Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2021 by Aesthetica Magazine

AESTHETICA SHORT FILM FESTIVAL DISCOVER NEW CINEMA

2021

LIVE I HYBRID I VIRTUAL

2-7 NOVEMBER, YORK UK I 2-30 NOVEMBER, VIRTUAL 1

PARTNERS, SPONSORS & VENUES

DELEGATES & GUEST PROGRAMMES

WELCOME Welcome to the 11th edition of the Aesthetica Film Festival. I am so pleased to bring you this very special hybrid version of the festival, which incorporates both in-person and virtual events, as well as a number of screenings from 2-30 November. I try to take stock of everything that has happened since March 2020: how we were, how we’ve been and how we will be. Many things still remain uncertain, and with that comes a gnawing feeling driven by fear and anxiety. There are so many things happening that require urgent attention. It’s hard not to be pulled in these many directions. As I write this letter to you, I am filled with so much emotion. The idea of sitting side-by-side and experiencing outstanding film together – in a cinema – brings tears to my eyes. It’s a reminder of all the things that we took for granted, as simple as being in each other’s company. Over lockdown, I spent a lot of time cycling as a way to reflect and 4

process (along the way there may have also been some Simon & Garfunkel). All the simple pleasures were taken away, but that’s only when we started noticing how important they actually were. This entire situation has been a huge wake-up call about how we live, think, play, feel and engage with each other and the world around us. I am perpetually worried about the climate crisis and that we’ve gone too far, beyond the point of no return. There are many things to take away from the lockdown, and many lessons learned, but will they stay? As soon as we can jet-set across the world for a weekend, will we? When will we finally stop and change? This year’s festival is dedicated to you. I am so pleased that you are here with us, whether in-person and online. I’ve curated the festival into six conceptual strands: How it was, How it is, How it will be; Humanity on the Edge, When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade; Pleased to Meet You; Mirror,

Mirror; and Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free. Inside each strand you will find 9-12 programmes of films that span across various genres. These strands embrace the world in which we live, offer varied perspectives on the present moment, and look to the future with a sense of humanity. Diversity also plays a large part in our programme this year, with industry events and screenings that have LGBTQ+ communities, the Black Lives Matter movement, women, gender and identity politics at the core. We’ve expanded our renowned guest programmes, and are taking a look at on-screen representation, whilst subverting the status quo. Close to my heart, we have a three part programme that looks at 9/11. It’s been 20 years since the terrorist attack, and with everything that’s happened recently in Afganistan, with the US and British troops leaving and the Taliban regaining control, these programmes are more important than

ever. We also have a programme that complements this, held in partnership with the Imperial War Museum, London, which looks at colonial histories of Iraq. Furthermore, we offer spotlights on films from Northern Ireland, China, Kenya and North Africa. I’m also very pleased to present a comprehensive industry and masterclass programme looking at everything from VFX, animation, cinematography and editing, to conversations with some of the UK’s rising stars such as Alice Seabright, Francis Lee and Prano Bailey-Bond, who are all Aesthetica alumni. I’d like to thank this year’s filmmakers for continuing to make great work in spite of all the obstacles in front of them. I also have to thank my fantastic team for their hard work and dedication to make this hybrid edition a reality. Open up, dive in and enjoy everything that Aesthetica has to offer you! Cherie Federico, Festival Director 5

CONTENTS EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW RATINGS & WARNINGS THE FESTIVAL EXPLAINED ACCESSIBILITY FESTIVAL TICKETS SUSTAINABILITY COVID-19 POLICY EVENTS TIMETABLE VENUES MEET THE TEAM SPECIAL EVENTS CONNECTIONS: NETWORKING & PITCHING 6

8 9 10 12 13 18 19 22 46 52 66 75

INDUSTRY MARKETPLACE INDUSTRY SESSIONS & MASTERCLASSES VR LAB & INTERACTIVE MEDIA LAB GUEST PROGRAMMES NEW WAVE STRAND 1: HOW IT WAS, HOW IT IS, HOW IT WILL BE STRAND 2: HUMANITY ON THE EDGE STRAND 3: WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE STRAND 4: PLEASED TO MEET YOU STRAND 5: MIRROR, MIRROR STRAND 6: NOBODY’S FREE UNTIL EVERYBODY’S FREE OFFICIAL SELECTION FILM PROGRAMME

86 95 135 147 201 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 7

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BOOKING AND COLLECTING TICKETS ASFF 2021 is taking place both virtually and in-person.  ■

■

In-person festival passes grant full access to live events at the festival in York. All events are freeto-attend with a pass, but bookings must be made, and your pass must be valid on the day of the event. Please note: the Opening Night Ceremony is a separate ticketed event. For live events and masterclasses, you will be required to submit the reference number on your ticket to pre-book. For more information, visit p.95.   Some in-person screenings require pre-booking. Venues that require pre-booking include Bootham School (screenings) Yorkshire Museum (masterclasses) York Theatre Royal Studio (masterclasses) and York Explore (masterclasses). For more information on venues, visit p. 46. Virtual passes grant full access to the festival platform, film screenings, as well as live and recorded content, including masterclasses, panel discussions and the Industry Marketplace. Hybrid passes grant full access to both live events and digital events. For in-person special events and masterclasses, pre-booking must be made. For more information, visit p.95.  Screening Passes can be pre-booked at asff.co.uk/tickets.  To attend the festival, you must have a Covid-19 Pass, or evidence of a negative lateral flow test.

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This programme is subject to change at any time and will be updated digitally. Keep in touch via asff.co.uk and social media sites. Twitter: @asffest | Instagram: @asffestival .

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The programme has been separated into three sections: Industry (p.95), Connections (p.75) and the Screening Programme (p. 218)  The in-person festival will run 2-7 November in the centre of York. Please see our venues on p. 46 for more information.   The virtual festival takes place on the Aesthetica Film Festival Platform. Content will accrue between 2-7 November. This includes film screenings, masterclasses and panel discussions. From 8-30 November, all content – including all film screenings and recordings of industry masterclasses – will be available On Demand through the festival platform.

RATINGS & WARNINGS film Ratings, family friendly & introduced screenings n

Films are PG, 12A or 15, but some may be 18. Please see the programme for details.

ll screenings suitable for children aged 4-12 will be classified as Family Friendly. A Please see the festival programme for details of Family Friendly screenings.

content warnings n

A Ab ed

S ome films contain themes viewers may find upsetting or distressing. These will be clearly indicated on each film listing, using the below key. Abuse Abortion Eating disorders

f mh s

Flashing lights Mental health issues Explicit nudity / sex

sh v D

Self harm / suicide Extreme violence / language Discrimination

FILM PROGRAMME LOGOS Our film programme includes logos to demonstrate which films are part of the Official Selection, Guest Programmes or New Wave screenings – which introduce new talent from across the UK.

OFFICIAL

SELECTION

THE FESTIVAL EXPLAINED In 2021, the Aesthetica Film Festival takes place both in-person, in the centre of York, and virtually through our responsive online platform. Cinema screenings and a selection of live events will take place 2-7 November, across 12 venues. Our digital platform, live until 30 November, we offer a selection of live-streamed events from the heart of York, a further range of virtual masterclasses and On Demand film programmes. The digital platform is accessible via phone, tablet, computer, or smart TV.

There are three ways to attend the festival: inperson, virtually, or through a hybrid mixture of both. Whether you’re joining us online, or in-person, we look forward to seeing you and connecting through the best new cinema.

IN-PERSON (AVAILABLE 2-7 NOVEMBER)

BACK TO THE CINEMA Come and join us in York and celebrate venues re-opening. Visit our historic venues, and experience film how it was intended. Through the in-person event, your tickets are only valid from 2-7 November and only include live events in our venues, without any online access to digital-only events. We offer a broad range of ticket options, from those visiting the festival for the first time and trying out a single day, to those looking to engage in everything we have to offer throughout the six days. Single screening tickets are also available.

HYBRID

(AVAILABLE 2-30 NOVEMBER)

MAKE THE MOST OF ASFF 2021 New to 2021, we’re offering audiences the opportunity to attend the festival in the historic city of York, as well as through the online sphere. This is the ultimate film festival experience, as it combines the freedom to watch films on the big screen and take part in our invaluable networking events, whilst being able to log-in and catch up with screenings and recorded events in your own time. Through these tickets, you can attend all six days of the festival in York. Unlimited passes also give access to as many in-person events that you’d like to attend, provided that you book in advance. All digital content, including the full film programme, will be available online until 30 November. Tickets are available as oneday, two-day or full-month passes. You will be given access to our online platform upon booking.

VIRTUAL (AVAILABLE 2-30 NOVEMBER)

LOG-ON FROM THE COMFORT OF HOME We’re excited to be offering a virtual edition of the festival for the second year running. With a digital pass you’re able to view all our film programmes and virtual events through live industry channels, without compromising on the festival experience. We’ve specially curated our programme to be released each day. The platform works across all devices, from smartphones, TVs to tables. To gain access to this year’s festival, simply sign up to our online platform, purchase your pass, login and gain access to a programme of films on demand. Tickets are available for 24-hour login, or for one-week or one-month access.

ACCESSIBILITY a safe and all-inclusive environment for every attendee

Carers, Personal Assistants & Interpreters Complimentary passes are available to all Carers, Personal Assistants and Sign-Language Interpreters, but must be booked in advance. A proof of DLA or a valid CEA card is required. For more information, please email asff@aestheticamagazine.com.

Venue Access Though some venues are located in York’s historic buildings, the majority are fully wheelchair accessible – please check venues on p.46 for more details. Please note, wheelchair spaces are subject to availability.

Hearing Loops & Subtitled Screenings Hearing Loops and headphones are available at City Screen. Fully subtitled reels are available across all genres. These screenings are specially curate for anyone with hearing difficulties. Look out for the symbol in the film schedule. Foreign language films are also presented with English subtitles and are clearly marked.

Parent & Guardian Screenings As part of its commitment to engage with younger audiences, we present a selection of Family Friendly screenings. Please see p. 274 for details.

Subtitled Sessions Live industry events on the virtual platform will be close captioned using an AI plug-in.

FURTHER INFORMATION For all accessibility enquiries and adjustments, please email asff@aestheticamagazine.com. Alternatively, the Hub staff will be able to answer any questions you may have. 12

FESTIVAL TICKETS CHOOSE HOW YOU WANT TO VIEW. We’re delighted to be hosting the 11th edition of the festival as the UK begins to re-open, but we know that the world has changed, and we’re responding to this. This year, we’re offering our largest range of tickets yet, with a mixture of live, in-person and hybrid formats, so you can choose how and when you experience cinema. Whether you’re streaming for the whole family for one day, or attending the full six days of the festival in York, we’ve got you – and your household – covered. In-person tickets are sold individually. Virtual tickets are available to full households, and are accessible through any smartphone, TV, tablet or devices. Prices start from £25. All Screening Passes and Events Tickets can be booked online at asff.co.uk/tickets.

Terms and Conditions You must book your tickets in advance to attend any masterclasses in-person. Masterclasses in venue are only included with the in-person tickets and the hybrid passes. Virtual tickets include access to everything On Demand and Live Streamed during the live festival dates. Tickets are not transferable and cannot be shared or re-sold. Pre-booked seating is required at some venues where capacities are smaller. Please see the website and sessions for further details.

TICKETS

SINGLE TICKETS

Valid for one screening at any venue from 2-7 November. The ticket holder may attend any film screening in any venue on any day. Take your email to the festival hub, where you will be given a paper ticket. The ticket is valid for one use only and does not allow access to masterclasses. Please note that seating is also arranged on a first-come, first-served basis. ADULT: £7.50 | SENIOR: £6.00 | STUDENT: £6.00 | 14-5 YEARS: £6.00 | 4 & UNDER: FREE

TICKETS

IN-PERSON PASSES Short on time but love independent film? Here is your opportunity to experience as much as you can in one day at Aesthetica 2021. You will have access to the venues from 9am until 11pm and you can see as much as you like within that timescale. You will also be able to attend any sessions and panels on your selected day, but these must be booked in advance. The ticket is valid for one day within 2-7 November. Does not include any digital access.

You have the freedom to choose two days that suit you to attend the festival. On these two days you will have unlimited access to all venues, screenings and masterclasses. This is your chance to engage with the festival at your own pace across two days and dive into independent film for 48 hours. The ticket is valid in venues only from 2-7 November for two days of your choice. Does not include any digital access, only in-person events in York.

Unlimited means unlimited! Get yourself ready for an independent film extravaganza! You will have access to all the films across every venue as well as access to any masterclass, session or panel discussion. This is your chance to fully embrace the festival experience and spend as much time as you’d like in front of the big screen. The ticket is valid in venues only from 2-7 November. Does not include any digital access, only in-person events in York.

TICKETS

VIRTUAL PASSES (HOUSEHOLD) Log-on and access as many films as you can watch in one 24-hour time period. You will also have access to On Demand masterclass content and live streamed content if you activate your pass within the live dates of the festival. You can use this as an opportunity to engage with some of the best new talent and visual storytelling through our curated programmes. Valid for 24 hours from first log-in. Online only. No in-person access.

Looking for an authentic festival experience? The Festival Week pass allows instant access to daily film screenings, live industry events, the Industry Marketplace, 360 cinema and extensive video library. Enjoy a full seven days of access to the festival, as if you were there in-person. Log-on to live events as they happen and enjoy a week of film. Valid for 7 days from first log-in. Online only. No in-person access at the live festival in York.

Unlimited means unlimited. This all-inclusive pass grants the holder complete freedom within the ASFF platform from 2-30 November, including film screenings, all live industry events and the Industry Marketplace. You can tune in every day for a month and celebrate creative talent in your home. The platform works across all devices. Valid from 2-30 November. Online only. No in-person access at the live festival in York.

TICKETS

HYBRID PASSES Looking for a taste of ASFF in-person but would like to log-on from home for the rest of the month? Or perhaps you have a specific masterclass you’d like to tune in to? The Day Tripper pass grants one full day in-venue with access to all films and sessions, as well access to our platform including daily film programmes, live industry events and recorded discussions. Valid for one day in-person and from 2-30 November on the Aesthetica platform.

Spend two days soaking up everything that the festival has to offer in-person. You will receive access to all films, panels and sessions taking place on your selected two days of the festival. Then you will be able to catch up on films and sessions from your home via our responsive platform, so on your phone, tablet, computer or TV. The in-person part of these tickets is valid for two days of your choice and virtual access from 2-30 November.

This is the ultimate Aesthetica Film Festival experience, giving you full access in-person and from home. You can attend across all six days of the festival in York with the opportunity to see as many films as possible. Your pass also gives you access to as many masterclasses, panels and sessions that you’d like to attend. You will also have full access to the Virtual Platform where you can catch up on films and masterclasses. Valid from 2-30 November.

SUSTAINABILITY AT ASFF 2021 WE ONLY HAVE ONE PLANET Sustainability is a key focus at Aesthetica. We recognise our responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint, whilst presenting outstanding film. We have reduced environmental impact at every stage of festival planning. Please find out more below.

ASFF is moving to be a hybrid festival, encouraging positive engagement with film from audiences’ homes, eliminating the requirement for travel and reducing carbon emissions on our part. This extends to all delegates. majority of ASFF’s marketing will take place digitally. Printed and physical assets A are all made responsibly, with reuse and repurpose for future events in mind. We recycle as much of our branding as we can each year. The festival will be printing a limited run of festival guides, with a digital version available to all audiences online. All printed materials are made with responsibly sourced and FSC certified materials. ASFF will be offering audiences the opportunity to purchase a cardboard headset to view 360 films. These are fully reusable and recyclable. We have a lanyard return scheme. Please visit the Hub at City Screen to find out more.

COVID-19 POLICY KEEPING EVERYBODY SAFE The pandemic means that now more than ever we need to create safe environments for guests. The festival has undertaken a full risk assessment for Covid-19, and staff will be available for any questions you may have about enjoying a safe festival.

Attendees will be asked to provide either a Covid-19 pass to prove double vaccination, evidence of a negative lateral flow test, or recent recovery from infection. You will be asked for proof of one of these upon collecting your tickets. In line with the UK government guidelines, social distancing has ended, and masks are a personal choice. You may be asked by a specific venue to wear a mask, so please abide by the venue’s policies. We recommend attendees wear masks in busy venues. We ask that if you have any Covid symptoms or test positive that you do not attend the festival. Please scan into venues to assist with track and trace. We recommend taking a lateral flow test before attending each day to ensure that we can prevent the spread. Please wash your hands and sanitise regularly, especially at key touch points. In instances of shared equipment, these will be wiped down after each use. We are asking attendees to book seats at certain venues to avoid queues forming.

Opening Night join us for the prestigious opening ceremony. Tuesday 2 November 18:00-21:00 Curated by Festival Director Cherie Federico, our Opening Night Ceremony introduces audiences to the breadth and diversity of the festival programme with a special screening of films that capture just a small taste of our most expansive programme to date. The Opening Night Ceremony takes place at City Screen York. Separate ticket applies. The film screening starts promptly at 18:30. 20

DAILY TIMETABLES A HOTBED FOR NEW IDEAS Aesthetica is a destination to experience the power and craft of cinema. It is also a key place to learn about the craft across a range of genres, interests and disciplines. This year’s virtual festival boasts over 400 films spanning 14 innovative genres. Running alongside the film screenings, we present a key platform of industry engagement, offering valuable insights via live masterclasses, panel discussions and spotlights with renowned practitioners, as well as vital networking opportunities. Plan your exploration of this year’s festival with our daily schedule, which lists themed film strands, as well as an expansive live industry programme, networking, pitching workshops and other special events. Make sure you don’t miss a thing. For our Special Events, many of these are included with your ticket, but must be booked in advance. Please find out more on each listing over the next few pages.

TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER TIME 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

CITY SCREEN

BOOTHAM

NCEM

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

YORK EXPLORE

Comedy 1

Documentary 4

Writing

Animation 1

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

SPARK

in 360: Segmenting Narratives

VR Lab

Beyond the Animation 4 Drama 1

Experimental 1

Studio: Shooting On

VR Lab

Location

Guardian

Directors Notes: We Are

Brands on Film:

Documentaries:

Can You Tell

Films with

a Story and Sell

Impact

a Product?

VR Lab

Thriller 1

Interactive

Who We Are

Media Lab #Reclaim TheFrame:

of Filmmaking:

Women in

Turning an Idea

Film

Into a Reality

Mother Tongue: Comedy 2

Decolonising

The A-Z

VR Lab

VR Lab Drama 3

Cinema

Animation 2

VR Lab

Comedy 3

Documentary 2

Drama 4 VR Lab

Opening Night VR Lab (until 20:00) Drama 5

Thriller 2

Documentary 3

Music Video 1

Advertising 1

Drama 6

NCEM 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

1331

VIRTUAL RELEASE

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

DIGITAL EVENTS

Oska Bright: Celebrating Difference

Film Kenyan Stories:

1:1 Mentoring

Programming

Alternative

in the

African Realities

Online Age

Pitching: BBC Film 12:00-14:30

Guardian Film Schools

Documentaries:

of the Future

Films with

Networking 1:

Impact

Welcome to ASFF Breakout

Reclaim

Animation:

the Frame:

Harry

Women in

Partridge

Film

Pitching: Guardian Documentaries 15:30-17:30

23:00

SPECIAL EVENTS TUESDAY 2 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - Celebrating Difference

Virtual Release

09:00

Guest Programme - Kenyan Stories

Virtual Release

09:00

VR Lab: 360 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 18:00

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 19:30

Guest Programme - We Are Who We Are (Introduced)

City Screen

14:00 - 15:30

Networking 1: Welcome to ASFF

1331

14:00 - 15:00

Guest Programme - Mother Tongue: Decolonising Cinema

Bootham

16:00 - 17:30

City Screen

18:00 - 21:00

1:1 Mentoring Sessions

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Pitching: BBC Film

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching: Guardian Documentaries

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Opening Night Ceremony

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

TIME

Writing in 360: Segmenting Narratives

York Explore

N/A

10:30 - 11:30

Beyond the Studio: Shooting on Location

York Explore

N/A

12:00 - 13:00

Film Programming in the Online Age

Virtual

CH1

12:00 - 13:00

Guardian Documentaries: Films with Impact

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

13:30 - 14:30

Compulsory: Brands on Film

York Explore

N/A

13:30 - 14:30

Film Schools of the Future

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

#ReclaimTheFrame: Women in Film

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

15:00 - 16:00

The A-Z of Filmmaking

York Explore

N/A

15:00 - 16:00

Breakout Animation: Harry Partridge

Virtual

CH1

15:00 - 16:00

WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER TIME 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

CITY SCREEN

BOOTHAM

NCEM

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

Documentary 4

Channel 4:

Music Video 2

YORK EXPLORE

Capturing

The Potential

Contemporary

of Social VR

Britain

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

SPARK

VR Lab

Capacity of The Executive Drama 7

Thriller 3

Producer’s Tale

Private Space: Producing

VR Lab

Artists’ Film

Foresight: An Urgent

Defying Genre:

Road to

Peter

Nowhere:

Strickland

Ian Bruce

In Conversation

VR Lab

Drama 8

Interactive

Anthology

Media Lab Documentary BBC Film:

Drama 9

Filmmaking:

Developing

Delivering

New Voices

Authenticity

Focus on Comedy 5

VR Lab

Northern

DIY Filmmaking:

Ireland

Taking Control

VR Lab

Doc Feature: 23rd Century

Narrative Documentary 5

Drama 10

Giants

Feature: The Cleaner VR Happy Hour

Drama 11

Dance 1

Thriller 4

Comedy 6

Drama 12

Animation 4

Artists’ Film 1

NCEM / HILTON 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

1331

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

Nowhere:

Off the Record:

Channel 4:

Creativity

Digital

Capturing

in Crisis

Orchard

Contemporary

Foundation

Britain

VIRTUAL RELEASE

DIGITAL EVENTS

Road to

VOD: The Pitching: BBC Film 12:00-14:00

Jakarta

(NCEM)

1:1 Mentoring

Impact on the

The Executive

Film

Producer’s Tale

Landscape

Stories: New Creative Voices

Defying Genre:

Pitching:

Horror

Peter

Goldfinch

in 360

Strickland

First Flights

Networking 2:

13:00-15:30

Industry

(Hilton)

Connections

In Conversation

TRIGGERED!

BBC Film:

Empowering

Developing

Tools

New Voices

A Rising

DIY Filmmaking:

Director:

Taking Control

Prano Bailey-Bond

SPECIAL EVENTS WEDNESDAY 3 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - Road To Nowhere: Creativity in Crisis

Virtual Release

09:00

Guest Programme - Jakarta Stories

Virtual Release

09:00

VR Lab: 360 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 18:00

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 19:30

Guest Programme - Foresight: An Urgent Anthology

City Screen

14:00 - 15:30

Networking 2 - New Opportunities: Industry Connections

1331

14:00 - 15:00

Guest Programme - Focus on Northern Ireland

NCEM

16:00 - 17:30

New Wave - DIY Filmmaking: Taking Creative Control

Yorkshire Museum

VR Happy Hour

City Screen Basement

18:30 - 20:30

1:1 Mentoring Sessions

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Pitching - BBC Film

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching - Goldfinch First Flights

Hilton

By Appointment, See p. 82

CH2

16:30 - 17:30

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

TIME

Channel 4: Capturing Contemporary Britain

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

10:30 - 11:30

The Potential of Social VR

York Explore

N/A

10:30 - 11:30

Off the Record: Digital Orchard Foundation

Virtual

CH1

10:30 - 11:30

The Executive Producer’s Tale

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

12:00 - 13:00

Capacity of Private Space: Producing Artists’ Film

York Explore

N/A

12:00 - 13:00

VOD: The Impact on the Film Landscape

Virtual

CH1

12:00 - 13:00

Defying Genre: Peter Strickland In Conversation

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

13:30 - 14:30

Road to Nowhere: Ian Bruce in Conversation

York Explore

N/A

13:30 - 14:30

Horror in 360

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

BBC Film: Developing New Voices

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

15:00 - 16:00

Documentary Filmmaking: Delivering Authenticity

York Explore

N/A

15:00 - 16:00

TRIGGERED! Empowering Tools

Virtual

CH1

15:00 - 16:00

A Rising Director: Prano Bailey-Bond

Virtual

CH1

16:30 - 17:30

THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER TIME 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

CITY SCREEN

BOOTHAM

Dance 2

NCEM

FRIARGATE

YORK THEATRE ROYAL

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

YORK EXPLORE

Film4:

Spatial

Comedy 3

Animation 2

Drama 6

From Shorts

Sound:

to Features

Building

1331

Authentic Audio

Timeless

Geopolitics in

Narratives:

Documentary 1

The Producer

Iraq & the

Animation 3 Thriller 1

The Art of Casting

Gulf

as Storyteller A View into

Animation 1

Fashion 3

Artists’ Film 1

British Cinema

We Are

Gerard Johnson

Parable

In Conversation

Advertising 1 BBC

Beijing Stories: Resilience Artists’ Film 2

Dance 1

Drama 4

& Artistry

Writersroom:

Filmmaking

Tips & Tricks

Fundamentals

of TV Writing Home Movies: A World Opening Up

Producing Award-Winning Films: David Parfitt

Drama 3

Fashion 1

Comedy 1

Drama 2

Artists’ Film 3

Thriller 2

Documentary 2 Raised Voices

Documentary

& Connected

Feature:

Sales

Launch

Bank Job

& Distribution

Narrative

Drama 1

Experimental 1

Feature: Bipolar Documentary 3 Experimental 2

Comedy 2 Fashion 2

Networking 3:

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

SPARK

ROSE IN THE WALL

NCEM / HILTON

VIRTUAL RELEASE

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

DIGITAL EVENTS

Everymen: A Celebration

Meet the

Film4:

of Trans

Fabricant:

From Shorts

Masculinity

Digital Fashion

to Features

VR Lab

Technology

Towards VR Lab

Pitching: Goldfinch

Africa in

First Flights

Motion:

12:00-14:00

Focus on

(NCEM)

North Africa

VR Lab

1:1 Mentoring

Diversity:

Producing

Inclusive

Compelling

Futures

Content

Who Can Tell

British Cinema

A View into What Stories?

Gerard Johnson In Conversation

Interactive

Pitching:

Media Lab

Talent Decade

VR Lab

15:30 - 17:30

Empowering

BBC

(NCEM)

Storytelling:

Writersroom:

Maxine

Tips & Tricks

Peake

of TV Writing

Networking

Pitching: VR Lab

Film 4

VR Lab

15:30 - 17:30

BBC Film:

Producing

(Hilton)

Developing

Award-Winning

New Voices

Films:

(Repeat stream)

David Parfitt BFI Network Film Hub North Mixer

VR Lab

Meet the VR Lab

Filmmakers

(until 20:00)

Social

23:00

SPECIAL EVENTS THURSDAY 4 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - Everymen: A Celebration of Trans Masculinity

Virtual Release

09:00

Guest Programme - Focus on North Africa

Virtual Release

09:00

VR Lab: 360 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 19:15

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 19:30

New Wave - Timeless Narratives: The Producer as Storyteller

City Screen

12:00 - 14:00

Guest Programme - How the Past is Presented: Geopolitics in Iraq and the Gulf (Introduced)

Bootham

14:00 - 15:30

Guest Programme - Beijing Stories: Resilience and Artistry

Friargate

15:30 - 17:00

New Wave - Home Movies: A World Opening Up

York Theatre Royal

15:30 - 17:30

BFI Network Film Hub North Mixer

Digital Event via Zoom

17:30 - 18:30

Guest Programme - Raised Voices (Introduced) & We are Parable Connected Launch

York Theatre Royal

18:00 - 19:30

Networking 3: Sales, Distribution and Exhibition

1331

18:00 - 19:00

Meet the Filmmakers Social

Rose Within the Walls

19:00 - 21:00

1:1 Mentoring

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Pitching - Goldfinch First Flights

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching - Talent Decade

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching - Film 4

Hilton

By Appointment, See p. 82

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

TIME

Film4: From Shorts to Features

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

10:30 - 11:30

Spatial Sound: Building Authentic Audio

York Explore

N/A

10:30 - 11:30

Meet The Fabricant: Digital Fashion Technology

Virtual

CH1

10:30 - 11:30

The Art of Casting

York Explore

N/A

12:00 - 13:00

Towards Diversity: Building Inclusive Futures

Virtual

CH1

12:00 - 13:00

A View Into British Cinema: Gerard Johnson

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

13:30 - 14:30

We Are Parable

York Explore

N/A

13:30 - 14:30

Who Can Tell What Stories?

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

BBC Writersroom: Tips and Tricks of TV Writing

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

15:00 - 16:00

Filmmaking Fundamentals: Individuality & Originality

York Explore

N/A

15:00 - 16:00

Empowering Storytelling: Maxine Peake

Virtual

CH1

15:00 - 16:00

Producing Award-Winning Films: David Parfitt

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

16:30 - 17:30

BBC Film: Developing New Voices (Repeat Stream)

Virtual

CH1

16:30 - 17:30

FRIDAY 5 NOVEMBER CITY SCREEN 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

BOOTHAM

NCEM

FRIARGATE

YORK THEATRE ROYAL STUDIO

YORK ST JOHN DE GREY

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

YORK EXPLORE

Documentary 4

Comedy 4

Thriller 3

Fashion 1

Developing

Inclusion

Audiences

and Diversity

Through Film

in VFX

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

Nowness: Animation 4

VR Lab

The Changing Visions from Making

Modern Britain Documentary 1

Contact:

Experimental 3

Drama 11

The Wonderful

Role

World of

of Film

Animation

Criticism

Visual Effects:

Inhabiting

Impossible

Worlds:

Storytelling

Data Ethics

VR Lab

Tales from Isolation VR Lab

Experimental 2 Advertising 1

Drama 10

Documentary 5

Drama 5 Road to

VR Lab

Success:

Virtual

Harry

Production

Macqueen Bodies of Change:

Thriller 4

Narrative

Roots, Seeds,

Feature:

Flowers, Fruit

VR Lab Drama 2

Funding

Alternative

9/11

A Beautiful

Industrial

Models:

Futures

20 Years On:

Curse

Light & Magic

Accessing

Part 1

Finance VR Lab Adaptation to Oscar Audible

Fashion 2

Music 1

Documentary 3

Drama 9

Listening Pitch

Nomination: Drama 6

Sally Potter

VR Lab

Premiere & Drinks until 20:00 Narrative

VR Lab

Feature: Comedy 6

A Handful

Documentary Drama 14

of Water

Animation 3

Feature:

(until 20:00) Experimental 1

Drama 13

Comedy 5

Buddy Guy

Fashion 3

Music 2

Dance 2

Artists’ Film 1

1331 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

SPARK

PITCHER & PIANO

MANSION HOUSE

NCEM / HILTON

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

VIRTUAL

Nowness: Audiences Pitching

Through

Scottish Doc

Fashion Film

11:00 -13:30

Journeys into Film

(NCEM) The Meet our Pitching

Stars of the

World of

BBC

Future

Animation

Industry

New Writing

Marketplace

13:30 - 15:00

10:30 - 17:00

(NCEM)

1-1 Mentoring Rising Star: Gamba Cole

Networking 4:

Interactive

Funding &

Media Lab

Wonderful

Pitching

Visual Effects: Impossible Storytelling

Doc Society

Support

14:00-16:30 (Hilton) Amazonian

Jeanie Finlay:

Road to

The Changing

Success:

Traces of Self:

Face of

Harry

Sound

Documentary

Macqueen

Installation

Networking

Pitching StudioCanal 15:00-17:00 (NCEM) Drinks

Industrial Light & Magic

Reception 17:00-18:00 LCF

Adaptation

Drinks

to Oscar

Reception

Nomination: Sally Potter

Friday Night Party

23:00

SPECIAL EVENTS FRIDAY 5 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - Journeys into Film

Virtual Release

09:00

Industry Marketplace

Mansion House

10:30 - 17:00

VR Lab: 360 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 19:15

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 19:30

Amazonian Traces of Self: ASFF Sound Installation

Spark York

12:00 - 21:00

New Wave - Making Contact: Tales from Isolation

City Screen

12:00 - 14:00

Guest Programme - Visions from Modern Britain (Introduced)

York Theatre Royal

12:00 - 13:30

Networking 4: Development, Funding & Support

1331

14:00 - 15:00

New Wave - Bodies of Change: Alternative Futures

City Screen

16:00 - 18:00

Guest Programme - 9/11, 20 Years On: Part 1 (Introduced)

Bootham

16:30 - 18:00

London College of Fashion Drinks Reception

Pitcher & Piano

18:00 - 19:00

Guest Programme - Roots, Seeds, Flowers, Fruit

York Theatre Royal

16:00 - 17:30

Industry Marketplace Drinks Reception

Mansion House

17:00 - 18:00

Audible Listening Pitch Premiere & Drinks Reception

York Theatre Royal

18:30 - 20:00

1:1 Mentoring

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Pitching - Scottish Documentary Institute

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching BFI Doc Society

Hilton

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching - BBC New Writing

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching - StudioCanal

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

TIME

Nowness: Audiences Through Fashion Film

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

10:30 - 11:30

Inclusion and Diversity in VFX

York Explore

N/A

10:30 - 11:30

The Wonderful World of Animation

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

12:00 - 13:00

The Changing Role of Film Criticism

York Explore

N/A

12:00 - 13:00

Meet our Stars of the Future

Virtual

CH1

12:00 - 13:00

Visual Effects: Impossible Storytelling

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

13:30 - 14:30

Inhabiting Worlds: Data Ethics

York Explore

N/A

13:30 - 14:30

A Rising Star: Gamba Cole

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

Road to Success: Supernova’s Harry Macqueen

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

15:00 - 16:00

Virtual Production: Storytelling in the 21st Century

York Explore

N/A

15:00 - 16:00

Jeanie Finlay: The Changing Face of Documentary

Virtual

CH1

15:00 - 16:00

Industrial Light & Magic: Fantastic Universes, New Frontiers

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

16:30 - 17:30

Funding Models: Accessing Finance

York Explore

N/A

16:30 - 17:30

Adaption to Oscar Nomination: Sally Potter OBE (live streamed into venue)

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

18:00 - 19:00

SATURDAY 6 NOVEMBER CITY SCREEN 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

BOOTHAM

NCEM

FRIARGATE

Family Friendly 1

YORK ST JOHN FOUNTAINS

YORK ST JOHN DE GREY

YORK THEATRE ROYAL

Drama 8

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

The Future of

Fashion 1

Documentary

Decolonising

Film: BFI

the Arts in VR

Film Fund’s

Feature:

Mia Bays

VR Lab

Beijing Spring

Music 1

Family

Animation 1

Dance 2

Friendly 2

Sara Putt

Paul Davies:

Associates:

Sound Design

VR Lab

Massive Reach:

Found in

VR Lab

The Evolution

the Edit

Career Strategy

Untold

Aesthetica

Stories

Stars of the Family

Documentary 1

Drama 7

Comedy 4

Future Part 1

of a Game

Friendly 3 Docs that The Future of

Change the

Film Festivals

World: Asif

The Art of

VR Lab

Kapadia

Limitation:

9/11

Creativity

20 Years On:

Under

Part 2

Comedy 1

Documentary 2

Drama 14

Experimental 2 VR Lab

Constraints

Animation:

Meet a

Drawing

Breakthrough

Success

Director: Francis Lee

VR Lab

LGBTQ+ Shorts: Artists’ Film 1

Animation 3

Drama 2

Thriller 1

Comedy 2

Artists’ Film 3

Queer Joy Directing Shorts to

VR Lab

Sex Education: Alice Seabright Narrative Thriller 2

Drama 5

Drama 13

Comedy 7

Drama 6

Drama 4

Comedy 3

Experimental 3

Drama 12

Animation 2

Feature:

VR Lab

Botox

(until 20:00)

1331 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

SPARK

NCEM MEETING ROOM

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 3)

VIRTUAL

The Future of Film: BFI

Decolonising

Film Fund’s

the Arts in VR

Mia Bays Pitching Film Cymru Pitching StudioCanal 11:00-13:30

Wales From Visible

Paul Davies:

to Viral:

Sound Design

Fashion On Film

Sara Putt

11:00-13:00

Associates: Career Strategy

The Art of

Networking 5:

Storytelling:

Found in

Massive Reach:

Nicolas

The Edit

The Evolution

Chaudeurge

Creative

Interactive

Collaborations

Media Lab

1:1 Mentoring

of a Game

Docs that Amazonian

Change the

The Future

New Generation

Traces of Self:

World: Asif

of Film Festivals

South African

Sound

Kapadia

Filmmakers

Installation

Meet a

Animation:

Breakthrough

Drawing

Director:

Success

Francis Lee Aesthetica Stars of the Future Part 1 Directing Shorts to Sex Education: Alice Seabright

23:00

SPECIAL EVENTS SATURDAY 6 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - New Generation South African Filmmakers

Virtual Release

09:00

VR Lab: 360 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 19:15

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 19:30

Amazonian Traces of Self: Sound Installation

Spark York

12:00 - 21:00

Guest Programme - Untold Stories

City Screen

13:00 - 15:00

Guest Programme - Aesthetica Stars of the Future Part 1

York St John Fountains

13:30 - 15:00

Networking 4: Development, Funding and Support

1331

14:00-15:00

New Wave - The Art of Limitation: Creativity Under Constraints

City Screen

15:30 - 17:30

Guest Programme - 9/11, 20 Years on Part 2: In Search Of (Introduced)

Bootham

15:30 - 17:30

Guest Programme - LGBQT+ Shorts Queer Joy (Introduced)

York Theatre Royal

18:00 - 19:00

1:1 Mentoring

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Pitching: Film Cymru Wales

Virtual

By Appointment, See p. 82

Pitching: StudioCanal

NCEM

By Appointment, See p. 82

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

TIME

Decolonising the Arts in VR

York Theatre Royal

CH3

10:30 - 11:30

The Future of Film: BFI Film Fund’s Mia Bays

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

10:30 - 11:30

Career Strategy: Taking Control

York Theatre Royal

CH3

12:00 - 13:00

Paul Davies: Sound Design

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

12:00 - 13:00

From Visible to Viral: Fashion on Film

Virtual

CH1

12:00 - 13:00

Massive Reach: The Evolution of a Game

York Theatre Royal

CH3

13:30 - 14:30

Found in the Edit: Rising Through the Ranks

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

13:30 - 14:30

The Art of Storytelling through Editing

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

The Future of Film Festivals

York Theatre Royal

CH3

15:00 - 16:00

Documentaries that Change the World: Asif Kapadia

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

15:00 - 16:00

A Breakthrough Director: Francis Lee (+ Film Screening)

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

16:30 - 18:00

Animation: Drawing Success

York Theatre Royal

CH3

16:30 - 17:30

Directing Shorts to Netflix’s Sex Education: Alice Seabright (+ Film Screening)

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

18:30 - 20:00

SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER TIME 10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30 23:00

CITY SCREEN

BOOTHAM

NCEM

FRIARGATE

YORK ST JOHN FOUNTAINS

YORKSHIRE MUSEUM

Fashion 3

Family

Drama 7

Dance 1

Comedy 7

Original TV

YORK EXPLORE

Writing Friendly 2

Sam Baron In Conversation Independent Filmmaking: Working to

Narrative Drama 8

Feature:

a Budget Comedy 4

Ribblehead

Family

Drama 14

Drama 3

Narrative

for Global

Friendly 1

Directing Thriller 3

Feature:

Audiences:

20 Years On:

9/11

Documentary 4

Drama 9

A Beautiful

Amit Gupta

Part 3

Curse

Documentary Feature: Dear Sirs

Drama 10

Comedy 5

Immersive Curatorship

Experimental 2

Animation 3 Awards Ceremony

Drama 13

Documentary 5

Drama 11

Artists’ Film 3

Fashion 2

Artists’ Film 2

Music Video 2

Future Part 2

Animation 4

Thriller 4

Drama 12

Drama 1

Comedy 6

Stars of the

1331

10:00 10:30 11:00 11:30 12:00 12:30 13:00 13:30 14:00 14:30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 21:00 21:30 22:00 22:30

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

SPARK

VIRTUAL RELEASE

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 1)

LIVE STREAM (CHANNEL 2)

DIGITAL EVENTS

Writing Original TV Sam Baron VR Lab

In Conversation Aesthetica Stars of the Future Part 2

Getting

1:1 Mentoring

It Right: VR Lab

On Screen

Networking

Intimacy Amazonian Traces of Self: VR Lab Networking 6:

Interactive

Last Chance

Media Lab

Sound

Harry

Installation

Macqueen Special Repeat

Directing

Stream

for Global Audiences:

Encounters

Amit Gupta VR Lab

Backstage Presents: Craig Roberts

Networking

VR Lab Rewriting Revenge

Awards Ceremony

VR Lab

VR Lab (until 20:00)

23:00

SPECIAL EVENTS SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER

EVENT

VENUE

TIME

Guest Programme - Aesthetica Stars of the Future Part 2

Virtual Release

09:00

VR Lab: 260 Cinema & Immersive Experiences

City Screen Basement

11:00 - 19:15

Interactive Media Lab

Spark York

12:00 - 18:00

Amazonian Traces of Self: Sound Installation

Spark York

12:00 - 15:00

Guest Programme - 9/11, 20 Years on Part 3 (Introduced)

Bootham

14:00 - 15:30

Networking

1331

14:00 - 15:00

Awards Ceremony

Yorkshire Museum / CH2

16:00 - 18:30

1:1 Mentoring

Virtual

By Appointment, Check Online

Masterclass

VENUE

CHANNEL

Writing Original Television: Sam Baron

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

10:30 - 11:30

Independent Filmmaking: Working to a Budget

York Explore

N/A

11:30 - 12:30

Getting It Right: On Screen Intimacy

Virtual

Ch1

12:00 - 13:00

Harry Macqueen In Conversation (Repeat Stream)

Virtual

CH1

13:30 - 14:30

From BBC to HBO: Directing for Global Audiences Amit Gupta In Conversation

Yorkshire Museum

CH2

14:00 - 15:00

Immersive Curatorship

York Explore

CH1

14:30 - 15:30

Backstage Presents: Craig Roberts

Virtual

Rewriting Revenge: Dusty Mancinelli & Madeleine Sims-Fewer

Virtual

N/A CH1

TIME

15:00 - 16:00 16:30 - 17:30

VENUES Our expansive range of venues creates a cinematic playground. From purpose-built theatres to renovated structures and riverside picturehouses, our screenings and events take place in an eclectic mix of historic and contemporary buildings. These venues enable us to celebrate film across the city, and are part of the experience of the festival here in York. Venue capacities and access can be found on the following pages, as well as in the daily schedules on p.22. Accessiblity information is listed next to the venue name and on the map.

Festival Hub City Screen, 13-17 Coney St, York YO1 9QL Opening Hours: 09:30-18:00 City Screen is at the heart of independent film in York. The Festival Hub will be located in the foyer of the cinema, where our team will be ready to greet you.

City Screen Hub (fully accessible)

1331 (Fully ACCESSIBLE)

Bootham School (fully accessible)

Capacity: 100

Seating Capacity: 100

Situated in York’s Latin Quarter, this gastro-bar is a true hive of activity. It’s the home of our 2021 Networking events, and also the renowned Friday Night Party: a great place to touch base with other filmmakers.

The Bootham School Arts Centre is the city’s stunning new venue with state-of-the art facilities. The building was shortlisted for the York Design Award in 2014. Prebooking required for all screenings.

City Screen (fully accessible)

Explore York (fully accessible)

Seating Capacity: 120

Seating Capacity: 55

Overlooking the spectacular River Ouse, City Screen is at the heart of independent film in York. It is also the venue for ASFF’s Opening Night Gala. This is a fantastic place to network and experience film as it should be.

Explore York is the first venue of its kind in the country. We will be hosting a number of events in the library, including a selection of panel discussions. Explore York is just a few minutes away from Yorkshire Museum.

Friargate Theatre (non-accessible)

National Centre for Early Music (NCEM) (fully accessible)

Seating Capacity: 80

Seating Capacity: 135

Hidden near the River Ouse and Clifford’s Tower, and home to Riding Lights Theatre Company, Friargate Theatre features a 100-seat studio theatre and a caféstyle performance space. A fantastic venue on the river.

