65th Semaine de la Critique Lineup - In Progress

A few minutes ago Ava Cahen, Artistic Director, announced the feature film selection for the 2026 edition of the Critics' Week. Take note that the short film selection will be announced on April 15 and is when this post in progress will become final.

Most important is to remember that La Semaine de la Critique - the parallel selection of the Cannes film festival dedicated to first and second films - will be held in Cannes from May 13th to 21st 2026.

For the past 65 years, La Semaine de la Critique has been supporting the first steps of short- and feature-film directors from across the world with unwavering passion; paying close attention as artists venture off the beaten path to reinvent storytelling and experiment with new cinematic language.

Each new generation contributes to the history of cinema. It is captivating to see it unfold – an endless source of joy for La Semaine de la Critique to be carried away by these filmmakers’ imagination.

The Poster

On La Semaine de la Critique’s poster, Manon Clavel, the protagonist of Alexe Poukine’s Kika, unwinds. Her soothing hand on her partner’s back – played by Makita Samba – captures their connection through a single, shared movement. This very same trust drives La Semaine de la Critique as we champion brand-new talented filmmakers, and authors when they entrust us with their first works.

But also image shows they drive together towards their future. A word dear to La Semaine de la Critique, whose mission is to reveal emerging filmmakers and actors, and support them as they make their promising first steps.

The Selection
From the 1,050 feature films and 2,400 short films received and watched, 11 feature films and 13 short films were selected. Out of the 11 feature films 7 are in competition and 4 are special screenings.

Feature Films

Competition

المحطة Al Mahattah (The Station), Sara Ishaq, Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway and Qatar 1st film
Dua, Blerta Basholli, Kosovo, Switzerland, France 2nd film
La Gradiva, Marine Atlan, Italy and France 1st film
Seis Meses en el Edificio Rosa con Azul, Bruno Santamaría Razo, Denmark, Brazil and Mexico 1st film
The Castle, Alexander Murphy, Ireland and France 2nd film
Viva (Alive), Aina Clotet, Spain 1st film
无名女孩 Wu ming nü hai (A Girl Unknnown), Zou Jing, China and France 1st film

Special Screenings
Du Fioul dans les artères (Flesh and Fuel), Pierre Le Gall, Poland and France 1st film
La Frappe (Stonewall), Julien Gaspar-Oliveri, France 1st film

Opening Film: In Waves, Phuong Mai Nguyen, France and Belgium (animation) 1st film
Closing Film: Adieu monde cruel, Felix de Givry, France and Belgium 1st film

All 1st feature films compete for the Camera d'Or.

Short Films

Competition

Special Screening

Selection announcement video



Next Step in Cannes

Since 2014, La Semaine de la Critique has been supporting talented short-film directors in making their first feature film through its Next Step program, designed for filmmakers who have previously presented a short film at La Semaine de la Critique.  After presenting their short film in Cannes, they are invited to come to Paris in December to take part in a workshop. Over the course of a week, international consultants will advise them on their script, their film score, and on how to launch their film on the market. It is also an opportunity to explore potential collaborations with French co-producers, sales agents, and distributors during professional meetings in Paris. Since 2022, the collaboration with the Morelia Film Festival has been strengthened by welcoming a Mexican filmmaker to the Next Step program. During the 2025 edition, a new partnership was inaugurated with Projeto Paradiso, featuring the invitation to a Brazilian project.

In 12 years, 106 directors from 41 countries have benefited from the Next Step support program. So far, 45 features have been made, the latest ones being Chicas Tristes by Fernanda Tovar, presented at the Berlinale 2026, Aisha Can’t Fly Away by Morad Mostafa (Un Certain Regard 2025), The Visitor by Vytautas KATKUS (Best Director Award at Karlovy Vary 2025), Don’t Let Me Die by Andrei Epure (Locarno 2025), Gorgoná by Evi Kalogiropoulou (Settimana Internazionale della Critica 2025), Forastera by Lucía Aleñar Iglesias (Fipresci Prize at Toronto IFF 2025) and Aro Berria by Irati Gorostidi Agirretxe (San Sebastian 2025).

This year, SOONER joins forces with Next Step to present the Next Step SOONER Prize - which includes a 2,500€ prize and an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival for the director with the most promising feature film project.

This year’s jury members are Carole Scotta, founder of Haut et Court; Rebecca De Pas, film programmer and curator, notably at the Fondazione Prada Film Fund and the International Film Festival Rotterdam ; Fiorella Moretti, founder and CEO at Luxbox ; Alexandre Hautecoeur, head of marketing at SOONER. The winner will be announced in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

Next Step II
A second workshop dedicated to screenwriting and music composition.

The 2026 edition of Next Step II will be held in October in Corsica, with the support of SACEM. This second - purposefully hybrid - workshop is an opportunity for 7 international filmmakers and 3 composers to meet around the critical stage of rewriting the script.

The residents spend a week in the company of consultants and experts and are encouraged to envision the sound design and music as an integral part of the script.

Next Step Studio

Launched in 2026, in partnership with DW, the Next Step Studio program will take place each year in a different country and will highlight local cinematography, bringing together eight emerging directors – four local and four international – to co-write and co-direct four 15-minute short films, which will then be screened during La Semaine de la Critique. In 2026, Indonesia will be in the spotlight, in partnership with KawanKawan Media.