What films are included in the Cannes Critics’ Week Next Step Studio lineup?

The four shorts named in reports are Holy Crowd, Original Wound, Annisa and Mothers Are Mothering.

Why is this announcement significant?

It places young Indonesian directors inside a major international festival ecosystem, giving their work visibility and industry credibility.

Do we know the plots or full creative details of the films?

No detailed plot information appears in the source summary, so only the titles and collaborative framework are confirmed.

Cannes Critics’ Week Backs Four New Shorts From Indonesia

Cannes Critics’ Week just put a sharper spotlight on Indonesia’s rising filmmakers. Four new shorts now carry that promise onto one of cinema’s most watched stages.

Cannes Critics’ Week has thrown fresh weight behind Indonesia’s next wave of filmmakers, setting four short films co-created by young directors from the country.

The lineup includes Holy Crowd, Original Wound, Annisa and Mothers Are Mothering, according to reports on the Next Step Studio initiative. The projects were co-written and co-directed by four international creatives, a structure that points to collaboration at the center of the program rather than simple discovery. That matters at Cannes, where even a short-film selection can shape careers and redirect industry attention.

Cannes isn’t just showcasing finished work here — it’s signaling that cross-border collaboration and young Indonesian talent belong in the same frame.

Key Facts

Next Step Studio has set four short films tied to Cannes Critics’ Week.
The titles are Holy Crowd, Original Wound, Annisa and Mothers Are Mothering.
The shorts were co-written and co-directed by four international creatives.
The project places young Indonesian directors in a high-visibility global film context.

The announcement lands at a moment when international festivals keep widening their search for new voices, but still prize curation over sheer volume. By attaching these shorts to Critics’ Week, the program gives emerging Indonesian directors more than exposure; it gives them context, legitimacy and a place inside a global conversation about where cinema moves next. Sources suggest that kind of positioning can prove as valuable as financing, especially for filmmakers trying to break beyond national boundaries.

The mix of titles alone hints at a broad emotional and thematic range, from the intimate to the social, though the available information stops short of detailing plot or style. That leaves the core story clear: Cannes has chosen to invest attention in artists still early in their trajectory, and it has done so through a collaborative model that links local perspective with international partnership. In an industry hungry for new points of view, that combination stands out.

What comes next will determine whether this moment becomes a milestone or a footnote. Festival watchers will now look for screenings, critical response and any wider rollout that could push these shorts beyond Cannes and into larger distribution channels. If the films connect, they won’t just elevate four projects — they could help widen the path for more Indonesian filmmakers to enter the global festival circuit with stronger backing and louder momentum.

Cannes Critics’ Week Backs Four New Shorts From Indonesia

Key Facts

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