An award-winning medieval church and home of the internationally acclaimed York Early Music Festival, National Centre for Early Music is a short walk from the city centre. A 15-minute walk from City Screen. 47

Rose within the walls (upstairs bar ACCESSIBLE)

York St John University (fountain’s) (fully accessible)

Capacity: 100

Seating Capacity: 180

Step in from the medieval streets of York to relax in Rose Within The Walls, a newly renovated bar where you can experience Masons of Yorkshire gin in style. This is the venue for ASFF’s Meet the Filmmakers event.

This prestigious civic university with an award-winning campus in York city centre has roots going back to the 1840s. York St John has been well-connected with the festival for many years, and is involved again in 2021.

Yorkshire Museum (fully accessible)

Spark york (Fully accessible)

Seating Capacity: 300

Seating Capacity: 20

The venue for screenings, masterclasses and the Closing Night ceremony, Yorkshire Museum was founded by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society in 1830 inside the York Museum Gardens.

Located in the heart of York, Spark is a destination: a local landmark and catalyst for change, both in its appearance and its operational environment. Home to the ASFF sound installation and new technologies.

Mansion house (Fully accessible)

Pitcher & Piano (Fully accessible)

Seating Capacity: 100

Seating Capacity: 200

Since 1732, York Mansion House has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor of York, a tradition that continues to this day. The venue will also host ASFF’s 2021 Industry Marketplace and drinks reception.

Located on Coney Street, Pitcher & Piano is a great bar to visit to relax with old friends and new. Fully accessible. This is the venue for the London College of Fashion Drinks Reception, held on Friday 5 November.

Get Your Festival Pack The Full ASFF Experience £18.95 (+p&p)

Includes an ASFF tote bag, printed edition of the programme, the latest issue of Aesthetica Magazine and a Google Cardboard VR Headset. Buy Your Festival Pack at asff.co.uk/tickets 49

VENUE MAP

3 ha m

FESTIVAL HUB

1331

Ma ry g

at e

Bo ot

City Screen, York 13-17 Coney Street, YO1 9QL

3 Grape Lane. YO1 7HU

BOOTHAM SCHOOL 49-57 Bootham, YO30 7BU

CITY SCREEN BASEMENT

Leeman Road

Library Square, Museum Street, YO1 7DS

Br i dg

EXPLORE YORK

Le nd al

13-17 Coney Street, YO1 9QL

FRIARGATE THEATRE Lower Friargate, YO1 9SL

Sta tio nR oa d

MANSION HOUSE

en re G ft To

SPARK YORK

et tre Que e n S

ROSE WITHIN THE WALLS 1 Tower St, YO1 9WD

17-21 Piccadilly, York YO1 9PB

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YORK ST. JOHN UNIVERSITY

Lord Mayor’s Walk, York YO31 7EX

13 50

PITCHER & PIANO Coney Street, YO1 9QL

re St

Museum Gardens, YO1 7F

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MEET THE AESTHETICA TEAM

Cherie Federico

Dale Donley

Director of ASFF & Editor of Aesthetica

Director of ASFF & Production Director of Aesthetica

kate simpson

KATHERINE SMIRA

Associate Editor

Education Coordinator

ELEANOR SUTHERLAND

SAFFRON WARD

Digital Content Creator

Digital Assistant

MEGAN HOBSON

HELEN OSBOND

Advertising Coordinator

Office Manager

MATT GLASBY

Rachel Pronger

Designer

Guest Programmes Curator

James King

Christopher Maudsley

Industry Consultant

Video and Platform Coordinator

JASON WOOD

Mia Bays

Industry Consultant

MEET OUR PROGRAMMERS Find out more about the industry professionals behind this year’s Official Selection. Our inspiring team have years of experience in programming, commissioning, publishing, production, curation and direction, and have

Drama

Aduke King

Adam Castle is director of Edinburgh Artists’ Moving Image Festival and Pollyanna queer arts and cabaret company. Adam won the Creative Edinburgh Leadership Award in 2016 and has worked for BFI Film Audience Network and BFI Flare LGBTIQ+ Film Festival.

Aduke King has worked as a Short Film Programmer for several leading film festivals. She enjoys finding space in festivals for unseen work, using programming as a way to widen audiences, broaden perspectives and give filmmakers brand new and exciting opportunities.

Advertising / Fashion

Adam Castle

Drama

Dance

worked with the likes of BFI, Tyneside Cinema and BFI London Film Festival.

Caragh Davison

Cherie Federico

Caragh is a short film programmer as well as Talent Programme Manager for BFI NETWORK, which brings together the UK’s film agencies to discover, develop and fund new filmmakers. She designs UK-wide Talent Development programmes for emerging filmmakers.

Cherie Federico is the Director of Aesthetica, the internationally acclaimed British art and culture brand that began with Aesthetica Magazine in 2002 and is now a multi-platform reaching over 500,000, including the BAFTA-Qualifying ASFF and Aesthetica Art Prize.

Documentary

Dale is the Production Director and co-founder of Aesthetica. He spent his early career working as an artist and then moved to graphic design. He is passionate about film and animation in particular.

Emma’s varied and extensive roles have, over the years, included being Venue Manager at Doc/Fest Sheffield, Assistant Producer at Doc House, and Marketing Manager at City Screen Picturehouse, York.

Lauren Clarke

Kit is an artist and filmmaker whose work is driven by an interest in interaction, participation, visual perspective and non-linear narrative expressed through a range of formats which include film, interactive installations and theatre design.

Lauren Clarke is a film programmer, events producer and researcher. She has worked with a range of UK and international film festivals, and cultural organisations including TIFF, BFI London Film Festival, Glasgow Film Festival and Document Human Rights Festival.

Drama

kIT monkman

Comedy

Experimental

Animation

Emma Parker

Artists’ Film

Dale Donley

Marbelle

Mathieu Ajan

MarBelle is the Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of independent film curation and interview platform Directors Notes. Since its formation in 2006, Directors Notes has been regarded as one of the web’s leading curatorial platforms for independent film.

Mathieu is a BFI NETWORK Talent Executive and the founder of Bounce Cinema, an innovative pop-up cinema dedicated to bringing communities together and celebrating exciting new filmmaking talent. Mathieu is passionate about championing new talent. 55

Music Video

Mikey is an award-winning filmmaker and was the recipient of the Scottish BAFTA award for Best First Time Writer in 2007. Mikey also has a PhD in Film Practice and is a programme leader for BA Film Production at the University of Lincoln.

Natalie Gee is a filmmaker and festival programmer for the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts and Brooklyn Film Festival. She’s curated feminist film nights for the Brooklyn Museum and programmes around mental health for the UnLonely Film Festival.

Robb Barham

Rob Speranza

Robb works in programming and operations at The Hyde Park Picture House Leeds, where they are currently embarking on a major expansion project. Robb is part of the short film programming team for Leeds International Film Festival.

Rob is a producer, director and line producer from New York who currently resides in the UK. His feature film credits include Arthur and Merlin, Entity, Inbred and Small Creatures (nominated for Best Film at EIFF 2013) alongside 15 short films.

VR & Immersive

Narrative Features

Thriller

Natalie Gee

Family Friendly

Mikey Murray

Samantha Kingston Samantha has worked in the Immersive technologies industry for the past six years. She has worked on XR festivals across the UK and globally, including Sheffield Documentary Festival, BFI LFF Expanded and Edinburgh Fringe Digital Entertainment Festival. 56

MEET THE ADVISORY BOARD ASFF’s Advisory Board brings together a range of backgrounds and expertise, from academia and commissioning, to production and direction. Our team of talented professionals represents a number of key organisations, as well as renowned independent practitioners.

Charlie Croft

Clare Stewart

Charlie is an Assistant Director at City of York Council. He seeks to work with stakeholders in pursuit of the city’s culture strategy ambition to champion and celebrate York’s arts, culture and heritage and its status as the UK’s first UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts.

Clare is a creative and development consultant and an elected member of the BAFTA Film Committee where she also serves on the Learning, Inclusion and Talent Committee. Clare is thrilled to be the inaugural Chair of Aesthetica Short Film Festival’s Advisory Board.

Dionne Farrell

Jason Wood

Dionne Farrell is a Development Executive at BBC Film, the feature film making arm of the BBC, where she has worked across a number of films, including Rapman’s Blue Story, Francis Lee’s Ammonite, and Akinola Davies’ debut narrative short, Lizard.

Jason Wood is the Creative Director of Film and Culture at HOME. Having worked in the UK film industry for 25 years as a filmmaker, distributor, producer and curator, Jason also holds a Visiting Professorship at Manchester School of Art. 57

Jess Loveland

Julian Foddy

Jess Loveland is Head of New Writing, working across BBC Writersroom and Drama Commissioning based in Salford. Jess oversees all new writing talent development initiatives and works closely with the Writersroom and Drama Commissioning teams.

Before entering the world of digital visual effects, Julian spent 15 years in the music industry. In 2015, he joined the London arm of Industrial Light & Magic. Most recently, Julian was global supervisor for ILM’s work on Spiderman – Far From Home.

MarBelle

MARTIN ROKER

Martin Roker is the Global Head of Black Dog Films. As part of the Ridley Scott Creative Group, Black Dog has an oustanding reputation as one of the most exciting production companies in the world for young and authentically diverse creative talent.

Max Park

Nyree Jillings

Max is a Development Editor at Film4, Channel 4 Television’s feature film division. Max works with both new and established filmmakers. The company’s slate includes Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Ex Machina and Slumdog Millionaire.

Nyree has two decades of marketing, brand and audience engagement experience, with 10 years at the BFI in a variety of roles including marketing lead on BFI London Film Festival and BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival. Nyree is now Head of Campaigns.

Richard Knight

SADIE CLAYTON

In 2003, Richard Knight got his big break as a location manager working on Shane Meadows’ Dead Man’s Shoes. In his role at Screen Yorkshire, Richard delivers training sessions and industry masterclasses, regularly teaching individuals about how to secure employment.

Sadie Clayton is designer exploring the creative boundaries between art, technology and fashion. Fascinated by innovation, Sadie has presented work at the Royal Academy of the Arts, Tate and V&A, and created content with Adobe films.

Steve Jelley Steve Jelley is an award-winning producer and creative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in content production, distribution and technology innovation. He is co-founder and joint managing director of Hammerhead VR.

learn more about our team Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, programmers and advisory board, as well as any upcoming opportunities.

MEET OUR JURY Our Jury brings together a range of backgrounds and expertise, from academia and commissioning, to production and direction. Our dedicated team represents a number of key organisations such as Blue Zoo, British

Jessica Bugg

Cornelius Walker

Dr Jessica Bugg is Dean of the School of Media and Communication, London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London and was awarded a PhD from the same institution in 2006. Jessica’s work has been screened in venues including the ICA.

Cornelius Walker is a director and screenwriter whose first film was the Oscar-Nominated Black Sheep produced by Lightbox and The Guardian. Through his own company, he has worked with leading brands such as Google and HSBC.

Animation

Director and Screenwriter

Advertising / music video / fashion

Dean, London College of Fashion

Shelley Jones

Advertising / music video / fashion

Vogue, the BBC, Nowness and the Scottish Documentary Institute.

Anthony Farquhar-Smith

Video Commissioner, NOWNESS

Animator

Shelley Jones is Video Commissioner at NOWNESS – a global video channel screening the best in culture. As part of the commissioning team, she develops new series and commissions original work across a range of subjects – searching out talent.

Stop motion director Anthony Farquhar Smith is known for his unique animation style. He has directed numerous commercials, and worked with renowned filmmakers Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. Credits include Fantastic Mr Fox and Corpse Bride.

Animation

Maryam Mohajer

Tom Box

Maryam Mohajer is a British-Iranian, BAFTA-winning animator / director who was born in Tehran, Iran, living through the revolution and war. She discovered animation and short film after moving to the UK in 2000, and won a BAFTA with Grandad Was a Romantic.

Tom co-founded Blue Zoo in 2000 and continues to be a driving force in the animation production company. He is executive creative within commercials and games, whilst managing Blue Zoo’s AnimDojo. Tom also runs the studio’s short film programme.

Alexander Whitley

Co-Founder, Blue Zoo

Artists’ Film / Experimental / Dance

Animator / Director

Sadie Clayton

Alexander Whitley is a choreographer working at the cutting edge of contemporary dance. He has developed a reputation for a bold interdisciplinary approach to dance, producing innovative and thought provoking works for the likes of Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

Minnie Carver

Comedy

Copper Designer and Artist

Artists’ Film / Experimental / Dance

Choreographer

David Jenkins

Video Producer, British Vogue

Editor, Little White Lies

Minnie’s role at British Vogue involves commissioning, producing and often directing filmed content for the magazine’s video platforms. Her work moves between print and digital – from sculptures with Bella Hadid to wedding dress shopping with Cara Delevingne.

David is the editor of Little White Lies, a bi-monthly movie magazine which has just reached its 60th issue. He worked as a film critic for Time Out London prior joining the LWL staff, and has written for Sight & Sound, The Guardian, MUBI amongst other outlets. 61

Comedy

Isabelle Croissant

Alice Seabright

Isabelle works at HOME, Manchester’s new international multi-arts venue. She programmes and produces events that aim to showcase and develop creative talents and forge connections between practitioners across a variety of creative sectors.

Alice Seabright is a writer and director based in London, who was named as a 2019 Screen International Star of Tomorrow. Alice is currently showrunning her original series Chloe for the BBC and Amazon. Alice directed episodes 4 and 5 of Sex Education Series 2.

Harry MacQueen

Christine Morrow

Harry Macqueen is a renowned writer, director and producer. His second feature, Supernova, starred Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci. It was longlisted for two BAFTAs, including Best British Film. He was longlisted for the Breakthrough Brit Award.

Christine works across all BFI Network and Northern Ireland Screen short film activity in fiction, factual and animation areas. She designs and manages workshops and seminars for new and emerging talent in animation, factual and fiction sectors.

Thriller

New and Emerging Talent Executive, Northern Ireland Screen

Drama

Writer & Director

Jess Loveland

Writer & Director

Drama

Programme Manager, HOME

Christina Newland

Head of New Writing, BBC Writersroom

Film Critic & Journalist

Christina Newland is the lead film critic at the i Newspaper and a journalist on film at VICE, Sight & Sound, BBC, MUBI, Empire, and others. Her first book, She Found It at the Movies: Women Writers on Sex, Desire and Cinema, was published in March 2020.

Thriller

Anna Hintzen

Max Park

Anna is a Development Executive at StudioCanal UK. As the premier European Studio, StudioCanal works with new and established talent, focusing on local British feature films as well as exciting projects with European DNA for a global audience.

Course Leader, LCC

David’s pioneering work with live performance in virtual reality has been presented at festivals and conferences worldwide, including Tribeca, Venice, SXSW and GDC. He specialises in interactive narrative experiences at the intersection of the real and virtual.

Ana is the Course Leader of the VR Master’s Programme at London College of Communication, where she also teaches VR content creation and immersive storytelling. She has a PhD in Human Computer Interaction for VR content design.

Steve Jelley

Documentary

DAVID GOCHFIELD

Ana-Despina Tudor

XR Creator

VR & 360

Development Editor, Film4

VR & 360

Development Executive, StudioCanal

Richard Melman

Co-Founder, Dimension

Producer

Steve Jelley is an award-winning producer and creative entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in content production, distribution and technology innovation. He is co-founder and joint managing director of Hammerhead VR.

Richard Melman is a former cameraman turned Emmy-, Peabody-, RTS- and Grierson-award-winning producer. He has produced, directed and commissioned many hundreds of programmes, including the Prison series for Channel 4 and three films with Werner Herzog. 63

Rebecca Mark-Lawson

Rebecca Mark-Lawson runs award-winning Tyke Films, producing work with original voices, exploring the intersection between documentary and fiction. Tyke Films’ documentary Irene’s Ghost was listed as one of The Guardian’s “Best Films of 2019.”

Documentary Features

Berwyn is a producer and the founder of Iris Prize, a generous production grant awarded annually to a filmmaker as part of the Iris Prize Festival. He has produced content for BBC, ITV and S4C including Llety Piod (UK) starring Bill Nighy.

Documentary Features

Tyke Films

Hannah Bush Bailey

Noé Mendelle

The BFI Doc Society Fund aims to develop storytellers from all parts of the UK, backing documentaries with bold cultural and social ambitions. Hannah Bush Bailey works across the fund’s feature slate and Made of Truth Short Scheme, supporting filmmakers.

Noé is an experienced director and producer on the international scene, working on numerous documentaries. In 2003 she set up the Scottish Documentary Institute, and over the years has devised several award-winning talent schemes.

Narrative Features

Director, Scottish Doc Institute

Narrative Features

BFI Doc Society

Simon Nelson

Documentary

Berwyn Rowlands

Founder, Iris Prize

Mick Audsley

Development Exec, BBC Writers Room

Editor

Simon Nelson is the Development Executive for BBC Writersroom. He leads the development of new writers and writing for BBC drama, comedy and children’s drama, covering television, radio and online content. He has also worked for the BBC and ITV.

Mick Audsley is one of the leading film editors in UK and USA with more than 40 feature credits to his name, including Interview with the Vampire, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Dangerous Liaisons and Allied. He is a BAFTA-winner and nominee.

Narrative Features

SARA PUTT

Deputy Chair, Women in Film and TV

Sara sits on the BAFTA Board, The BAFTA TV Committee and chairs the BAFTA Learning and New Talent Committee. She is also Deputy Chair of Women in Film and runs Sara Putt Associates, an agency for freelance production personnel.

AWARDS CEREMONY Celebrate the winning films with us.

SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER 16:00-18:30 YORKSHIRE Museum Every film in Aesthetica’s Official Selection is in competition for one of our prestigious awards, chosen by an experienced jury. These accolades have a track record of launching and nurturing exciting careers in film. Join us in recognising outstanding achievements.

SPECIAL EVENTS MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TICKET. Alongside an extensive film programme, we offer a range of daily events – for both virtual and in-person audiences – designed for those looking to further engage in the landscape of film and learn something new. Our special events provide a lively mix of industry-led masterclasses, networking and social opportunities, as well as focused mentoring and the chance to view the next generation of filmmakers. Whether you’re interested in expanding your contact list and meeting potential collaborators, or learning something new, look no further. Highlights for 2021 include unique 1-1 advice sessions with our esteemed delegates, as well as the renowned Industry Marketplace, which brings together over 20 of the UK’s largest film exhibitors and institutions. All in-person events must be pre-booked. Virtual events can be streamed online with a festival pass. To find out more about this year’s events, visit: asff.co.uk/tickets

SPECIAL EVENTS TUESDAY Opening Night Ceremony ASFF launches its 11th edition with a special screening of outstanding, inspiring and thought-provoking works from the 2021 Official Selection. Curated by Festival Director Cherie Federico, our Opening Night Ceremony introduces audiences to the breadth and diversity of the festival programme with a special screening of films that capture just a small taste of what’s to come.

Date & Time: 2 November | 18:00 - 21:00, screening starts at 18:30. Venue: City Screen

WEDNESDAY VR happy Hour This is the perfect place to generate ideas, debate and collaborate with new industry connections about the potential for VR entertainment and beyond. A destination for those working, or interested in, new and immersive technologies, and the role they play in the future of cinema. Pop in and meet other filmmakers who are similarly interested in virtual and augmented realities. Open to all. First-come, first-served.

Date & Time: 3 November | 18:30 - 20:30 Venue: City Screen Basement

THURSDAY BFI Network & Film Hub North: Shorts Mixer (virtual) Film Hub North hosts a virtual mixer event for writers and writer-directors currently developing a short film, and producers looking to expand their slate. This informal online meet-up introduces filmmakers based in the North to prospective producers with the aim of forging new connections and kick-starting collaborations on shorts aiming for BFI Network funds. Held on Zoom. Pre-registration required.

Date & Time: 4 November | 18:00 - 19:00 Venue: Zoom, pre-booking required. 67

SPECIAL EVENTS THURSDAY Meet the filmmakers social York’s Hilton hotel boasts a stylish new gin bar, Rose Within The Walls. A hidden gem tucked away from the bustling city centre, this modern bar is the perfect place to unwind with a Mason’s gin and tonic. Come and enjoy a drink opposite one of York’s best-known historical landmarks: Clifford’s Tower. Attendees receive a free gin on entry, served on a first-come, first-served basis. Come and meet our filmmakers.

Date & Time: 4 November | 19:00 - 21:00 Venue: Rose Within the Walls, YO1 9WD

THURSDAY Connected: Drinks Reception with We are parable We are working in partnership with We Are Parable to launch a new network focused around supporting filmmaking talent for people of colour in the UK and our home base, the north of England. We Are Parable is creating a space for audiences and filmmakers to come together to form meaningful partnerships. This event will take place in York Theatre Royal after the Raised Voices screenings. All welcome.

Date & Time: Thursday 4 November | 19:30-21:00 Venue: York Theatre Royal

FRIDAY Industry Marketplace Following its launch in 2019, and second virtual edition in 2020, ASFF proudly hosts its third Industry Marketplace. This is a unique platform in the UK, taking place on one of the festival’s busiest days, providing a vital platform for filmmakers, new talent and delegates to connect with leading production services, agencies, film festivals and universities. A must-attend event for those looking to network.

Date & Time: 5 November | 10:30 - 17:00 | Drinks reception 17:00-18:00 Venue: Mansion House 68

SPECIAL EVENTS FRIDAY Audible x Aesthetica present: Blind as a Beat premiere This year ASFF and Audible teamed up to run The Listening Pitch. It was an open brief, looking for original stories that demonstrated how listening lets us understand different points of view and discover new ideas. Audio had to be central to the narrative. Join us for the premiere of Blind as a Beat and a Q&A with the filmmakers about the project. Followed by a drinks reception.

Date & Time: Friday 5 November | 18:30-20:00 Venue: York Theatre Royal

FRIDAY

London College of Fashion Drinks Reception UAL’s London College of Fashion is one of the UK’s leading institutions, using the subject of fashion to shape lives and drive economic and social transformation. Join alumni and university professors alike for a relaxed social to discuss the future of a changing art form and its wider relevance within today’s content-driven landscape. Drinks offered post-screening at Pitcher & Piano, next door to City Screen.

Date & Time: 2 November | 18:00 - 19:00 (Following Screening Time) Venue: Pitcher & Piano

FRIDAY Friday Night Party Helping to carry ASFF through into a weekend of social events and inspiring cinema, 1331 hosts the renowned Friday Night Party. Located in York’s vibrant Grape Lane, the party provides the ideal location to join in with the festivities or re-group with new friends. Grab a drink, connect with other industry guests and prepare for a busy weekend ahead. This is one of the largest social events of the weekend.

Date & Time: 3 November | 21:00 - 23:00 Venue: 1331 69

SPECIAL EVENTS SATURDAY Untold Stories This programme and Q&A, demonstrates the power of unheard voices. Presented in partnership with Sheffield Hallam, we explore how diversity can, and should, be embedded in filmmaking practice, from production to exhibition. Untold Stories showcases directors and producers who capture the region from new angles, taking a specific focus with emerging filmmakers based in the North of England.

Date & Time: Saturday 6 November | 13:00-15:00 Venue: City Screen

SUNDAY AWARDS CEREMONY To bring our 11th edition to a close, we welcome filmmakers and audiences to tune in to our live prize giving ceremony. Prizes are awarded for the best film in each of our 14 genres, as well as our Audience Choice, Best of Fest and Special Guest Awards. Join in a celebration of outstanding achievements in filmmaking, with a selection of screenings. The closing ceremony will be followed by a drinks reception.

Date & Time: Sunday 7 November | 16:00-18:30 Venue: Yorkshire Museum

VARIOUS DAYS Youth Engagement Programme ASFF’s Youth Engagement screenings feature a series of specially curated Official Selection film screenings for school pupils aged 5-14. The students critically engage and vote for their favourite to decide the winner. This year’s screenings will take place in York’s local schools, sparking a love of cinema from a young age. For more information, please email asff@aestheticamagazine.com.

Date & Time: Individual Venue: Local Schools 70

SPECIAL EVENTS VARIOUS DAYS

Amazonian traces of self: sound installation “The forest reverberates my voice.” Amazonian Traces of Self is a multi-speaker sound piece by experimental vocalist and sound artist Yifeat Ziv, based on her experience in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Through the use of field recordings, voice improvisation, electronics and text, this work explores the intimate intersection of environmental listening and the human voice.

Date & Time: 5-6 November, 12:00 - 21:00 | 7 November 12:00-16:00 Venue: Spark York

VARIOUS DAYS Interactive Media Lab This interactive exhibition explores how digital platforms are changing the way we produce film-based media. The displays are structured around three categories: Augmented Worlds, the application of VR, AR and MR in fashion and performance film, Embodied Interactions, where physical gestures control on-screen narratives, and Critical Explorations, considering the influence of social media.

Date & Time: 2-6 November, 12:00 - 19:30 7 November, 12:00 - 18:00 Venue: Spark York

VARIOUS DAYS Daily Networking Events Whether you’re looking to connect with industry representatives, discover new opportunities or learn new approaches to filmmaking, our daily virtual Networking Sessions and Workshops offer the perfect opportunity to meet with professionals from the film sector. Start a conversation, discuss your work and meet contacts who could transform your career – you never know where it could take you.

Date & Time: 2-3, 6-7 November, 14:00-15:00 | 4 November, 18:00-19:00 Venue: 1331

SPECIAL EVENTS VARIOUS DAYS Mentoring: 1-1 Opportunities (Virtual) These 20-minute sessions are for practitioners working across all genres, and at varying stages in their careers. Our industry experts provide essential and tailored guidance on how to develop ideas, break into the industry and further your careers. This is truly a unique opportunity to find an expert in your chosen field and gain first-hand advice from those shaping the industry today. Pre-booking essential.

Date & Time: 2-7 November Venue: Virtual, pre-booking required

VARIOUS DAYS

Filmmaker Insights Panel Discussions Hear from a selection of filmmakers that make up 2021’s Official Selection. These daily panel discussions are the perfect place to learn more about inspirations, motivations and creative processes, covering topics such as documentary filmmaking, animation, producing on a budget and establishing your own unique style in a competitive industry. Held at the live festival. Pre-booking required. Date & Location: 2-5 November, York Explore 6 November, York Theatre Royal 7 November, York Explore

VARIOUS DAYS Screen School VR Lab Aesthetica and London College of Communication’s Screen School invite audiences to immerse themselves in the story, discovering new worlds and experiencing 360 cinema and immersive projects. Pre-booking required. The 360 Cinema is held alongside panel discussions at York Explore and York Theatre Royal. Joining the festival virtually? Purchase an ASFF cardboard headset to experience at home.

Date & Time: 2-7 November, 11:00-20:00 Venue: City Screen Basement, pre-booking required. 72

SPECIAL EVENTS VARIOUS DAYS VR Panel Discussions The Screen School VR Lab is complemented by a series of panel discussions, welcoming pioneering filmmakers and creatives to delve into the making and realisation of VR and 360 film through the lens of ethics, production and storytelling. Topics for 2021 include Spatial Sound: Building Authentic Audio, and Writing in 360: Segmenting Narratives. Pre-booking required.

Date & Location: 2-5 November, York Explore 6 November, York Theatre Royal 7 November, York Explore

VARIOUS DAYS Masterclasses Our 2021 speakers include Sally Potter, Francis Lee, Nicolas Chaudeurge and Francis Lee, as well as representatives from BBC, Film 4, Channel 4 and MUBI. A selection of masterclasses will be live streamed from Yorkshire Museum, with some running purely on our virtual channels. All masterclasses are free-to-attend, but pre-booking is essential (unless attending online through the platform).

Date & Time: Daily | Multiple Location: Various | Virtual

Guest Programmes alternative viewpoints. diverse representation.

Enjoy our curated guest programmes from leading organisations. In 2021, we consider the themes of Queer Joy, 9/11: The Fall Out and South African Female Directors. Key organisations include Africa in Motion, Transgender Film Center and Imperial War Museum.

CONNECTIONS ASFF’s Networking Sessions, 1-1 Mentoring, Pitching Sessions and Industry Workshops are a key part of the festival programme, offering both in-person and virtual attendees the opportunity to meet and interact with representatives from some of the leading arts and film organisations, productions companies, sales and distribution specialists and exhibitors. Seize the chance to start a conversation. Who knows where it could lead. These opportunities are offered across our virtual platform and in-person in York. Read more about these events in the following pages, and be sure to book where necessary. *Guests are subject to change at any time.

NETWORKING SESSION 1

Welcome: Delegate and Filmmaker Meet & Greet Date 2 November | Time 14:00-15:00 | Venue: 1331

For the opening of this year’s festival, we welcome all filmmakers to introduce themselves and form new and exciting collaborations for the days ahead. This is a great first meeting place, and opportunity to find your feet.

NETWORKING SESSION 2

New Opportunities: Industry Connections Date 3 November | Time 14:00-15:00 | Venue: 1331

Making that first introduction is crucial to the next steps in your career, and ASFF is the perfect platform to meet the people who can help you find your path. Join industry delegates to speak about your next project.

NETWORKING SESSION 3

Sales, Distribution & Exhibition Date 4 November | Time 18:00-19:00 | Venue: 1331

Making a film is a huge achievement, but getting it seen is another story. Join sales agents, distributors and exhibitors to discuss a strategy for your film and get the recognition your hard work deserves.

NETWORKING SESSION 4

Development, Funding & Support Date 5 November | Time 14:00-15:00 | Venue: 1331

All big ideas need help to get them off the ground. We welcome industry representatives from leading organisations to connect with filmmakers and offer their advice, looking at development, funding and support.

NETWORKING SESSION 5

Creative Collaborations: Production & Craft Date 6 November | Time 14:00-15:00 | Venue: 1331

We are joined by a range of established producers and practitioners for this event. This is the perfect opportunity to discuss your next project, get advice and make essential connections within the realms of production and craft.

NETWORKING SESSION 6

LAST CHANCE ENCOUNTERS Date 7 November | Time 14:00-15:00 | Venue: 1331

On 7 November, the festival draws to a close, but there is still an opportunity to make some important connections. A perfect chance for filmmakers to meet, exchange details and continue the conversation.

Official Selection Filmmakers

PITCHING SESSIONS SHARE YOUR NEXT BIG IDEA. Developing a new short or feature project? Looking for advice and pointers on developing your big idea? Pitching Sessions are your chance to get your work in front of key decision-makers from the UK’s leading production companies. Meet one-to-one with the Development Executives from the likes of Film4, Goldfinch First Flights, BBC Film, StudioCanal, Guardian Documentaries, Film Wales and BFI Doc Society. This is a major opportunity to receive invaluable feedback on your work. Successful applicants are invited to a 15-minute, 1-on-1 Pitching Session with a representative from one of our guest organisations. All events take place in person at the National Centre for Early Music, apart from Film Wales, which is a virtual session. You must register for a full industry pass to be eligible to apply for pitching. Free to enter. Find out more and submit your proposal at asff.co.uk/pitching-sessions by Friday 15 October 2021.

BBC Film (Narrative) BBC Film is at the forefront of independent filmmaking in the UK, developing and co-producing feature-length productions. Committed to developing new talent, it collaborates with some of the foremost writers and directors, with new releases including Ken Loach’s Sorry We Missed You and Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir. BBC Films was awarded the BAFTA for Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema.

Date 2-3 November, NCEM Time 2 November, 12:00-14:30 3 November, 12:00-14:00

Guardian Docs (Documentary) Guardian Documentaries is a home for independent talent, commissioning and supporting creatives to share the untold stories of real people. Projects include Ed Perkins’ Oscarnominated Black Sheep and Roxy Rezvany’s Little Pyongyang. The commission looks for filmmakers with innovative ideas for access-driven stories, shedding light on underrepresented and unheard communities. 82

Date 2 November, NCEM Time 15:30-17:30

CONNECTIONS: PITCHING SESSIONS Goldfinch First FLights (Narrative shorts) First Flights is an incubator for first-time feature film directors and producers, supporting each individual to create financially successful features and launch their international profiles. The First Flights team is adept at spotting emerging creative talent, working with individuals to produce their first feature. Goldfinch has worked with Gary Oldman, Anjelica Houston, Bill Nighy and Sam Riley.

Date 3 November, Hilton 4 November, NCEM Time 3 November 13:00-15:30 4 November 12:00-14:00

The Talent decade (VR & 360 projects) The Talent Decade is a joint pitching opportunity devised between Sheffield Hallam University and Aesthetica Short Film Festival and is launching for the first time at this year’s 2021 festival! This initiative will involve young people (16-25) who are eligible to apply for a grant of £500 towards a VR project. The prize money will be awarded to the winning individual or team.

Date 4 November, NCEM Time 15:30-17:30

Film4 (NArrative) Film4 is Channel 4 Television’s feature film division, developing and co-financing projects from the most distinctive talents in the UK and rest of the world. Academy Award-winners include Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, with recent releases including Andrea Arnold’s American Honey.

Date 4 November, Hilton Time 15:30-17:30

Scottish Documentary Institute (Doc Features) Scottish Documentary Institute specialises in documentary training, production and distribution, supporting filmmakers through a diverse programme of high quality training programmes. It has produced over 100 films, screening in 60 countries, garnering recognition as being at the cutting edge of the documentary sector. Bridging art and industry, it is committed to film driven by the emotional experience.

Date 5 November, NCEM Time 11:00-13:30

CONNECTIONS: PITCHING SESSIONS BBC (Scripted television drama) Jess Loveland is Head of New Writing at the BBC, working across the BBC Writersroom and Drama Commissioning teams. Jess oversees all new writing talent development initiatives and ensures there is a strong pipeline of new writers and stories emerging onto the BBC Drama development slate. She can advise on scripted television drama projects that offer vibrant new stories.

Date 5 November, NCEM Time 13:30-15:00

Studiocanal (Narrative Feature) STUDIOCANAL is Europe’s leader in production, distribution and international sales of feature films and TV series. STUDIOCANAL has fully financed box office hits Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, Paddington 1 and 2, and Shaun the Sheep Movie. Upcoming films include Will Sharpe’s The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, and A Boy called Christmas.

Date 5-6 November, NCEM Time 5 November, 15:00-17:00 6 November, 11:00-13:30

Doc Society (Documentary) The BFI Doc Society Fund works to support and develop storytellers from all parts of the UK, backing feature and short creative documentaries with bold cultural and social ambitions. Founded in 2005, it is committed to enabling great documentary films and connecting them to audiences globally. Hannah Bush Bailey works across the funds feature slate and Made of Truth Short Scheme.

Date 5 November Hilton Time 5 November, 14:00-16:30

FFILM CYMRU WALES (Narrative) Ffilm Cymru Wales is the development agency for Welsh film, dedicated to advancing and sustaining a strong film industry for Wales. It does this by providing funding and training to emerging and established Welsh filmmakers, offering exciting cinematic experiences to audiences across Wales, engaging people of all ages and abilities in creative learning. Open to Welsh filmmakers only. 84

Date 6 November Virtual Time 11:00-13:00

vr Happy Hour Discuss the future of new technologies.

Wednesday 3 November 18.30-20.30, City screen basement A destination for those working, or interested in, new technologies and the role they play in the future of cinema. Come and meet with other individuals interested in virtual reality, with access to the VR Lab suites. Open to all. First-come, first-served. 85

INDUSTRY MARKETPLACE ENGAGE, NETWORK & CONNECT Returning to ASFF for the third year, the Industry Marketplace finds a new home in both a live and virtual space, welcoming more than 40 exhibitors from leading organisations, including production services, film festivals, screen agencies and renowned universities. A unique platform in the UK, the Industry Marketplace offers a vital platform for practitioners to make connections and uncover opportunities. Access to the Industry Marketplace is included with a festival pass. In Person: Friday 5 November, Mansion House, 10:00-17:00. Drinks reception 17:00-18:00. (Virtual: 2-30 November)

CONNECTIONS: INDUSTRY MARKETPLACE

OPENING NIGHT CEREMONY 2 November 18.00-21.00, City Screen Aesthetica launches its 11th edition with a screening of outstanding, inspiring and thought-provoking works from the 2021 Official Selection. Curated by Festival Director Cherie Federico, our Opening Night Ceremony introduces audiences to the breadth and of the festival programme with a special screening of films that capture a taste of what’s to come. Screening starts promptly at 18:30.

CONNECTED: A NETWORK LAUNCH Thursday 4 November, 19:30-21.00, York Theatre Royal We are working in partnership with We Are Parable to launch a new network focused around supporting filmmaking talent for people of colour in the UK and our home base, the north of England. We Are Parable has created a legacy of cinematic events that focus on creating unique experiences for Black audiences. Working, in partnership with Aesthetica, we are creating a space for audiences and filmmakers to come together to form meaningful partnerships and potential collaborations. This event takes place in York Theatre Royal after the Raised Voices screenings. Open to all.

MEET THE FILMMAKERS Thursday 4 November, 19.00-21.00, Rose Within The Walls York’s Hilton hotel boasts a stylish new gin bar, Rose Within The Walls. A hidden gem tucked away from the bustling city centre, this is the perfect place to unwind and meet with other filmmakers in the Official Selection. Come and enjoy a drink opposite one of York’s best-known historical landmarks: Clifford’s Tower. Attendees receive a free gin and tonic upon entry, on a first-come, first-served basis.

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN FILM (IN ASSOCIATION WITH SARA PUTT ASSOCIATES, INVITATION ONLY) 5 November, 19.00-21.00 This dinner, sponsored by Sara Putt Associates, is an opportunity for established and emerging women working across film and television to network. We celebrate the outstanding achievements of women in film – from directors, producers and screenwriters, to editors, cinematographers and more – and offer a unique opportunity to discuss future collaborations. Invitation only.

AUDIBLE x AESTHETICA: BLIND AS A BEAT PREMIERE Friday 5 November, 18:30-20:00, York Theatre Royal This year, ASFF and Audible teamed up to run The Listening Pitch. It was an open brief, looking for original stories that demonstrated how listening lets us understand different points of view and discover new ideas. Audio had to be central to the narrative of all submissions. Join us for the premiere of the winning project, Blind as a Beat, and a Q&A with the filmmakers about the film. Followed by a drinks reception.

FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY Friday 5 November, 21:00 - 23:00, 1331 Helping to carry the festival through into a weekend of social events and inspiring cinema, 1331 hosts the renowned Friday Night Party. Located in York’s vibrant Grape Lane, the party provides the ideal location to join in with the festivities or re-group with new friends. Grab a drink, connect with other industry guests and prepare for a busy weekend ahead. An ideal place to meet other filmmakers.

To attend masterclasses, discussions and some events in person (between 2-7 November in York, UK), you must pre-book your place in advance and your pass must be valid on the day of the event. You can do this via our Eventbrite page, which will be valid with your ticket.

INDUSTRY Every year, we welcome industry leaders from a range of disciplines to speak about their craft, offering you a unique opportunity to gain first-hand insights into direction, animation, screenwriting, scriptwriting, animation, VFX, documentary production, cinematography and more. Whether you are a DOP, screenwriter, director or even just a film aficionado, we have gathered the best in the industry to share their experiences to help inform and propel your understanding of cinema. This year, we welcome acclaimed editors, directors and actors such as Sally Potter (The Party), Nicolas Chaudeurge (Black Mirrorr, Suffragette), Maxine Peake (Shameless, Funny Cow, Peterloo), Gamba Cole (Hanna) and Francis Lee (God’s Own Country, Ammonite), as well as leading practitioners across more than 50 masterclasses. Industry sessions are included with festival passes, but must be booked in advance. Please check whether the event is taking place in-person or virtually, as your ticket will correspond with this.

MASTERCLASSES, PANELS & LIVE TALKS GAIN FIRST-HAND INSIGHTS Masterclasses will run live in-person on our dedicated industry channels, 2-7 November. Most sessions will be recorded and will be available on demand until 30 November through our virtual platform. Masterclasses are included as part of our full access passes, though online booking is required for in-person events due to venue capacity. *Programme is subject to change.

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

Carlos catalan Focus on Cinematography Carlos Catalan is a Director of Photography and Cinematographer with credits including Broadchurch, Killing Eve and The Eichmann Show. Carlos has worked on commercials with major brands such as Volkswagen and Dell, shooting for TV, short and feature films. Carlos trained at Escola Superior de Cinema I Audiovisuals de Catalunya (ESCAC) in Barcelona, and then The National Film & Television School in the UK. He joins us at this year’s festival to deliver a whistlestop tour of all things cinematography.

Date & Time: 2 November | 10:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

carlos catalan Cinematographer

Writing in 360: Segmenting Narratives Traditionally, films begin with a script, or the treatment of an idea. In 360 filmmaking, there’s a new set of parameters for narratives, dialogues and concepts, and often the planning needs to come from a completely different angle. In VR, the writing process is one of further complexity, nuance and intricacy, with further clarity and emphasis on viewer focus. Where should you begin when writing for 360 projects? How do you construct a narrative when thinking about the story as an immersive experience, not a linear timeline?

Date & Time: 2 November | 10:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Adam Ganz / Niall Hill Despoina Zachariadou

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

Beyond the Studio: Shooting on Location Shooting on location brings many rewards – atmosphere, authenticity, character – but also many challenges. Richard Knight, Production Liaison for Screen Yorkshire, has 15 years’ experience in location management, working on acclaimed productions such as This is England, The Virtues and Four Lions. In this session, Knight guides us through the process of finding and securing the right location, offering pragmatic advice for filmmakers looking to expand their horizons and take their shoot out into the real world.

Date & Time: 2 November | 12:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Richard Knight Production Liaison

Film Programming in the Online age Physical cinemas have endured an enforced period of closure due to COVID-19, with a huge rise of titles taking to streaming services. This panel, hosted by journalist and industry expert Charles Gant (Screen International), looks at the myriad challenges and opportunities film curators face as they look to connect their audiences with a wider film culture. Panellists include: Joan Parsons (Head of Queens Film Theatre Belfast), Julie Pearce (BFI) and Mark Cosgrove (Head Curator, Watershed Bristol).

Date & Time: 2 November | 12:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

CHARLES GANT / Joan Parsons JULIE PEARCE / MARK COSGROVE

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

The story of Aesthetica: Hear from our Director Cherie Federico Aesthetica was founded in 2003 as an art and culture magazine, and has since grown to become an international brand – encompassing a magazine, film festival, art prize and symposium. Join us to hear from Aesthetica’s Director, Cherie Federico, and learn about what it takes to set up a film festival – how to develop global audiences for independent film. Federico will talk you through the process of realising an idea, and transforming a passion for independent cinema into becoming the director of a leading UK film festival.

Date & Time: 2 November | 12:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Cherie Federico Director, ASFF

Guardian Documentaries: Films with Impact In Conversation with Charlie Phillips Charlie Phillips, Head of Video at The Guardian, will speak in conversation with Piotr Artur Cieplak (Sussex University) about the rise of the documentary in recent years, the types of projects that The Guardian is making, and their wider impact. Recent productions include Colette, winner of the 2021 Oscar for short documentary, as well as Black Sheep, Somalinimo and Bright Lights – all of which have recently screened at ASFF. Hear from one of the world’s leading commissioners of short form documentary.

Date & Time: 2 November | 13:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Charlie Phillips /Piotr Artur Cieplak

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

Brands on Film: Can you tell a story and sell a product at the same time? This session discusses the layers of communication in branded content, and how these films use storytelling to create impact. Is it always just about the sale or are these films centred around brand values and ethos? What is the line between storytelling and advertising? We will hear from COMPULSORY’s Executive Producer Kadri Mahmoud (Gucci, Burberry, Google) alongside Head of New Business Stephanie Walton. They will dissect the status quo – considering how film is used for better or worse.

Date & Time: 2 November | 13:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Kadri Mahmoud / Stephanie Walton Executive Producer / Head of New Business

Film Schools of the Future In an industry in which urgent change is required – in terms of access and diversity – and in which new technology is leading to a process of democratisation, what role can film schools play in shaping new talent and what will film schools of the future look like in terms of who, how and what they teach? The session is presented by Dr. Kirsty Fairclough, Reader in Screen Studies at the newly launched SODA (School of Digital Arts) – a state of the art new film school in Manchester which has just opened this year.

Date & Time: 2 November | 13:30

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Dr. Kirsty Fairclough Reader in Screen Studies, SODA

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

HARRY PARTRIDGE Independent animator Harry Partridge has amassed an enormous online cult following with his creation of iconic cartoon characters such as Dr. Bees, Starbarians and Trilby Dogtooth. A truly autonomous creator – writing, animating, voicing and scoring all his own short films – Harry will discuss his unique career balancing commissions for huge video game franchises such as Skyrim and Hitman with his own original projects. He will also give detailed insights into the craft behind some of his breakout cartoons such as Saturday Morning Watchmen and The Justin Bieber Show.

