Through its Next Step program, La Semaine de la Critique guides the short film directors who were selected for the competition towards their first feature film.

Next Step is a week-long workshop held in France during the month of December. Throughout the workshop, the filmmakers have the opportunity to discuss their projects with international experts and tutors, so that they can be advised on their scripts, understand the reality of the industry, and define the right development strategy.

For the 10th edition, La Semaine de la Critique launched Next Step Volume II, a purposefully hybrid workshop dedicated to the rework of script and score creation. The first session took place in September 2023 and gave international directors and composers the opportunity to meet around score composition, allowing them to think about it as an integral part of their script as well as a rich artistic counterpoint.