Watchlist: ASFF 2022 Guest Speaker Films
Aesthetica Short Film Festival is back this November with a jam-packed programme, including an array of masterclasses with acclaimed guest speakers. Hear from the likes of Philip Barantini, Channel Four, BBC Film and more, who will be sharing vital tips on how to create unforgettable, award-worthy films. Ahead of the talks, we highlight four films by our guest speakers to stream.
Tell Me Who I Am
Tell Me Who I Am is the acclaimed documentary from former ASFF winner Ed Perkins (Black Sheep), which deals with a story of accidental memory loss and the tragic family secret it obscures. The film’s producer – two-time BAFTA and Oscar-winner Simon Chinn – will be on hand at ASFF for the sure-to-be-engaging Presenting Real Stories: Producing Oscar-winning documentary. In this session, chaired by critic Jason Solomons, he will dissect this film and others in his career, including Man on Wire, Searching for Sugarman, Whitney and My Scientology Movie.
Death of England: Face to Face
In the powerful, BAFTA-nominated Death of England: Face to Face, two friends – played by Neil Maskell and Giles Terera – navigate the new normal in locked-down Britain. The cinematographer behind this remarkable work, Sashi Kissoon, will be attending ASFF for his must-not-miss session Framing, Lighting, Focus: The Cinematographer’s Vision. He will examine the importance of framing and lighting, and discuss ways to produce telling imagery on screen, whatever your budget.
Boiling Point
Philip Barantini’s feature-length Boiling Point truly put him on the map in 2021. The remarkable one-take movie, which was originally a short film, is all set in a high-end restaurant. Starring Stephen Graham as a chef facing meltdown, it was nominated for four BAFTAs and won four British Independent Film Awards. Barantini joins ASFF to talk about his own fascinating journey in Following Your Own Path: From Acting to Directing, a essential masterclass for anyone moving from one discipline to another.
Make Up
Make Up follows a teenager spending a summer with her boyfriend in a remote caravan park in Cornwall. The unsettling drama marked the arrival of its hugely talented British writer-director Claire Oakley, who was billed Screen Star of Tomorrow in 2019. Since then, her career has moved from shorts to a debut feature to directing the upcoming episodic TV show Culprits for Disney+. This November, she will consider her trajectory in ASFF talk Routes to Success: Becoming A Screen Star.
Aesthetica Short Film Festival runs from 1-6 November in York, UK. Catch up On Demand from 1-30 November. Book your Festival Pass to Sign up to Masterclasses.
Words: James Mottram
