Become a Young Critic at Film Fest Gent 2023

The selected participants will be invited to cover the festival by writing both reviews and one in-depth piece. The participants will be guided by film critic Nick Pinkerton and the photogénie team. The reviews and articles of the participants may be published on photogénie and on the festival’s website. The working language is English. At photogénie, we particularly value attention to style, film historical awareness and lucid argumentation.

Applicants must be fluent in English, both spoken and written. The Workshop is open to writers between the ages of 18 and 26, who haven’t made criticism their (main) profession (yet). Previous participants in the Young Critics Workshop have gone on to participate in similar workshops at Rotterdam, Locarno and Berlin, and are currently building a career in criticism and/or curating.

Participants will be responsible for their own travel arrangements, most evening meals and all other expenses. Participants will also be required to provide their own laptop computer.

Applications must be submitted by 1 September, containing the following:

• a motivation letter (500 words or less), including mention of relevant experience (if any)

• 3 writing samples of articles or film reviews in English (If the original texts are not in English, provide translations as a proof of your English writing skills)

• a recent passport style photograph

The selected young critics will be informed by email on September 8.