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
Eleanor Sutherland
Creative Producer
Alice Butterfield
Technical Coordinator / Artists' Film & Experimental Programmer
Phoebe Cawley
Marketing Coordinator
Emma Jacob
Content Creator
Anna Gallon
Operations Coordinator
Fruzsina Vida
Projects Administrator
Dale Donley
Festival Director / Animation, Drama & Family Friendly Programmer
Megan Hobson
Media Sales & Partnerships Manager
Cherie Federico
Festival Director / Advertising & Fashion Programmer
Programming Team
Mikey Murray
Thriller Programmer
Alice Butterfield
Technical Coordinator / Artists' Film & Experimental Programmer
Jack Denham
Games Programmer
Angel Cohn Castle
Dance Programmer
Holly Newson
Podcasting Programmer
Rob Speranza
Drama Shorts Programmer
MarBelle
Comedy & Drama Programmer / Directors Notes
Tosin Alapafuja
Drama Shorts Programmer
Abi Mitchell
Drama Shorts Programmer
Cherie Federico
Festival Director / Advertising & Fashion Programmer
Matthew Spokes
Games Programmer
Matt Coward-Gibbs
Games Programmer
Des Gayle
Games Programmer
Martha Cattell
Music Video Programmer
Heather McIntosh
Documentary Shorts Programmer
Dale Donley
Festival Director / Animation, Drama & Family Friendly Programmer
Jury
Paulina Jozwiak
Production Manager, Fight Gravity Films
Lola Oliyide
Narrative Features Juror / Head of Development Neal Street Productions
Emily Whalley
Podcasts Juror / Chalk & Blade
Danyele Seignoret
Drama Juror / Channel 4
Alia Sheikh
VR & Immersive Experiences Juror / Freelance Immersive Experiences Consultant
Sydney Oberfeld
Associate Producer, Good Chaos
Caitlin Beavan
Associate Producer, Genesius Pictures
Nick Brown
Thriller Juror / Neal Street Productions
Mick Audsley
Drama Juror / Editor
Meera Kumar
Podcast Juror
Bec Evans
Comedy Juror
Lindsay Crouse
Documentary Juror / New York Times Op-Docs
Katherine Bidwell
Games Juror / State of Play Games
Ebona Eastmond-Henry
GTM & Strategic Partnerships, Ninantic Spcaial
Patrick Craig
Comedy Juror / Blink Productions
Aubrey Clarke
Commissioning Executive, BBC Children’s
Tony Badu
Development Producer, Joi Productions
Jim Campbell
Head of PR & Communications, RSA
Glenn Holberton
Animation Juror / Mackinnon and Saunders
Pamela Jikiemi
Head of Film, TV & Audio, RADA
Simon Nelson
Drama Juror / BBC
Amos Eretusi
Founder & Managing Director, The Kusp
Remy Downey
Family Friendly Juror / ITV
Nephertiti Oboshie Schandorf
Artists' Film, Experimental & Dance Juror / Wellcome Collection
Tom Knights
Games Juror
Paul Cheung
Advertising, Music Video & Fashion Juror
Will Becher
Animation Juror / Aardman
Dom Johnson
Podcasts Juror
Steve Melia
Documentary Features Juror / Video Production Manager Audible
Advisory Board
Steve Jelley
Hammerhead VR
Richard Knight
Screen Yorkshire
Nyree Jillings
BFI
Julian Foddy
VFX Supervisor / Industrial Light & Magic / Drama Juror
Sadie Clayton
Artist & Designer
Daryll Smalley
City of York Council
Jess Loveland
Head of New Writing / BBC
Dionne Farrell
Development Executive / BBC Films
Martin Roker
Black Dog Films
MarBelle
Comedy & Drama Programmer / Directors Notes