CineYouth Festival 2026 Programming
See the next generation of filmmakers take the spotlight! CineYouth 2026 presents 71 short films from 16 countries across 10 dynamic programming blocks—featuring everything from inventive animation and poignant documentaries to gripping dramas and standout stories from the Chicago region. Plus, enjoy live filmmaker Q&As, two engaging workshops on crafting compelling main titles and the journey from idea to feature film, and more! All screenings and events are free and open to the public.
How To Attend
In-Person Screenings & Events: April 24-26, 2026
All in-person screenings, workshops, and events take place at FACETS, a Chicago-based nonprofit that connects people to independent ideas through transformative cinema.
FACETS
1517 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL, 60614
Get directions >
Streaming globally: April 27 – May 3, 2026
CineYouth selections will be available to stream globally on the Chicago International Film Festival streaming platform from Monday, April 27, at 12:00pm through Sunday, May 3, at 11:59pm.
Screenings & Events Schedule
Check Your Local Listings
Settle in with the city we call home.
Chaotic Evil
When night falls on CineYouth, anything goes.
New Tools, New Voices: Emerging Filmmakers and AI, presented by Adobe
Discover how the award-winning team at Sarofsky works with AI and specific Adobe tools in creative and thoughtful ways.
The Animator’s Playground
A myriad of animated works collide in this 10 film program overflowing with laughter and heart.
Adobe Drop-in Demo Session | Edit Like the Pros: Film Workflows
Whether you’re working solo or on a small team, learn how Premiere Productions makes editing your film easier by keeping media organized, shared, and conflict‑free. You’ll walk away with best practices for managing your media, finding the best takes, and how to sync cameras and audio.
Time Capsules: Documentary
Ruminate on the past, live in the present, hope for the future.
Adobe Drop-in Demo Session | Say It On Screen: Text, Graphics, and Captions That Connect
Learn how to level up your captions, graphics and accessibility using AI‑powered tools in Premiere—so your stories look great and reach more people. This session’s topics include speech to text, captions translation, and captions presets.
(Dis) Embodied
Rooted in queerness and unconventionality, these films ask what it means to inhabit a body—and what it means to slip outside it.
Familial Ground
These films don’t sugarcoat it… but if they prove anything, it’s that you’re never truly alone.
Saturday Night LOLs
Laugh until your cheeks hurt!
You’ve Been Selected! Festival Strategy and Best Practices
Chicago International Film Festival Programmer Sam Flancher and award-winning filmmakers Hannah Schierbeek and Erika Valenciana share insights to better prepare emerging filmmakers for the film festival submission process.
Dreamstates: Experimental
Feel the colors wash over you, succumb to the soundscapes, and enter a dreamstate.
Between Homes
Move through stories about migration and distance to rethink what it means to call a place home.
Check Your Local Listings
Settle in with the city we call home.