The four Armenian directors have been selected!

Following an open call for applications in Armenia, Next Step Studio Armenia received 25 submissions.

A shortlist of 12 projects was established by the Armenian and French producers. The shortlisted filmmakers were interviewed on July 16 at the House of Cinema in Yerevan by a selection committee composed of:

• Juliette Canon, Short Film Coordinator and Next Step Coordinator at La Semaine de la Critique
• Dominique Welinski, producer and curator of Next Step Studio
• Artyom Baghdasaryan, Armenian producer of Next Step Studio Armenia

The selection committee unanimously chose the four Armenian directors who will participate in Next Step Studio Armenia 2027:

• Armik Israyelyan (28)
• Sona Khachatryan (25)
• Raffi Movsisyan (38)
• Naira Sargsyan (40)

Each of the four Armenian directors will be paired with an international filmmaker. The pairings will be announced during the CineLink Closing Ceremony in Sarajevo on August 19.

Supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, the films will be shot in Yerevan in March 2027, filmed in the Armenian language, and produced with a fully Armenian cast and crew. The completed films will premiere at La Semaine de la Critique in Cannes 2027.