Aesthetica Short Film Festival
| BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Aesthetica Short Film Festival Collage 2013 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | film festival |
| Date(s) | Four days, beginning of November |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Various, across York |
| Location(s) | York |
| Country | UK |
| Inaugurated | 2011 |
| Website | |
| http://www.asff.co.uk | |
The BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is an international film festival which takes place annually in York, UK, at the beginning of November. The festival is a celebration of independent short film from around the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing short filmmaking.[1] The programme includes film screenings, industry masterclasses, hosted networking sessions and panel discussions.[2] One of the UK's most exciting site-specific events, ASFF showcases over 300 international films from emerging and established filmmakers in various venues across the city of York.[3] Hosted by Aesthetica,[4] the festival is supported by York St John University, the City of York Council, Arts Council England and the British Film Institute.[5]
The event, which lasts four days, attracts thousands of entries each year and is now in its sixth edition.[6] It is a BATFA Qualifying film festival.[7]
History
The BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) is hosted by Aesthetica. Founded in 2002, Aesthetica is a British art and culture magazine.[8] Launched in 2010, initially as the Aesthetica Short Film Competition,[9] winning films were included on a DVD released with the December/ January edition of the magazine. The competition received a significant amount of entries, and it developed into the Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
2011
The first Aesthetica Short Film Festival took place in 2011.[10] The festival brought to the city of York filmmakers and audiences attending from locations as diverse as South Africa, New Zealand, the USA and from across Europe.[11]
Among those delivering masterclasses were Mark Herman (Screenwriter, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), Ivana Mackinnon (Executive Producer, Slumdog Millionaire) and the Senior Commissioner for Channel 4.[12] Alongside screenings, there were panel discussions and special events such as Meet the Filmmakers, which provided an opportunity for filmmakers to network with each other and audiences alike.
Spanning 15 venues, ASFF 2011 saw audiences moving around the city uniting festival attendees in an appreciation of high calibre filmmaking talent.[13] The festival established itself as a major contributor to the UK film festival circuit.[14]
2012
ASFF 2012 built upon the success of the inaugural event with even more films and speakers. Continuing its drive to champion the art of short filmmaking, the 2012 festival screened 200 films from 25 countries across 15 different locations, all within the scenic Bar Walls of York.[15]
Masterclasses were held by key industry figures such as Danny Cohen (BAFTA nominated cinematographer of The King’s Speech, The Boat That Rocked and Glorious 39), Barry Ryan the head of Warp Films (Dead Man’s Shoes, Four Lions, This is England and Submarine) and Matt Greenhalgh (BAFTA winning screenwriter of Control and Nowhere Boy).[16] Alongside screenings, there were panel discussions, special events and parties.
In its second year, ASFF established itself as one of the UK's most promising new film festivals and created new audiences within its locality.[17][18]
2013
The 2013 festival screened 300 films from 36 countries across 15 iconic locations spanning York’s historic and contemporary spaces.[19] ASFF 2013 transformed York into a hive of activity with filmmakers visiting from around the world.[20][21] Saera Jin, director of the comedy Konnichiwa Brick Lane, travelled from Tokyo, Japan; filmmakers also attended from Los Angeles, Kuwait, Israel, Canada, Norway, Sweden, France and Belgium amongst other places.[22]
Meet the Filmmakers panellist Curt Apduhan gave an exclusive insight into the making of his drama Anniversary and discussed cinematography and the power of film as a narrative medium. Manjinder Virk took home the Festival Winner award at the closing night of ASFF 2013 for her acclaimed short Out of Darkness, which the Observer’s Chief Film Critic Mark Kermode has described as “intriguing and thought provoking.”[23][24]
The festival presented a number of events, including a dynamic series of masterclasses from Joakim Sundström (Seven Psychopaths) and BAFTA on Sound Editing, Craig McNeil from Beggars Group on Music Video, Warp Films, Film4, Channel 4, Alice Lowe on Screenwriting (Sightseers, Hot Fuzz and Kill List) and more.[25] There were also special programmes from BAFTA, Yorkshire Film Archive, and Screen Bandita, as well as the guest countries India, Mexico and Kuwait, turning the city into a cinema.[26]
2014
ASFF received BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Qualifying status in 2014.[27] The festival was also awarded Festival of the Year by York Press.[28]
The festival attracted 18,000 admissions and over 300 films from 40 countries worldwide were screened.[29] Notable films include Alan Holly's Coda, shortlisted for the 87th Academy Awards and nominated for the 42nd Annual Annie Awards, starring Brian Gleeson and Orla Fitgerald.[30] Actors starring in some of the short films also included Adeel Akhtar, Hugo Weaving, Maxine Peake and model Lily Cole.
