CineYouth Program
Imagination Adventure: Family Friendly
Screenings & Events
In-person Screening
Sat, Apr 20 @ 1:00pm CDT
at Facets
Virtual Screening
Available to stream globally April 22 @ 12:00pm CT through April 28 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
The journey of growing up is an adventure filled with boundless possibilities and endless imagination. Eight young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds showcase their incredible talent and creativity in this all-ages program, transforming the screen into a vibrant cinematic playground.
Films
Baby Boot (Botitas)
In order to protect her favorite baby boots, Valery embarks on a playful “Baby Boots Battle” with her school.
Be Mine, Mime
In a world devoid of color, sound, and hope, a mime and a young man fall in love, bringing vibrancy to each other’s lives.
Submerged
As a boy explores the ocean in his dream, his joy fades when he uncovers human-induced perils beneath the once-clear waters, sparking his determination to take action.
Brushstrokes
As a painter who awakens colors in the grayscale world, a young boy, on his first day of work with his father, seems to have unconventional ideas.
The Spelling Bee
Preparing for the spelling bee, high schooler Barry stumbles upon a lucky winning clue.
Daydreamers
After discovering a mysterious map, two lively sisters embark on a magical treasure hunt and discover a reward better than gold at the end of the path.
Downwind
Obsessed with launching paper airplanes, Milly’s playtime ignites conflict between mother and daughter.
Broccoli Chase
A little girl dreams of fleeing and dodging the dreaded broccoli.
Sponsors
Presented by 
Memory
Synopsis
Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard star in this penetrating psychological drama about two apparent strangers in New York City whose fateful encounter one night spins both of their lives in profoundly new directions. Sylvia (Chastain) is a single mother, 13 years sober and still reeling from a traumatic incident that she can’t forget, while Saul (Sarsgaard), suffering from early onset dementia, struggles to live an autonomous life. Can these two damaged souls find salvation?
ChicagoIFF award-winner Michel Franco, director of such acclaimed films as Sundown, New Order, and After Lucia, returns to the Festival with his most compassionate film. Though told in his precise and assured filmmaking style, he allows Chastain and Sarsgaard to fully embody the anguish of their characters–and the troubling complexities and tentative promise of their relationship. Winner of a Best Actor Prize at the Venice Film Festival for Sargaard’s subtle performance, Franco’s latest is a trenchant story of suffering and recovery–and memory itself and the ways it defines us.
Tribute to Peter Sarsgaard
This screening includes an in-person tribute to actor Peter Sarsgaard and presentation of the Chicago International Film Festival’s Career Achievement Award.
Screenings & Events
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Media
Film Credits
- Michel Franco, Eréndira Núñez Larios, Alex Orlovsky, Duncan Montgomery
- Michel Franco
- Oscar Figueroa Jara, Michel Franco
- Yves Cape
- Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Jessica Harper, Elsie Fisher, Josh Charles
- Paula P. Manzanedo, Moises Chiver, Jack Selby, Patricio Rabuffetti, Tatiana Emden, Joyce Zylberberg, Ralph Haiek, Michael Weber, Efe Cakarel, Bobby Allen, Jason Ropell
- Teorema, High Frequency Entertainment
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Adventures/Aventuras: Family Friendly Animated Shorts
Synopsis
Audiences of all ages can enjoy these three stories of adventure, all highlights from our Family Friendly Animation program, presented at the Harrison Park Field House in Pilsen.
A girl connects with her Mayan heritage on a camping trip with her father that turns into an exciting adventure in Balam (Mexico, U.S.). After a tiger escapes from the zoo, a bored subway worker gets the surprise of a lifetime in Town Hall Square (Germany). A curious girl gets sucked into the bizarre and magical world of the book she is reading in Ana Morphose (Portugal).
Screenings & Events
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Sponsors
In Partnership With
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Shorts 4: Documentary – In Motion
VariousBhutan, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, United States
Learn more...
Shorts 2: Animation – Desires
VariousArgentina, Belgium, France, Hungary, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, United States
Learn more...
Shorts 2: Animation – Desires
Synopsis
These animated shorts create an idiosyncratic mosaic of the difficulties, joys, enigmas, and triumphs of the human experience. Featuring works by Nienke Deutz, Osman Cerfon, Patricio Plaza, Flóra Anna Buda, Tzor Edery, Tom Prezman, Vishavjit Singh, and Ryan Westra.
The Miracle (Belgium, The Netherlands, France) is a hotel where Irma, a 40-year-old woman surrounded by families, tries to find comfort in her solitary life. Children display varied emotions with a singular expression in Aaaah! (France). An ailing priest in the Mexican colonial era is given a medicine that confronts him with his spiritual ailments in Carne de Dios (Argentina, Mexico). On the day that Alice turns 27 (France, Hungary), a drunken accident makes her question the choices she has made in her life thus far. Remembrances of a former drag queen’s experience in one of the first queer bars in Paris are imaginatively told in Maurice’s Bar (France, Israel). Based on true events, American Sikh (U.S.) tells the story of a courageous man in post-9/11 New York City who faced prejudice and racism with humor and heroism.
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Sponsors
Accessibility Partner
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Shorts 9: Family Friendly Animation – Better Together
Synopsis
All ages are welcome in this family-friendly program, full of colorful films that celebrate play, encourage curiosity, and emphasize the importance of communal bonds. Featuring works by Shira Avni, Lena von Döhren, Eva Rust, Guillermo Casarin, Seungbae Jeon, Christian Kaufmann, João Rodrigues, Afnan Bawyan, Adriel Meka, and Mitra Shahidi.
Two One Two (Canada) offers a poetic and deeply personal glimpse into motherhood in the form of a gorgeous, glimmering two-headed monster. A gassy fish allies with other sea creatures to fend off a hungry seagull in the hilarious and melodious underwater tale POND (Switzerland). A girl connects with her Mayan heritage on a camping trip with her father that turns into an exciting adventure in Balam (Mexico, U.S.). Peek into the inner lives of batteries with the oddball charmer Battery Mommy (South Korea). After a tiger escapes from the zoo, a bored subway worker gets the surprise of a lifetime in Town Hall Square (Germany). A curious girl gets sucked into the bizarre and magical world of the book she is reading in Ana Morphose (Portugal). A woman attempts to overcome language barriers by preparing a cultural dish that takes on a life of its own in Saleeg (Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Sweden). A friendly boy makes an unexpected connection when he attends a mysterious summer camp in Camp Kona (U.S.). In Starling (U.S.), a couple is visited by their child in her new spiritual form for a beautiful meditation on grief and eternal love.
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
This program will be available to stream from October 16 at 12:00pm CT to October 22 at 11:59pm CDT.
Sold Out/Rush Only? Learn when new tickets get released by signing up for our ticket availability email list!
Sponsors
Film Supporters
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Shorts 3: After Dark – Twisted Tales & Shadows of Innocence
VariousCanada, France, United States
Learn more...
212 W Van Buren St., Suite 400Chicago, IL 60607
Phone: 312.683.0121 | Fax: 312.683.0122
info@chicagofilmfestival.com
