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Aesthetica Announces 2025 Initiatives: Film Festival, Art Prize Exhibition, and Creative Writing Award

festival-fair · 2026-04-19

Aesthetica Magazine has revealed its schedule for 2025, featuring the Aesthetica Short Film Festival, which will occur from 5-9 November 2025 in York. This BAFTA-qualifying festival will present a variety of screenings, alongside VR and Games Labs. Attendees can participate in masterclasses and workshops led by industry figures such as Dame Judi Dench and Asif Kapadia. In Autumn 2025, the Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition will be hosted at York Art Gallery, highlighting a range of artistic expressions. The Aesthetica Creative Writing Award will publish an anthology of 60 selected entries. While submissions for the film festival and writing award are currently open, art prize entries will be accepted later. Aesthetica Magazine continues to champion creative talent across various fields.

Key facts

  • Aesthetica Short Film Festival runs 5-9 November 2025
  • Festival is BAFTA-qualifying and includes VR and Games Labs
  • Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition at York Art Gallery in Autumn 2025
  • Creative Writing Award anthology publishes 60 shortlisted works
  • Entries open for film festival and writing award; art prize submissions open later
  • Previous festival guests include Dame Judi Dench and Asif Kapadia
  • Alumni have won Prix Elysée, Jarman Award, Sony World Photography Awards
  • Aesthetica Magazine is a bi-monthly contemporary art publication

Entities

Artists

  • Dame Judi Dench
  • Asif Kapadia
  • Sally Potter
  • Andrea Arnold

Institutions

  • Aesthetica Magazine
  • Aesthetica Short Film Festival
  • Aesthetica Art Prize
  • Aesthetica Creative Writing Award
  • York Art Gallery
  • BAFTA
  • Aardman
  • BBC Films
  • Film4
  • New York Times
  • Ridley Scott Associates
  • Prix Elysée
  • FOAM Talent
  • Jarman Award
  • Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize
  • Sony World Photography Awards
  • T. S. Eliot Prize
  • Forward Prize
  • Aesthetica Film Festival
  • The New York Times

Locations

  • York
  • United Kingdom

Sources