Continuing the concept initiated by La Factory at the Directors' Fortnight since 2013, the program supports the emergence of new voices in cinema around the world. Each year, it takes place in a different country and highlights local cinema, bringing together eight emerging directors—four local and four international—to co-write and co-direct four 15-minute short films.
The first 10 editions of the Factory explored Taiwan, Chile, Finland, and Denmark (Nordic Factory), South Africa, Lebanon, Tunisia, five Balkan countries (SEE Factory), northern Portugal, the Philippines, and Ceará in Brazil. More than 80 filmmakers have participated in the program and nearly 50 first feature films have been made.
Produced and financed locally, the films are then presented in world premiere at La Semaine de la Critique in Cannes as part of a “Next Step Presents” screening. Directors pitch their first or second feature film to international buyers, broadcasters, distributors, and co-producers. Beyond the films themselves, Next Step Studio Indonesia aims to be a genuine meeting platform through professional events that offer filmmakers unique visibility and local industries an opening onto the global market. From Cannes to Sundance, Toronto to Clermont-Ferrand, the short films then continue their journey at festivals and are often acquired by international television channels and platforms.
With Next Step Studio, La Semaine de la Critique continues to develop its Next Step workshops, which aim to support young talent in world cinema, from short to feature films. Originally reserved for filmmakers selected with their short films, they are gradually opening up to guest projects. This will be the case with Next Step Studio Indonesia, which will promote exchanges between local and international filmmakers, some of whom have participated in Next Step workshops.
The first edition of Next Step Studio will give a voice to four young Indonesian directors who will co-write and co-direct four short films to be presented at Critics' Week at Cannes 2026. This edition—co-produced by Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media) and Dominique Welinski (DW), creator and curator of the program—is entirely funded by local institutions and the Jakarta government, in partnership with the French Embassy and the Institut Français in Indonesia.
