Our Story .
Learn about previous editions of the festival
15 Years: A Landmark Event for Creativity
The 15th edition of the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival transformed York into a vibrant hub for the screen and media industries from 5-9 November 2025. This year’s festival showcased over 300 films across genres including Animation, Drama, Documentary, Comedy, Dance, and Experimental, featuring both emerging and established voices — many destined for BAFTA and Academy recognition. Audiences connected directly with filmmakers through Q&As and networking events, while the Masterclass Series offered rare insights from leading creatives such as Peter Straughan, Jasmin John, and Mick Audsley, alongside sessions from Aardman, BBC, Film4, and Ridley Scott Associates. Beyond film, we celebrated cross-sector creativity with live music, comedy nights, and Silent Cinema with Live Score, plus Mark Kermode in Conversation on our Beyond the Frame cultural programme. The UK Film Production Summit gathered 150+ industry leaders to discuss AI, streaming, and the future of British filmmaking with keynote speaker Mark Herbert, CEO of Warp Films. Immersive experiences included the VR & Games Lab, Podcasting Lounge, and youth workshops, reinforcing Aesthetica's role as a platform for innovation and the next generation of talent.
Year 14: Championing Creatives in 2024
This year we launched the UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO, where we celebrated the creative industries and their impact on culture. This landmark event was about shining a light on those working in film, XR and design right now, and was accompanied by a captivating large-scale artwork by Steve Messam. Our Interactive Media Labs returned, keeping pace with rapid innovation in VR and gaming. There are so many ways we can tell stories in the 21st century. Audible, BBC Comedy, BFI, Framestore, Industrial Light & Magic, Ridley Scott Associates, Sledgehammer, The New York Times and Ubisoft were amongst the world-leading organisations who spoke this year, covering key topics like adaptation, animation, editing and screenwriting. They were joined by a host of talented speakers including Abubakar Salim, Jasmina Cibic, Matt Greenhalgh and Paul Sng. We met record numbers of Official Selection filmmakers at our networking events, pitching sessions and parties, and rounded off the week with an Awards Ceremony that was poignant and celebratory in equal measure.
Still: Sabali, dir.Valentin Guiod
Exploring New Possibilities: 2023
This year we launched our first-ever Games Lab. It was filled with 40 gripping titles made by talented independent developers. We also collaborated with Investigate.Games to organise guided play sessions that enabled participants – across all experience levels – to dive into these immersive worlds and explore the possibilities of interactive media. Games are now a part of our Official Selection, a form of creativity we celebrate alongside our established Film and VR programmes. Representatives came from across the creative industries, including: Aardman, BBC Film, Film4, Ridley Scott Associates, Studio AKA, The Guardian and Ubisoft and many more. Our remarkable list of brilliant speakers included the likes of Sarah Gavron, Michel Haddi, Diana Olifirova and Mark Jenkin.
12 Years of Aesthetica Film Festival: 2022
The festival continued with hybrid delivery and across 15 venues over six days in York. Audiences returned in their droves. It felt that we'd passed through the pandemic and had come out the other side. It was an amazing feeling to be in a cinema without a face mask on and to enjoy each other's company face to face. There's one thing that rings true – film is such a communal experience and it was a joyous occasion to hear all those conversations post screening. We ran pitching, networking and the VR Lab had record numbers of attendees. Through our masterclass programme we welcomed so many amazing speakers including Claudia Yusef, Saeed Taji Farouky, Lizzie Francke, Tom Kingsley, Sashi Kissoon, Philip Barantini, Andrew Kotting, Carly Brown as well as BBC Film, Film4, Guardian, Framestore, ILM and many more. The festival felt like no other. It was momentous and laid the plans for some groundbreaking ideas in 2023.
A New Model for Film Exhibition: 2021
Hybrid has arrived. The festival took place in person over six days and 12 venues in York, while we had live streaming of masterclasses from venues as well as sessions taking place only virtually. It was an extraordinary programme of events and speakers, making sense of the new world that we live in with some things taking place in person and others online. The platform continued for 30 days across all devices. This gave in person attendees a whole new set of possibilities – they could be in front of the big screen, but then catch up for 30 days from home. We were able to reach more people than ever before. Notable speakers include Sally Potter, Asif Kapadia, Harry Macqueen, Mia Bays, Kate Muir, Gamba Cole, Guardian, Film4, Channel 4, The Fabricant, Nowness and many more.
Celebrating 10 Years: 2020
This is the year that challenged the world. We had to take a large-scale festival and turn it into a virtual event that still had impact. We built a platform that worked on multi-devices and smart TVs, as well as live streaming 100 events and masterclasses on three channels. The festival was extended to six live days and audiences could catch up on demand for 30 days. This opened up the door to a new way of thinking and the development of film exhibition. Key speakers include Dame Judy Dench, Maxine Peake, Russell Tovey, Sarah Gavron, Andrea Arnold, David Parfitt, Jeremy Deller, Chinonye Chukwu, Framestore, Film4, ILM, Jeanie Finlay and many more.
Nine Years On: 2019
Every year as a creative team, we challenge ourselves to bring new ideas to the fore. A festival is a place for reinvigoration. Our programming team has expanded, and we are curating programmes that are inviting audiences to dive into new ideas, cultures and places. It’s important to us that there are a vast range of cultures and societies represented through our public programme and curation is at the heart of what we do. Key speakers include Dionne Farell, BBC Film, StudioCanal, Film4, Bird’s Eye View, Nowness, Tracy Granger, Richard Billingham, Dazed, BFI, Hijack, Guardian, Simon Chinn (Lightbox), ILM, Maker Projects, Sky VR, Babycow and many more. The VR Soiree was launched as a large-scale event for professionals working in XR.
