EXCLUSIVE: Cinetic is taking the plunge on Freefall, a documentary project on Vince Reffet and Fred Fugen, the pair known as “the most celebrated aerial daredevils the world has ever seen.”
Passion Pictures, Red Bull Studios and have tapped Cinetic to handle worldwide sales of the film directed by Laura McGann (The Deepest Breath). The announcement comes during an extremely busy Cannes Film Festival for Cinetic, which is working on more than a dozen titles including Competition films Fjord, Sheep in the Box, Gentle Monster, The Unknown, Minotaur, and much more.
“Vince and Fred dedicated their lives to pushing the absolute limits of the possible,” notes a release on Freefall. “Filming every step of their journey over two decades, they evolved from young skydivers to experts in base jumping and cutting-edge jet-powered flight, transforming extreme sports into breathtaking spectacles. Over hundreds of hours of footage, they captured themselves soaring from mountaintops, skyscrapers, and aircraft. Their relentless pursuit was simple yet seemingly impossible: to transcend human limitations and conquer the skies.”
French wingsuit jumpers Fred Fugen (R) and Vince Reffet (L), also known as the ‘Soul Flyers’, pose during a photo session in Paris on September 22, 2020.
Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP
The release continues, “United by an unbreakable brotherhood and a shared, magnetic obsession, the pair became global icons. They captivated millions with death-defying feats that blurred the lines between extreme sport, science fiction, and performance art. Yet, behind the adrenaline-fueled triumphs lay the profound emotional cost of a life lived perpetually on the edge.”
The film, which combines “jaw-dropping archival material with deeply intimate personal footage,” explores themes of male friendship, boundless ambition, love, and devastating loss. “Freefall charts the meteoric rise of two men who dared to push the absolute limits of possibility, ultimately asking what happens when they reach the breaking point—and must choose between sacrificing themselves for their dream, or letting each other go.”
The documentary is produced by Passion Pictures (Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke), Red Bull Studios and 1Community. Producing for Passion Pictures are David Moulton, Emily Jeal, Kari Lia, and Sasha Kominsky. Executive Producers from Passion include Hamish Fergusson.
Producing for Red Bull Studios are Philipp Manderla and Georg Aschauer. Executive Producers from Red Bull Studios include Charlotte Cheung and Sebastian Burkhardt. The team is behind TIFF 2025 premiered feature documentary The Balloonists and the IMAX-released film Girl Climber. Producing for 1Community are Scott Budnick and Ameet Shukla, who most recently produced Nonnas for Netflix.
Freefall reteams Cinetic and Passion Pictures who partnered on Super/Man: The Christopher Reeves Story, the acclaimed documentary directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui which premiered at Sundance and sold in a worldwide deal to Warner Bros Discovery.
The Freefall deal was brokered by Eric Sloss, on behalf of Cinetic, with Ameet Shukla of 1Community and Sebastian Burkhardt for Red Bull Studios.