The festival also included guest programmes from Creative England iShorts, Yorkshire Film Archive, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival, Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur and international cinema from the featured countries Iraq, Lebanon and Japan.[31]
The festival continued to showcase films in all genres including: animation, artists’ film, comedy, documentary, drama, experimental, music video, thriller and a family friendly programme.[32] It also expanded its programme to include fashion and advertising, offering an opportunity to experience the creative output from these sectors while exploring career opportunities for filmmakers in commercials and brand promotion.[33][34]
ASFF’s fashion film strand was supported by London College of Fashion.[35] The festival screened films from brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Swarovski, Louis Vuitton, Trager Delaney, Topshop, River Island, Karen Millen, Triwa watches and Hub Footwear.[36]
New events included Meet the Film Festivals, which created a place for filmmakers to network with programmers from across the world. Festivals in attendance included Berwick Film & Media Arts Festival; Raindance; London Short Film Festival; Edinburgh International Film Festival; Garden State Film Festival, USA; Internationale Kurzfilmtage Oberhausen and Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia.[37]
2015
The Aesthetica Short Film Festival celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2015. The festival ran from 5 to 8 November across 15 venues around the city of York and attached 20,000 admissions.[38][39]
The festival welcomed acclaimed industry figures for its masterclass series, including BAFTA winning Warp Films’ Head of Production Barry Ryan (’71, Berberian Sound Studio, Four Lions and This is England); Stephen Whelan, Executive Producer and founder at White Lodge; and Price James, who worked previously at Ridley Scott Associates and is now a director at BAFTA winning production company Agile Films. Organisations also included Association of Camera Operators, Rankin Film, Shooting People, National Theatre, British Society of Cinematographers, Studio AKA, Channel 4, Framestore and more.
The festival screened over 300 films in all genres: advertising, animation, artists’ film, comedy, dance, documentary, drama, experimental, fashion, music video and thriller plus Creative England's iShorts premiere screening and guest programmes from the featured countries Cuba, China and Brazil.[40]
ASFF 2015 also hosted the festival's first Videotheque enabling festival goers the opportunity to watch all films from the Official Selection at Explore York, York's city centre library.[41]
The winners from each category, plus Best of Fest, People's Choice Award and York Youth Vote were announced at the ASFF Awards Ceremony on Sunday 8 November.[42]
2016
ASFF 2016 ran 3 from 6 November 2016 and took place in 18 venues across the city of York. The schedule of events included a new daily Morning Coffee hour at According to McGee art gallery, which presented an opportunity for filmmakers in the Official Selection to join a panel and discuss best practice. There were Showcase Screenings curated by cultural organisations throughout the UK, including London College of Fashion University of the Arts London, Plymouth College of Art, University of York, the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University, Creative England and Northern Ireland Screen among others.[43] ASFF teamed up with the Northern Film School at Leeds Beckett University to present a new award for 2016, celebrating best screenplay in the Official Selection.[44]
The masterclasses were led by industry representatives from organisations such as the BBC, Industrial Light & Magic, Jagex and more. BBC Commissioning Editor, Kristian Smith, joined writer of Raised by Wolves Caroline Moran to discuss development and pitching, while actress and writer Alice Lowe (World’s End, Sightseers) spoke about how to bring a character to life.
The Jury of industry professionals who selected the winners included representatives from BAFTA, Edinburgh International Film Festival and Encounters Film Festival.[45]
2017
The seventh edition of ASFF will take place in York from 9 to 12 November. It will screen films in 18 venues across the city, and will present a masterclass programme, networking sessions, special events and showcase screenings.
Aesthetica Magazine
Founded in 2002, Aesthetica is a British art and culture magazine that is published bi-monthly. The magazine covers photography, visual art, music, film and theatre. It features the latest news, exhibitions, reviews, and interviews. Artists previously covered include Steve McQueen, Martin Creed, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Ernesto Neto among many others. Aesthetica has a print, digital and social media readership of over 284,000 and national and international distribution.[46]
Format
The Aesthetica Short Film Festival runs for four days at the beginning of November every year. It takes place in York across various venues within the city centre. These include cinemas, museums, galleries and theatres, offering a rare chance to see exceptional contemporary cinema while exploring York’s most iconic locations.[47]
The Opening Night takes place on the first evening after a day of screenings. The second day sees the majority of masterclasses take place, alongside screenings and the Meet the Film Festivals Event. The final masterclasses take place on the third day, alongside screenings followed by the Meet the Filmmakers special screening and panel discussion. On the fourth day, the final screenings take place and the event closes with the Awards Ceremony. Awards are given out for Festival Winner, People's Choice, Best in Category and York Youth Vote.[48] Networking, special screenings and parties run throughout the festival.
