2011: The First Festival 

The concept of Aesthetica was born. Our first festival ran for three days, and featured masterclasses from the likes of Mark Herman (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), Ivana Mackinnon (Slumdog Millionaire) and esteemed documentarian Saeed Taji Farouky. Fusing remarkable venues and diverse film programme, ASFF has created an event that is truly unique and is pushing the boundaries of the short film landscape both in the UK and abroad.

2012: Round Two

We built upon the success of the inaugural event with even more films, venues and speakers. Across 15 venues, we hosted 200 screenings with films from 25 countries. Masterclasses were held by key figures, such as Danny Cohen (The King’s Speech) and Matt Greenhalgh (Nowhere Boy). In only its second year, ASFF had become a promising film festival, bringing thousands to the city and creating new audiences within its locality.

2013: We Are Three

Furthering our ambition to support filmmaking talent and provide an exciting cinema experience, the 2013 festival screened 300 films. The festival presented a number of events, including a dynamic series of talks from Joakim Sundström (Seven Psychopaths), Alice Lowe (Hot Fuzz) and more. There were special programmes from BAFTA, Yorkshire Film Archive, and Screen Bandita, as well as our three guest countries: India, Mexico and Kuwait.

2014: A Path to the BAFTAs

This is the year we gained BAFTA-Qualifying status. The festival transformed the city of York through pop-up cinema, moving between the city’s most treasured and iconic locations. New strands in fashion and advertising presented more opportunities to watch quality film. Leading figures from BAFTA, Channel 4 and Ridley Scott Associates gave insightful talks. This year’s official selections guest countries were Iraq, Japan and Lebanon.

2015: Half a Decade of Indie Cinema

We invited hundreds of film-lovers into York for four days of captivating cinema. This year marked our fifth anniversary and, to celebrate this incredible achievement, we presented our most ambitious official selection to date. We showcased winners from previous years and teamed up with NRM to present a rare film archive. Speakers came from acclaimed institutions, such as National Theatre and Channel 4, were in attendance.

2016: The First Big Milestone

The festival ran across 18 key venues across York. We screened 400 films as part of its Official Selection and presented a number of Showcase Screenings from leading cultural institutions. More than 25 masterclasses offered advice and support for filmmakers, including: Simran Hans (Peaky Blinders), Lynden Campbell from Domino Publishing (Arctic Monkeys) and VFX giant Industrial Light & Magic (Star Wars).

2017: A Destination for New Ideas

In line with our ethos, we committed ourselves to providing even more opportunities for talent development, networking and inspirational film viewing. At this point, ASFF was known for championing moving image and digital culture on an international level. The programme expanded alongside audiences. Speakers included: Andi Osho, RADA, Matimba Kabalika, Framestore, BBC Film, Channel 4 and more.