Critics Campus

Applications for Critics Campus 2025 are now closed.

The Melbourne International Film Festival Critics Campus is an intensive, week-long program of panels, workshops and mentoring designed to provide emerging Australian screen critics with a unique platform to nurture their talents in a live festival setting. Following 11 highly successful editions, Critics Campus returns in 2025, taking place from Monday 11 to Friday 15 August as part of the festival’s 73rd edition.

Established in 2014, Critics Campus has proved an invaluable incubator of emerging talent across the past decade, discovering and developing new voices in Australian screen criticism. As the media landscape continues to change and evolve, Critics Campus has responded in turn, driven by the idea that informed screen criticism is vital to a healthy screen culture and industry. In developing new and underrepresented voices, Critics Campus builds on its commitment to refreshing and growing the country’s critical landscape, to redefining the ways our writers consider the culture, and to preparing participants for successful careers in screen criticism and the arts.

Since its first edition, the program has grown in reputation and global reach, attracting A-list international critics, programmers and guests, and establishing a name for itself as one of the most well-regarded young critic workshops in the world. In 2025, eight selected participants will once again:

take part in mentoring sessions with eight leading Australian and international film critics
join a range of panels, workshops and live-editing sessions with some of the best critics – both in person and online – from around the world
have access to festival films, publicity materials, guests and networking opportunities at MIFF
be invited to attend screenings, social functions, galas and other festival events.

Head to Revue to read features, reviews and interviews by Critics Campus alumni, or check out our ‘Critics Campus: Where Are They Now?’ series (Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4).

“Critics Campus was a fantastic experience that introduced me to a wealth of knowledge within the big, scary world of criticism … I'm incredibly grateful for the people who've helped rekindle my passion for writing!”
– Nicole Cadelina, 2024 alumna

“I feel very lucky to have something like this available to me on my doorstep. It exceeded my expectations, and I've come away feeling sharpened and inspired.”
– Austin Lancaster, 2024 alumnus

“I feel like I got so much meaningful insight out of the panels and working with my mentor. Critics Campus has also already brought about opportunities that I never would have expected and given me a sense of the next steps I want to take, which is really invaluable.”
– Grace Boschetti, 2024 alumna

“A precious and rare opportunity to be fully immersed in the world of film criticism. While my mentor gave me such invaluable guidance, it was also incredible to connect and collaborate with my cohort: writers who continue to inspire and enliven my approaches to life and art today.”
– Indigo Bailey, 2023 alumna

“An unforgettable experience. The most valuable thing I gained from the program was undoubtedly the relationships I was able to build … These connections helped me not only become a better critic, but also a more confident one too, knowing that I now had a network of fellow writers to support my work.”
– Kevin Bui, 2023 alumnus

““Critics Campus helped me regain my confidence as a writer and opened me up to new possibilities for both my writing practice and also for my career at large. I feel very grateful to have met talented, experienced critics who gave me such helpful lifelong advice. Now I know: strong vibes + strong inquiry = great criticism.”
– Lamya Nawar, 2022 alumna

“As a participant in 2019, Critics Campus imparted invaluable knowledge about the craft of writing and the (often precarious) industry. As a mentor in 2021, I was glad to soak up the wisdom of a new cohort of talents!”
– Michael Sun, 2021 mentor and 2019 alumnus

“Having been a mentee in 2016, I was thrilled to return to Critics Campus in 2021 – this time as a mentor. I still draw on those lessons I learned about criticism and craft almost six years ago, so the chance to share them with my own mentee was deeply fulfilling, both professionally and personally.”
– Aimee Knight, 2021 mentor and 2016 alumna

“I’m so grateful for the experience – it’s been pretty unique and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot out of it. It’s been great hearing from professional critics, especially other critics who are queer and people of colour.”
– Merryana Salem, 2020 alumna

“Critics Campus was such an invaluable and formative experience for me. The program was such an encouraging, enriching experience that has no doubt shaped my writing for the better.”
– Isabella Trimboli, 2022 mentor and 2019 alumna

“Critics Campus was one of the best, most wonderful experiences of my short life. It opened my mind and writing up to possibilities I never imagined, and completely re-envisioned the way I see, read and approach criticism.”
– Debbie Zhou, 2018 alumna

“I had a fantastic week and can’t believe this program even exists. Guy [Lodge] was the most wonderful mentor and completely changed how I thought about film writing. Critics Campus was one of the best things I’ve done.”
– Phoebe Chen, 2017 alumna

Principal Government Partner: VicScreen