Cannes Critics’ Week: Next Step Studio Showcases Four Shorts Co-Created by Emerging Indonesian Directors

The Cannes Critics’ Week, a prominent segment of the Cannes Film Festival, has announced the unveiling of four short films produced under its Next Step Studio initiative. This program highlights the creative talents of four young directors from Indonesia, providing them with a platform to co-write and co-direct their works.

Next Step Studio Initiative

The inaugural edition of Next Step Studio aims to empower emerging filmmakers by facilitating their transition from short films to feature-length projects. The initiative is designed to support young talent in global cinema, continuing the legacy of La Factory at the Directors’ Fortnight since 2013. Organizers of the Critics’ Week stated that the program seeks to foster new voices in cinema worldwide. Each year, it takes place in a different country, showcasing local cinema while bringing together eight emerging directors—four from the host country and four international filmmakers—to collaborate on four 15-minute short films.

Over the first ten editions, the initiative has spotlighted film talent from various countries, including Taiwan, Chile, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Lebanon, Tunisia, five Balkan nations, northern Portugal, the Philippines, and the state of Ceará in northeastern Brazil. More than 80 filmmakers have participated, resulting in nearly 50 first feature films.

Production and Collaboration

This year’s edition is produced by Yulia Evina Bhara, Amerta Kusuma, and Dominique Welinski, who is both the creator and curator of the program. Co-production partners include Indra Sashi Kalanacitra, VMS Studio, Visinema Pictures, Navvaros Entertainment, Poplicist Publicist, Salaya Yachts, Arungi Films, Prodigihouse, Titrafilm, A La Plage Studio, Jakarta Film Week, the Jakarta Provincial Government, and the Ministry of Culture of Indonesia. The initiative is also supported by the French Embassy in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, ASEAN, and the French Institute Indonesia.

The four short films will be screened during the Critics’ Week in Cannes, scheduled to run from May 13 to May 21.

Featured Short Films

Holy Crowd

Directors: Reza Fahriyansyah (Indonesia) and Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia)
Country: Indonesia, France
Year: 2025
Duration: 16 minutes
Language: Indonesian

Synopsis: After Ratna rises from the dead during her funeral, her silent body begins performing unexplained healings, making her husband Arif the reluctant center of a growing frenzy. As villagers, opportunists, and religious authorities converge, faith and exploitation collide, leading to a miracle that spirals out of control.
Cast: Prilly Latuconsina, Yusuf Mahardika, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, Arswendy Bening Swara
Director of Photography: Vera Lestafa, Indonesian Cinematographers Society
Editor: Carlo Francisco Manatad

‘Holy Crowd’

Original Wound

Directors: Shelby Kho (Indonesia) and Sein Lyan Tun (Myanmar)
Country: Indonesia, France
Year: 2026
Duration: 14 minutes
Language: Indonesian

Synopsis: Following their mother’s death, a brother and sister remain in a house shaped by her control, grappling with conflicting memories of abuse and care. As ritual, body, and memory intertwine, their grief reveals a deeper entrapment that persists beyond her absence.
Cast: Agnes Naomi, Omara Esteghlal, Vivian Idris
Director of Photography: Vera Lestafa, Indonesian Cinematographers Society
Editor: Carlo Francisco Manatad

‘Original Wound’

Annisa

Directors: Reza Rahadian (Indonesia) and Sam Manacsa (Philippines)
Country: Indonesia, France
Year: 2025
Duration: 14 minutes
Language: Indonesian

Synopsis: In a crowded housing complex, Anissa, a blind teenage girl, navigates a world primarily shaped by sound. As a neighborhood national day celebration unfolds around her, she discovers an unexpected way to be heard, reclaiming her place within the surrounding noise.
Cast: Choirunnisa Fernanda, Nazira C. Noer, Shakeel Fauzi
Director of Photography: Faozan Rizal, Indonesian Cinematographers Society
Editor: Carlo Francisco Manatad

‘Annisa’

Mothers Are Mothering

Directors: Khozy Rizal (Indonesia) and Lam Li Shuen (Singapore)
Country: Indonesia, France
Year: 2025
Duration: 17 minutes
Language: Indonesian

Synopsis: Nia, 50, finds herself in an abusive marriage, navigating a fragmented inner world where desire, memory, and ritual intertwine. A reunion with a former lover rekindles intimacy but also exposes the ongoing violence and entrapment in her life. As reality blurs into hallucination, she seeks a final, elusive escape.
Cast: Happy Salma, Asmara Abigail, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin
Director of Photography: Deska Binarso, Indonesian Cinematographers Society
Editor: Carlo Francisco Manatad

‘Mothers Are Mothering’

As reported by www.hollywoodreporter.com.

Explore the latest digital editions of FAME Delivered in the Magazine section: https://famedelivered.com/magazine/

Published on 2026-05-02 10:00:00 • By FAME Delivered News Desk