What Stanulis Films does

Stanulis Films Inc. is a privately held, founder-led independent entertainment company founded in 2019 and headquartered at 99 Hudson Street, 5th Floor, New York. The company produces, finances, and distributes film and commercial projects concentrated in horror, thriller, documentary, and drama genres. Its catalog spans twelve-plus titles including feature films (5th Borough, Chronicle of a Serial Killer, Clinton Road, Bay Ridge Paranormal, Hinsdale House, Monica, Red Money), a serialized mockumentary for Tubi (Great Kills, with Season 2 in production), and documentaries (Race Against Time, Legends of Freestyle, Wasted Talent). CEO and founder Steve Stanulis, a former NYPD officer turned entertainment executive, personally leads creative direction and talent relationships.

The company's revenue model rests on three streams: (1) one-time licensing of completed titles to streaming and on-demand platforms such as Tubi (where Great Kills is a Tubi original), Amazon Prime Video (Race Against Time, Wasted Talent), Random Media (5th Borough), and traditional cable/satellite On Demand services; (2) transactional merchandise sales via an owned e-commerce storefront selling t-shirts, bags, masks, DVDs, signed scripts, and books at price points between $14.99 and $49.99; and (3) retail equity participation through a Wefunder crowdfunding partnership, framed as a disruption of the traditional Hollywood financing model. Distribution and marketing are primarily direct-to-consumer, supplemented by film festival premieres (Venice, NYCTV Festival, Chicago International Film Festival), earned media coverage in Variety, Forbes, and USA Today, and active social media channels.

Beyond core film production, Stanulis Films operates an off-Broadway theater production (Stripped: The Play) and an Act Out! youth acting education program (ages 7-17), making it a small, vertically integrated indie studio with diversified revenue across content licensing, merchandise, and education. The company expanded internationally in 2021 via a joint venture with Malaysian producer Hornbill Films to establish a Kuala Lumpur production hub. Named talent affiliations include Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Charlie Sheen, DMX, Busta Rhymes, Ice-T, Emily Browning, Kevin Dillon, and Eric Roberts, with Monica's Venice Film Festival competition selection being the company's most significant critical achievement to date.

Name

Stanulis Films

Legal name

Stanulis Films Inc.

Website

https://stanulisfilms.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stanulis Films Inc. is a privately held, New York-based independent entertainment company that produces, finances, and distributes horror, thriller, documentary, and drama films and series. It serves streaming audiences via Tubi and Amazon Prime Video, supplements income through merchandise and youth acting education, and operates a Kuala Lumpur joint venture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Film Production and Distribution: The company produces films and secures distribution deals through streaming platforms and festivals. Revenue is generated through licensing content to platforms like Tubi and Amazon Prime Video.
2. Merchandise Sales: E-commerce sales of branded merchandise including t-shirts, bags, masks, DVDs, signed scripts, and books. Transaction-based one-time purchases through the company's online shop.
3. Crowdfunded Investment: The company offers investment opportunities through Wefunder platform, allowing retail investors to participate in funding film projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stanulis Films is an independent entertainment company that produces, finances, and distributes premium film content across horror, thriller, drama, and documentary genres. The company produces feature films and TV series, licenses them to streaming platforms (Tubi, Amazon Prime Video) and On Demand services, operates an e-commerce merchandise storefront selling branded apparel, DVDs, and collectibles, and offers acting classes through its Act Out! program.

Product overview

Stanulis Films is an independent entertainment company focused on the production, financing, and distribution of premium content. The company operates a multi-faceted portfolio including feature films across genres (horror, thriller, drama, documentary), television series (mockumentary), theater productions, acting education services, and a merchandise e-commerce store. Their film library includes titles such as 5th Borough, Chronicle of a Serial Killer, Clinton Road, Bay Ridge Paranormal, Great Kills, Hinsdale House, Monica, Race Against Time, Red Money, Legends of Freestyle, and Wasted Talent. The company also produces Off Broadway theater (Stripped: The Play) and offers weekly acting classes through the Act Out! program. Distribution partnerships include Amazon Prime Video, Tubi, and Random Media.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Act Out!: Weekly acting classes for young actors aged 7-17 offered in conjunction with Stanulis Films, covering improvisation, scene study, monologue technique, and audition skills

