2019 CineYouth Award Winners
Best Overall Film
NO SUCH SUNRISE
by Dana Brandes-Simon, Laura Li & Cella Wright (age 22), Oberlin, OH
Award Partner:
Chicago International Film Festival
Best Comedy
HARLS
by Kenzie Sutton (Age 21), Longwood, FL
Category Jury:
Ron Falzone, Gary Fox, Julia Sweeney
Award Partner:
Harold Ramis Film School
Best Horror
BUTTERFLY
by Ella McKeon (age 11), Los Angeles, CA
Category Jury:
Dan Hudson, Bret Berg, Marie Zeniter
Award Partner:
Charles Droege and Julie Wroblewski
Best Experimental
UMBILICAL CORD TO HEAVEN
by Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan (age 22), Philippines
Category Jury:
Sam Flancher, Mina Fitzpatrick
Award Partner:
Dr. Jennifer S. Kim
Chicago Award
OUR TRANSITION
by Connor O’Keefe (age 21) of Chicago, IL
Special Mention
PANZóN by Emilio Nieto (age 19), Chicago, IL
Award Partner:
Brenda Robinson
Best Drama
WASTELAND
by Gustav Bondeson (age 20), Sweden
Special Mention
LADIES DAY by Abena Taylor-Smith (Age 22), United Kingdom
Category Jury:
John Otterbacher, Emilie Upczak, Patrick Underwood
Award Partner:
Byron and Judy Pollock
Best LGBTQ+
JULIE
by Alexander Bergmann (age 22), Germany
Category Jury:
Nick Davis, Kara Keeling, Sebastien Levy
Award Partner:
Steven H. Kwate
Best Documentary
LOST TIME
by Leo Pfeifer (age 20), Seattle, WA
Category Jury:
Mercedes Kane, Chad Freidrichs
Award Partner:
Columbia College
Women in Cinema Award
WILD
by Morgana McKenzie (age 18), Canada
Special Mention
PARTY OF TWO by Maria Alvarez (age 21), Los Angeles, CA
Category Jury:
Susan Kerns, Gabriela Díaz de Sabaté, Kristin Peterson, Layne Marie Williams
Award Partner:
Flashpoint
Best Animation
EVERYFLOWER
by Cai Yuanqing (age 22), China/France
Special Mention
Pitiguá by Paula Martínez Cirilo (age 22), Puerto Rico
Category Jury:
Killian Heilsberg, Chris Tedin, Michael Galbincea
Award Partner:
Flashpoint
Best International
LOOK INTO MY EYES
by Students from Rey Pastor High School (ages 16-17), Spain
Special Mention
ONYE NMEFIE (The Trespasser) by William Boyd (age 22), Nigeria/United Kingdom
Category Jury:
Mercedes Kane, Chad Freidrichs
Award Partner:
Pasfarda
Rising Star Award
GREY HEART
Theo Taplitz (age 15), Los Angeles, CA
Special Mention
SOCKS by Callahan Bracken (age 16), Canada
Award Partner:
Chicago International Film Festival Associate Board
Audience Award
MAD LIB PIXIE DREAM GIRL
by Kylie Murphy (age 22), Shrewsberry, NJ
Award Partner:
Chicago International Film Festival