Navigation

Film Countries Archives: United States

< Back to CineYouth schedule

CineYouth Program

Far From Home

  Australia, Bahrain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States     6 shorts | 71 minutes

Synopsis

Offered as a tribute to our roots, these sentimental and tender shorts lovingly consider identity and belonging. Containing stories of migration, disconnection from ancestry, and striving to fit in, this program addresses what it takes to feel at home in a complicated world.

Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.

Films

A young Mexican man stands on a balcony surrounded by green fireworks

Don Chingón

Carlos Lerma | Chicago, Illinois | Age 22

A young Mexican immigrant searches his new city for a culinary cure to homesickness.

A teenage black girl stands in the back of a group of white dancers

The Spectacular Quiet

Sierra Buah | Colorado Springs, Colorado | Age 17

In this documentary, a young girl explores the complexity of her bi-racial identity through dance. Facing questions of belonging, self-acceptance, and identity, Sierra navigates growing up as one of few mixed-race people in her predominantly white community.

A married couple lay in bed next to each other not making eye contact

Mixed Signals

Zaid Sater | United Arab Emirates; Bahrain; Saudi Arabia; New York, New York | Age 22

A cross-cultural conversation around Western ideas of dating and love occurs when a married Arab immigrant ventures out on his first online date.

A barber holds a razor blade trimming his clients beard

Moroccan Haircut

Malik Terrab | Arlington, Virginia | Age 22

What do culture and hair have in common? They both have roots. In this clever essay film, a young man visits a barber shop hoping to reconnect with his heritage.

A mother and daughter sit across from each other at their kitchen table with folded hands

Housekeepers

Kaede Miyamura | Australia | Age 22

Translating is a difficult job; translating bad news to your mother is even harder. A daughter of a Japanese Immigrant finds herself in a tight spot in this melancholy film.

A Mexican teenager stands in front of a supermarket smiling

Volador

Miguel Angel Hernandez & Tessa Elizabeth Osborne | Mexico; Grand Rapids, Michigan | Age 19

Eighteen-year-old aspiring photographer Mateo begins to doubt his choice to immigrate to Michigan from Morella as he struggles to establish himself professionally. This charming and humorous narrative follows Mateo and a cast of lovable characters as he seeks guidance from his friends and reflects on the highs and low of following a dream.

< Back to CineYouth schedule

CineYouth Program

Scream Screen

  Canada, Iran, Ireland, United States     7 shorts | 69 minutes

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

A black and white image of a person falling through an endless black abyss.

The Mechanization of Man

Eion Nunez | Los Angeles, California | Age 17

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.

A young woman with a concerned expression looks at something furry in the foreground of the frame.

Runway Kill

Graham Bennett | Canada | Age 22

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.

Within an otherworldly location, an eyeless claymation orangutan gapes into the camera

Pongo Labyrinth [VTuber KawaiiMermaid120’s Final Livestream]

Nathan William Frost | Montgomery, Illinois | Age 20

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.

A wedding pastor, dressed as a pink poodle, is confronted by two men mid-wedding.

The Last Chapel

Kate Saltel | Los Angeles, California | Age 21

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.

A young boy, with a hostile expression on his face, observes two yellow fish swimming in their tank.

Barracuda

Izzy Dalton | Ireland | Age 17

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.

A man sits on a stack of tires with his feet on a man hunched down on the ground.

Timer

Shirin Shakhs & Satar Sanjari | Iran | Age 21

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.

Back of a girl in white bow and dress, standing in a forest

Seventh Heaven

Syrus Gupta & Davis Knocke | Dallas, Texas | Age 16

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.

< Back to Community Cinema page

United Skates

  Dyana Winkler and Tina Brown

  United States    

Synopsis

A rousing tribute to roller-skating’s pivotal role in the African-American community, United Skates careens around the country, offering an intimate look at a lively subculture that’s under threat. Facing discriminatory policies and rink closures, committed skaters from around the country—including Chicago’s own Buddy Love—fight to preserve a space for people to come together and express themselves in sliding, bouncing, snapping glory.

 English 
  89 minutes

Screenings & Events

Media

Sponsors

In Partnership With

Logo: Chicago Park District 110x110

With Support From

logo: Allstate 199x50Logo: AV Chicago 280x90

< Back to Summer Screenings page

Going Places: Chicago Short Films

  McKenzie Chinn, Linh Tran, Fawzia Mirza, Anam Abbas, Alex Heller, Weijia Ma, and Amrita Singh

  United States    

Synopsis

These shorts, all featured at past Festivals, display the brilliance and variety of our city’s incredible filmmakers. They explore a friendship in crisis (A Real One), the sisterhood bonds (Video Funeral), the inherent comedy of an overprotective mother (Grizzlies), a meditative cab ride (Saya), the meaning of success (Winning in America) and a supernatural animation (Step Into the River).


  77 minutes

Screenings & Events

Media

Sponsors

Logo: DCASE/Chicago Film Office (202) - 450x75

< Back to CineYouth schedule

CineYouth Program

Chicago Lens

  United States     10 shorts | 68 minutes

Synopsis

Watch the city breathe life into the stories of ten local young filmmakers. From documentaries to music videos, this program represents the city’s long-term love affair with art and culture.

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

Films

The back of a person wearing headphone's head, with a CTA train station in the background.

Young

Jacob Sutton, Adelaide Wilson | Chicago | Ages 21 & 22

Shot on Super 8 Vision 3, this music video compiles stop-motion, vignettes, and performance to showcase a coming-of-age ballad.

A close up of a young woman in uniform sitting on the sidelines of a basketball game.

Lisa

Laya Bena Hartman & Jiaxin Wei | Joliet | Age 21

Rising young basketball star Lisa Thompson navigates expectations on and off the court as the number one-ranked player in Illinois.

A boy leans against a mural painted with symbols of the Aztec culture.

Once Upon a Time… In Aztlan

Andres Carlos | Chicago | Age 20

An abstract exploration of history, belonging, memory, and knowing from an immigrant perspective.

Two young people stand next to each other and stare up at the sky.

So There’s This Girl

Isis Gullette | Chicago | Age 18

Young and unrequited love between two friends reaches a breaking point, rendering their relationship’s future uncertain.

A person crouches on a stool within a dark room that is filled with different kinds of lamps.

I Can No Longer See

Raine Yung | Chicago | Age 22

A self-portrait of trauma, dilemma, objectification, and relief told through a collection of experimental shorts.

A young man sits at a piano with his head titled down

Dissonance

Jason Hart | Chicago | Age 22

Struggling to grieve the loss of a family member, a young boy spirals into self-harm before finding relief in an unlikely source.

Two college-age friends relax on a couch together, laughing.

All My Friends Are Nineteen

Jadyn Proulx | Chicago | Age 19

The friendships and intimacies (and lack thereof) that color the life of a 19-year-old college student.

A diverse group of young people, both sitting on the floor and standing, paint colorful murals in a community space.

Coloring Through the Eyes of Youth

Olivia Santiago | Chicago | Age 16

Go in-depth with an After School Matters program that guides teens through crafting murals for the Belmont-Cragin community.

A black and white photo of a man sitting formally behind an old-fashioned desk.

How to Spot a Heterosexual

Adamson Novak | Chicago | Age 21

A parody PSA that focuses on the real threat walking among us.

A bespectacled young man carefully inspects a table of oranges.

Fruit Math

Sam Friedman, Casey Wangman, Maddie Morse, Ryan Magrisi | Evanston | Age 21

One man’s wacky quest to solve a basic math problem spirals into chaos.