Best of CineYouth 2026

The award-winning shorts of CineYouth 2026 showcase the exciting and reflective visions of eight young filmmakers from around the world. Shoe-stealing comedy, heartfelt documentary, thoughtful animation, and playful explorations of self comprise this wide-ranging program.

Fashion and Chicago’s landscape become the story and vehicle for honoring a loved one in Folded Stories. The Shoe Thief follows a young woman who steals from her one-night stands while avoiding her mother. Through sound and nature, Songs of Gentle Night explores a filmmaker’s reflection on their grandmother’s passing. La Esperanza is a thoughtful examination of one family’s relationship to the border and hopes for a reunion. Seemingly mundane items hold distinct memories in Our Pockets Are Full. In Sunny Oaks, a young man contends with a difficult request from his mother. A coal town in China navigates the consequences of returning to an old way of living in The Mine. In Bootstrapping for the Boobied, a young woman searches for herself through the teachings of a self-help guru.