By Laily UPN 
The prestigious Cannes Film Festival’s Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique) has officially unveiled the four Armenian filmmakers selected for its highly anticipated "Next Step Studio" program for 2027. This initiative, designed to foster international collaboration and provide a global platform for emerging talent, marks a significant milestone for Armenian cinema, spotlighting the nation’s rich cultural narrative and growing creative infrastructure on the world’s most prominent cinematic stage.
The four selected directors—Armik Israyelyan, Raffi Movsisyan, Sona Khachatryan, and Naira Sargsyan—represent a diverse cross-section of the Armenian film landscape, bringing together backgrounds in academia, journalism, and creative production.
The Vision: Bridging Cultures through Collaborative Storytelling
At the heart of the Next Step Studio program is a unique collaborative model. Each of the four Armenian directors will be paired with an established international filmmaker. This mentorship-driven approach is intended to facilitate a cross-pollination of cinematic techniques and global perspectives.
The scope of the project is ambitious: these creative duos will develop and shoot four individual films, all to be produced in Armenia. The production process is scheduled to take place in Yerevan in March 2027. To ensure the authenticity of the voice and the preservation of the local cultural context, all films will be shot in the Armenian language, utilizing a fully Armenian cast and crew.
This initiative is not merely a creative exercise; it is a strategic investment in the Armenian film industry. The project is being supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, signaling strong governmental backing for the development of the nation’s creative economy. Upon completion, the four films are set to hold their world premiere at the 2027 Cannes Critics’ Week, providing the filmmakers with an unparalleled launchpad into the international film market.
Chronology of Selection: From Yerevan to the Global Stage
The road to the 2027 selection process was rigorous, reflecting the high standards of the Critics’ Week organization. Following an open call for applications within Armenia, the Next Step Studio program received 25 high-quality submissions.
The selection process narrowed this pool to a shortlist of 12 projects. These filmmakers were then invited to the historic House of Cinema in Yerevan on July 16 for in-person interviews. The selection committee—comprised of Juliette Canon, the Short Film Coordinator and Next Step Coordinator at Critics’ Week; French producer Dominique Welinski; and Armenian producer Artyom Baghdasaryan—conducted a thorough evaluation of the directors’ creative visions, technical proficiency, and potential for growth.
The selection of these four individuals marks the beginning of a multi-year development cycle. The official pairings of the Armenian directors with their international mentors will be formally announced during the CineLink closing ceremony at the Sarajevo Film Festival on August 19. This event serves as a pivotal bridge, connecting the Armenian cohort with the wider European and global film industry before the production phase begins in early 2027.
Profiles of the Selected Filmmakers
The diversity of the 2027 cohort underscores the depth of talent emerging from the Armenian film scene.
Armik Israyelyan: The Technical Visionary
An alumna of the prestigious KinoEyes European Film Masters program, Israyelyan brings a refined technical background to the cohort. Having studied at the American University of Armenia and honed her craft as a videographer and media creator at UCRAFT, she possesses a keen eye for visual storytelling. Her short film, "The List," recently secured the best short film award at the Unica Annual Film Festival, and her prior involvement in Erasmus+ projects has already provided her with experience in international collaborative environments.
Raffi Movsisyan: The Industry Veteran
Movsisyan enters the program with a deep understanding of the Armenian film ecosystem. A graduate of the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinema, he has balanced a career as a filmmaker with significant administrative and curatorial experience. He served as a coordinator of Armenian film programs for the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival and acted as an advisor to the Armenian Minister of Culture between 2018 and 2019. His debut short, "Homecoming," which premiered at the Krakow International Film Festival, and his extensive work as a producer of animated films, demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the filmic process from concept to distribution.
Sona Khachatryan: The Intellectual Narrative Specialist
Khachatryan brings a unique, multidisciplinary perspective to the cohort. With a master’s degree in Turkish Studies from Sabanci University and an academic background in International Relations from Yerevan State University, her work is deeply rooted in socio-political observation. Her decade-long experience in Armenian-Turkish civil society projects, coupled with her role on the executive board of the European Writing Centers Association, suggests a narrative style that is both analytical and human-centric.
Naira Sargsyan: The Master of Cinematic Structure
Sargsyan is a veteran of the Armenian film educational system, graduating from the Feature Film Directing department of the Yerevan State Institute of Theater and Cinematography in 2017. Her academic rigors included a Ph.D. focused on the complexities of sound in film structure. Her professional portfolio is extensive, ranging from her role as a casting assistant for the acclaimed film "Mayak" to her own directorial work, including "General Cleaning" (2020) and "The Eternal Red" (2025).
Supporting Data and Historical Context
The Next Step Studio program is a cornerstone of Critics’ Week’s mission to support the next generation of global filmmakers. Each year, the program focuses on a different region or country, ensuring a rotating spotlight that promotes cultural diversity in cinema.
While this year’s program currently focuses on the burgeoning creative landscape of Indonesia, the shift toward Armenia for 2027 represents a deliberate interest in the Caucasus region. The collaboration with the Armenian Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports underscores the country’s commitment to modernizing its film infrastructure. By investing in the development of shorts that are produced entirely by local crews, the Armenian government is effectively creating a "proof of concept" for the feasibility of large-scale international co-productions within its borders.
Implications for Armenian Cinema
The inclusion of these four filmmakers in the Next Step Studio program is a transformative development for the Armenian film industry.
1. International Integration
By pairing local talent with international mentors, the project breaks down the geographic and cultural silos that often impede emerging filmmakers from landlocked or smaller nations. This mentorship ensures that Armenian films are developed with an eye toward global audiences without sacrificing their cultural specificity.
2. Infrastructure Development
The commitment to shoot in Yerevan in 2027 with an entirely Armenian crew is an economic stimulus. It necessitates the strengthening of local production facilities, technical services, and professional networks. This will have a long-term ripple effect, increasing the capacity of the Armenian film industry to handle more complex, international-standard productions.
3. Cultural Diplomacy
Cinema serves as one of the most effective tools for cultural diplomacy. By premiering these films at Cannes, Armenia is providing a window into its contemporary history, social issues, and aesthetic identity. For a nation with such a deep-rooted history, this exposure is invaluable for asserting its place in the modern European cultural landscape.
4. A Template for Future Success
The methodology utilized by the Next Step Studio—a structured, mentored approach that bridges local knowledge with international production standards—could serve as a blueprint for future cultural initiatives in Armenia. If the 2027 cohort succeeds in producing high-quality, festival-ready films, it is likely to attract further investment from international production houses and film funds.
Looking Toward 2027
The anticipation surrounding the 2027 edition of the Next Step Studio is palpable. As the Armenian filmmakers prepare to embark on this collaborative journey, the industry eyes are firmly fixed on Yerevan. The fusion of Armenian narratives with the international expertise provided by the Critics’ Week platform promises to produce a collection of films that are as intellectually rigorous as they are visually arresting.
In an era where the democratization of film production is creating a surplus of content, the Next Step Studio program stands out by prioritizing quality, mentorship, and deep cultural exchange. For Armik Israyelyan, Raffi Movsisyan, Sona Khachatryan, and Naira Sargsyan, the coming years will be defined by the pressure and the privilege of representing their nation on the world’s most prestigious stage. As they finalize their scripts and prepare to collaborate with their international counterparts, they carry with them the hopes of a generation of Armenian filmmakers ready to tell their stories to the world.
Asep Darmawan 
Lina Irawan 
Basiran 