Date & Time: 2 November | 15:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Harry Partridge Animator

FACING THE MUSIC This Birds’ Eye View curated session brings together the directors of two of the most significant UK music documentaries of the past year – Rubika Shah’s White Riot and Celeste Bell’s Polystyrene: I am a Cliche. This panel will explore the responsibility of telling essential stories, spotlighting vital histories and legacies, and the challenges and triumphs of working with music-led work. Meanwhile, Melanie Iredale, the new director of Birds’ Eye View (who supported the UK releases of both films), will also discuss the #ReclaimTheFrame mission to bring ever-greater audiences to films by women.

Date & Time: 2 November | 15.00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Melanie Iredale / Celeste Bell / Rubika Shah Directors

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

TUESDAY

The A-Z of Filmmaking: Turning an Idea into a Reality There is a saying around here: “it’s just an idea away.” However, where do your ideas come from and what does it really take to turn an idea into a film? In this session, a panel of filmmakers from this year’s Official Selection discuss individual methods and approaches towards filmmaking, from developing character and plot, to bringing the bigger picture to life. They will offer practical tips for production and explore the creative process from script to screen. An essential panel discussion that covers the journey from start to finish.

Date & Time: 2 November | 15:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Official Selection Filmmakers ASFF 2021

WEDNESDAY Channel 4: Capturing Contemporary Britain Channel 4 is renowned for audacious non-fiction programming. Their factual department commissions around 250 hours of varied content per year. Recent successes include Grayson Perry’s Art Club, Murder in the Car Park, Simon’s Choice and The School that Tried to End Racism – with a particular focus on offering new perspectives on modern Britain. In this masterclass, Commissioning Editor Will Rowson chats with Alex Crowton, York St John University, as they discuss the fundamentals of factual television today.

Date & Time: 3 November | 10:30

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Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Will Rowson, Alex Crowton

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

Off The Record with Digital Orchard Foundation Off The Record helps anyone feeling excluded or held back in film and TV to win the jobs they want. It is an honest discussion about what individuals who identify as being underrepresented or marginalised in the industry can do to overcome ongoing barriers they face. Our contributing speakers will share candid advice about what you can do to progress, talk over feedback about the realities of the industry right now, and discuss ideas for how to tackle challenges you have faced, should they happen again.

Date & Time: 3 November | 10:30

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Kate Rolfe Director, Digital Orchard

The Potential of Social Virtual reality When you put your headset on and head into a social VR space, you are engaging with people in a new “live” and “physical” sense. As Virtual Reality becomes more integrated into daily life, how is social VR changing the ways we interact with each other? Is it just a fad or is Virtual Reality the next social media? Can we harvest a new form of human connection? This engaging panel discussion touches on some of the most up-to-date dialogues in the development of VR, as we consider how it will integrate with our digital avatars.

Date & Time: 3 November | 10:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Samantha Kingston / Annie Wan / David Gochfeld / Despoina Zachariadou

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

Lizzie FranCKE: The executive producer’s Tale Lizzie Francke started out as a critic and curator before moving into producing and then executive producing for the BFI Film Fund. With a range of credits including Peter Strickland’s The Duke of Burgundy, William Oldroyd’s Lady Macbeth, Lynne Ramsey’s You Were Never Really Here, Richard Billingham’s Ray & Liz, Joanna Hogg’s The Souvenir, Hong Khaou’s Monsoon, Ben Sharrock’s Limbo and Cathy Brady’s Wildfire, Francke’s role at the BFI is to bring pioneering new contemporary voices to the screen. Francke shares valuable insights.

Date & Time: 3 November | 12:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Lizzie FranCKE Executive Producer, BFI Film Fund

VOD: The impact on the Film Landscape Writer Wendy Ide (The Observer, Screen International) hosts a timely panel looking at the impact of streaming on the industry today. Firmly established in the wake of the pandemic, does streaming give more power to audiences, and, moreover, how can physical cinemas and streaming platforms exist in synergy in a new cultural landscape? Speakers include: Allison Gardner (Glasgow Film Festival Director and Glasgow Film Theatre) and Damian Spandley (Director of Programme and Distribution Curzon).

Date & Time: 3 November | 12:00

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Allison Gardner Wendy Ide / Damian Spandley

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

Capacity of Private Space: Producing Artists’ Film Post-Covid Sinead McCarthy, Curator at the Museum of the Home, and Phoebe Roberts, former Curator at Artangel, will speak about producing artists' film in today's landscape, against the backdrop of The Soft Prison, a new exhibition that surveys 30 years of artists' film concerned with domestic spaces, including works by Rachel Whiteread, Clio Barnard, De'Anne Crooks and Margaret Salmon. Formerly colleagues at Artangel, Sinead and Phoebe will discuss the production of artists' films that form the backbone of this exhibition.

Date & Time: 3 November | 12:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Sinead McCarthy / Phoebe roberts Curators

Defying Genre: eter Strickland In Conversation The acclaimed British filmmaker discusses his career making some of the most distinctive and daring independent films of the 20 th century. From the self-financed debut Katalin Varga, filmed in the remote heights of the Carpathian Mountains, to the unconventional period romance The Duke of Burgundy and his Reading-set tale of a haunted dress In Fabric, Strickland’s genre-defying films have traversed many landscapes. Now is a perfect moment to welcome Peter to the festival, with his most recent film being shot in York.

Date & Time: 3 November | 13:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Peter Strickland Director

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

Road to Nowhere: DIY Making, Creativity and Crisis Artist and musician Ian Bruce is best known as the lead singer of world-touring, festival-conquering multi-genre dance duo The Correspondents. However, he is also an award-winning painter and filmmaker, who specialises in animations and tenderly realised painted portraits. Here, Bruce speaks in conversation about short films and music videos for his new solo music project under the name Mr Bruce, many of which are DIY productions made on microbudgets. He demonstrates the potential of creativity in times of crisis.

Date & Time: 3 November | 13:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Ian bruce Director, Animator, Musician

Horror In 360 The industry is craving elevated genre content, so how do you create a compelling horror narrative across multiple/immersive platforms? In partnership with XR Stories, we meet experienced XR developers BetaJester and freelance producer Jon Aird to discuss their approach to creating scripted VR experiences, and how writers can utilise new technologies to create stories that terrify and delight. How can we show viewers something they’ve ever seen? Chaired by Ami Nisa, Northumbria University. This session will have live BSL interpretation. In partnership with BFI NETWORK and Film Hub North.

Date & Time: 3 November | 13:30

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Jon Aird / Adam Boyne / Ami Nisa XR Stories / BetaJester / Northumbria University

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

Documentary Filmmaking: Delivering Authenticity When it comes to storytelling, there is nothing more compelling than a documentary. Having a bird’s eye view into the lives of others teaches, informs and connects us. How do you capture real life on screen? How do you tell someone else's story and when is it your story to tell? Visiting documentarians make up this panel to share their adventures in filmmaking, discussing what it takes to make a documentary film, offering advice on investigating captivating themes and shooting exciting, unrehearsed footage on the fly.

Date & Time: 3 November | 15.00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Official Selection filmmakers ASFF 2021

TRIGGERED! Empowering tools A powerhouse panel tackling a thorny topic with myriad aspects. We all have to find ways to negotiate tricky conversations – activating content, problematic feedback and inappropriate representations, signalling to others (and admitting to ourselves) when and how we are triggered, even when we least expect it. This large-scale conversation will discuss the tools of navigation and recognition (imperfect, but honest) and how we find space for addressing individual and collective trauma. Chaired by Melanie Iredale.

Date & Time: 3 November | 15:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Akua Gyamfi / Melissa Silverstein / Melanie iredale

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

WEDNESDAY

BBC Film: Developing New Voices BBC Film supports invigorating and imaginative filmmaking, with recent and esteemed credits including British successes Ammonite, Supernova, His House and After Love. Development Executive Dionne Farrell returns to ASFF to join emerging directors John Ogunmuyiwa (Mandem) and Sophie Littman (Jellyfish) to discuss the wider development process, working with new talent and the various routes into filmmaking. Expect pragmatic advice on finding your voice, getting projects off the ground and realising your vision.

Date & Time: 3 November | 15:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Dionne Farrell / John Ogunmuyiwa Sophie Littman

A Rising Director: In Conversation with Prano BailEy-Bond She needs no introduction. Her recent success is a huge achievement. Prano Bailey-Bond won the Best Experimental Film at Aesthetica in 2013 for Man vs Sand and then screened Nasty with us, but with her debut feature film, Censor, Bailey-Bond is quickly becoming one of the UK’s most exciting rising stars with even Mark Kermode saying she is “a razor-sharp filmmaker” and Variety saying that the “visuals are guaranteed to sear themselves into your subconscious.” Victoria Emslie, Director of Primetime, will speak with Prano about developing her career and recent success.

Date & Time: 3 November | 16:30

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Prano BailEy-bond / victoria emslie

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

Film 4: From Shorts to Features Film4 is renowned for developing and co-financing distinctive, innovative projects that push boundaries and captivate viewers, with recent releases including Saint Maud, Rocks, Last Night in Soho and Everyone’s Talking About Jaime. In this masterclass, Development and Production Executive, Max Park, talks with director Alexandra Brodski spotting potential, nurturing new voices and navigating the tricky transition from shorts to features. An essential session for anyone looking to move their filmmaking to a larger canvas.

Date & Time: 4 November | 10:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

MAX PARK / Alexandra Brodski

Meet the Fabricant: Digital Fashion, technology & ai Given that it takes 13,000 litres of water to make one pair of jeans, and fast fashion creates garments that take hundreds of years to decompose, the big question is: where do we go from here? Dutchbased agency, The Fabricant, has created a unique solution, with fashion for your digital self. This seems like the stuff of sciencefiction films, but given so much of our lives are spent online, why not consider dressing your virtual self? Hear from Senior Digital Fashion Designer, Anna Liedtke, about this revolutionary way of thinking. Chaired by Carrie Mok, London College of Fashion.

Date & Time: 4 November | 10:30

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Anna Liedtke / Carrie Mok

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

Spatial Sound: Building Authentic Audio Audio is a key component to attracting and directing the attention of viewers, keeping them fixed within a story. It can create a new landscape and multi-layered perspectives, engrossing the viewer and keeping them fixated within a landscape and wider storyline. Sound is part of a wider sensory network that grounds and immerses audiences in a landscape, allowing the narrative to unfold authentically. But beyond volume and direction, what are the main points to consider when constructing sound?

Date & Time: 4 November | 10:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Jessica Argo /J. Milo Taylor / susi wilkinson / Lauren Ward

Meet the filmmakers Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, programmers and advisory board, as well as any upcoming opportunities. Join us on Thursday 4 November for our Meet the Filmmakers Social – an opportunity to unwind with a drink and make connections across the Official Selection. The perfect opportunity to network and meet like-minded directors, and find out more about the films in competition this year. All welcome. Rose Within the Walls, 19:00-21:00 1 Tower St, York YO1 9WD

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

The Art of Casting As public debate about on-screen representation continues, and colour / gender-blind approaches enter the mainstream, more attention is being paid to casting than ever before. Yet whilst casting departments are beginning to be more widely recognised – in 2020 BAFTA introduced a dedicated category for the first time – their work remains mysterious to many. Casting Director Hannah Marie Williams (Backstage) and Nicci Topping share their secrets, discussing the process of matching actors to roles.

Date & Time: 4 November | 12:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Hannah Marie Williams / Nicci topping Casting Directors

Towards Diversity: Building Inclusive Futures Diversity and inclusion have become such overused terms that they’re starting to lose their meaning. What does it really mean to be a diverse and inclusive organisation? And how can we realise that ideal in a slow moving, often change resistant industry? Artist and disability advocate Esther Fox and Bob Clarke, CEO of training scheme the MAMA Youth project, join us to look beyond the buzzwords for a candid discussion about representation in the creative industries. An invitation to raise our expectations.

Date & Time: 4 November | 12:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Esther Fox / Bob Clarke Disability Advocate / CEO, Mama Youth Project

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

A View Into British Cinema: Gerard Johnson In Conversation In a career spanning three acclaimed features and numerous shorts, including Hyena (2014) and Muscle (2019), writer-director Gerard Johnson has established himself as one of the most urgent and uncompromising voices in contemporary British cinema. Featuring excerpts from his films, including the most recent Muscle, in a conversation with Jason Wood (HOME), Johnson discusses his work, his soundtrack collaborations with brother Matt Johnson, and his representations of masculinity and British working class characters.

Date & Time: 4 November | 13:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Gerard Johnson / Jason Wood

We Are Parable We Are Parable is an award-winning film exhibition company founded by Anthony and Teanne Andrews. Its aim is to provide audiences around the UK with opportunities to respond to and experience Black cinema in culturally relevant, memorable and innovative ways. This is done by the screening of upcoming, cult and classic films that celebrate Black culture on screen and the creation of truly unforgettable experiences. Co-founder Anthony Andrews talks about the power of cinema and the power of inclusion.

Date & Time: 4 November | 13:30

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Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Anthony Andrews Co-Founder, We Are Parable

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

Who Can Tell What Stories? It is now widely acknowledged that many voices are missing from the screen industry, with leading disabled practitioners and industry bodies demanding urgent action on the inclusion of disabled creatives both on and off screen. This panel discussion explores whether writers can navigate telling stories outside of their own lived experience and if they do, how can they do it well? Miranda Walker will be in conversation with Vici Wreford-Sinnott from disabled led production company Little Cog. This session will have live BSL interpretation. In partnership with BFI NETWORK and Film Hub North.

Date & Time: 4 November | 13:30

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

VIci Wreford-Sinnott / Miranda Walker

Filmmaking Fundamentals: Individuality & Originality Establishing yourself as a filmmaker takes determination and resolve. Making great films is about more than telling stories. Developing a distinctive style is essential in order to connect with audiences, funders and collaborators. In this session, directors across a range of genres speak about the importance of style, individuality and originality, taking into consideration their own methods, influences, short cuts, tips, tricks and inspirations.

Date & Time: 4 November | 15:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Official Selection ASFF 2021

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INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

BBC Writersroom: Tips & Tricks of TV Writing British television continues to go from strength to strength, consistently producing outstanding dramas and comedy series in an increasingly crowded international market. BBC Writersroom plays a vital role in supporting UK talent, helping both emerging and established writers to develop new projects. In this session, Development Executive Simon Nelson shares his tips and tricks of writing for television, offering practical advice on plot, genre, dialogue and taking notes. A must for any and all writers.

Date & Time: 4 November | 15:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

SIMON NELSON Development Executive, BBC Writersroom

Empowering Storytelling: Maxine Peake IN conversation One of the UK’s best loved actors joins us for an inspiring and energising masterclass. BAFTA- and BIFA-nominee Maxine Peake is renowned for her versatility across stage and screen, having begun acting in her teenage years, joining the Octagon Youth Theatre in Bolton before enjoying a spell at the youth theatre of the Royal Exchange in Manchester. Since then, her credits have included Shameless, Peterloo and Black Mirror. Peake joins broadcaster, journalist and editor Beth Webb to discuss acting as authorship.

Date & Time: 4 November | 15:00

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

MAXINE PEAKE Actor

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

THURSDAY

Producing Award-Winning Films David Parfitt in Conversation David has worked as an independent film, TV and theatre producer for over 30 years. His film credits include Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Twelfth Night and Shakespeare in Love. In 2010, he produced the BAFTA-nominated My Week with Marilyn, followed in 2011 by Tom Stoppard’s award-winning adaptation of Parade’s End for BBC and HBO. His latest film, The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins, was nominated for an Oscar. Hear from David about what it takes to produce award-winning work.

Date & Time: 4 November | 16:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

DAvid Parfitt Producer

pitch your film. Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, programmers and advisory board, as well as any upcoming opportunities. Our Pitching Sessions are your chance to get your ideas in front of key decisionmakers from the UK’s leading production companies. Meet one-to-one with the Development Executives for the likes of StudioCanal, Film 4, Docsociety, Goldfinch, BBC Films, Scottish Documentary Institute and Guardian Documentaries. For more information or to submit a proposal, visit: asff.co.uk/pitching. Deadline to submit: 15 October 2021.

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Friday night party Helping to carry the festival through into a weekend of social events and inspiring cinema, 1331 hosts the renowned Friday Night Party. Located in York’s vibrant Grape Lane, the party provides the ideal location to join in with the festivities or re-group with new friends. Grab a drink, connect with other industry guests and prepare for a busy weekend ahead. An ideal place to meet other filmmakers.

Friday 5 November, 21:00 - 23:00, 1331

FRIDAY Inclusion and Diversity in VFX Just two years ago, the UK Screen Alliance, alongside Access VFX, published a major report into inclusion in the UK’s VFX sector. The document showed that in people of colour make up just 19% of the workforce in visual effects. Two percent of the animation, VFX and post-production workforce identified as having a physical disability. Join this honest panel discussion with Arts University Bournemouth to find out more about the important steps being taken to ensure that the world of VFX is an option for everyone.

Date & Time: 5 November | 10:30

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Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Connor Tong / Melania Fodritto / Corrine Cowgill

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

FRIDAY

Nowness in Conversation: Developing Audiences Through Film Vicky Mather, London College of Fashion, speaks in conversation with Shelley Jones about her work developing and commissioning new editorial short film series and original work. From fashion and dance to art and the environment, Jones searches for the best directorial talent and works with global brands to tell creative stories in the short film form. She will discuss concept, brand identity and how to excite audiences whilst also adhering to brand guidelines. Clients include Burberry, Nike, Off White and SONY.

Date & Time: 5 November | 10:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

SHELLEY JONES / Vicky Mather

The changing role of Film Criticism How have film critics been affected by changes in viewing habits, and what do readers now expect from writing on cinema? How influential are critics, and how can they exert their influence in a sector proliferated by choice? Similarly, what are the primary considerations with print and digital media? David Jenkins (Editor, Little White Lies), Christina Newland (lead critic for The iNewspaper) and Terri White, journalist, editor, broadcaster and former Editor-in-Chief of Empire, speak with Jason Wood, Artistic Director of Film, HOME.

Date & Time: 5 November | 12:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Christina Newland / David Jenkins / terri white

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FRIDAY

The Wonderful World of Animation From hand-drawn characters to world-bending CGI, animation has long inspired audiences with its boundless potential. Hear from Tom Box, Co-Founder of the multi-BAFTA-winning Blue Zoo (The Adventures of Paddington, Miffy), Stop Motion Director Anthony Farquhar-Smith (Fantastic Mr Fox, Corpse Bride) and ASFF alumnus and BAFTA award-winning animator Maryam Mohajer (Grandad Was a Romantic) as they highlight the processes behind everything from large-scale brand commercials to independent shorts.

Date & Time: 5 November | 12:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Tom Box / Maryam Mohajer Anthony Farquhar-Smith

Meet our stars of the future Since the first Aesthetica Film Festival in 2011, we have had the privilege of screening thousands of shorts from all over the world. This includes the likes of BIFA-winning Rose Glass (director of the 2019 sensation Saint Maud ), Scottish BAFTA award-winner Duncan Cowles (The Lady with the Lamp), Rhea Storr (A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message) and Prano Bailey-Bond, whose debut feature film, Censor, screened at Sundance Film Festival. Join a panel of esteemed filmmakers as they discuss where their journey began.

Date & Time: 5 November | 12:00

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Aesthetica alumni

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

FRIDAY

Inhabiting Worlds: Data Ethics Both AR and VR can collect significant amounts of biometric data, measuring an individual’s characteristics, as well as hand and face geometry. Where is this data stored? To whom are we giving our information, and where does it go? How can we be assured there are no other parties involved? How much of ourselves should we give over, and at what cost? What does the future of data security look like the more we hand over to technology?

Date & Time: 5 November | 13.30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

digital catapult

Visual Effects: Impossible Storytelling From superhero multi-verses to edgy crime thrillers, spectacular blockbusters to sumptuous period dramas, visual effects are all around us, allowing filmmakers to pursue increasingly ambitious, boundary pushing storytelling. In this talk, VFX supervisor Stuart Penn, from Academy Award-winning studio Framestore (Avengers: Endgame, Loki, The Aeronauts, Paddington 2), joins us to discuss the increasingly vital role played by VFX in film and television production, the potential of new technology across the industry.

Date & Time: 5 November | 13:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Stuart Penn VFX Supervisor

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FRIDAY

A Rising Star: Gamba Cole British rising star Gamba Cole is set to have a stand-out year in 2021 with the lead of Christian in Stephen Merchant’s The Outlaws for BBC / Amazon opposite Christopher Walken and Eleanor Tomlinson. Gamba can recently be seen as Anton in Amazon’s Hanna as well as playing Benny in Lionsgate’s The Protégé alongside Samuel L. Jackson. He is perhaps best known for his role as Malcolm in BBC’s Soon Gone: A Windrush Chronicle with Lenny Henry. Join Gamba as he speaks with broadcaster, journalist and editor Beth Webb.

Date & Time: 5 November | 13:30

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

gamba cole Actor

Road to Success: Supernova’s Harry Macqueen First emerging as a filmmaker with Hinterland, a Radio One-inspired travelogue, writer-director Harry Macqueen’s second feature is the hugely acclaimed Supernova. An assured depiction of a long-term relationship under duress from advancing illness, the film features touching performances from the critically acclaimed Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth. Macqueen joins Jason Wood (HOME) for an illustrated talk about his career, working with Tucci and his own enduring love of road movies, British and otherwise.

Date & Time: 5 November | 15:00

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Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

HARRY Macqueen / Jason Wood

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

FRIDAY

jeanie finlay: the changing face of documentary The chaos caused by the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the changes already underway in the documentary industry. Audience demand for documentaries is higher than ever, but an evershifting landscape – the growing power of streamers, the decline of traditional commissioners and constant technical innovation – pose many challenges for filmmakers. Jeanie Finlay (Seahorse, Orion, Game of Thrones: The Last Watch), one of the UK’s leading documentary makers, joins us to discuss the future of the form.

Date & Time: 5 November | 15:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

JEANIE FINLAY Director

Virtual Production: Storytelling in the 21st Century In a post-pandemic world, the role that virtual production will play in film and television is enormous. Real-time computer graphic technologies are now a viable option on live film sets, and virtual production is becoming a crucial component to the VFX timeline. Learn more about new ways of working with Steve Jelley and Ed Thomas from Dimension (Sky’s Britannia VR and Balenciaga – Afterworld: The Age of Tomorrow), one of the world’s most advanced volumetric, 3D capture and virtual production studios.

Date & Time: 5 November | 15:00

Venue: York Explore Stream: On Demand

ed thomas / Steve Jelley Dimension VR

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FRIDAY

Funding Models: Accessing Finance We all know that it’s tough to access funding for films, and many outstanding independent productions are made on a shoestring budget. It’s essential to make your project stand out in front of the crowd, even when there are limited funding opportunities. Whether you are applying for screen agency funds or approaching private investors, it’s vital that a project is pitched correctly. A panel of creatives from our Official Selection give their tips on making a project stand out, discussing the best routes for financing a film.

Date & Time: 5 November | 16:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Official Selection ASFF 2021

Industrial Light & Magic: Fantastic Universes, New Frontiers As the visual effects and animation studio for Lucasfilm, Industrial Light & Magic has been responsible for building some of the most memorable and magical worlds in recent cinema. VFX Supervisor Julian Foddy, who has worked on blockbusters including Fast & Furious 9, The Mandalorian and the forthcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, brings us a masterclass that will illuminate this fascinating area of post-production. A compelling insight into the hard work and innovation it takes to build a captivating and convincing imagined universe.

Date & Time: 5 November | 16:30

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Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Julian Foddy VFX Supervisror

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

FRIDAY

From Adaptation to Oscar Nomination: Sally Potter OBE Sally Potter is a legendary filmmaker whose ground-breaking films have earned her a rightful place in cinema history. Trained as a dancer, Potter moved into filmmaking in the 1970s, forging a reputation as a fiercely feminist filmmaker with films such as The Golddiggers, Orlando and The Party. Her most recent film, the nonlinear drama The Road Not Taken, demonstrates that she remains a filmmaker of rare vision. Potter will join us for a live-streamed inconversation with Mia Bays, which will be displayed in the venue.

Date & Time: 5 November | 18:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Sally Potter / Mia Bays

SATURDAY A "mistressclass" with Mia Bays: celebrating 30 years in film Mia Bays celebrates 30 years in film this year. She’s worked on over 150 films. She is a renowned champion of new talent (working on the first films of Riz Ahmed, Arinzé Kene, Hong Khaou and Deborah Haywood), a cultural activist and equality promoter (through Birds' Eye View and Reclaim The Frame). She starts her role as the new Director of the BFI Film Fund in October. At £30 million a year, it is the largest public fund in the UK for film. She will discuss film, life, inspiration, activism and the future of film from her point of view with writer and documentary producer Kate Muir.

Date & Time: 6 November | 10:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Mia Bays / Kate Muir Director, BFI Film Fund / Journalist

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SATURDAY

Decolonising the Arts in VR It is crucial to examine modes of representation and what they say about our world. Across the arts, literature and film, a new balance is being created, however, there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure there is a level playing field. In VR and gaming, many central characters continue to be white and western in appearance, with their experiences often limited to this worldview. This is hugely problematic, and we need to create content in VR that is more inclusive and reflects the diverse world in which we live.

Date & Time: 6 November | 10:30

Venue: York Theatre Royal Stream: Channel 3

Baff Akoto / dr.Mhairi Aitken Tola Onanuga / zey suka-bill

Career Strategy: Taking Control Hear from a panel of women about their journeys through the film industry. This session will look at points of entry, building yourself as a brand, developing a network and having a successful freelance career, as well as hurdles and obstacles. We will also look at the challenges women face in the sector and offer practical advice on how to empower yourself. We will hear from a director, cinematographer and sound designer about their experiences. Sara Putt, Deputy Chair of Women in Film & TV, will lead this session.

Date & Time: 6 November | 12:00

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Venue: York Theatre Royal Stream: Channel 3

Sara Putt Deputy Chair

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

SATURDAY

From Visible to Viral: Fashion on Film L’Oréal, Hugo Boss, Versace, Tommy Hilfiger, Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Tom Ford, Givenchy. These are just some of Luca Finotti’s global clients, a director lauded by Forbes as “The Film Director Behind Fashion’s Viral Videos.” Finotti’s impressive portfolio also includes international stars such as Lady Gaga, Gigi Hadid, Rita Ora and Monica Belluci, and awards with Venice, Copenhagen and Berlin Fashion Film Festivals. Finotti joins us in conversation with Niccolo Montanari to discuss the secret to trending content.

Date & Time: 6 November | 12:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Luca Finotti / Niccolo Montanari Director / Fashion Film Consultant

Sound Design Masterclass with Paul Davies This is your chance to learn the art of how sound design can transform a film, from BAFTA-nominated sound designer and supervising sound editor Paul Davies. His renowned body of work includes over 130 credits, including You Were Never Really Here and We Need to Talk About Kevin. In this masterclass, Davies will highlight specific aspects of the craft, such as how to tell a compelling story through sound, and the various relationships of designers on-set. In partnership with The Mandy Network.

Date & Time: 6 November | 12:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Paul Davies

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SATURDAY

Massive Reach: The Evolution of a Genre Revolution Software is an independent game developer that has been widely revered for adventure titles such as the Broken Sword series. Co-Founder Charles Cecil considers the evolution of the adventure genre, and how new technologies are transforming the industry, allowing indie developers to create ambitious titles such as Beyond a Steel Sky, which was released as a lead title on Apple’s new Arcade platform. Beyond this, Cecil will speak about how gamers are influencing new trends in immersive experiences.

Date & Time: 6 November | 13:30

Venue: York Theatre Royal Stream: Channel 3

Charles Cecil Co-Founder, Revolution Games

The Art of Storytelling Through Editing The work of renowned editor Nicolas Chaudeurge includes more than 40 film and television credits, spanning almost 20 years in the business. A frequent collaborator with director Andrea Arnold, his credits include the Oscar-winning film Still Alice and multiple episodes of cult series Black Mirror and Netflix’s Top Boy. During this session, Nicolas will highlight specific aspects of the editing craft, such as how to establish yourself, and how to tell a story through editing. In partnership with The Mandy Network.

Date & Time: 6 November | 13:30

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Nicolas Chaudeurge Editor / Director

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

SATURDAY

Found in the Edit: Rising through the Ranks Mick Audsley is a leading film editor with more than 40 feature credits. He has worked on numerous projects, including Murder on the Orient Express for Kenneth Branagh and The Personal History of David Copperfield. He will speak in conversation with Pani Scott, who has been his assistant editor for over a decade, as well as editor Jeremiah O’ Driscoll, who ascended from assistant editor to working for Robert Zemeckis. Audsley, O’Driscoll and Scott invite us into the cutting room, asking what it takes to “find” a film in the edit.

Date & Time: 6 November | 13:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Mick Audsley / Pani Scott Jeremiah O'Driscoll

THE Future Of Film festivals The pandemic has resulted in radical change to the way film festivals are presented and consumed with leading international events pivoting to hybrid models, while others cancelled screenings and took their programmes or marketplaces online. What is the future cultural and economic role of the film festival and how do these changes impact filmmakers, audiences and film culture? Ex-director of London and Sydney film festivals and current ASFF Advisory Board Chair, Clare Stewart in conversation with Kristy Matheson, incoming Creative Director of CMI and Edinburgh International Film Festival, and Julie La’Bassiere, Awards - Apple TV+.

Date & Time: 6 November | 15:00

Venue: York Theatre Royal Stream: Channel 3

Clare Stewart / Kristy Matheson / Julie La'Bassiere

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SATURDAY

Striking Portraits: Documentaries that Change the World Academy Award, BAFTA and Grierson award-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia has worked across both fiction and documentary with acclaimed credits including The Warrior (starring the late, great Irrfan Khan), Senna, Amy and the recent Diego Maradona. In this illustrated masterclass with Jason Wood (HOME) Kapadia discusses his extensive career, influences and hopes for a more diverse industry and his pioneering work in creating hugely influential portraits of often flawed and troubled icons.

Date & Time: 6 November | 15:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

ASIF KAPADIA Director

Breakthrough Direction: Francis Lee Francis Lee is a BAFTA-nominated writer and director based in Yorkshire. In 2017, his debut feature God’s Own Country received widespread critical acclaim and awards recognition. His second feature, Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet and Saoirse Ronan, premiered at Toronto International Film Festival in 2020. As part of ASFF’s Close Ups series, we offer a dive deep into the work of this remarkable filmmaker, with screenings followed by a discussion of the role shorts have played in shaping Lee’s cinematic voice.

Date & Time: 6 November | 16:30

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Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Francis Lee Director

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

SATURDAY

Animation: Drawing Success Animators have a level of freedom and flexibility to create works that are pure imagination, from drawing and painting to building whole virtual worlds using special effects. Many creatives working in animation are directing, editing, scripting, writing and developing the entire project on their own. This multifaceted skillset is one that brings a lot of scope for project development. Hear from a panel of innovative animators who will discuss their ideas, techniques and motivations, as well as the reality of making a project from scratch.

Date & Time: 6 November | 16:30

Venue: York Theatre Royal Stream: Channel 3

Official Selection ASFF 2021

Directing Shorts to Sex Education: Alice Seabright Alice Seabright is known for smart, funny and distinctive films exploring sex, relationships and female perspectives. Alongside numerous shorts, Seabright has written and directed episodes of the Netflix hit Sex Education. In 2019, she was named a Screen International Star of Tomorrow, and she is currently a showrunner on Chloe, a forthcoming six-part thriller for the BBC and Amazon. A mini-retrospective will be followed by an in-person conversation with Jessica Loveland, Head of New Writing, BBC Salford.

Date & Time: 6 November | 18:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Alice Seabright Director

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SUNDAY

Writing Original Television: Sam Baron Sam Baron has directed award-winning short films and music videos, and his feature screenplay The Science of Love won the prestigious Nicholl Fellowship. Sam is now developing a slate of film and TV projects with production companies such as Blueprint, New Pictures, DNA Films and Rollout Productions. For this in conversation event, Sam will discuss his experiences developing projects in the UK and USA, and the process of adapting his short film The Orgy for television. He will also premiere his new short film Big Ears.

Date & Time: 7 November | 10:30

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

Sam Baron

Independent Filmmaking: Working to Budget Outside of major film studios and large-scale productions, filmmaking is not for the faint-hearted, as budgets and crews are miniature by comparison, with little in the way of finance and teams. On an independent level, what steps can a filmmaker take to bring their story to life and at a professional standard within these parameters? Directors and producers join this session to offer advice on their methods of working within a budget and managing expectations without compromising on quality.

Date & Time: 7 November | 11:30

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Venue: York Explore Stream: Available On Demand

Official selection ASFF 2021

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

SUNDAY

Getting It Right: On Screen Intimacy Join actor and founder of Primetime, Victoria Emslie, in conversation with one of the most exciting new voices and roles within our industry: Lizzy Talbot, Intimacy Coordinator. Lizzy is known for her work on the recent Netflix sensation Bridgerton, and will take us through the various techniques and tasks involved when working with an Intimacy Coordinator. This session looks at the importance of the role, and how you can learn more about becoming part of an Intimacy team for both stage and screen.

Date & Time: 7 November | 12:00

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Victoria Emslie / Lizzy talbot Founder, Primetime / Intimacy Co-ordinator

From BBC to HBO: Directing for Global Audiences Acclaimed theatre, television and film director Amit Gupta joins us to discuss his meteoric career. Starting out with the razor-sharp 2009 short film Love Story, Gupta has gone on to direct award-winning features Resistance, Jadoo and One Crazy Thing and is working on numerous high-end television series, including most recently being lead director on His Dark Materials – The Amber Spyglass for the BBC and HBO. With an array of projects in development, Gupta offers invaluable insight into the life of a writer-director.

Date & Time: 7 November | 14:00

Venue: Yorkshire Museum Stream: Channel 2

AMit Gupta Writer / Director

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SUNDAY

Immersive Curatorship VR is being used more and more by museums and galleries to expand the potential of exhibitions and push public programming into new realms of the imagination. However, beyond interpretation, VR is being used to help explore new ideas and developments in the exhibition sector. What aspects do curators need to consider when programming a show using VR? Are the parameters of curatorship the same or evolving with this new technology? How might their roles change over the coming years, and how might this, in turn, potentially change the face of the public institution at large?

Date & Time: 7 November | 14:30

Venue: York Explore Stream: On Demand

Tim Powell / anagram Despoina Zachariadou

Backstage Presents Craig Roberts: Working Across Acting and Directing British actor, director, writer and producer Craig Roberts’ third directorial feature, The Phantom Of The Open, starring Mark Rylance and written by Simon Farnaby, will be released this autumn by Sony Pictures Classics. Roberts' second directorial effort, Eternal Beauty, a poignant film about mental health starring Sally Hawkins, was nominated for five BAFTA Cymru Awards. His breakthrough role was Oliver Tate in Richard Ayoade’s Submarine. Hear him speak about his career as he offers insight into multiple roles in the film industries.

Date & Time: 7 November | 15:00

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Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

craig roberts Actor

INDUSTRY: MASTERCLASSES & PANEL DISCUSSIONS

SUNDAY

Rewriting Revenge: Dusty Mancinelli & Madeleine Sims-Fewer After meeting at the TIFF Talent Lab in 2015, filmmaking duo Madeleine Sims-Fewer and Dusty Mancinelli joined forces to create a series of arresting short films that explored gender politics, abuses of power, and the selfishness of human nature: Slap Happy, Woman in Stall and Chubby. Their debut feature Violation proved no less provocative, making waves at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, before being released globally to widespread critical acclaim. For this in conversation, Madeleine and Dusty will discuss making the transition from shorts to feature films.

Date & Time: 7 November | 16:30

Venue: N/A Stream: Channel 1

Madeleine Sims-Fewer / Dusty Mancinelli Directors

missed something? Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, programmers and advisory board, as well as any upcoming opportunities. Most of our industry sessions are available to watch On Demand with a hybrid or virtual ticket. Recordings of live-streamed events will accrue on our digital platform from 2-7 November and will be available to watch until 30 November. Enjoy the festival at your own pace and catch up on our extensive industry programme in the comfort of your own home.

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Daily Networking make connections that could change your career. 2-7 November

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Whether you’re looking to connect with industry representatives, discover new opportunities or learn new approaches to filmmaking, our daily virtual Networking Sessions and Workshops offer the perfect opportunity to meet with professionals from across the film sector.

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INTERACTIVE MEDIA LAB TUESDAY GUEST PROGRAMMES

This interactive exhibition explores how new technologies and digital platforms are changing the way we produce and experience film-based media. The displays are structured around three concepts: Augmented Worlds, where we explore the application of VR, AR and MR in fashion and performance film; Embodied Interactions, where physical gestures control onscreen narratives; and Critical Explorations, where we explore the influence of technology and social media on future applications of film-based media. 2-6 November, Spark York, 12:00-19:30. 7 November, Spark York, 12:00-18:00. No booking required.

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INTERACTIVE MEDIA LAB

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SIVRAS MAGAZINE

Costas Kazantis 2019, 01:03 Sivras is a “hybrid” publication comprising a magazine that is accompanied by content in augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR). The publication aims to translate the work of the featured artists into an interactive, immersive experience through the development of virtual reality environments with performative elements as well as a mobile AR application allowing image tracking and additional interaction.

INTERACTIVE MEDIA LAB

BUBBLE U

Si Chen 2020, 02:01 BUBBLE U explores how virtual reality can be combined with art therapy to help ease anxiety and support emotional wellbeing, both now and for the future. Designed as an in-store interactive experience for a fashion brand with the same name, it explores the use of Tilt Brush within immersive environments to promote calm and reduce anxiety. A compelling project that looks at how technology can be part of our healthcare.

BORN FOR

Shuyi Zeng 2020, 05:03 Born For by Shuyi Zeng is an innovative performance film combining live-action and animation using photogrammetry and motion capture. The narrative is an adaptation of Brave New World, a dystopian social science fiction novel by English author Aldous Huxley (1932). The project explores the impact of genetic engineering on our future society, represented through the hybrid of traditional making techniques and digital production.

SYNCED

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Wolf Groom 2021, 06:59 Synced is a conceptual augmented reality social platform centred around collaboration – users can add their creativity to other user’s creations, sell their creations in their curated digital shop and complete challenges that encourage activism. Ultimately, Synced is a space for futurists who desire decentralised spaces and communities, or a platform to share their voice and build a wider sense of branding.

2-7 November Spark 12:00-19:30

QUICK FIX

Annie Harmeston 2020, 03:37 Quick Fix is a short, but oh-so-sweet story of a user’s journey on the way to ultimate self-optimisation, whatever that might mean to them. With vibrant colours and an abundance of questionable products, director Annie Harmeston satirically questions the notion of self-care online, inviting users to control the Quick Fix marketing strategy with their bodies, and look for something more meaningful beyond instant gratification.

TOMORROW

THE TELEVISION - DO WE NEED IT?

Lewis Douglas 2021, 06:58 An informative piece, The Television, Do we need it? touches on Marshall McLuhan’s theory of media as an extension of the self. Here, director Lewis Douglas builds on this philosophy as a means to interrogate the proliferation of the internet and information accessibility within the context of globalisation. Where do we go from here? How will the screens eventually blend into our own understanding of reality?

INTERACTIVE MEDIA LAB

Tushar Rajan Sharma 2019, 01:37 Tomorrow is an interactive film installation, which transforms traditional audiovisual entertainment into an all-inclusive immersive experience. The piece explores the climate emergency through juxtaposing both utopian and dystopian scenery. It combines paintings, videos, animations and 3D graphics in a synchronised visual collage that is visually compelling and conceptually engaging.

NEW MATERIALITY AND PHYGITAL DRESS

Rose Coffey 2020, 05:03 A research-based study proposing a new understanding of fashion and associated aesthetic practices in the context of media culture, with a specific focus on self-representations posted by Gen Z onto Instagram. Whilst considering self-representation across our evolving social space, the term “phygital” here is understood as phenomena existing beyond conventional notions of time and space, through the merging of societal realms.

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SCREEN SCHOOL VR & IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES LAB 360° film opens up a wealth of storytelling possibilities, bringing the audience closer to the action than ever before, immersing them in both real and entirely imagined environments. For the fourth year, we present our 360° Cinema and Immersive Experiences, realised in partnership with UAL’s London College of Communication. This year, we present ten 360° films and six Immersive Experiences at the VR Lab in City Screen Basement, 2-7 November, 11:0020:00. These films are in competition as part of our Official Selection. To attend the VR Lab, you must pre-book tickets. Alongside the VR Lab, we present daily VR panel discussions which tap into some of today’s most pressing issues in new technologies. These must be pre-booked. For more information about our 2021 VR panels, visit the Industry Section on p. 95. Online audiences can access the ten 360° films with an athome VR headset, from 2-30 November. Purchase your Festival Pack, with at-home VR headsets, at asff.co.uk.

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2-7 November City Screen Basement 11:00-20:00

BE YOUR OWN DENTIST Jonathan Sims USA, 2021, 07:00 Got a molar that’s been killing you? Cavities? Gingivitis? General tooth ache? Find a spot on the floor, sit down, take a deep breath and RELAX. You got this. Embark on a serene journey of self discovery and oral surgery with renowned drag performer Katya (UNHhhh, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Room 104).

BYSTANDING: THE FEINGOLD SYNDROME Nim Shapira Israel, 2021, 10:00 Docufiction exploring the rescue of Israeli rowing champion Jasmine Finegold. In 2009, Feingold lost consciousness whilst rowing in the Ha’Yarkon River. Jasmine stayed submerged for four and a half minutes. During that time, none of the spectators on the riverbank took any action, until finally, one person did.

VR LAB

CINE METRO - IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE Eduardo Calvet Brazil, 2021, 09:04 On 26 September 1936, one of the largest and most luxurious cinematographic palaces that Rio De Janeiro has ever known was inaugurated: the Cine Metro. Here, the spectacular venue is recreated with virtual heritage techniques, all displayed masterfully within an immersive 360 video format.

FILLING SPACES (SUBTITLED) Shachar Kantor Israel, 2020, 19:08 Within fragments of memory, pieces of interviews and personal items lies the story of two characters coping with the wider ramifications and emotions connected to loss. Filling Spaces is an interactive documentary experience using three-dimensional scans and game design to explore grief and empathy.

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VIRTUAL REALITY LAB

v/d

GREENWOOD AVENUE: A VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE Tarik Jackson, Talibah L Newman, Spade Robinson USA, 2021, 19:44 Greenwood Avenue is a virtual reality experience, created by Ayana Baraka, about a 14-year-old Black girl who lives in the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street, during the 1920s.

VR LAB

GIMME ONE Montague FitzGerald UK, 2020, 14:12 The ballroom scene is an underground community that was started by trans persons of colour as far back as the 1920s. At the heart of the scene is a sense of community and shared experience.

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HUSH (NO DIALOGUE)

LUNA

Vibeke Bryld Denmark, 2020, 12:00 Hush is rooted in the Northern myths of the merpeople, who lured sailors and longing souls to the sea. In Hush you will be taken on a meditative journey to the bottom of the sea.

Sari Katharyn UK, 2021, 13:12 After being asked a question that brings up painful memories, Luna falls into her default coping mechanism: she mentally retreats. But her own mind refuses to let her hide.

MAYFLOWER REFLECTIONS

MEET MORTAZA (SUBTITLED)

Paul Long UK, 2020, 13:27 Mayflower Reflections takes you on a journey from the English churches of the 1600s to the deck of the Mayflower ship and the early settlements of the Plymouth Colony.

Joséphine Derobe France, 2020, 13:00 At the age of 24, Mortaza had to flee Afghanistan because he was sentenced to death by the religious authorities. Forced into exile, Mortaza will reach Europe to join France to ask for asylum.

2-7 November City Screen Basement 11:00-20:00

OM DEVI: SHEREOS REVOLUTION (SUBTITLED)

SAMSARA

Claudio Casale Italy, 2020, 20:00 A doctor, an activist who survived an acid attack, and a young priestess tell their dreams of gender equality in a country shaken by demands for fundamental civil rights.

Hsin-Chien Huang Taiwan, 2021, 21:00 In the near future, the Earth is completely destroyed. We have to abandon it and find a new home in space. After hundred years of space travel, we have re-engineered into a new form.

