Awards
All films in the Official Selection are in competition to receive a number of awards, recognising outstanding talent in filmmaking. The winning films are selected by a jury of industry experts, and are presented at the Closing Night Awards.
Previous winners have gone on to achieve further success, including The Silent Child, directed by Chris Overton (Oscar Winner), Stutterer by Benjamin Cleary (Oscar Winner), Grandad Was a Romantic by Maryam Mohajer (BAFTA Winner), Black Sheep by Ed Perkins (Oscar Nominee), and Wale by Barnaby Blackburn (Oscar and BAFTA-Nominated).
Festival Winner
All category winners are nominated for the award for best film in Aesthetica Film Festival. Only one film can win this prestigious title. The overall winner receives £1,000.
Image: Kofi & Lartey | Dir. Sasha Rainbow | Best of Festival Award, 2019
Best in Category
Every film in the Official Selection is eligible to win the award for the best film in its category. There is one Best in Category award for each of the short, feature and VR genre strands.
Image: Miss Chazelles | Dir. Thomas Vernay | Best Drama Award, 2019
BAFTA Eligibility
ASFF is officially a BAFTA-Qualifying festival for short film, which means that if your film is accepted into two or more recognised festivals, it may be eligible. More details.
Image: Madame | Dir. Garth Jennings | Best Thriller Award, 2019
People’s Choice Award
All festival-goers are invited to vote for their favourite film at ASFF. This award is chosen by audiences, and is given to the most popular film. Voting takes place during the festival.
Image: Down | Dir. Garry Crystal | People’s Choice Award, 2019
York Youth Award
ASFF’s Youth Engagement day features a series of specially curated Official Selection film screenings for school pupils aged 11-14. The students critically engage and vote.
Image: Lasagne | Dir. Hannah Hill | Youth Award, 2019
Hijack Visionary Award
The Hijack Visionary Filmmaker Award recognises directors with exceptional vision and a unique voice. The winner receives a generous post production package from Hijack Post.
Image: They Found Her in a Field | Dir. Ellie Rogers | Hijack Award, 2019