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:

11:30am - Access Granted: Creativity and Tools for Inclusive Filmmaking
What is needed to make your short film accessible to all audiences? What creative choices are available when planning these elements? Learn how to incorporate accessibility tools into your workflow from pre-production to post, allowing for broader engagement with your work. Discover different methods you can use to create audio descriptions and get an early look at a new AI-powered tool for creating captions in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Panelists
Matt Lauterbach
Editor, Accessibility Producer

Reveca Torres
Artist, Filmmaker, Accessibility Advocate

Moderated by Christy LeMaster, CineYouth Director

1:00pm  - Imagination Adventure: Family Friendly

1:00pm - Imagination Adventure: Family Friendly

Synopsis:

The journey of growing up is an adventure filled with boundless possibilities and endless imagination. Eight young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds showcase their incredible talent and creativity in this all-ages program, transforming the screen into a vibrant cinematic playground.

Baby Boot (Botitas)
Lorence - Mexico - Age 21
In order to protect her favorite baby boots, Valery embarks on a playful “Baby Boots Battle” with her school.

Be Mine, Mime
Mathew Sharifi - California - Age 20
In a world devoid of color, sound, and hope, a mime and a young man fall in love, bringing vibrancy to each other’s lives.

Submerged
Neo Sky James - South Carolina - Age 18
As a boy explores the ocean in his dream, his joy fades when he uncovers human-induced perils beneath the once-clear waters, sparking his determination to take action.

Brushstrokes
Simon Finkel - Highland Park, Illinois - Age 17
As a painter who awakens colors in the grayscale world, a young boy, on his first day of work with his father, seems to have unconventional ideas.

The Spelling Bee
Katherine Ramirez - Chicago - Age 16
Preparing for the spelling bee, high schooler Barry stumbles upon a lucky winning clue.

Daydreamers
Yanely Castellanos - Chicago - Age 19
After discovering a mysterious map, two lively sisters embark on a magical treasure hunt and discover a reward better than gold at the end of the path.

Downwind
Nathan Rivers - Canada - Age 19
Obsessed with launching paper airplanes, Milly’s playtime ignites conflict between mother and daughter.

Broccoli Chase
Carter D. James - Chicago - Age 11
A little girl dreams of fleeing and dodging the dreaded broccoli.

2:30pm - Odysseys: Drama - 63 minutes

Synopsis:

Follow along on the eclectic journeys of vibrant characters as they face the trials and tribulations of their lives. Travel back to 1940’s France, race alongside a fugitive teen, or come of age with a crew of misfit girls in this selection of bold and inventive works by the next generation of narrative storytellers.

Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

The Damp Season
Olivia Huilin Gao - New York - Age 21
In this drama about family ties, a young girl comes across the teenaged version of her immigrant mother from whom she has long been estranged. A newfound empathy for her mother leads them to reconnect.

Caterpillars House (Lou, notre maison s’envole)
Juliette Balthazard - Canada - Age 22
A young girl, soon to move away from her hometown, runs away with her best friends. But as each friend slowly abandons the plan, the girl is forced to accept her reality and the heartbreak of losing friendships.

Recollect
Eli Akio Williams - California - Age 16
A boy wakes up in a desert with no recollection of what happened to him. He hitchhikes back to town and comes to a horrifying realization as he begins to remember the actions that led him to this car.

Space Coast
Caroline Bates - Florida - Age 21
A group of friends come to terms with the end of childhood in a dying tourist town home to the former space program.

On the paths awakened (Sur les sentiers eveilles)
Axel Dahan - France - Age 17
In WW2 France, two teenagers are employed to deliver messages for the Resistance. Their journey will be long and arduous and not without moral dilemma, but they must push on, for liberty’s sake.

4:00pm - Frames of Reference: Documentary - 53 minutes

Synopsis:

These six incredible shorts function as a window into diverse forms of the human experience, highlighting courageous expressions of identity, examples of uplifting community, and insightful responses to common misconceptions.

Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

The Heel
Sofia S. Lomax - Connecticut - Age 22
Jules Daddio, also known as Skylar Grey, is an up-and-coming female wrestler from North Haven, Connecticut. Jules paints a picture of the professional wrestling ecosystem and grapples with the history of women’s progress in the sport.

Blind Sighted
Mitch Davila Armendano - Colorado - Age 14
Mitch, Jaden, and Stevie, three young students with visual impairments who attend the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, detail common misconceptions and their struggles for accurate representation.

Fursona
Aly Labbe-Hervieux - Canada - Age 21
In Pessamit, Canada, Aly reflects upon the importance of their fursona, Dexter. Dexter helps Aly bring joy to others through his extroverted and social attitude.

The Capoeristas
Mariel Mudrik - Chicago - Age 21
A group of Chicagoans find companionship in the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira, exploring how it connects them not only to their community but also to their lost heritage.

Brucey
Ayan Khalil Shammmalakh - State of Palestine, Saudi Arabia - Age 19
This multimedia documentary follows Brucey–sailing slang for anchor–and his family as they give insight into the fishing trade and their connection to the ocean in Gaza.

7:00pm - Thinking Funny: Comedy - 62 minutes

Synopsis:

Navigating life and tragedy, these hilarious stories showcase characters in absurdist situations of all kinds. Thrown into the trenches of the human experience, our characters rise victorious holding the holy grail of humor in their hands.

Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

Goodbye Herman
Ryan Santia - California - Age 18
As Ryan shares the news of his departure, Herman comes to terms with this unexpected change in their friendship.

Ladke
Sruchi Patel - California - Age 22
In a twist of the classic Cinderella story, Saloni seeks out the boy with the flyest Nikes having never seen his face.

first date?
Kylie Ramirez - Chicago - Age 21
Dropped in the throes of Gen Z dating culture, Sammy and Kari explore the different facets of romantic relationships through their scintillating discussion.

Contagious Swagger
Calvin Callins Jr. - Florida - Age 21
While Jeffrey tries to make the best impression on his girlfriend’s parents, his shoes prove to be an unexpected ally in the situation.

Body of Christ (Mi primera comunion)
Ángel Villahermosa - Spain - Age 22
As Pablo falls in love with the altar boy Sebastián, he finds that God has become an obstacle to their relationship in more ways than one.

The Murder
Alex Dymalovski - Australia - Age 20
About eight minutes before her murder, a woman takes us on a journey to confront her killer’s arduous masculinity.

8:30pm  - Chronically Online - 57 minutes

Synopsis:

Can you stomach the seedy underbelly of the web? Take notes from a generation born and dying on the internet, as they confront memories of cringe, arrogance, and obsession.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

Basura
Aries C. Ferrer - Philippines - Age 22
A compilation of strangers’ deleted phone videos paints a moving portrait of contemporary life.

Too Much Sand
Rosso Pérez Bueno - Sweden - Age 21
As a toxic substance slowly ravages a celebrity’s body, the question left to ask is, how far would you go for the advertising money?

I, Chinese
Peter Leung - New York - Age 22
An influencer’s racist commodification of his culture leads to an uncomfortable confrontation– with consequences that he never saw coming.

Ibex rebirth
Elijah Valter - Chicago - Age 22
Through pixelated and saturated images, an entity constantly surveys the world. Before it drifts off to sleep, it imagines a novel future.

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