GoCritic! Animation Journalists Training Programme: Call Open

GoCritic!, the training programme for emerging film journalists and critics, is continuing with its collaboration with AFN - Animation Festival Network, in partnership with Cineuropa and Zippy Frames. 

A total of ten participants will attend multiple workshops within the Animation Festival Network. Between December 2026 and July 2027, each GoCritic! participant will have the opportunity to professionally develop at two of the following festivals: Animateka International Animated Film Festival (Ljubljana, Slovenia), Anifilm International Festival of Animated Films (Liberec, Czech Republic), World Festival of Animated Film - Animafest Zagreb (Croatia) and Fest Anča International Animation Festival (Žilina, Slovakia). The participants' articles and videos will be published on Cineuropa and Zippy Frames.

Each participant's progress will be closely evaluated to best address their professional needs, skills, and interests, with attention to both strengths and weaknesses. The goal is to systematically cover all aspects of film journalism and criticism so participants leave the workshops with broad knowledge, improved skills, and increased professional opportunities. The workshops will include video journalism and criticism, taking place at Animateka and Animafest Zagreb alongside the regular writing workshop.

The same group of participants will be selected to exclusively take part in the video component of the workshops at Animateka and Animafest Zagreb. From the team’s experience during previous years, in order to properly work on preparation, filming, editing and publishing, a more extensive and detailed approach is needed, which necessitates a greater number of sessions and more time to be dedicated to the work. Participants in both festivals will be tutored by Ana Stanić, head of the Video Department at Cineuropa.

In addition to Stanić, the workshops will be led by seasoned and acclaimed film journalists and critics, such as Neil Young, Jessica Kiang, Dana Linssen, Carmen Gray and GoCritic! Head of Studies: Vladan Petković. 

Check the GoCritic! articles at Zippy Frames

Practical info:

• Selected participants will receive accommodation, up to €150 in travel expenses for each workshop, meals and drinks, press accreditations, and access to all screenings, social and industry events, press conferences, and parties.
• To ensure attendance, participants must pay a €75 refundable deposit one month before the start of each workshop.
• The workshop sessions will be conducted in English
• For any questions, please write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
  
  
• Application form
• Deadline: 22 October 2026

The scheme is co-financed by the Creative Europe - MEDIA programme of the European Union.