ASFF provides a place for industry, filmmakers and audiences to connect. Industry events include masterclasses, Meet the Film Festivals, hosted networking sessions and Meet the Filmmakers.[49]
Guest Programmes
The festival showcases guest programmes from leading international film organisations. Guest programmes have been presented by BAFTA, Warp, Creative England, Screen Bandita, the Yorkshire Film Archive, Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival and Kurzfilmtage Winterthur. Featured countries have included Kuwait, Mexico, India, Japan, Iraq and Lebanon, showcasing global contemporary cinema.[50] The 2016 Special Showcase Screenings programme focuses on emerging filmmaking, ranging from Creative England’s iShorts programme to fresh projects from the country’s leading universities and colleges.[51]
Call for Entries
The Aesthetica Short Film Festival opens for entries in December and closes on 31 May. ASFF welcomes film submissions from emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. ASFF accepts films with a maximum running time of 30 minutes in all genres, including: advertising, animation, artists’ film, comedy, documentary, drama, experimental, fashion, music video and thriller.[52]
Awards
2011 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | River Dog, James Muir/Daniel Hunter |
| People’s Choice | Dr Knowgood: The Lion’s Pride, Arnold Zwanenbur |
| Best Animation | Hasan Everywhere, Andrew Kavanagh |
| Best Artists’ Film | Wall, Michael Barwise |
| Best Comedy | Tooty’s Wedding, Frederic Casella |
| Best Documentary | River Dog, James Muir/Daniel Hunter |
| Best Drama | LIN, Piers Thompson |
| Best Experimental | Dogged, Jo Shaw |
| Best Music Video | Amatorski: Soldier, Maria de Gier |
| Best Thriller | Cleaning Up, Thomas Guerrier |
2012 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | The Sugar Bowl, Shasha Nakhai/Richard Williamson |
| People’s Choice | Hollow, Rob Sorrenti |
| Best Animation | The Jockstrap Raiders, Mark Nelson |
| Best Artists’ Film | Reduction Study: Ping Pong, Joanna Tam |
| Best Comedy | Photoshopping, Mark Davenport |
| Best Documentary | The Sugar Bowl, Shasha Nakhai/Richard Williamson |
| Best Drama | Dylan’s Room, Layke Anderson |
| Best Experimental | To The Sea, Anna Valdez Hanks/Anna Blandford |
| Best Music Video | Let It Go, Ashley Dean |
| Best Thriller | Augenblicke, Martin Bargiel |
2013 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | Out Of Darkness, Manjinder Virk |
| People’s Choice | But Milk Is Important, Anna Mantzaris / Eirik Grønmo Bjørnsen |
| Best Animation | Oh Willy…, De Swaef / Marc James Roels |
| Best Artists’ Film | Ma, Imran Perretta |
| Best Comedy | This Way Out, Staten Cousins-Roe |
| Best Documentary | Danger Overhead Powerlines, Mia Mullarkey |
| Best Drama | Out Of Darkness, Manjinder Virk |
| Best Experimental | Man vs Sand, Prano Bailey-Bond |
| Best Music Video | Call Me In The Afternoon, Czlowiek Kamera |
| Best Thriller | Lapsus, Karim Ouaret |
2014 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | Coda, Alan Holly |
| People’s Choice | The Wolf, The Ship, And The Little Green Bag, Cullum Carver-Jones |
| Best Animation | Coda, Alan Holly |
| Best Artists’ Film | Forgotten Memories From The End Of The World, Danilo Godoy |
| Best Comedy | Girl Power, Benjamin Bee |
| Best Documentary | Herd in Iceland, Lindsay Blatt |
| Best Drama | Eine Gute Geschichte (A Good Story), Martin-Christopher Bode |
| Best Experimental | Léthé, Harald Hutter |
| Best Music Video | Public Service Broadcasting: Night Mail, Robert Hackett |
| Best Thriller | Keeping Up With The Joneses, Michael Pearce |
| Best Fashion | River Island x Joseph Turvey feat. Justanorm, Alex Turvey. |
| Best Advertising | The Directors Project, Ben Marshall |
| York Youth Vote | How To Disappear Completely, Tim Woodall / Phil Drinkwater |
2015 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | A Confession, Petros Silvestros |
| People’s Choice | Acoustic Kitty, Jennifer Sheridan |
| Best Advertising | The Experimenter, Simon Emmerson, Andy Russell, Tim Spence & Phil Robson (Lush Digital) |
| Best Animation | Somewhere Down the Line, Julien Regnard |
| Best Artists’ Film | Towards the Possible Film, Shezad Dawood |
| Best Comedy | How I didn't Become a Piano Player, Tommaso Pitta |
| Best Dance | Primitive, Tom Rowland |
| Best Documentary | Across Still Water, Ruth Grimberg |
| Best Drama | Stutterer, Benjamin Cleary |
| Best Experimental | Drifters, Anu Valia |
| Best Fashion | Pinch Me for Ted Baker, White Lodge |
