Being Billy Selected for Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2026

MancMade Productions’ award-winning short film Being Billy has been officially selected for the 2026 Aesthetica Short Film Festival (ASFF), one of the UK’s leading showcases for independent and emerging filmmaking.

Written and produced by Paul Ludden and directed by Ian Puleston-Davies, Being Billy stars Con O’Neill as Billy Livesey, a Falklands War veteran living with dementia whose connection with a new carer triggers memories of the closing stages of the 1982 conflict and a moment that changed his life forever.

The selection marks another significant step in the film’s festival journey and places Being Billy alongside an international programme of filmmakers and storytellers at one of the most respected events on the UK festival calendar.

Produced by MancMade Productions, with bestselling author Lee Child as Executive Producer, the film explores memory, trauma, friendship and the lasting impact of war through an intimate and deeply human story.

For MancMade Productions, the Aesthetica selection continues an exciting year for Being Billy, following recognition and screenings at festivals in the UK and internationally.

Some wars never end