Berlinale Talent Press 2023

Call for Entries

Applications for Berlinale Talents 2023 are now open – and we would like to extend a warm welcome to critics of all backgrounds to apply.

Each year, Talent Press invites eight emerging film critics and journalists to Berlin to cover the films on offer at the Berlinale, from the show stopping to the subtle. Guided by experienced expert mentors, the participants cover the festival’s programme, creating reviews in a variety of formats, from written articles to podcasts to video essays and beyond. Alongside that, they work on an in-depth essay that is then published in an outlet of their choice. But Talent Press isn’t only about producing work, but also exploring the future of the work itself, with the group meeting and discussing their insights with cinephiles worldwide. Recent editions of Talent Press have featured internal rounds with distinguished guests such as director Idan Haguel, whose “Concerned Citizen” premiered in Panorama in 2022, director and critic Kleber Mendonça Filho, Berlinale Artistic Director Carlo Chatrian, Time magazine’s Stephanie Zacharek and Justin Chang from the Los Angeles Times.

Apply by September 1, 2022, 12:00 noon (CEST)
Details on the Berlinale Talents website.

Who Can Apply?

Talent Press is aimed at film critics and journalists who professionally contribute reviews, essays or interviews to film-related print or online publications. If you decide to apply, you’ll be asked to submit three articles from the past year. Our workshops are held in English, so you should feel confident conversing and publishing in English.

Meet our former Talent Press participants.

What’s On Offer?

Taking part in Talent Press offers you the opportunity to spend six days with 200 top emerging filmmakers and to experience the one-of-a-kind buzz of one of the world’s most prominent A-list festivals. Seasoned mentors will guide you through the programme, hold lectures and provide feedback on your work.

Depending on what you decide to craft your essay around, you’ll be able to attend Berlinale Talents talks, conduct interviews and access film screenings. Your work will be featured on the Berlinale Talents website, as well as those of our Talent Press partners Goethe-Institut and FIPRESCI. Last but not least, you’ll be able to make new and lasting connections with fellow critics from all over the world.

Explore the latest work by the Talent Press participants from this year’s edition, the previous cohort’s ‘Letters from Lockdown series’, as well as coverage from earlier Talent Press events in Rio, Sarajevo, Durban, Buenos Aires and Guadalajara – all on the Talent Press website.

Gain a New Perspective

Beyond the Talent Press workshops, Berlinale Talents features talks, films and discussions offering endless networking opportunities and insights into the industry’s brightest creative minds. Recent guests have included Ari Wegner, Carla Simón, Zazie Beetz, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Céline Sciamma, Kirsten Johnson, Uli Hanisch, Cate Blanchett, Olafur Eliasson, Agnès Godard, Raoul Peck, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jia Zhang-ke and many more. You’re guaranteed to leave the festival feeling inspired and ready for the next step!
Check out our talks from 2022 and previous years.

Published by Berlinale
Forwarded by FIPRESCI