Meet the Team .
Meet the industry professionals behind the 2024 festival. Our inspiring team has years of experience in programming, commissioning, publishing, production, curation and direction.
Aesthetica Team
Megan Hobson
Media Sales & Partnerships Manager
Fruzsina Vida
Projects Administrator
Anna Gallon
Operations Coordinator
Alice Butterfield
Narrative Features Programmer
Dale Donley
Festival Director / Animation, Drama & Family Friendly Programmer
Eleanor Sutherland
Creative Producer
Cherie Federico
Festival Director / Advertising & Fashion Programmer
Emma Jacob
Content Creator
Phoebe Cawley
Marketing Coordinator
Programming Team
John Rose-Adams
VR & Immersive Experiences Programmer
Dale Donley
Festival Director / Animation, Drama & Family Friendly Programmer
Abi Mitchell
Drama Shorts Programmer
Angel Cohn Castle
Dance Programmer
Forms of Circulation
Artists' Film & Experimental Programmers
MarBelle
Comedy Programmer / Directors Notes
Rachel Pronger
Documentary Features Programmer
Heather McIntosh
Documentary Shorts Programmer
Ana-Despina Tudor
VR & Immersive Experiences Programmer
Alice Butterfield
Narrative Features Programmer
Matthew Spokes
Games Programmer
Mikey Murray
Thriller Programmer
Tosin Alapafuja
Drama Shorts Programmer
Jack Denham
Games Programmer
Cherie Federico
Festival Director / Advertising & Fashion Programmer
Des Gayle
Games Programmer
Rob Speranza
Drama Shorts Programmer
Natalie Gee
Drama Shorts Programmer
Martha Cattell
Music Video Programmer
Matt Coward-Gibbs
Games Programmer
Dan Norman
VR & Immersive Experiences Programmer
Holly Newson
Podcasting Programmer
Jury
Emily Whalley
Podcasts Juror / Chalk & Blade
Will Becher
Animation Juror / Aardman
Dom Johnson
Podcasts Juror
Paul Cheung
Advertising, Music Video & Fashion Juror
Susi Wilkinson
VR & Immersive Experiences Juror
Steve Melia
Documentary Features Juror / Video Production Manager Audible
Christine Morrow
Advertising, Music Video and Fashion Juror / Talent Executive
Bec Evans
Comedy Juror
Glenn Holberton
Animation Juror / Mackinnon and Saunders
Ben Smithard
Narrative Features Juror / Cinematographer
Maike Fiene
Family Friendly Juror / Framestore
Alex Zepherin
Animation Juror / Don Dada Studio
Aubrey Clarke
Family Friendly Juror / BBC Children
Simon Nelson
Drama Juror / BBC
Muki Kulhan
VR and Immersive Juror
Johnathan Brigden
Advertising, Music Video & Fashion Juror
Lola Oliyide
Narrative Features Juror / Head of Development Neal Street Productions
Anna Price
Documentary Features Juror
Tom Knights
Games Juror
Remy Downey
Family Friendly Juror / ITV
Patrick Craig
Comedy Juror / Blink Productions
Katherine Bidwell
Games Juror / State of Play Games
Mick Audsley
Drama Juror / Editor
Tom Bedford
Games Juror / à la mode games
Meera Kumar
Podcast Juror
Nick Brown
Thriller Juror / Neal Street Productions
Danyele Seignoret
Drama Juror / Channel 4
Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf
Artists' Film, Experimental & Dance Juror / Wellcome Collection
Tiago Faria
Thriller Juror / BlueBolt
Lindsay Crouse
Documentary Juror / New York Times Op-Docs
Alia Sheikh
VR & Immersive Experiences Juror / Freelance Immersive Experiences Consultant
Roy Jox-Fredstie
Documentary Juror / Producer & Filmmaker
Advisory Board
Dionne Farrell
Development Executive / BBC Films
Max Park
Development and Production Executive / Film4
Nyree Jillings
BFI
MarBelle
Comedy Programmer / Directors Notes
Martin Roker
Black Dog Films
Steve Jelley
Hammerhead VR
Daryll Smalley
City of York Council
Julian Foddy
VFX Supervisor / Industrial Light & Magic / Drama Juror
Sadie Clayton
Artist & Designer
Jess Loveland
Head of New Writing / BBC
