Aesthetica Film Festival 2025: The UK’s Premier Screen & Media Event Opens This Week

This November, the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival celebrates its 15th anniversary, reaffirming its position as the UK’s leading screen and media event. Taking place from 5–9 November 2025, the festival brings together filmmakers, industry leaders, and audiences from across the country in a bold celebration of storytelling, innovation, and creative excellence.

Transforming York into a national hub for the creative industries, ASFF bridges film, television, music, comedy, gaming, VR, podcasts, and live performance — creating a cross-sector showcase that reflects the full scope of the UK’s vibrant screen culture.

A Global Celebration of Film and Creativity

At its core, ASFF presents an ambitious programme of more than 300 films, spanning Animation, Drama, Documentary, Comedy, Dance and Experimental. Screenings feature both emerging and established voices, with many films going on to BAFTA and Academy Award recognition.

Filmmakers will attend in person, creating opportunities for audiences and creators to connect, exchange ideas, and celebrate the power of film to inspire and transform.

Masterclasses and Industry Insight

Aesthetica’s acclaimed Masterclass Series returns in 2025, featuring an extraordinary line-up of talent including:

• Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
• Jasmin John (Adolescence; Boiling Point)
• Mick Audsley (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)

Industry partners such as Aardman, BBC, Film4, Framestore, The New York Times, Industrial Light & Magic, ITV, and Ridley Scott Associates will deliver sessions on directing, screenwriting, visual effects, and production — giving attendees rare access to the minds shaping global storytelling.

Beyond the Frame: Music, Comedy & Performance

Aesthetica extends beyond the screen into performance, music, and conversation. Highlights include:

• Comedy Night with Sophie Duker & Friends, featuring Eleanor Tiernan and Bella Hull.
• Silent Cinema with Live Score – Beggars of Life accompanied by The Dodge Brothers, Neil Brand, and film critic Mark Kermode.
• Mark Kermode in Conversation, exploring how music influences film storytelling.
• The New Music Stage, spotlighting ten breakthrough British acts, with Universal Music A&R and Jack Savoretti on the jury.

Mark Kermode says:

“The industry needs to move past making people feel like they need to be in London, because you don’t. It’s the same for Aesthetica in York. When a festival is embedded in the community, it will have a life of its own. It will have a vibrancy.”

Immersive & Next-Generation Creativity

Aesthetica is home to the UK’s only VR & Games Lab within a film festival, bringing together creators across cinema, gaming, and interactive media. The Podcasting Lounge explores audio storytelling, featuring creators from fiction, journalism, and experimental sound.

York’s UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO presents groundbreaking work in digital media and design, while workshops for children (ages 7–14) in filmmaking, animation, and coding nurture the next generation of UK creatives. Across the city, the Aesthetica Fringe will fill streets, shops, and galleries with installations and live events, ensuring creativity reaches every corner.

A National Gathering: The UK Film Production Summit

On 6 November, ASFF hosts the UK Film Production Summit at The Grand, York — one of the most significant industry gatherings of the year.
More than 150 of the UK’s leading production companies, development executives, and commissioners will convene to discuss the future of film, television, and streaming.

Headlining the Summit is Mark Herbert (CEO, Warp Films), leading a keynote session titled “The Future of Production: Scripted, Unscripted, Film, TV & Streaming,” chaired by Ridley Scott Associates. Discussion topics include AI, virtual production, global streaming, and the future of British independent filmmaking.

Mark Herbert, CEO of Warp Films, says:

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to come together with peers from across the industry to reflect on where we are, share ideas, and engage in important conversations about the future of storytelling.”

Confirmed delegates include representatives from BBC Films, Film4, Working Title, Paramount, Clerkenwell (Baby Reindeer), Warp Films, Netflix, and Film4 — reinforcing Aesthetica’s role as a national meeting point for creative and industrial innovation.

A Platform for the Future

Aesthetica is more than an event; it’s part of a wider cultural network that champions creativity across disciplines. Aesthetica Magazine, reaches 550,000 worldwide, and the Aesthetica Art Prize both form part of a year-round programme dedicated to supporting emerging voices and connecting the UK’s creative industries with a global audience.

Cherie Federico, Festival Director, says:

“Aesthetica represents the best of British creativity on an international stage. Over 22 years, we’ve built a platform that brings together every part of the screen and media industries — from film and television to games, music, and immersive technology. This is where ideas are shared, careers are launched, and the future of storytelling takes shape.”

Festival Details

• Dates: 5–9 November 2025 (Online until 30 November)
• Venues: 15 Venues Across York City Centre
• Tickets & Programme: www.asff.co.uk