CHICAGO, May 14, 2015 – The 11th annual CineYouth Festival, presented by Cinema/Chicago and the Chicago International Film Festival was held May 7-9, 2015, and concluded with an awards ceremony that honored the best films made by student filmmakers 21 years old and younger. The CineYouth Festival is a vital part of the Chicago International Film Festival’s year-round Education Program.
CineYouth, held at Presenting Partner Columbia College Chicago, screened 90 short films made by student filmmakers from around the world, including an hour of films made by female filmmakers and an hour dedicated to films made in Chicago and Illinois. A total of fourteen awards were presented, including the Rising Star Award, supported by the Chicago International Film Festival’s Junior Board and given to twelve year old Ivana Noa from Belgium for her documentary film Unofficial: Judo and the Best Documentary Award, presented to a group of young filmmakers from California for their film Curt Lowens: A Life of Changes. The Documentary category was supported by Cinema/Chicago Governing Board Chair Penelope R. Steiner and was accepted by Holocaust survivor Estelle Laughlin on behalf of the filmmakers.
Mark Eisner, parent of twelve year old CineYouth award-winner Emma said the Festival “has really helped to shape Emma’s love of filmmaking.” Additional winners hailed from Washington, Iran, Canada and Indiana. Will Jacobs, a filmmaker from Illinois said, “The CineYouth Festival was the first film festival that I’ve had my work accepted to. I will never forget my experience there.”
Also presented during the Awards Ceremony were short films made during the CineYouth Film Challenge, sponsored by KIND Healthy Snacks, which challenged student participants to work in teams and make short films in less than seven hours.
Award-winning CineYouth films will be shown in their entirety at the CineYouth “Best of the Fest” screening at the 51st Chicago International Film Festival in October.
Additional details, the full list of winners and the Film Challenge films can be found here.
CineYouth is supported by Presenting Partner Columbia College Chicago, Lead Partners KIND Healthy Snacks and Connie’s Pizza and Supporting Partners Action Booth and Vita Coco. Award winning films were underwritten by Cinema/Chicago Governing Board Chair and Junior Board, The Second City Training Center, Magnanimous Media, Women in Film Chicago, Haunted Houses Chicago and Loyola University Chicago’s School of Communication.
ABOUT CINEMA/CHICAGO
Cinema/Chicago is a not-for-profit cultural and education organization dedicated to encouraging better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image. CineYouth is part of the year-round programs presented by Cinema/Chicago, which also include the Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival Television Awards Ceremony, Intercom Competition, International Summer Screenings Program, and Education Program.
Contact:
Rebecca Fons
Education Director
30 E Adams St, Suite 800
Chicago, IL 60603
312.683.0121 x112
rfons@chicagofilmfestival.com
212 W Van Buren St., Suite 400
