AceShowbiz - The Cannes Critics' Week, an important sidebar event running alongside the main Cannes Film Festival, has revealed four short films produced through its Next Step Studio initiative, created by a group of young Indonesian directors. This marks the first edition of the Next Step Studio, which empowers emerging filmmakers by enabling them to co-write and co-direct short films that will be showcased during the 65th Critics' Week, scheduled for May 13-21.

This innovative workshop program is designed to nurture new global cinema talent and facilitate their transition from shorts to feature-length films. According to the Critics' Week organizers, the Next Step initiative continues a concept launched by La Factory at the Directors' Fortnight in 2013. Its goal is to foster the rise of fresh cinematic voices worldwide by holding the program in a different country each year. It brings together eight emerging directors—four local and four international—to collaboratively co-write and co-direct four 15-minute shorts.

Previous editions have spotlighted filmmakers from diverse regions including Taiwan, Chile, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Lebanon, Tunisia, the Balkans, northern Portugal, the Philippines, and Brazil’s Ceará state. To date, more than 80 filmmakers have participated in the program, which has helped produce nearly 50 first feature films, demonstrating its significant impact on emerging talent.

This year’s edition, produced by Yulia Evina Bhara, Amerta Kusuma, and Dominique Welinski—the program’s creator and curator—is co-produced with notable collaborators such as Indra Sashi Kalanacitra, VMS Studio, Visinema Pictures, and several other Indonesian and international partners. The initiative also receives support from the Jakarta Film Week, the Jakarta Provincial Government, the Ministry of Culture of Indonesia, and is presented in partnership with the French Embassy in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, ASEAN, and the French Institute Indonesia.

Below is an overview of the four Indonesian short films set to screen during the Critics' Week:

Holy Crowd
Directed by Reza Fahriyansyah (Indonesia) and Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia), this 16-minute film is a co-production between Indonesia and France, slated for release in 2025 and performed in Indonesian. The story centers on Ratna, who mysteriously rises from the dead during her own funeral. Her silent body begins to perform unexplained healings, thrusting her husband Arif into the reluctant spotlight amid a growing frenzy. As villagers, opportunists, and religious figures converge, the film explores the collision of faith and exploitation spiraling beyond control. The cast includes Prilly Latuconsina, Yusuf Mahardika, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, and Arswendy Bening Swara. Cinematography is by Vera Lestafa of the Indonesian Cinematographers Society, with editing by Carlo Francisco Manatad.

Original Wound
Directed by Shelby Kho (Indonesia) and Sein Lyan Tun (Myanmar), this 14-minute Indonesian and French co-production, due in 2026, delves into the complex emotional aftermath following a mother's death. A brother and sister remain in their mother's house, which is steeped in control and conflicting memories of abuse and care. The film intertwines ritual, body, and memory to reveal a grief that uncovers a deeper, persistent entrapment beyond her absence. The cast features Agnes Naomi, Omara Esteghlal, and Vivian Idris. Vera Lestafa also served as director of photography, with editing by Carlo Francisco Manatad.

Annisa
Directed by Indonesian actor and filmmaker Reza Rahadian alongside Filipino director Sam Manacsa, this 14-minute film is a 2025 Indonesia-France production performed in Indonesian. It follows Annisa, a blind teenage girl living in a densely populated housing complex, who navigates her environment primarily through sound. During a neighborhood National Day celebration, Annisa discovers an unexpected way to make her voice heard, reclaiming her presence amid the surrounding noise. The cast includes Choirunnisa Fernanda, Nazira C. Noer, and Shakeel Fauzi. Cinematography is by Faozan Rizal (Indonesian Cinematographers Society), with editing by Carlo Francisco Manatad.

Mothers Are Mothering
Directed by Khozy Rizal (Indonesia) and Lam Li Shuen (Singapore), this 17-minute Indonesian and French co-production, set for 2025 release, tells the story of Nia, a 50-year-old woman trapped in an abusive marriage. She navigates a fractured inner world where desire, memory, and ritual overlap. A reunion with a former lover rekindles intimacy but also exposes ongoing violence and entrapment. As her reality blurs into hallucination, she reaches toward a final, elusive escape. The cast includes Happy Salma, Asmara Abigail, and Yudi Ahmad Tajudin. Deska Binarso of the Indonesian Cinematographers Society served as director of photography, and Carlo Francisco Manatad handled editing.

The Next Step Studio initiative at Cannes Critics' Week continues to provide a vital platform for young filmmakers, particularly from Indonesia this year, to gain international exposure and experience working on collaborative film projects. These four shorts reflect a rich diversity of storytelling and cinematic craft, highlighting emerging voices in global cinema.