Shorts Program

Man-eaters and monster women form the bloodthirsty backdrop of this moody genre program. Showcasing freaky folk phenomena, digital disturbances, provocative prosthetics, a slasher spoof, and more, these shorts pull a daring bait-and-switch, taking aim at one of the genre’s most enduring malefactors: Man.

Envisioning the disturbing and delightful possibilities that exist beyond our fleshy forms, this program of animated shorts features different takes on death rendered in stop motion, colored pencil, and other formats. Using endings as a starting point, these shorts guide viewers toward the hopeful horizons that follow from painful transformations.

The award-winning shorts of CineYouth 2026 showcase the exciting and reflective visions of eight young filmmakers from around the world. Shoe-stealing comedy, heartfelt documentary, thoughtful animation, and playful explorations of self comprise this wide-ranging program.

From a contemporary, animated folktale to extraterrestrial activity with a religious bent, bold imaginations rule this program. Although these films differ in genre and approach, the throughline connecting them is the universal experience of grief, both the pain of losing loved ones and the eventual acceptance of the surprising paths life can take.

Anxieties, both real and imagined, take center stage in the face of unknown family lineage, romantic longings, career disappointments, and bloody satires. With a funny, varied, and profound lineup, City & State once again showcases the immense talent based in Chicago and Illinois.

Delight in the absurdities of the modern world through these hilarious and eccentric comedies—and take comfort in the fact that we all experience awkwardness, anxiety, and clumsy attempts to connect with one another. No matter the outcome, at least we’re trying!

Questions of personhood, loss, and global belonging propel these moving documentary portraits of people and the places they call home. Through formally distinct methods ranging from fly-on-the-wall observation to personal filmmaking and archival montage, these films all grapple with the same question: “Where am I in all of this?”

Navigate the intimate relationships, familial and beyond, that define our very sense of who we are with this poignant collection of shorts. The exceptional filmmakers whose work is featured here use humor, heart, and profound insight to convey the complex beauty of our most treasured connections—from spectral presences to weighty absences.

Deep relationships and the vulnerability it takes to maintain them inform this vibrant, stunningly animated family program featuring a floating house, a capybara, and a boy who shines like the sun. Presented as a relaxed screening and recommended for cinema-enthusiasts ages 8 years and older.

These two powerful documentary shorts astutely chronicle the brutal tactics used by ICE forces, and the bravery and resourcefulness of local communities fighting against them.

The strange, the sensual, the terrible, and the absurd meet and mingle in this program. From tales of psychosexual frustration to revolutionary longing, this selection of live-action and animated films serves up unrestrained storytelling and stylistic bravura.