Aesthetica Short Film Festival — Our Highlights
Astronauts, the grim reaper and the sex industry all play muse to a huge selection of short films at York’s annual homage to cinema, finds Jack Roe…
On first impression, it seems the most prominent aspect of this weekend’s Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) — an annual ode to short filmmaking which takes over York for the fifth year running — is scale. Over 300 films, over four days, across 15 city-wide venues, featuring content from countries as diverse as China and Brazil, and in genres spanning dance to thrillers, comedy to fashion. It becomes immediately obvious that this a project of ambition, wherein its plaintive tag-line ‘Explore York, Experience Film’ will be well served. In fact, with a glance over the programme it would seem fairly difficult to avoid doing either.
From masterclasses from some of the most prominent organisations in Britain — Channel 4, Ridley Scott Associates and Film London among them — plus various meet and greets and workshops spaced throughout the weekend, this is an experience as rewarding to creators as well as consumers and cineastes.
Our highlights include Robbie Gibbon (Doctor Who, My Mad Fat Diary) on the craft and technology of film editing (7/11); Tim Pope (David Bowie, Fatboy Slim) on breaking into the music video industry (7/11); Dogwoof (The Act Of Killing, Dreams of a Life) on the realities of promoting and selling documentary films to international audiences (6/11); plus the Meet The Festivals party (6/11) including guests from Raindance, London Short Film Festival and ECU.
As far as the screenings are concerned, the animation selection is a particular draw; from the humorous — The Voice Over (Dadomani Studio, Italy, below) — to the surreal — Dji. Death Sails (Dmitri Voloshin, Moldova), imagining a grim reaper who isn’t very good at his job – to the expansive — Infinite Horizon (Stephen Simmonds, UK), which attempts to visualize The Overview Effect, experienced by some astronauts when seeing the earth from space for the first time. The idea that animation is unencumbered by the same budget and technology constraints as live action, and therefore freer to explore expression and imagination, is truly enforced at ASFF.
Elsewhere, the wide-ranging artists’ film category promises creative takes on topical contemporary subjects, such as gender fluidity — The Space in Between (Lucy Brydon, UK) — and female objectification — He’s the Best (Tamyka Smith, USA). Someone That I’m Not (various, UK), as a key example, promises to lift the lid on a statistic: 6% of students are working in the sex industry in order to cope with their fees. This a documentary premise that feels vital in the contemporary socio-political climate.
For those that enjoy a little discomfort in their viewing experience, look to Roadkiller (Kate Cheeseman), which gleefully channels some Stephen King-style comedy horror: businessman kills badger, encounters an animal cult = chaos ensues. Comedy has always been well served by short-form moving image, a format that allows for one well-crafted joke or set piece to express itself without dilution; to that end, Put Down (Rick Limentani, UK), the story of a black market pet exterminator, shapes up to be a delicious tar-black laugh.
In a world where the bridge between aspiring young creatives and the actual creation, production and distribution of film can seem increasingly hard to cross, events such as ASFF take on a new importance. Practical advice, industry insight and widely creative work to inspire and entertain make for a festival expert in cultural expression.
Jack Roe
See Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) from Thursday 5-Sunday 8 November 2015 at venues across York — single ticket screenings £5/4; one day festival pass £15/13.50; four day unlimited screening pass £30/27
Full programme of screenings, masterclasses and venues here
