Following its successful inaugural edition, Queer East Emerging Critics Project will return this April with six participants, in collaboration with Little White Lies. This project is aimed at emerging writers who have had no more than four articles about film or arts published in print or online media outlets, not including self-publishing. It aims to foster a strong creative voice for aspiring film and art critics. We will publish a digital zine of the participants’ work, including a correspondence published in Little White Lies. The programme is designed to be collaborative and an exchange of ideas between the mentors and mentees.

This project will be led by three critics: Cici Peng, Phuong Le, and Ren Scateni. There will be two in-person sessions on 12th and 13th April in central London. Please only apply if you are able to attend both sessions. There will be a series of workshops and talks from mentors, industry professionals, and former participants.

ABOUT OUR MENTORS

Phuong Le is a Vietnamese film critic based in London. Her writing can be found in The Guardian, Sight and Sound, and other publications. She is also a regular contributor to the Free Thinking programme on BBC Radio 3.

Ren Scateni is a writer and film curator, whose writing has appeared in various art and film magazines including ArtReview, Hyperallergic, and Sight and Sound. He is a programmer at Glasgow Short Film Festival, a press officer at Berwick Film and Media Arts, a trustee of Alchemy Film & Arts, and a preselector for shorts at the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma.

Cici Peng is a film writer and film programmer based in London. She has written for publications including Film Comment, TANK, Screen Slate. She has programmed screenings and events at the BFI, ICA, and the Barbican, among others. She is a part of Sine Screen, a film collective dedicated to highlighting films from ESEA filmmakers, and a preselector for Currents NYFF.

ABOUT QUEER EAST

Queer East is a multi-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities. Its sixth edition runs from 23 April to 18 May in venues across London, exploring what it means to be queer and Asian today.

REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants need to demonstrate an interest in film and art criticism and have an interest in queer Asian cinema, arts and cultures.
• Applicants should have had no more than four articles about film published in print or online. This does not include self-publishing.
• Applicants should be able to write fluently in English.
• Applicants should be based in the UK and able to travel to London on 12 & 13 April 2025. For participants outside of London, the Festival will offer a travel bursary of up to £150.
• Applicants should be aged 18+

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please fill out the application form here. You are also required to send us a sample of your writing. Please email it to [email protected], with the subject as Emerging Critics Project 2025 – [Your Name]

Please note that all the workshop participants will be expected to take part in online and in-person sessions in London.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

In the application form, you will be given four questions listed below, and you only need to select two to answer. You can use up to 300 words to answer the question.

• Why do you want to be a film critic, and why do you want to participate in this workshop?
• What critical writing do you love or find particularly inspiring, and how has it influenced your own work?
• Talk about a film you have seen recently and what you found striking about it.
• What purpose does film criticism serve in 2025?

KEY DATES

• Application deadline: Friday 21st February 2025
• Festival dates: 23rd April to 18th May
• All applicants will receive an email with the outcome by 12th March 20254