Pack your bags and load up your spaceship! You’ll want to bring the whole family along for these colorful creations from around the world.

A Stellar Vacation!

Noah Shin | Pennsylvania | Age 14

An overworked asteroid yearns to escape from the drudgery of his daily life. Little does he realize, his exciting getaway will have a global impact!

The Sick Egg

Analia Rivera | Texas | Age 14

A visibly unwell egg seeks help from a friend, who decides to try and make some soup. Things take a turn when the distracted egg accidentally bungles the recipe.

Bigfoot Took my Photo!

Sasha Espinosa | California | Age 22

Johanna unveils the star attraction of her Sasquapolis museum: photographic proof that Bigfoot is real! Things get complicated when Bigfoot himself breaks in to steal the evidence.

FLY

Students from Toon Club & Centrum Sztuki Dziecka | India/Poland | Age 10-14

A collaborative effort from students based in India and Poland, who make creative use of a regular school notebook (flipbook style) and a paper plate (animation on phonotrope).

ZOOPARK

DRF Children Animation Studio | Kyrgyzstan | Age 8-12

Framed through a series of metaphors based on a variety of zoo animals, this distinctive rotoscoped animation explores the environment, culture, and texture of Kyrgyzstan’s capital city Bishkek.

Dumplings

Johanna Xue | New York | Age 22

A father shows his love by cooking delicious meals, but can magic in the kitchen be the glue that makes his daughter stick around through her journey to adulthood?

Who’s Better

Hugh Laurent Durnford-Dionne | Canada | Age 20

When challenged by a snail, two fuzzy creatures participate in a series of absurd exercises in order to determine which one is truly the best. But is it a rigged contest?

Space Race

Shane Dioneda | Chicago | Age 22

Though they may be tiny, these two Astronauts aren’t afraid to dream big as they compete in an operatic race to claim the moon for themselves.

In Sight

Wendy Lu, Natalie Tran, Cindy Zhi | Australia | Age 22

Wondrous and joyfully animated, this short follows a young troublemaker and her dog as they set out on a journey up a mountain to shoot down the brightest star in the sky.

Please note: This film will only appear at the in-person screening and will not be part of the streaming presentation.

Monsters of Mine

Lana Nguyen | California | Age 22

A lonely girl uses high-tech glasses to fill her world with imaginary monster friends. When the glasses break, she comes to recognize the value of true human connection.

These shorts illustrate the emotional challenges and complexities of the immigrant experience and what it takes to call a new country “home.”

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

Miyeok-Guk

Yezy Suh, Meia Voss, Alex Applebaum, Michael Gutierrez | California | Age 15-17

Ridiculed for her traditional Korean lunch, elementary school student Min-ju (to the dismay of her mother) struggles to graft her family roots onto the customs of her new life in America.

And Still, We Thrive

Joy Xing | Canada | Age 17

A Chinese immigrant wistfully looks back on the triumphs and challenges of his 23-year-long journey in Canada, reflecting on the language barrier and his limited contact with home.

Buscando un Sueño

Aldo Merino | New York/Mexico | Age 18

Alternating between Mexico and the United States, the filmmaker visually brings to life his parents’ aching nostalgia for the life and family they left behind.

The days we will not forget

Students from Cinema en Curs | Spain | Age 15-20

Following an arduous solo journey from Africa, teenaged Mohammed arrives in Barcelona with a head racing full of thoughts. An intimately personal story directed by a group of young men who migrated alone from Gambia, Senegal, Morocco, Ghana, and Guinea.

Chico Virtual

Olivia De Camps | New York | Age 22

When his brother doesn’t return home, an aspiring influencer must come to terms with the harsh reality of his immigrant status and the constraints it places on his freedom of expression.

Using the film medium itself as a form of healing, these narratives and documentaries tackle mental health concerns and personal traumas through the restorative process and power of art.

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

Silvering

Eilidh Nicoll | Scotland | Age 21

Upon discovering a single gray hair, a woman spirals into a panic of insecurities and fear of the future. The sanctuary of the bathroom takes a turn for the sinister – and the hair becomes her tormentor.

Fruit

Olivia Martinez, Mia Sanchez | Texas | Age 18

A window into a teenager’s mind as she grapples with an eating disorder, Fruit illustrates how it affects her perception of the relationships in her life.

The Making of My Seasons

Paulís Cofresí | Puerto Rico | Age 16

Following an unexpected pregnancy, seventeen-year-old Mia is in a dark place of self-harm. Divided by four seasons, this film reveals the events that led to her well-being.

