Author: Alton Williams

Filled with excitement and anticipation, the Awards Ceremony of the ninth Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) took place after its five-day run across the city of York. Held at Yorkshire Museum, filmmakers, delegates and festival-goers were invited to celebrate the announcement of this year’s festival winners. With over 400 films in competition from the Official Selection, the awards recognise outstanding talent in filmmaking, with winners becoming eligible for consideration at the BAFTAs.

All category winners are nominated for the Best of Fest Award, with only one film winningthe grand festival prize. Taking home 2019’s Best of Fest was Kofi and Lartey. Directed by Sasha Rainbow, the film tells the true story of a man who escaped Agbogbloshie, dubbed one of the most toxic places on earth. We follow him as he empowers two young boys to do the same. Kofi and Lartey was also selected by Aesthetica Short Film Festival’s Director Cherie Federico to screen as part of the Opening Night Ceremony, which launched the festival’s ninth edition.

Spanning both personal and universal storylines, Narrative and Documentary Features returned for a second year. Director Iain Cunningham was awarded Best Feature for his documentary Irene’s Ghost. Cunningham’s first feature documentary, it depicts the search for information about the mother he never knew. The film is also BIFA-nominated.

Delving into hard-hitting topics, the Drama reel provides the largest part of ASFF’s film programme. This year’s Best Drama was awarded to Thomas Vernay for Miss Chazelles – the story of two young rivals. Whilst looking to the darker side of humanity, ASFF’s Thriller strand is fear-fuelled and hair raising. Best Thriller went Madame, directed by Garth Jennings, widely known for family favourites including Sing (2016) and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005).

As two of Aesthetica Short Film Festival’s best loved genres, Norteños directed by Grandmas, took home the award for Best Comedy, whilst Leszek Mozga was presented with the Best Animation award for Roadkill. Another favourite genre with festival-goers, Documentary explores culturally rich and eye-opening projects from around the world. This year’s Best Documentary was presented Charby Ibrahim for Bright Lights – The Perils of the Pokies. The animated documentary reflects on the devastating consequences of gambling.

Tapping into brand ethos, LEONE’s L’Incredibile in partnership with Nike was awarded Best Advertising, whilst Best Fashion went to Lola’s Manifesto,directed by Gsus Lopez and Cristian Velasco. Usurping the idea of convention, Best Artists’ Film was presented to Rhea Storr for A Protest, A Celebration, A Mixed Message. Best Experimental was awarded to Samona Olanipekun for Kindred. Providing a spirited interpretation of life in the 21^st Century, The Golden Age directed by Eric Minh Cuong Castaing was presented with the award for Best Dance, whilst Best Music Video went to Emmanuel Adjei for Shahmaran – Sevdaliza.

Introducing new digital playgrounds, Aesthetica Short Film Festival also welcomed VR and Immersive films back into the competition for a second year. Best VR & Immersive was awarded to Virtual Viking – The Ambush, directed by Erik Gustavson. Filmed using 106 cameras, it captures Norway’s west coast, marking one of the first techniques in scripted VR drama.

New for 2019, the Hijack Visionary Filmmaker Award recognises directors with exceptional vision and a unique cinematic voice. Alongside the award, a generous post-production package including grade, audio mix, online and deliverable for their next short film is presented. The award was taken home by Ellie Rogers for They Found Her in a Field.

Celebrating the achievements of filmmakers based in the North of England, the Polaris Award is sponsored by Film Hub North and BFI NETWORK. This year’s award was presented to Charlene Jones for Henceforth – an honest and raw project highlighting the grief of three siblings after the very recent loss of their parents.

Across the five-day run, festival-goers are invited to vote for their favourite film from the Official Selection. Chosen by audiences, this year’s People’s Choice Award was presented to Gary Crystal for the film Down, screening as part of the Drama category. The film is a claustrophobic short about two strangers trapped in a lift, starring Amanda Donohoe, James Eeles and Paul Barber.

Chosen by students in attendance at the Youth Engagement Programme, this year’s Youth Award was given to Lasagne, directed by Hannah Hill. Featuring a series of curated films from the Official Selection, the programme aims to ignite a lifelong relationship with cinema, encouraging young festival goers to choose their favourite film.

The ninth edition saw entries from over 53 countries and welcomed thousands of visitors, including a diverse mix of industry professionals, students, tourists and attendees to the festival, some travelling from as far afield as Canada, Norway, Germany and Australia, Japan, New Zealand.