A Meeting Place: 2018
The festival is attracting talent that go on to win BAFTAs and Oscars. Audiences are growing and the public programmes are expanding. There’s an energy that runs through the city only felt in cities such as Edinburgh during the Fringe, but we are in York and there are thousands of people who are engaging with independent film, queuing to get a seat. Notable speakers included Mark Cousins, Vogue, leading UK Film Editor Mick Audsley, Dazed, Framestore, Pinewood Studios, Babycow, StudioCanal, Aardman, iD, and BBC. The Screen School VR Lab was launched and we created a serious place for exhibition and dialogue in VR. We also launched our very popular pitching sessions to connect teams with development executives.
A Destination for New Ideas: 2017
The festival is now running over five days, providing even more opportunities for talent development, networking and inspirational film viewing. Now in its seventh year, it has become one of the key outlets for moving image and digital culture, creating a platform to champion independent film internationally. The programme has expanded, audiences are growing and there are less pop-up spaces as part of the programme but more cinemas and purpose built auditoriums. Speakers included: Andi Osho, RADA, SHOWstudio, Matimba Kabalika, Framestore, ILM, INITION, BBC Film, Channel 4 and more.
Moving Towards the Future: 2016
The Aesthetica Short Film Festival returned for its sixth year, running 3 – 6 November in 18 distinct venues across York. This year’s festival screened 400 films as part of its Official Selection and presented a number of Showcase Screenings from leading cultural institutions. More than 25 masterclasses with key speakers from the film world today offered essential advice and support for both emerging and established practitioners, including: Simran Hans, Production Designers for Peaky Blinders, Celia Haining (Slumdog Millionaire, Misfits, Nightshift), Lynden Campbell from Domino Publishing (Arctic Monkeys, Hot Chip, Wild Beasts, The Kills; Agent Kate Haldance (PBJ Management) Producer, Gill Isles (Peter Kay’s Car Share, Rovers) and Writer, Caroline Moran (Raised by Wolves), VFX giants Industrial Light & Magic (Star Wars, Marvel), BlinkInk and Maker Projects.
It's the First Big Milestone: 2015
Aesthetica Film Festival celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2015 with an ambitious and vibrant programme that marked a significant milestone for the event. Running from 5 to 8 November, the festival welcomed an impressive 20,000 admissions, underscoring its growing influence in the UK’s independent film landscape. A major highlight of ASFF 2015 was its dynamic Masterclass series, featuring industry leaders such as BAFTA-winning Warp Films’ Head of Production Barry Ryan, White Lodge founder and Executive Producer Stephen Whelan, and director Price James of Agile Films, formerly of Ridley Scott Associates. Additional contributions came from respected organisations including the Association of Camera Operators, Rankin Film, Shooting People, the National Theatre, the British Society of Cinematographers, Studio AKA, Channel 4 and Framestore. This edition also introduced the festival’s first Videotheque, giving attendees on-demand access to every film in the Official Selection. The festival concluded on Sunday 8 November with the Aesthetica Awards Ceremony, where winners from each category were announced alongside the Best of Fest, People’s Choice Award, and the York Youth Vote.
Turning Four: 2014
The festival transformed the city of York through pop-up cinema, moving between the city’s most treasured and iconic locations. New strands in fashion and advertising, alongside masterclasses and networking events, presented an opportunity to experience quality independent film and hear directly from industry leaders. There were also a series of masterclasses and workshops with leading industry figures from BAFTA, Channel 4, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Double Negative, Ridley Scott Associates and many more, plus daily networking sessions and evening events. Special screening programmes were presented by Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, Creative England’s iShorts and there were official selections from our guest countries: Iraq, Japan and Lebanon. This is the year the festival gained BAFTA-Qualifying status.
We Are Three: 2013
Furthering ASFF’s ambition to support new filmmaking talent and provide an exciting cinema experience, the 2013 festival screened 300 films from 36 countries across 15 iconic locations spanning York’s historic and contemporary spaces. The festival presented a number of events, including a dynamic series of masterclasses from Joakim Sundström (Seven Psychopaths) and BAFTA on Sound Editing, Craig McNeil from Beggars Group on Music Video, Warp Films, Film4, Channel 4, Alice Lowe on Screenwriting (Sightseers, Hot Fuzz and Kill List) and more. There were also special programmes from BAFTA, Yorkshire Film Archive, and Screen Bandita, as well as our guest countries: India, Mexico and Kuwait.
Year Two: 2012
We built upon the success of the inaugural event with even more exceptional films, venues and speakers. Continuing its drive to champion the art of short filmmaking, the 2012 festival screened 200 films from 25 countries across 15 different locations, all within the scenic Bar Walls of York. Masterclasses were held by key industry figures such as Danny Cohen (BAFTA nominated cinematographer of The King’s Speech, The Boat That Rocked and Glorious 39), Barry Ryan the head of Warp films (Dead Man’s Shoes, Four Lions, This is England and Submarine) and Matt Greenhalgh (BAFTA winning screenwriter of Control and Nowhere Boy). In only its second year, ASFF firmly established itself as one of the most promising new film festivals on the circuit, bringing thousands to the city as well as creating new audiences within its locality.
First Festival: 2011
The first festival ran for three days. Among those delivering masterclasses were Mark Herman (Screenwriter, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas), Ivana Mackinnon (Executive Producer, Slumdog Millionaire), Barry Ryan (Warp Films) and esteemed documentarian Saeed Taji Farouky. The concept of Aesthetica was born, it was a festival of idea generation and knowledge exchange. Through its innovative fusion of remarkable venues and diverse film programme, ASFF has created an event that is truly unique and is pushing the boundaries of the short film landscape both in the UK and abroad.