Imposter

Temima Shifteh | Massachusetts | Age 18

Battling the demeaning voices whispering inside of her head while going about mundane everyday tasks, a young girl seeks escape from the confines of herself.

prey

Sienna Crosby | Florida | Age 15

Brief but shattering in its impact, this poetic short gives voice to a young individual seen as prey, exploring their loss of innocence at the hands of a predator.

Belated Wishes

Angela Kwak | Saudi Arabia | Age 17

Grieving from her mother’s death, a young girl seeks out a wish tree for solace. Through reflection, she must decide between residing in regret or transforming her wishes into reality.

Obtusion

Nathan Cowles | Arizona | Age 18

In an emotional interview with his little sister about her troubles with anorexia and body dysmorphia, the director untangles why she struggles to get better while simultaneously revealing a beautiful sibling bond.

Strap yourselves in for a hair-raising evening featuring a smorgasbord of darkly comic surprises, sinister thrills, and shocking twists!

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

Wolf in Dude’s Clothing

Solmund MacPherson | Canada | Age 22

A starving wolf finds a suit of human skin, crawls inside, and becomes a man. This biting, absurdist satire of society’s corporate wolves offers continual surprises.

The Oubliette

Max Hendrickson | Ireland | Age 16

After moving into a small apartment in a big seaside city, a man notices strange and mysterious occurrences in this hauntingly elusive monochromatic animation.

Poachers

Tiffany Lin | California | Age 22

In the summer before they leave for college, two lifelong friends come across a unique business opportunity: illegally harvesting and selling succulents from the California coast.

Hex & Rage

Sasha Lebedeva | California | Age 22

Two stoner witches avenge their friend by hexing the man who assaulted her, using their powers to do good even if the consequences are irreversible.

Chicks

Geena Marie Hernandez | Florida/Georgia | Age 22

A girly, cotton-candy colored slumber party unravels out of control when a shy teen becomes the center of her friends’ bizarre nighttime ritual.

A multitude of artistic approaches give voice to the vibrant cinematic cultures of the Chicagoland area, celebrating the diversity of experience found in our city.

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

Split Ends

Cookie Estés | Chicago | Age 22

Anxious over her abuela’s progressing dementia, Isa impulsively gets a haircut. Immediate regret, combined with pressure she feels from Latinx beauty standards, begins to suffocate her.

Blue

Adelaide Wilson, Lua Borges | Chicago | Age 19, 22

Shifting between digital and 8mm photography, this whimsical music video follows a carefree woman who starts to become uneasy upon realizing she is being followed by the color blue.

Let Us Breathe

Katie Jahns, Liz Frohwein, Ali Wilt, Alisa Gao | Evanston | Age 22

Following two student activists as they fight to prevent a serial polluter from entering their neighborhood on the southeast side of Chicago, Let Us Breathe highlights the personal toll of environmental damage.

Ping.Pong.

Michael Merlino | Chicago | Age 19

Ping pong is this girl’s entire world. But away from home and on her own in college, she makes the bold move to share her family tradition with a special new someone.

adulting?

Ariana Winters | Chicago | Age 18

Full of visual rhymes and clever juxtapositions, this wryly humorous video diary explores the creeping anxieties that set in during early adulthood.

Corazòn Del Niño (Child’s Heart)

Salvador Salazar | Chicago | Age 21

Six-year-old Martín yearns for a soccer ball that he can’t afford. His sister Xochitl offers the next best thing from the neighborhood as summertime mischief ensues.

Horse Girl

Lua Borges | Chicago | Age 22

In this eloquently photographed depiction of a Midwestern farm, a rupture between parents forces Evangeline to see her life in the vast countryside, and her horse, in a new light.

Proof of Residency

Spencer Sabath | Chicago | Age 17

Memories of fonder times are recounted through the examination of ten items salvaged from a house fire, in this poetic exploration of objects and their importance within personal histories.

God Willing

Vincent DiFrancesco | Chicago/Arizona/Mexico | Age 22

This sensitive documentary listens to migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as they recount personal stories of fleeing violence, waiting for legal entry, and hoping for asylum.

Soul Provider

Adora Midderhoff, Jessica Sarmina, Tatiana Mays, Nariah Walker | Chicago | Age 16-19

Stigmas and stereotypes surrounding single parenting are shattered through a collection of personal stories attesting to single mothers’ strength, resourcefulness, and love.

Emergence

Rey Tang | Evanston | Age 21

When a socially anxious athlete is asked out by a teammate at college lacrosse tryouts, they strike an unlikely relationship and emerge together into newfound queer identities.