Awards

All films in the Official Selection are in competition to receive a number of awards. These awards recognise outstanding talent in filmmaking practice, and are a prestigious accolade. The winning films are selected by a jury of industry experts, and are presented at the Closing Night Awards Ceremony. Previous winners at ASFF have gone on to achieve further award success, including Oscar wins (The Silent Child, Chris Overton in 2017 and em>Stutterer, Benjamin Cleary, in 2016) and BAFTAs (The Bigger Picture, Daisy Jacobs, in 2015) and have broadened their audience beyond the film festival circuit. Festival programmers in attendance at ASFF have selected ASFF films to screen at other festivals internationally, and professional connections made at ASFF have resulted in several high-profile collaborations.

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 genre strands at ASFF.

Image: Dances With Circles, Paul McLean, (Winner of Best Dance at ASFF 2018) 

Festival Winner

All category winners are nominated for the award for the best film in the festival. Only one film can win this prestigious title. The winner receives £1,000 in prize money.

Image: Black Sheep, Ed Perkins (Best of Fest, NFS Screenplay Award and Best Doc at ASFF 2018) 

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 in York.

Image: Turning Tide, Andrew Muir (People's Choice Award Winner 2018) 

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 for their favourite.

Image: Camlo, David Moody (York Youth Award Winner 2018) 

NFS Award for Best Screenplay

Northern Film School presents returns to ASFF with an award for Best Screenplay in the Official Selection. The Best Screenplay Award is sponsored by NFS at Leeds Beckett University.

Image: Black Sheep, Ed Perkins (Best of Fest, NFS Screenplay Award and Best Doc at ASFF 2018) 

BAFTA Eligibility

ASFF is officially recognised by BAFTA, which means that if your short film is screened or accepted into two or more recognised festivals, it may be eligible. More details.

Image: Double Portrait, Ian Bruce (Winner of Best Animation at ASFF 2018)