Studio Spotlight: Failbetter Games
Plunge into the depths of Fallen London, the Gothic world of mystery and shadow created by Failbetter Games. We were thrilled to have the indie game developer’s Gothic romance game, The Mask of the Rose, as part of our first-ever Games Lab last
Filmmaker Focus: Aleksandra Kingo
An Ode to Procrastination is Aleksandra Kingo’s tribute to the struggle faced by many creatives. The idea stemmed from personal experience and grew into a tongue-in-cheek short film that explores how avoiding our desire to make art often serves as
Meet the Game Designer of Paper Trail
Paper Trail is a top-down puzzle adventure that follows the journey of young Paige, an astrophysicist in the making. We meet her as she leaves home and her worried parents to pursue her dream. Here, players fold the world like
Queer East: 5 Must-Watch Films
Queer East returns for its fifth year with a programme of spectacular films. Established in 2020, the festival was born out of desire to create an artistic space for bold, unconventional and forward-thinking queer narratives originating from East and Southeast
Comedy is All Around Us
Comedy can emerge from experiences humans go through every day, whether they are as mundane as the humdrum of a daily commute or as intense as the fresh wound of heartbreak. Even feelings of frustration and hurt can be fuel for fantastically
The Power of Personal Stories
Great documentaries are driven by people and the stories that only they can share. It’s a privilege to gain such access into someone else's world, one we shouldn't take for granted. Films are opportunities to learn about new perspectives and
Dive into Distant Worlds
Games have the power to whisk us away to new worlds. It’s an important aspect of interactive media and what pulls us back to beloved titles. Today, we are thrilled to share with you 5 brilliant indie projects from the #ASFF2023 official
Women & Non-Binary Filmmakers to Know
People behind the camera shape the stories we see on screen. Diverse points of view enrich cinema. Today, we share with you women and non-binary directors who have screened at Aesthetica and gone on to make waves in the industry. Alice Seabright | Pregnant Pause (2016) Named
UK Film Festivals for Your Radar
We are thrilled to bring you film festivals to look forward to in April and May. Are you looking for your next favourite animation or independent story? Begin your search with stories screening in Birmingham, Bridport, Cardiff and London. From Page
Rising Stars Across the Years
We're proud to share with you these incredible filmmakers who have shared powerful and poignant projects at Aesthetica, such as Rose Glass, Tal Kantor, Sean Wang and Mitch Kalisa. Some are just beginning whilst others have already gone on to