Tantan Films, courtesy of Cappu Films 

Hong Kong-based sales firm Cappu Films will use TIFFCOM, the rights market attached to the Tokyo International Film Festival, to launch world sales activities on two films that were recently at the Busan festival.

Psychological thriller “Waterdrop,” was winner of two awards at the Busan festival earlier this month while crime comedy “So It Goes” was competitor in the Jiseok Award section. 

Cappu was founded by independent filmmaker Janice Woo in 2018 and has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing and Los Angeles. It focuses on rising filmmakers and genre films and television with global appeal and has activities that that span international sales and distribution. Woo is leading the sales effort in Tokyo from Oct. 30 – Nov. 1.

A coming-of-age thriller, “Waterdrop” is the debut feature by Korean director Choi Jongyong. It follows a 13 year-old girl Su-yeon who is left alone after her grandmother passes away. Faced with being placed in a childcare facility if she does not find a guardian, Su-yeon notices an influencer couple who have adopted a seven-year-old girl named Seon-yul and are immersed in happiness. Su-yeon tries to get close to Seon-yul, but finds the other girl’s behavior increasingly suspicious.

The film won the Chorokbaem Media Award for new directors in Korean cinema and the CGK Award for cinematography in Busan earlier this month and was lauded by the jury for its “sharp yet nuanced directing” and depth of the young actors’ performances that “adds astonishment to the film.” At project stage, Waterdrop” earlier won the Korean Film Council?s Korean film screenplay competition in 2022. 

“So It Goes,” from Korean director Lee Haram, traces the journey of a young couple who are in love with each other, but who drive around committing murders. Described by the Busan programmers as a “bizarre and unique hybrid world [that] cannot be compared to anything else,” the film is a genre-defying blend of serial-killer horror, road movies, comedy and romance. 

Lee’s 2022 debut “Beyond” was previously invited to the Vision section of the Busan International Film Festival and won awards at the Busan Independent Film Festival and the Seoul Independent Film Festival. His 2023 feature “Forgotten Soldier” was invited to the Busan Independent Film Festival. “So It Goes” is his third feature film.

Cappu Films’ TIFFCOM lineup also includes Chinese pop phenomenon Zhang Zhehan’s cycling documentary “August,” about the aftermath of a cyber media storm that halted his acting career; Korean sports drama “Go! Snails,” which shines a light on the world of wheelchair basketball; Korean psychological horror “The Stench,” about a group of ambitious young people at a study retreat who try to cover up a puzzling death; and independent filmmaker Vivian Kerr’s debut feature “Scrap,” a heartfelt drama set in Los Angeles about motherhood, femininity and reconciliation.

Written By Patrick Frater

Link:https://variety.com/2024/film/asia/cappu-films-tokyo-film-market-waterdrop-so-it-goes-1236194428/