European Workshop for Film Criticism #10

The European Workshop for Film Criticism #10, organised by the European Network for Film Discourse (The END) and short film magazine Talking Shorts, was a two-part intensive programme for emerging film critics that took place during FeKK – Ljubljana Short Film Festival (Slovenia, August 2026) and Bucharest International Experimental Film Festival (Romania, September 2026).

The workshop focused on blending film criticism and interviewing. Over two immersive weeks, participants delved into film critique, interview techniques, and festival coverage, combining theoretical input with hands-on technical expertise—from approaching short-film criticism to conducting interviews and ethically integrating them into an essay.

After an open call, Korina Husnjak (HR/BE), Emma Mattiussi (IT/FR), Negar Saadatinia (IR/BE), Anais-Zara Dragu (RO/DE), Gijs Suy (NL/BE), and Berenika Balcer (PO) were invited as participants.

The group was tutored by Yun-hua Chen, who holds a PhD in Film Studies from the University of St Andrews in Scotland and is a Taiwan-born film scholar, critic, and curator based in Berlin. She is an associate editor at Film International, an editor for Cinema of Commoning at Sinema Transtopia, and a film critic for Filmexplorer, the Goethe-Institut’s online platforms, Cinébulletion, Talking Shorts, Cinephilia, and other publications. She currently serves on the selection committees for Berlinale Shorts, Berlinale Forum, and Dokufest in Kosovo.

Over five workshop days in each city, extensive film screenings at both festivals inspired and informed the critical work. Throughout the process, tutors and guest mentors provided one-on-one editorial guidance. Talking Shorts now features a selection of the finished essays.