Entries for the ninth-edition open 1 December, with the festival returning next year, 4 – 8 November 2020. For more information visit: www.asff.co.uk

Gold Digger Edition: Bits & Pieces

With her joyously irreverent live-action reinterpretation of the famous 16^th-century puppet show, writer/director Mirrah Foulkes turns the traditional story of Punch and Judy on its head and brings to life a devilishly delightful tale, starring Mia Wasikowska (Crimson Peak, Alice in Wonderland, Jane Eyre) and Damon Herriman (Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Mindhunter, Top of the Lake). In the outlandish town of Seaside, located nowhere near the coast, puppeteers Judy and Punch are trying to resurrect their marionette show. The show is a hit due to Judy’s superior puppeteering, but Punch’s driving ambition and penchant for a drink lead to an ill-fated turn of events that Judy must avenge.

1933. Gareth Jones (James Norton, Little Women, Happy Valley, McMafia) is an ambitious Welsh journalist who gained fame after his report on being the first foreign journalist to fly with Hitler. On leaving a government role, Jones decides to travel to Moscow in an attempt to get an interview with Stalin himself. Hearing murmurs of government-induced famine, Jones travels clandestinely to Ukraine, where he witnesses the atrocities of man-made starvation. Deported back to London, Jones publishes an article revealing the horrors he witnessed but is accused of being a liar by those who have an interest in silencing him. As the death count mounts, Jones has to fight for the truth.

The debut feature, Sons of Denmark, from director Ulaa Salim is a powerful, unnerving and provocative film that looks at the impact of radicalised society, set in an alternate (though all-too-believable) Denmark.

Gold Digger Edition: Bits & Pieces

The Report, a film based on the shocking real-life investigation into the CIA’s post-9/11 “enhanced interrogation” practices, which we thought could be of interest to you. Starring Oscar nominee Adam Driver (Marriage Story, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi), THE REPORT opens in UK cinemas on 15 November.

In the 15 years since SUPER SIZE ME, the fast-food industry has undergone a makeover. Today, chain restaurants tout food that’s “healthy,” “organic,” and “natural.” Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock explores this new reality with an approach even more immersive and subversive than that used for his first film: he sets out to open his own chicken franchise. We follow him every step of the way, from raising poultry and conjuring recipes to designing the brand and scouting a location. Spurlock brings his disarming humour to uncover the truths and lies behind this multibillion-dollar industry.

Pedro, a 70-year-old gay nurse, and a big fan of Greta Garbo, needs to find an empty bed in the hospital where he works to save his best friend, Daniela. To do so he decides to help Jean, a criminal in police custody, escape from the premises. But then, worried about Jean’s health, Pedro sets the criminal up in his apartment to treat his wounds. The two wind up having a highly-charged affair that brings to the surface Pedro’s own solitude, now augmented by Daniela’s imminent death.

Gold Digger Edition: Bits & Pieces

The Movie Partnership have confirmed that their thriller, TILT will be released on 25th November across all major digital platforms. The film stars Joseph Cross (Big Little Lies, Lincoln) and Jessy Hodges (Barry, Graves).

Olivia Colman (Queen Elizabeth II), Helena Bonham Carter (Princess Margaret), Tobias Menzies (Prince Philip), Josh O’Connor (Prince Charles), Erin Doherty (Princess Anne), Peter Morgan (Writer/Creator) and Suzanne Mackie (Executive Producer) on the new season of The Crown. As Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) faces a rapidly changing Britain, her family continues to struggle against the needs of the monarchy and the wants of their fracturing personal lives.  Season 3 of The Crown arrives November 17th.

State Like Sleep also stars the award winning Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast) and the scene stealing Julie Khaner (Chloe). The film follows Katherine Grand (Katherine Waterston) who one year after the sudden death of her celebrity husband, receives a phone call that pulls her back to Brussels and the life there that she’s tried to forget. Once back, she discovers a web of secrets that compel her to unravel the mysteries surrounding Stefan’s last days alive.

[TEASER] Harbor by Paul Marques Duarte from Blue Hour Films on Vimeo.

In one week, the hotly anticipated ANIMAL AMONG US hits digital and disc!  The film, a nail-biting horror film up-and-coming filmmaker John Woodruff, features Christian Oliver and Larisa Oleynik as an unstoppable duo out to stop a beast!

Apollo 11 comes in to land as the highest new entry on this week’s Official Film Chart, but Toy Story 4 refuses to be ejected from the top spot.

Number 1 for a fourth week and the UK’s best-selling DVD over the past seven days, it’s Disney•Pixar’s animated sequel Toy Story 4. Just behind is Danny Boyle’s rom com Yesterday – the film which reimagines a world without The Beatles hits the right note scooping the biggest Blu-ray of the week at Number 2.