VR LAB

STRANDS OF MIND (NO DIALOGUE)

THE GIRMIT EXPERIENCE (SUBTITLED)

Adrian Meyer Germany, 2021, 11:44 Explore a world beyond the bounds of our human perception. A world full of mystery, of beauty and darkness. Let yourself be taken on a trip into the woven nature of existence.

Ajay Chhabra, James Edward Marks FRSA UK, 2021, 10:00 Transporting the audience on a mind-bending journey with the “Girmitiyas.” To see, understand and feel what it must have been like to be “Laali” – a 14-year-old Indian boy on a 7,000 mile trip.

THE ROOT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FLOWER (SUBTITLED)

VIRTUALLY THERE

Cristina Kotz Cornejo USA, 2021, 09:36 US-based filmmaker Cristina Kotz Cornejo is introduced to Huarpe leader, Maria Zalazar – who shows Cristina the culture and plight of modern day Huarpe descendents.

Leon Oldstrong UK, 2020, 26:01 A hard-hitting immersive film consisting of a series of short vignettes that put viewers in the shoes of a range of individuals who are affected by a single knife attack.

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SPECIAL EVENT

AMAZONIAN TRACES OF SELF VENUE: SPARK YORK DATE: 5-6 NOVEMBER, 12:00 - 21:00 7 NOVEMBER, 12:00-16:00, NO PRE-BOOKING REQUIRED

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“The forest reverberates my voice. The density of the trees and the thick canopy reflects sound waves and creates an echo as if I was singing in a closed space, maybe a chapel. I didn’t expect it. This echo feels like a mirror, it feedbacks my vocal intervention, reflecting traces of my own sound pollution in the Amazon’s dense soundscape.” Amazonian Traces of Self is a multi-speaker sound piece by experimental vocalist and sound artist Yifeat Ziv, based on her experience in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Through the use of field recordings, voice improvisation, electronics and text, this work explores the intimate intersection of environmental listening and the human voice. Yifeat Ziv is an experimental vocalist, sound artist and composer. Her recent works have been performed in BBC Late Junction, Museo Reina Sofía and Design Museum Holon. She was longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2021. yifeatziv.com.

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THE LISTENING PITCH in partnership with audible Join us for the premiere of Blind as a Beat, Followed by a drinks reception. Friday 5 November, 18:30-20:00, York Theatre Royal. This year, the Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Audible teamed up to run The Listening Pitch. It was an open brief, and we were looking for original stories that demonstrate how listening lets us understand different points of view and discover new ideas. Audio had to be central to the narrative – with all submissions taking this as the starting point. The 2021 recipients are Jessi Gutch and Liz Jackson, with Blind as a Beat. The film is a celebration of the power of listening, set against the backdrop of a film director’s failing eyesight. Jackson was an in-house documentary director at the BBC for 10 years, making a range of films for the broadcaster. Told through four phases of loss, the film portrays her journey: from ex-documentary filmmaker who used sight as a primary sense, to someone who is visually impaired and using hearing predominately. “There is a growing movement for film to become more accessible. People are starting to see that the disabled audience is a big one – they should be thought of in the production process. In this script, we’ve taken the idea of audio description but elevated it to be visually evocative. We like the idea of giving people pictures in their head just from the words.” Gutch is a BIFA-nominated writer, director, producer whose established credits include The Forgotten C, Until The Tide Creeps In and Octopus. Living with ovarian cancer, she is committed to authentic storytelling about the disease. She also specialises in creative documentary and working with NGOs. Whilst working for the BBC for a decade, Jackson collaborated with misrepresented communities to tell their stories.

1:1 Mentoring find an Expert in your field.

These 20-minute virtual sessions are for practitioners working across all genres, and at varying stages in their careers. Our industry experts provide essential and tailored guidance. Included within hybrid or virtual passes, but you must pre-register. 146

Famously, cinema is an empathy machine – a space where we can engage, connect and see the world through the eyes of others. In this strand, we invite curators from around the world to meet our audiences through film and share diverse perspectives. This year’s programmes are as wild, weird and wonderful as life itself. Spanning vast distances, with focuses including South Africa, Indonesia, Iraq, Afghanistan and China, this programme also includes myriad reflections on our own country. Complex perspectives on intersectional British identity are everywhere, from T A P E’s nuanced centring of female filmmakers of Islamic heritage, to We Are Parable’s celebrations of Black filmmaking. Many of these films respond directly to recent history. Docs Ireland demonstrates how a divided past continues to shape Northern Irish culture, whilst Directors Notes offers a provocative take on identity politics. Meanwhile, our three-part programme exploring the legacy of 9/11 feels painfully timely, considering the recent events in Afghanistan. Above all, we hope that these films will offer you the opportunity to experience someone else’s point of view – to immerse yourself in ideas, images and dreams beyond your own, and in doing so, open yourself up to new horizons, landscapes and cultures.

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WE ARE WHO WE ARE The different facets of our identities are as varied as they are personal. We in a world in which the societal desire for neat definitions and convenient catch-all categories are often at odds with the rich expressions of what makes an individual who they truly are. This collection of films explores the intersection – and frequent bouts of friction – between our authentic selves and the identities that are expected of us in day-to-day life. The in-person screening will be introduced by Directors Notes’ Co-Founder MarBelle.

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Tuesday 2 November City Screen 14:00-15:30

TO THE GIRL THAT LOOKS LIKE ME

SAFIYYAH

Ewurakua Dawson-Amoah USA, 2019, 05:00 An experimental piece celebrating Black women, who continue to thrive in a system that was not built for them. This visual poem explores culture, self-love and self-discovery through vignettes.

Mattis Ohana Goksøyr Norway, 2019, 09:06 Amir, a Danish Palestinian boy, flirts with Sarah late one night in an Oslo nightclub. He goes back to her place to continue their fling, but the tone changes when he learns that she is Jewish.

03 VOGUING WITH BEETHOVEN Emilie Norenberg Norway, 2020, 04:37 Shot on 16mm film on the suburban streets of Oslo, high culture meets sub-culture in a film that profiles a young man’s journey as he begins to fully embrace his identity.

D/MH/SH

SKIN Artur Zaremba, UK, 2019, 08:46 Skin examines the correlation between skin and identity through intimate conversations with young people who have experienced bias due to their skin colour, scars, tattoos or medical history.

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WE ARE WHO WE ARE

(CONTINUED)

07 05

MH/d/a

ABI: BEING BLACK & 6TEEN

MILLER & SON

Lainey Richardson UK, 2021, 04:32 Featuring 16-year-old Abi Simms and her spoken-word piece about what it feels like to be a Black teenager in Britain, penned the day she found out about the murder of George Floyd.

Asher Jelinsky USA, 2019, 21:29 A trans woman mechanic lives between running her family’s auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance.

BODY

TOKE

Tommaso Ottomano Italy, 2020, 07:49 Body takes the viewer on an anatomical and emotional inspection of seven characters, investigating ideas, flesh, habits and delving into the most intimate relationship of human beings.

NONO UK, 2021, 06:43 An intimate portrait of Danish-born dancer Toke Broni Strandby which visualises the journey we endure to fulfil our dreams. Exploring identity, alienation and acceptance.

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NEO GENDER: A STRUCTURAL RENAISSANCE

AN OCCURRENCE AT ARVERNE

Emmanuelle Soffé UK, 2021, 03:12 Inspired by the Old Testament, Neo Gender gives the viewer myriad reasons as to why they should question their binary concept of gender from a range of cross-cultural perspectives.

Robert Broadhurst USA, 2020, 07:03 A man arrives at an unknown home with an unknown agenda. In this compelling film, director Robert Broadhurst scrutinises his own white privilege in this filmic Rorschach test.

People’s choice have your say. Vote for your favourite film online.

The ASFF awards are tailored to ensure that shorts of all genres and standards are considered and rewarded. Alongside the jury awards, there is also a People’s Choice Award, where festival-goers are given the opportunity to vote for which film they engaged with the most. Find out about more about voting for your favourite at asff.co.uk. 151

MOTHER TONGUE: DECOLONISING CINEMA Bounce Cinema is a London-based organisation dedicated to building a better future through film. In this innovative and unique programme, Bounce presents a selection of shorts celebrating the breadth of world cinema today. Exploring the mother tongues of filmmakers, this powerful collection is dedicated to decolonising film. Discover bold stories from around the globe that explore identity, humanity and the pressures of living in this world in 2021. From henna painting and bridal preparations to Pentecostal pastors, this selection of stories is authentically diverse and conceptually compelling.

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Tuesday 2 November Bootham School 16:00-17:30

ALIENACION

APPRECIATION

Alex Fischman Cardenas Peru, 2019, 13:00 After being rejected by the girl of his dreams because of the colour of his skin, Roberto Lopez will transform himself from a brown-skinned Peruvian into a blonde American.

Tomisin Adepeju UK, 2018, 16:00 Written and directed by one of the rising new voices in British cinema, Appreciation follows an African Pentecostal pastor as they navigate cultural identity following a personal tragedy.

HENET WARD Morad Mostafa Egypt, 2020 23:00 Halima, a Sudanese henna painter, and her seven-yearold daughter Ward get caught up in the craziness at a Giza home as they prepare a bride for her wedding.

CON AMOR Stephen Cole Webley USA, 2016,15:00 A single-mother is faced with a difficult decision that will define who she is – and how she loves. Director Cole Webley draws a blurry line in-between drama, love, crime and revenge.

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CELEBRATING DIFFERENCE Oska Bright, which has been running since 2004, is the world’s biggest learning disability film festival. Addressing the fact that disabled people make up only five per cent of the off-screen workforce in film and television, the festival centres the work of filmmakers with learning disabilities or autism, showcasing bold, exciting, unique voices that struggle to be heard elsewhere. This year’s selection, curated by lead programmer Matthew Hellett, offers a rich and varied taste of standout films from past editions of the festival. An inspiring and energising celebration of difference.

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Tuesday 2 November Virtual Release

THE TRAIN

UH UH UH

Aaron Dunbar USA, 2017, 05:48 “A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment a single man contemplates it, bearing within him the image of a cathedral.” A tale of artistic obsession and unique perspectives.

Station 17 Germany, 2013, 03:22 A church hall transforms into an unlikely disco in this wry, witty and irresistible music video coming from Hamburgbased experimental musicians Station 17. This is Uh Uh Uh.

KAIRO

A SAFE PLACE TO REST

Barnet 16, Aron Krause Germany, 2014, 03:34 We wanted to fly to Cairo but we hadn’t enough money, so we got a camel and drove to the Baltic Sea. A truly unique short that taps into the imagination of journeys.

Graham Busby UK, 2017, 04:00 Created in Wales with music from Deuair. A Safe Place to Rest offers unique responses to surroundings, echoing Graham’s restlessness and desire to find a place to lie down and relax.

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Tuesday 2 November Virtual Release

THE MASK

THE ODD FUNERAL

Sharif Persaud UK, 2017, 03:46 As Sharif journeys across the coast, he describes what it means to have autism whilst wearing his favourite celebrity mask. An intriguing and unique view on neurodivergency.

Felix Swahn Sweden, 2016, 13:00 An old woman is dying. She wishes to have her ashes spread in the Tatra mountains, her favourite place. But her wish actually becomes the beginning of an odd road movie.

JESSICA

CELESTE

Kirsty Griffin, Viv Kernick New Zealand, 2017, 06:29 Jess has a unique style and the confidence to show her creations to the world. With a penchant for fashion, a cereal box creation enables Jess to take a brave step on the catwalk.

Kirsty Griffin & Viv Kernick New Zealand, 2017, 05:54 When Celeste needs some alone time, she watches back episodes of her favourite soap operas. At times the lines between reality and fantasy becomes a little blurred.

09 ENID AND VALERIE Mattie Kennedy, Vitoria Bastos UK, 2018, 02:07 A short venture into the dreams of lone spinster, Valerie, where she meets Enid (a witch). Could this be the start of an unlikely friendship? Told through the lens of animation.

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Friday Night Party The perfect start to the weekend.

friday 5 November

21:00-23:00

1331

Helping to carry the festival through into a weekend of social events and inspiring cinema, 1331 hosts the renowned Friday Night Party. The party provides the ideal location to join in with the festivities and make new friends. Grab a drink, connect with other industry guests.

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KENYAN STORIES: ALTERNATIVE AFRICAN REALITIES These five short films were shot in five different corners of Kenya by local filmmakers in their local language. In collaboration with Docubox, the East African Film Fund, the Scottish Documentary Institute took on the challenge to mentor these isolated filmmakers during their development and shooting period, and then gathered them for a week to edit in Nairobi, where the Docubox headquarters are located. Taking us on a physical and psychological journey, the resulting films demonstrate how these new voices are flourishing into international talent. Intimate and poetic.

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Tuesday 2 November Virtual Release

BEING A NAKWALELE WOMAN

A LAND ASLEEP

Caroline Akai Idere Kenya, 2021, 10:00 Pauline is a first wife and a single mum, juggling several jobs to pay for her children’s education. Meanwhile, the men kill time and drink by the river. Thank goodness she has a faithful goat!

Njuguna Ng’ang’a Kenya, 2021, 15:00 Njuguna moved into the area 11 years ago and is still considered an outsider. He wants to understand why his town is stagnating, so he asks around. Elders tell him what has happened.

DREAM BIG

A WALK IN THE DARK

Artsy Solomon Kenya, 2021, 10:00 An intimate portrait of a loving family, exploring the relationship between a single mum and her two boys. In a role reversal, the youngest brother, only five years old, looks after his sibling.

Dennis Humphrey Maitha Kenya, 2021, 18:00 A filmmaker, by chance, comes across a young healer but he won’t talk to him unless he takes part in one of his rituals. Out of curiosity he gives in… after all, what has he got to lose?

05 AS I AM: LOVE ME Aluoch Oito Kenya, 2021, 10:00 A 14-year-old girl is transiting into womanhood whilst her mother is transitioning into manhood. What are the challenges of being an LGBT human activist and a parent when you are living politics?

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FORESIGHT: AN URGENT ANTHOLOGY Foresight is a compilation of short films set in the UK that imagine the future for Black and Brown characters. Where do they go from here? What kind of lives will they lead? Who will they meet along the way? Foresight is an urgent anthology that explores alternate realities through the lens of five Black British directors. This time capsule collection contributes to a perspective and point of view continually missing from our screens: a future where people of colour exist. Written, directed and produced by culturally diverse filmmakers who call the UK home. Foresight is produced by Fruit Tree Media and Film 4.

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Wednesday 3 November City Screen 14:00-15:30

DIGGING

THE FUTURE ISN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE

Elliot Barnes Worrell UK, 2021, 15:00 Ziba, Ché, Neela and Kofi use their devices to take trips through their memories to settle an argument. What can we find when we dig through our past? What does it mean to not be able to forget?

Adeyemi Michael UK, 2020, 20:00 By the year 2080, climate change has forced human beings to leave the Earth. However, those who remain are forced to live an isolated nomadic existence, and really, for who?

THEY HEARD HIM SHOUT ALLAHU AKBAR

TWICE AS GOOD

Nadia Latif UK, 2021, 11:00 This film explores the future of surveillance technology and its impact on Black and Brown bodies in the UK. What would a Muslim cyborg origin story look like?

Jeremy Ngatho Cole UK, 2021, 10:00 The night before her son’s seventh birthday, an intruder crashlands into Grace’s kitchen. She must decide how to protect her son whilst navigating the Black parenthood in modern Britain.

05 X US Akinola Davies UK, 2021, 11:54 Two unaccompanied brothers embark on a journey to a new settlement on the moon planet Titan. Their interactions reflect the subtle naivety and anxious fear this huge moment.

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FOCUS ON NORTHERN IRELAND Northern Ireland has a long tradition of non-fiction work, in part due to its unique colonial history. However, it seems more and more that filmmakers based here have begun to step out of their comfort zone to look elsewhere for more contemporary subjects such as austerity, Eden itself, or the wonder that is Oona Doherty. In these chosen films – some of Docs Ireland’s favourites from the previous few years – we also see classic explorations of identity, the border and state systems. These films consider such notions, all told with a distinct visual style. Co-curated by Docs Ireland programmer Stuart Sloan and ASFF.

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WednesdAY 3 November NCEM 16:00-17:30

A LINE WAS DRAWN

BILLY WILLY

Mairéad McClean Ireland / UK, 2019, 13:27 Weaving together animation, television and film archives with two distinct voice-overs, A Line Was Drawn looks at how our world is structured through the creation of boundaries.

03 HYDEBANK

Michael Barwise & Sean Mullan Ireland / UK, 2019, 12:45 Exploring residue, trauma and memory through the eyes of two best friends and their shared identities. Billy and Willy guide us through their unique world of Jazz.

04 ANCESTRAL HOUSES

Ross McClean Ireland / UK, 2020, 08:00 Hydebank Wood houses 104 young male offenders. Ryan, serving a 10-year sentence, has formed a bond with the prison’s flock of sheep. Ryan attempts to come to terms with his crime.

Simon Aeppli Ireland / UK, 2017, 14:31 A film that acts much like a personal essay – shot over five years – which highlights the abandoned houses of the filmmaker’s hometown and the stories contained within.

SPREAD THE WINGS

Alice McDowell Ireland, 2020, 11:31 Despite being forced off the road in the 1980s, sisters Maggie and Nora still travel back to Connemara each and every summer to rekindle their connection with the landscape.

WELCOME TO BRIGHT LIGHT LIMBO Cara Holmes Ireland, 2019, 10:44 Combining documentary and dance performance, this visually arresting film dives into the mind and creative process of Oona Doherty’s award winning dance show Hope Hunt.

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ROAD TO NOWHERE: CREATIVITY IN CRISIS Artist and musician Ian Bruce is best known as the lead singer of world-touring, festival-conquering multi-genre dance duo The Correspondents. However, he is also an award-winning painter and filmmaker, who specialises in playful animations and tenderly realised portraits. Bruce shares intriguing short films and music videos made for his new solo music project under the name Mr Bruce, many of which are DIY productions made on micro-budgets. These projects demonstrate the potential of creativity to sustain us through times of crisis. Bruce will also be in conversation on 3 November, York Explore, 13:30.

01 DOUBLE PORTRAIT

Ian Bruce UK, 2020, 06:13 Double Portrait is a hand-painted animation which portrays the ill-fated relationship between Geraldine Peacock and Bob Gannicott. Created using frame-by-frame techniques.

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YOUR EULOGY Ian Bruce UK, 2020, 06:00 Last year, Bruce’s musical collaborator and The Correspondents band-mate Tim Cole, died unexpectedly. Here, the filmmaker imagines his friend’s reaction as he listens to his own eulogy.

Wednesday 3 November Virtual Release

PARKINSON’S PORTRAYED: SHAMSA HUSSAIN

Ian Bruce UK, 2019, 03:24 Part of a series of awareness raising films made in partnership with Parkinson’s UK, this is a tender interview with Hussein, a young mother living with the condition today.

I AM DISASTER

Ian Bruce UK, 2020, 03:47 A stop motion representation of the multi-dimensional horror of the climate crisis made using tinfoil, a bin bag, some cotton wool and an old piece of bubble wrap.

RACE TO NOWHERE

VOLATILE TIMES

Daisy JT Smith UK, 2020, 03:34 A wildly unhinged video directed by frequent collaborator Daisy JT Smith and edited by Bruce, who appears here as his solo musical alter ego Mr Bruce. High-camp and frenetically paced.

Ian Bruce UK, 2021, 03:29 A young girl plays with a felt skeleton who, through the magic of hand-drawn animation, sings along as they’re hugged, dragged and thrown around. Fatalism and hope collide.

07 EASIER

Ian Bruce UK, 2020, 03:29 Intricate sculptures – made of fruit and vegetables – are filmed over the course of months rotting into mulch before some surprise guests arrive to help in this hypnotic time-lapse.

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JAKARTA STORIES: NEW CREATIVE VOICES Indonesian filmmakers respond to themes of disability and diversity in a series of compelling shorts produced through a collaboration between the Scottish Documentary Institute and In-Docs. Thanks to InDocs’ deep engagement with diverse communities across the country, SDI were able to connect 12 filmmakers living across the country, facilitating creative collaboration despite geographical distance. The resulting films are moving, insightful and tender, and a showcase for a cohort of emerging filmmakers who hope to become the new creative voices of Indonesia. Universal stories about the human experience.

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Wednesday 3 November Virtual Release

FALHAN’S LOVE

BABY GIRL

Mohammad Ismail, Fransiscus Magastowo Indonesia, 2021,16:21 Untung and Nesti love their six-year-old unconditionally despite his severe autism. Their daily family life is a challenge when both parents are disabled. A life-affirming story.

Rofie Nur Fauzie, Mohamad Sulaeman Indonesia, 2021, 14:46 Cunenk, who was assigned male at birth, could not wait to leave her village and become a performer. Although respected within her community, she returns to male clothes to fundraise.

GREEN FINGERS

IBU GURU

Anita Reza Zein Indonesia, 2021, 19:40 Ibu Wasidah wanted more than to just be a mum, so she joined a Women Farmers group and together they create a sustainable way of life. They get help from a photographer from Jakarta.

Lies Nanci Supangkat Indonesia, 2021, 20:01 Silvia Novani has spent the pandemic anxiously juggling work with family life, spending all day teaching online before returning home to look after her children, husband and parents.

SCENE FOR THE UNSEEN

KARSIH

Ary Aristo Indonesia, 2021, 18:57 Ferdiandra Putra is a talented art student whose internal world is busy with creative possibilities. With the love of his parents, he learnt to find coping mechanisms to deal with Asperger’s.

Helga Theresia, Fajrian Indonesia, 2021, 16:38 Karsih finds herself at the end of her life having to work as a street cleaner. To add insult to injury, she works across the street from where she and her neighbours were dispossessed of their homes.

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HOW THE PAST IS PRESENTED: GEOPOLITICS IN IRAQ AND THE GULF Mesopotamia – a land framed by the Euphrates and Tigris in modernday Iraq was a less well-known theatre of operations during WWI, but just as brutal, fought between British and Indian troops against Ottoman Turks, with geopolitical repercussions that are still felt today. Film of the conflict is scarce, but what remains is powerful, evocative and an important historical record of events that were to foreshadow the Gulf and Iraq Wars decades later. In this illustrated talk, the Imperial War Museum presents a fascinating collection of archive extracts. Part-travelogue, archaeological study, ethnographic exploration and fragmentary story of war, this footage invites us to interrogate British attitudes and how the past is represented.

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Thursday 4 November Friargate 12:00-13:30

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BEIJING STORIES: RESILIENCE AND ARTISTRY The shorts gathered in Beijing Stories are a demonstration of resilience and artistry in the face of challenging times. These films are the result of a series of Scottish Documentary Institute workshops with emerging filmmakers in China, which, due to the ongoing pandemic, took place online. The 15 filmmakers selected to take part were based in Beijing but at the time of the filming were scattered in different parts of the country due to travel restrictions. Despite these difficulties, the filmmakers were able to capture a series of fascinating city portraits. These films tell stories we can all relate to, regardless of location.

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Thursday 4 November Friargate 15:30-17:00

BUDDHIST GIRL

THE SPRING COMES

Li Mengjiao, Qin Xiaoyue China, 2021, 11:08 An inquisitive young woman struggles to find contentment and looks to religion. She has long been drawn to becoming a monk, yet is reluctant to give up her comfortable material life.

Sally Chen,Peiyan Xia China, 2021, 12:09 Juanjuan is a blind massage therapist and single parent, whose life revolves around the massage parlour. She loves her job and family, but longs for the freedom of running outside.

THE GARDEN THAT LEADS TO HEAVEN

BEAUTIFUL DREAMS

Xiu Xiaoping, Qiu Danqin China, 2021, 17:31 Beijing’s housing crisis is explored through the lives of characters based in Tiantongyuan. A retiree, a hardware worker and a homesick estate agent grapple with the allure of China’s capital.

Zhang Yihuan, Zhou You China, 2021, 17:00 Meihao is an ambitious woman, a wheelchair user, living alone in Beijing. Although passionate about her work and popular with clients, she faces barriers and struggles with others’ expectations.

05 CLOSING THE GAP Li Ran China, 2021, 17:20 Li Ran’s grandparents brought him up whilst his parents were working, but as a young millennial filmmaker, he fears their lives are a closed book. So, he turns his camera on them.

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RAISED VOICES We Are Parable is renowned for bringing Black British cinema to new audiences. Their nationwide season Who We Are is a celebration of Black cinema from around the world, and is dedicated in ensuring the work of past, present and emerging Black storytellers is amplified and given every possible platform available. This innovative programme features eight shorts which speak to the lived experience of being a Black or Brown person in the UK. The artists who produced these stories are voices that not only deserve to be heard, but to be raised.

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REAR VIEW

TEETH

Daniel Rands UK 2021, 05:00 A driver tries some small talk to connect with his Uber passenger, but the conversation ends up raising bigger issues and conflict is most definitely on the cards for these two.

Jennifer Martin UK, 2021, 14:00 An eager couple are interrogated by two Home Office agents about their spousal visa application and endure a series of assessments that become progressively performative.

Thursday 4 November York Theatre Royal 18:00-19:30, followed by a Drinks Reception

LOCK OFF

FINALE

Akwasi Poku UK, 2021, 09:00 A misinformed police force, led by a trigger-happy commander, are tasked with bringing down a suspected “criminal organisation.” But are they really? What mission have they been sent on?

Anthony Vander UK, 2021, 15:00 A short film about hope, creativity and bringing a positive light onto these dark times. An illuminating and optimistic short that will inspire viewers long past their first viewing.

TREE OF ROOTS

WE ARE NOT THE VIRUS

Kwesi Awotwi UK, 2021, 07:00 A British Ghanaian artist returns to the motherland after hearing that his grandfather has died. As he travels around Accra, Kwesi produces a piece on the experience of revisiting his roots.

Michael Jenkins UK, 2020, 04:00 A spoken word film exploring the feeling and experience of isolation through the eyes of black people in Bristol. Originally filmed as part of BBC’s Culture in Quarantine series.

STATIONARY PEACEFUL PROTEST

THE CONVERSATION

Xhosa Cole, Shiyi Li UK, 2020, 11:31 Jazz musician Xhosa Cole and animator Shiyi Li collaborate on a powerful and evocative short inspired by the experience of attending a Black Lives Matter protest.

Lanre Malaolu UK, 2021, 13:00 Highlighting the conversation Black people face when communicating their racial experience to white partners through a dynamic fusion of dance and dialogue.

173

EVERYMEN: A CELEBRATION OF TRANS MASCULINITY A new wave of trans directors are seizing the opportunity to make their own films. The Transgender Film Center is a filmmaker-led organisation, which helps trans creators to bring their work to audiences around the world. Despite the recent boom in queer storytelling, transmasculine experiences remain under-documented in film as a whole. In response to this relative invisibility, TFC founder Sav Rodgers brings us a programme focusing on transmasculine narratives. Steering away from clichés, these films offer vital portraits of life told by and for the trans community.

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Thursday 4 November Virtual Release

EVERYMAN

ACROSS, BEYOND AND OVER

Jack Goessens UK, 2021, 10:54 A visual essay about gender transition and exploring how the world is different living as female compared to being perceived as male. Jack tells his story by reframing gendered imagery.

Brit Fryer & Noah Schamus USA, 2019, 11:33 A hybrid documentary about two estranged trans men – who used to date in middle school – reconnecting over a long weekend to develop a film about their past memories.

HERE WITH YOU

SEAHORSE

Noah Schamus USA, 2018, 06:25 When Imani goes to her friend’s housewarming party, she meets a boy who piques her interest. She invites him over to hang out, only to realise that they have more in common than she thought.

Nate Gualtieri USA, 2015, 07:37 A woman in a fertility clinic becomes indignant when she is asked to give up her seat in the waiting room for a pregnant man. Seahorse is the story of overcoming bias.

META

TO BE WITH YOU

Sydne Horton USA, 2020, 09:45 On the eve of Senior Prom, Artie, 18, is startled when he unexpectedly gets his period. Worse still: it’s just moments before making his way to stage for prom court announcements.

Elliott Feliciano USA, 2019, 19:35 Alex is in LA for 24 hours to reclaim their father’s ashes but, along the way, they find an old love, a beauty in the city, and a final connection to the past. A touching narrative.

175

AFRICA IN MOTION: FOCUS ON NORTH AFRICA Now in its 15th year, Africa in Motion (AiM) is an annual film festival based in Glasgow that brings the best of African Cinema to new audiences in Scotland and beyond. In this programme, AiM director Liz Chege presents a selection of impressive films from previous editions that between them offer contrasting but compelling visions of North Africa. These three filmmakers, exciting new voices emerging from the region, use surreal imagery, absurd humour and dream logic to explore overlapping themes of solidarity, hope, fear and resistance.

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Thursday 4 November Virtual Release

THE AFTERMATH OF THE INAUGURATION OF THE PUBLIC TOILET AT KILOMETER 375

THIS DAY WON’T LAST

Omar el Zohairy, Egypt, 2014, 18:00 An adaptation of Death of a Government Clerk, a short story by Anton Chekhov that takes a metaphorical approach.

Mouaad El Salem Tunisia, 2020, 25:00 An intimate diary film meditating on what it means to be young and queer in Tunisia. Reflections on the colonial past combine with fear, uncertainty, longing, and ultimately, hope.

03 BEFORE I FORGET Mariam Mekiwi Egypt / Germany, 2018, 31:00 A science fiction story set in an indistinct coastal region, between land and sea, above and below water. Before I Forget traverses mysterious landscapes and topographies.

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VISIONS FROM MODERN BRITAIN Centering voices and tackling topics of youth homelessness, anxiety disorders, gender nonconformity and anti-Blackness within British society, this collection of short documentaries offers a snapshot of modern Britain and issues facing today’s young generation. Told by the UK’s most talented new documentary filmmakers, these stories have been funded and curated by the BFI Doc Society Fund. The Fund is the BFI’s delegate partner for UK documentary shorts and feature film funding. The Made of Truth BFI Doc Society Short Film Fund supports bold non-fiction shorts from new and emerging talent across the UK. Introduced by Hannah Bush Bailey, BFI Doc Society.

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friday 5 november York Theatre Royal 12:00-13:30

AN INTERMISSION

WEATHERING

Edward Mingard UK, 2021, 22:18 A portrait of contemporary Britain as seen through the eyes of a group of young people experiencing homelessness who, over a year and a half, worked collaboratively with artist Edwin Mingard.

Leon Oldstrong UK, 2021, 30:42 Two Black key workers share their experiences of anti-Blackness within British society in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, government lockdown, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

CHILD OF POLYCRITUS

SPEAKING IN SILENCE

Lauren John Joseph UK, 2021, 18:30 A humorous, effervescent historiography in which a mythological baby, a nail salon, and cinematic portraits combine to show both timely and atemporal tales of gender nonconformity.

Zoe Tweedy 2021, UK, 14:05 A poem of hope found in silence, told between a former selective mute struggling to keep her voice as she returns to her island home and a young Londoner still searching.

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9/11, TWENTY YEARS ON PART 1: MEMORIES, MONUMENTS As a crucial component to our programme this year, we commemorate 20 years since the attack on the Twin Towers, with a three-part series examining the impact and aftermath of this era-defining event. How do we remember traumatic events? And what happens when those memories begin to fade? These four films capture real attempts to remember unspeakable experiences. A bereaved father finds purpose working as a museum guide; a filmmaker charts the political and personal consequences of war via the story of a fallen statue. Each of these projects serves as memorial to lives lost. Introduced screening.

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Friday 5 November Bootham School 16:30-18:00

THE GRAND TOUR

SURVIVORS OF FIRDOS SQUARE

Erin Babbin & Michael Sullivan USA, 2020, 29:00 As a volunteer guide at the 9/11 Memorial, Barry shares the story of his son Josh, a young newlywed who was killed at the World Trade Center. After 20 years, his work is becoming difficult.

Adel Khaled Iraq, 2017, 27:56 Bassem constructs an ornate sculpture to take the place of the fallen statue of Saddam Hussein. The work symbolises a new beginning for Iraq, but this promise is soon thwarted by tragedy.

FOOTPRINT: WHERE THE TOWERS STOOD

ECHOLOCATION

Sara Newens USA, 2020, 18:00 A meditative, experiential look at how visitors interact and engage with the World Trade Center Memorial. Memories are stirred and reignited, children listen to stories for the first time.

Nadia Shihab USA, 2021, 08:00 A polyvocal stitching across time and geography. The rain in Oakland, my grandmother’s living room in Baghdad, my aunts’ voices on WhatsApp, my daughter learning to count.

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ROOTS, SEEDS, FLOWERS, FRUIT T A P E specialises in curating groundbreaking programmes which centre the voices of BIPOC and female filmmakers. These shorts are made by women of Muslim faith or heritage, shattering stereotypes within and outside of the community. Motifs of ceremony, ritual and domesticity recur, playfully blurring the boundaries between cultural, religious and political spheres. Fragmented, dreamlike narratives mimic the ebb and flow of collective memory, touching upon Islamic lore and history to offer a complex portrait of contemporary Muslim womanhood which challenges assumptions.

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SEEDS

SORRY, MY SOMALI IS NOT VERY GOOD

Philippa Ndisi-Herrmann UK/Kenya, 2018, 04:06 The sea was the first to see us and so the sea will be the last to leave us. A visual poem from Kenya that explores blood memory, creation myths and the roots of ancestry.

Warda Rose UK, 2020, 02:21 A young Somali woman is having difficulties speaking her mother tongue. Her father narrates the story Cigaal and the Lion Stump with the hope to persuade her to never give up on her heritage.

Friday 5 November York Theatre Royal 16:00-17:30

ROOTS

CHALTA HI GAYA

Hussina Raja UK, 2021, 03:46 A reflection on migrant assimilation and the shedding of identity. A couple looks hopefully into the future. They soon discover the obstacles they must overcome to be accepted.

Salma Ashraf UK, 2017, 13:45 This installation captures the daily life of a British Asian family. Dehumanising narratives about the Muslim community are subverted as the camera appropriates surveillance methods.

INSIDE OUT

BLOOD TIES

Sarah Khan UK, 2020, 03:00 Footage of everyday British-Pakistani culture is juxtaposed with archive scenes shot in Hackney Marshes. Inside Out reflects on the complexity of navigating a cross-cultural existence.

Asena Oyzoyn UK, 2021, 03:50 Two sisters grapple with fate after a coffee cup reading. Blending Turkish rituals and feminine domesticity, this film brings together desire, female isolation, patriarchal honour and tradition.

MOUTHWASH

JUST ANOTHER YEAR

Reman Sadani Iraq, 2014, 18:00 Told through the lens of a Blackberry phone. An ordinary Iraqi family, now based in York, exchange voice notes with relatives in Iraq as both families navigate the uncertainty of ISIS.

Niki Kohandel UK, 2020, 06:10 A mother and daughter celebrate Norooz. As they aren’t surrounded by an Iranian community some rituals, such as jumping over fire, have been adapted for the confines of their flat.

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JOURNEYS INTO FILM After the political upheavals of the last few years, followed by the closing of borders during the pandemic, many of us have been reflecting on our rights of movement. This programme is presented in partnership with Journeys Festival International, an organisation that commissions work made by artists exploring the refugee experience. Featuring only filmmakers who have lived experiences of forced migration. Produced by ArtReach, Journeys Into Film is supported collectively by Film Hub North and Film Hub Midlands, awarding National Lottery funding on behalf of the BFI Film Audience Network.

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Friday 5 November Virtual Release

D/MH

LETTERS TO S

MY NAME IS ANIK

Layla Abyad Switzerland, 2016, 11:50 The filmmaker sends a video letter from Switzerland to her friend Sama, back in Syria. As Abyad makes wry observations about her peaceful but surreal new life, the contrast becomes apparent.

Bircan Birol UK, 2020, 15:28 Bircan has decided to learn Kurdish, her once-forbidden mother tongue. Along with her grandmother, she embarks on a journey to reclaim their language, remembering stories unspoken.

BIRDS OR BORDERS

SYRIAN STORIES: HOMELAND

Parham Ghalamdar UK, 2020, 06:12 This free-thinking and free-form animation waves a powerful fable about confinement and surveillance, demonstrating how lack of freedom is no new thing for migrants.

Jalal Aldin Jabri, Naama Al Alwani, Mohamed Nossirat, Tima Abdhul UK/Lebanon, 2017, 06:33 A young Syrian woman, now living in exile, relies on daily phone calls to her mum in Aleppo in order to get news.

05 AMBIENCE Wisam al-Jafari Palestine, 2018, 15:26 Two young people attempt an impossible venture: finding a space to record music inside their camp. In their bid to win a competition, the pair are driven to find new and creative solutions.

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UNTOLD STORIES Every one of us is built of many pieces – we are all jigsaws of heritage, upbringing and experience. Yet too often British film has ignored this, failing to represent our intersectional realities on-screen. This programme explores how diversity can be embedded in filmmaking practice, from production to exhibition. Focusing specifically on emerging filmmakers based in the North of England, Untold Stories showcases writers, directors and producers who capture the region from new angles. A selection of films which demonstrates the power of making space for previously unheard voices. A panel discussion will take place after the screening.

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THE BRANCHES ARE HOPE, THE ROOTS ARE MEMORY

SAFIYA SAEED: LIFE IN BURNGREAVE

Sema Basharan UK, 2021, 07:00 An exploration of Bradford’s history of multi-faith activism, filtered through the filmmaker’s relationship with her home city. The branches are hope, but the roots are the memory.

Ibrahim Ahmed UK, 2021, 09:08 A profile of inspiring and dynamic local councillor Safiya Saeed, a community activist who works in schools and colleges, enabling individuals from underrepresented communities.

Saturday 6 November City Screen 13:00-15:00

ALEX: IF THE CLUES FIT

SWEET MOTHER

Nathan Powell UK, 2020, 03:03 Alex, a 15-year-old African American teenager living in Sheffield, is the kid who asks one too many questions. Produced as part of the BFI Network Scratch Me Scheme.

Zane Igbe UK, 2019, 13:21 A British-Nigerian man is forced to confront cultural rejection when his mother discovers the truth about his hidden sexuality. Sweet Mother is a tale of seeking and finding acceptance.

LOVE SPELL

MY MELANIN

Lauren Vevers UK, 2020, 10:00 In 1990s Newcastle upon Tyne, a teenage girl struggles with her feelings towards her best friend. Love Spell looks at hidden desire and finding out who you truly are.

Sile Sibanda UK 2020, 01:32 A spoken word piece performed by Sile Sibanda. My Melanin takes viewers on an intimate journey through the concepts of inheritance, ancestry, culture and beauty.

07 BOUNDARY Edgar Kyeba UK, 2021, 08:00 The blossoming relationship between a young couple is tested by cultural and religious boundaries. A romantic tale with a twist, told through the lens of the 21st century.

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AESTHETICA STARS OF THE FUTURE PT.2 Since the first Aesthetica Film Festival in 2011, we have had the privilege of screening thousands of shorts from all over the world. This includes the likes of BIFA-winning Rose Glass (director of the 2019 sensation Saint Maud), Scottish BAFTA award-winner Duncan Cowles (The Lady with the Lamp, Soft Toffee, Radio Silence) and Prano Bailey-Bond, whose debut feature film, Censor, screened at Sundance Film Festival. Join us for a selection of films from the last decade that celebrate ingenuity and directorial vision.

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Saturday 6 November York St John Fountains 13:30-15:00

MH/SH

TAKING STOCK

TWINKLE TWINKLE

Duncan Cowles UK, 2018, 4:17 This hilarious meta-portrait of a filmmaker trying to convert his art into profit is a characteristically original work of deconstruction from a versatile and prolific BAFTA-winner.

Deborah Haywood UK, 2013, 09:00 Like Haywood’s first feature Pin Cushion, this sharp and subversive short is like candy floss wrapped in barbed wire: a pastel coloured, but painfully candid insight into the inner lives of children.

LITTLE BIRD

NASTY

UK, 2017, 11:00 Georgia Oakley It’s London 1941 and the women of Great Britain have been called upon to aid the war effort, freeing men for action. Little Bird explores how far one young woman will go to create a new life.

Prano Bailey-Bond UK, 2015, 15:00 It’s 1982. 12-year old Doug is drawn into the lurid world of VHS horror as he explores the mysterious disappearance of his father. Riffing on a line from Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead.

v/s

STORM HOUSE

TRACKS

Rose Glass UK, 2012, 13:50 Living in total isolation, a young couple have allowed their lives to become governed by their physical needs. Everything they feel is expressed physically, rather than through talking.

Claire Oakley UK, 2014, 12:00 Tracks is a short film about a father and son whose relationship is challenged on a hunting trip. It explores the weight and expectation of tradition, and humanity’s relationship with nature.

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9/11, TWENTY YEARS ON PART 2: IN SEARCH OF The declaration of a “War on Terror” has been the most globally significant consequence of 9/11. Over the past two decades, millions have had their lives changed forever by these conflicts. Given the recent withdrawal of troops and the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, the legacy of this intervention remains controversial. This programme challenges dominant narratives by addressing the events from unexpected angles. Afghan and Iraqi filmmakers draw out stories behind the headlines and remind us of the region’s complicated history, whilst glimpses of pre-war life remind us that these countries are not defined by one moment. Introduced screening.

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COLLISION

SHADOW OF PARADISE

Max Hattler UK / Germany, 2005, 02:00 Islamic and American symbols collide to a soundtrack of explosions, missile fire and fireworks in this abstract exploration of nationalist iconography and what it means to viewers today.

Sahar al-Sawaf, Thomas Helman Iraq / USA, 2020, 07:00 Al-Sawaf, an Iraqi immigrant living in the USA, uses photographs and hand-painted 35mm to depict family who are alive, dead or missing in Iraq, 30 years after Operation Desert Storm.

Saturday 6 November Bootham School 15:30-17:30

THREE SONGS FOR BENAZIR

UM ABDULLAH

Elizabeth Mirzaei, Gulistan Mirzaei Afghanistan / USA, 2020, 22:00 Shaista, newly married to Benazir and living in a camp for displaced persons in Kabul, struggles to balance his dream of joining the Afghan National Army whilst starting a family.

Sahar al-Sawaf Iraq / USA, 2009 / 2019, 11:00 A 28-year-old single mother and her children struggle to deal with the effects of the conflicts in Iraq as they live as refugees in Jordan. An animated documentary and portrait of Um Abdullah.

THE ABOVE

1991

Kirsten Johnson Afghanistan / USA, 2015, 07:33 A US military surveillance balloon floats on a tether high above Kabul, Afghanistan. Its capacities are both highly classified and deeply mysterious. The Above forces us to look up.

Saif Alsaegh Iraq / USA, 2018, 12:00 The filmmaker, an Iraqi immigrant living in the USA, FaceTimes with his mother, a refugee in Turkey, as she relays the story of his birth. A powerful depiction of family, displacement and war.

ALI AND HIS MIRACLE SHEEP Maythem Ridha Iraq / UK, 2021, 25:00 Guided by his grandmother’s Sumerian lament, we follow nineyear-old mute Ali as he takes his favourite sheep for sacrifice. On the journey they bear witness to the beauty and ills of Iraq.

IN SEARCH OF Daniel Asadi Faezi Pakistan, 2017, 06:00 A poetic tribute to Pashtun culture set in the windswept hinterland of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, and an attempt to preserve ancient traditions under threat from war and globalisation.

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QUEER JOY: THE LGBTQ+ EXPERIENCE Although on-screen portrayals of LGBTQ+ lives are becoming more varied and sophisticated all the time, the majority of media still centres trauma when depicting queer characters. Whilst everyone will experience struggle in their lives, and we are still a long way from a truly equal society, the LGBTQ+ experience can also be a profoundly joyful one. The Iris Prize is proud to present a selection of films which brim with energy, exuberance and laughter. Romantic, sexy, silly and often funny, these short films challenge assumptions and are guaranteed to bring some joy to your life. Introduced by Berwyn Rowlands, Festival Director, Iris Prize.

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Saturday 6 November York Theatre Royal 18:00-19:00

PEACH

WHEN IN ROME (PAESE CHE VAI)

Rowan Devereux & Sophie Saville Australia, 2020, 08:00 Sarah, a socially anxious young woman, lands a hot date. There’s only one problem, she isn’t sure if it’s actually a date. Will she figure out in time? Or will it be left hanging the whole time?

Luca Padrini Italy, 2020, 11:22 A young and handsome Alfredo returns home after a long time along with his partner Mattia. He must break the news to his old-fashioned father about his secret. How will he take it?

