As the line between professional criticism and audience engagement continues to blur, who gets to be a “critic”? This panel brings together voices from across the critical landscape to examine how film criticism is evolving in an era of social media, subscription-based platforms, and fragmented audiences.

Together, our panelists will debate the pressing questions shaping criticism today: Has the gatekeeper model given way to something better—or just something louder? What’s lost when long-form reviews compete with 30-second video essays? How do algorithmic platforms and audience scores influence not only what gets seen, but what gets made? And in a landscape where everyone has a rating and a take, what does real critical authority look like now?

[PANELIST] Mia Lee Vicino is a film journalist based in Los Angeles. After working as a columnist and critic for Willamette Week in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, she moved to LA, where she was the West Coast Editor of Letterboxd for four years. Here, she conducted print and video interviews with filmmakers and actors, edited their online magazine Journal, hosted their podcasts, and helped pioneer their Four Faves series. Currently, she continues to contribute to Letterboxd in a freelance capacity, moderates Q&As for Film Independent and others, writes Blu-ray booklet essays, and serves on festival juries such as Palm Springs International ShortFest. Her four favourite films are OPENING NIGHT (1977), MIKEY AND NICKY (1976), eXistenZ (1999), and DOWN WITH LOVE (2003).

[PANELIST] Christie Boschman is the largest documentary film influencer in the world, with a combined following of over one million passionate film enthusiasts. Known for her deep knowledge and love for documentary cinema, Christie has built a global platform dedicated to celebrating the art of storytelling through real-world narratives.From a young age, Christie was captivated by the power of documentary films to inspire, inform, and spark change. This passion led her to pursue formal studies in film at the Toronto Film School, where she honed her craft and deepened her understanding of the medium.Today, Christie uses her platform to share her love for documentary films, introducing her audience to a wide range offilms that highlight social issues, historical moments, true crime and untold stories from around the globe. Her insightful commentary has earned her a dedicated following of over a million people who trust her recommendations and insights. Christie is not just an influencer; she's a champion for the power of documentaries to educate, entertain, and transform perspectives. Through her work, she aims to make the world of documentary filmmaking more accessible, while sparking conversations that can lead to real-world change. Her mission is clear: to continue sharing the importance of documentary films and their ability to shape our understanding of the world.

[MODERATOR] Charles Tepperman is Associate Dean (Communities) in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Calgary, and Professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Film. He publishes widely on Canadian cinema, the history of film technology, and amateur media; he is the author of "Amateur Cinema: The Rise of North American Moviemaking," co-editor of "Canadian Cinema in the New Millennium," and director of the Amateur Movie Database.