Karen Krizanovich is known in the film industry for her work as a researcher for feature film design on major studio productions such as Wicked (2024/25), Damsel (2023), Wednesday (2022), Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2020), The Old Guard (2020), Mission Impossible: Fallout, 24: Live Another Day (2014) and Gravity (2013) among others.
As a journalist, she has been published in Wired, The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian and Financial Times among others. Appearances include broadcasts for BBC1 Breakfast, BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and Woman’s Hour. She is a contributor on Monocle Radio and previously in Radio Times. She was named Editor-At-Large for Civilian Global where she writes a sparkling wine column Effervesce Sense.
Karen has appeared on over 75 different TV shows, including CNN and Newsnight, with live outside broadcasts from the Cannes Film Festival. A member of the international critics’ association FIPRESCI, she was selected as Cannes jury member in 2023 (red carpet photo by Katharina Sartena). Reporting from major film festivals Berlin, Cannes and Venice, Karen is Secretary of the London Film Critics’ Circle. Some of her written reviews are aggregated at Rotten Tomatoes. Links to current work can be found at LinkTree.
Karen conceived, researched and presented Whistledown Production/BBC Radio 4‘s groundbreaking original radio documentary entitled Svelte Sylvia and the Hollywood Trimsters. ‘Sylvia of Hollywood’ was Tinsel Town’s first and arguably greatest fitness and beauty expert who was wiped from history until this documentary – and the Wikipedia page built by Karen from years of original primary research – brought Sylvia of Hollywood back to life and as a subject for academic graduate studies.
A member of BAFTA, BFDG and a BIFA craft jury voter, Karen hosts Q&A sessions and film-related talks. She has spoken at the spellbinding song-centred programmes of One Track Minds at the Wilton Music Hall and given keynote speeches to schools, film organisations and companies. She’s hosted at the London Screenwriters’ Festival, the London Comedy Writers’ Festival, the NFT/BFI, First Light’s Fever Pitch/London Film Festival, the Barbican Cinema, Everyman and Curzon. She’s appeared on podcasts such as Anna Smith’s Girls On Film, Freelance Feels with Jenny Stallard as well as Daily Rock Pages with Jessica Adams, among others.
In the 90s, Karen was best known for her Dear Karen column. Sarcastic, scathing yet beloved, Dear Karen was the carelessly caring Agony Aunt of Sky Magazine’s most read comedic advice page. Dear Karen’s past posts are archived at Dear Karen columns.
