ELIZABETE DIDZA, Latvia
Elizabete Didža is a Latvian film critic and multimedia artist working primarily with photography and experimental film. She is currently assisting with the development of the Baltic programme at 2ANNAS International Short Film Festival, having previously worked on the festival catalogue. Her writing has appeared in Talking Shorts and Kino Raksti, Latvia’s only dedicated film magazine. She is interested in contemporary cinema, experimental approaches to writing, and unconventional forms of film criticism.
CARLA PANTILIE, Romania
Carla Pantilie is a Romanian film student, critic and emerging curator currently studying Screenwriting, Film Studies and Media Advertising at National University of Theatre and Film (UNATC) in Bucharest. She has been writing about cinema since 2022, covering festivals and new releases, with a particular interest in experimental cinema, archives, and representations of everyday life. She currently contributes to AIVI Media Hub and Film Menu, and occasionally publishes independently on her Substack. Alongside criticism, she works as a programmer and curator for film festivals, while also being involved in student film clubs.
LEHEL FAZAKAS, Hungary
Lehel Fazakas is a Romanian-Hungarian film enthusiast who has devoted himself to staying close to cinema. A graduate of film directing, he is currently completing an MA in film studies. He regularly publishes film reviews and essays, mainly within the Hungarian and Transylvanian context. He currently works as a freelance filmmaker on various productions and as a projectionist at art-house cinemas and film festivals, including the Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF).
KAROLINA ZDUNEK, Poland
A graduate of Graphic Design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, she devoted her BA thesis to the art of film in the Illustration Studio, followed by a Master’s degree in Film Studies. She has gained experience in film culture through volunteering at film festivals and working as an educator for Young Horizons. She creates editorial content for UJOT TV and FM and writes for the recently reactivated film magazine “16mm”, where she serves as Editor-in-Chief. In 2025, she was awarded a distinction by the Critics’ Jury of the Krytyk Pisze competition. She is also a jury member for the Five Flavours Film Festival and Etiuda&Anima, and is currently developing the podcast “Wina kina”.
BOLDIZSÁR FORRÓ, Romania
Originally from Oradea, Romania, he is currently based in Budapest, Hungary, working as a screenwriter and film critic. He holds a Master’s Degree in Screenwriting and a BA in Television Production. His professional interests focus on the New Hollywood era, the elevated-horror renaissance of the past decade, and contemporary Eastern European arthouse cinema. He approaches films from two complementary perspectives, combining a filmmaker’s practical understanding with a critic’s analytical skillset. As a Hungarian raised in Romania, he possesses an organic and strong connection to both Hungarian and Romanian film cultures.
ŁUKASZ AL-DARAWSHEH, Poland
He is a part-time film critic based in Warsaw, Poland. His interests are a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from Arab cinema(s), queer and camp cinema, and documentaries to cinema as a social phenomenon. He also has an unhealthy obsession with multilingualism and code-switching, stemming from his background in linguistics. His work has been published in Filmweb, Filmawka, Ekrany and Easternkicks.
MENTORS
Amber Wilkinson is an Edinburgh-based journalist with more than 20 years of experience. She is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the British film website Eye For Film. Her writing regularly appears in Screen International, The Times, Sydney Morning Herald and Filmmaker Magazine. She also works as an independent film critic for BBC Radio Scotland. Wilkinson has led numerous workshops for young FIPRESCI critics, including at the Warsaw Film Festival and the Miskolc Film Festival in Hungary, and co-developed student training programmes for the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2018 and 2019.
Tommaso Tocci is an independent film journalist based in Italy. He writes for Mymovies.it, and his work has also appeared in international outlets such as Indiewire, Ioncinema, RogerEbert.com, CinemaScope, Filmmaker Magazine, Montages and Filmkrant. Tocci has worked with numerous film festivals, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Berlinale Talents, Saas-Fee FilmFest, Giornate degli Autori in Venice, and the Warsaw Film Festival. Since 2018, he has been leading the FIPRESCI Critics Project.