Products and services

• 5th Borough Crime drama feature film described as 'The Sopranos meets The Departed' about a character's daughter diagnosed with a brain tumor. Acquired by Random Media for distribution.
• Chronicle of a Serial Killer Psychological thriller feature film about a serial killer who preys on women. Stars DMX and Dominique Swain.
• Clinton Road Horror feature film following a firefighter and his sister-in-law seeking closure after his wife's mysterious disappearance. Stars Ice-T.
• Bay Ridge Paranormal Supernatural horror feature film exploring spirits that create fear in dwellings.
• Great Kills Dark comedy mockumentary TV series about a lonely small-time hit man, distributed as a Tubi original series. Created by James Merendino and Lisa Hammer.
• Hinsdale House Paranormal horror feature film billed as this generation's Amityville Horror, described as 'Paranormal Activity meets Blair Witch Project.'
• Monica Drama feature film about a transgender woman who returns home to care for her dying mother. Stars Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Emily Browning, and Joshua Close. Won Best Film at Venice Film Festival and Chicago International Film Festival.
• Race Against Time Documentary following the Raffone family whose son suffers from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, intended to bring awareness to the disease. Stars Charlie Sheen.
• Red Money

Quantifiable outcome

• Monica premiered at Venice Film Festival 2022 and Trace Lysette became first trans actress to headline a competition film at the festival
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hornbill FilmscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Joint venture with Malaysian film outfit Hornbill Films to establish a production hub in Kuala Lumpur. Stanulis Films partnered to bring US film production expertise to Malaysia while expanding their international production capabilities.
• Random MediacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRandom Media acquired distribution rights for the film 5th Borough. Random Media serves as a distribution partner for the company's content.
• TubicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTubi serves as the streaming platform partner for Great Kills series. Great Kills is a Tubi original series with dedicated grassroots audience.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FilmRise: Independent film and television distribution company with a streaming-first, library-focused business model. Comparable in monetizing indie titles across free ad-supported streaming and AVOD channels.
• Participant Media: Media company producing and financing content with social impact focus, including documentaries and prestige drama. Comparable in the documentary and issue-driven content space (e.g., Race Against Time).
• Magnolia Pictures: Independent film distribution company with a diverse genre portfolio spanning documentaries, horror, and drama, distributed across theatrical, VOD, and streaming. Closely matches Stanulis Films' genre and channel mix.
• Bleecker Street: Indie film production and distribution company of comparable scale and strategy, focused on prestige and genre films with theatrical and streaming release patterns similar to Stanulis Films.
• Neon: Independent film distributor with a strong festival-circuit and prestige positioning, including Venice and other major festival titles. Directly comparable in targeting the same indie, festival-driven audience as Stanulis Films.
• Vertical Entertainment: Independent film production and distribution company focused on genre and mid-budget titles released across theatrical, VOD, and streaming platforms. Comparable in scale and go-to-market approach.
• IFC Films: Independent film distribution arm of AMC Networks that handles prestige, genre, and documentary titles across theatrical, VOD, and streaming channels. Comparable distribution strategy to Stanulis Films' multi-platform approach.
• XYZ Films: International indie film production and sales company with a genre-focused slate (horror, thriller, action). Comparable in targeting global genre audiences and operating an international production footprint.
• A24: Independent film production and distribution company with a similar genre-diverse, prestige-oriented slate. A24 is a much larger and more established direct comparable in the indie film production space where Stanulis Films operates.

Broad incumbents

• Blumhouse Productions: Major horror and genre production company with a much larger slate and deeper capital base. Stanulis Films had a first-look deal with Blumhouse for Hinsdale House, indicating a direct relationship in the horror production space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StanulisFilms
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/stanulisfilms
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stanulis-films

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stanulis Films