A DARK film by a school lecturer is in the running for a BAFTA nomination after being selected for a screening at a prestigious festival.

The Kindness Of Strangers, written directed and produced by Alkin Emirali of Brighton Film School, is among the works being judged at the Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF) in York this week.

Alkin, 46, said: 'It's fantastic to be in competition at Aesthetica, The Kindness of Strangers is an uncompromising film and uncomfortable to watch in places and I wasn't sure any of the bigger festivals would programme it'.

Prior to being considered by a BAFTA committee, films have to be screened at an eligible festival - an exclusive club which includes ASFF.

Once films are shown at one of the festivals the BAFTA committee can then access the film meaning it might then be the recipient of a nomination.

Alkin told The Argus: "It was shot in Brighton and on a shoestring. We only had a budget of £700.

"We had a gruelling night shoot around Brighton and we were ably supported by my students from the film school. In fact without the support of Brighton Film School in the form of expertise and equipment it really wouldn't have been possible."

He initially feared it would not receive a festival screening as the tone and plot of the piece falls between traditional horror and thriller. He explained : "It's not a conventional horror but it is very uncomfortable viewing."

He described the plot enigmatically by saying it was about a distress girl who stumbles into a security guard in a desolate street and he convinces her to go with him, leading to suspense.

ASFF 2016, which lasts three day from November 3 in York is a celebration of independent filmmaking. It screens 400 short films from across the world in genres spanning drama, animation, comedy, documentary, fashion, music video and more to audiences of filmmakers, industry professionals and film fans.

ASFF invites audiences to journey across the historic city of York and discover new places, transformed through cinema. There are film screenings, events, masterclasses and networking sessions taking place in 15 unique venues across the city centre.

Last year three films screened at ASFF were nominated for BAFTAs.