Celebrating the intersection of independent filmmaking and podcasting.
Claire chats with Phoebe Cawley from the Aesthetica Short Film Festival, which for the second year includes The Podcasting Lounge, a showcase for independent audio productions.
The Festival
Phoebe explains how a 20-year-old arts magazine evolved into a world-class film festival in York that now celebrates all forms of independent media.
Submit your podcast if it displays originality and strong perspectives across fiction, documentary, investigative, or experimental genres. Selected podcasters get access to the festival, networking opportunities, and masterclasses from industry giants.
Deadline: Submissions close on June 30th
The festival runs from November 4th–8th
TrueFans Platform: Awards and Playlists
Award-winning and shortlisted podcasts (including those from Aesthetica 2025) have a dedicated space to be discovered on TrueFans. Winners are also highlighted with a trophy icon on their cover art, and users can listen to a curated playlist of all winning podcasts.
Securing the Future: Premium RSS
Sam introduces Premium RSS (formerly Secure RSS), a solution to the security flaws found in traditional private feeds like those on Patreon or Substack, which are easily shared, allowing non-paying listeners to access premium content. TrueFans is beta testing a standard that verifies user credentials upon login, ensuring only paying fans can access the feed.
Independent Podcasters Day
We touch on Liam Heffernan’s campaign to establish July 4th as Independent Podcasters Day (or 'Independents Day') to celebrate the unique voices in the industry.
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