Aesthetica Film Festival 2025: Here’s our thoughts

I recently had the pleasure of attending the first day of the York film festival, Aesthetica. Here are my thoughts, experiences and why you, too, should attend the festival.

As a media student at York St John, I have been wanting to attend this incredible local festival the whole three years I have studied in this beautiful city, and even before. I finally got the chance to go for free thanks to my University and wonderful lecturers. I soaked up the day with screening and talks from industry professionals. Here’s why I think it is important for every student to attend the festival as well:

Screenings, screenings, screenings

Throughout Aesthetica, there are countless opportunities to attend screenings. From animation to drama, there’s something for everyone. I chose an animation screening and a comedy viewing, both held at the City Screen in the heart of York.

Each screening consists of several shorts that fit the theme of their category. In the animation session, the Irish, Oscar-qualifying short Retirement Plan by John Kelly was my favourite. It tells the story of Ray, a man fantasising about all the things he’ll do in retirement once he finally has time. The short is a heartwarming tale about not letting life pass you by. It’s comedic yet emotional and somehow filled me with motivation to complete tasks and focus on things I’d been putting off. Retirement Plan is a great watch for any student feeling stuck in a slump.

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At the comedy screening, I watched a collection of shorts based on modern-day conflicts, my favourite being The Breakdown of a Toxic Relationship as Told by Fluffmeister. Peter Fellows’ short highlights the self-centred nature of humanity, as seen through an anxious poodle witnessing his owners’ crumbling relationship. It’s a comedic tragedy exploring how the couple deals with loss and emotional fallout. Fluffmeister’s commentary is funny yet heartbreaking as he tries to hold them together, leading to a shocking turn of events. It’s uniquely creative and an excellent source of inspiration for filmmakers hoping to tell stories that reflect real life in new and engaging ways.

Industry Insights

Another great aspect of film festivals is the industry talks. I attended two masterclasses, one on bringing your concept to a TV screen, and another on evolving your work from shorts to feature-length films.

Industry talks are a great way to learn insights into the film and TV industry from established professionals. I learnt about the changing television landscape and all about not defining yourself to one specific genre or medium. The Q&A sections are also a great opportunity for rising creatives to have the chance to ask their burning questions to people who are there to help you, and want to see new talent succeed. These events are also great for networking, seeing where big production companies are at and if there are openings for emerging talent (which there always is!). In short, you can’t attend a film festival without going to at least one industry masterclass.

Local talent

Aesthetica is the only UK film festival that offers a dedicated graduate filmmakers section. This year there was an incredible YSJ New Wave event you could attend that showcased projects from recent graduates and included panels from academics and industry professionals. This is a great opportunity for University filmmakers and graduates to get their work seen by experts and start their career in industry.

One great film to watch that was featured in this years New Wave is Dinny Greet. This artistic documentary is a combination of animation, visually interesting footage and skilful storytelling. It is a short I’ve been shown plenty of times by my lecturers and I truly understand why. Dinny Greet is a Documentary about Edinburgh based band rEDOLENT. It documents their perseverance within the music industry and was an incredible University final project by York St John students.

Film festivals are great wells of knowledge and creativity for any aspiring filmmaker. If you have the opportunity to attend one I 100% recommend it. Aesthetica is easy to navigate and offers 4 wonderful days of passion; the perfect day for every aspiring creative.