CineYouth Program
Espressivo: Music and Dance
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Let the sound waves move your spirit. Music and dance are at the core of these personal and innovative works exploring cultural identity, nostalgia, loss, and remembrance. Like a playlist on shuffle, music videos, documentaries, and narrative dramas from these 8 filmmakers coalesce into a gorgeous display of how music can connect us, no matter who or where we are.
Please note: Films in this program contain flashing lights and themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Rabbit by Creeping Charlie
In this dreamy music video, two girls reminisce on their early childhoods, longing for the simplistic and innocent past. Set amidst a beautiful fall day and adorned with feminine playfulness, Rabbit explores how childhood notions evolve into contemporary creativity.
Las Mariachis
This documentary follows Maricella Martinez, the director of the all-female mariachi band Mariachis Lindas Mexicanas as she balances the band and motherhood. With a backdrop of lively and lilting tunes, Marcialla reflects on the ways in which Mariachi music has shaped her as a person.
Dis Feeling
In this stylish and atmospheric music video of his original song, Leif Ericson 7th grader Avant Spann speaks to both his past struggles and his dreams for his future. This piece was created as a part of The BASE Chicago’s Feel the BASE music video program.
Symphony ((SIN)FONÍA)
This abstract documentary simulates the experience of living with four distinct auditory conditions through the use of narration, instrumental music, unique sound design, and vibrant visuals. Two voices reflect on the uniqueness of the sense of hearing itself, and how it shapes our perception and emotions.
The Pact
This punchy music video takes a look at lost love through swirling memories of the past and features original music by Worry Club.
The Honey Trap
While at work, a young fan watches a video of his favorite musician on a talk show. Soon, he finds himself connecting with the superstar in ways he never expected.
The Delightful One (La Ravissante)
This experimental documentary is an ode to the rich culture and history of the Huron-Wedant Indigenous peoples. Mixing traditional music, spoken poetry, and footage of everyday life on their land, this work paints a picture of their past, present, and future.
Chiquita piconera
A grieving mother uses vibrant Spanish dancing to cope with the loss of her youngest daughter. However, the intensity of her grief and escapism threatens her relationship with her oldest daughter.
CineYouth Program
Pulling Focus: Documentary
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Whether it’s a visual love letter to far away relatives, a detailed account of individuals’ experiences of colorism, or a behind-the-scenes look into the meticulous process of crafting authentic Lion Dance Heads, these seven personal documentaries shed light on lives, beliefs, and cultures.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, language, that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Places Nowhere
While discussing the topic of unexplainable memories with his friends, Filmmaker Alex Chen recounts a childhood memory of going to a mall with an exterior that was “painted like the sky.” He always figured it was a figment of his imagination… except his friend remembers the same mall. Assembling many years’ worth of archival and personal footage, Alex Chen attempts to rediscover the feeling of being in this long-forgotten mall.
Memories of a new destination (Records d’un nou destí)
Told through postcards and first-hand experiences, this film is a touching tribute to those that have traveled away from home. This profound documentary provides an avenue for the filmmakers to have a deeper connection with their relatives, learn more about their lives, and comprehend the bravery it must have taken for each of them to start anew.
A-Okay
In the form of a letter to their past self, filmmaker J Fitzpatrick takes the viewer on a deeply intimate journey through their early experiences (or lack thereof) of crushes and discovery of asexual and aromantic spectrums. Told in the second person perspective, A-Okay examines the highly sexualized society we live in and explores harmful stigmas surrounding sexual orientations, while also giving a voice (and advice) to those within the underrepresented communities.
Epiphany
This colorful documentary follows the mother and daughter team of Master Li and Master Zhou as they work through all the steps of creating traditional Lion Dance Heads. The observational camera work captures the details of their craft as Li and Zhou share their family heritage and the cultural significance of the artform.
Tainted by the Visual
Through an immersive viewing experience, filmmaker Laura Calzada explores the subjective experiences of blind individuals and uses different techniques to express sound artist Andy Slater’s experience of how vision loss reshaped his perception of sound.
Stay Out of the Sun
This vignette-style multimedia documentary discusses the global cultural practice of colorism. Various women recount their individual experiences and opinions about this issue from childhood through adulthood.
