Critics Circle
GUIDELINES FOR POTENTIAL FILM SECTION MEMBERS
When considering candidates to join the Film Section, the membership committee pays particular attention to rules 1 and 6 of the Circle.
Rule 6 says that invitations to join the Circle shall be issued only to persons engaged professionally, regularly and substantially for at least two years in the writing or broadcasting of criticism – and/or informed analytical features or programmes – on the relevant discipline (film, in our case).
Rule 1 states that among the objects of the Circle are: to promote the art of criticism and to uphold its integrity; to safeguard the professional interests of its members; and to promote the advancement of the arts.
The membership committee’s interpretation of these two rules is that potential members of the Film Section are film journalists who are paid practitioners (in a staff post, on a contract or, more typically, professionally freelance), and for whom criticism and analytical pieces form a substantial part of their output. Beyond that, the committee is looking for excellence in the work submitted for consideration.
For the film section, new member queries should be sent to email address [critics dot circle at gmail dot com] where they will be forwarded to the membership committee. It should be noted that we have a large number of applicants every year and admissions to this section of the Circle are limited by number.