Be part of the most exciting site-specific event in the UK with Aesthetica Short Film Festival. Alongside over 300 Official Selection films at 15 locations across York, Aesthetica welcomes incredible guests to deliver masterclasses, panel discussions and workshops that will inspire creativity and offer opportunities to learn from leading figures in industry.
Interrogating important topics is at the heart of Aesthetica’s discussions, with sessions on sustainability, diversity, the ethics of cinema and human rights, and their masterclasses cover every stage of film production.
Direction and Production
- BAFTA-winning film and television director Tom Kingsley delivers a masterclass on Directing TV Comedy: Context Timing and Pacing. Kingsley is best known for directing the first two series of the smash hit BBC sitcom Ghosts as well as This is Going to Hurt, starring Ben Whishaw. He discusses how to construct – and pull off – award-winning comedy.
- Hear from Philip Barantini, director of the multi-BIFA-winning and BAFTA-nominated thriller Boiling Point, starring Stephen Graham. With 20 years’ experience in front of the camera, Barantini now discusses his transition into directing – a move which has propelled him to critical acclaim.
Cinematography and Design
- For those interested in a film’s visual cohesion, industry leading production designer Cristina Casali discusses her BAFTA-winning work in Building a Believable World: The Elements of Production Design. Her credits include The Personal History of David Copperfield (starring Dev Patel and Tilda Swinton) and BBC’s The Pursuit of Love.
- Double BAFTA- and Oscar-winning documentary producer Simon Chinn is joined by Jason Solomons in a session on producing award-winning non-fiction. Chinn is the co-founder of Lightbox, and his films include Tell Me Who I Am and Searching for Sugar Man.
Editing
- Learn more about the editing process with Carly Brown, who offers advice on how to assemble raw film footage, refine a project’s rhythm, atmosphere and narrative flow – as well as her transition from Assistant Editor to Editor. Brown has worked on productions for the BBC, HBO, Disney+ and Sky, and her credits include The Crown and Oscar-winning Belfast.
- This selection of world-class individuals is also joined by representatives from the largest creative organisations who will lead sessions on their specialisms. These include Ubisoft, BBC, Channel 4, Guardian Documentaries, Aardman, ICA and Industrial Light and Magic, amongst many others.
Workshops: New Technologies
- New to 2022, we are also running a series of practical workshops. These centre around expanded realities and are essential for those looking to test out new technologies and gain insight from industry professionals.
- Gal-Dem, an award-winning media company, host a two-hour workshop on storytelling. They are committed to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders and, in this workshop, aim to offer a workshop on communicating films through writing.
- Experience new worlds with workshops on ‘Writing in 360: Non-Linear Narratives’ and ‘How to Make a 360 Film,’ which aim to teach participants how to adapt their storytelling to developing immersive technologies. Or dive into Canon’s cinema camera technologies and experiment with the full range of cameras, from the compact right through to cinema cameras.
Animation
- Hear from multi-BAFTA-winning, Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated Studio AKA, creators of Hey Duggee. In Studio AKA: Animating the World, partner and Director Philip Hunt discusses the studio’s most compelling ideas.
- For those interested in the world of animation, attend Developing Award-Winning Animations: Bold Narratives & Memorable Characters, with representatives from Aardman, Blinkink and Bluezoo. Hear from directors, storyboard artists, writers and multi-genre animators and be inspired by the boundless potential of animation.
#YorkDays tickets start from £12.50 on Select Festival Dates. Visit: asff.co.uk/tickets
These sessions take place in-person 1-6 November however masterclasses and panel discussions will be recorded and available to watch back On Demand as part of Aesthetica’s digital platform which will be available from 1-30 November.
There’s plenty of exciting masterclasses to get stuck into at this year’s festival so be sure to download the programme here: https://bit.ly/3eDmo27