Membership
Membership Requirements
Membership in the Chicago Film Critics Association is restricted to professional film critics recognized by editors or producers as their commercial media outlets' official critical voices or staff authorities on the cinematic arts, and whose work has a Chicago presence.
Members must provide film criticism and not just interviews, capsule descriptions or other pieces that offer no critical assessment.
Members must be able to demonstrate an ongoing body of work, be it for one outlet consistently or for several.
Educational publications and broadcast outlets (E.G. colleges and high schools) are ineligible for membership.
Members of the CFCA cannot simultaneously hold membership in other Chicago-market film critics organizations. Membership in national organizations, such as the National Society of Film Critics and the Online Film Critics Society, is allowed.
Acceptance of membership on your behalf requires abiding by the ethics policy of the organization, which can be viewed here.
Whether you are renewing your membership or applying for the first time, go HERE and fill out the handy application form. If you are applying for the first time, you will also need to secure a letter from an editor confirming that you are serving as a film critic for the media outlet on your application. This can be sent directly to me via e-mail at petersob13@icloud.com. (Yes, you need to send one even if you are serving as your own editor.) After the new applications have been reviewed by the CFCA Board, potential members will be contacted and informed of their status. All applications are due on Monday, August 11, 2025.
The yearly membership fee is once again $75 and can be paid through Zelle at alejandroriera64@gmail.com (the preferred method) or via PayPal at membership@chicagofilmcritics.org. While current members need to send this along with the form in order for their application to be considered complete, new applicants are asked to hold off sending their payment until their application status has been decided by the Board and they have been contacted. As with the form, the dues are also due by Monday, August 11, 2025. If Zelle or PayPal are somehow not options for you, please contact me immediately—it should be noted that late in the evening of August 10 is what we like to refer to as “pushing your luck”—at petersob13@icloud.com so that an alternative form of payment can be found.
If you have any questions about the application process (or if you know someone who you think should receive an application), please feel free to contact me at petersob13@icloud.com. Additionally, if you should happen to know of anyone that you think is deserving of consideration for membership, please pass their names on to either myself or one of the other CFCA board members and I will make sure to get the application information out to them. As nifty as a group as we currently are, we can always use fresh new voices offering their own unique viewpoints and perspectives on the world of cinema.
Beyond that, our organization continues to thrive. The 12th edition of our Chicago Critics Film Festival was a rousing success this past May with packed screenings that introduced local moviegoers to the likes of such favorites as “Sorry, Baby,” “Friendship” and an all-too-timely revival of “The Great Dictator.” The screening programs hosted by CFCA members in the suburbs continue to do well and we are always looking for new ways to reach out to the Chicago moviegoing community. If you would like to participate in any of these activities or—even better—have additional ideas of things that we can do as an organization to help promote the cause of film criticism, please drop a line.
Thanks for your time and for your support of the CFCA and its mission. Again, if you have any questions about the application process, please contact me at petersob13@icloud.com and I will get back to you as quickly as possible.