THE 2016 Aesthetica Short Film Festival is looking for new filmmaking talent from across the world for next November's event in York.

Entries are open for the sixth edition of this BAFTA Qualifying festival, with films of 30 minutes’ duration and shorter being invited for submission in myriad genres: advertising, animation, artists’ film, comedy, dance, documentary, drama, experimental, fashion, music video and thriller.

The call for entries is running until May 31 at asff.co.uk/submit. Prizes include multiple screenings at ASFF; eligibility to enter the BAFTA awards; screenings at other festivals and venues as part of the ASFF Film Tour and editorial coverage in Aesthetica Magazine, the York publication with a worldwide readership of 180,000.

There are awards too for Best of Fest, People’s Choice and Best of Category, plus cash prizes to be won, and exposure through ASFF’s online channels.

In addition, at the November 3 to 6 festival, many opportunities will be available for established and emerging filmmakers to connect with festival programmers from Britain and abroad, meet some of the film world’s most acclaimed talents and have their work seen by thousands of film fans.

Directed by Cherie Federico, a New Yorker now bringing new artistic possibilities to York, ASFF celebrates innovation and excellence in filmmaking. This year was the festival’s fifth anniversary, and in those years it has screened more than 1,500 films from 65 countries.

The 2015 festival drew 20,000 admissions across the four-day event and held more than 35 masterclasses and industry sessions with representatives from organisations such as Channel 4, Rankin Film, Association of Camera Operators and many more, creating a place for discussion and debate while filmmakers shared best practice and gained essential advice.

In 2015, 300 films were included in the official selection, with the majority of filmmakers attending ASFF to connect with peers and the industry, expanding their contacts list and gaining further inspiration from the films in the programme.

For the first time, ASFF hosted a videotheque in partnership with Explore York, where festival-goers could delve into the official selection and watch any film. This created a platform for programmers and industry figures to discover new talent, and with the majority of films also being shown three times during the festival across the 15 locations, ASFF provides multiple ways for films to reach a wider audience.

Cherie Federico says: “ASFF 2015 was a great success; the city was brought to life with cinema and it was fantastic to see so many people who are passionate about film and those who work in the industry connect, share best practice and discover new talent.

"The festival is a great opportunity for filmmakers at all stages in their career to reach a wider audience and showcase their films to a lively and engaged audience. We're really excited about programming ASFF 2016, and look forward to seeing new innovative works.”

Keep an eye on @ASFFest #ASFF2016 for updates on next year's event.