Festival News

Today, Aesthetica Film Festival announces its most expansive programme to date, with York set to become a meeting point for the people shaping the future of film, television, art, sound, games and immersive media this November. The festival returns from

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

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

As Aesthetica we pride ourselves on offering more than just screenings. Across the festival, an exciting programme of social events offers filmmakers, creatives, industry professionals and audiences the chance to connect, share ideas and shape the future of the industry.

Build relationships, seek out collaborations and make lasting memories. Our Networking and Pitching Sessions make up an essential part of the film festival, and are places where connections are established and opportunities discovered. The 2026 Networking events are attended by

Creativity thrives when knowledge is shared. At Aesthetica, the programme is built around the belief that access to ideas, experience and conversation can transform the way we see - and make - the world. Across film, television, photography, visual art,

There’s more than one way to tell a story. At Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, running 4-8 November in York, UK, we’re dedicated to celebrating storytelling in all its forms, from traditional big-screen cinema to audio podcasts, immersive virtual reality experiences

At the heart of the Aesthetica Film Festival is a simple belief: cinema is not only something we watch, but also something we question, discuss and continually reinvent. Since its beginnings in York, the festival has developed as a meeting

What does it really mean to listen radically? To consider listening as a way of understanding people, places, their respective histories and the world around us? Now in its sixth year, the Listening Pitch, a film grant by Aesthetica Film