TOM Berkeley & Ross White’s The Golden West has won the Best of Festival Award at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023 in York.
Award winners in the 13th festival were announced in a ceremony on Sunday at the Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, spotlighting outstanding storytelling across multiple genres.
Winner of the Best Drama Award too, The Golden West is set in November 1849, when two warring Irish sisters seek their fortune in the gold rush after fleeing the Great Famine. However, with winter fast approaching, their feud soon threatens to become deadly.
Other award winners were:
Best Advertising Award: RNIB/See Differently, directed by Jesse Lewis-Reece.
Best Animation Film: Letter To A Pig, directed by Tal Kantor.
Best Artists’ Film Award: The Song, directed by Bani Abidi.
Best Comedy Award: Festival Of Slap, directed by Abdou Cissé
Best Dance Award: Spicy Pink Tea, directed by Aqsa Arif.
Best Documentary Award: Nail Nai & Wai Po (Grandma & Grandpa), directed by Sean Wang.
Best Documentary Feature: After The Bridge, directed by Davide Rizzo & Marzia Toscano.
Best Experimental Film: Thieves, directed by Michelle Williams Gamaker.
Best Fashion Award: An Ode To Procrastination, directed by Aleksandra Kingo.
Best Family Friendly Award: I’m Not Afraid, directed by Marita Mayer.
Best Music Video Award: Debbie featuring Berwyn, Cousin’s Car, directed by Relta.
Best Narrative Feature: Black Moon, directed by Tonatiuh Garcia.
Best Thriller Award: Hide Your Crazy, directed by Austin Kase.
Best VR & 360 Award: From The Main Square, directed by Pedro Harres.
Best Game: Paper Trail, by Newfangled Games.
Best Cinematography Award: The Red Suitcase, directed by Cyrus Neshvad.
Best Director Award and Best Screenplay Award: Safe, directed by Debbie Howard.
Best Editing Award: Outlets, directed by Duncan Cowles.
All the films from the five-day festival can be streamed online at asff.co.uk until November 30, along with the 60 masterclasses.