Cannes Critics Weekly announced Next Step Studio Indonesia, marking a significant expansion of its talent development program for 2026.
The venture, created in partnership with production companies KawanKawan Media and DW, revives the spirit of La Factory, a filmmaker incubator run by Directors’ Fortnight that began in 2013.
Under the new banner, four directors will collaborate to produce a quartet of short films, each 15 minutes long. The line-up is evenly split between Indonesian talent and international helmers, with each duo splitting writing and directing duties. Funding will come entirely from Indonesian sources, and the completed work will debut at Critics Week with a dedicated “Next Step Presents” showcase. The screening will also serve as a marketplace opportunity, where participating directors will present their debut or second feature concept to acquisition executives, sales agents, and potential co-production partners.
The model is based on 10 years of global work covering multiple continents. Previous iterations have visited places such as Taiwan, Chile, Finland, Denmark, South Africa, Lebanon, Tunisia, the Balkans, northern Portugal, the Philippines, and Brazil’s Ceará region. Track record shows that more than 80 directors have passed through the program, and nearly 50 have completed their first feature film.
“Our goal is to use collaboration as a framework to not only publish Indonesian stories, but also showcase Southeast Asian talent and voices that can grow on the international stage in the future,” said Yulia Evina Barra of Kawankawan Media, who is co-producing the first edition. “We are thrilled that our company, KawanKawanMedia, represents Indonesia and conveys this spirit, and we are deeply encouraged that La Semaine de la Critique shares that enthusiasm. We are honored to collaborate with DW and La Semaine on this first edition.”
Funding for this Jakarta-based production is provided by the local government and Indonesian cultural institutions, with support from the Embassy of France in Indonesia and Institut Français Indonesia. Barra shares producing responsibilities with DW’s Dominik Welinski, who developed the original Factory concept and continues to serve as the program’s creative architect.
“Next Step Studio marks a new start for the Factory program. Critics’ Week is home to Cannes’ first and second films. This is a natural move. We would like to thank Eva Caen, Thomas Rosso, Remi Bigot and the entire team for welcoming us with their shared enthusiasm,” said Welinski. “This first edition in Indonesia is already underway, thanks to Yulia Evina Barra and her partners and team who have worked hard to make the program a reality.”
This effort extends beyond pure production, establishing itself as a networking infrastructure for emerging filmmakers. By combining Cannes Premiere with structured industry access, organizers hope to increase visibility for attendees while linking Indonesian production capacity with international distribution channels. After Cannes, short films typically travel to major festivals such as Sundance, Toronto, and Clermont-Ferrand, and TV broadcasters and streaming services often acquire the rights.
Next Step Studio is an evolution of Critics Weekly’s existing workshop program focused on guiding directors through the transition from short to feature films. While the previous version focused on filmmakers already selected for the festival’s short film competition, the new model welcomes external projects and emphasizes cross-cultural exchange. Several international participants have previous Next Step experience, creating mentoring opportunities within the cohort.
“We are excited to continue developing our workshops in Next Step Studio after Next Step in 2014 and Next Step II in 2023,” said Next Step Director Thomas Rosso. “Different methods but the same goal, at the heart of Critics Weekly’s mission is to discover and support new talent in the global film industry, especially on their journey from short to feature film. Dominic Welinski joins the Next Step family. We are very happy to welcome and collaborate with the talented Yulia Evina Barra on this first visit to Indonesia. This is a way to gradually open our program to new horizons and new proposals, always in the spirit of exchange and exchange.” It’s an experiment. ”
