Sundance Film Festival
Park City, United States
100
Tier AOscarScreenings
Festival dossier
Aster Film Festival
Ithaca, United States · Est. 2012 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record
Tier BTrusted
Ithaca, United States
65
Legitimacy ScoreShould I submit?
Solid signals — do normal diligence
Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.
- No physical screenings
- 14 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
Overview
The Aster Film Festival celebrates and connects emerging U.S. student filmmakers. We welcome submissions from students from the U.S. across various disciplines, including narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental films, with a runtime of under 20 minutes. Our two-day festival, held in-person in the vibrant community of Ithaca, NY, is curated by a dedicated team of Cornell University students. Films are carefully selected for screening, and a panel of non-student judges evaluates each submission, awarding the top films in their respective categories.
Last updated Oct 1, 2026
Legitimacy Analysis
Positive Indicators (+30 pts)
- 14 years of verifiable history
- 3 verified pro signals
- Verified trusted status
- Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)
Red Flags (-15 pts)
- No physical screenings
Trust Signals
Positive Signals
- FilmFreeway Gold festival
- Documented history with archived programs
- Has FilmFreeway community ratings
Festival Details
Founded
2012
FilmFreeway communityGold festival
Avg. rating
3.3/ 5
Reviews
6
Synced 4 days ago
- Filmmaker
Wonderful staff, wonderful area. Fitting for the eclectic town of Ithaca.
- Filmmaker
Great event, and we're happy to have screened at such an amazing festival!
- Filmmaker
Basically a school festival with local importance run by students. They dont have updated web or IG or FB. No photos from the event. Neither the selected films nor the winners where ever announced, so there is no proof our film was ever screened there.
- Filmmaker
Grateful to have the US premiere for our short film, Diminuendo, at Aster Film Festival. The staff were communicative, effective, and quick to respond to our queries! Looking forward for next year.
- Filmmaker
Ephraim Ryan Pranata
FilmFreeway reviews are filmmaker opinions, not our score. Cross-check red flags before paying fees.
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At a glance
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Scores are calculated from structural indicators: accreditations, physical screenings, award category count, submission frequency, and acceptance rate. Higher scores reflect more verifiable legitimacy signals.
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