CineYouth Festival Returns to Screens April 24-24

Highlighting Filmmakers 22 Years Old and Younger, the 17th CineYouth Festival Presents 71 International Short Films

Cinema/Chicago today announced details surrounding the 17th CineYouth Festival, running April 22 – 24 in person at FACETS (1517 W. Fullerton Ave.) and available virtually worldwide April 25 – May 1, 2022. Featuring 71 international short films written and directed by filmmakers 22 years old and younger, this year’s CineYouth slate includes films from 17 countries, with more than half of the titles directed or co-directed by female-identifying filmmakers, and ten by directors identifying as nonbinary. 17 titles will be holding their World Premieres at CineYouth, and another 12 will be celebrating their U.S. Premieres. All events and screenings are free and open to the public, with tickets available now.

Cinema/Chicago today also released the official CineYouth 2022 festival trailer, featuring glimpses of many of this year’s extraordinary film achievements.

“As CineYouth returns to in-person screenings at FACETS, these young filmmakers are setting the bar for the next generation of cinema,” said CineYouth Festival Director Ryan Saunders. “These artists have created inspiring, challenging, and insightful films despite the uniquely difficult environment in which they have worked over these last two years.”

“CineYouth is an essential part of Cinema/Chicago’s year-round programming, showing us the world through the eyes of young filmmakers,” added Artistic Director Mimi Plauché. “This year, we are back in the theater while still making these films available virtually to audiences worldwide, showcasing the creativity and vision of the young talent we will be watching for decades to come.”

CineYouth opens at FACETS on April 22 with a 7 p.m. screening of the Chicagoland shorts program, featuring 11 short films that give voice to the vibrant cinematic cultures of the Chicagoland area, celebrating the diversity of experience found in our city.

This year’s slate includes 10 short film programs spanning a range of genres and themes, including Playtime: Animation, featuring animated shorts from Australia, Kyrgyzstan, India and Poland, and more; the documentary shorts series Speak, Memory: Documentary; Searching For Home, illustrating the emotional challenges and complexities of the immigrant experience; and Project a World: Experimental, in which young filmmakers employ claymation, digital collage, 16mm photography, triptych displays, and more to explore our evolving world.

The CineYouth Awards Ceremony, presented by Adobe, will be held on April 24, 2022, at 5:30 p.m. at FACETS, at which awards in nine categories will be given to CineYouth filmmakers, including the Rising Star Award presented by Adobe; the Chicago Award presented by DePaul University; Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, and International Film awards; and the Social Impact Award presented by Make It Better Media Group. A selection of award-winning CineYouth films will be screened at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival, running October 12-23, 2022.

In addition to screenings, CineYouth features live events including workshops in collaboration with partners Adobe and DePaul University, along with filmmaker Q&As for select programs.

Led by major sponsors Adobe, DePaul University, and Make It Better Media Group, CineYouth is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and a CityArts Grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & Special Events; Official Agency: Ogilvy; Official Publicity Agency: Acacia Consulting Group; Additional Support: Acqua Panna, Dark Matter Coffee, Perrier; Partner Venue: FACETS.

For more information and a full schedule of presentations, visit our CineYouth page.