One of the greatest pleasures of running this blog is working with our Critics Academy, in which young and aspiring film critics are given the chance to learn from working journalists as they cover a film festival alongside them. We’ve held Critics Academies at the New York and Locarno Film Festivals and now, in conjunction with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Swiss Association of Film Journalists, we’re pleased to announce we’re returning to Locarno for another year.
From Eric Kohn, Indiewire’s chief film critic and one of the grand poobahs of the Critics Academy, here are the details:
“Indiewire and Locarno will select eight college-age participants to attend the two-week festival in early August, where they’ll write about the program in a deadline-driven environment. With the support of Gohner Stiftung, the festival will provide housing from August 6 – August 17. Indiewire may assist with a share of the travel expenses depending on the country of origin of the participant.
The Critics’ Academy is a subset of Locarno’s larger Summer Academy initiative (more information can be found here). However, the Critics Academy’s agenda isn’t exclusively limited to Locarno. A similar workshop will be held this fall in New York during the New York Film Festival and other editions are currently in development.
During Locarno, participants will work with me and other critics and journalists to cover the festival on a daily basis. Their writing assignments will appear in Pardo Live, the festival’s daily newspaper, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s website, filmlinc.com, and Indiewire’s Criticwire blog. They will also be encouraged to pitch other outlets based on their experiences in Locarno.”
Interested? Yeah, you are. Here’s what you will need to apply:
–CV: A basic one-page resume
-Contact information for two recommendations (professors, employers, etc.)
–Four writing samples about film. These can take the form of film reviews, scholarly papers, blog posts, college newspaper clips, or any other written work that you think demonstrates your writing skills.
-A 500-word statement of intent. Tell us about your background and why you would make an ideal candidate for the Critics Academy. Also note any particular interests you have as a critic (genres, national cinemas, etc.). Passion, strong writing skills and a deep knowledge of film history matter more than overall experience, so this is your chance to really make a case for yourself.
The most frequently asked question when we’ve done past Critics Academies is “What age is ‘college-age?'” We’re not too terribly picky; in the past, we’ve worked with undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates. But if, like me, your first day of grad school was ten years ago this September (hold on a sec, I’ve just got to go sob for twenty minutes… aaaaaaaand better), that’s not going to fly. Still, what matters most is passion (and not being, like, 40).
Applications can be sent via email to SUMMERACADEMY@PARDO.CH. You must also fill out the form at this link and send it along with your application as an attachment. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2013. Good luck!
Read more of “Attention College-Age Film Critics: Indiewire, Locarno Film Festival, and Film Society of Lincoln Center Could Send You to Switzerland (Again)” and the full details about the Critics Academy on the Locarno Film Festival website.
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