1-1

THE SHAWL

Naures Sager Sweden, 2020, 07:01 Ayman’s sex date with Jonas gets crashed by friends Amirah and Samir. Luckily, Jonas is remarkably understanding and gleeful hedonism ensues in the moments that follow.

Sara Kiener USA, 2020, 06:33 After years of long distance, a pair of big and beautiful boyfriends celebrate their reunion at a Stevie Nicks concert, where they share a brush with magic. A testament to radical queer love.

DUNGAREES

BREAK IN

Abel Rubinstein UK, 2020, 05:00 What even is a male? Fuck it. Let’s have sex and worry about it later. Transgender Blake and cisgender Cane hang out, play video games and grapple with their insecurities. This is their love story.

Alyssa Lerner USA, 2020, 16:00 What’s more embarrassing than writing a piece of detailed erotic fiction about your crush? Writing detailed erotic fiction about your crush and then accidentally texting it to her.

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NEW GENERATION: SOUTH AFRICAN FILMMAKERS Girls in Film is a global network that represents, champions and connects women, non-binary and trans creatives in the film industry. Girls in Film South Africa announce their arrival in attention-grabbing style with this dazzling selection of narrative shorts, webisodes and fashion films. A fresh wave of talent are making their presence felt, blending the ever-shifting memes of global youth culture with hyper local reference points and narratives. The result is a distinctive fusion of tradition and innovation, as a new generation of South African filmmakers thrillingly find their voices.

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SCUM BOY

THE DREAM THAT REFUSED ME

Allison Swank South Africa, 2020, 16:00 This award-winning short documentary traverses the off-thewall psyche of Generation Z by way of visionary 3D artist, Scum Boy – a young South African, Jewish trans man.

Jabu Nadia Newman South Africa, 2021, 06:20 An Afrofuturist cipher reframing Black cultures through poetry and dance. Through colourful imagery, Jabu Nadia Newman explores alternative narratives with sensitivity and humour.

Saturday 6 November Virtual Release

A/s

HUSH

SIYAKHWEHLELA VOL. 1

Talya Galasko South Africa, 2019, 04:50 The new short film, Hush, by Cape Town-based writer and director Talya Galasko, tackles the urgent issue of genderbased violence in South Africa. A poignant and moving short.

Siyabonga Mtshali South Africa, 2020, 04:06 Siyababa’s first fashion film draws inspiration from the radical party girls of days past: the aunts and uncles, the tavern queens, the queer and Black bodies moving in the clubs.

MH/s

FIVE TIGER

THE WAPIDEMIC

Nomawonga Khumalo South Africa, 2020, 11:00 South Africa, present day. A god-fearing woman finds herself in a transactional relationship as she tries to support her sick husband and daughter. What will it take to make her family safe again?

Céline Tshika South Africa, 2021, 07:17 A satirical dive into the impact of Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP on the lives of four men. How many people can a song affect? How far can the lyrics be taken as fact?

v/s

BANYOLOYI A BOSIGO (ULTIMATE MIDNITE ANGELS) Kristin-Lee Moolman South Africa, 2021, 12:41 Designer Thebe Magugu launches his AW 21 collection with this visceral story of queer love between feuding tribes, a nostalgic genre tribute infused with spirituality and ritual.

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9/11, TWENTY YEARS ON PART 3: THE FALLOUT The attack on the Twin Towers has had an unprecedented impact on our lives. Society, politics and the media have been irrevocably shaped by the expansive geo-political consequences of the so-called “War on Terror” and its practical and existential implications. 20 years on, we still feel aftershocks on a daily basis with the Taliban regaining power. In this provocative programme, artist filmmakers grapple with topics that bear the undeniable shadow of 9/11. Islamophobia, new forms of warfare, the emergence of ISIS, neo-conservatism and the rise of the alt-right are all explored in a discursive, affecting and deeply memorable selection of films. Introduced screening.

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Sunday 7 November Bootham School 14:00-15:30

2001: PRESSURE MAKES DIAMONDS

MY OWN LANDSCAPES

Kazim Rashid UK, 2018, 13:50 This tri-narrative film builds a cacophonous collage of news, sports and pop culture media footage to explore what the artist calls the “so-called War on Terror”, following 2001.

Antoine Chapon France, 2020, 18:00 After 9/11, the USA invested in the creation of video games to recruit, train and treat soldiers. In My Own Landscapes, a veteran tries to forget his trauma through a video game.

MOUTHWASH

ANTELOPES

Reman Sadani Iraq, 2014, 18:00 Mosul during the time of ISIS, told through the lens of a blackberry phone. An ordinary Iraqi family in York exchange voice notes with their relatives. Both families navigate uncertainty.

Maxime Martinot France, 2020, 08:20 150 years ago, thousands of antelopes threw themselves into the sea together. Drawing upon a philosophical tale from Marguerite Duras, Antelopes offers a chilling statement on surveillance.

AMERICAN CARNAGE

COUNTERFICTIONS

Farihah Zaman, Jeff Reichert USA, 2017, 09:22 See how Steve Bannon’s years as a documentary filmmaker, peddling fake news, outrageous propaganda and conspiracy theories, catapulted him temporarily to the centre of power.

Chris Yuan UK, 2020, 10:41 Weaving together video, fiction, sound, design and performance, CounterFictions uses Donald Trump as a starting point as he builds a fictional wall in the public imagination.

197

AESTHETICA STARS OF THE FUTURE PT.1 As the second part of the ASFF Alumni screenings, we look back over the last few years of filmmaking talent from those shaping the industry today. This two-part programme celebrates some of our favourite filmmakers from the past 10 years. These fantastic alumni screened with us early on in their careers and are now working at the forefront of the medium in the UK and beyond, demonstrating their talent across features, documentary, television and visual art. Here, we revisit the films that helped launch these stars of the future. Join us virtually on 5 November, 12:00, Channel 1, for a panel discussion with our alumni, led by ASFF’s Guest Programmes Curator, Rachel Pronger.

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Sunday 7 November Virtual Release

A PROTEST, A CELEBRATION, A MIXED MESSAGE

ABSENT WOUND

Rhea Storr UK, 2018, 12:00 Can you write about this? Do you think I’m Black enough? Do you think I’m white enough? Viewer: a message to you. Black bodies exist in rural spaces too. I am sure I am a mixed message.

Maryam Tafakory UK, 2018, 10:00 Maryam Tafakory won the Aesthetica Art Prize for this fractured film which contrasts the physical strength of wrestling with a protagonist facing the beginning of her menstrual cycle.

ABANDON Georgia Parris UK, 2016, 05:35 Abandon follows an ambitious dancer who, after finding out that she’s pregnant, must put her emotions and anxiety aside for the final day of rehearsals – for her most demanding show yet.

LITTLE PYONGYANG Roxy Rezvany UK, 2018, 24:02 Joong-wha Choi, a former soldier in the DPRK, lives in a London suburb. Despite enjoying the new found comforts of British life, he struggles to forget the land that once betrayed him.

05 MANDEM John Ogunmuyiwa UK, 2020, 10:02 A job is just a job, but as with anything, time flies when you’re doing it with your best friend. And today’s no different. We follow Ty & Malcolm as they go about their daily routine.

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AWARDS CEREMONY join us to celebrate the 2021 winning films.

SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER 16:00-18:30 Every film in ASFF’s Official Selection is in competition for one of our prestigious awards, chosen by an experienced jury. These accolades have a track record of launching and nurturing exciting careers in film. Join us at Yorkshire Museum or on the Stream Channel 2. 200

New Wave is your introduction to the next generation of filmmakers. ASFF is the only festival in the UK that offers a dedicated strand celebrating graduate filmmakers. This is your chance to see work by fresh talent and to meet the visionaries who will shape the future of film. Each New Wave screening is followed by a panel with filmmakers, industry professionals and academics. In these discussions, we dig deeper into the craft and artistry of filmmaking, and explore the contemporary issues shaping the industry (and the world) today. This year’s events will cover ideas such as connection in a post-pandemic world, micro-budget filmmaking, and the challenges of building a more diverse industry. New voices, new ideas, new perspectives – welcome to the New Wave.

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DIY FILMMAKING: TAKING ARTISTIC CONTROL The idea of DIY film practice isn’t new. For many emerging filmmakers, doing everything on the production yourself offers both complete artistic control and affordability. And lockdowns caused by the pandemic saw a resurgence in DIY filmmaking, born out of necessity. The premiere of Alex Crowton’s In Praise of the Garage, features a man, a garage, a pile of leftover motorcycle parts and a love of 20th century TV culture. This is a documentary enquiry into the nature of DIY practice: what it is, how it’s done, where it comes from, and why it’s so compelling for producers and audiences alike.

202

Wednesday 3 November Yorkshire Museum & Channel 2 16.30-17.30

203

TIMELESS NARRATIVES: THE PRODUCER AS STORYTELLER Historically, stories were passed down from generation to generation by a speaker – someone who shared narratives which helped us to make sense of our world. Today, we receive stories primarily through screens: televisions, tablets, smartphones and the cinema screen. Stories are at the heart of a good film, and are what drive the industry. But what influence does the film industry have in wider culture? How does it contribute to the ways we see and hear each other? This panel will discuss the ways in which filmmakers inhabit the mind of the producer to create timeless narratives.

204

THE UNREAL ENGINE

JUNK MAIL

Alex Rabbitt UK, 2021, 01:25 A short snowy cinematic sequence developed for a solo portfolio project – created, rendered and captured in Realtime using Unreal Engine 4. Visually arresting and sensorially compelling.

James Pearson, George Fisher UK, 2021, 02:50 We live in a completely different world now, where everything can be ordered online. But here, a delivery man has to come up with a solution for a strange package that he fails to deliver.

Thursday 4 November City Screen 12:00-14:00

SNOWFLAKE

THIS

Brigita Auškalnytė UK, 2021, 03:06 A young student with a unique gift must find a way to harness her own powers. Snowflake is a unique and bewitching short that draws upon soft colour palettes and enchanting animation.

Teegan Pollard UK, 2021, 05:11 Whilst David writes his debut script, writer’s block, tiredness, and time itself pale in comparison to the biggest obstacle of them all; his housemate. This is a story about creative process.

S/MH/V

Sh/MH

I AM 97

WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY

Julia Smith UK, 2021, 06:35 A young woman tries to explain what happened to her under the pressure of interview conditions. An unsettling tale held under the parameters of question and answer, power and control.

Luke Worrall UK, 2021, 14:59 Jack lives a life of deceit and trauma. But he attempts to overcome his troubles and find out what truly makes him happy. How can he turn his life around? Should he? And where might it go?

S/MH

WAITING Timothy Porter UK, 2021, 09:38 Dee discusses the impact of having a disregarded occupation on her life and her family. Waiting is a documentary that taps into the human condition – how we live alone and together.

205

HOME MOVIES: A WORLD OPENING UP Overnight, home became the only place we knew, lasting longer than anyone thought it would. Now, as the world reopens, these filmmakers invite you fix your gaze on the horizon once more, and join us on a cinematic journey, spanning Russia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and the UK. Watch the thundering hooves of Kazakh horses as they cross a multi-lane highway. Hear the heroic tale of a Soviet nurse who signed her name on the Reichstag during WWII. Appreciate the touching reunion of two Saudi sisters, told intimately through their handwritten letters to one another.

206

Thursday 4 November York Theatre Royal 15:30-17:30

DILEMMA

EVERYBODY NEEDS SOME (DEAD) BODY

Darina Martynyuk Russia, 2021, 16:00 A doctor – who works in forensics – is rushed in to complete a pressing autopsy. The results of the examination will change the doctor’s life forever, and there’s no going back from here.

George Mills UK, 2021, 18:15 After a lonely housewife’s dead husband returns from the grave, she finds her new relationship strained as the two men seem to like each other more than they ever did her.

KO’SH (THE HERD)

LETTERS OF HEALING

Alsu Serikbek-Daukeyeva Kazakhstan, 2021, 06:00 A creative documentary that follows the journey of a father and son as they try to sustain a perishing tradition that can be traced back to their homeland in Kazakhstan.

Noha Zohair Aalbakri Saudi Arabia, 2021, 06:00 Two Saudi Arabian sisters exchange a number of handwritten letters in which they share memories of childhood, religion and their wider pasts, healing traumas in the process.

05 FINSTA Lucia Debernardini Italy, 2021, RT After an awkward 13-year-old accidentally posts a photo of her school crush on her social media, she resorts to drastic measures to mitigate the catastrophic consequences.

207

MAKING CONTACT: TALES FROM ISOLATION Connection has become increasingly important during the Covid-19 pandemic, as people are isolated and means of speaking to one another have changed. However, human beings are resilient – and we find how to problem-solve, and communicate by new and transformative means. The protagonists of these films attempt to connect in different ways: discovering a link with one’s past, trying to tell a parent the truth about one’s identity, reaching out to an audience online when live performance is not possible, and connecting with another person without words.

208

Friday 5 November City Screen 12:00-14:00

AJOTIN

BETWEEN US

Muhammed Seyyid Yildiz UK, 2021, 20:51 An illegal Kurdish refugee is a night watchman in a car park. When the car of his dreams appears, on impulse he takes it for a ride. Where will this journey take him? Where might he end up?

Niancao Yan UK, 2019, 4:34 Chinese New Year’s Eve – a father and child try to confide in each other. As they talk, the father summons the courage to break with tradition and ask whether the child is transgender.

MAN UP IN LOCKDOWN

SILVER AND GOLD

Ruicheng Liang UK, 2021, 20:00 A drag king born at the start of the pandemic gets back on stage as lockdown threatens. What does it mean to be a performing artist when live venues are on the brink of disappearing?

Jack Pulford UK, 2021, 15:00 A living statue waits for someone to notice her. When a potential rival teaches her to move she finds a real connection. The story of Silver and Gold is the narrative of unexpected encounters.

209

BODIES OF CHANGE: ALTERNATIVE FUTURES Exploring a wide range of topics – from the alternative futures of bio-production and sustainable energy extraction, to the politics and power of female anger – this collection of short films uses the body, and the way it is dressed, as a lens for navigating critical social, cultural and environmental narratives. These radical, and often hopeful, stories harness experimental production techniques to capture personal stories and drive cultural change. Attend this meaningful screening and rethink the very ways in which we consume – as a species, community and planet.

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Friday 5 November City Screen 16:00-18:00 Drinks Reception,18:00-20:00, Pitcher & Piano

BEYOND A BODY

NOSTOS ERDA

Veronika Ficek UK, 2021, 01:14 Beyond A Body thematises the emotional energy captured within one’s body and its visual manifestation in space. Inspired by a curiosity and love for the story our bodies can tell without words.

Laura Aguilera UK, 2020, 03:24 Based on the work of the biomaterial designer and artist Alice Potts, Nostos Erda portrays an alternative future compatible with the biosphere, situated in the reduction of resource extraction.

KHOMANTA

EPILOGUE

Fiorella Pomarino Dextre UK, 2021, 03:09 Khomanta is a 3D film that travels across spaces, customs and objects as a product of post-colonialism. An exploration of hybrid Peruvian culture, fashion, tradition and identity.

Dimitrios Parachos UK, 2020, 03:05 Epilogue follows a series of speculative narratives surrounding the environmental effects of the fashion industry, encouraging the viewers to recognise and change their consumption habits.

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BODIES OF CHANGE: ALTERNATIVE FUTURES

(CONTINUED)

212

THE CARER

PEOPLE, WONDERLAND AND ATTENTION

Yun-Ling Huang & Schoowei UK, 2020, 02:14 This film follows a reversal of roles within a family, caused by a costume designer having to take care of her parents during 2019 and 2020. What happens when you’re in charge?

Jia Ying Hang UK, 2021, 07:59 Inspired by strange dreams during a time of isolation, this film revolves around personal self-psychological exploration when the lights go out and the silence creeps in.

NAENYA

BLOOM ON TIPTOE

Paola Nerilli UK, 2020, 03:16 NAENYA captures changing funeral etiquette. The generalised loss of mourning embodies the speed in which we process life-defining moments. Will there be any space left for rituals?

Jae Kwang Han UK, 2020, 17:45 Bloom proposes narrative dance film as an alternative medium for promoting fashion. The film reveals the journey of a Korean female dancer who finds and reclaims her forgotten identity.

I NEVER DIE

I AM NOT THE OTHER

Petra Errico UK, 2021, 02:41 This film illustrates the remediation of ourselves in cyberspace as well as the anxieties connected to it, reflecting on how digital avatars can become a tool of female liberation and emancipation.

Honor Evans UK, 2021, 00:41 I Am Not the Other looks at ideas on vulnerability in Black women, and the effects that the “strong Black woman” media trope have on self-perception and mental health.

Friday 5 November City Screen 16:00-18:00 Followed by Drinks Reception

OZDÓBKI

GALLI

Julia Brzozowska Uk, 2021, 01:04 Ozdóbki (Trinkets) is a personal project exploring the connotations of female anger. The film opens up a dialogue about whether a woman is allowed to take up public space and be loud.

Laura Chybin UK, 2021, 04:23 A girl wanders through her dreamscape. Mystical symbols guide her on a path into the forest, where she encounters a creature who possesses the last note, which the girl needs to wake up.

A NOTE TO MYSELF

MORE MORE MORE

Rachana Shete and Aashka Sanjeev Shah UK, 2021, 04:28 This film is a figment from a young boy’s mind, focusing on the fear of clothes – vestiphobia. This is a conversation with oneself, exploring how phobia leads to an identity crisis.

Rui Li and Minyun Kuang UK, 2021, 02:46 Once a shopaholic girl bought a dress from a brand, the dreamy experience that the dress brought to her make her life cleaner and clearer and less crowded by fast fashion garments.

15 GILIGILI Firda Amelia UK, 2020, 22:05 Giligili looks at self-expression through personal style, which is still uncommon in Indonesia. It is part of a wider platform, encouraging people in Jakarta to express themselves.

213

THE ART OF LIMITATION: CREATIVITY UNDER CONSTRAINTS Whilst creative freedom is commonly regarded as essential for artistic endeavour, the prospect of “infinite possibility” is often experienced as debilitating. This programme of films, and subsequent panel discussion, will consider the proposition that – rather than stifling creativity – limitations function as positive forces that inspire and facilitate. These films were made under strict Covid-safe protocols and demonstrate the ways in which we can innovate in challenging times. Speculative fiction, curious dramas and hair-raising thrillers feature.

214

Saturday 6 November City Screen 15:30-17:30

BRAKE LIGHT

LOVE OF WORDS WORDS OF LOVE

Fiona Hughes UK, 2021, 15:00 How bad can a weekend away be? Ulla and Ian – a married couple – must overcome their incessant bickering in order to cover up a murder that they have accidentally committed.

Fortis Simons UK, 2021, 12:17 In a world where you pay for the words you speak, Eden, a young violinist with only a handful of words to her name, seeks to fulfil her sister’s final wish. An inspiring film poem.

BREAD AND HONEY

HIGH NOTE

Francesca Long UK, 2021, 14 :48 The touching story of two brothers, George and Eddie, as they learn to communicate again in the wake of their mother’s untimely death. A delicate drama exploring loss and love.

Jordan Sellers UK, 2021, 18:15 In a world where musical talent is entirely hereditary, Geena, the daughter of popstars, enrols at the world’s most prestigious music school. There’s just one problem, she can’t sing a note.

KILLOLOGY Beth Drury, Alfie Howl, Gary Owen UK, 2021, 20:00 In Killology, players are rewarded for torturing victims, scoring points for “creativity.” But it isn’t sick. It’s a moral experience: your darkest fantasies don’t come without consequences.

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Catch up on Demand all films are available to view on our platform until 30 November.

New to 2021, we’re offering audiences the opportunity to attend the festival in the historic city of York, as well as through the online sphere. This is the ultimate film festival experience, as it combines the freedom to watch films on the big screen and take part in our invaluable networking events, whilst being able to log-in and catch-up in your own time. 216

THE STRANDS At Aesthetica, our programmes are curated into six daily strands that offer a wide-ranging view of how film has the power to ignite, transform and change the world. Curation at Aesthetica is centred around powerful storytelling, compelling narratives and ideas. We programme the festival into six overarching strands, and these strands reflect the current stateof-play. These programmes are then sub-curated thematically by genre. We focus on the topics that are the most meaningful, pressing and present in our world. Film is a mechanism to understand the past and present, and it also offers a view of potential futures. Our curatorial team comprises 16 programmers who have a range of expertise and specialisations, having worked for some of the largest film festivals in the world. Through this curation, audiences can explore new cultures, ideas and engage with the future greats of filmmaking. The festival is organised into the following strands: n How it Was, How it Is, How it Will Be n Humanity on the Edge n When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade n Pleased to Meet You n Mirror, Mirror n Nobody’s Free Until Everybody’s Free

In-venue screenings will show a range of programmes from across the strands, whilst virtual strands will be released daily, and accrue throughout the course of the live festival week. Everything will be available On Demand from 8-30 November 2021.

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ONLINE FROM 2 November

STRAND 1

HOW IT WAS, HOW IT IS, HOW IT WILL BE. There are some moments in time that define who we are and what we will do next. There are so many things that connect us as human beings, right here and now on planet Earth. Collective experiences are so precious, and they bind us together. Sometimes, it’s the small things in life that matter the most like learning to ride a bike, your first kiss, your first relationship and similarly your first heartbreak. There is so much beauty in these shared experiences and so much to take away about the endurance of the human spirit.

n Animation 2: The Mind is a Complex Place p. 234 n Artists’ Film 3: Choices, p. 239 n Comedy 2: Own Worst Enemy, p.241 Dance 1: Where Am I Going?, p. 248 n n Documentary 4: Roadblocks, p. 255 n Documentary Feature: Buddy Guy, p. 225 n Drama 1: Trust Is All We’ve Got, p. 257 n Drama 9: New Realities, p. 265 n Music Video 2: Love Can Leave You Out Of Breath, p. 287 n Narrative Feature: Bipolar, p. 227 n Thriller 1: Monsters Within, p. 289

218

ONLINE FROM 3 November

STRAND 2

HUMANITY ON THE EDGE To say it has been a challenging time is an understatement. There are not enough words in the English language to truly articulate everything that is happening around us. From seismic issues like the climate crisis and Covid to human rights and women’s safety. There have been a range of multi-faceted and complex crises, which will not stop or magically disappear. There is no more “normal.” It’s an idea that has become redundant. Crisis has become a defining characteristic of life in the 21st century.

Animation 1: Moments of Loss, p. 233 n Comedy 4: A Surreal Trip, p. 243 n n Comedy 7: We Determine, p. 246 Drama 6: Losing Me Losing You, p. 262 n Drama 13: Real Eyes, p. 269 n Documentary 1: Reflections, p. 252 n Music Video 1: Kicking Up Dust, p. 285 n n Narrative Feature: A Beautiful Curse, p. 229 n Thriller 2: The Kids are Alright?, p. 290

219

ONLINE FROM 4 November

STRAND 3

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE Hope, life, trouble, optimism, positivity, difficulty, motivation. These words define the ups and downs of life. The glass is half full. This programme of films takes a lighter look at life and reminds us of all the joy and beauty that surround us. It reminds us to stop, slow down and look around in order to embrace the here and the now. These films inspire, unite and join as we take a moment to admire the power and resilience of the everyday person.

n Advertising 1: It’s All Around Us, p. 230 n Animation 3: Happiness is Always Your Own, p. 235 n Artists’ Film 1: Connection, p. 237 n Comedy 1: The Biz, p. 240 Comedy 6: Notes of Discordance, p. 245 n n Documentary Feature 1: Bank Job, p. 224 n Documentary Feature 2: 23rd Century Giants, p. 224 n Documentary 2: Pillars of Community, p. 253 n Drama 12: Searching for Hope, p. 268 n Fashion 3: An Idea Is a Discovery, p. 282 Family Friendly 3: Imagination, Imagination, Imagination, p. 276 n

220

ONLINE FROM 5 November

STRAND 4

PLEASED TO MEET YOU This programme explores interpersonal connections, the contexts with which they are formed and how they ultimately define us. Platonic, romantic, familial: there are numerous types of relationships that we form over a lifetime. Some are short-lived, but others are embedded in our everyday lives. How do we define our associations? At what point does an acquaintance become something more? Moreover, how has the digital age altered the ways we make, maintain and cut ties, irrevocably?

n Comedy 3: The Rocky Road of Romance, p. 242

n Comedy 5: Dark Laughs, p. 244 n Documentary Feature: Dear Sirs, p. 226 n Drama 7: Play Nice, p. 263 n Drama 8: Coming to Grips With the World, p. 264 n Drama 10: To Feel Again,p. 266 n Experimental 3: In View, p. 273 n Family Friendly 1: Just the Two of Us, p. 274 n Narrative Feature: A Handful of Water, p. 228 n Narrative Feature: Botox, p. 229

221

ONLINE FROM 6 November

STRAND 5

MIRROR, MIRROR Identity is a complex, multi-faceted, and often fluid, concept. It makes up who we are as individuals and communities. But how we decide who we are, or perhaps, who we want to be? Arguably, our memories, experiences and values are more important than where we are from, as they connect to the very essence of what makes us human. However, the way we see ourselves is often very different to the way other people see us. This programme considers the intricacies of selfhood in the 21st century.

n Animation 4: It Is What It Is, p. 236 Artists’ Film 2: Confronting Ourselves, p. 238 n Dance 2: Blast, p. 250 n Documentary 5: Life in My Shoes, p. 256 n Drama 2: Brand New Me, p. 258 n Drama 5: Into The Unknown, p. 261 n Experimental 1: Fragmented Memories, p. 271 n Family Friendly 2: Small Wonders, p. 275 n Fashion 2: Collective Power, p. 280 n n Narrative Feature: Ribblehead, p. 229 Thriller 3: Coins and Cults, p. 291 n

222

ONLINE FROM 7 November

STRAND 6

NOBODY’S FREE UNTIL EVERYBODY’S FREE Segregation, racism, marginalisation and discrimination are systemic issues deep-rooted within society, built into many individuals’ daily experiences. Though the conversation has begun, there’s a long way to go to establish true equality. We’re all complicit in building a new kind of world based on fairness and justice, where any two individuals are given equal opportunities and viewed in the same way. This powerful selection of films celebrates the power of film to connect us across time and space.

n Documentary Feature: Beijing Spring, p. 225 Documentary 3: In the Spotlight,p. 254 n Drama 3: When Will We Belong?, p. 259 n n Drama 4: Good For You, p. 260 Drama 11: Freedom, p. 267 n n Drama 14: Rule Breakers, p. 270 n Experimental 2: (Re)construction, p. 272 n Narrative Feature: The Cleaner, p. 227 n Fashion 1: Forms Of Resistance, p. 278 n Thriller 4: The Human Condition, p.292

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STRAND 3

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

23RD CENTURY GIANTS: THE STORY OF RENALDO & THE LOAF (SUBTITLED)

WEDNESDAY 2 November, 18:00 Venue: City Screen Alex Wroten USA, 2020, 01:22:33

STRAND 3

A decades-long friendship drives an architect and a biomedical scientist to make the weirdest music you’ve ever heard in your life, and thanks to the Internet, they’re more popular than ever. Renaldo & The Loaf are a famously surreal English musical duo, consisting of David Janssen (“Ted the Loaf”) and Brian Poole (“Renaldo Malpractice”). They continue to explore their own musical world and occasionally reveal the results ... who knows what’s next?

BANK JOB

THURSDAY 4 November, 18:00 Venue: Yorks. Museum Daniel Edelstyn, Hilary Powell UK, 2020, 01:28:00 An unlikely team, seemingly insurmountable odds, even explosions… taking steps towards a future in which money works for us all. This mischievous feature documentary led by artist / filmmaker team Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell, instigates and follows a community coming together to make their own currency, opening a bank in order to examine how money is created in our economy and to ask important questions about how the system of money creation might be altered in their favour. We argue that these debts are a result of a monetary system that is impoverishing multitudes by design, and which could be changed.

224

STRAND 1

BUDDY GUY: THE BLUES CHASE THE BLUES AWAY

FRIDAY 5 November, 20:00 Venue: Friargate Charles Todd, Devin Amar USA, 2021, 01:22:33 George “Buddy” Guy, who transcended his early years as a sharecropper in Lettsworth, Louisiana, in the 1940s to become one of the most influential guitarists of all time. After moving to the Midwest in the 1950s, Guy quickly rose to prominence as the go-to guitarist for Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf as part of the iconic Chicago blues scene, directly inspiring The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, and Eric Clapton. A tale of decades-long perseverance, Buddy’s journey reflects both the black experience in America in the 20 th century and the history of the blues.

STRAND 6

BEIJING SPRING (SUBTITLED)

SATURDAY 6 November, 10:30 Venue: City Screen Andy Cohen, Gaylen Ross USA, 2021, 01:40:00

V/D

Hidden 16mm film footage revealed for the first time after 40 years. Reminiscent of what is happening in Hong Kong today, this is a story about underground filmmaking, radical art and censorship. At Democracy Wall in Beijing 1978, the “Stars” – a group of selftaught artists (including a young Ai Weiwei) challenged propaganda art by showing their new art that championed individuality and free expression, often exposing the inhumanity of the Cultural Revolution. Recording it all was a daring young filmmaker named Chi Xiaoning.

225

DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

STRAND 4

DEAR SIRS SUNDAY 7 November, 16:00 Venue: City Screen Mark Pedri, Carrie Pedri (McCarthy) USA, 2021, 01:32:00

N/D

AESTHETICA

SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

2022 226

“My grandpa always said that if something was worth doing, then it was worth doing right.” After discovering an archive detailing the horrifying journey of his grandfather as an American Prisoner of War during World War II, a young man from Wyoming sets out to retrace his footsteps across Germany on bicycle in an effort to understand the most influential person in his life. Filmmakers Mark Pedri and Carrie McCarthy bike across Germany to tell the story of Silvio Pedri’s journey through WWII using the clues he left behind in his vacant house. A fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organisation.

SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENTARY FEATURES

OPENS 1 DECEMBER 2021 Find out more: asff.co.uk

NARRATIVE FEATURES

STRAND 6

THE CLEANER (SUBTITLED)

WEDNESDAY 3 November, 18:00 Venue: Yorks. Museum Ta Pu Chen Taiwan, 2020, 01:24:50

STRAND 1

Yan-Ting, is a death-scene cleaner. Yan-Ting, ex-convict Ah-Chun, and En-Ya, who was born with a silver spoon and wishes to experience life, team up in all kinds of death scenes to not only help the dead and their families to scrub the places but also clear the uneasiness and the grudges between the dead and their families and friends. Even though Yan-Ting clears other people’s regrets, there’s a rift between him and his father and brother. How does Yan-Ting face his unsolved issues? Does he have a chance to make up and repair his relationship with his family?

BIPOLAR

THURSDAY 4 November, 20:00 Venue: Theatre Royal Queena Li China, 2021, 01:50:00 A young lady comes to Lhasa, completely alone, having set off on a pilgrimage, but a “multicoloured magical lobster” enshrined by other people has totally changed her plans. She made a decision to take the lobster home to the ocean, but this was just the start of her journey, as she and the lobster end up travelling across half of China. During this odyssey of sorts, she comes cross many interesting characters and experiences. At the same time, memories, dreams, and hallucinations emerge intermittently. A hallucinatory narrative that shows how our intentions can split and diverse, leading us down completely different paths.

227

NARRATIVE FEATURES

STRAND 4

A HANDFUL OF WATER (SUBTITLED)

FRIDAY 5 November, 20:00 Venue: Bootham Jakob Zapf Germany, 2020, 01:34:03

V/D

STRAND 5

RIBBLEHEAD

SUNDAY 7 November, 12:00 Venue: Bootham Tom Young UK, 2021, 01:26:00

228

Konrad (85) has plenty of reasons for being grumpy. His wife died recently and now his only daughter even talks about adopting her girlfriend’s kids! He doesn’t approve. Thurba (12) has a different set of problems. In order to avoid deportation as a Dublin-Case she must jump from the second floor and run. But now she’s alone, out on the streets, in October. At night, Konrad hears something from the basement, arms himself with a nail gun and fires into the dark. He shoots little Thurba, who cries out in pain. Konrad is completely jumbled, this can’t really be happening.

Mark Smithson authored the breakout fiction hit of 2008, Tales from the M62 Corridor. In doing so, he created a new genre of fiction, winning nationwide plaudits, and – unbeknownst to him at the time – creating a dense psychological trap which would later ensnare his future self. Six year later and still no sign of that difficult follow-up novel. His attempts to recreate his initial success and his battles with alcohol have sealed him off so completely from the world that, seeing no other options, he attempts suicide. But his wife, Sarah ,reaches him just in time to save his life. Although all of this is uncomfortable, he makes the decision to persevere. The creativity, after all, is worth it in the end.

STRAND 4

BOTOX (SUBTITLED) SATURDAY 6 November, 19:30 Venue: Theatre Royal Kaveh Mazaheri Iran, 2020, 01:37:00

STRAND 2

Akram and Azar two sisters lie about the disappearance of their brother by telling everyone he has fled to Germany. As time goes by, however, the “lie” turns into “reality” in Akram’s mind, so that she believes her brother will come back. Mazaheri (Tehran, Iran, b. 1981) graduated in railway engineering at the University of Science and Technology of Iran and later he started filmmaking as self-taught. Since 2005 he has made numerous short and documentary films presented at several international film festival, including Tribeca, Krakow and the Palm Spring Film Festival. Botox is his first feature film.

A BEAUTIFUL CURSE

SUNDAY 7 November, 14:00 Venue: York St John Fountains Martin Garde Abildgaard Denmark, 2020, 01:31:38 A Beautiful Curse explores getting to know someone from the inside out. Photographer Samuel (Mark Strepan) sneaks his way onto a mysterious island to find everyone in a deep slumber. Despite the warning signs, Samuel makes his way to Stella (Olivia Vinall), who is also trapped in a limbo-like coma. Free from aging, pain, or memory, she lays frozen as Samuel discovers who she is through the objects left behind. A romance told through the unique lens of a light sci-fi mystery. The reason for this sleep-like trance on the town remains unknown, as Samuel instead unravels Stella’s unknown past. He gets to know her loves, her “not-so greats,” and her life through a series of tapes and her diary.

229

IT’S ALL AROUND US ADVERTISING 1

Advertising is a genre that comes with its own set of preconceived notions, however, this programme really considers what it means to sell a product. These shorts all hold one thing in common – they are working to promote brand ideals and values. Everywhere around us there is a message being pushed. These films stand out for how they communicate.

AV/ V

NEVER AGAIN Mario Dahl Germany, 2020, 03:16 Lea tells audiences about a summer day when she got caught between the execution of hostages by the SS. But her memories are quickly fading away and soon there’ll be nothing left.

STRAND 3

CIRCA 2020 (SUBTITLED) Rodrigo Inada UK, 2020, 02:16 Circa 2020 promotes the project that took over Piccadilly Circus to propose an open space and public gallery. Every day at 20:20, artwork would take over the advertisement spaces.

230

N/V

BE UNBREAKABLE - GLORYFY

I GOT THROUGH

Christoph Amort Austria, 2020, 03:01 Be Unbreakable is about people who have to overcome certain challenges in their life for being different or having a blow of fate. These are people who have an unbreakable character.

Luke Brookner UK, 2020, 02:16 A short film highlighting the complex process of grief and bereavement. A series of vignettes showing what people who’ve suffered from loss have to go through each and every day.

BACK TO US

THE UNTOLD SECRETS OF FRENCH HAPPINESS

Gabriele Rossi Italy, 2020, 06:00 Back to Us is the music short born out of the Italian edition of the Levi’s® Music Project. Since 2015, the international project has been providing emerging talent with opportunities.

Victor Claramunt San Millán Germany, 2020, 00:33 Presenting Lillet as a fresh and modern brand, where our way of consuming, living and enjoying life is sophisticated and unique at the same time. Lillet. Yours to define.

Tuesday

Thursday

friday

Yorks. Museum 22:00-23:00

City Screen 14:30-15:30

ONLINE FROM

4 November

A/V

NORTH SOUTH EVE

WOW THE WORLD (SUBTITLED)

Leah Loftin USA, 2021, 01:06 In a raw dreamscape, North South Eve subverts the primal tale of Adam and Eve to reimagine the birth of desire and the embedded nature of sexuality as a spectrum of experiences.

Leone Italy, 2020, 01:38 Bollywood Productions is the fire igniting the project. C41 aims to reconfirm and enhance ASUS’ brand quality, with creative direction lead by L+L (Leone Balduzzi and Luca A. Caizzi).

STRAND 3

SPEC SPOT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (NO DIALOGUE)

THE NORTH FACE X GUCCI PRESENTED BY HIGHSNOBIETY (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

Caroline Schwarz Germany, 2021, 01:37 A banana-islander realises that people seem to be approaching his habitat by boat. Panicked by the thought of strangers, he starts to eat his island of bananas, whilst the boat comes closer.

Fiona Jane Burgess UK, 2021, 01:30 A new generation of birdwatching enthusiasts are breaking the stereotypes of what outdoor recreation looks like and who it is for. Discovering the mental and physical benefits of being in nature.

VECTRONOM - RELEASE CAMPAIGN (NO DIALOGUE)

FIT FOR THE FUTURE

Pedro Lacerda Germany, 2019, 01:38 At the end of a dark corridor, white light emanates from a room full of electronics. An on / off switch is turned on by a mysterious character and all the electronics come to life with the music.

Jonas Hofmann Switzerland, 2021, 01:07 Have you ever seen lawyers jumping and turning somersaults? Fit for the Future wakes up the inner Super Marios of employees, making them the protagonists of an adventurous short story.

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IT’S ALL AROUND US

ADVERTISING 1 (CONTINUED)

Tuesday

Thursday

friday

Yorks. Museum 22:00-23:00

City Screen 14:30-15:30

ONLINE FROM 4 November

A/V

BORN GUILTY

Mattia Ramberti Italy, 2021, 03:30 A stylised portrait of Yoshi Funabashi, founder of Studio Ypsilon: a luxury atelier designing Italian classics with a Japanese touch. Yoshi’s character is the embodiment of the “Opera Connoisseur.”

Sinan Sevinç Germany, 2021 03:53 Born Guilty tells the true story of Huwe Burton, a young black man from the Bronx who wrongfully ends up in prison at the age of 16. He is accused of murdering his own mother.

STRAND 3

YOSHI FUNABASHI (SUBTITLED)

232

GIRLS LIKE ME

LEFT OUT OF LIFE (SUBTITLED)

Samir Zorlak, Tim Hahne Germany, 2021, 02:22 Sophia Floersch is not only a young racing driver. She’s also fighting prejudice, encouraging women who dare to be different. This is the story of a young woman doing things her way.

Graham Clayton-Chance UK, 2021, 01:22 Animated film about loneliness during the pandemic, made for Sense, a UK charity that supports people with complex disabilities. Featuring real-life voices and experiences.

NUEVOS TIEMPOS. NUEVAS REBAJAS.

TOMMEE TIPPEE - THE BOOB LIFE (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

Victor Claramunt San Millán Spain, 2020, 00:30 In these new times, greetings, looks and dress codes are constantly changing. The way we move; our houses; our routines. Times are changing, and, inevitably, so are we.

Fiona Jane Burgess UK, 2021, 01:08 A brand new global campaign for Tommee Tippee. Honest and intimate, this campaign is a battle cry for women and parents to feel confident about how they feed their babies.

MOMENTS OF LOSS ANIMATION 1

Tuesday

Thursday

saturday

City Screen 10:30-11:30

NCEM 14:00-15:00

YSJ - Fountains 12:00-13:00

ONLINE FROM

3 November

Most of us speak to someone each day. Information is exchanged; ideas are processed. Other times, we are alone. This programme looks at the personal relationships that we all have and inevitably lose. Inside us, there are mountains waiting to be moved and forms of strength that, at times, can be unmatched. These films consider what loss truly means.

A/V

PEEK-A-BOOM (SUBTITLED)

SANTIAGO (NO DIALOGUE)

Maya Zankoul, Toni Yammine Lebanon, 2021, 05:25 Surrounded by her loving family on her fifth birthday, an sudden event occurs that will shape Mira’s life forever. Peek-A-Boom is a story of splitting paths and unexpected circumstances.

Andrey Koulev Bulgaria, 2021, 15:00 A film about the friendship between a young child and an old fisherman. The story is inspired by The Old Man and the Sea, a short novel written by the American author Ernest Hemingway.

STRAND 2

VAN NGOC TA: THE VIETNAMESE LAWYER SAVING WOMEN TRAFFICKED TO CHINA (SUBTITLED) Shanshan Chen UK, 2020, 05:15 When Van Ngoc Ta originally trained as a lawyer, the Vietnamese family man never imagined that he would be rescuing women.

PLAYGROUNDS (NO DIALOGUE) Antonio Milo, Fabrizio Fioretti UK, 2019, 04:38 Playgrounds is a short film that travels back to the early 1990s, lost deep in the suburbs, absent parents allow forgotten kids to escape to other worlds where they can’t be found.

SIGNS (NO DIALOGUE)

DOWN

Dustin Rees Switzerland, 2020, 10:40 An electrician follows his nightly routine setting up signs in the city. He goes through life unnoticed and out of touch, until he realises which signs he should be paying attention to.

Guy Harvey UK, 2021, 05:47 London’s streets have become consumed by a mysterious hole in the pavement. The hole lures people to jump inside, becoming larger, deeper and seemingly more unstoppable with each victim.

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THE MIND IS A COMPLEX PLACE ANIMATION 2

TUESDAY

Thursday

Saturday

Yorks. Museum 16:30-17:30

Friargate 10:30-11:30

YSJ De Grey 19:30-20:30

ONLINE FROM 2 November

In this programme, we take you on an emotional rollercoaster. Everyday we experience moments of joy, pain, regret and loss. The mind is a complex place, and inside of it we can feel so many things at once. Our memories also play a huge role, often leading us to conscious or subconscious moments that traverse unexplored territories. This is where these films lie.

A/V SH/V

FALL OF THE IBIS KING Mikai Geronimo, Josh O’Caoimh Ireland, 2021, 09:42 The antagonist of a dark opera becomes increasingly unsettled following the unlikely return of the former lead actor. Fall of the Ibis King was made at The National Film School, IADT.

STRAND 1

HER SONG Éabha Bortolozzo, Jack Kirwan Ireland, 2020, 06:51 Produced by Radii animation, in conjunction with Screen Ireland and RTÉ, Her Song sees Eve learning of her grandmother’s history. Woven through her past is the harrowing figure of the Banshee.

THERE’S A PRISON ON FIRE IN THE FOREST

Simon Filliot France, 2020, 12:45 A mother sees an opportunity to escape the hardships of poverty by selling her organs to a sick, very rich, elderly neighbour. And she hands over her own flesh in exchange for gold.

JLee MacKenzie USA, 2021, 09:34 The animated story of a for-profit prison riot. A former prisoner describes the detailed events for profit institution, whilst taking the viewer through a recreation of the riot itself.

234

HEART OF GOLD (NO DIALOGUE)

F/V

NUDITY (NO DIALOGUE)

FLOATERS (SUBTITLED)

Jáchym Bouzek UK, 2021, 06:30 In a fabric society, a young figure diverges from rigid gender binaries to explore where their identity truly lies. Nudity looks beneath the surface – what’s lurking underneath our clothes.

Karl Poyzer, Joseph Roberts UK, 2020, 04:02 High in a sci-fi metropolis a lone spaceship is confronted by a much larger vessel. When the bigger ship asks why they share the same identification number a strange quandary forms.

HAPPINESS IS ALWAYS YOUR OWN

ANIMATION 3

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

City Screen 22:00:-23:00

Bootham 18:00:-19:00

Bootham 16:30-17:30

ONLINE FROM

4 November

We can all have the same experience, but individually, our memories of events will always be slightly different. Ultimately, you are the person who makes the decision about what happens in your life. These films look at perception and introspection, offering many possible answers to the questions surrounding life and our place within it.

A/V

LADY BETTY

THE PROMISE

Paul McGrath Ireland, 2021, 07:25 In a cosy corner of a country pub, two old friends wile away the evening trading tall tales. Soon they begin telling the story of Lady Betty, the first and only female executioner in Ireland.

Chi Thai UK, 2020, 06:44 The Promise is an urban fairytale that plays out on the mean streets of a mean city. Here, a thief tries to snatch an old woman’s bag but she cannot have it without giving something in return.

STRAND 3

THE OWL AND THE PUSSYCAT

NAMOO (NO DIALOGUE)

Mole Hill UK, 2020, 04:03 The Owl and the Pussycat set sail with their few precious possessions on a journey in which they learn nothing and lose everything – except each other. A charming poetic adaptation.

