
CineYouth Program
Born This Way: Queer Stories
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
Discovering who you are is an integral part of growing up, even if the world disagrees. Whether it’s awkward first dates, traveling across the universe, or reckoning with adulthood, these seven short films are not afraid of opinions or naysayers.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, language, that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films

Alleyways
As new friends appear in his life, a teenage boy is uncertain how to navigate his best friend’s trans identity.

Within the Seams (Entre Costuras)
Burdened by her anxiety, a high school graduate, Eva, must navigate her transition to adulthood and how it affects the relationships around her. Surreal and funny, Within the Seams authentically captures the uncertainty of young adulthood.

Cut From My Own Cloth
After getting VIP tickets to their favorite artist’s show, a young non-binary person struggles to find an outfit that represents them while shopping with their parents.

Maladaptive
Sophia, a maladaptive daydreamer, struggles to keep her mind in the present moment on her first date with Ingrid. Lingering too long in her romantic fantasies threatens to stall things before they begin.

James
After his mother’s passing, James has two choices: family or sanity. Shot on Super 8mm, James confronts the often messy mix of religion, family, and identity as its characters learn to cope with their new bereft reality.

Echo Equinox
In this surrealist experimental piece, Echo Equinox and Nova recount their relationship as it transcends space and time. Using mixed media elements like hand-drawn rotoscope, analogue glitch art, and a blend of VHS & digital photography, Echo Equinox transports you to a world like no other.

Yasmin
Yasmin and Karoline share a clear chemistry on their first date in a romantically moody bar. Their conversation continues past closing time, and, as they leave together, Karoline’s remarks change their rapport and force Yasmin to make a decision.

Wishing on a Star
Synopsis
Luciana, a trusted Italian astrologer, promises her clients a way to make their dreams come true: All they need to do is take a special birthday trip to a destination determined by their astrological profile. Sitting behind her computer, Luciana quickly types in some data. Out comes a client’s wish-fulfilling location, be it Taipei, Beirut, or Alaska. As Luciana’s customers — from fun-loving twins to an elderly woman — venture out, they discover fulfillment in the unlikeliest of places.
Mixing deadpan wit and bittersweet poignance, Slovak director Péter Kerekes (ChicagoIFF winner Cooking History) returns to the Festival with a wondrously stylized documentary that is as surprising and idiosyncratic as its central psychic. No matter what you think of Luciana’s practice, Wishing on a Star offers an authentically sensitive and universal portrait of the human desire for happiness—and the lengths people will go to find it.
In Focus: Italy on Screen
This film is part of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival’s In Focus: Italy on Screen collection, celebrating Italian cinema by harkening back to the best of the country’s filmmaking traditions while showcasing vibrant new work.
Screenings & Events
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Media



Film Credits
- Erica Barbiani, Lucia Candelpergher, Péter Kerekes, Vit Schmarc, Ralph Wieser, Vanja Jambrovic, Stefano Centini
- Erica Barbiani, Péter Kerekes
- Marek Šulík
- Martin Kollar
- Luciana de Leoni d’Asparedo, Valentina Angeli, Alessandra Fornasier, Barbara Lutman, Giovanni Rugo, Adriana Vangone, Giuliana Vangone
- Lucia Chuťková
- Videomante, Kerekesfilm, Artcam Films, Mischief Films, Restart, Volos Films
Sponsors
Comedy Program Partner
Documentary Program Partner
Documentary Program Patron
Cynthia Stone Raskin