9 filmmakers transiting from short to feature films
With its Next Step programme, La Semaine de la Critique guides the directors selected for its short film competition towards making their first feature. After presenting their short films in Cannes, filmmakers are invited to a five-day workshop where international consultants help them develop their first feature by advising them both on scriptwriting and distribution. During this workshop, participants will also have the opportunity to think about the musical world of their films with music consultants. Over the last six years Next Step has helped 46 directors from 23 countries make their first features.
In 2019, two films supported by Next Step were screened in Cannes: Erwan Leduc’s The Bare Necessity at the 51st edition of the Directors’ Fortnight and Sofía Quirós Ubeda’s Ceniza Negra (Land of Ashes) that competed in the 58th edition of La Semaine de la Critique. Two other films premiered at the Venice film Festival: the animation director Gitanjali Rao’s Bombay Rose and Antoine de Bary’s My Days of Glory. And as for Patrick Vollrath, he had the honours of Locarno’s Piazza Grande at this year’s festival for his film 7500. These experiences fortify our belief in the specific concept of the Next Step programme, a bet that each and every short film selected at La Semaine de la Critique reveals a filmmaker that has the ambition to express him or herself in a long format.
The 6th session of Next Step has welcomed the 9 following directors: Pia Borg (Australia), Michael Borodin (Russia), Camille Degeye (France), Andrias Høgenni (Feroan Islands), Valentina Maurel (France / Costa Rica), Johanna Pyykkö (Finland / Sweden), Nada Riyadh (Egypt), Adi Voicu (Romania) et Yorgos Zois (Greece). You can watch their shorts films on FestivalScope and discover their feature film projects by downloading the Next Step booklet here.
Next Step Prize & Residencies
The 9 participating directors of the 6th session will be eligible to the Next Step Prize, which entails a 5000€ endowment and will be announced during the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. Besides, Next Step further guides directors by giving them the opportunity to participate in two residencies to continue writing the scripts of their feature film:
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Nada Riyadh will take part in a month-long writing residency at the Moulin d'Andé-Céci and will benefit from 3 script-mentoring sessions. |
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Camille Degeye will participate in a 3-week long writing residency at the Pop Up Film Residency in Bratislava, Slovakia, supervised by Matthieu Darras and the director Thanos Anastopoulos. |
Films supported by Next Step
To come in 2020
The Last Backyard | Fellipe Fernandes
Production : Ponte Produções & Le Bureau Film
Memory House | João Paulo Miranda Maria
Production : Full House & Bossa Nova Films
Produced in 2019
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7500 2019 - Allemagne | Autriche Patrick Vollrath PRODUCTION Piazza Grande |
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BOMBAY ROSE 2019 - Inde | France Gitanjali Rao PRODUCTION Venice Mostra | Settimana |
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CENIZA NEGRA LAND OF ASHES 2019 - Costa Rica | Argentine | Chili | France Sofía Quirós Ubeda PRODUCTION In competition |
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MES JOURS DE GLOIRE 2019 - France Antoine de Bary PRODUCTION Venice Mostra |
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PERDRIX THE BARE NECESSITY 2019 — France Erwan Le Duc PRODUCTION |
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STRAY DOLLS 2019 — États-Unis Sonejuhi Sinha PRODUCTION Tribeca Film Festival |