Aesthetica Film Festival

Aesthetica Film Festival

Also known as: Aesthetica Short Film Festival, ASFF
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Aesthetica Film Festival is a festival of independent short film in York, organised by Aesthetica Magazine Ltd and also known as Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF). Founded in 2011, it takes place annually at the beginning of November. Its Official Selection of roughly 300 films is chosen from a global call for submissions and programmed by genre into reels of five to six shorts, covering animation, artists’ film, comedy, dance, documentary, drama, experimental, fashion, music video and thriller, alongside VR, 360 and immersive work. Selected films compete for Best in Category awards decided by juries of industry practitioners, as well as special awards including Best of Festival. The festival qualifies films for the BAFTA British Short Film and British Short Animation awards and for the BIFA British Short Film award.

Beyond the screenings, the five-day programme includes industry masterclasses, pitching sessions, VR and games labs, a podcasting lounge and the New Music Stage. The dates for the 2026 edition are 4–8 November 2026, in person across venues in York.

Country

United Kingdom (UK)

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Music Video, Short, Virtual Reality

Dates

4 November 2026 — 8 November 2026

Awards and prizes

Best in Category awards (jury): Best Advertising Film (Short) Best Animation Film (Short) Best Artists’ Film (Short) Best Comedy Film (Short) Best Dance Film (Short) Best Documentary Film (Short) Best Drama Film (Short) Best Experimental Film (Short) Best Game Best Music Video (Short) Best Podcast Best Thriller Film (Short) Best VR, Immersive & 360 Project (Short) Special awards (all selected films eligible): Best of Festival Best Director Best Cinematography Best Editing Best Screenplay

Contacts

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