The 13th edition of York’s very own Aesthetica Short Film Festival took place from 8-12 November in-person and continued until 30 November online. The BAFTA-Qualifying festival was established in 2010 and has since grown to be one of the biggest and most prestigious film festivals in the UK. The Muse Film and TV team were there reporting in person, immersing ourselves in this year’s expansive programme.
We started our Aesthetica experience on Wednesday morning, catching some of the very first screenings at City Screen Picturehouse and getting a taste of some of the over 300 films from across the world that have been shown at this year’s festival. After overcoming minor technical problems, we saw our first short films in the comedy category under the heading ‘Take Control’. Our first foray into the wonders of Aesthetica included six stories navigating the overpowering pulls of life and the fashioning of power within one’s world. These stories comprised comedic deliberations on cancel culture, fair play within the workforce and a man whose hearing is delayed, which causes him to be out of sync with his environment. It quickly became evident that this year’s line-up was fresh and diverse.
After this initial screening, we saw films spanning around a dozen genres in some of York’s most iconic venues. Among them was a poignant performance from Golden Globe nominee Emma D’Arcy in The Talent, directed by Thomas May Bailey, thematizing the hunger for meaning, validation, and fame. The film follows unnoticed assistant Tommy (D’Arcy), who takes advantage of his opportunity to be noticed on the set of a car advertisement and lets his delusions get the better of him. This depicted a sense of having a big break in the film industry, which especially struck a chord with the audience, as it was made up of film enthusiasts and creators alike. Who in that crowd hasn’t imagined being on a talk show discussing their meteoric rise in the film industry?
In general, the festival takes you into the world of filmmaking, producing, and distributing. In many cases, the people who made the films attended their screenings. There is something extremely magical about having a director, or the subject of a documentary, sit in the audience. It is as if, for a moment, you are let in on the secret and become a spectator, part of the enchanting world of filmmaking. Besides these screenings, hearing from people working in the industry proved to be one of the highlights Pitching sessions were also available for attendees. These opportunities allowed you to submit your short film and learn from seasoned professionals, helping to inspire and puts mall filmmakers on the map.
For instance, we attended a talk at theYorkshire Museum with Will Becher, a senior narrative designer at the award-winning British animation studio Aardman, responsible for cult classics like Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, and Chicken Run. We were taken behind the scenes of the stop-motion films with figures made from clay and plasticine, and told how the iconic characters were developed. Becher reveals that Gromit was originally conceived as a cat but that a dog was easier to produce, and therefore, his species was changed. Aardman, famous for its clay animation, recently made headlines as their modelling clay supplier shut down, causing rumours that they may not be able to produce new films. However, Becher assures us that they are in search of new materials and have enough clay to cover the new Wallace and Gromit film, releasing in 2024.
Another highlight at this year’s festival was the VR and Immersive Experiences Lab, situated in the basement of City Screen. It featured 20 intriguing projects, including multiple 360-degree films, which immersed visitors in new worlds. Aesthetica is committed to bringing new technologies to people and does not shy away from novel ideas. Consequently, this was the inaugural year of the Games Lab, which was located at Spark: York. Aesthetica is the UK’s first film festival to include games in its public programme. The Games Lab was established in collaboration with York-based research group investigate.games and visual effects studio Viridian FX, which was part of the visual effects team on HBO’s House of the Dragon. This brand-new feature of Aesthetica was established due to the increasing importance of game culture and design in filmmaking. With its 40 selected games, attendees were invited to experience a new genre of immersive adventure and storytelling.
The festival’s virtual events were equally interesting, and made the whole experience very accessible. As we attended Aesthetica during term time and could not attend physically every single day, we made use of this online content accordingly. Although not every single film was available immediately, the website was soon stacked with content. Not only could we access all the films that were screened, but we could watch the recorded talks with industry professionals. This enabled us to consume as much content as possible, even from the comfort of our own homes.
Just like that, we had reached the closing awards ceremony, the last event of the festival’s extensive schedule. Every major genre and format present had a respective award, from comedy short films to advertising and music videos to VR. Hosted in the Yorkshire Museum, the ceremony was a prestigious affair with festival director, Cherie Federico, in attendance to deliver a speech on Aesthetica’s impact.
Big successes of the night included Safe, Debbie Howard’s drama on harassment which won her both Best Director and Best Screenplay. Her acceptance speech was impassioned, lamenting how the events of her film have been unfortunately resonant for women globally. The Royal National Institute for Blind People’s latest campaign won the Best Advertising Award, and the artistic process was deconstructed by An Ode to Procrastination, winning Best Fashion. The Golden West did equally well with Tom Berkeley and Ross White’s short film, winning both Best Drama and Best of the Festival. The level of storytelling, craft and passion on display was truly exceptional, with both those familiar and new to the festival being recognised for their outstanding work. The ceremony itself closed with a beautiful testament to the festival, with all nominees and filmmakers behind the varied programme standing together for a photograph.
Yet the night was far from over, as a complimentary drinks reception was held at the Yorkshire Museum. Amongst historical artefacts from bygone eras, a new generation of artists stood – a juxtaposition highlighting the festival’s support of cutting-edge storytelling methods. The atmosphere was undoubtedly warm, a welcome respite from the cold November weather outside. But most importantly, the event served to bring like-minded creatives together, providing a fitting end to a festival celebrating audiovisual art in all its forms, old and new.
Writers’ note: our unlimited passes were provided by Aesthetica Short Film Festival.