| Best Music Video | We Were Evergreen: Daughters, Dominique Rocher |
| Best Thriller | A Confession, Petros Silvestros |
| York Youth Award | Billy the Kid, Sam Johnson |
2016 Winners
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Festival Winner | Irregulars, Fabio Palmieri |
| People’s Choice | Dust and Resin, Stephen Parker |
| Best Animation | Machine, Sunit Parekh-Gaihede |
| Best Artists’ Film | Solo Damas, Callum Hill |
| Best Comedy | 90 Grad Nord, Detsky Graffam |
| Best Documentary | Irregulars, Fabio Palmieri |
| Best Drama | Silence, Dejan Mrkic |
| Best Experimental | Two Signs' Den: Epilogue, Bruno Decc |
| Best Music Video | Beardyman - Mountainside, Lewis Rose |
| Best Thriller | Cork Man, Dawn Han |
| Best Fashion | Breaking Rules, Victor Claramunt |
| Best Advertising | Robo-Trumbe, John Wright |
| York Youth Vote | Litterbugs', Peter Stanley-Ward |
References
- ↑ "Aesthetica Short Film Festival". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF 2016 Masterclasses and Events". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF Venues". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Aesthetica Magazine". Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "ASFF Partners". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2016". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Recognised Festivals List" (PDF). British Council Film.
- ↑ "About Aesthetica". Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "About ASFF". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "About ASFF". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF 2011". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF 2011 Masterclasses". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Review of Aesthetica Short Film Festival". Culture Vulture.
- ↑ "This Week's Film Festivals". The Guardian.
- ↑ "ASFF 2012". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF 2012 Masterclasses". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Short Films from Around the World". The Guardian.
- ↑ "ASFF Director Navid Nikkhah Azad Q&A". The Independent.
- ↑ "What's On". Creative Review.
- ↑ "This Week's Film Festivals". The Guardian.
- ↑ "10 Things to See at ASFF 2013". Little White Lies.
- ↑ "ASFF 2013". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Out of Darkness". Vimeo.
- ↑ "Manjinder Virk" (PDF). Elle India.
- ↑ "ASFF 2013 Masterclasses". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "ASFF: Turning the City into a Cinema". The Double Negative.
- ↑ "BAFTA Recognised Festivals" (PDF). British Academy of Film & Television Awards.
- ↑ "Charles Hutchinson - Arts and Culture Events from 2014". York Press.
- ↑ "ASFF 2014". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Coda". And Coda Film.
- ↑ "ASFF 2014 Masterclasses and Events". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Foreign Film Festivals". The Guardian.
- ↑ "New Advertising Strand". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "New Fashion Film Strand". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Fashion Films at ASFF 2014". The Swelle Life.
- ↑ "Fashion in Yorkshire". Cheery Little Thing.
- ↑ "Meet the Film Festivals". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ Hutchinson, Charles. "Aesthetica Short Film Festival in York could grow longer after record figures for 2015 event". The Press. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ↑ "Shorts Round-Up". IFTN. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ↑ "Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2015 In Review". Culture Darn.
- ↑ Hutchinson, Charles (5 November 2015). "Aesthetica Short Film Festival: ten of the best film screenings and events in York". The Press. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
- ↑ "ASFF 2015 winners". Nouse. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ↑ "ASFF 2016 Events". Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "New Award Announced For ASFF 2016" (PDF). Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "ASFF 2016 Jury". Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "About Aesthetica". Aesthetica Magazine.
- ↑ "ASFF Venues". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "York Youth Vote Winner". Creative England.
- ↑ "Industry Events at ASFF". Aesthetica Short Film Festivals.
- ↑ "Guest Country Screenings". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Special Showcase Screenings at ASFF 2016". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
- ↑ "Call for Entries". Aesthetica Short Film Festival.