SXSW 2025

What's Next for Film Criticism?

Description:

Once, film critics could make or break a film - or at least, help a movie find the right audience. But the influence of film critics is slipping. The era of TV tastemakers like Siskel and Ebert is over, the powerhouse blogs have become SEO-driven shadows of their former selves, and print criticism was one of the first sections to be gutted as newspapers shrank. So as films try to find new audiences, what role is there for reviewers?


Related Media


Takeaways

  1. What's the current state of film criticism as a career? Where are the veterans going, and are there any openings for newcomers?
  2. How have working journalists seen the situation change over the last decade?
  3. Do filmmakers and studios still need critics to reach audiences, and what happens if there just aren't any working critics?

Speakers


Organizer

Richard Whittaker, Senior Staff Writer and Critic, Austin Chronicle


Meta Information:

  • Event: SXSW
  • Format: Panel
  • Track: Film & TV Industry
  • Track 2
  • Level: Intermediate


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