three billion views. Those experiences shaped her understanding of the creator-audience relationship, a perspective that continues to inform her work across emerging platforms. As a digitally native filmmaker, Brancaccio embodies the creator-driven approach Graviteur Studios was built to support.

Before entering the vertical space, Brancaccio was a Top 10 directing finalist on HBO’s Project Greenlight for her short Day One, and she wrote and directed the action-romance pilot Resistance for SYFY. She also has extensive music video credits.

“I am so honored that Bill, David, Emerson, and the entire Graviteur team have entrusted me with this project,” said Brancaccio. “Johnny’s script has everything I love as a fan of movies, crafting a smart thriller with twists and turns that will keep the audience guessing every step of the way. Crush Party promises to be a fun ride and I can’t wait to help bring it to life.”

Brancaccio is represented by Select Management Group.

About Dolphin
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.

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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.

Investor Contact for Dolphin:

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

SOURCE: Dolphin Entertainment

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