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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.