FIPRESCI Critics Project – Applications Open for the 21st Edition of the Warsaw International Film Festival Workshop

The Warsaw International Film Festival has announced the 21st edition of the FIPRESCI Warsaw Critics Project, which will take place during the festival’s 42nd edition, running from October 9–18, 2026. Organised in collaboration with FIPRESCI and the Warsaw Film Foundation, the programme is aimed at young film critics and journalists from Central and Eastern Europe who are at the beginning of their professional careers.

The selected participants will attend one of the region’s most prestigious film events, meet filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world, and serve on the Young FIPRESCI Jury, which will present an award to a film screened during the festival.

The workshop offers a practical introduction to film journalism within a festival environment. Participants will write under the supervision of experienced critics and editors, learning how to work under deadline pressure, refine their critical voice, and adapt their writing to different publications and audiences. Selected texts will be published by film-related outlets, including FIPRESCI.

Former participants have gone on to collaborate with publications such as Screen International, IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, Cineuropa, Eye For Film, and others.

The project is coordinated by Amber Wilkinson and Tommaso Tocci. Wilkinson, based in Edinburgh, is the co-founder and editorial director of Eye For Film and has contributed to Screen International, The Times, Sydney Morning Herald, and Filmmaker Magazine. Tocci writes for Mymovies.it and has contributed internationally to outlets including RogerEbert.com, CinemaScope, and Filmkrant. Since 2018, he has led the FIPRESCI Critics Project in Warsaw.

The workshop is open to critics aged 30 or younger who are fluent in written and spoken English. Accommodation during the festival and travel expenses will be covered for all participants.

Applications should include:

• a résumé/CV,
• a cover letter,
• two English-language published writing samples (400–1200 words, at least one of them a film review),
• and a newly written 250-word review in English prepared specifically for the workshop.

Applicants may choose one of the following recent films for the short review: Sentimental Value, Sinners, One Battle After Another, or Sirât.

Applications should be sent to:
fipresci@wiff.pl

Submission deadline: July 31, 2026.

©FIPRESCI 2026