CineYouth Festival

CineYouth 2024 presents 65 short films across 10 programming blocks featuring everything from uproarious comedies to depictions of activism in action to highlights from the Chicagoland area. Plus, CineYouth features two workshops focused on activism in film and creative collaboration through editing, live filmmaker QandAs, and more! Tickets and all events are free and open to the public.

Schedule of Events:

7:00pm - Opening Night: Chicago Lens - 68 minutes

Synopsis:

Watch the city breathe life into the stories of ten local young filmmakers. From documentaries to music videos, this program represents the city’s long-term love affair with art and culture.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

Young
Jacob Sutton, Adelaide Wilson - Chicago - Ages 21 & 22
Shot on Super 8 Vision 3, this music video compiles stop-motion, vignettes, and performance to showcase a coming-of-age ballad.

Lisa
Laya Bena Hartman & Jiaxin Wei - Joliet - Age 21
Rising young basketball star Lisa Thompson navigates expectations on and off the court as the number one-ranked player in Illinois.

Once Upon a Time… In Aztlan
Andres Carlos - Chicago - Age 20
An abstract exploration of history, belonging, memory, and knowing from an immigrant perspective.

So There’s This Girl
Isis Gullette - Chicago - Age 18
Young and unrequited love between two friends reaches a breaking point, rendering their relationship’s future uncertain.

I Can No Longer See
Raine Yung - Chicago - Age 22
A self-portrait of trauma, dilemma, objectification, and relief told through a collection of experimental shorts.

Dissonance
Jason Hart - Chicago - Age 22
Struggling to grieve the loss of a family member, a young boy spirals into self-harm before finding relief in an unlikely source.

All My Friends Are Nineteen
Jadyn Proulx - Chicago - Age 19
The friendships and intimacies (and lack thereof) that color the life of a 19-year-old college student.

Coloring Through the Eyes of Youth
Olivia Santiago - Chicago - Age 16
Go in-depth with an After School Matters program that guides teens through crafting murals for the Belmont-Cragin community.

How to Spot a Heterosexual
Adamson Novak - Chicago - Age 21
A parody PSA that focuses on the real threat walking among us.

Fruit Math
Sam Friedman, Casey Wangman, Maddie Morse, Ryan Magrisi - Evanston - Age 21
One man’s wacky quest to solve a basic math problem spirals into chaos.

 9:00pm - Friday Night Frights - 60 minutes

Synopsis:

An array of frights await in this assortment of horror films. These shorts from around the world tap into our most primal fears and darkest secrets in unique, uncanny, and inventive ways.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

Artist on the Go: DS Advanced Unreleased Gameplay
Nathan William Frost - Montgomery, Illinois - Age 17
A surreal, nightmarish game in which the player or the viewer is confronted with abstract and frightening tasks to complete.

The Body
Justine Borlagdan - Philippines - Age 20
An abstract tone poem, which uses the human body as a landscape for a variety of sensations and processes.

Rat King
Róisín Leavy-Sahin - Ireland - Age 18
A young boy’s affinity for a dead rat brings dire consequences to himself and his local community.

The Veiling of a Heart
Jess Nipperess - Australia - Age 18
Devout Catholic Miriam is forced to choose between forbidden romance and religious obligation.

AMPM
Charlie Li - China - Age 23
An obsessive workaholic pits his wits against a loud drummer in a battle for peace and quiet.