Cappu Films has closed a distribution deal for the French action film Red Bird with Kinologistika LLC, covering Russia and other former Soviet states. The sale was confirmed during TIFFCOM, the content market that runs alongside the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival from October 28 to 30, 2026. At the same market, Cappu Films is handling international sales for the American indie romance Step Back, Doors Closing, a Washington, D.C.-set love story written and directed by Carter Ward. The two titles sit on opposite ends of the filmmaking spectrum—one is a micro-budget action film shot in Marseille, the other a talk-heavy romance shot on the streets of the U.S. capital—but both are now looking for buyers across the globe.
Red Bird Finds a Home in Russia and Former Soviet States
The CIS deal gives Kinologistika LLC the right to release Red Bird across a region that includes Russia and several former Soviet republics. The Moscow-based distributor handles theatrical, television, DVD, VOD and airline rights across the territory, according to its distribution profile. The agreement was first reported by Variety on October 29, 2026, during the middle of the Tokyo market.
Red Bird is a French action film directed by Alexandre Laugier, Thomas Habibes and Houssam Adili. Habibes and Adili also play the lead roles, with Eric Delcourt, Jean-Louis Tribes and Jean-Marie Paris in supporting parts. The story follows Max, a young man whose father worked covertly under the name Red Bird. When the older man dies in unexplained circumstances, Max and his friend Sam set out to learn the truth. Their search pulls them into a dangerous plot that puts physical action at the centre of the screen.
The film was shot in Marseille, produced independently by SOUTHfilms, and released in French cinemas in January 2026. French outlet ICI reported that the film was made for around €100,000 and shot in roughly 19 days with a small crew of about fifteen people. The tight budget did not stop the filmmakers from putting stunt work and martial arts at the front of the production. All three directors come from stunt and martial arts backgrounds, a detail that shaped the film’s action-first approach.
“Red Bird brings the energy of its filmmakers and stunt team directly to the screen. We’re pleased to have secured a CIS deal and look forward to introducing the film to more distributors in Tokyo,” said Janice Woo of Cappu Films.
The French release drew attention in Marseille and nearby cities. Local coverage noted screenings at Pathé La Joliette and a run in 18 cinemas across the region, with encouraging returns in Marseille, Lyon and Avignon. The film runs 88 minutes and carries a hard-edged action tone, according to French cinema listings.
A Marseille Action Film Built on Stunt Work
The production story behind Red Bird is almost as lean as its plot. The filmmakers raised the budget outside the usual French funding routes, without support from the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), and assembled a reduced crew for a fast shoot. The film was made independently and sold internationally by Cappu Films, a Hong Kong-based sales company founded in 2018 by Janice Woo, with offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Los Angeles.
That background matters for buyers. Red Bird arrives on the international market as a finished French genre film with a home release behind it, not as a project package. The CIS sale is a straightforward territory deal: Kinologistika gets the rights for its region, while Cappu keeps the rest of the world open for other distributors. Regional deals like this are common in the sales business because they let a seller lock in one territory without giving up control of the others.
The film’s January 7, 2026 French release date appears in multiple French cinema sources, including Pathé listings and AlloCiné showtimes. The producers kept the marketing local and the release focused, which is typical for an independent French action title without a major studio behind it. Cappu Films is now using TIFFCOM to introduce the film to distributors from Asia and other regions who did not pick it up during its French run.
Step Back Doors Closing Brings Washington DC Romance to Tokyo
Step Back, Doors Closing is a different kind of sale. The film is an American indie romance written and directed by Carter Ward, who also produced with Jane Hollon and Kathryn Crabtree through their company Arden Pictures. Carmen Berkeley and Reilly Walters lead the cast as Julisa and Ryan, two strangers who meet on a Washington, D.C. Metro train and spend the next 24 hours walking, talking and falling for each other. Michelle Macedo, Ashley Romans and Mershad Torabi co-star.