Erick Oh USA, 2021, 10:43 Inspired by the passing of Erick’s grandfather, Namoo, which translates to “tree” in Korean, follows the meaningful moments of one man’s life from beginning to end.

THE EDGE (NO DIALOGUE)

SHE DREAMS AT SUNRISE

Zaide Kutay, Géraldine Cammisar Switzerland, 2020, 07:23 A withdrawn truck driver collides with his own parallel, and the world goes off the rails. An imaginative tale that calls into question the very parameters of our own realities.

Camrus Johnson USA, 2021, 10:39 In this heartwarming animated film, an elderly woman escapes her mundane reality through her dreams while her greatnephew helps reconnect her to what she’s really missing.

235

IT IS WHAT IT IS ANIMATION 4

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

NCEM 22:00-23:00

City Screen 10:30-11:30

Yorks. Museum 20:00-21:00

ONLINE FROM 6 November

Connections are a part of the human experience. We need people to help us on our journey of change. But our internal monologues play a huge part in our understanding of those around us. Sometimes it is the decisions you make in life, and other times it’s the circumstances that you find yourself in that define who you are and what you may become.

A /NV

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREAD Ida Melum UK, 2021, 11:27 When a power cut ruins Ruby’s bedtime routine, she finds herself haunted by some unwanted guests. The only way for Ruby to get a peaceful night of sleep is to ultimately confront her visitors.

STRAND 5

AFFAIRS OF THE ART Joanna Quinn UK, 2021, 16:20 Beryl’s back in Affairs of the Art, which showcases one family’s eccentric yet endearing obsessions, with everything from drawing and illustration to the curious of pet taxidermy.

THE CHIMNEY SWIFT (SUBTITLED)

LINES

Frédéric Schuld Germany, 2020, 05:00 19th century Europe. A child climbs up a chimney whilst a bird sails down into it to build a nest. An encounter with no way back. A British chimney sweeper describes his everyday routines.

Claire Fleming UK, 2020, 09:42 Six young prisoners tell their stories, thoughts, fears and hopes. Read by Letitia Wright, Michael Kenneth Williams, Jodie Turner-Smith, Adepero Oduye and Riz Ahmed.

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MH/D

NO MORE DEAD FRIENDS

FOOTSTEPS ON THE WIND (NO DIALOGUE)

Laura Robinson Ireland, 2020, 02:45 An intimate portrayal of grief after the loss of a friend. Where do we go after we lose someone? How do we come back to ourselves? A universal story of grief and coping with a close bereavement.

Gustavo Leal, Faga Melo, Maya Sanbar UK, 2020, 07:00 Little Noor and her brother Josef see their lives suddenly torn apart, pushed into a journey over treacherous seas and mysterious lands. An animated short to Sting’s song Inshallah.

CONNECTION

ARTISTS’ FILM 1

Wednesday

Thursday

friday

Yorks. Museum 22:00-11:00

Theatre Royal 14:00-15:00

Yorks. Museum 22:00-11:00

ONLINE FROM

4 November

After 18 months of isolation, this programme examines, in very different ways, loneliness, embodiment, and connection. There’s a startlingly absent audience in 2020 Vision; a yearning for lost relationships in Humans; a playful monologue on truth in Authentic Footage. Beautifully observed studies of humanity via a small community’s connections and isolations.

01 2020 VISION Jake Polonsky UK, 2020, 04:00 “This year revealed many things. I don’t even know where to start.” The last 18 months have been a whirlwind, with multiple global crises collapsing into one another. How to make sense of it all?

A/V

HUMANS Aleksandra Czenczek, Magda Kowalczyk UK, 2021, 08:25 In the near future, humans have lost their ability to feel, touch and smell. Deprived of physical sensations, the once human mannequins still have memories of what life was like before.

STRAND 3

AUTHENTIC FOOTAGE (SUBTITLED)

CENTARIUM (SUBTITLED)

Alison Piper UK, 2020, 06:30 Authentic Footage questions the reliability of the director as narrator. This one-shot has become a hallmark of truth and reliability through its indication of “real-time.”

Aleksander Johan Andreassen Norway, 2020, 22:00 Staged and filmed in shopping centres during mostly normal opening hours, a chain of events is sparked by a mannequin coming to life. The film follows two characters’ movements.

ISOSTASY

THE SONG OF THE CHRYSALIS (NO DIALOGUE)

Simon Clode, Marc Rees UK, 2021, 07:28 As darkness falls on the deep eve of Antarctic mid-winter, there’s a break-in at the museum store Artefacts are not ransacked but rearranged. This is a guerilla action.

Francisco MeCe Germany, 2019, 20:00 Eleven human metamorphoses. Bird chirps, light and city life sneak through the cracks of the windows. Spaces clad in walls, wrap our hibernators, interwoven by gestures and daily rituals.

237

CONFRONTING OURSELVES ARTISTS’ FILM 2

Thursday

Sunday

City Screen 16:00-17:00

NCEM 20:00-21:00

ONLINE FROM 6 November

This collection of films examine identity. The Swan at the Mouth of the River explores gender and anthropomorphism through the eyes of an ageing dancer; Kintsugi Gold is an experimental essay that defiantly confronts PTSD; Camille and I is a funny and playful diary of France’s attitude to same-sex marriage; Look at Us revisits the Pakistani diaspora.

AMH /V

KINTSUGI GOLD

Daphna Mero Israel, 2021, 20:46 At the age of 41, Bernd Burgmaier wears his point shoes to dance his favourite female role, The Dying Swan, one last time. After a fulfilling dancing career he finds love and settles in Tel-Aviv.

Lwimbo Kunda UK, 2020, 07:47 An experimental short film that uses poetry, photography and live art aesthetics to explore complex post traumatic stress disorder, making hidden disabilities visible and celebratory.

STRAND 5

THE SWAN AT THE MOUTH OF THE RIVER

CAMILLE AND I (SUBTITLED)

LOOK AT US

Marie Cogné France, 2020, 18:14 Camille and Marie are in love. But everyone has something to say about their relationship. It seems as though their entire lives are open for discussion, whether they want to hear it or not.

Hussina Raja UK, 2021, 03:59 A homage to those who came before us, and to the Pakistani diaspora who remain resilient in the face of adversity and prejudice in “Great” Britain. A powerful and moving short.

LESBIAN

NUDE ME/UNDER THE SKIN: A RESURRECTION OF BLACK WOMEN’S VISIBILITY

Rosemary Baker UK, 2019, 5:00 Lesbian is a powerful poem. It’s about the word and the decades of toxic connotations that have made it feel like a hostile piece of language and many queer women hesitate before using it.

238

Freddie Leyden UK, 2021, 03:01 British Ghanaian textile and performance artist Enam Gbewonyo was invited to do a live performance at Two Temple Place.

CHOICES

ARTISTS’ FILM 3

Thursday

saturday

Sunday

NCEM 17:30-19:00

YSJ De Grey 17:30-19:00

YSJ Fountains 18:00-19:30

ONLINE FROM 2 November

In a broad selection of stories, Duet examines one woman’s choices in contemporary Shanghai; Only a Child is a tour-deforce of animation, illustrating the words of a 12-year-old child’s address at the United Nations; El Triste follows the existential crisis of a poorly crafted marionette; Regime Change is a powerful debut from the Moscow School of New Cinema.

A/V

DUET (SUBTITLED)

ONLY A CHILD (SUBTITLED)

Shae Xu China, 2020, 13:50 An unspoken romance resurfaces when a high school music teacher meets an old colleague. They decide to perform together as a piano duet for the first time since they drifted apart.

Simone Giampaolo Switzerland, 2020, 06:00 Severn’s speech is a child’s desperate call to action aimed to those adults who can make a difference to the future of our planet. That is, all of us. Starting from the original speech from 1992.

STRAND 1

ED/MH/V/N

EL TRISTE (NO DIALOGUE)

REGIME CHANGE (SUBTITLED)

Manuel Del Valle Mexico, 2021, 14:02 A drama that takes place on the backstage of a marionette show. This short film follows El Triste, an old used ragdoll-like marionette, and his journey of self-acceptance and discovery.

Yana Sad Russian Federation, 2020, 18:10 Two brothers live in a tiny house on the outskirts of a small town. They are young. One of them, Oleg, is autistic. Ivan takes care of his brother but it is difficult for him to have his own life.

BACK IN THE ISLAND (SUBTITLED)

WORLD OF TROPHIES

Amanda Valle Dominican Republic, 2021, 04:13 Back in The Island is a short film exploring the creative journey of artist Amanda Valle as she returns home to the Dominican Republic. Amanda seeks comfort in the local culture.

Victoria Wigzell South Africa, 2021, 24:43 Queer South African filmmaker, Victoria Wigzell, sets out to make a documentary on the value of a trophy as cold, hard currency in winning and losing. She tracks the lifecycle of awards.

239

THE BIZ

COMEDY 1

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

NCEM 10:00-11:30

Bootham 17:30-19:00

NCEM 15:30-17:00

ONLINE FROM 4 November

“There’s no business like show business” may conjure up images of exotic shoot locales or the glitz and glamour of the red carpet, but as this collection of short films reveals, the day-to-day reality of a career in film is miles away from those alluring fantasies. These films will have you questioning the sanity of anyone embarking on a career in film.

A/N

A/V D/V

*THIS IS NOT A RECREATION Danny Baldwin Ireland, 2020, 04:51 Filming recreational footage at the scene of the crime probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Until the criminal they intended to catch turns up, and the situation turns sour quickly.

STRAND 3

IN HOPE OF NOTHING Peter Hamblin UK, 2020, 22:20 With nothing more than; an idea, a shit load of hope and a storyboard, a group of filmmakers cast their dreams on the impossible. This is a film dedicated to all the stories never told.

240

LIGHTING TESTS

GOOD GERMAN WORK (SUBTITLED)

Tom Nicoll UK, 2020, 09:58 Malky, a struggling actor, has agreed to help Tom, a director he used to know, with some lighting tests. He thinks that it’ll be a good opportunity to show the director what he’s capable of.

Jannis Alexander Kiefer Germany, 2020, 14:00 The two craftspeople Uli and Didi are working on in their workshop somewhere between rural idyll and village dreariness, wondering about the strange newcomers that have arrived.

SELLING OUT

TAJ MAHAL PRESENTS… A SHORT FILM

George Hackforth-Jones UK, 2021, 08:05 Selling Out is a short comedy about an actress’ realisation that perhaps her life isn’t going to turn out quite the way she’d imagined. Written by and starring Lucy Scott-Smith.

David Dearlove  UK, 2021, 04:32 A short film for people who don’t like short films. A hilarious swipe at a genre that often seems longer than it is short. Starring Bafta-nominated actor and director Phil Davis.

OWN WORST ENEMY COMEDY 2

Tuesday

Thursday

saturday

City Screen 16:00-17:30

Friargate 21:30-23:00

YSJ Fountains 17:30-19:00

ONLINE FROM

2 November

Trips, walking into doors, pratfalls and good old doses of self-sabotage. Whilst we may be too polite to admit it, there’s a deep sense of pleasure to be found in giving in to the joy of schadenfreude. These films provide a shotgun view of people who are their own worst enemies, be that pompous dimension hopping authors, or those for whom patience isn’t a virtue.

02 WORMHOLE IN THE WASHER

Louis Norton Selzer  UK, 2021, 10:27 When his compressed gas keyboard cleaner does not arrive on time, Mr. Guthrert Vratrol decides to take matters into his own impatient hands, rapidly hastening his own demise.

Paireac Keane  Ireland, 2020, 18:12 When his socks go missing in the wash, a struggling sciencefiction writer discovers a portal to a parallel universe in his washing machine where he meets another version of himself.

STRAND 1

THE IMPATIENT MAN WHO MADE HIS LIFE CONSIDERABLY SHORTER

A/V

SURVIVERS (SUBTITLED)

SCHOOL NIGHT

Carlos Gómez-Trigo  Spain, 2020, 06:30 Natural selection says that only those who adapt will survive. What if humans have become stupid? Are we worthy of the future? Who will the survivors be in the new world?

Zachary Joel Johnson  USA, 2020, 11:03 An eighth grade teacher accidentally texts nudes to the wrong contact and has to deal with the consequences. A hilarious short that taps into our worst fears – being exposed to the masses.

A FEW MILES SOUTH (NO DIALOGUE)

LAST DROP

Ben Pearce  UK, 2021, 13:46 The year is 1911, the Golden Age of Arctic Exploration. Two mappers, however, find themselves in a rather perilous and unexpected predicament, with no food, trapped by a polar bear.

Will Liney UK, 2021, 12:05 A man mourning the loss of his father is slowly turning into an alcoholic. That is, until he is confronted by a strange voice at his local watering hole. What happens next is anyone’s guess.

241

THE ROCKY ROAD OF ROMANCE COMEDY 3

Tuesday Bootham 18:00-19:30

thursday

Saturday

NCEM 10:00-11:30

Friargate 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM 5 November

As the proverb states: the course of true love never did run smooth, which is perhaps why romantic relationships have long been fertile ground for stories that make us laugh. Here, we present the careful cultivation of a unexpected romance: an acerbic recounting of a very “modern” relationship, and a husband blind to the fact that his marriage is on the rocks.

A /nV

SEEDS OF LOVE (NO DIALOGUE) Behnam Taheri, Gideon Beresford UK, 2020, 03:45 Love grows in unexpected and truly cuious places. It can take you by surprise at any given moment. Seeds of Love was made during lockdown in London with a three-person cast and crew.

STRAND 4

FUCK THE HONEYMOON Joshua Thornton-Allan UK, 2021, 11:39 When Lizzie agrees to go on an “alternative” first date with Nathan, she had no idea that it would be couples counselling. They come to the realisation that they should skip the dating part altogether.

242

BYTE

EVE

Ross McGowan  UK, 2020, 07:40 A modern fairytale by the name of Byte, an original short film which is quite a sight! A story in rhyme that will give you a lift, when our sad, shallow man receives a strange gift.

Joe Solomon  UK, 2020, 13:04 A young woman who has just got married to her long term boyfriend now has doubts. She acknowledges she has been repressing her sexual attraction for women for some time.

THE DINNER PARTY

CLOSED CASKET

Simon Neal  UK, 2020, 16:46 Dreading another evening with his wife’s friends, a self-centred, thirty-something plots cruel tricks to send them home early. But as the night wears on he is forced to confront some painful truths.

Piotr Cieplak  UK, 2020, 10:10 Derek lives in a soulless newly-built block of flats. He doesn’t belong in this world of glass and steel. Craving company, Derek spends most of his time peering into his neighbours’ windows.

A SURREAL TRIP COMEDY 4

Friday

saturday

SUNday

Friargate 10:00-11:30

YSJ De Grey 13:30-15:00

NCEM 12:00-13:30

ONLINE FROM

3 November

Comedy is the perfect playground in which to explore the surreal, strange, and downright odd, where audiences can use the ballast of laughter to steady themselves in off-kilter worlds and situations. Leaving rationality at the door, step into the illogicality of self-isolation food fever dreams, and the existential pain of a project with infuriatingly shifting dimensions.

AMH /V

THE REBIRTHING CLUB Valentina Carrasco Thayer  UK, 2021, 15:32 David Adams is a young man who has voluntarily closed his eyes to avoid heartbreak. After life has dealt him so many failed loves, he decides to face his trauma by undergoing a particular therapy.

STRAND 2

MAN OR TREE Varun Raman, Tom Hancock UK, 2020, 04:00 In the wilderness, a tree begins to question whether it may actually be a man tripping on hallucinogens. How do we really know who we are, or what reality we might be trapped in?

CRAVING

PEDWAR

Greg Barth UK, 2020, 04:17 An isolation fever dream about a man’s hunger that’s becoming harder to satiate, driving him to the brink of manslaughter (or man-potato slaughter) to satisfy his delusions of grandeur.

Sam Johnson UK, 2021, 10:50 Three friends find themselves stranded in a cottage in the middle of the Welsh countryside. Whilst they’re here, a haunting painting catches their attention and becomes the focal point.

BACK IN FIVE (SUBTITLED)

A HOLE (SUBTITLED)

Stephen Pierce UK, 2021, 14:58 Back in Five is a dark comedy centred around Dave, who is trapped in a bar after hours. It’s a strange location, stocked with memories and people from his past. There’s only one door, and it’s locked.

James Solomon  New Zealand, 2019, 11:38 A skilled workman digs a perfect hole in a cracked earthen plain in an endless warehouse, a series of well-dressed people come and sit on comfortable couches offering contradictory opinions.

243

DARK LAUGHS COMEDY 5

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

City Screen 16:00-17:30

Yorks Museum 20:00-21:30

Friargate 16:00-17:30

ONLINE FROM 5 November

A brutal dismantling of your self-esteem and future career hopes in front of your peers. That sinking feeling of having just run over something unknown but “substantial.” The stomach churning realisation that you’ve fallen prey to the manipulations of a catfish. These short films deftly demonstrate exactly why comedy is the perfect vehicle into the heart of darkness.

A/V

DEATH AND DOG WALKING Helena Coan     UK, 2021, 05:28 After an unexpected meeting with a particularly difficult client, a dog walker is launched into the throes of an existential crisis. A hilarious tale about what it means to exist.

STRAND 4

MASTERCLASS Nancy Sullivan    UK, 2020, 08:29 A group of drama school students eagerly await their masterclass from a prolific West End star. But just how far will she go to get the results she wants for her art, and who will she destroy on the way?

SQUISH (SUBTITLED)

FRIENDS ONLINE

Xavier Seron   Belgium, 2020, 20:00 Flo needs to go to Marrakech for work. So, it’s Tom who’s left to take care of Sam, their five-year-old son. Flo left him a list of tasks to complete. Despite this, Tom forgot Sam’s guitar course.

Samantha White   UK, 2020, 05:21 Stacey an anxiety-ridden, lonely, keyboard-warrior hopelessly trying to convince his favourite young friend, Ellie, that he too is a teenage girl, with the desperate hope that she’ll send him pictures.

05 A PLACE FOR MR. CARPET Sebastian Karantonis USA, 2020, 28:25 “Even a useless man can make a beautiful carpet.” After a devastating breakup, a man searches for purpose and place in one of the harshest environments on the face of planet Earth.

244

A/SH

VIRAGO (SUBTITLED) Kerli Kirch Schneider Estonia, 2019, 15:00 In Virago village – where no man has lived long enough to see his 40 th birthday – Tõnu is about to turn 40 and break down all perceptions and expectations of what’s possible in today’s world.

NOTES OF DISCORDANCE COMEDY 6

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

NCEM 20:00-21:30

City Screen 20:00-21:30

Yorks Museum 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM

4 November

Featuring a sound war between a pianist and her classical music hating neighbour that engulfs a whole building and its residents, and a battle of bravado between two middle-aged lycra-clad men, this programme of comedy shorts illustrates that, whilst harmony may be nice, it’s the notes of conflict which are often best-played for laughs.

From A Strange Land

FORTISSIMO

Caroline Steinbeis UK, 2020, 07:01 An inquisitive retiree surprises her new neighbours to say hello; what she wasn’t expecting is that they would all be naked. A short about over-stepping the line and how we find common ground.

Janine Piguet Switzerland, 2020, 20:00 A pianist arrives in her new flat. But as soon as she rehearses, her neighbour tries everything possible to stop her from playing. The reason: she hates classical music. Soon, a sound war begins.

STRAND 3

03 The Foul James Button UK, 2021, 03.42 Some thing has to do something about all that dog sh*t. This is a corporate public information film about the necessity of cleaning up after your dog. Come on guys, just pick up the poop.

05 MAMILS (MIDDLE AGED MEN IN LYCRA) Ben Marshall UK, 2021, 3:00 MAMILS (Middle Aged Men in Lycra) is a short comedy that captures an intense rivalry between two amateur cyclists as they eagerly try and one up each other in increasingly ridiculous ways.

04 IT FEELS PERSONAL Hugh Clegg UK, 2021, 13:32 When Hugh finds out that his video, his artwork has been stolen, re-contextualised, and turned into a viral meme by a TikTok user, he embarks on an internet odyssey, interrogating people.

06 40A Quentin Papapietro France, 2020, 17:10 Whilst their game of tennis first looked as boring as usual, Pierrick and Alexis, two 30-year-old men who you wouldn’t call athletes, suddenly find themselves incredibly gifted players.

245

WE DETERMINE COMEDY 7

Saturday

Sunday

NCEM 19:30-21:00

YSJ Fountains 10:00-11:30

ONLINE FROM 3 November

It’s important to be able to take a light-hearted approach to some of life’s biggest challenges. This programme takes you on a multitude of journeys from awkward strangers meeting in the part, to women taking control of their lives, and a man who enjoys eating bird food, calling i to question that which we call “normal.” It’s an important question to ask ourselves.

A/V

THE ACOLYTE Sammy James, Jr. USA, 2020, 14:00 Is there hope for the modern world? Or are we beyond the point of no return? Inspired by the Marx Brothers and HP Lovecraft, The Acolyte depicts a victory of the optimist over the cynic.

STRAND 2

ANIMAL FOOD Jonas Ljung Sweden, 2020, 05:20 (no dialogue) A dark comedy about a socially awkward man with an abnormal interest in bird food. What’s cultural acceptable to eat, and what’s not? The story is told using rhythmic visuals, without dialogue.

246

FULL V

SED LIBERA NOS A MALO

Anna Rose Duckworth New Zealand, 2020, 06:47 When two friends are going to get sexual health checks, tensions flare over the ancient history of their one-off hook up. Anna’s work shows raw depictions of relatable feminine experiences.

Jack Salvadori UK, 2020, 06:30 What happens when our everyday meets something unexpected? This is, perhaps, the key question lying at the core of surrealism, but also what happened to us since the advent of the pandemic.

FLASH_THUNDER93

THE WAPIDEMIC

Reuben Harvey Ireland, 2020, 11:02 The film tells the story of two awkward and introverted weather enthusiasts, who meet for the first time after chatting online to observe a lightning storm together, both with ulterior motives.

Céline Tshika South Africa, 2021, 07:16 The Wapidemic is a dive into the impact that Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP had on the lives of four men, who refer to themselves as “The Gents.” A mockumentary.

07 VALETTA Konstantin Enste Germany, 2021: 03:03 A few years ago, a tree was found at a flea market and the filmmaker had to buy it, since then it had a place on his desk and a special place in his heart. Everything was shot in a tiny office.

STRAND 2

got a comedy film in the making? We open for entries on 1 December for the 2022 edition of the Aesthetica Short Film Festival. We’re looking for films that descend into surreal, unexpected moments of chaos, lunacy and release. Successful comedies surprise and connects viewers through universal emotions and shared experiences – the everyday turned absurd.

247

WHERE AM I GOING? DANCE 1

This reel drops audiences in new environments; but do we want to inhabit, change or escape them? In How Do You Sleep, climate change turns the world on fire. In Wolf, children carve new routes in the forest, whilst Mother/Land explores the relationship between a first generation immigrant and the motherland. Here, landscapes encroach on our protagonists.

MOUNTAINS, SEAS, PANORAMA (NO DIALOGUE) Wilfred Wong Hong Kong, 2020, 21:16 Kua-fu chases after the sun. He feels thirsty when he gets close to the sun, so he quickly drinks all the water in the Yellow and Wei rivers, and even the large lake in the North.

STRAND 1

HOW DO YOU SLEEP (NO DIALOGUE) Bonnie Su Australia, 2021, 03:22 What use is money, if we have no planet? Inspired by the catastrophic, Australian bushfires, this film explores the ramifications of climate change in a capitalist society.

A/V

248

BLUE RAID (NO DIALOGUE)

WOLF (NO DIALOGUE)

Louis- Jack UK, 2021, 03:00 With fires burning across the country and a deadly virus lingering in the air, we danced to accelerationist techno under the new moon as if it was the end of the world. Starring Marcelino Sambé.

Natasha Gilmore UK, 2018, 12:49 Wolf is set in autumnal Scotland and incorporates a cast spanning three generations. At its heart is the interplay between being guided by older generations and the need to forge your own path.

MOTHER/LAND (SUBTITLED)

TRUE SOUND FAÇADE (NO DIALOGUE)

Amaal Mustafa USA, 2021, 03:29 A visual poem and dance piece that critiques and questions the problematic discourse between a first generation immigrant and their parents, specifically the so-called motherland.

Laura N-Tamara UK, 2020, 02:30 True Sound Facade is a poetic dance and animation film in which a dancer realises their digital self feels truer than their real world self. It was commissioned by the Barbican in London.

Wednesday

Thursday

Sunday

City Screen 22:00-23:00

Bootham 16:00-17:00

Friargate 10:30-11:30

ONLINE FROM

2 November

A/V

WHERE AM I GOING (SUBTITLED)

ODYSSEY

Die Meng China, 2021, 03:20 Where Am I Going is about our individual loss and struggle in this noisy world, using the language of modern dance and the metaphor of nature to feel and express emotions.

Ciaran Lyons UK, 2021, 11:35 Choreographed by Scottish Ballet Soloist Nicholas Shoesmith, and directed by Ciaran Lyons, this high-octane short film takes viewers on a journey through a game-like landscape.

STRAND 1

Submit your Dance film to be a part of the 2022 edition. Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, th The 12 edition of the festivalboard, opens for 1 December. provides a programmers and advisory as entries well ason any upcomingDance opportunities.

collaborative arena combining choreography and performance. We’re looking for outstanding shorts that draw a line between bold delivery and delicate gestures, with fluid movements, balanced sets, fitting soundtracks and timeless direction,

249

BLAST

DANCE 2 Blast explores how we exist as individuals within communities; interacting, creating and protesting. Blyndex showcases the togetherness of a ballroom house, whilst Revision of Evidence intertwines a duo’s desire and disdain. Mėxed comments on micro-aggressions placed upon afro-hair terminologies. Here, we find kinship, spirit and a fight for change.

A/V

REVISION OF EVIDENCE (SUBTITLED) Sophie Salzer Germany, 2019, 07:51 Revision of Evidence is an independent narrative carved from fluid movements, jump cuts, gestures and still images. Within a space of sculpted light, desire and disdain intertwine.

STRAND 5

BLYNDEX (SUBTITLED) Rodrigo Inada, Yuri Mira Brazil, 2021, 04:03 Through the eyes of various members of House of Blyndex, a multidisciplinary ballroom family from São Paula, we discover how a proud group of Black and LGBTQ people come together.

MĖXED

PUZZLE (SUBTITLED)

Lissi Simpson UK, 2021, 05:00 Mėxed tells a collective story of biracial (Black & White) women, using spoken word, natural allegory and dance to comment on micro-aggressions placed upon afro-hair terminologies.

Anastasiya Sovashchenko Russian Federation, 2020, 19:00 This film is about the moment when a person creates something unique. We will consider what the process consists of. Venue version is edited to 10:00. See the full version on the platform.

250

V/SH

BLAST

SCAPELANDS (SUBTITLED)

Joshua Ben-Tovim, Roseanna Anderson UK, 2020, 05:12 BLAST takes its cue from the growth of radical ideologies and modern art in London, 1914. From hereon, we consider the ways in which we “progress” as a species and head into the present-day.

Katie Beard, Naomi Turner UK, 2019, 04:00 Scapelands explores our primal connections with nature and the effect of urban living on the human mind. Commissioned by BBC Arts and Arts Council England.

Thursday

Wednesday

Saturday

City Screen 10:30-11:30

Theatre Royal 22:00-23:00

YSJ De Grey 12:00-13:00

ONLINE FROM

6 November

A/V

THE KITCHEN (SUBTITLED)

TOKE

Vishwakiran Nambi India, 2021, 10:26 The Kitchen looks at the traditional roles assigned to women in a patriarchal society. In it, we see the complexity of the relationship she shares with the place where she prepares food for her family.

NONO UK, 2021, 06:42 Set in the urban metropolis of London, Toke is an intimate portrait of Danish-born dancer Toke Broni Strandby. NONO expertly visualises the layered journey we endure to fulfil our dreams.

STRAND 5

d/V

SO FAR SO GOOD (SUBTITLED) Brigitte Fässler, William Bejedi Switzerland, 2021, 04:01 A collaboration with the Swiss dancer and hip hop freestyle world champion Stylez‘C – setting a clear sign against racism and racial profiling in Switzerland. They demand justice.

251

REFLECTIONS

DOCUMENTARY 1

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

NCEM 12:00-13:30

YSJ - De Grey 12:00-13:30

NCEM 13:30-15:00

ONLINE FROM 3 November

Themes of memory, past trauma, nostalgia and amnesia are interwoven in this collection. In Maalbeek, animation is used to piece together lost memories. A Syrian family settle into their new life as refugees living in London in The Edge of Home, and a former police officer gives a brutally honest account of their experience of racism in the police in The Black Cop.

02 SOME KIND OF INTIMACY (SUBTITLED)

Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis France, 2020, 15:51 Survivor but amnesiac of the attack at Maalbeek metro station on 22 March 2016 in Brussels, Sabine is looking for the missing image of an over-mediatised event of which she has no memory.

Toby Bull UK, 2019, 05:40 In this unique and unexpected documentary, the filmmaker tries to communicate with the sheep which are living where his parents are buried. This is intimacy garnered in brand new ways.

STRAND 2

MAALBEEK (SUBTITLED)

WAVELENGTHS (SUBTITLED)

THE BLACK COP (SUBTITLED)

Jessie Zinn USA, 2020, 10:45 An abortion hotline extends an ear to women all over the Bay Area during the COVID-19 lockdown. A moving documentary that pulls back the curtain on a crucial issue from the pandemic era.

Cherish Oteka UK, 2021, 24:06 The Black Cop follows one former police officer’s experience through being both the victim and perpetrator of racism within the police. A timely and necessary piece for 2021 viewers.

252

AB/MH

YELLOWSTONE

THE EDGE OF HOME (SUBTITLED)

Éanna Mac Cana UK, 2020, 26:29 A brief history of Belfast City Hospital, interwoven with the director’s personal and family history with the place. A moving account on the life cycle of a place, its reason for being.

Celine Cotran UK, 2020, 12:12 Having fled from Syria, Wafa is trying to settle her family into their new life in North London. She has not seen her eldest son, Yasser, in seven years. Taking place on the lead up to Ramadan.

PILLARS OF COMMUNITY DOCUMENTARY 2

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

NCEM 18:00-19:30

Friargate 17:30-19:00

Friargate 15:30-17:00

ONLINE FROM

4 November

This selection of documentaries, from a Bingo Club in London to a printing press in Sierra Leone, demonstrate the importance of community. In Since You Arrived, My Heart Stopped Belonging to Me, a group of Central American mothers are brought together under terrible circumstances, whilst in The Elvermen a hidden community hunts endangered fish.

THE PALACE (SUBTITLED)

AWOKO (SUBTITLED)

Jo Prichard UK, 2021, 28:30 Every day, on the top floor of an iconic 1960s shopping centre near the heart of the city, hundreds of regulars take up their usual spots in the London Palace Bingo Club.

Joshua Hughes, Felix Bazalgette UK, 2020, 09:45 A group of men print a newspaper five nights a week. At the Awoko printing press in Freetown, Sierra Leone, they suffer power cuts, ageing machines and dangerous chemicals.

A/V

STRAND 3

BABYBANGZ

THE ELVERMEN (SUBTITLED)

Juliana Kasumu UK, 2021, 10:33 Salon [noun]: “a social gathering, especially of writers or artists, at the home of a prominent woman, focused on pleasurable and intellectual discourse.”

Isla Badenoch UK, 2021, 13:49 As the sun sets on the banks of the River Severn on the outskirts of an impoverished city in the UK, a group of men gather in a race to catch a vanishing creature; the elusive elver.

SINCE YOU ARRIVED, MY HEART STOPPED BELONGING TO ME (SUBTITLED)

A VIEW FROM ABOVE (SUBTITLED)

Erin Semine Kökdil USA, 2021, 20:40 Central American mothers journey by bus through the heart of Mexico, searching for their children who migrated north towards the USA but disappeared en route.

Dylan Werkman Netherlands, 2020, 18:29 A View From Above follows the intimate journey of an astronaut going up into space, guided by metaphors from the life on earth. The film reveals the emotional complexity of the journey.

253

IN THE SPOTLIGHT DOCUMENTARY 3

Tuesday

Thursday

friday

Yorks. Museum 20:00-21:30

City Screen 21:00-22:30

NCEM 18:00-19:30

ONLINE FROM 7 November

Elements of comedy, animation, and drama are employed in this surprising and eclectic programme of short films. The year 2440 is the setting for the afro-futuristic hybrid doc The Door of Return, meanwhile residents are left hanging in docudrama Hanging On. This talented bunch of filmmakers explore unique and creative ways to tell their stories.

MH/D

A/V

02 I DON’T FEEL AT HOME ANYWHERE ANYMORE (SUBTITLED)

Viv Li Belgium, 2020, 15:54 A wistful but witty account of a trip to Beijing by an art student who has been abroad for 10 years. Her stay with her family mercilessly exposes how uprooted she has become.

STRAND 6

LAST MEAL Marcus McKenzie, Daniel Principe Australia, 2020, 17:33 Capital punishment simmers in a boiling pot of controversy. Amidst the debate surrounding the issue, one thing sets tongues wagging more than the others – what do the condemned eat?

254

MH/N

THE DOOR OF RETURN (SUBTITLED)

SCARS (SUBTITLED)

Anna Zhukovets, Kokutekeleza Musebeni Germany, 2021, 29:55 “Do I really have to travel to 2020?” Two black women in a hologram context. The year 2440. Place of residence: Saturn. Racism, sexism and capitalism have been overcome.

Alex Anna Canada, 2020, 10:00 Alex Anna’s body is a canvas: her scars come to life to tell a new story of self-harming. Live action and animation intertwine in this short and poetic documentary, both intimate and universal.

E14

HANGING ON (SUBTITLED)

Peiman Zekavat UK, 2020, 15:43 A study in human behaviour in the one of the most dense and overdeveloped residential aresa in the UK during the coronavirus pandemic, as a filmmaker captures the events outside his window.

Alfie Barker UK, 2021, 10:00 A docu-drama spotlighting the strength of community in a neighbourhood that unite when they are forced to the edge of extinction. This is what it means to be hanging on.

ROADBLOCKS

DOCUMENTARY 4

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

NCEM 10:00-11:30

NCEM 14:00-15:30

ONLINE FROM

2 November

Hopes, dreams, uncertainty, memories and mental health are all themes explored in this highly affecting collection of short films. In Early Years, Muna comes to terms with a reality she had long buried, meanwhile in Please Wait, two brothers try to fill the days living at an asylum centre. Despite the challenges, these protagonists look to the future with hope.

AMH /V

EARLY YEARS (SUBTITLED)

BRIDGING THE GAP

Juliette Menthonnex Switzerland, 2021, 26:45 Muna is 25 years old. Her deep-buried memories are re-surfacing. Bit by bit, flashes, nightmares, feelings let an immense pain rise. And with those, appears a reality: she doesn’t remember anything.

Nina Ross, Meg Barrett UK, 2021, 06:40 Age 18 Meg started hearing a voice. She tried ignoring it, didn’t tell a soul, yet the voice grew. More abusive, more delusional and often out of her control. Eventually, her paranoia wore her down.

STRAND 1

A/d

RIP SENI

THE ROAR OF THEIR ENGINES (SUBTITLED)

Daisy Ifama UK, 2021, 19:59 Overnight on 24 June 2020, graffiti reading “RIP SENI” appeared on a public artwork outside Bethlem Royal Hospital, London. The spray-painted letters called attention to Seni Lewis.

Jason Todd, Charles-Émile Lafrance Canada, 2021, 16:20 Peace talks surrounding the Cypriot conflict are at a standstill despite all the efforts made over the past 50 years. Meanwhile, the Turkish-Cypriot population is aging, away from the spotlight.

WIFI RIDER (SUBTITLED)

PLEASE WAIT (SUBTITLED)

Roxy Rezvany UK, 2020, 12:43 Queer Palestinian teenager Shukri spends his days on the internet. Immersed in a world where Western popstars preach self-love and acceptance, he escapes from his lonely life in Jerusalem.

Hazhir Ibrahimi Norway, 2020, 18:32 The film opens a window into the lives of two brothers Peshawa and Komar, at the Drevsjø asylum center (Norway). Through an observational lens we will learn the dreams of the brothers.

255

LIFE IN MY SHOES DOCUMENTARY 5

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

Bootham 18:00-19:30

Friargate 14:00-15:30

NCEM 18:00-19:30

ONLINE FROM 6 November

From a women’s rights activist in India, to a 16-year-old old living with Tourette’s Syndrome, this programme presents a series of unflinching portraits. Poetic films Nsenene and Spirits and Rocks: An Azorean Myth explore the relationship between humans and the natural world, whilst Just a Guy is about finding love in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances.

02 SPIRITS AND ROCKS: AN AZOREAN MYTH (SUBTITLED) Aylin Gökmen Switzerland, 2020, 13:30 The inhabitants of a volcanic island are doing their best to keep the mountain quiet. The camera is embracing a majestic nature: the texture of the rocks is almost like silk.

STRAND 5

MISSION: HEBRON (SUBTITLED) Rona Segal Israel, 2020, 23:20 In Israel, soldiers are recruited at the age of 18. A couple of months later, they are already in charge of Palestinian civil life, in almost every aspect. Six ex-soldiers face the camera.

A/V

SHERO (SUBTITLED)

NSENENE (SUBTITLED)

Claudio Casale India, 2020, 14:34 Shabnam was attacked with acid when she was a teenager. Today she is a Shero, a women’s rights activist who is raising her daughter by teaching her the value of beauty and feminine strength.

Michelle Coomber UK, 2021, 07:32 Masaka’s grasshopper catchers light up the sky in this poetic portrayal of a Ugandan tradition. Nsenene is visually compelling, and eye-opening – a unique story.

256

N/V

JUST A GUY (SUBTITLED)

TICTOC

Shoko Hara Germany, 2020, 15:00 JUST A GUY is an animated documentary about love. Three women share glimpses of their affection, attraction and relationship with Richard Ramirez: a serial killer and rapist.

Mark Waters UK, 2020, 22:25 In the 16 years that Felix has grown up he’s had to contend with the unpredictable and consuming nature of Tourette’s Disorder, whilst navigating the usual tribulations of adolescence.

TRUST IS ALL WE’VE GOT DRAMA 1

Tuesday

Thursday

Sunday

City Screen 12:00-13:30

Yorks. Museum 20:00-21:30

YSJ Fountains 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM

2 November

The world is a scary place but trust is grounding – in people, places, things. Whether it’s the people we’re told to love, the people we’ve chosen to love or the places we feel safest, they can all be personal sanctuaries and taking these away can leave you on shaky ground. These six films explore subtle and not so subtle break downs in trust.

A/V MH/N

ARIA (SUBTITLED)

RODEO (SUBTITLED)

Christopher Poole UK, 2021, 13:25 Jenny and Tom are excited to install a new Aria – a “smart security system” in their home. Tom becomes increasingly paranoid about what may be lurking outside their front door at night.

Adam Levett Canada, 2021, 13:00 A model’s obsession with a social media influencer becomes more intense and bizarre as their paths continue to cross and diverge. How far will we go to match up with our own ideals?

STRAND 1

LUZ (SUBTITLED)

BETRAYAL (SUBTITLED)

Cristina Urgel Garcia Spain, 2021, 16:00 Two months pregnant, Luz loses her child. Her partner, Jon, is having a difficult time with the situation. Her aunt visits in an attempt to help her niece, but the atmosphere becomes tense.

Katiana Zachariou Cyprus, 2020, 14:47 14-year-old Irene finds out a secret about her father that puts a strain on their relationship. Meanwhile, she discovers the power of telekinesis and reaches into herself for powers unimaginable.

n/A

BOYS (FRIENDS FOREVER) (SUBTITLED)

PETRA (SUBTITLED)

Joachim Morre Denmark, 2021, 17:52 Anton and Theodor are preparing for a night out. They are young and carefree – facing zero challenges aside of being out of booze. The mood changes when Simon arrives with a confession to make.

Ella Jones UK, 2021, 08:11 A subtle and heartbreaking story looking at the phenomenon of Genetic Sexual Attraction. Petra is holding her breath in the bath. As she breaks through the water, Ruth has been timing her.

257

BRAND NEW ME DRAMA 2

Thursday

friday

Saturday

Bootham 19:30-21:00

YSJ - De Grey 16:00-17:30

NCEM 17:30-19:00

ONLINE FROM 6 November

If I’m me today, who might I be tomorrow? It can be the big things that shape us, or the small. In these stories, we get to see some of the best and worst – when decisions are actively taken or when fate makes its own choice. We get to see just how important a chance encounter can be, whether it changes life’s path forever or shifts things just enough for a spirit to shine.

A /NV

FACE VALUE Scott Handcock UK, 2021, 12:45 When a young man discovers someone using his photos online, he decides to confront them face to face. But the person he encounters isn’t anything like the man he’d been imagining.

STRAND 5

WINE LAKE (SUBTITLED) Platon Theodoris Australia, 2020, 09:32 A homeless Irish alcoholic and an artistic backpacker clash on a Sydney street. The backpacker becomes the focus of her anger. But they quickly develop an unlikely connection over his art.

NAFS SAID (SUBTITLED)

YELLOW CROSS MY HEART (SUBTITLED)

Huma Hussain USA, 2020, 13:27 Nafs Said is a story about an Indian-Muslim housewife, Maryam, whose mundane life is abruptly interrupted by an opportunity to explore her desires. A study of the rhythms of domestic life.

Inga Kempe, Elina Sahlin Sweden, 2021, 11:09 The spirited 12-year-old Siri and her strict grandmother head on a mission to get their stolen car back. Whilst the duo ambush the car thief in his own backyard, Siri meets her first love Meio.

258

FART CAR

STEP BACK

Fraser Scott UK, 2021, 08:42 A young man tells us the story of his first kiss with another boy, whilst grappling with the loss of his father. Differing emotions intertwine in a complex and deeply interpersonal journey.

Richard Kattah UK, 2021, 28:29 Xavien Russell delivers an outstanding performance as gang member Marcus who, when an attempted theft goes tragically wrong, finds himself in prison fighting for his life.

WHEN WILL WE BELONG? DRAMA 3

Tuesday

Thursday

Sunday

NCEM 16:00-17:30

City Screen 17:30-19:00

Yorks. Museum 12:00-13:30

ONLINE FROM

7 November

Feeling like an outsider takes many forms and so too do the ways we stake our claim. These stories of belonging aren’t all as expected, from a personal battle with the “hostile environment’”and the Windrush scandal to Afrofuturism and ecology to learning how to become the person you’re expected to be, these are more than just generational migration narratives.

A/V MH/V/N

EARTHBOUND (SUBTITLED)

TWICE AS GOOD

Baker Karim Sweden, 2021, 10:48 When Earth has become inhabitable, mankind seeks salvation by leaving the planet on interplanetary arks to colonise other worlds. But who is chosen to represent mankind in the future?

Jeremy Ngatho Cole UK, 2021, 11:40 The night before Dee Dee’s seventh birthday, an unexpected intruder crash-lands into Grace’s kitchen. As she discovers who the intruder is she must decide how to protect her son.

STRAND 6

D/V

TEA (SUBTITLED)

LESSONS FROM OUR FATHERS

Sam G T Walker UK, 2020, 18:24 Britain, present day. A country confused and divided. In a once great seaside town, Tea tells the story of Amelia, a young Polish woman living with her father on a run-down caravan park.

Musa UK, 2021, 11:38 A story about pride. Following the middling Saul, played by Adam Nkoso, who is confronted by the neighbourhood bully, Ashley. It soon escalates to the point where Dad gets involved.

SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN (SUBTITLED)

ASUNDER (SUBTITLED)

Dániel Botos Hungary, 2021, 28:37 The life of a group of friends has been shaken by a tragic event. They travel to the countryside to try and face the situation together. No matter what happens – they’ll have each other.

Janet Marrett UK, 2021, 14:30 Olivia, a trainee professional, finds herself opposing the government that is seeking to criminalise her mother. Asunder offers an intricate story about family, politics and justice.

259

GOOD FOR YOU DRAMA 4

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

Yorks Museum 18:00-19:30

NCEM 15:30-17:00

Friargate 19:30-21:00

ONLINE FROM 7 November

A cathartic collection of films that explore shifting power dynamics as our characters reject the many ways in which society has been built to keep them down. From performative politics to age old sexism, the programme weaves its way through a reclamation of power, space and bodies. This programme includes tales of the bureaucratic elite and sexual pleasure.

