Two independent titles are taking different paths through Tokyo’s TIFFCOM market this week, and the early momentum belongs to a French action movie.
What sold, and what’s still selling
Cappu Films has closed CIS distribution for Red Bird with Kinologistika LLC. The deal covers Russia and other former Soviet states, and it lands after SOUTHfilms released the picture in French cinemas in January.
The Marseille-shot action film is directed by Alexandre Laugier, Thomas Habibes and Houssam Adili, a team drawn from stunt work and martial arts. Habibes and Adili also star as Max and Sam in a story about a son investigating the unexplained death of his father, who worked covertly under the name Red Bird.
- Red Bird: CIS rights sold; previously released in French cinemas.
- Step Back, Doors Closing: already out in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean via Freestyle Digital Media; now seeking international partners.
Two genres, two sales strategies
At the same market, Cappu is handling international sales for Step Back, Doors Closing, a Washington, D.C. romance from writer-director Carter Ward. Carmen Berkeley and Reilly Walters play Ryan and Julisa, strangers who meet on a Metro train and spend 24 hours walking the city as a relationship takes shape. Ward produced with Jane Hollon and Kathryn Crabtree.
The picture premiered at Dances With Films in Los Angeles in 2024 and already has a North American footprint through Freestyle. Tokyo is its pitch for the rest of the world.
“I could not be more proud or excited to partner with Cappu Films. Their support means the world not only to myself, but our entire cast and crew.”
Ward said the film shows a version of Washington where meet-cutes are still possible and a single weekend can change a life.
Cappu’s Janice Woo framed the action title’s appeal in similar terms: “Red Bird brings the energy of its filmmakers and stunt team directly to the screen.”
Why this matters for screen professionals
For media planners, entertainment marketers and content buyers, TIFFCOM is a reminder that the global independent business still runs on territory-by-territory rights, not just all-at-once streamer deals. Action remains a fast-mover in Russia and the broader CIS, while a U.S.-released romance is using festival-market exposure to build slower, market-by-market demand across the rest of the world.
Cappu’s library spans action, horror, fantasy, arthouse fare and Hong Kong cinema classics. The early lesson from Tokyo is simple: independent sellers are still pairing a commercially legible genre title with a more personal one, and using a major market to close one region before chasing the next.
Source: Variety
