With 300 short films, 15 competitive categories and £5,000 in prizes, Aesthetica Film Festival will return to York next month.
The 16th edition of the festival will take place from the 4-8 November, with hundreds of independent short films shown to the public all hoping to win the big awards.
The awards are voted on from a jury made up of representatives of industry powerhouses such as Aardman, Audible, the BBC, the BFI and Ridley Scott Associates. Previous Aesthetica award winners are also represented.
Best know for showing a multitude of indie films, the festival also includes masterclasses, networking sessions, live performances and industry programmes.
Partners this year including Film4, BBC comedy, the New York Times and the Scottish Documentary Institute.
Farhana Bhula, director at Film4, will be a keynote speaker at this year’s festival. She has overseen several successful projects including All Of Us Strangers starring Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal andKinds of Kindness starring Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons.
The head of PR at the Ridley Scott Creative Group, Jim Campbell, will be chairing a panel of industry moguls including Sky and Warner Bros among others.
The group is an umbrella of production companies, including RSA Films and Black Dog Films, aiming to maximise opportunities across film, TV, VR, music videos and animation.
The panel will discuss storytelling in film and TV, audience behaviours and franchising.
Fifteen different venues will host screenings and workshops, including York St John University and York Theatre Royal.
Day passes cost £39 per person, or £120 for unlimited access across all five days. Alternatively, single screening or opening night tickets are available.
There’s more on the Aesthetica Film Festival website.