Aesthetica Film Festival director Cherie Federico
THE UK’s creative industries will meet in York from tomorrow to Sunday for the 16th edition of the Aesthetica Film Festival.
From film and television to music, games, immersive technology and digital media, this BAFTA-Qualifying festival brings leading creative organisations, established practitioners and emerging talent together across the city.
For five days, York’s cinemas, theatres, museums, galleries and creative spaces will host more than 300 films alongside world premieres, live music, games, virtual reality, immersive installations, podcasts, masterclasses, workshops and industry events.
“The programme reflects the increasingly connected nature of the creative industries – and a festival that has made York its natural meeting point,” says festival founder and director Cherie Federico.
“Aesthetica has always been about creating a space where audiences can discover new ideas and where artists and industry can connect. With the city’s UNESCO status, York is fundamental to that. We bring together people working across film, television, music, games, technology and the wider creative industries, and give them a city in which to connect.”
At the heart of the festival is its international film programme, with more than 300 films spanning animation, comedy, dance, documentary, drama, fashion, music video, thriller and more. The 2026 programme features Aisling Bea, David Jonsson, Maxine Peake, Michael Sheen, Sally Phillips and Stephen Fry, alongside emerging filmmakers aplenty.
The industry programme brings significant British creative organisations to York, including Aardman, BBC, Film4, Framestore, ITV, Neal Street Productions, Ridley Scott Associates and Ubisoft.
Award-winning practitioners appearing across the programme include Mark Jenkin, Nina Hartstone & Louise Burton, Mick Audsley, Neil Forsyth and Derry Girls’ Brian J. Falconer.
Alongside sessions on directing, sound design, visual effects, animation and production, audiences can go behind the scenes of a Ridley Scott production and join several celebrations of 50 years of Aardman animation.
The UK Production Summit brings senior figures from film and television to York for panels, keynotes and networking, with commissioners and producers from organisations including Film4, Ridley Scott Associates, Sky and Warner Bros.
“For York’s creative community, this is an opportunity to engage directly with a national industry that is too often concentrated in London and the South East,” says Cherie.
“The ambition has always been bigger than a film festival. We want Aesthetica to be a place where the industry meets, ideas develop and collaborations can begin. Bringing those conversations to York matters. The creative industries are not something happening somewhere else; they are happening here.”
This sense of connection extends beyond film. A dedicated music programme brings emerging artists, record labels, A&R representatives and music professionals together, topped off by the New Music Stage returning to York Theatre Royal on Saturday.
Ten breakthrough artists, including acts from Dublin and Derry, will perform across indie, folk, jazz, hip-hop, alt-pop and pop, alongside panels, masterclasses and networking with BBC Introducing on Radio 1 (Jess Iszatt), Beggars Group (Rough Trade and Matador Records), GQ, Dazed, Universal Music and Futuresound Group.
The festival looks to the future of storytelling through its Games Lab and VR Lab. Now in its fourth edition, Games Lab returns to the National Centre for Early Music, Walmgate, with 50 games across PC, console, headsets and smart devices, showcasing independent developers alongside established studios. The VR Lab explores immersive cinema and the possibilities of 360-degree storytelling.
“The future of storytelling is not one format,” says Cherie. “It is film, music, games, podcasts, immersive art, virtual reality and whatever comes next. Aesthetica gives all of those forms a place to meet.”
This approach is particularly at home in York, the UK’s only UNESCO City of Media Arts. This year the UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO has moved from the Guildhall to the De Grey Rooms, bringing together 40 organisations and creative businesses working across film, games, immersive technology, digital storytelling and creative innovation on Thursday and Friday. Admission is free.
To complement the EXPO, in a new festival strand, York Business School at York St John University will present free workshops and talks by Argonon, Creative UK, the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, Innovate UK, Scottish Games Network and Screen Yorkshire. The EXPO and workshops will open up conversations between creative businesses, students, audiences and industry professionals.
The festival will extend into York’s public spaces. Through its partnership with Audible, the free Radical Listening Immersive Media Arts Trail, running from Exhibition Square and the York Theatre Royal patio towards King’s Square, will feature new light, sound and interactive technology installations by Squidsoup, Steve Messam and Being Now.
Audio storytelling is represented by Aesthetica’s Podcast Lounge at City Screen Picturehouse, exploring true crime, investigative journalism, documentary and audio fiction.
The partnership with Audible continues with the Listening Pitch, culminating in the premiere of three new documentaries on Friday at City Screen, followed by a Q&A, DJ, drinks and networking.
Family Friendly screenings and workshops at York St John University Creative Centre will introduce children aged seven to 14 to filmmaking, acting, gaming and stop-motion animation, giving them practical experience of creative technology while developing digital literacy.
“I’m keen for people who may not have come to the festival previously to come this time,” says Cherie. “It’s bigger than just going to the films or masterclasses,” says Cherie. “Why not go to the free EXPO or Immersive Media Arts Trail, so that everyone can feel part of it?
“This festival is a chance for York to embrace with new media, which doesn’t happen anywhere else in the UK and is unique to this city.
“For five days, York becomes the UK hub for these industries. That’s exciting and something we should take pride in – and the festival brings £2mto the York economy.”
Aesthetica Film Festival 2026, York, November 4 to 8. Festival passes include access to film screenings, masterclasses and events, with selected activities requiring advance registration. Single-screening tickets and one-day, two-day and unlimited passes are available. York residents can save 25 per cent on a One Day Festival Pass. Tickets and full programme: asff.co.uk.