Watch the Trailer for Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2014

The BAFTA Qualifying ASFF: Aesthetica Short Film Festival is a celebration of independent film from across the world, and an outlet for supporting and championing short filmmaking. One of the UK’s most exciting site-specific events, this year’s festival will take place in 15 iconic venues across the historic city of York from 6 – 9 November 2014. ASFF offers a first look at the latest experimental and artists’ films from leading practitioners working across the UK and the world, focusing on their aesthetic and intellectual contributions to contemporary visual culture.

This year’s Artists’ Film programme includes 72 art and experimental shorts that offer up new and novel approaches to filmmaking. Selected from over 1,500 entries, each piece is conceived as an exploration into the fundamental elements of moving-image making, investigating technical processes, narrative structures and form. The films screen throughout the four day event, alongside the festival’s other categories including dance, music video, animation and documentary, and will be showing in a fascinating blend of venues spanning York’s historic and contemporary art spaces.

Building upon last year’s success in representing the most compelling and experimental artist filmmakers, this year’s festival welcomes Turner Prize nominated artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien. In a one-off Q&A, hosted by Art Historian James Boaden, audiences will have the opportunity to gain insight into the practice of one of Britain’s leading artists’ filmmakers whose work spans feature film, documentary and installation. Julien will explore how the genre of artists’ film is developing inside and outside of the gallery as well as audiences’ responses to changing techniques in filmmaking.

Visitors to ASFF will also be able to enjoy a library of specially curated art books at one of ASFF’s screening venues, the New School House Gallery – a stunning Grade II listed building famed for its excellent contemporary art displays – providing a stimulating environment to sit, relax and immerse themselves in the art world. White cube space According to McGee, also plays host to ASFF films alongside large screens at Reel Cinema and City Screen Picturehouse York, opening up an intriguing dialogue between artists’ and mainstream cinema.

Maggie Ellis Head of Artists’ Moving Image at Film London (FLAMIN) joins ASFF to share her expertise in artists’ film production, distribution and representation as part of the festival’s hosted networking sessions. Organised by Aesthetica, an international art and culture publication, the festival provides a fresh perspective on artists’ film alongside short film more broadly, and is a great way indulge your passion for art while learning more about the sector from world-class representatives.

See the trailer for the festival and pick up tickets at www.asff.co.uk

Credits
1. Film courtesy of ASFF and Vimeo.