Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2018 – Official Programme

Welcome The Aesthetica Short Film Festival opens on 7 November and continues until 11 November.

Film is one of the most powerful art forms. It takes us to new places, introduces various cultures and languages, and reaches us on an emotional level that is both immediate and transformative. We all have a movie that changed our lives, which is why I am so pleased to present this year’s Official Selection. These are works that have been selected by our programmers due to their profound stories and innovative filmmaking techniques.

This year’s ASFF is special. We have broadened our horizons by including feature films for the first time in this year’s competition. Alongside this, we are opening the Screen School VR Lab in partnership with London College of Communication, highlighting the immersive and changing nature of cinema. There are also diverse guest programmes from renowned organisations such as Iris Prize – showcasing the best LGBTQ+ shorts – as well as the British Urban Film Festival which looks at on-screen representation, and Underwire, which surveys women in film. Delving into historical archive and the importance of film to reflect upon global events, Imperial War Museum looks at the final year of WWI and Scottish Documentary Institute present female Syrian filmmakers’ experiences of being refugees.

There is a film for everyone at ASFF. It’s our biggest, most ambitious and most accessible programme to date, with over 300 films and 100 events across 15 venues in the city of York.

There are networking sessions, pitching sessions with the UK’s top funders and distributors, and masterclasses from the likes of British Vogue, Film4, i-D, Aardman Animation and more.

Get your pens ready and plan your days well – it’s going to be a busy festival. Enjoy!

Cherie Federico, Director 3