We are looking for participants for our fifth Critics Workshop in collaboration with Another Gaze: A journal of film and feminisms, which will take place during the 2026 festival (14th to 19th April).

Open City is committed to fostering a discursive space that brings together the next generation of filmmakers, critics and other professionals working in the field of non-fiction cinema. The Critics Workshop is an immersive five-day programme developed by the Another Gaze editorial team to discuss the methodologies and practice of a politically, formally engaged film criticism. Together we will cover questions of experimentation, ethics, the place of the “I” in criticism, the role of negative criticism, as well as more practical discussion of the editorial process, pitching and interviewing practices. Led by Another Gaze co-editors Daniella Shreir and Laura Staab,  speakers at previous years’ workshops have included Missouri Williams, Laura Mulvey, critics Elena Gorfinkel, Simran Hans, Emily LaBarge, Rebecca Liu, Georgie Carr, Morgan Quaintance, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Lili Owen Rowlands, Elhum Shakerifar, assistant editor at the New Left Review, Caitlín Doherty, and co-editor of London Review of Books, Alice Spawls.

Another Gaze was founded in 2016 to provide a nuanced forum for discussion about women as filmmakers, filmic subjects, and spectators. In 2021, they launched Another Screen, an irregular streaming platform, streaming short-term programmes of films by women across modes of production and geographies, with new writing and translations about these works. In 2022, they launched a small publishing imprint, Another Gaze Editions.

Previous participants of the Critics Workshop have included early-career critics and programmers, post-graduates looking to develop their non-academic writing, and non-film writers who want to extend their practice to the moving image.

Those selected will have the chance to develop their writing across various forms. Last year, participants interviewed various filmmakers at the festival and these interviews were published on the Open City website.

The 10 selected participants will receive free access to the festival programme (screenings, talks and other opportunities). The workshop sessions will take place in-person at the Rich Mix in Shoreditch, with lunch provided daily.

The workshop is open to all ages and genders. Applicants outside London are very welcome to apply but must be able to find their own accommodation. If you are in the UK, please check with your local FilmHub and ScreenSkills for bursary opportunities.

Requirements:

Applicants need to demonstrate an interest in film criticism and/or film journalism as well as the ability to speak and write fluently in English. No previous professional experience is necessary.

Please note that all the workshop participants will be expected to take part in all sessions and to complete two tasks: one short writing exercise (to be completed before the festival), and one interview with a filmmaker (to be conducted during the festival and written up after), with feedback and edits provided by Daniella and Laura.

To apply:

Applications must include the following

• • CV: A basic, one-page resume.
  • One article or film review written in English (published or unpublished).
  • A piece of critical writing (about any art form, published at any time) that you find particularly compelling, with a short paragraph explaining why.
  • An approximately 500-word statement about why you’d like to take part.

Please fill in this form and send the above supporting documents to: info@opencitylondon.com with the subject line ANOTHER GAZE CRITICS WORKSHOP by 9pm (UK time) 2nd March 2026. 

Successful applicants will be notified by 24th March 2026.