Aesthetica Short Film Festival encourages submissions of projects that consider how sound, attention and presence shape storytelling. We welcome ideas that embrace the wide constellation of human experience, moving from the personal to the collective and the universal. Works may draw from everyday moments, poetic or abstract reflections, cultural memory, emotional states, or responses to social, environmental and technological change. Give us unique points of view that bring unexpected insights. We want stories that challenge, inspire and connect us. All documentary styles are welcome. Whether your story is observational, personal, experimental, or investigative, we encourage you to think boldly and break boundaries. Sound must take centre stage.

This year’s theme is Radical Listening, responding to how listening is taking on a renewed significance amid the pace of contemporary life. Surrounded by constant information and competing voices, listening offers a way to slow down, connect and pay attention. The Listening Pitch 2026 invites storytellers to explore listening as both subject and method – an attentive creative practice that shapes how stories are made and how audiences engage with them. Two grants of up to £10,000 are available. Winning filmmakers will work with Aesthetica and Audible to create a festival-ready film, with regular check-in points throughout the process. The emphasis is on thoughtful storytelling with strong public and industry visibility. Free to enter. Deadline 20 April 2026.

Find out more here​.