10 Must-Attend Masterclasses at #ASFF2025
Each year, Aesthetica Film Festival brings the industry’s most exciting voices to York for a series of unmissable masterclasses. In 2025, we welcome leading producers, directors, writers and creatives who are shaping cinema, television and games today. Across five days, audiences will gain exclusive insights into the craft of storytelling, from BBC’s approach to developing new voices, to the groundbreaking VFX behind multi-Emmy award-winning Andor: A Star Wars Story. Whether you’re curious about breaking into the industry, exploring diversity on screen, or learning how Aardman builds its beloved animations, these ten events promise to inspire and inform you.
1. What Happens at an RSA Production: Behind the Scenes of Gladiator, Napoleon and Alien
5 November | 12:00 | York Theatre Royal Main House
Alien. Blade Runner. Gladiator. Ridley Scott has created some of the most iconic films ever made. Hear directly from Scott’s leading production crew and collaborators as they dive into what makes a Ridley Scott film, offering unique insight into how these iconic features were created. Hear from costume, make-up and VFX as they reveal what it was really like to work behind the scenes on some of the biggest productions in film history; the challenges and the successes from concept to screen.
2. Film4: Shorts to Features
5 November | 13:30 | York Theatre Royal Main House
Film4 is celebrated for innovative projects with UK and international talents. The broadcaster produces critically acclaimed films, including the BAFTA-nominated Hard Truths, starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and Yorgos Lanthimos’ Golden Globe-winning Poor Things. The company also supports emerging talent to get their first project off the ground, helping new creatives break into the industry. Join Development Executive Amy O’Hara as she explores the transition from shorts to features.
3. Driving Change on Screen: ITV and Kusp on Diversity in Film & TV
5 November | 15:00 | York Theatre Royal Studio
In 2025, Guardian reported that almost a third of creative leaders were educated privately. Calling the Shots found 90% of British film productions (2003 to 2015) didn’t employ a single woman of colour. The industry needs to do more to support equity. Join Amos Eretusi, Founder and Managing Director of Kusp, and Nahrein Kemp, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lead, ITV, as they discuss how to carve out meaningful change for creatives from ethnic minority and lower socio-economic backgrounds.
4. BBC Film: Developing New Voices
5 November | 16:30 | York Theatre Royal Main House
How do you go from aspiring director to making the next big blockbuster? How can a first time script grab the attention of production companies? BBC Film is committed to finding and nurturing new talent, working at the forefront of British independent film. Recent credits include BAFTA-nominated The Outrun; Bird, starring Barry Keoghan; and On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, produced with A24. Development Executive Anu Henriques shares how BBC Film supports emerging voices.
5. From Pixels to Possibility: The Evolving World of Games
6 November | 14:30 | York Theatre Royal Studio
The first video game is considered to be Tennis for Two, created in 1958. Since then, gaming has evolved into a fast-paced, evolving industry, allowing for immersive experiences, multiplayer online role playing platforms and open worlds. Join Jack Denham (York St. John University), Tom Knights, Des Gayle (Altered Gene), Nick Dixon (Double Eleven) and Reedah El-Saie (Brainspark Games), as they discuss how immersive worlds are crafted, and explore the future of this cross-disciplinary medium.
6. Framestore: Enter the World of High-End VFX
6 November | 16:00 | Yorkshire Museum
Visual effects enhance the storytelling process. The techniques of pre-vis, tech-vis and post-vis help solve creative and technical problems, produce proof of concept for ambitious ideas and help prevent costly errors or re-shoots. Maike Fiene is Visualisation Supervisor at Framestore. Her credits include work on major blockbuster titles including Spiderman: Far From Home, Wonka and Disney’s recent live action remake of The Little Mermaid. She’ll share how VFX brings fantastical worlds to life.
7. The Revolution Starts Now: The VFX of Andor A Star Wars Story
7 November | 11:30 | Yorkshire Museum
Join Industrial Light and Magic for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of Andor. VFX Supervisor Scott Pritchard will take you through the intricate visual effects that bring this tale to life, showcasing the intense struggle between Rebel Alliance and Imperial threat. Discover how the visual effects team crafted over 4,000 breathtaking shots, from colossal battles and immersive digital environments to set extensions and character animation. Get ready to witness the revolution unfold.
8. Frame by Frame: Behind the Scenes at Aardman
7 November | 14:30 | Yorkshire Museum
Wallace & Gromit. Morph. Shaun the Sheep. Feathers McGraw. Mrs Tweedy. Aardman is the multi-award-winning studio behind some of the world’s most-loved animated characters. It has entertained the world for over 40 years, creating unforgettable stories loved by generations. Chicken Run is the highest-grossing stop-motion animated film of all time, whilst Wallace & Gromit is an Academy-Award winning franchise. We welcome Will Becher, Director and Creative at Aardman.
9. Documenting the Now: New York Times & The Guardian
7 November | 17:30 | York Theatre Royal Studio
The demand for documentaries is growing. In fact, it rose by a staggering 44% from early 2021 to the end of 2023. In a fast-moving landscape like this, how do you produce a compelling, timely narrative that cuts through the noise, whilst staying true to the most important factors of all: authenticity and ethics? In this panel discussion, Lindsay Crouse (The New York Times) and Lindsay Poulton (The Guardian) sit down to discuss the big questions that are facing the world of non-fiction.
10. BBC Comedy: Making People Laugh
8 November | 10:30 | Yorkshire Museum
When you think about British comedy, you’ll most likely imagine a BBC production. Some of the funniest programming of all time comes from BBC Comedy; it has been shaping British humour for generations. Today, the team is dedicated to developing brand new comedy voices as well as collaborating with household names. Join them as they offer an insight into their day-to-day, revealing how great comedy gets made and the ways in which the genre mirrors the state of the nation.
Aesthetica Film Festival runs 5-9 November in York, UK. To purchase your pass, click here.
To discover all the masterclasses on offer at this year’s Festival, and book your place, click here.
To download the festival programme, click here.