Spider-Man: Far From Home, the week’s most downloaded movie, slips down one position to Number 3, while Aladdin (4) and Taron Egerton’s former chart topper, Rocketman (5) scale up one slot apiece.

Men in Black: International slips three places to 6 while The Secret Life Of Pets 2 (7) stays put this week. The end isn’t in sight just yet for Avengers as Endgame fights its way back into the Top 10, up three places to 8.

The Eagle has landed…space documentary Apollo 11 zooms in as this week’s highest new entry at Number 9. The movie, featuring never-before-seen large-format film footage of one of mankind’s greatest accomplishments, takes a look at the 1969 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong, and pilots Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins.

Finally, French action thriller Anna starring model Sasha Luss as the eponymous assassin alongside Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren, makes its debut appearance in the Top 10, rising 13 places to Number 10.

On this week’s Official Film Chart online show, take a look at a clip from the hilarious Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans the full-length movie debut from the long running CBBC TV show, available to download and keep from November 18.

The Official Film Chart Top 10 – 13 November 2019

Pos	Title	Label
1	TOY STORY 4	WALT DISNEY
2	YESTERDAY	UNIVERSAL PICTURES
3	SPIDER-MAN – FAR FROM HOME	SONY PICTURES HE
4	ALADDIN	WALT DISNEY
5	ROCKETMAN	PARAMOUNT
6	MEN IN BLACK – INTERNATIONAL	SONY PICTURES HE
7	THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2	UNIVERSAL PICTURES
8	AVENGERS – ENDGAME	MARVEL FILMS
9	APOLLO 11	DOGWOOF
10	ANNA	LIONSGATE

© Official Charts Company 2019

For The Love Of Film | EE British Academy Film Awards. Following a hugely successful inaugural year, which drew hundreds of applications from across the country, BAFTA is once again searching the nation for inspiring individuals and local heroes who help their communities’ access and engage with film. 

Do you know someone who fought to save your local cinema? Set up a film festival in your town? Or runs a film club for their local care home? BAFTA are looking to celebrate these individuals and are asking the great British public to submit applications on behalf of someone who they feel should be recognised for their amazing contribution. Entries for this year’s competition are now open at www.bafta.org/film/awards/for-the-love-of-film-competition-2019 , with the deadline for submissions Monday 2^nd December 10am GMT.

Olivia Colman, Leading Actress winner 2019, has lent her support to this year’s campaign, and highlights London’s Peckhamplex as a great example of that community spirit.

“It’s really exciting to see BAFTA honour and recognise people who work tirelessly to share the joy of film with their local communities. The ‘For the Love of Film’ competition is an excellent platform to showcase the unsung heroes of the UK’s film industry.”

“A brilliant example of an organisation playing a vital role in making movies accessible to their community is local cinema, Peckhamplex – they provide all films all day at one affordable price, amazing Q&As and special interest weeks. They are really community minded and helpful; I couldn’t praise them enough.”

Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said: “Film has the power to change lives, which is why BAFTA is committed to celebrating inspiring individuals from across the UK who are ensuring that film is at the heart of their local communities. Last year I was so impressed by the work of both Screen Machine and Jam Jar Cinema and I can’t wait to see who is selected this year.”

The entrants will be considered by a panel of leading industry experts including BAFTA Award winning director Amma Asante, broadcaster Edith Bowman, four-time BAFTA Award winning writer/director Paul Greengrass, filmmaker and content creator Jack Howard, and Andrew Orr from the BAFTA film committee.

The two chosen winners will get the once in a lifetime opportunity to join BAFTA and EE in celebrating the country’s biggest night in film at the EE British Academy Film Awards on the 2^nd February 2020.

The inaugural ‘For the Love of Film’ competition honoured Dan Ellis – Founder and Managing Director of Jam Jar Cinema and Iain MacColl – Senior Operator, Screen Machine. Find out more about last year’s winners, watch and share their short documentaries below:

For The Love Of Film: Dan Ellis

For The Love Of Film: Iain McColl

The EE British Academy Film Awards take place on Sunday 2 February. The ceremony will be broadcast exclusively on BBC One and BBC One HD in the UK and broadcast in all major territories around the world. On the night, //www.bafta.org will feature red carpet highlights, photography and winner’s interviews, as well as dedicated coverage on its social channels including Facebook (/BAFTA), Twitter and Instagram (@BAFTA / #EEBAFTAs).