CineYouth Committees and Juries

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CineYouth 2023 Committee & Juries

Cinema/Chicago would like to extend a special thank you everyone who has contributed to CineYouth 2023.

CineYouth Programming Committee

headshot: Chris Forrester

Chris Forrester is a part-time film writer and full-time film lover. A 2021 graduate of Indiana University’s Media School, his interests include genre cinema, film preservation & canon-building, and the films of Terence Davies.

headshot: Faramade Oladapo

Faramade Francesca Oladapo is currently a student at The Theatre School at DePaul University. She loves different narrative forms of Art and enjoys researching which informs her work as an Interdisciplinary Artist.

headshot: Saul Rodriguez

Saul Rodriguez is an undergrad at Columbia College Chicago majoring in Screenwriting and Production Design. His favorite things to do in his free time is cook and hike National Parks.

headshot: Prisella Valdez

Prisella Valdez is an undergraduate at The Ohio State University majoring in Strategic Communication and minoring in Video Arts and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Her favorite movie switches between Before Sunrise and Paddington 2!

headshot: Maren Williams

Maren Williams is a senior psychology student at Loyola University Chicago with a passion for film. What they love about cinema is that it is an unique opportunity to artistically explore stories of humanity.

CineYouth Juries

Animation Award

Anca Damian
Nick Flaherty
Jinko Gotoh
Pablo Lorenzana

Chicago Award

John Otterbacher
Graduate Students of Loyola University Chicago:

  • Lexie Garrett
  • Taylor Evans
  • Brianna Odo-Boms
  • Rebecca Seiller

Comedy Award

Students of Second City Film School:

  • Jim Dziobek
  • Joelle Velez Sostheim
  • Corinne Bauer

Documentary Award

Liliane Calfee
Students of CHA + DePaul Youth Partnership

Drama Award

Sophie Gordon
Ryan Saunders
Miguel Silveira

Experimental Award

Takashi Shallow
Alison LaTendresse
Kent Lambert

International Award

Rachel Rozycki
Students of Columbia College

Rising Star Award

CineYouth Programming Committee:

  • Chris Forrester
  • Faramade Francesca Oladapo
  • Saul Rodriguez
  • Prisella Valdez
  • Maren Williams

Special Thanks

CineYouth Team

CineYouth Festival Manager
Celeste Wong

Graphic Design 
Bridget Schultz

Poster Design 
Ogilvy

CineYouth Trailer
Kaitlin Martin

Web Manager 
Charles Riffenburg

Print Traffic
Andy Berlin

Community Partners

After School Matters
Fresh Films
Marwen
NFFTY

Additional Thanks

Karina Anglada
Kathleen Beckman
Joe Bowes
Karen Cardarelli
Jonathan Carrera
Erica Duffy
Nick Edelberg
Paul Gonter
Brian Grabiner
Emma Greenleaf
Kyle Hodges
Jeff Pedersen
Matthew Pozo
Mehrnaz Saeedvafa
Ryan Saunders
Seth Savoy
Joe Sciarotta
Matt Silcock
Deidre Searcy
Ines Sommer
Gabe Usadel