Five Games to Play at Aesthetica 2026
Games make storytelling a shared experience. Rather than just receiving a narrative, players enter its worlds, shape its pace and discover meaning through action, exploration and choice. Aesthetica Film Festival’s Games Lab reflects this creative potential, bringing interactive work into
Top 10 Things to Do at Aesthetica Film Festival
From the 4-8 November, York becomes not simply a national meeting point, but a crossroads for film and the broader creative industries as the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival returns for its 16th edition. Aesthetica has established itself as an important
The Power of the Pause: Visit the Podcast Lounge at Aesthetica Film Festival
Storytelling thrives on possibility. Across film, XR, Games and now podcasting, artists are finding new ways to shape experience, build worlds and bring audiences into closer contact with ideas. Aesthetica Film Festival has expanded its programme in recent years to
Behind the Scenes of ‘Puffin Rock’
The animated children's series Puffin Rock was streamed on Netflix for over 26.7 million hours in 2024. It is now available on CBeebies, and follows a young puffin named Oona and her baby brother Baba. Narrated by Chris O'Dowd, and
Reignite XVII- Culture as Infrastructure, Stories as Power
As part of BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, Reignite XVII brings the UK’s UNESCO Creative Cities Network in York for a landmark conversation about the role culture can play in shaping the future of places. The event will be opened by
Aardman at Aesthetica: 50 Years of British Animation, Storytelling and Stop-Motion Magic
For five decades, Aardman has made audiences laugh, empathise and fall in love with characters built from clay, wire, foam and imagination. In 2026, the legendary Bristol-based animation studio celebrates its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of stop-motion storytelling
In Conversation with Music Supervisor Jen Moss
Jen Moss is an award-winning music supervisor with more than 15 years’ experience in the industry. Her credits include acclaimed films I, Tonya and Saint Maud, amongst others, and she has four films due for release this year, including the
Where the UK Screen Industry Meets Next: UK Production Summit at Aesthetica
The UK Film Production Summit returns to York on Thursday 5 November 2026, as part of the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, bringing together more than 150 production companies, commissioners, development executives and creative organisations. Now in its second year, the
Workshops at Aesthetica Film Festival 2026
This year we are running a series of practical workshops designed to help you expand your skills and understanding of film, television and VR, in collaboration with world-leading organisations including BBC Writers, Film London, RADA, The Pitch Film Fund, Film
Radical Listening: Reimagining Cinema, Sound and the City at Aesthetica Film Festival 2026
We live in a culture of constant sound: voices, music, news and competing streams of information vie for our attention. Here, listening can become a radical act – an invite to slow down, pay attention and make space for other