CineLink Announces a New Partnership with NEXT STEP STUDIO by Cannes’ Semaine de la Critique

At the center of the partnership is NEXT STEP STUDIO, CRITICS WEEK international program for emerging filmmakers. Each edition takes place in a different country and brings together eight directors, four from the host country and four international participants, who work in pairs to co-write and co-direct four 15-minute short films.

Produced and financed in the host country, the films receive their world premieres at CRITICS WEEK in Cannes. The participating directors also present their first or second feature projects to international buyers, broadcasters, distributors and co-producers. The inaugural edition of NEXT STEP STUDIO took place in Indonesia, with its four short films premiering in Cannes in May 2026.

Through the new NEXT STEP STUDIO Participation Award, one emerging director from the CineLink selection will become one of the four international filmmakers participating in the following edition of the program. The award will be presented at the official CineLink Awards Ceremony on 20 August 2026.

The exchange will work in both directions. CineLink will welcome one NEXT STEP STUDIO filmmaker to present their first or second feature project at the Co-Production Market, while the Sarajevo Film Festival will screen short films created through the program.

“Making a first feature can take years, and during that time filmmakers need opportunities to keep creating, test their ideas and build relationships with their peers. This is what makes the partnership so valuable to us. NEXT STEP STUDIO gives one CineLink director a genuine opportunity to make a new film with an international collaborator and present it in Cannes. It strengthens the ecosystem around first-time filmmakers and supports CineLink’s wider commitment to bringing new voices into the international film industry,” said Maša Marković, Head of Industry at the Sarajevo Film Festival.

"For more than a decade, and especially since SEE Factory in Sarajevo in 2019, the Sarajevo Film Festival and its outstanding industry programs have felt like a second home to me. Returning every year has become both a pleasure and a source of inspiration, and CineLink is always where I discover some of the most exciting new voices from the region. This new partnership feels like a natural continuation of a long relationship. I am especially happy to begin this collaboration with CineLink through the 2027 Next Step Studio, which will take place in Armenia, and to continue building bridges between emerging filmmakers and the international industry together. My heartfelt thanks to the Sarajevo Film Festival and the CineLink team for their renewed trust and confidence. I look forward to this new chapter." said Dominique Welinski, Producer and Curator of Next Step Studio.

"The launch of Next Step Studio in 2026 with Dominique Welinski was a significant milestone for Cannes’ Critics’ Week. Since 2013 and the creation of its Next Step workshop, the parallel section of the Cannes Film Festival dedicated to first and second feature films has continued its efforts to support young talents in international cinema. Initially reserved for filmmakers selected at Critics’ Week with their short films to help them on their path to feature films, the Next Step workshops are diversifying and gradually opening up to guest programs and partners. We are therefore delighted to welcome this new partnership with Cinelink, which will allow us to expand our exchanges with a particularly creative and inspiring region of the world." said Thomas Rosso, Critics Week’s program manager, Next Step workshops’ Director.

The partnership strengthens the connection between creative practice, project development and international access, extending the support available to filmmakers as they move towards their first feature films. 

The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival will take place from 14 to 21 August 2026.