Paul ViridesAfter the success of last year’s inaugural festival, international Arts magazine Aesthetica have announced the opening of submissions for the 2012 Festival.
Aesthetica Short Film Festival is a unique event to York, giving filmmakers of all levels of experience the opportunity to produce and present work of all genres – they list drama, documentary, music video, comedy, experimental, thriller and artists’ film.
At the end of the Festival itself, to be held from the 8th to the 11th November, an awards ceremony will announce the top films from the full selection offered up, with prizes including additional screenings of the winning film at the Rushes Soho Shorts Film Festival in London, the Glasgow Film Festival and the Branchage Film Festival in Jersey. The winner will also be offered a weekend filmmaking course courtesy of Raindance, and 12 months membership to Shooting People.
A selection of the finalists will also be included on the ASFF 1212 Sampler that goes to all Aesthetica readers (around 60,000 people) and, of course, all films are screened at the Festival itself in a variety of locations across York.
The deadline for submissions if the 31 May of this year, with all films selected given notification by the 30th July, and the shortlist of finalists announced in the December issue of Aesthetica Magazine. With five-and-a-half months given for the films, which should be a maximum of 25 minutes in length, to be entered, plenty of time has been left to produce new work exclusively for the Festival.
In 2011, the ASFF was a hit success, with 150 films screened across 15 venues, including the De Grey Rooms, 1331, According to McGee and Bar Lane Studios. Other events, including a whole series of talks from industry professionals like Mark Herman, screenwriter and director for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, and Ivana Mackinnon, producer, made up a festival that really did take over York city centre for the weekend.
Submissions should be submitted by DVD, and full details are given here.
