Rotten Tomatoes to Provide Grants for Critics Attending TIFF 2026
Applications are now open for stipends that will be awarded to freelance and early-career critics attending the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival
Rotten Tomatoes is proud to announce that its Critics Grant Program launched in 2018 will continue to support freelance and early-career critics attending TIFF 2026 in a professional capacity. We are thrilled to partner with the Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) for this year’s program.
Stipends from the RT Critics Grant Program are intended to offset the expenses of festival travel and lodging, upgrading equipment needed for festival coverage, and/or incurred due to time off work to attend the festival.
Applications for the grant are open May 15th through May 29th – you can apply HERE.
Eligible applicants will have already begun building a portfolio and audience for their work as critics. You may apply for the stipend regardless of whether you have previously attended or been accredited at TIFF.
Factors for selection include, but are not limited to:
- Freelance and/or emerging journalist status
- Use of new media to innovate coverage
- Distinct expertise in film/television criticism
- Unique analytical perspectives on the film/television industry
- Applicants will be asked to provide confirmation of festival press accreditation
Applicants will need to apply separately for festival accreditation directly through tiff.net. Only critics and journalists who provide proof of confirmed press accreditation for TIFF 2026 will be eligible to receive stipends.
INTERESTED CRITICS MAY SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATIONS FOR THE GRANT HERE.
Please reach out to critic.relations@rottentomatoes.com with any questions.
The Rotten Tomatoes Critics Grant Program is not affiliated with the Toronto International Film Festival.
About the Rotten Tomatoes Critics Grant Program
Since its inception in 2018, the Rotten Tomatoes Grant Program has supported media inclusion programs at key film festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, SXSW, the Chicago Critics Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. Rotten Tomatoes’ support for these programs has provided stipends for freelance and/or up-and-coming journalists, often attending these festivals for the first time.
Past recipients are encouraged to apply for Tomatometer approval, supporting our ongoing mission to better reflect the global entertainment audience.