The film had its world premiere at Dances With Films in Los Angeles on June 27, 2024. It later screened at the Catalina Film Festival, Dances With Films New York, the Chandler International Film Festival and the Omaha Film Festival. Freestyle Digital Media released the film in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, and a limited theatrical run followed on February 13, 2026, with a VOD release on March 17, 2026. Cappu Films has now taken on international sales for territories outside North America and the Caribbean.
The title comes from the recorded announcement heard on D.C. Metro trains. Ward has said the phrase fits the film’s central idea: two young people who are stressed about their futures need to step back and get some perspective before their options close. The film is a love letter to Georgetown and the wider District, with scenes shot at Martin’s Tavern, Waterfront Park and Georgetown University. Ward, who was born in Georgetown and raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, has named Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy, Lost in Translation, The Brothers McMullen and Medicine for Melancholy as touchstones for the film’s walking-and-talking style.
“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. We can’t wait for international audiences to see the version of Washington, D.C. we know and love. One where meet-cutes are still possible, and single weekends can change the trajectory of our lives forever,” said Ward of Arden Pictures.
The film runs 98 minutes and is rated Not Rated by the MPAA. Reviews have described it as an earnest indie romance that wears its Before Sunrise influence openly, with intimate writing and natural performances from its two leads. For international buyers, the film offers a finished American indie with a small-scale, character-driven story and a recognizable U.S. city as its backdrop.
What the Two Films Share on the Market Floor
Red Bird and Step Back, Doors Closing do not look like a natural pair. One is a French action film with fight scenes and a revenge plot; the other is an American romance built on conversation and a single day in Washington, D.C. What connects them is Cappu Films and the TIFFCOM market, where sales companies present completed films to distributors from across Asia and beyond.
Cappu Films describes itself as a world sales and distribution company focused on rising filmmakers, genre cinema, scripted and unscripted television, and short series with global appeal. Its library spans action, horror, fantasy and arthouse titles, along with TV series and classics from Hong Kong cinema’s golden era. At TIFFCOM 2026, the company is also handling Mathis Landwehr martial arts films Lion Fist and The Last Kumite, which landed deals for South Korea and Latin America, plus Francesco Lucente’s fantasy film Starbright.
The CIS deal for Red Bird is one of the first named territory sales for the title outside France. Kinologistika LLC has a track record in the region, with recent distribution credits that include Our House and other independent titles. The company handles all rights across CIS and the Baltics, which gives Red Bird a broad footprint across theatrical, home entertainment and digital channels in those markets.
TIFFCOM 2026 runs for three days, October 28 to 30, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Trade Center Hamamatsucho-Kan. The market sits inside the 39th Tokyo International Film Festival, which opened on October 26 and runs through November 4, 2026. The timing places both films in front of international buyers during one of Asia’s largest content markets, a setting where finished films are matched with distributors territory by territory.
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Release Details for Global Audiences
Red Bird has already opened in French cinemas. The film was released in France on January 7, 2026, and its French run included screens in Marseille, Lyon and Avignon. The CIS deal with Kinologistika LLC covers Russia and other former Soviet states, but no release date for the CIS region has been announced by the distributor. International buyers outside the CIS can still approach Cappu Films for their territories. The film has a runtime of 88 minutes and is a French-language production.
Step Back, Doors Closing has completed its North American release cycle. Freestyle Digital Media handled the U.S., Canada and Caribbean release, with a limited theatrical run starting February 13, 2026, and a VOD and digital release on March 17, 2026. The film premiered at Dances With Films in Los Angeles on June 27, 2024, and later played at festivals in New York, Catalina, Chandler and Omaha. International rights outside North America and the Caribbean are now with Cappu Films, which is presenting the film to buyers at TIFFCOM. The film runs 98 minutes and is in English.
For audiences in the UK, Australia, India and other markets, neither film has a confirmed local release date at this stage. The CIS deal is the first named international sale for Red Bird, and Step Back, Doors Closing is at the market stage for international territories. Buyers and festival programmers can contact Cappu Films directly for screening links and territory availability.
Stay with VvipTimes for more film market deals and release updates from Tokyo and beyond.
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