Critics Mentorship Programme

Salary: Voluntary

BFI London Film Festival 2023 Critics Mentorship Programme is giving six emerging critics from underrepresented demographics the chance to be mentored by industry media professionals and have their work published by LFF media partners and the BFI.

Do you want be a film critic or journalist? Are you writing film reviews for blogs or social media but have not been able to break through to more established publications or platforms? Apply now to the BFI London Film Festival 2023 Critics Mentorship Programme for your chance to be mentored by industry media professionals and have your work published by LFF media partners and the BFI.

We continue to look at how we can better serve writers from underrepresented communities by offering mentorship that can pave the way to future opportunities for paid work in the media.  As in previous years, we will be offering the 2023 Critics Mentorship to 6 mentees from underrepresented voices in film criticism.

For this year applicants should self-identify from the following underrepresented groups:

• Black, MENA (Middle East and North African), South Asian, South East Asian or East Asian background, including mixed ethnicity applicants
• D/deaf and disabled applicants, including those who are neurodivergent or have a long term health condition

The BFI welcomes intersectionality across a number of areas. These include, gender, sexuality, age, religion, geographical location (nations and regions) and socioeconomic circumstances.

About the Mentorship Programme

Successful applicants will be invited to experience the 67th BFI London Film Festival (4-15 October 2023) as an accredited press delegate plus participate in an Induction Day in early September, where they will meet the BFI LFF teams, their lead mentors, fellow mentees as well as their paired mentors to be taken through the mentorship programme.

Launched in 2018, lead mentors have previously included author, filmmaker and ex chief film critic for The Times, Kate Muir, journalist, commentator and founder of The British Blacklist, Akua Gyamfi and journalist, Empire Magazine ex editor-in-chief and author Terri White. In addition each of the participants will also individually be paired with a mentor from each LFF media partner who will support them to produce up to three pieces of film journalism (reviews, interviews, articles) for publication on their websites and bfi.org.uk

The mentorship programme will be intensive, running for 4 full days from 4 to 7 October 2023, with full access to press screenings and events, writing reviews and features plus additional interview opportunities and an array of networking opportunities.

Mentees will be paid the London Living Wage for work produced during the LFF and will have full press accreditation for the 12 day duration of the LFF (4-15 October) and will be encouraged to and pitch editorial ideas to bfi.org.uk. Mentees from outside London will be eligible for accommodation and travel to participate in the programme.

By the end of the programme, participants will have improved their film journalism skills and understanding of the industry and will have gained professional work experience, new work for their portfolio, industry contacts and a document of confirmation of having completed the placement.

About You

• Applicants must be 18 and over with the right to work in the UK
• To be eligible you will have not had any written work published in/on a national print publication/platform before.
• An interest in film with excellent writing skills
• The ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with BFI colleagues, partners and stakeholders.
• You will self-identify from one or more of the underrepresented groups as detailed above

Due to the demands of the programme and the availability of Lead Mentors, applicants must be able to commit to the full schedule of activity, in particular being available full time from 4 to 7 October 2023. Please do not apply if you are unavailable on these specific dates.

How to apply

For further details and to apply please see our jobs portal.

Interviews will be held on 10 & 11 August 2023

The closing date for this position is 31/07/2023 at 23:59