64th Semaine de la Critique Selection

A few minutes ago organizers announced via video the feature film selection for the current edition of #Cannes2025 Critics' Week, the short film selection will be announced on April 17.

The Poster

The poster of the 64th Semaine de la Critique shows one of the heroines of Queens of Drama raising their hand to the heavens, challenging us and beckoning us to ecstasy. A vibrant tribute to all kinds of performance, Alexis Langlois’ film is a love letter to film, music, and celebration.

It reminds us that this young generation of filmmakers breathes new life into the artform, absorbing the codes and casting their very own glow; asserting the freedom to take possession and enhance all images to reinvent them.

The Jury

La Semaine de la Critique, the parallel selection of the Festival de Cannes dedicated to first and second films, is proud to announce that the President of the 64th edition is Rodrigo Sorogoyen and will be supported by Jihana Bougrine, Jesee Deshales, Yulia Evina Bhara and Daniel Kaluuya.

President: Rodrigo Sorogoyen, director, screenwriter, and producer, Spain
Jihane Bougrine, film critict and journalist, Morocco
Josée Deshaies, cinematographer, Canada
Yulia Evina Bhara, producer, Indonesia
Daniel Kaluuya, actor, UK

The Jury will give four prizes Discovery Prize for Short Film, Rising Star Award, Prize of the Jury and the Grand Prix.



The Selection

For the current edition 1,000 feature films and 2,340 short films were watched by the selection committee and 11 feature films and 13 short films were selected. Out of the 11 feature films, 7 are in competition and 4 in special screenings.

Competition

Ciudad Sin Sueño (Sleepless City), Guillermo Galoe, Spain and France 1st film
Imago, Déni Oumar Pitsaev Oumar Pitsaev, France and Belgium 1st film
Kika, Alexe Poukine, France and Belgium, 1st film
Left-Handed Girl, Shih-Ching Tsou, Taiwan, France, USA, and UK 1st film
Nino, Pauline Loquès, France 1st film
ผีใช้ได้ค่ะ Pee Chai Dai Ka (A Useful Ghost), Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Thailand, France, Singapore and Germany 1st film
Rietland (Reedland), Sven Bresser, Netherlands and Belgium 1st film

Special Screenings

Baise en ville, Martin Jauvat, France 2nd film
Des preuves d'amour (Love Letters), Alice Douard, France 1st film

Opening Film: L’intérêt d’Adam (Adam's Interest), Laura Wandel, Belgium and France 2nd film
Closing Film: Planètes (Dandelion's Odyssey), Momoko Seto, France and Belgium 1st film animation

To check films at official site go here.

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.

In 11 years, 96 directors from 39 countries have benefited from the Next Step support program. We are delighted to see that, so far, 38 features have been made, the latest ones being Universal Language by Matthew Rankin, Public Choice Award at the Directors’ Fortnight 2024, Some Rain Must Fall by Qiu Yang, Arcadia by Yorgos Zois screened at the 2024 Berlinale Encounters, and My Wonderful Stranger by Johanna Pyykkö at the 2024 Göteborg Film Festival.

Building on the support provided by the workshop, the Next Step Award was created, presented with a 2,500€ endowment and an invitation to the Cannes Film Festival to the director with the most promising feature film project, selected by a jury of 3 film professionals. In 2024, Chinese director ZOU Jing won this award for A Girl Unknown. Previously, it was presented to How To Have Sex by Molly Manning Walker - Un Certain Regard Prize 2023, and The Woodctutter Story by Mikko Myllalathi, selected at La Semaine de la Critique in 2022.

This year’s jury members are Priscilla Bertin, producer at Silex Film; Stefano Centini, producer at Volos Films; and Gabor Greiner, Head of Acquisitions at Films Boutique. The winner will be announced in May at the Cannes Film Festival.

Next Step II
A second workshop dedicated to scriptwriting and music composition

The 2025 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 5 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.