Rotten Tomatoes And The CFCA Team Up To Launch The ‘EMERGING CRITICS GRANT’ Program Awarding Financial And Career Support To Two Chicago-Area Aspiring Critics
Recipients to Receive $2,500 Grant, $100 Fandango Gift Card, All-Access Pass to the Chicago Critics Film Festival, Mentorship with CFCA Members, and a Chance to Publish an Article on Rotten Tomatoes
(Los Angeles (May 3, 2022) – Rotten Tomatoes, entertainment fans’ go-to resource for movie, TV and streaming recommendations, and the Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) announced today the inaugural recipients of the “Emerging Critics Grant” program, designed to support diverse aspiring critics from the Chicago area. Award recipients can be either college students pursuing a career in journalism or up-and-coming entertainment critics with three years or less experience in their career development.
The two Chicago-area award recipients will each receive an all-access pass to attend the 9th Annual Chicago Critics Film Festival (May 13-19) at the historic Music Box Theatre, as well as invitations to receptions, press junkets and other events. Recipients will also receive career support through one-on-one mentorship with CFCA members, an opportunity to work with Rotten Tomatoes’ editorial team and publish a Festival-related article for the site, as well as a $2,500 grant and a $100 Fandango gift card.
“At Rotten Tomatoes, we place high value on supporting the next generation of journalists and remain committed to fostering inclusion in entertainment criticism,” said Jenny Jediny, Rotten Tomatoes Director of Critic Engagement. “We are excited to partner with the CFCA to create a program that provides opportunities for industry experience and mentorship to rising voices as they take the next steps in their professional journey.”
The first two grants have been awarded to B.L. Panther (they/them; pictured left) and Shelli Nicole (she/her; pictured right), emerging writers based in the Chicagoland area, each with distinct critical voices whose early work impressed the selection committee, consisting of representatives from both Rotten Tomatoes and the CFCA.
A Pisces by nature and Folklorist by training, B.L. Panther has been studying human culture for decades. Their work looks at film, media, and performance through the lenses of gender and empire and can most often be found at Honey Literary Journal and The Spool. Their most recent venture is as co-host of The Meh-thod Podcast, exploring great acting in less-than-great films.
Shelli Nicole is a queer Detroit-born freelance writer currently living in Chicago. Her work is often personal narratives on race, sexuality, and pop culture and has appeared in Autostraddle, Vogue, Thrillist, and many others. She is also terrified of mermaids and teenagers.
“A depth of talent in film journalism exists in Chicago,” said CFCA President and RogerEbert.com Managing Editor Brian Tallerico. “We are elated both to partner with Rotten Tomatoes to make this program possible and to award the first emerging critics grants to B.L Panther and Shelli Nicole, two writers with compelling and essential perspectives deserving of support and exposure.”
The Chicago Film Critics Association will host a pre-festival cocktail reception on Tuesday, May 3, an event open to the public, to celebrate the Emerging Critics Grant recipients and preview this year’s Chicago Critics Film Festival.
The “Emerging Critics Grant” is part of Rotten Tomatoes’ Grant and Scholarships program, established several years ago to increase inclusion in entertainment criticism and support the next generation of critics through donations to educational programs, film festivals’ inclusion initiatives, and other industry efforts. In 2017, Rotten Tomatoes established a multi-year Rotten Tomatoes fellowship with the USC Annenberg School of Journalism and Communications. In 2018, Rotten Tomatoes was a founding sponsor of the press inclusion initiatives for both Sundance and Toronto International Film Festivals, and in 2019 began its support of the LA Film Critics Association’s Ruth Batchelor Scholarships for female and minority students attending LA-based junior colleges. Most recently, in 2021, the company launched “RT Labs,” a free online educational resource program designed to support aspiring critics through recorded expert panels, interviews, how-to guides and more.
About Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes and the Tomatometer score are the world’s most trusted recommendation resources for quality entertainment. As the leading online aggregator of movie and TV show reviews from thousands of critics, Rotten Tomatoes provides fans with a comprehensive guide to what’s Fresh – and what’s Rotten – in theaters and at home. Another helpful tool is the widely used Audience Score, denoted by a popcorn bucket, featuring “verified ratings and reviews” from confirmed ticket purchasers. Rotten Tomatoes also serves movie and TV fans with original editorial content on its site and social channels, produces fun and informative video series, and holds live events for fans across the country with its fan versus critics show ‘Your Opinion Sucks.’ For entertainment fans looking for a recommendation, or to share an opinion, Rotten Tomatoes is the right place.
About the Chicago Film Critics Association
The Chicago Film Critics Association supports and celebrates quality filmmaking that has something to say about our world, our lives, and our society. In the past, while the CFCA’s priority was to support and fight for the continued role of film critics in the media, the CFCA's public interaction was limited to the announcement of its annual film awards. In recent years, the CFCA has expanded its presence on the Chicago arts scene, promoting critical thinking about cinema to a wider base through several initiatives, including the re-launch of a late-winter film awards ceremony; CFCA-hosted film screenings throughout Chicagoland; and an Emerging Critics Grant program in partnership with Rotten Tomatoes. The annual Chicago Critics Film Festival further builds on the organization’s goal to be an active part of the Chicago film landscape.