Butterflies
In this celebration of love and resilience, high school sweethearts Quinn and Josh reflect on the prom night that turned a mother’s fears into a moment of triumph. Through heartfelt stories and reflections, Butterflies challenges perceptions of disability, demonstrating that love knows no boundaries and victories, no matter how small they may seem, are always worth celebrating.
Sponsors
Program Sponsor
CineYouth Program
Between Me and You
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Captivating visuals and unconventional storytelling illuminate a wide range of relations between parents and children, best of friends, and bitter enemies. These seven shorts explore how the different people we encounter in our lives can have a lasting effect on us for better or for worse.
Note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages, including guns and violence.
Films
Check Please
In this comedy action film, a Korean and a Korean-American fight over their pride, honor, and who gets to pick up the tab.
Bi-Nocular Panic
Two young girls spend an afternoon in the park spying on boys when one of them discovers something new about themself.
Until He’s Born
Years after the death of his unborn brother, a teenager comes face to face with his guilt and grief in this beautiful rumination on tradition and family set during China’s one-child policy.
Loose Lace
Lighten up with this lighthearted film, which unites two of our favorite things – skating and pizza – to subtly depict humans being human.
Desync
Confronting the past, a young Filipina filmmaker re-lives a painful conversation with her mother to produce the perfect movie scene of a mother and daughter cooking. Sophisticated camera work shifts the scene between the present-day movie set and her memory exploring the complexity of the mother-daughter dynamic.
Just. Drop. Dead.
Two inept hitmen struggle to complete their latest job. Their target? A man with dance moves so rhythmic that he seems to dodge death at every turn.
The New Raymond
After an attempted break-in goes wrong, a burglar is held captive by the homeowners–a grieving couple with a sinister plan for bringing their son back.
CineYouth Program
Scream Screen
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Tense up with horror hits from filmmakers all over the world. These unconventional yet chilling shorts will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Please note: Films in this program contain flashing lights and themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
The Mechanization of Man
Diagnosed with terminal insomnia, Cillian clings to his past, obsessively building a time machine in his final days only for it to fail. With shifting visual styles and a driving pace, The Mechanization of Man is a compelling thriller.
Runway Kill
The latest fashion trend is not what you think. When a loner gets in with the cool kids by fixing their outfits, she finds her own gruesome way of being stylish.
Pongo Labyrinth [VTuber KawaiiMermaid120’s Final Livestream]
Enter the nightmare-fueled and abstract final live stream of a virtual YouTuber. Nathan William Frost, winner of CineYouth’s 2024 Rising Star Award, delivers an otherworldly, unsettling experience, this time utilizing stop-motion animation, found footage, and horror video game conventions.
The Last Chapel
Embrace the silliness of this zany and pink-tinted comedy, in which a wedding chapel dedicated to the late Poolvis Poodle is shut down by the poodle’s money-grubbing estate advisors. Highlighted by its eccentric production design and over-the-top performances, The Last Chapel marries (!!!) live-action and animation to create a wholly unique vision.
Barracuda
Jack’s pet fish have been disappearing at night, and it dominates his every thought. He suspects his younger brother, who has been acting strangely lately. Filmmaker Izzy Dalton deploys distinct, varied styles to contrast the mundane daytime against the bizarre, eerie night.
Timer
Two hotel workers compete in an off-kilter game to kill time. When the clock stops, so does the game – but that doesn’t mean their increasingly disturbing behavior will. Tensions escalate, and their anger starts to get out of hand.
Seventh Heaven
A young man experiences sensory overload at a party sending him on an ever-changing trip. Fast-paced and packed with unexpected surprises, Seventh Heaven is an experiential, exhilarating ride.
Have I Swallowed Your Dreams [short film]
Synopsis
An immigrant mother and daughter have a heartfelt conversation about the ways their hopes and dreams have changed over time, growing beyond their wildest imaginations. This compassionate story, told with boundless color and creativity, brings to life the power of intergenerational understanding.
This film screens as part of the Family Animated Shorts: Me and Magical You program.
Film Credits
- Clara Chan
- Clara Chan
- Clara Chan
- Clara Chan, Catherine Ip
- Haibei Wang, Ailin Gong
- Flying Dumpling Films
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