A/V

SPRING TIDE (SUBTITLED) Jean Parsons Canada, 2020, 20:17 A teen woman is ready to experiment, but when an older man asks her for oral, her sexual awakening is burdened with sudden and complex realisations about her place in the big wide world.

STRAND 6

CALLADITA (SUBTITLED) Miguel Faus UK, 2019, 15:40 In a mansion in the Costa Brava, a young domestic worker has to serve two rich kids while they enjoy their summer. She will look for her own way of having fun, amidst, drugs and dishwashers.

MOON (SUBTITLED)

THE MANILA LOVER (SUBTITLED)

Zoé Pelchat Canada, 2020, 15:11 Babz Dubreuil, a lonely ex-convict, works as a cook in a brunch restaurant. Under the encouragements of a colleague, she finds the courage to ask an attractive customer on a date.

Johanna Pyykkö Norway, 2019, 26:27 During a trip to the Philippines, middle-aged, Norwegian Lars has meets Abigail – the Filipina he wants to share his life with, but does she share his plans? How to tell what she really wants?

05 SEE YOU GARBAGE! (SUBTITLED) Romain Dumont Canada, 2021, 16:54 For Christmas, three garbage collectors, Élie, Nino and Belz, are surprised to be received for dinner at the house of the Prime Minister and the First Lady. A dramatic comedy.

260

INTO THE UNKNOWN DRAMA 5

Tuseday

Thursday

Saturday

Bootham 20:00-21:00

Friargate 12:00-13:30

City Screen 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM

6 November

A journey through freedom and fantasy. This programme moves beyond tradition and breaks new emotional ground in a series of stories that look to find the words and search the stars for our place in all this. Marking new selves and untangling old ties, the characters find the poetry in human existence. These films drift through the ebb and flow, highs and lows.

A/V

BLUESTAR (SUBTITLED)

MY OWN

François Vacarisas Belgium, 2021, 24:04 Tom is staying at his father’s house for the weekend, to spend an oppressive father-and-son moment under the shadow of a deceased brother. But Tom has come with a bottle of Bluestar.

Courtney Hope Therond USA, 2020, 12:00 Bianca, a nonbinary person, struggles to find the place for gender fluidity within the rigid world of ballet. Bianca finds their own voice, in this dance-filled rumination on coming out, in-between.

STRAND 5

AL-SIT (SUBTITLED)

GIRLS & THE PARTY

Suzannah Mirghani Sudan, 2020, 20:00 In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, 15-year-old Nafisa has a crush on Babiker, but her parents have arranged her marriage to Nadir, a young Sudanese businessman living abroad.

Paloma Lopez USA, 2020, 05:31 The night of an anticipated summer party, a group of 16-year-old girlfriends get ready in the bathroom together. This is a time and space to define who they are and who they want to be.

HEAVEN REACHES DOWN TO EARTH (SUBTITLED)

Long Distance Or Sinai Israel, 2020, 20.00 Rachel is losing her sight rapidly. She can’t even manage to dial a phone anymore. She opens her door to passing strangers, to reach out to her daughter on the other side of the world.

Tebogo Malebogo South Africa, 2020, 10:00 After Tau comes to a realisation about their sexuality, the experience sets in motion a cascade of thoughts and emotions in Tumelo – nothing will ever be the same between them.

261

LOSING ME, LOSING YOU DRAMA 6

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Theatre Royal 10:00-11:30

YSJ De Grey 18:00-19:30

NCEM 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM 3 November

A rumination on loss – the ways in which we lose people, ourselves, our way. The missing moments or memories that haunt us or propel us as we find new ways of being and new paths to survival. These characters experience grief in all its forms as they grapple with reality and what could have been. The films bring nuance as they interrogate the human response.

A/V

MOTHER TONGUE (SUBTITLED)

Péter Engelmann UK, 2021, 20:00 Triangle is a sci-fi pseudo-docu drama exploring the dark realms of the human mind. The story follows three strangers who are about to become friends for life, separated only by 36 questions.

Eris Qian USA, 2019, 09:52 A second-generation Chinese American woman connects to her roots by piecing together the memory of her mother’s last days, when the Alzheimer’s disease stripped their common language.

STRAND 2

TRIANGLE (SUBTITLED)

262

THE JOURNEY (SUBTITLED)

LIVING PROOF

Ève Saint-Louis Canada, 2020, 21:57 After a year away, Chantale, who now lives and studies in Paris, returns to Québec City, to spend the holidays with her mother and sister. Against all odds, her father has offered to pick her up.

Joe Bloom, Caleb Hughes UK, 2021, 12:36 Living Proof explores loss in the age of the pandemic. A young man confronts the duty of clearing his late grandmother’s home. Rediscovering memories, he finds his own way to say goodbye.

FIGLIE DELLE STELLE (DAUGHTERS OF THE STARS) (SUBTITLED)

RUN (SUBTITLED)

Edoardo Smerilli Italy, 2021, 17:31 Two sisters fight each other on a chilling theme: they have to decide what to do with the corpse of their mother. One of them would cremate her, the other one would resort to hibernation.

Ruth Greenberg UK, 2021, 10:34 A woman’s morning run takes a very dark turn as an everyday routine turns into something much more sinister –a run that will change her life. Nothing will ever be the same again.

PLAY NICE DRAMA 7

Wednesday

SATURDAY

City Screen 12:00-13:30

Friargate 13:30-15:00

sunday NCEM 10:00-11:30

ONLINE FROM

5 November

A lesson in building up walls and the fall out that follows when relationships are tested and the unspoken becomes heard. Emotions are taut, tensions run high but if you look for it, there’s a bedrock of care that underpins these connections between family, lovers, neighbours, allies and mates. Dysfunctional family dramas pulsates with passionate break ups.

A/V

POTTED PALM TREES (SUBTITLED)

ISAAC AND THE RAM

Rosa Friedrich Austria, 2020, 20:00 Alf marries someone else. And nobody wants Betti’s baby. The ballroom is jam-packed and the mood alarmingly good. Something is about to burst. The pregnant belly of deaf Betti?

Jason Bradbury UK, 2020, 15:07 After saving a queer homeless teen from a far-right gang, a misanthropic nightclub bouncer reluctantly offers the boy a place to stay for the night. But in the dark their truce is threatened.

STRAND 4

HIDE AND SEEK (SUBTITLED)

BLUE CORRIDOR 15

Ragini Bhasin USA, 2020, 10:00 When an eight-year-old girl is instructed by her mechanic father to tend to a little boy, she tries various tricks to suggest and infer the relationship that’s at play between him and her father.

Dubheasa Lanipekun UK, 2021, 05:26 After her family falls on hard times, Elizabeth starts styling her classmates’ hair at break time to earn money. Classroom politics and tensions come to a head in a friendship close to sisterhood.

STAY (SUBTITLED)

PENINSULA (SUBTITLED)

Maria Winther Olsen Faroe Islands, 2021, 21:00 Stay is a short film depicting two people going their separate ways. A story about loneliness in togetherness. A love story about sharing, taking, wanting and not wanting one another.

Fiona McKenzie New Zealand, 2021, 12:21 Mark’s always been a self isolator, he’s not big on people. One day, he’s forced to return home to the isolated Banks Peninsula to reconnect with his son Toby. But Mark’s hoping for a quiet life.

263

COMING TO GRIPS WITH THE WORLD DRAMA 8

Wednesday

Saturday

Sunday

NCEM 14:00-15:30

YSJ Fountains 10:00-11:30

City Screen 12:00-13:30

ONLINE FROM 5 November

In this selection of shorts, characters endeavour to make sense of the world around them and navigate its rules, whilst feeling out how they fit in. These stories explore why we want to belong, why we sometimes need to escape and how feeling irrelevant is a lonely space. How do we hold on to our sense of self when situations dare to take us down?

A/V

RETURN TO TOYAMA (SUBTITLED)

Laki Karavias USA, 2021, 13:00 Whilst awaiting the results of his mother’s visa renewal request, a teenage boy from Texas is forced to confront buried memories he so desperately wanted to leave behind in Uganda.

Atsushi Hirai France, 2020, 24:34 Takumi left Japan for France despite his father’s disapproval. After a long absence, he returns to Toyama – his hometown – a small and declining port on the northern coast of Japan.

STRAND 4

THE NIGHT I LEFT AMERICA (SUBTITLED)

264

KISS CHASE (SUBTITLED)

FARMHOUSE (SUBTITLED)

Ebele Tate UK, 2020, 14:17 When 12-year-old Nadine is left out in a game of kiss chase, she realises image is currency and her value is low. On a quest to feminise herself, she finds herself in an unexpected situation.

Dian Weys South Africa, 2021, 14:58 Two women clean a farm murder scene. Last year, 382 people were attacked and 63 people were murdered on farms or small holdings in South Africa. Farm murders are a complex issue.

THE LAST DAYS

LA TECNICA (SUBTITLED)

Dipo Baruwa-Etti UK, 2021, 13:00 In a near-future world where you can discover your Death Day, an apolitical woman learns that she and many Black people have been given incorrect dates and seeks justice before time runs out.

Clemente De Muro , Davide Mardegan Italy, 2020, 09:32 The plot for this film unfolds as the initiation story of Leonardo, a shepherd’s son, and Cesare, a tourist just arrived in the village, who will teach Leonardo the best strategies with girls.

NEW REALITIES DRAMA 9

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

Bootham 16:00-17:30

Friargate 16:00-17:30

Friargate 14:00-15:30

ONLINE FROM

2 November

The world is transforming. For the better and the worse, we’re all experiencing it in our own unique ways. Drama comes from the big and the small. This programme explores change and the people fighting to create it, from communities standing up for what’s right, the burdens of an oppressive system to generations before paving the way for generations to come.

AV/d /V

THE LONG GOODBYE Aneil Karia UK, 2020, 11:41 A sobering and powerful watch, The Long Goodbye imagines a dystopian landscape in the near future and sees our lead protagonist Riz unpack his feelings towards his country.

STRAND 1

NURSERY RHYMES (SUBTITLED) Michael Kam Singapore, 2020, 10:00 1940s colonial Singapore. A Chinese girl has to play a nursery game amongst English children. Another Chinese girl has to sing a Japanese song for an official whilst her true voice is silenced.

OF HEARTS AND CASTLES (SUBTITLED)

RAISED BY WOLVES

Rubén Navarro Spain, 2020, 14:56 A man who’s deep in the throes of a break-up meets another man for a night in Los Angeles that will forever keep them connected. Of Hearts and Castles is a story of unexpected encounters.

Afroze Mushtaree Noble Canada, 2020, 20:12 After years of hiding in seclusion, a series of accidents forces a mother and her two young sons into the outside world – a world that she has taught them to fear. Out of the wilderness they come.

BRACHA (SUBTITLED)

EGGSHELTER (SUBTITLED)

Mickey Triest, Aaron Geva Israel, 2020, 12:45 During the Covid-19 curfew, Bracha is wandering in the middle of the night. Her anxious mother, Nitzi, has a hard time welcoming her. On a delusional night, they are dragged into an argument.

Bluzet Raphaël France, 2020, 11:55 10-year-old Hugo is raised by his grandpa. Suddenly, they are arrested by police. Before being arrested, his grandpa gives him a key and promises to reveal what it opens if he keeps silent.

265

TO FEEL AGAIN DRAMA 10

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

NCEM 18:00-19:30

NCEM 14:00-15:30

NCEM 16:00-17:30

ONLINE FROM 5 November

We’ve all missed the opportunity to escape the world for an hour or two. Let go and open your emotions through the portal of storytelling. This programme is a reminder of the beauty of cinema and its ability to unlock something deep inside us all. Explore stories which use everything at their arsenal from poetry, silence to performance with one mission in mind.

A/V V/D

NATIVES Síofra Campbell UK, 2019, 10:00 Hayley’s ties to a far-right gang are putting her under increasing pressure. She’s being forced into questioning regarding what she knows about the mysterious murder of a Polish immigrant.

STRAND 4

DEPARTMENT OF DETACHMENT (SUBTITLED) Elina Sahlin Sweden, 2021, 07:03 The lovesick Eloise is taken to the world’s first state-funded love rehab for patients unable to digest loss. The headmistress, the opponent of passion, wants Eloise to undergo treatment.

THERE (SUBTITLED)

MY CONDOLENCES TO YOUR FUTURE LOVERS

Wu Yu Fen Taiwan, 2020, 28:19 Grandpa has passed away. The Indonesian caregiver, Shally, helps to hold the funeral with Grandma and Uncle. None of the children returned, so Shally is forced to organise the whole thing.

Jessica Dowse UK, 2020, 08:38 Idealist Vicky is desperate to find a way to convince her whirlwind summer love Stacey, that theirs wasn’t just a holiday romance. She fights passionately for love and picture-perfect moments.

266

MISS FORTUNATE

MOTHER’S CRY (SUBTITLED)

Ella Jones UK, 2020, 14:53 Scarlet’s mum has died, leaving her with two cats, a huge tax bill and a crush on a boy she can’t talk to. A comedy-drama about grief, in which a young woman loses her mother and finds herself.

Josh Bridge UK, 2020, 09:10 A young boy questions the definition of a perfect marriage after witnessing his mother go through an abusive relationship. His introspective journey uncovers some uncomfortable truths.

FREEDOM DRAMA 11

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

City Screen 20:00-21:30

Friargate 12:00-13:30

NCEM 18:00-19:30

ONLINE FROM

7 November

What does freedom feel like and what are the steps towards it? It’s something we can all take for granted: the freedom to exist, live, and to be our true selves. This programme explores the limits from which we need to break free. An insight into communities navigating the refugee crisis, the responsibilities of bearing children and letting go of those we love.

AaB /V

THE TUNNEL (SUBTITLED)

TO ALL MY DARLINGS (SUBTITLED)

Arash Ashtiani UK, 2020, 16:19 Three refugees run the race of their lives from Calais to Dover through the Euro Tunnel, trying to beat the trains and overcome their terror in search of freedom and starting new lives in the UK.

Lia Campbell Ireland, 2021, 11:57 Yet another tragic miscarriage sends Adaeze’s life off-kilter The medical diagnosis that further pregnancy attempts will be difficult means Adaeze must face the reality with her husband.

STRAND 6

THROUGH THE DUNES

MISS NOTHING

Tim Price UK, 2020, 12:30 On the cusp of adulthood, Lily is furious that she’s still sidelined from the tradition of burying the family Christmas tree at Formby dunes. When Granddad dies, it falls on Lily to keep the tradition.

Richard Jamze Australia, 2019, 13:40 Two young sisters travel alone for a beauty pageant, their fraught relationship is tested. Miss Nothing is an intimate and tender portrait of sisterhood – inspired by true stories often forgotten.

HOUSEMAID (SUBTITLED)

SNAKE TRAIL (SUBTITLED)

Prach Rojanasinwilai Thailand, 2020, 15:00 A young boy and a housemaid that works for his family have to come to terms with an inevitable parting as the end of the day fast approaches. A relationship that defies all cultural boundaries.

Shicong Zhu USA, 2020, 17:19 Urged to complete the traditional Chinese death ritual as her mother’s only daughter, but without the legal documentation to prove her kinship, a girl finds herself in a conundrum.

267

SEARCHING FOR HOPE DRAMA 12

Wednesday

Saturday

Sunday

Yorks. Museum 20:00-21:30

YSJ Fountains 21:30-23:00

Friargate 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM 4 November

In one of the most emotional rollercoasters of the decade we ask the question: what does the light at the end of the tunnel look like? We’re all on a journey and our destinations are not the same. From dealing with loss to taking control of our own futures, explore the personal journeys of characters from all walks of life as they search and hope for the better.

A/V

MAMMA (SUBTITLED) Aslak Danbolt Norway, 2021, 15:00 It’s Christmas Eve, and Synnøve is searching for her drugaddicted daughter Michelle in an almost desolated city. Synnøve and Michelle are mother and daughter in real life and in play.

STRAND 3

CHARON (SUBTITLED) Yannick Karcher France, 2020, 15:42 Freshly retired, a man doesn’t know how to occupy his days. For fear of being killed by boredom, he gets involved in the crazy project of building a boat in the cellar of his suburban house.

268

HOPE

YOU PROMISE? (SUBTITLED)

Shaun James Grant UK, 2020,14:20 An exhausted couple stop at a diner in the early hours of the morning. Their journey tells of sadness, but what happened? We begin to understand that the situation is far from ordinary.

Lin Laurin Sweden, 2020, 14:58 You Promise? takes place in Malmö, Sweden in 1988. The story follows Vida, five, and her brother Alex, three, when they get a new father in the family. It’s aesthetic, poetic and heartwarming.

v/d

THE VISIT (SUBTITLED)

MOUNTAIN OF LIGHT

Azadeh Moussavi Iran, 2020, 14:00 After six months, Elaheh is finally allowed to visit her husband, who is a political prisoner. Elaheh and her little daughter Tara have one single day to prepare for this important meeting.

Aashish Gadhvi UK, 2020, 16:00 The British Crown Jewels contain an infamous diamond. From India, the famed “Kohinoor” or “Mountain Of Light” is now the thing of legend. But a group of thieves wants it back.

REAL EYES DRAMA 13

Friday

saturday

sunday

YSJ De Grey 20:00-21:30

Bootham 19:30-21:00

Bootham 18:00-19:30

ONLINE FROM

3 November

We all see the truth from different angles; where one sees pain another sees beauty. This programme celebrates filmmakers with a bold vision. From standing up to racism in uncomfortable environments to questioning the limits of human connection, this unique selection of films will open up your eyes and force you to let go of your biases and prejudices.

A/V MH/SH/N/V

DARLING (SUBTITLED)

KILTER

Mykea Fairweather Perrt UK, 2021, 15:34 Violent inmate, Joy, struggles to maintain a relationship with her mother and the outside world. Darling is the story of maternal bonds that are put under pressure with distance and isolation.

Rob Stanton-Cook Australia, 2020, 11:36 Kilter explores the wreckage left in the wake of toxic masculinity. Following a violent crime of passion, a young man descends into a tormented reality as he struggles to reconcile who he is.

STRAND 2

DANIEL

PLAY IT SAFE

Claire van Beek New Zealand, 2019, 19:03 A young novice at an isolated convent is confronted with the sudden desire to explore her sexual self in the wake of meeting a blue-tongued lizard. Daniel is a religious erotic drama.

Mitch Kalisa UK, 2020, 12:56 Coaxed into playing a racial typecast in a fellow student’s play, Black drama student Jonathan is faced with an all too familiar decision: to challenge prejudice, or play it safe.

IN ONE’S SHADOW (SUBTITLED)

GAS STATION (SUBTITLED)

Mor Lankri Israel, 2020, 10:51 He devoted his life to preparing for any and every scenario in advance, yet a surprise was waiting for him in the shadows. Perhaps for some time. As Eugène loses control, our tale unfolds.

Olga Torrico Italy, 2020, 09:59 Alice works at a gas station. She doesn’t play anymore and has buried her passion for music. On a sultry summer day, her old music teacher shows up. Alice wonders if she has stayed too long.

269

RULE BREAKERS DRAMA 14

friday

saturday

SUNDAY

NCEM 20:00-21:30

YSJ Fountains 15:30-17:00

YSJ Fountains 12:00-13:30

ONLINE FROM 7 November

Rules were made to be broken. This programme embraces the beauty in difference – in backgrounds, perspectives and style. We celebrate shorts that not only change the way we see the cinematic form, but also the need to open doors for new writers, communities and artists. Experience how storytellers are transcending barriers, both physically and metaphorically.

MH/SH/V

A/V

BEFORE LONG (SUBTITLED) Sylvia Le Fanu Norway, 2020, 27:36 Between the darkness of her dying mother’s hotel room and the heat of the sun outside, 17-year-old Fanny is split between grief and lust during a summer holiday in southern Europe.

STRAND 6

PUNCH-DRUNK Larry Ketang, Liam White UK, 2021, 12:41 In a café in Marseille, a man’s life is knocked completely off-course when, one day, his lunch is disturbed by a chatty stranger who comes into view and disrupts the status quo.

MONA & PARVIZ (SUBTITLED)

TRUE COLOURS (SUBTITLED)

Kevin Biele Germany, 2021, 17:01 Two employees of the immigration office pay Mona a visit to check on the marital relationship between her and her husband Parviz. After Mona has to face the officials alone, Parviz appears.

Milda Baginskaite UK, 2021, 11:10 True Colours is a parallel plot following teenagers Ayesha and Chloe who are neighbours yet inhibit very different worlds, and think that the grass is greener on the other side.

270

F/V

ECHO (SUBTITLED)

SHUT UP (SUBTITLED)

Kato De Boeck, Flo Van Deuren Belgium, 2021, 10:00 A nervous woman sets out to visit her wife in prison for one last time before giving birth to their child. What will happen to them and the baby? Will their relationship last the time apart?

Noa Aharoni Maor Israel, 2020, 16:16 Roni is ashamed of her Tourette Syndrome. After acting violently towards a classmate who picks on her, she’s suspended from school. She stays home alone and suffers from the tics.

FRAGMENTED MEMORIES EXPERIMENTAL 1

Tuesday

Thursday

friday

NCEM 12:00-13:30

Friargate 19:30-21:00

Theatre Royal 20:00-21:30

ONLINE FROM

6 November

A collection of aesthetically innovative and intimate pieces reflecting on memories and connections. Weaving together past, present and future narratives, these films are an exploration of visual and oral histories. Each project unlocks a new revelation on how we exist and care for one another, through sharing and bearing witness to our stories as a whole.

A/V

HEAR ME SOMETIMES

AS BRITISH AS A WATERMELON

Sofia Theodore-Pierce USA, 2020, 14:22 The monarch migration and an unearthed cassette tape form a storm speaking towards motherhood, loss, expectation, care and legacy. An elegy. An ode to uncertainty. A cry for optimism.

Graham Clayton-Chance UK, 2021, 28:45 Mandla Rae has a selective memory, and they are scrambling to piece together their life. An exploration of Mandla’s fragmented asylum, migration memories and misplaced power.

STRAND 5

THE PICTURES EVENTUALLY CAME ON...

TRANSITIONS II: MOVEMENT IN ISOLATION

Alex Culshaw UK, 2021, 12:26 Excerpts from the artist’s great-grandfather, written between 1917-1919, are juxtaposed with conversations about the diary and images from the director’s camera roll between 2020 and 2021.

Tobi Adebajo UK, 2020, 12:20 Transitions II: Movement in Isolation is an homage to Black and brown existences that survive with/in the in/visible margins of society. Transitions is a series of collective movement pieces.

TRANSPARENT, I AM. Yuri Muraoka Japan, 2020, 11.36 In the year of 2020 when the world was forced to “change”, Yuri Muraoka wanted to confirm what had and hadn’t changed in them personally. Transparent, I am is a film based on a poem.

271

(RE)CONSTRUCTION

EXPERIMENTAL 2

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

YSJ De Grey 14:00-15:30

YSJ De Grey 15:30-17:00

YSJ Fountains 16:00-17:30

ONLINE FROM 7 November

A re-examination of spaces and places. Delving into various iterations and artistic expressions, we explore how stories can be manipulated, re-claimed, reimagined and re-written. From a cultural critique of the colonial western male gaze to collective youth awakening, the programme reflects on themes of alternative histories, cultural loss and building new realities.

A/V

SAUDADE (SUBTITLED)

THE BANG STRAWS

Russell Adam Morton Singapore, 2020, 19:56 Saudade is an aural and visual archive narrated entirely in Kristang – a creole language that emerged in 16th century Portuguese colonial Malacca. The film reimagines rituals.

Michelle Williams Gamaker UK, 2021, 17:30 The Bang Straws considers the violent mechanisms of 20 th century Studio Films and takes Anna May Wong as its starting point to revisit the casting discrimination that she experienced.

STRAND 6

272

POSTCARDS FROM THE ORIENT

ID BABYLON (SUBTITLED)

Sis Gurdal Turkey, 2020, 02:19 A surrealist re-imagining of Orientalist artwork; a subliminal retelling of the colonialist, western male gaze and its hypersexualised representation of Middle Eastern femininity.

Khevyn Ibrahim UK, 2020, 11:27 Young people across Europe are unknowingly restricting themselves through the luxuries of their societies. In realising their constraint, they awaken to find themselves again.

ENTRE LES IMAGES (SUBTITLED)

TOP DOWN MEMORY (SUBTITLED)

Vito A. Rowlands Belgium, 2020, 04:00 A young woman laments the loss of her innocence and mourns her lover as Europe is ravaged by war in the summer of 1914. A found footage film composed of preserved 35mm nitrate film.

Daniel Theiler Germany, 2020, 12:20 Based on events surrounding the Berlin City Palace, the work questions the manipulation of history. Who is writing our history? How do we deal with our past? How does collective memory work?

IN VIEW

EXPERIMENTAL 3

Thursday

friday

saturday

NCEM 21:30-23:00

NCEM 12:00-13:30

YSJ Fountains 19:30-21:00

ONLINE FROM

5 November

An interrogation into perceptual reality. What is seen and what isn’t? Each piece inspects our relationship with the viewing experience, and how it shapes our observation and understanding of reality. Contending with the permeation of technology into human consciousness and our relationship with images, each film investigates how we experience the world.

A / fV

LI(F/V)E

ONE THOUSAND AND ONE ATTEMPTS TO BE AN OCEAN (NO DIALOGUE)

ismaël Tunisia, 2021, 22:00 2007. East Baghdad. A US Army Apache helicopter shoots down a group of men outside a house. It’s a Reuters photographer, his driver and the contacts of the photojournalist doing a report.

Wang Yuyan France, 2020, 12:00 If you don’t want to drown, be an ocean. One Thousand and One Attempts to Be an Ocean reflects on the experience of being unable to see the world with the luxury of depth perception.

STRAND 4

MUSEUM OF FLEETING WONDERS (NO DIALOGUE)

STILL, PASSING BETWEEN WORLDS (SUBTITLED)

Tomas Gomez Bustillo USA, 2019, 12:20 The Museum of Fleeting Wonders is a collection of re-enactments inspired by small and magical moments. All submitted by real people, sharing their experiences of being alive today.

Alison Piper UK, 2021, 07:00 Through a process of automatic writing in response to image, Still, Passing Between Worlds utilises a fixed point-of-view to imagine a world outside the visible frame. The audience is kept in the dark.

UCHRONIA, NO.1

ORBITAL SQUARES

Kamila Kuc UK, 2020, 04:01 Past time, suspended time. Macro vision serves as a tool to experience what has long been known. Here is tension between the in-and-out-of-focus, between enquiry and observation.

Moojin Brothers South Korea, 2020, 18:00 The inefficient eyes of technology, namely the threads tangled around the person, capture horses running with all their might on the racing track. Moojin Brothers invite us to select information.

273

JUST THE TWO OF US FAMILY FRIENDLY 1

Saturday

Sunday

NCEM 10:00-11:30

Friargate 12:00-13:30

ONLINE FROM 5 November

Our first selection of Family Friendly short films looks at the connections between people: bonds of family, friendship or care, which can sometimes be strong, other times tested. However, it’s through these precise connections that we can find common ground, support and our wider sense of humanity. We can make it if we try, you and I.

SOFT CREATURES (SUBTITLED)

TWO SANDS (SUBTITLED)

Ivana Skrabalo Croatia, 2019, 20:00 Sometimes a single moment can change your entire perception of reality, persuading you to finally being yourself. This is what happens to Nena who works as learning assistant.

Poppy van Oorde-Grainger Australia, 2020, 07:03 As Garang struggles on his first day of high school in Australia, memories of being lost in South Sudan are triggered. Garang must find a way to bridge the gap between where he was and is.

STRAND 4

DALÍA (SUBTITLED)

LITTLE BEAR (SUBTITLED)

Brúsi Ólason Iceland, 2020, 16:09 A distant father and his six-year-old son find new and unexpected ways to connect as they are forced to put a horse out of its misery. A melancholic but moving portrayal of overcoming distance.

Nicolas Birkenstock France, 2020, 27:11 Little Bear is a sleepwalker, and tends to run away at night. Her mother is trying to cure her. But Little Bear doesn’t want to, she wants to understand where her sleep is taking her.

Submit your family friendly film for the 2022 edition.

Visit asff.co.uk to find out more about the festival team, jurors, programmers and advisory board, as well as any upcoming opportunities.

The 12th edition of the festival opens for entries on 1 December. We’re looking for family friendly films that inspire younger audiences.

274

A/V

SMALL WONDERS FAMILY FRIENDLY 2

Saturday

Sunday

Friargate 12:00-13:30

Bootham 10:30-11:30

ONLINE FROM

6 November

Once again, we traverse the globe to discover new experiences, and along the way, learn a thing or two about ourselves and others. In these small wonders, young people begin to find themselves and their way in the world, however fantastical, funny, sad, or difficult the journey. In I am a Pebble, stones become otters. In Birds of Passage there is flight of another kind.

A/V

I AM A PEBBLE (NO DIALOGUE)

BIRDS OF PASSAGE (SUBTITLED)

Berteraut Mélanie, Bresson Yasmine, Coulombier Léo, Grondin Nicolas, le Chapelain Maxime, Massé Louise France, 2020, 06:30 Bubble, a young otter, lives with three mossy stones and thinks of them as her family. But she has to face her loneliness.

Lisa Meyer Sweden, 2021, 14:30 Lorin’s family lives undocumented in Sweden and must suddenly move. They are taken to church, far away from friends and school. Lorin now needs to decide if she can accept the situation.

STRAND 5

DEATH & DEATHABILITY (A PERIOD PIECE)

THE MOON AND ME

Maria Victoria Ponce USA, 2021, 12:20 Ambushed by her first period, Ceci calmly concludes she’s dying. Yet she doesn’t want to bother Dad with it, so she prepares a bucket list (including her first real kiss) and her funeral.

Kalu Oji Australia, 2020, 11:59 Kelechi’s world seems to be falling apart; if her family moving from her childhood home wasn’t enough, the moon has become still in the sky. Kelechi decides to search for some answers.

05 IRO /HE.RO:/ (SUBTITLED) Alexis Koukias-Pantelis Greece, 2020, 14:45 Iro, an eight-year-old girl, is ready to take off on a short road trip with her mom and a superhero towards Lake Stymphalia. A car malfunction and a bus drivers’ strike will make their plans difficult.

275

IMAGINATION, IMAGINATION, IMAGINATION FAMILY FRIENDLY 3

Saturday Bootham 14:00-15:00

ONLINE FROM 4 November

This collection of film introduces children to the wonderful world of animation. The range of styles depicts all the fantastic possibilities for this enthralling genre. Stories are highly emotive and cover a range of topics that are relevant in a child’s emotional education, beyond that some of the films are simply good fun.

A/V

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF AWESOME (NO DIALOGUE) Allison Brownmoore UK, 2019, 06:15 The Amazing Adventures of Awesome is a unique, hand-illustrated animation about a young autistic girl who finds herself at the heart of a quiet, but nonetheless powerful, revolution.

STRAND 3

FISHWITCH Adrienne Douley UK, 2016, 09:59 A stop motion fairy tale in which Derek, an aquatic creature, tries to win the heart of Tootega, an isolated sea-witch living on an iceberg adrift in the ocean.

276

CORKY

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT THING

Ty Primosch, K-J Mathieson USA, 2017, 05:45 A corkscrew with a screw loose battles a giant glass bottle to uncork seven mysterious lightning bugs. With no dialogue, the story relies on visual storytelling to express acceptance.

Arna Selznick Canada, 2019, 22:16 An inspirational story about a little girl with a creative spirit. She is determined to do great things. Joined by her best friend, her pet dog, the two happily explore the world together.

STICK

THE PENGUIN WHO COULDN’T SWIM

Ole Christoffer Haga Norway, 2012, 07:20 An abandoned dog encounters a friendly stranger on his day off from work. Afraid of losing his new-found friend, he gets attached – quite literally – to the man in question.

Tom Rourke UK, 2018, 05:31 The Penguin Who Couldn’t Swim is about a disabled penguin who lives on a rocky island in the southern seas where she feels isolated and set apart from the rest of her family and colony.

277

FORMS OF RESISTANCE FASHION 1

This programme spans the genres of documentary, dance, narrative and fantasy. It is a place where fashion film can find a home – a location on-screen where, together, these vignettes weave together stories that are touch points for today’s most pressing topics including gender, beauty, isolation,and the transient nature of life that we all so often try to forget.

A/V

REJOICE RESIST Elisha Smith-Leverock UK, 2020, 05:13 Rejoice Resist is a film that celebrates and shows Black pleasure as the ultimate form of resistance. It highlights the importance of allowing yourself to feel joy in the face of adversity.

RISQUES (NO DIALOGUE)

THE CHIMERA (SUBTITLED)

Thomas Gerard France, 2020, 04:36 This short film essay depicts the turmoil that goes with the experience of a downward spiral. Starting from a bad place, and eventually being caught up again, you are unable to escape.

Federico Mazzarisi Italy, 2020, 02:36 The story of a myth – a rite of passage. A return to our primitive state, whatever that might mean to each of us individually. This is the search for a new awareness, to connect with nature again.

STRAND 6

LOOKING FOR A NEW PLACE TO BEGIN (NO DIALOGUE) Henrique Sauer Brazil, 2019, 15:00 The short film starring (and voiced) by Johnny Massaro, offers a portrait of a young singer. Amidst a struggle with ego, the character creates a relationship with an version of himself.

278

FENICE - MOMONI SS21 (NO DIALOGUE)

THE END OF SOCIAL DISTANCING (NO DIALOGUE)

Giulia Achenza Italy, 2020, 05:00 Directed by Giulia Achenza, Fenice - Momoni SS21 is an ode to the cyclical, regenerative nature of life. Employing dance, this film celebrates the world of symbolism through sensual gestures.

Victor Claramunt San Millán Spain, 2020, 01:24 Since I started making films, many people have asked me about the distance at which I place my talents in my work. Now, in a quarantine state, I have decided to study it and show everyone.

Thursday

friday

Saturday

City Screen 19:30-20:30

YSJ - De Grey 10:30-11:30

Friargate 10:30-11:30

ONLINE FROM

7 November

A/V

THE AWAKENING (NO DIALOGUE)

NIKE PRESENTS: INSIDERS. EPISODE 2 WITH AMANDA CAMPANA X NIKE AIR MAX (SUBTITLED)

Nils A. Witt Germany, 2020, 03:05 The transformation of the protagonist Aenna and her awakening is expressed by moving and revolving lights. A minimalistic and cold architecture reflects the fashion design on a formal level.

Marco Viganò Italy, 2020, 01:52 Insider Episode 2 with Amanda Campana x Nike Air Max. “Everything I’ve done before has made me who I am now.”

STRAND 6

A CIRCLE LINE TRAIN

MUGLER SPRING SUMMER 2021

Martin Venier Austria, 2020, 05:36 Seduced by the social pressure of success, the aspiring and disciplined young woman Zarah tries her best to make her way in the city of London. Zarah decides to take control of her own life.

Florian Joahn France, 2020, 03:09 Florian Joahn creates an otherworldly Parisian landscape starring Bella Hadid in CGI for Mugler. Using the director’s signature style of blending CGI with live action and choreography.

LOST TIME (NO DIALOGUE)

CHOKEHOLD (NO DIALOGUE)

Anna Radchenko UK, 2020, 03:10 Featuring alternative pop singer and songwriter Jones, Lost Time is the latest fashion film by multidisciplinary artist Anna Radchenko. Following the passing of time that’s out of our control.

Nathalie Taylor Canada, 2021, 05:28 A group of peculiar individuals prepare themselves for a dinner party that ends in a devilish surprise. Chokehold explores a gothic fantasy in the form of fashion.

279

COLLECTIVE POWER FASHION 2

We are looking at the role that fashion plays as a symbol of identity – how we can break free from those definitions both in ourselves but also in how we feel about others. This programme is a call for liberation from preconceived notions and calls you into action, to be aware of your subconscious. It asks you to pay attention in a world where this is challenging.

CRUISING (NO DIALOGUE)

A/V

ALEX (NO DIALOGUE) Luca Spreafico Italy, 2020, 09:03 “I’m scared and feel wrapped in the dark. I’m vulnerable.” Alex tells us of a woman reliving and working through a trauma. Inspired by EMDR therapy, the film looks at abandonment.

STRAND 5

Valentino R. Sandoli Spain, 2020, 07:00 A man meets a group of young men whilst bathing in a lake at the end of summer, and he immediately falls for one of them, who seems to shine with his own light. He follows them into the woods.

BURBERRY – INNER LIFE (SUBTITLED)

NOWNESS X AGL - SISTERHOOD (DIRECTOR’S CUT)

Roni Shao China, 2020, 01:23 Actress Teresa Li explores how the characters she plays intertwine with her own individuality for the Burberry Inner Life campaign. The concept explores the acceptance of layers in our identity.

Fiona Jane Burgess UK, 2021, 02:32 The soulful vocals of British singer-songwriter Låpsley ring throughout Sisterhood in an original composition written for this campaign. This is strength in numbers – but also minimalism.

280

IN BETWEEN AND BEYOND

A NOTE TO MYSELF

Filip Fredrik Haglund UK, 2021, 03:40 In Between and Beyond portrays a contemporary new androgyny, following the journey of the protagonist from his birth as a man to his transformation into a non-binary person.

Rachana Shete, Aashka Shah UK, India, 2021, 04:27 Being dominated by a society where what we wear defines us, clothes are not just a piece of garment but singular expressions of identity. Wearing a certain attire means embracing a role.

thursday

friday

Sunday

Yorks Museum 21:30-22:30

City Screen 18:30-19:30

Bootham 20:00-21:00

ONLINE FROM

6 November

EMOTION INN (NO DIALOGUE)

EVEN DEATH IN MY ARMS IS BEAUTIFUL

Idan Barazani UK, JAPAN, 2020, 02:08 No matter the time or place, we’re all bound to the same form of connection, headed in the same way. In this world that Xander Zhou built, each piece defines a different aspect of our being.

Jannis Lenz Germany, 2020, 08:23 Former participants of the Next Top Model Show, Venus, goddess of beauty and the lyrics of female poets of the beginning 20th century meet in a casting.

A/V

STRAND 5

WILD

ME, MYSELF AND MY HAIR

Raúl González Spain, 2021, 05:49 The life of a woman and her family who fight to conserve the Betizú, the last wild breed of cows. This film takes you on a journey of discovery by stepping outside of the status quo.

Namatanje Zimba UK, 2021, 02:24 Me, Myself and My Hair seeks to change the narrative around black beauty generally, and specifically around black hair. A film about finding self-confidence and self-love, no matter what.

NON SO DOVE, MA INSIEME

THE TELEVISION, DO WE NEED IT

Luca FinottiItaly 2020, 06:23 The focus of Non So Dove, Ma Insieme (I Don’t Know Where, but Together) is on the younger MSGM generation. We bounce back from a difficult moment, claiming the now.

Lewis Douglas UK, 2021, 07:28 Opening the door for some serious conversation. Rooted in fashion and humanities, The Television, Do we need it? begs the question, who are we and where are we headed?!

281

AN IDEA IS A DISCOVERY FASHION 3

This collection of shorts demonstrates the variety of fashion film on offer today. The thread that connects these films is the power of the moving image to communicate on a visceral level. We find harmony and unity in these universal yet personal narratives. Beyond this, we are introduced to new concepts such as digital fashion. Is this the start of the metaverse?

A/V

CLOSENESS (NO DIALOGUE) Ivan Herrera Dominican Republic, 2020, 03:28 Whilst wandering the historical coastline town of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic, two young girls cross path where their souls recognise each other, starting a reconciliation game.

STRAND 3

LOUIS VUITTON – MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE (SUBTITLED) Roni Shao China, 2020, 02:32 Roni Shao directs the concept film of Virgil Abloh’s LV SS21 man’s global traveling show in Shanghai, using the culture of Shanghai to observe the fashion show from a refreshing perspective.

282

LOUBOUTIN – THE HOLIDAY COUNTDOWN

QUICK FIX (NO DIALOGUE)

Tiwirayi Magwenzi USA 2021, 01:53 C41, in collaboration with Christian Louboutin and director BOM, gives life to a film with a vintage retro touch with a festive, flamboyant, and crazy atmosphere. Everyone loves Louboutin.

Annie Harmeston UK, 2021, 03:36 A short, but oh-so-sweet story of a user’s journey on the way to ultimate self-optimisation. Quick Fix HQ, a glossy self-care sanctuary, welcomes the user to reach their full potential.

EARLY BIRD (NO DIALOGUE)

THE INVISIBLE GRANDMA (SUBTITLED)

Anne-Charlotte Moulard France, 2019, 03:15 Calista books train tickets to go on holidays at the seaside but she makes a mistake. She booked early bird ones so she’s too early in the summer season, and the city is completely empty.

Velasco & Hu Spain, 2021, 02:30 This film represents a grandmother’s culinary heritage through a visual feast, consisting of beautiful still life pictures in motion. Paying tribute to those who lost theirs lives during the pandemic.

N/A

LUZ MUERTA X OPHELIA (NO DIALOGUE) Julia Ponce Diaz USA, 2021, 03:03 Ophelia falls victim to Hamlet’s strange behaviour and destiny. She loves the gloomy prince of Denmark, who mourns his late father But when Hamlet abruptly shuns her, Ophelia wakes.

Thursday

Friday

Sunday

Friargate 14:00-15:00

NCEM 22:00-23:00

City Screen 10:30-11:30

ONLINE FROM

4 November

A/V

LE BEAU MONDE (SUBTITLED) Eleonora Cristin UK, 2020, 04:26 “Bon-Ton”, or “Etiquette” as it more commonly referred to in modern parlance, is a decorum which marks one as a member of fashionable society, ready to deal with every eventuality.

STRAND 3

SAVAGE FACADES (NO DIALOGUE)

THE DISPUTE C41 X TRUSSARDI (NO DIALOGUE)

Gabriel Askenazi, Mexico, 2021, 04:54 Savage Façades is an audio-visual, fashion, interior design and architectural appreciation piece, taking place in a residence in Mexico City designed by architecture firm Sulkin Askenazi.

Giulio Squillacciotti Italy, 2020, 01:17 The mood of the film is that of bare theatrical representation that lives only on its characters. The film is immersed in darkness, allowing the movements of actors to be highlighted in suspense.

DIGITALLY DRESSED

SYZYGY

Nicole Georgiou UK, 2020, 12:13 Digitally Dressed is a documentary exploring the new concept of digital fashion – and how it can completely change the way we create and wear clothes in the future. Dress your avatar.

Effie Pappa Greece, 2020, 04:58 This film offers a bold, honest and emotionally raw marriage between the mesmerising Ave Maria and brutal electronic chords, transporting the viewer to a place of both trepidation and safety.

283

AN IDEA IS A DISCOVERY FASHION 3

Thursday

Friday

Sunday

Friargate 14:00-15:00

NCEM 22:00-23:00

City Screen 10:30-11:30

ONLINE FROM 4 November

14 FRIDAY IN FEBRUARY

UMBRA Directors Spain, 2021, 01:20 Shadows Roses is a visual representation of texts extracted from works by Ingeborg Bachmann. From the poems Shadows Roses and Storm of Roses comes a dreamlike and primal world.

Linda Brownlee UK, 2021, 03:04 Honouring the inimitable talents of Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson and Daisy Bevan, Friday in February brings themes of love, family, friendship and the human touch to life.

STRAND 3

13 SHADOWS ROSES

A / fV

3:24

Lois Stevenson UK, 2021, 03:36 A playful take on the many faces of heartbreak; a manic journey of self-discovery and a force of feminine energy. Inspired by an original concept by knitwear designer, Megan Sharples.

Lauren Luxenberg UK, Iceland, 2021, 04:50 Out in the wilderness alone. Thoughts wildly running through his head as he rambles through nature. Sifting through his mind he fixates on a series of half lost memories. Yet, he can feel it.

17 GOO Emma Makin UK, 2019, 03:23 An experimental documentary exploring the positive impact small brands can have in the fight against fast fashion, through creating and modifying their own sustainable clothing.

284

WHAT ABOUT ME?

KICKING UP DUST MUSIC VIDEO 1

Tuesday

friday

Saturday

NCEM 21:30-22:30

Bootham 18:30-19:30

NCEM 12:00-13:00

ONLINE FROM

3 November

Kicking Up Dust explores how we look at ourselves and the world around us when it’s filled with instability, trauma and broken systems. We are taken from nightmare visuals, to the eeriness of lockdowns, the horrors of history, to the celebration of community and the need for hope. These videos offer us the opportunity to take a step back and reflect.

