It's your chance to become a film critic

Whether a film is given five stars, the thumbs up or a slating is usually the responsibility of film critics like Barry Norman or the Irish Times reviewer, Michael Dwyer. But now primary and second-level students can voice their opinions on movies and become reviewers for a day by taking part in the Young Critics' Competition, which is being organised by Cork Film Festival in association with Education and Living.

Entry to the competition is simple. Post-primary students must write a newspaper-style review of a film of their choice - it can be any film that is currently showing in cinemas. The review cannot be more than 250 words and the young critic must include his or her ticket stub as proof of attendance at the film with the review.

The winning critic will be invited to attend the closing weekend of the festival from October 15th to 17th. The closing date for reviews in the post-primary category is Friday, October 1st, so all you Michael Dwyer-wannabes must get to a cinema near you soon and start writing.

Contestants from primary level can send in a written review or a picture in response to a film they have seen at any UnReel screening during the Cork Film Festival, which runs from October 10th to 17th. UnReel is the festival's programme for children. Winners from this category will receive film-related books and prizes. The deadline for entries in this category is Friday, October 22nd.

"The aim of the competition is to encourage a deeper and more critical approach to the viewing of films," says festival director, Michael Hannigan. Films showing in this year's UnReel programme include Disney's Tarzan, The Last September, based on Elizabeth Bowen's classic novel, and two Irish language-based films, The Hard Road to the Klondyke and Le Dernier Mot, an Irish-French co-production.

This is the second year of the UnReel programme and new to the schedule this year are events aimed at older post-primary and third-level students, including the screening of some innovative films such as Lynn Ramsay's Ratcatcher, and Janice Beard 45 WPM, starring Cork actress Eileen Walsh.

The Young Critics' Competition is just one of the ways UnReel is stressing the importance of media education and visual literacy for children, especially in light of the introduction of film studies to the Leaving Certificate and the increasing popularity of film studies at third level. Workshops and discussions will also be held during the festival as part of UnReel's educational programme.

"We are living in an extraordinarily visual world where kids have many different visual vocabulary, having experienced the medium on different screens," says UnReel's programme director, Edie Demas.

"It is crucial that they learn to be critical and selective about what they are seeing," says Demas. "Cinema is the simplest way into that exploration, as children are so familiar with it. They may not have the language to express how they feel about a film, but this will show them what it would be like to be a reviewer and encourage them to give it a go."

The Cork Film Festival runs from October 10th to 17th. All entries should be sent to UnReel, Cork Film Festival, 10 Washington Street, Cork, and must include the name of the student's school and teacher, their class, and the school's telephone number.