On today’s livestream, we’re joined by Austin Worrell, a lawyer, technology expert, and entrepreneur who is trailblazing a new era for film distribution that is set to transform Hollywood, empowering filmmakers and fans alike.
Austin is the co-founder of KINO, a revolutionary social streaming platform that’s changing the way we consume film and television and dragging the Hollywood machine kicking and screaming into the digital age by focusing on empowering the very people at the beating heart of the industry.
Austin’s story is one of passion, persistence, and a relentless drive to create something new at the intersection of film, law, technology, and finance. Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Austin’s dream was always to be a film star.
“Film and television inspired me and allowed me to see a bigger world than my little backyard in the middle of Ohio. I grew up in a cul-de-sac, loved riding my bike, and would drag my three little sisters into doing plays I wrote in our basement, complete with full set builds made out of childhood toys, tents, and sheets.”
Before KINO, Austin made waves in the tech world as the driving force behind Elongate, a charity blockchain startup that became the world’s fastest-growing social impact token on the Binance Smart Chain.
Elongate reached over 500,000 users and a $500 million market cap, donating over $4 million to global social impact causes. This experience taught Austin the power of combining technology with a mission, a lesson he’s carried into his work with KINO.
KINO started with a simple idea: every year, thousands of movies and shows are created with millions of fans, but there wasn’t one app that connected everyone with their favorite stars and stories.
KINO is more than just a streaming service—it’s an interactive digital cinema that allows fans to attend Hollywood premieres from the comfort of their own homes. With a dual-screen experience, fans can watch films on their smart TVs while interacting on their phones, communicating in real-time with stars, participating in live polls, and joining in after-show Q&A sessions.
“We’re building a social streaming platform for filmmakers and artists to connect directly with their fan communities. Imagine if Netflix and TikTok combined.”
Meeting his co-founder, Daril Fannin, was a pivotal moment in Austin’s life, and through a shared passion for the art of filmmaking, it led to the birth of KINO and a bold decision to forego a successful law career.
“I’ve had several moments where I’ve chosen the unbeaten path, against the expectations of most around me. And I’ve found greater fulfillment in pursuing my passions in ways I never could have dreamed of.”
KINO is backed by some of the biggest names in venture capital, including ARK Venture Fund, Sequoia Capital, Slow Ventures, Genius Ventures, Blockchain Founders Fund, and entertainment and finance industry angels. With their support, KINO is reinventing entertainment by breaking down barriers between fans and creators to make movies interactive.
Austin believes Hollywood is facing a profitability crisis, felt most by the very artists upon whom its success is derived. By utilizing AI and providing the kind of technology that will open up the incredible digital fanbases of Hollywood stars, KINO aims to drive greater revenues and royalties and champion the next-gen wave of film and television.
Austin explains that social media has fundamentally changed how we consume entertainment, and KINO is the first platform to truly bridge the gap between social and film/television.
“We’re a data-driven visual premier app for filmmakers to launch their films to millions of people all over the world. We’ve actually invented a new legal watch window called LVOD+—live and video on demand plus.”
KINO’s mission is simple: to make the film and television industry more equitable, efficient, and engaging. Austin asserts that Hollywood is broken, and they believe it is possible to forge a better film and television industry for filmmakers and fans alike.
KINO empowers filmmakers with AI, machine learning, data analytics, and custom e-commerce tools, all designed to enhance the fan experience and democratize the distribution of films.
Austin is confident that within the next five years, every filmmaker will recognize KINO as the logical first step in digital releases, while fans will turn to KINO as their go-to digital “movie theater” for discovering the hottest new films and TV shows.
“We like to say at KINO that we believe technology should empower, not replace. By giving filmmakers the tools to more easily and efficiently find their audiences, we’re encouraging even greater film and TV production.”
I’m fascinated by the work Austin and his team are doing at KINO, and with an industry so ripe for disruption—they’re on the brink of something big. Austin’s journey is an unusual one, but with his wealth of experience, he’s built a vision for the future of entertainment, and one I can’t wait to take a deep dive into.
“We like to say at KINO that we believe technology should empower, not replace. By giving filmmakers the tools to more easily and efficiently find their audiences, we’re encouraging even greater film and TV production.”
