A POPULAR film festival is set to return to York next month.

The Aesthetica Short Film Festival, which runs November 6-10 at 15 venues across the city, is a hotbed for talent discovery and a key annual event for both emerging and established filmmakers to meet alongside industry professionals.

The festival showcases more than 450 films and 100 events, across the five days.

This year will see films showcasing fashion, film, ethnic diversity and news documentaries.

Meanwhile, there are 12 different venues where visitors can experience the festival - including City Screen, St John University, Bootham School, and Explore York.

Highlights include the Screen School VR Lab in partnership with the London College of Communication.

The show explores immersive experiences with 360-degree films; follows a free-diver into the depths of the ocean and embarks on a 30-minute journey around the Milky Way, all in York Theatre Royal’s Keregan Room.

Meanwhile, there are several masterclasses with household names, including BBC, Film 4, British Vogue and Dazed, as the festival invites world-renowned editors, producers, and writers.

This year Mary Burke will be instructing a production in Engaging Cinema at the Yorkshire Museum, whilst Richard Billingham will be expertly explaining intimate portrait filmmaking: using people in a specific way to tell a story.

Both two day Screen passes and Single Day Passes are available. Prices start from £16. Concessions are available for students, seniors, and families.

Single tickets can be upgraded at a discounted rate.

Family Passes are also available to groups of four people made up of two adults and two children (aged 14 and under).

To book visit: www.asff.co.uk/tickets