AN INTERNATIONAL film festival featuring more than 300 films opens today in York.
Aesthetica Film Festival 2025: The UK’s Premier Screen & Media Event features events across 15 York locations.
The physical events run until Sunday November 9, with online events running until the end of the month.
Aesthetica, which celebrates its 15th anniversary, brings together filmmakers, industry leaders, and audiences from across the country.
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Transforming York into a national hub for the creative industries, ASFF bridges film, television, music, comedy, gaming, VR, podcasts, and live performance.
Its core programme of more than 300 films span 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.
Aesthetica’s Masterclass Series returns featuring talent including: Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy); Jasmin John (Adolescence; Boiling Point) and 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.
Aesthetica also includes 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 and The New Music Stage, spotlighting ten breakthrough British acts, with Universal Music A&R and Jack Savoretti on the jury.
Mark Kermode said: “"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."
Aesthetica is also 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 promises 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.
In addition, tomorrow (Thursday) 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, said: “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.
Festival director Cherie Federico said: “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.”
For details and tickets, go to: www.asff.co.uk
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