Winners Announced at Aesthetica Film Festival 2025
The BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival has concluded its landmark 15th anniversary edition, announcing this year’s award-winning filmmakers — a new generation of talent poised to shape the future of screen culture.
For 15 years, Aesthetica has been the home of new voices in film, where tomorrow’s BAFTA and Oscar nominees and winners are first discovered. Across five transformative days, from 5-9 November 2025, York welcomed filmmakers, delegates, and industry professionals from over 60 countries worldwide, underscoring the festival’s significance as a truly international platform for storytelling and creative exchange.
Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2023
Day 3
This global reach ensures that Aesthetica is not just a UK event – it is a meeting point for the most exciting voices in screen and media from across the globe.
This year’s winners — selected from over 300 films spanning 15 categories – represent the very best in innovation, creativity, and emotional storytelling. Audiences were reminded that the filmmakers, writers, and artists celebrated here are the stars of tomorrow, destined to become household names on the international stage.
2025 Award Winners
Genre Awards
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Best Advertising: Swimming With Butterflies – Karl Stelter
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Best Animation: Wild Animal – Tianyun Lyu
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Best Artists’ Film: Mother Company – Alexandros Raptotasios; Konstantinos Thomaidis
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Best Comedy: Dating in Your 20s – Lily Rutterford; Lucy Minderides
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Best Dance: Spoken Movement Family Honour – Daniel Gurton
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Best Documentary: The Hold – JD Donnelly
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Best Drama: El Corazón – Oscar Simmons
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Best Experimental: We Will Be Who We Are – Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda
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Best Fashion: Fugue – Nastassia Nikè Swan Yin Winge
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Best Family Friendly: Girls Together – Christie Arnold
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Best Music Video: Tank – Garath Whyte
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Best Thriller: Scope – Emma Moffat
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Best VR & Immersive: Xian’er (Chinese Immortals) – Fang Zhou
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Best Game: Blue Prince – Dogubomb
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Best Feature (Documentary): Torn – Kullar Viimne
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Best Feature (Narrative): Disremember – Matthew Simpson
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Best Podcast: Reality Looks Back – Anne Jeppesen
Craft & Special Awards
- Best Director: Cuerpos – Reiff Gaskell
- Best Cinematography: Baby – Simisolaoluwa Akande
- Best Editing: No One Really Knows Me Well – Gaia
- Best Screenplay: Giants – Alex Oates, Andy Berriman
- Best of Fest: The Hold – JD Donnelly
Festival Highlights: Five Days of Creativity, Performance, and Innovation
A Global Programme of Film
Aesthetica 2025 screened more than 300 films across multiple venues, representing genres from drama and documentary to experimental work and immersive VR projects. Filmmakers from around the world attended in person, sparking conversations and collaborations that extended beyond the cinemas into York’s streets and cafés. The festival’s international scale reinforces its role as a launchpad for talent on a global stage.
Masterclasses and Industry Insight
The festival’s Masterclass Series offered audiences unparalleled access to industry leaders, including:
- Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy)
- Jasmin John (Adolescence, Boiling Point)
- Mick Audsley (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Industry organisations such as Aardman, BBC, Film4, Framestore, The New York Times, ITV, Industrial Light & Magic, and Ridley Scott Associates shared insights into directing, screenwriting, post-production, and the creative use of emerging technologies.
,ASFF19, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2019, City Screen, York, Launch Night, Jim Poyner Photography,
Beyond the Frame: Live Performance, Comedy & Music
York’s theatres and venues were alive with live events and performances:
- Comedy Night with Sophie Duker & Friends, featuring Eleanor Tiernan and Bella Hull
- Silent Cinema with Live Score, featuring Beggars of Life accompanied by The Dodge Brothers and Neil Brand
- Mark Kermode in Conversation, exploring the role of music in storytelling
- The New Music Stage, showcasing ten emerging acts, with Universal Music A&R and Jack Savoretti attending
Immersive & Interactive: The EXPO, VR & Games Lab
The VR & Games Lab pushed the boundaries of storytelling through interactive and immersive media. The Podcasting Lounge celebrated excellence in audio storytelling, while the York UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO highlighted cutting-edge innovation across digital media, visual effects, and design. Workshops for children and teens in filmmaking, animation, and coding nurtured the next generation of creative talent.
UK Film Production Summit
The UK Film Production Summit, held at The Grand, York, brought together more than 150 leading production companies, development executives, and commissioners. Chaired by Ridley Scott Associates, discussions explored The Future of Production: Scripted, Unscripted, Film, TV & Streaming, with sessions on AI, virtual production, global streaming, and investment models.
Mark Herbert, CEO of Warp Films, delivered a keynote on independent storytelling and the future of British production, joined by representatives from BBC Films, Film4, Working Title, Paramount, Clerkenwell (Baby Reindeer), Scott Free and many more.
Cherie Federico, Festival Director, said: “Aesthetica is about discovery, ambition, and possibility. Over five days, York becomes a place where the next generation of talent is seen first, where ideas collide, and where creativity thrives across every discipline – from film and music to VR, games, and podcasts. This festival is the beating heartbeat of the UK’s creative sector, a space where innovation, culture, and storytelling converge, shaping the future of our industry.”
Continuing Online
Aesthetica 2025 continues online until 30 November, offering audiences the chance to catch up on all the films, see the winners, and discover the brightest and boldest talent in screen from around the world. This digital extension ensures the festival’s creativity, innovation, and international spirit can reach audiences across the UK and globally. Visit: www.asff.co.uk.