FestivalScope.com is offering cinephiles free access to discover emerging filmmakers from two of the world’s most respected film showcases through a pair of curated online programs featuring award-winning shorts and promising new voices from across Europe, North America, and Asia.
Currently available for a limited time, the selections come from this year’s edition of Cannes Critics’ Week (Semaine de la Critique) and New Directors/New Films 2026, the long-running showcase organized by Film at Lincoln Center and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Both programs have built reputations for identifying filmmakers long before they become household names on the international festival circuit.
Semaine de la Critique 2026
Dedicated to first and second works, Semaine de la Critique has served as a launching pad for emerging directors since 1962. Festival Scope’s curated selection presents four shorts that reflect the diversity and innovation championed by the Cannes sidebar.
Leading the lineup is I Think You Should Be Here (2026), a 12-minute short by Anna-Marija Adomaityt and Élie Grappe from Switzerland and France. The film follows seven young women reflecting on adolescence through TikTok dances and digital memories.
French filmmaker Laïs Decaster’s Love Story (2026, 42 min.) takes an intimate look at modern relationships. Blending documentary and fiction, the film unfolds through conversations among friends as they navigate romance, heartbreak and emotional support.
Also featured is The Sentinel (2026, 29 min.) by acclaimed French-Lebanese filmmaker and visual artist Ali Cherri. Set during Bastille Day, the short follows a soldier granted one night of freedom from military duty, and he embarks on a surreal journey that gradually blurs the line between reality and imagination.
Completing the selection is Vaterland or A Bule Named Yanto (2026, 26 min.) by Berthold Wahjudi, a Germany-Indonesia co-production that received the Canal+ Award for Short Film at the 65th Semaine de la Critique. The accolade places the film among the most celebrated titles of this year’s Critics’ Week program.
New Directors/New Films 2026
Festival Scope is also showcasing a selection from New Directors/New Films 2026, the influential annual program presented by Film at Lincoln Center and MoMA, known for introducing audiences to emerging filmmakers from around the globe.
Among the featured works is Buckskin (2026, 17 min.) by American filmmaker Mars Verrone, alongside fellow US entry The Following Day (2026, 12 min.) by Conor Fay.
France is represented by two shorts: El Mahdi Lyoubi’s Marseille, 14 Juillet (2025, 9 min.), which unfolds against the backdrop of France’s national holiday celebrations, and Clément Pinteaux’s Only Angels (2026, 22 min.), another showcase of emerging French filmmaking talent.
The selection also includes Unleaded 95 (2025, 25 min.) by Emma Hütt and Tina Muffler, a co-production between Austria and Germany.
For audiences interested in discovering the next generation of filmmakers before they break into the mainstream festival conversation, the two programs offer a valuable glimpse into contemporary international cinema.
Tickets and viewing slots are limited, so interested viewers are encouraged to reserve their screenings while availability lasts.