XR Stories takes on new role at 2024 Aesthetica Short Film Festival

XR Stories is collaborating with the UAL London College of Communication to programme the virtual reality (VR) strand for the Aesthetica Short Film Festival.

Taking place in York from 6 – 10 November 2024, Aesthetica is a BAFTA-qualifying international festival that encompasses short film, VR experiences and games to shine a light on independent film and digital culture. 

Film festival programming is a specialised role that includes the selection and curation of content to connect audiences to diverse and high quality new experiences. 

In parallel to their role as co-programmer, XR Stories will also run the festival’s VR Lab in the 14th century York Hospitium, providing specialist technical support and equipment to immerse visitors in VR stories.

Aesthetica will fund four University of York interns to provide dedicated support to the XR Stories team in the VR lab. Students who are interested in applying should visit the university’s York Internships website.

The collaboration builds on XR Stories’ activities and support at previous Aesthetica Short Film Festivals and connects the University of York with a major cultural event in the city. 

John Rose-Adams, Senior Creative Producer at XR Stories says: “We’ve worked closely with the Aesthetica team for several years and have seen the positive impact of the festival on the companies and creatives who are selected, and the audiences who attend. We’re excited to help Aesthetica grow their VR strand so that it is even bigger and better than previous years.”

Tickets and passes for the Aesthetica Short Film Festival will be available on the Aesthetica website from August 2024.

Published on 3 June 2024