Four Indonesian Short Films to Premiere at Cannes Critics’ Week
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Four Indonesian short films will world premiere at the Critics’ Week sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14. The anthology, titled 'Next Step Studio Indonesia 2026', is the first Indonesian edition of an international co-production initiative and was produced with backing from local and international government bodies.
Facts First
- Four Indonesian short films will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival's Critics’ Week sidebar on May 14.
- The anthology 'Next Step Studio Indonesia 2026' is the first Indonesian edition of the Next Step Studio initiative.
- Each film was co-directed by an Indonesian filmmaker paired with an international counterpart from Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, or Singapore.
- All films were shot on location in Jakarta and produced by Jakarta-based KawanKawan Media.
- The project has backing from the Jakarta Provincial Government, the Indonesian Ministry of Culture, and the French Embassy.
What Happened
Four Indonesian short films will world premiere at the Critics’ Week sidebar of the Cannes Film Festival on May 14. The anthology program is titled 'Next Step Studio Indonesia 2026'. This is the first Indonesian edition of Next Step Studio, an initiative created by Critics’ Week that pairs local directors with international counterparts to co-write and co-direct short films shot in the host country. The four films are: 'Holy Crowd', co-directed by Reza Fahriyansyah (Indonesia) and Ananth Subramaniam (Malaysia); 'Original Wound', co-directed by Shelby Kho (Indonesia) and Sein Lyan Tun (Myanmar); 'Annisa', co-directed by Reza Rahadian (Indonesia) and Sam Manacsa (Philippines); and 'Mothers Are Mothering', co-directed by Khozy Rizal (Indonesia) and Lam Li Shuen (Singapore). All four films were shot on location in Jakarta.
Why this Matters to You
This premiere showcases Indonesian creative talent on a prestigious international stage, which may help elevate the profile of the country's film industry globally. The collaborative nature of the project could foster future artistic exchanges and opportunities for local filmmakers. The backing from government bodies indicates institutional support for cultural exports, which might lead to more such initiatives.
What's Next
The films will premiere at Cannes on May 14. Following the festival, the anthology may be screened at other international events or distributed more widely. The Next Step Studio program rotates annually through different countries, so future editions could bring similar opportunities to other national cinemas.