THE SHINS - THE GREAT DIVIDE [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO] Paul Trillo USA, 2020, 04:02 The great divide takes us on an unwavering reverse-zoom journey through the big bang into the creation of life to a distant future all in one continuous camera move.

A/V

LOUS AND THE YAKUZA - AMIGO Wendy Morgan USA, 2020, 2:37 “Almost at my wits end, not crazy yet but soon, I was brought to my knees, these idiots were jealous. A desire to cry out loud, girl you have to put in effort.”

STRAND 2

THE PRAY

SUPERHEROES - STORMZY

Michael Zvegintsev Ukraine, 2021, 04:24 This story is a reflection about a woman who doesn’t belong here. She just can’t take what’s around her anymore, and her system, as if in self-preservation, shuts her down over and over again.

Taz Tron Delix UK, 2020, 03:46 Stormzy lets his inner superhero shine in Taz Tron Delix’s animated video for Superheroes. The concept has Stormzy talking to a young boy, explaining that nothing is out of reach.

DESOLVIDO (SUBTITLED)

EARTH ODYSSEY - ASAF AVIDAN (NO DIALOGUE)

Andrés Roa Ariza Colombia, 2021, 10:00 This is the story of a family that represents the collective memory of a country that, for more than 70 years, has lived in war – which has left more than 260,000 people killed.

Adi Halfin Germany, 2020, 04:31 Earth Odyssey was made by dancers from different continents filming themselves in their confinement with their personal phones and computers. It was made in the first week of April 2020.

285

KICKING UP DUST MUSIC VIDEO 1

Tuesday

friday

NCEM 21:30-22:30

Bootham 18:30-19:30

NCEM 12:00-13:00

ONLINE FROM 3 November

08 WHO DO VOODOO LIKE YOU DO Adrian Axel Norway, 2020, 03:31 Set in a colourful and childlike world, Donald Trump has turned into an orange which August Kann peals, squeezes and drinks as he turns the ex-president into orange juice.

STRAND 2

BIIG PIIG - CUENTA LO (SUBTITLED) Nono Ayuso UK, 2021, 03:59 Directed by NONO – Nono Ayuso – and Rodrigo, the nightmarish visuals explore an interstitial space of morality, capturing the insidious allure of wealth, power, and fame.

A/V

MONSTERS YOU MADE (LIVE AT BET HIP HOP AWARDS) BURNA BOY FT. CHRIS MARTIN Filmawi UK, 2020, 03:55 A hugely impactful video for Burna Boy’s performance of the heartfelt Monsters You Made for the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

286

MUMIY TROLL - COSMIC FORCES (SUBTITLED) Ivan Sosnin Russian Federation, 2020, 04:11 The story of an alien who once arrives on our planet. Seeing that the Earth is on the verge of ecological disaster, the alien decides to save it. However, the locals are dissatisfied.

ALLIGATOR ON THE ROCKS

THE ROLLING STONES: GHOST TOWN

Fiona Kruschnik Austria, 2021, 04:17 The Alligator hides behind his mask in a world that desperately wants to appear perfect, a world in which he can’t seem to find his place. Where will he go from here?

Joe Connor xxx, 2020, 03:59 Joe Connor captures the eeriness of public spaces under lockdown, in the video for The Rolling Stones’ Living In A Ghost Town in one of the very first Lockdown Videos of 2020.

LOVE CAN LEAVE YOU OUT OF BREATH MUSIC VIDEO 2

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

City Screen 10:30-11:30

Friargate 22:00-23:00

Friargate 20:00-21:00

ONLINE FROM

2 November

Double glances, romantic chemistries, accidents and crossroads, these videos deliver visceral impressions through what is intimately felt. Through sensual, colourful and bold storytelling, intimacy and identity is explored in deeply crafted ways. In what feels like an act of rebellion, stories traverse the challenges and triumphs in finding love and loving yourself.

DAVID BLANK FEAT. PNKSAND – FOREPLAY (NO DIALOGUE)

CALI DREAMS - VINTAGE CULTURE & FANCY INC FEAT. THE BEACH

Delia Simonetti Italy, 2020, 04:22 FOREPLAY is a collective work whose mission is to give a powerful and fresh representation of the Afro-Italian and queer community in Italy. Be inspired by the choreography.

Rafael Kent Brazil, 2021, 05:49 Cali Dreams is about connections. Bonds that can happen on a movie set in Hollywood or anywhere less glamorous. It might sound cheesy, but the spark can come from a look.

A / fV

STRAND 1

REFRACTED

COOL COMPANY - HALOS (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

VERSUS Australia, 2021, 07:54 Refracted centres around haunting, stripped back live performances by enigmatic Australian singer songwriter Gordi. She finds herself within an architectural marvel.

Waley Wang USA, 2021, 04:51 Cool Company narrates the story of a romantic couple’s wedding day being struck with an apocalypse, told in a collection of intricate Kubrick-inspired zoom shots trapped on a VHS tape.

‘SEX IS GOOD (BUT HAVE YOU TRIED)’ DONNA MISSAL

TESFAY

Rodrigo Inada USA, 2021, 03:53 A story about self-love. Sex is good... but have you tried? Breaking down the taboos in 2021 about pleasure and fulfilling your own journeys into desire.

Leah Vlemmiks Canada, 2020, 04:04 Tesfay uses dance, narrative and documentary to tell the story of Witch Prophet’s late grandfather, Tesfay, who raised five daughters as a single father in Ethiopia.

287

LOVE CAN LEAVE YOU OUT OF BREATH MUSIC VIDEO 2

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

City Screen 10:30-11:30

Friargate 22:00-23:00

Friargate 20:00-21:00

ONLINE FROM 2 November

08 FLOATING - KUOKO

Jasmin Luu Germany, 2020, 04:15 Floating is about getting lost in the beauty of the moment as an act of self-empowerment. It’s about following your own voice, even when society’s pressures seem to be ever-increasing.

STRAND 1

INSIDE OUT Jeff Kuperman, Rick Kuperman USA, 2021, 03:09 A couple faces an accidental trauma on a nondescript Sunday morning, which mirror’s the world’s seemingly stable, but deeply precarious, natural balance. An eerie and beautiful short.

JAMIE CULLUM: HANG YOUR LIGHTS

ALONE

Joe Connor xxx, 2020, 04:25 This is the music video for Jamie Cullum’s new track Hang Your Lights. Sing, sing, sing of the mistletoe. Dance, dance, dance by the fire. Keep the golden songs alive.

Linda Ludwig, James Curle UK, 2021, 03:21 A psychological music video about fighting the pervasive presence of others and looking inwards, instead, to the personal wisdom that we all have inside of us all of the time.

288

A/V

BETS OFF (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

GREY TO GREEN

alexmaax, Tyler Cunningham USA, 2020, 04:24 This single-shot music video explores queer identity and the performance of power. It aims to subvert the music industry’s suppression of femininity and offer something more progressive.

Marcos Sánchez South Korea,2020, 03:57 A music video for Lydia Lee. Faded home movies and old cartoons are overlaid with colorful animation reminiscent of classic movies, offering a nostalgic take on innocence lost.

MONSTERS WITHIN THRILLER 1

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

NCEM 14:00-15:30

Theatre Royal 12:00-13:30

Friargate 17:30-19:00

ONLINE FROM

2 November

A selection of films to suit true horror aficionados and those looking for something truly unique. Keep your check-lists at the ready to tick off the odes to both Hollywood and British horror classics; a smattering of vampires, werewolves, psychological thrillers and a little bit of art-house thrown. Experience 90 minutes of all-out chills.

A /vV

THE RELIC

DEAD END (SUBTITLED)

J.M. Logan USA, 2020, 14:00 A group of adventurers, in search of a mythological object, get more than they bargained for when they discover the legend foretelling the end of all life in the universe could be true.

Jack Shillingford UK, 2020, 09:00 On the night of a full moon, at the end of a country road. Troy finds himself stuck between a rock and a hairy place. What will happen at this dead end? Is there anywhere left to turn?

STRAND 1

v/A/N/D

DARK LIGHTS Deborah Richards USA, 2020, 10:00 A haunted, sexy Las Vegas penthouse dweller explores the darker side of the city, as well as the many addictions on offer. What lies in the shadows – in the corners of the streets and in our psyche?

The Thing That Ate The Birds Sophie Mair, Dan Gitsham UK, 2021, 11:52 On the North Yorkshire Moors, Abel, Head Gamekeeper, discovers the thing that is eating his grouse, and it’s not quite what he was expecting. What to do with this unexpected visitor?

a/v/d

SUCH SMALL HANDS

WILD WILL

Maria Martinez Bayona UK, 2020, 18:36 At the girls’ orphanage, the group’s unchecked pack mentality alienates a new arrival. To swing the balance of power, she invents a manipulative night game that turns the girls on each other.

Alan King Australia, 2019, 11:45 When the neighbourhood dogcatcher William Page is found wandering the streets disoriented, he is taken to the local police station for assistance. However, the situation soon disintegrates.

289

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT? THRILLER 2

Tuesday

Thursday

Saturday

NCEM 20:00-21:30

NCEM 19:30-21:00

City Screen 19:30-21:00

ONLINE FROM 3 November

Youngsters in peril is the focus for this block of films: The Kids Are Alright? Here, audiences find a strong mix of themes and styles – you can expect everything from realist sub-textual accounts of hard rite-of-passage lessons, to more metaphorical expressions of the pit falls and trappings of youth. How will these characters respond to their challenging circumstances?

A/V

TNT (SUBTITLED) Olivier Bayu Gandrille France, 2021, 25:20 During the riots of 2005, four young suburban college students hear about an old urban legend: that of Paupaul, who would attack young people from the poorer neighborhoods.

STRAND 2

CLARA IS GONE (SUBTITLED) Danyk Grenier Canada, 2020, 14:20 11-year-old Simon is woken up by the police in the middle of the night. His best friend Clara has gone missing. Simon slowly loses his childlike wonder and realises Clara might be in great danger.

290

VEST

SLOW-DOWN

Samir Mallal UK, 2020, 12:30 When Ali decides to runs away one day, he gets caught in a case of mistaken identity. But, in this scenario, there are very real and perilous consequences to running away, ones he may not escape.

Ornella Hawthorn Gardez UK, 2021, 10:05 Discovering her daughter has been taken away, a mother embarks on a tense, harrowing midnight chase to bring her back and restore the safety of their relationship. But will she find her?

v/n/f

13 AMSTERDAM STREET (SUBTITLED)

ONCE FAMILIAR (NO DIALOGUE)

Olivier Lopes Barros France, 2021, 15:58 Simon moves in with his mother in an 11-storey building. Troubled by this new life, his senses play tricks on him and he starts to see things in the corners of the architecture.

Rubén González UK, 2020, 10:53 A girl awakens in the middle of an unknown forest. Seeking a way out, she begins to follow someone in the distance only to discover that they are her mirror image, waiting to seek out and repeat.

COINS AND CULTS THRILLER 3

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

NCEM 12:00-13:30

Theatre Royal 10:00-11:30

City Screen 14:00-15:30

ONLINE FROM

6 November

Cults are a popular focus across the marketplace right now, and this “zeitgeist” selection of films – titled Coins and Cults – leads with a short about how irrational the human mind can be. This acts as the pre-cursor to five films that are focused on manipulation of the mind, for better or worse. Do we elect to go our own way, or stick with the pack mentality?

A/V V/A

COINS (SUBTITLED)

ARE YOU IN HEAVEN (SUBTITLED)

Nicole Huminski Germany, 2021, 09:29 A neurotic waitress, who has a unique phobia of coins, struggles with visions of the microscopic world of dirt and germs. As she fights to control her darkest fears, her sense of reality falls apart.

Adam Hayes, Nick Hayes Taiwan, 2021, 12:30 Our main protagonist seeks a lucrative position at a global corporation. He is challenged to go against his principles by the other candidates. Will he choose to stand-up against the group?

STRAND 5

MH/v

ELEUSIS (SUBTITLED)

LESSON 7

Andej Gavriss Russian Federation, 2021, 25:18 A musician in the deep state of a creative crisis is signed to a rehab programme at the highly protected, isolated sanatorium that promises a lifetime warranty for endless inspiration.

Neil Linpow UK, 2020, 06:30 Having downloaded a self help programme devised and narrated by the enigmatic Max, we follow Ash as he prepares to tackle Lesson 7: Confronting Death. A twisting journey of anguish.

THE RETREAT (SUBTITLED)

BLUE BISON (SUBTITLED)

Marcus Anthony Thomas UK, 2020, 14:26 Mia is a young woman who struggles to cope with the aftermath of a traumatic event that has changed her life forever. She seeks out the help of a secretive retreat lead by a figure named Echo.

Camrus Johnson, Stefano Pennisi USA, 2020, 19:57 A group of vigilantes abduct wrongdoers and coerce them into confessions, forcing them back on the straight and narrow. Tonight their attempt at justice has unexpected consequences.

291

THE HUMAN CONDITION THRILLER 4

Wednesday

Friday

Sunday

Bootham 20:00-21:30

NCEM 16:00-17:30

NCEM 21:30-23:00

ONLINE FROM 7 November

The most eclectic group of films within the Thriller section this year. Micro-budget shorts meet lavish sets and staging in this selection of shorts that range from commentary on pertinent social issues, to straight up oddities. They are all chosen for the ways in which they represent the dark realities of the human condition – how we treat ourselves and others.

A /vV

KELIPOT (SUBTITLED) Noam Harari Israel, 2020, 19:45  A young belligerent judge leaves his mistress house in a bad neighbourhood and finds out that his car has been stolen. A poor waitress who witnessed the theft of the car refuses to co-operate.

STRAND 6

TSUNAMI Alissa Autschbach UK, 2020, 16:11 A normal day at school. Nina and Ruby have an argument in the bathroom. Fed up with Ruby, Nina enters a cubicle to be alone. Moments later, Nina hears a shot being fired whilst hiding.

BODY OF THE MINED

BEHIND (SUBTITLED)

Eric Jungmann USA, 2021, 15:00 A quiet, young woman moves into a new building block and meets a reclusive engineer, who is on the brink of completing the production of a bizarre, but extraordinary, machine.

Yili Li China, 2021, 14:47 Young Wen’s dream was shattered due to writer’s block. To survive, he became the cleaner of an underground hotel, feasting off the dark secrets of the hotel’s occupants for creative inspiration.

292

v/A

MATERIAL GIRL

FIFTH OF JUNE (SUBTITLED)

Kris Carr UK, 2020, 06:30 When Jay, a 19-year-old fashionista, is left home alone, she discovers that not all of her clothes are quite as harmless as she thinks... Is there something more to this material girl?

Humberto Flores Jáuregui Mexico, 2021, 14:45 A group of young people on their way to a demonstration in Guadalajara, México, are suddenly kidnapped by the same forces they were trying to protest. The group is plunged into darkness.

293

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295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

308

309

310

311

312

FILMMAKER INDEX

Advertising

Animation

Back to Us 230

Affairs of the Art 236

Niccolò Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

Les Mills les.beryl@fut.net

Be unbreakable - Gloryfy 230

Down 233

Christoph Amort christoph.amort@aon.at

Guy Harvey gac.harvey@gmail.com

Born Guilty 232

FALL OF THE IBIS KING 234

Sinan Sevinç sinan.sevinc@filmakademie.de

Mikai Geronimo, Josh O’Caoimh joshuaocaoimh@gmail.com

CIRCA 2020

230

Floaters

234

Rodrigo Inada rodrigoinada@gmail.com

Karl Poyzer, Joseph Roberts Karlpoyzerdop@gmail.com

Fit for the future 231

Footsteps on the Wind

Jonas Hofmann j.hofmann@bald.ch

Gustavo Leal, Faga Melo, Maya Sanbar ito@dwrk.it

GIRLS LIKE ME 232

Heart of Gold

Samir Zorlak, Tim Hahne tim@stereoscreen.de

Simon Filliot production@jplfilms.com

I Got Through 230

Her Song 234

Ellis Fox ellis@ellisjfox.com

Éabha Bortolozzo, Jack Kirwan

Left Out of Life

232

Inside Job Productions anns@insidejobproductions.co.uk

236

234

Lady Betty 235

Paul McGrath paul@whackala.com

Never Again 230

Lines 236

Mario Dahl marioadahl@gmail.com

Claire Fleming info@clairefleming.com

North South Eve 231

Namoo

Leah Loftin leahloftinisms@gmail.com

Erick Oh

Nuevos Tiempos. Nuevas Rebajas 232

Night of the Living Dread 236

Victor Claramunt gcc72@yahoo.com

Ida Melum ida.melumheino@gmail.com

Spec Spot Amnesty International 231

No More Dead Friends 236

Caroline Schwarz schwarz.caroline@googlemail.com

Laura Robinson hello@laurarobinson.co.uk

The North Face x Gucci presented by Highsnobiety

231

Nudity

Fiona Jane Burgess fionajburgess@me.com

Jáchym Bouzek jachymbouzek@gmail.com

The Untold Secrets of French Happiness 230

Peek-A-Boom

Victor Claramunt San Millán victorclaramunt@gmail.com

Maya Zankoul, Toni Yammine ideas@wezank.com

Tommee Tippee - The Boob Life

232

Fiona Jane Burgess fionajburgess@me.com Vectronom - Release Campaign

231

Niccolò Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

233

Santiago

233

Assia Kovanova a_kovanova@yahoo.com 231

Leone Yoshi Funabashi

234

Antonio Milo, Fabrizio Fioretti milo@superblimp.co.uk

Pedro Lacerda pedroperau@gmail.com WOW THE WORLD

Playgrounds

235

Signs

233

Vanja Andrijevic vanja@bonobostudio.hr 232

The Chimney Swift

236

Fabian Driehorst fabian@fabianfred.com

313

FILMMAKER INDEX THE EDGE

235

Freddie Leyden

The Owl and the Pussycat 235

Only a Child

Laura Duncalf laura@browncowfilms.com

Simone Giampaolo simon.giampaolo@gmail.com

The Promise 235

Regime Change

Chi Thai chithai@me.com

Yana Sad yana-5@yandex.ru

There’s a Prison on Fire in the Forest 234

The Song of the Chrysalis

JLee MacKenzie jleemackenzie@gmail.com

Francisco MeCe franciscomece@gmail.com

SHE DREAMS AT SUNRISE 235

The Swan at the Mouth of the River 238

Camrus Johnson cam@moonjellypictures.com

Daphna Mero daphnamiro@gmail.com

Van Ngoc Ta: The Vietnamese Lawyer 233

World of Trophies 239

Shanshan Chen s.chen33@outlook.com

Victoria Wigzell vwigzell@gmail.com

ARTISTS’ FILM

Comedy

2020 Vision 237

*This is Not a Recreation 240

Jake Polonsky jakepolonsky@gmail.com

Tommy Brunt twbrunt90@gmail.com

Authentic Footage

237

Alison Piper alisonpiper@gmail.com Back in the Island

Camille and I

239

238

237

40A 245

A Few Miles South 241

A Hole 243

animal food 246

Jonas Lung info@shortchangestudios.com 239

Shae Xu yx2451@columbia.edu El Triste

237

James Soloman jamesolomon@gmail.com

Aleksander Johan Andreassen aleksanderjohanandreassen@gmail.com Duet

239

Diarmuid Hughes diarmuidhughes@me.com

Olivier Berlemont contact@originefilms.fr Centarium

239

Jordane Oudin contact@hippocampe-productions.com

Niccolo Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

314

Nude Me/Under the Skin 238

Ursula Ulmi ursula.ulmi@gmx.ch

A Place For Mr. Carpet 244

Sebastian Karantonis Skaranto@msn.com 239

Back In Five 243

Manuel Del Valle makospictures@gmail.com

Stephen Pierce stephen@armchairandrocket.com

Humans 237

Byte 242

Aleksandra Czenczek aleksandraczenczek@gmail.com

Ross McGowan deadlinefilmsuk@gmail.com

I S O S T A S Y 237

Closed Casket 242

Simon Clode, Marc Rees simon@simonclodefilms.com

Piotr Cieplak  pacieplak@gmail.com

Kintsugi Gold 238

Craving 243

Jayne Compton info@chanjekunda.com

Greg Barth

Lesbian 238

Death and Dog Walking 244

Rosemary Baker rosemaryfbaker@gmail.com

Helena Coan helena@trashpandapictures.com

Look at Us 238

Eve 242

Hussina Raja hussinaraja@protonmail.com

Joe Solomon Joesolomonuk@gmail.com

Flash _ Thunder93 246

SQUISH 244

Reuben Harvey reubenharvey777@gmail.com

Xavier Seron xseron@yahoo.fr

Fortissimo 245

Survivers 241

janine Piguet contact@janinepiguet.com

Carlos Gómez-Trigo cgtrigo@hotmail.com

Friends Online 244

Taj Mahal presents… A Short Film 240

Samantha White samjanewhite@hotmail.com

David Dearlove  dearlove.david@outlook.com

From A Strange Land 245

The Acolyte 246

Georgina French georgina@frenchfancyproductions.com

Sammy James Jr bearlytheremedia@gmail.com

Fuck The Honeymoon 242

The Dinner Party 242

Joshua Thornton-Allan josh@thorntonallan.com

Harry Starkey-Midha hstarkeymidha@gmail.com

Full V 246

The Foul 245

Anna Rose Duckworth anna.duckworth@gmail.com

James Button james@jamesbuttonfilms.com

Good German Work 240

The Impatient Man Who Made His Life Considerably Shorter 241

Jannis Alexander Kiefer jannisalexanderkiefer@gmx.de

Louis Norton Selzer  louis@panopticfilms.com

IN HOPE OF NOTHING 240

The Rebirthing Club 243

Frankie Fogg zack@hamblinimagery.com

Philippa Dawson probablypip@gmail.com

It Feels Personal 245

The Wapidemic 246

Hugh Clegg hugh_clegg@hotmail.com

Céline Tshika

Last Drop 241

VALETTA 247

Will Liney w.lineyfilm@gmail.com

Konstantin Enste konstantin.enste@gmail.com

Lighting Tests 240

Virago 244

Tom Nicoll tpbnicoll@gmail.com

Estonian Short Film Center shortest@shortest.eu

MAMILS (Middle Aged Men In Lycra) 245

Wormhole In The Washer 241

Ben Marshall Ben@acronymproductions.co.uk

Paireac Keane pkeane.kcf@gmail.com

Man Or Tree 243

Varun Raman, Tom Hancock parallelmadness@gmail.com

Dance

Masterclass 244

Blast 250

Nancy Sullivan nancysullivan@hotmail.com

Joshua Ben-Tovim, Roseanna Anderson roseanna@impermanence.co.uk

Pedwar 243

Blue Raid

Alastair Hope-Morley alastair265@gmail.com

Louis- Jack info@louis-jack.com

School Night 241

Blyndex

Zachary Joel Johnson zacharyjoeljohnson@gmail.com

Rodrigo Inada, Yuri Mira rodrigoinada@gmail.com

Sed Libera Nos A Malo 246

How Do You Sleep

Jack Salvadori director@jacksalvadori.com

Bonnie Su bonniejsu@gmail.com

Seeds of Love 242

Mėxed 250

Behnam Taheri, Gideon Beresford officialfanclub@rosco5.com

Lissi Simpson lissisimpson@gmail.com

Selling Out 240

mother/land

George Hackforth-Jones lucyfiona@hotmail.com

Amaal Mustafa amaalmustafa.sea@gmail.com

248

250

248

315

FILMMAKER INDEX Mountains, Seas, Panorama

248

Viv Li vivienne.lwr@gmail.com

Odyssey 249

Just A Guy 256

Tony Currie tony.curry@scottishballet.co.uk

Shoko Hara festival@ag-animationsfilm.de

PUZZLE

250

Anastasiya Sovashchenko fizika.moscow@gmail.com Revision of Evidence

Scapelands

250

252

Mission: Hebron 256

Kobi Mizrahi kobmiz@walla.com 251

Brigitte Fässler, William Bejedi hello@brigittefaessler.com The Kitchen

Maalbeek

Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis info@squareeyesfilm.com

Katie Beard, Naomi Turner naomiturner23@gmail.com So Far So Good

Last Meal 254

Marcus McKenzie, Daniel Principe

Sophie Salzer mail@sophiesalzer.de

Nsenene 256

Michelle Coomber 251

Please wait 255

Vishwakiran Nambi vishwakirannambi@gmail.com

Hazhir Ibrahimi ibrahimihazhir@gmail.com

TOKE 251

RIP SENI 255

NONO ayuso.nono@gmail.com

Daisy Ifama daisyifama@gmail.com

True Sound Façade

248

Laura N-Tamara laura.ntamara@gmail.com Where Am I Going

Wolf

Scars 254

Alex Anna projets@spira.quebec 249

Die Meng 1040455292@qq.com

Shero 256

Claudio Casale distribuzione.zenmovie@gmail.com 248

Some kind of intimacy

252

Natasha Gilmore nicola@barrowlandballet.co.uk

Toby Bull hello@bulltobybull.com

Documentary

Spirits and Rocks: An Azorean Myth 256

A View From Above

Aylin Gökmen aylin.gokmen.ch@gmail.com 253

Marrit Greidanus marritgreidanus@gmail.com Awoko

316

I Don’t Feel At Home Anywhere Anymore 254

Danny Wong danny@ccdc.com.hk

The Black Cop

252

Cherish Oteka 253

The Door of Return 254

Joshua Hughes, Felix Bazalgette joshhughesphoto@gmail.com

Lea Neu lea@kalekone-film.com

BABYBANGZ 253

The Edge of Home

Juliana Kasumu studio@julianakasumu.com

Celine Cotran celine.cotran@gmail.com

Bridging the Gap 255

The Elvermen

Nina Ross, Meg Barrett ninajross@yahoo.co.uk

Isla Badenoch islabadenoch@gmail.com

E14 254

The Palace

Peiman Zekavat

Jo Prichard joanna.prichard@gmail.com

Early Years 255

The Roar of Their Engines 255

Agnès Boutruche agnes.boutruche@framevox.com

Jason Todd, Charles-Émile Lafrance leamarie@h264distribution.com

Hanging On 254

Since you arrived, my heart stopped belonging to me

Hollie Bryan hollie@cosmosquarefilms.co.uk

Erin Semine Kökdil erinkokdil@gmail.com

252

253

Tictoc 256

Earthbound 259

Mark Water hello@markwatersfilm.com

Olivier GUERPILLON olivier@foxinthesnow.se

Wavelengths

252

Echo 270

Jessie Zinn j.zinn12@gmail.com

Kato De Boeck, Flo Van Deuren mathilde@agenceducourt.be

Wifi Rider 255

Eggshelter 265

Roxy Rezvany

Bluzet Raphaël raphaelbluzet@gmail.com

Yellowstone 252

Face Value 258

Éanna Mac Cana emaccana@gmail.com

Emily Cook emily.rosina.cook@gmail.com

Drama

Farmhouse 264

Al-Sit 261

Fart Car 258

Suzannah Mirghani suzannahmirghani@gmail.com

Fraser Scott fraserlauderscott@gmail.com

Aria

Dian Weys dian.weys@gmail.com

257

Figlie delle stelle (Daughters of the Stars) 262

Christopher Poole cdpoole@icloud.com

Edoardo Smerilli distribution.sayonarafilm@gmail.com

ASUNDER 259

Gas Station 269

Janet Marrett info@mediathirsty.co.uk

Olga Torrico distribution.sayonarafilm@gmail.com

Before Long 270

Girls & The Party 261

Sylvia Le Fanu sylvialefanu@gmail.com

Paloma Lopez palomalopez95@gmail.com

Betrayal 257

Heaven Reaches Down To earth 261

Katiana Zachariou zachariouk@gmail.com

Pierre Brouillette-Hamelin festival@travellingdistribution.com

Blue Corridor 15 263

Hide and Seek 263

Dubheasa Lanipekun

Ragini Bhasin bhasinragini@gmail.com

Bluestar 261

Hope 268

Laurent denis l.denis@cookiesfilms.com

Morgan Faverty morgan@pavilionworks.com

Boys (Friends Forever) 257

Housemaid 267

Justine Baillargeon justine@h264distribution.com

Prach Rojanasinwilai jeen.roj@gmail.com

Bracha 265

In One’s Shadow 269

Mickey Triest, Aaron Geva triestme@gmail.com, aralegeva@gmail.com

Mor Lankri asaf@costanza-films.com

Calladita 260

Isaac And The Ram 263

Miguel Faus miguel.faus1@gmail.com

Jason Bradbury jb@jasonbradbury.co

CHARON 268

Kilter 269

Yannick Karcher yannick.karcher@gmail.com

Rob Stanton-Cook rob@collider.com.au

DANIEL 269

Kiss Chase 264

Alix Whittaker alix@candlelitpictures.co.nz

Michelle Brøndum michellebrondum@gmail.com

Darling 269

La Tecnica 264

Mykea Fairweather Perrt mykeaperry@me.com

Clemente De Muro , Davide Mardegan tinydistribution.shorts@gmail.com

Department of Detachment 266

Lessons From Our Fathers 259

Christian Kielberg christian@makerietfilm.se

Musa musa@musa-film.com

317

FILMMAKER INDEX

318

Living Proof 262

Play It Safe 269

Joe Bloom, Caleb Hughes calebjmh@gmail.com

Mitch Kalisa

Long Distance 261

Potted Palm Trees 263

Or Sinai lightson@lightsonfilm.org

Pierre Brouillette-Hamelin festival@travellingdistribution.com

LUZ 257

Punch-Drunk 270

Ismael Martin info@ismaelmartin.com

Larry Ketang, Liam White liam@falsetoothfilms.com

Mamma 268

Raised By Wolves 265

Aslak Danbolt aslak.danbolt@gmail.com

Afroze Mushtaree Noble noblecam@gmail.com

Miss Fortunate 266

Return to Toyama 264

Ella Jones ellajones@gmail.com

Atsushi Hirai

Miss Nothing 267

Rodeo 257

Richard Jamze richardjamze@gmail.com

Adam Levett info@adamlevett.com

Moon 260

RUN 262

Justine Baillargeon justine@h264distribution.com

Ruth Greenberg

Mona & Parviz 270

See You Garbage! 260

Kevin Biele k.biele23@gmail.com

Justine Baillargeon justine@h264distribution.com

Mother’s Cry 266

shut Up 270

Josh Bridge joshbridge.tbm@gmail.com

Dafna danenberg dafnad22@gmail.com

Mother Tongue 262

Snake Trail 267

Eris Qian wq282@nyu.edu

Shicong Zhu zhus2019@gmail.com

Mountain Of Light 268

Something must happen 259

Aashish Gadhvi ashgadhvi@gmail.com

Dániel Botos daniel.botos993@gmail.com

My Condolences To Your Future Lovers 266

Spring Tide 260

Jessica Dowse jessica@thedailylunge.com

Jean Parsons

My Own 261

STAY 263

Courtney Hope Therond courtney.therond@gmail.com

Maria Winther Olsen maria@tokafilm.com

Nafs Said 258

Step Back 258

Huma Hussain humahussainfilm@gmail.com

Leo Powell contact@leopowell.co.uk

NATIVES 266

TEA 259

Katie Smith nativesshortfilm@gmail.com

Sam G T Walker sngpaul@gmail.com

Nursery Rhymes 265

The Visit 268

Michael Kam leong.huat.kam@gmail.com

Azadeh Moussavi lightson@lightsonfilm.org

Of Hearts and Castles 265

Triangle 262

Rubén Navarro info@distributionwithglasses.com

Péter Engelmann endzsy92@gmail.com

PENINSULA 263

The Journey 262

Scott Flyger scott@duesouthfilms.co.nz

Samuel Gagnon samuel@objectif9.com

Petra 257

The Night I Left America 264

Emily Carlton emilyanncarlton@gmail.com

Laki Karavias hello@lakikaravias.com

THE LAST DAYS 264

Museum of Fleeting Wonders 273

Katie Sinclair ktsinclair04@hotmail.com

Tomas Gomez Bustillo tomasgomezbustillo@gmail.com

The Long Goodbye 265

One Thousand and One Attempts to Be an Ocean 273

Aneil Karia

Wang Yuyan wangyuyan518@gmail.com

The Manila Lover 260

Postcards From The Orient 272

Johanna Pyykkö pyykko.johanna@gmail.com

Sis Gurdal sisgurdal@gmail.com

There 266

Saudade 272

Wu Yu Fen ptsfestival@gmail.com

Russell Adam Morton russellmorton@me.com

The Tunnel 267

The Bang Straws 272

Anna Griffin anna@griffinpictures.co.uk

Michelle Williams Gamaker michellewilliamsgamaker@gmail.com

Through The Dunes 267

The pictures eventually came on... 271

James Bierman

Alex Culshaw culshaw22@gmail.com

james@empirestreetproductions.com 267

Top Down Memory 272

Eamon Hughes eamonhughes1998@gmail.com

Daniel Theiler mail@danieltheiler.de

True Colours 270

Transitions II: Movement in Isolation 271

To All My Darlings

Milda Baginskaite beyondproductions@mail.com

Tobi Adebajo tobsadebajo@gmail.com

TWICE AS GOOD 259

Transparent, I am. 271

Jeremy Ngatho Cole

Yuri Muraoka mail@yuri-paradox.ecweb.jp

Wine Lake 258

Still, Passing Between Worlds 273

Platon Theodoris platon.theodoris@gmail.com

Alison Piper alisonpiper@gmail.com

Yellow Cross My Heart 258

uchronia, no.1 273

Marta Salvador Tato info@distributionwithglasses.com You Promise? 268

Lin Laurin lin.laurin@gmail.com

Experimental as british as a watermelon 271

Kamila Kuc kamila.kuc@gmail.com

Family Friendly Birds of Passage 275

Lisa Meyer lisa.meyer@live.se Corky 276

Switchflicker Productions jayne@switchflicker.co.uk

Ty Primosch tprimosch@gmail.com

Entre Les Images 272

Dalía 274

Vito A. Rowlands vito@varowlands.com

Brúsi Ólason kvarkifilms@gmail.com

Orbital Squares 273

Death & Deathability (A Period Piece) 275

Moojin Brothers

Maria Victoria Ponce vicky_ponce@hotmail.com

Hear Me Sometimes 271

Fishwitch 276

Sofia Theodore-Pierce

Adrienne Douley Adriennedowling@gmail.com

ID Babylon 272

I am a Pebble 275

Khevyn Ibrahim khevyn.i@gmail.com

ESMA coline@ecolescreatives.com

li(f/v)e 273

Iro /he.ro:/ 275

ismaël utopia.films.tn@gmail.com

Alexis Koukias-Pantelis al.koukias@gmail.com

319

FILMMAKER INDEX Little Bear 274

Early Bird 282

Anthony Doncque tsproductions@tsproductions.net

Anne-Charlotte Moulard contact@annecharlottemoulard.com

Soft Creatures 274

Emotion Inn 281

Tena Gojic tena@dinaridi.com

Idan Barazani

Stick 276

Even Death in my Arms is Beautiful 281

Ole Christoffer Haga ole@sandbeck.no

Jannis Lenz info@refreshingfilms.com

The Amazing Adventures of Awesome 276

Fenice - Momoni SS21 278

Allison Brownmoore info@bluespill.co.uk

Niccolò Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

The Moon and Me 275

Friday in February 284

Kalu Oji kaluoji.film@gmail.com

Linda Brownlee

The most Magnificent Thing 276

Goo 284

Arna Selznick arnaselznick@gmail.com

Emma Makin 20kejackson@gmail.com

The penguin Who couldn’t swim 276

In Between and Beyond 280

Tom Rourke tomjohn.rourke@gmail.com

Filip Fredrik Haglund haglund.f@gmail.com

Two Sands 274

Le Beau Monde 283

Poppy van Oorde-Grainger poppyvog@gmail.com

Eleonora Cristin eleonora.cristin@gmail.com

Wishing Box 276

Looking For a New Place to Begin 278

Wenli Zhang, Nan Li

Henrique Sauer henriquesauer@gmail.com

FASHION

Lost Time 279

3:24 284

Louboutin – The Holiday Countdown 282

Lauren Luxenberg luxenberg.lauren@gmail.com

Tiwirayi Magwenzi

A Circle Line Train 279

Louis Vuitton – Message In A Bottle 282

Martin Venier office@mogcollective.com

Roni Shao

Alex 280

Luz Muerta x Ophelia 283

Luca Spreafico nico@niccolomontanari.com

Julia Ponce Diaz Jponcediaz@afi.edu

A Note to Myself 280

Me, Myself and My Hair 281

Rachana Shete, Aashka Shah twoindianstorytellers@gmail.com

Namatanje Zimba tanjezimba@gmail.com

Burberry – Inner Life 280

MUGLER Spring Summer 2021 279

Roni Shao

Florian Joahn

Chokehold 279

Non So Dove, Ma Insieme 281

Nathalie Taylor mekelahbrown@outlook.com

Niccolò Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

closeness 282

nike Presents: Insiders. Episode 2 279

Ivan Herrera ivanherrera@me.com

Marco Viganò

Cruising 280

Nowness x AGL - Sisterhood 280

Valentino R. Sandoli valentino_saz@hotmail.com Digitally Dressed 283

Harry Fitt-Martin harryfm@hotmail.co.uk

320

Anna Radchenko nico@niccolomontanari.com

Fiona Jane Burgess fionajburgess@me.com Quick Fix 282

Annie Harmeston annieharmeston@icloud.com

Rejoice Resist 278

Bipolar 227

Margo Mars margo@lief.london

Linhan Zhang queenafilm@hotmail.com

Risques 278

BOTOX 229

Thomas Gerard thomas.gerard2412@gmail.com

Kaveh Mazaheri mazaherikaveh@gmail.com

Savage Facades 283

Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away 225

Gabriel Askenazi gabriel@sulkinaskenazi.com

Charles Todd, Devin Amar

Shadows Roses 283

Dear Sirs 226

UMBRA Directors hola@umbra.work

Mark Pedri, Carrie Pedri (McCarthy)

SYZYGY 283

Ribblehead 228

Effie Pappa effiepappa@gmail.com

Tom Young tom@ribbleheadfilm.com

The Awakening 279

The Cleaner 227

Nils A. Witt info@nilswitt.com

Public Television Service Taiwan ptsfestival@gmail.com

The Chimera 278

Federico Mazzarisi direct.sofiarivolta@gmail.com

Music Video

The Dispute C41 x Trussardi 283

Alligator on the Rocks 286

Giulio Squillacciotti

Fiona Kruschnik fionakruschnik@gmail.com

The End of Social Distancing 278

Alone 288

Victor Claramunt San Millán victorclaramunt@gmail.com

Linda Ludwig, James Curle info@inquisitivepictures.co.uk

The Invisible Grandma 282

Bets Off 288

Velasco & Hu kate@carlosvelascoestudio.com

alexmaax, Tyler Cunningham tanner@overallmgmt.com

The Television, Do We Need It 281

Biig Piig - Cuenta Lo 286

Lewis Douglas lewisoliverdouglas@gmail.com

Nono Ayuso ayuso.nono@gmail.com

What About Me? 284

Cali Dreams - Vintage Culture & Fancy Inc Feat. The Beach 287

Lois Stevenson loismackiestevenson@gmail.com

Rafael Kent

Wild 281

Cool Company - Halos 287

Raúl González internacional@agenciafreak.com

Waley Wang waleyjwang@gmail.com

FEATURES

David Blank feat. PNKSAND – FOREPLAY 287

23rd Century Giants: The Story of Renaldo & The Loaf 224

DESOLVIDO 285

Alex Wroten alex@welldang.com

Andrés Roa Ariza andres.roa.grafico@gmail.com

A Beautiful Curse 229

Earth Odyssey - Asaf Avidan 285

Rikke Katborg rikke.katborg@lesproducers.com

Niccolò Montanari nico@niccolomontanari.com

A HANDFUL OF WATER 228

Floating - KUOKO 288

Jakob Zapf jakob.zapf@neopol-film.de

Jasmin Luu jasminluu@outlook.com

Bank Job 224

Grey to Green 288

Daniel Edelstyn, Hilary Powell dan@bankjob.pictures

Marcos Sánchez marcossanchezd@gmail.com

Beijing Spring 225

Inside Out 288

Constance le Marié constance@acfilmsinc.com

Jeff Kuperman, Rick Kuperman contact@kupermanbrothers.com

Delia Simonetti silviadelia.simonetti@gmail.com

321

FILMMAKER INDEX Jamie Cullum: Hang Your Lights 288

Coins 291

Joe Connor josephvincentconnor@gmail.com

Nicole Huminski huminski@live.de

Lous and The Yakuza - Amigo 285

The Relic

Wendy Morgan

J.M. Logan jml@jmlfilm.com

Monsters You Made 286

Dark Lights 289

Filmawi

Deborah Richards

Mumiy Troll - Cosmic Forces 286

DEAD END 289

Ivan Sosnin ivan@redpepperfilm.com Refracted 287

VERSUS jason@versusversus.com.au ‘Sex is Good (but have you tried)’ Donna Missal 287

Rodrigo Inada rodrigoinada@gmail.com Superheroes - Stormzy 285

Taz Tron Delix

Jack Shillingford mail@jackshillingford.com Eleusis 291

Dasha Deriagina dasha@2332.film Fifth of June 292

Mónica Velasco contratiempocine@gmail.com Kelipot 292

Noam Harari noamharari1990@gmail.com

Tesfay 287

Lesson 7 291

Leah Vlemmiks leah.vlemmiks@gmail.com

Neil Linpow neil.linpow@gmail.com

The Pray 285

Material Girl 292

Michael Zvegintsev wowproduction.ua@gmail.com

Kris Carr kris94.carr@gmail.com

The Rolling Stones: Ghost Town 286

Once Familiar 290

Joe Connor josephvincentconnor@gmail.com

Wojciech Czarkowski voy.czarkowski@gmail.com

The Shins - The Great Divide 285

Slow-Down 290

Jen Alvares jen@huntershouse.com

Ornella Hawthorn Gardez omhgfilms@gmail.com

Who do Voodoo Like You Do 286

Such Small Hands 289

Adrian Axel adrianaxel.dp@gmail.com

Maria Martinez Bayona tom@wellingtonfilms.co.uk

THRILLER

The Thing That ate the birds 289

13 Amsterdam Street 290

The Retreat 291

Olivier Lopes Barros distribution@pianosanofilms.fr

Jordi Morera jmc.jordi@gmail.com

Are You In Heaven 291

TNT 290

Alexander King Chen alexanderkingchen@gmail.com

Marie Lesay marie@ruedelasardine.fr

Behind 292

TSUNAMI 292

Yili Li chester7@outlook.com

Alissa Autschbach alissaautschbach@gmail.com

Blue Bison 291

Vest 290

Camrus Johnson, Stefano Pennisi cam@moonjellypictures.com

Samir Mallal victoria@thefilmfestivaldoctor.com

Body of the Mined 292

Wild Will 289

Eric Jungmann

Alan King alanwking@hotmail.com

Clara Is Gone 290

Danyk Grenier dgrenier0308@hotmail.com

322

289

Sophie Mair, Dan Gitsham jude@lunarlanderfilms.com

VR & immersive Be Your Own Dentist

139

jonathan sims wj.sims@gmail.com Bystanding: The Feingold Syndrome

139

Roi Lev bystandingVR@gmail.com Cine Metro - Immersive Experience

139

Felipe Haurelhuk felipe@ideograph.com.br Filling Spaces

139

Shachar Kantor shachar.kantor@gmail.com Gimme One

140

Harry Silverlock harrysilverlock@gmail.com Greenwood Avenue: A Virtual Reality Experience

140

Ayana Baraka ayanabaraka@gmail.com Hush

140

Vibeke Bryld maria@final-cut.dk Luna

140

Sari Katharyn sarikatharyn@gmail.com Mayflower Reflections

140

Paul Long MEET MORTAZA

140

Joséphine Derobe contact@lesproduitsfrais.com Om Devi: Shereos Revolution

141

Claudio Casale claudio@sibillafilm.com Samsara

141

Hsin-Chien Huang manager@storynest.com STRANDS OF MIND

141

Adrian Meyer strands-of-mind@adrianmeyer.art The Girmit Experience

141

James Edward Marks jem@playla.bz the root is more important than the flower

141

Cristina Kotz Cornejo info@wildwimminfilms.com Virtually There

141

Emma Norton emma@solaris2.com

323

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