CineYouth Program
Pulling Focus: Documentary
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Whether it’s a visual love letter to far away relatives, a detailed account of individuals’ experiences of colorism, or a behind-the-scenes look into the meticulous process of crafting authentic Lion Dance Heads, these seven personal documentaries shed light on lives, beliefs, and cultures.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, language, that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Places Nowhere
While discussing the topic of unexplainable memories with his friends, Filmmaker Alex Chen recounts a childhood memory of going to a mall with an exterior that was “painted like the sky.” He always figured it was a figment of his imagination… except his friend remembers the same mall. Assembling many years’ worth of archival and personal footage, Alex Chen attempts to rediscover the feeling of being in this long-forgotten mall.
Memories of a new destination (Records d’un nou destí)
Told through postcards and first-hand experiences, this film is a touching tribute to those that have traveled away from home. This profound documentary provides an avenue for the filmmakers to have a deeper connection with their relatives, learn more about their lives, and comprehend the bravery it must have taken for each of them to start anew.
A-Okay
In the form of a letter to their past self, filmmaker J Fitzpatrick takes the viewer on a deeply intimate journey through their early experiences (or lack thereof) of crushes and discovery of asexual and aromantic spectrums. Told in the second person perspective, A-Okay examines the highly sexualized society we live in and explores harmful stigmas surrounding sexual orientations, while also giving a voice (and advice) to those within the underrepresented communities.
Epiphany
This colorful documentary follows the mother and daughter team of Master Li and Master Zhou as they work through all the steps of creating traditional Lion Dance Heads. The observational camera work captures the details of their craft as Li and Zhou share their family heritage and the cultural significance of the artform.
Tainted by the Visual
Through an immersive viewing experience, filmmaker Laura Calzada explores the subjective experiences of blind individuals and uses different techniques to express sound artist Andy Slater’s experience of how vision loss reshaped his perception of sound.
Stay Out of the Sun
This vignette-style multimedia documentary discusses the global cultural practice of colorism. Various women recount their individual experiences and opinions about this issue from childhood through adulthood.
Butterflies
In this celebration of love and resilience, high school sweethearts Quinn and Josh reflect on the prom night that turned a mother’s fears into a moment of triumph. Through heartfelt stories and reflections, Butterflies challenges perceptions of disability, demonstrating that love knows no boundaries and victories, no matter how small they may seem, are always worth celebrating.
Sponsors
Program Sponsor
CineYouth Program
Worlds of Whimsy: Family Friendly
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
From super-powered junk food battles to big city adventures, get ready to jump into worlds that are larger than life! Ten young filmmakers from around the world use their vast imaginations to create dynamic stories filled with action, adventure, animals, big laughs, and much more.
Films
Just an Ordinary Day
Shot in the style of a silent-era film, this very short short follows a young girl and her little brother as they recreate Chaplin-esque antics across a city landscape.
The Orange
An older woman attempting to enjoy an orange is rudely interrupted by a noisy and persistent bird.
Junk Food Kids 2
When the evil villain Max Sweets uses junk food to turn kids into his minions, a fearless group of young heroes known as the Vegingers must band together to stop him.
Berry the Mouse: In the City
A mouse and a squirrel find themselves caught up in the chaos of the big city in this witty animation.
Pips
Playing cards move whimsically across brightly colored backgrounds in a brief joyful dance.
A Duck, A Window, & A Sandwich
A duck out for a lunchtime stroll is rudely interrupted when his sandwich gets sucked through a mysterious window and into a multiverse beyond space and time.
Uno Out
To ease the tension and stress from transferring to a new high school, Willow befriends the exclusive Uno clique. According to Willow, Uno is life, whether you like it or not.
Threads
A boy and a lion form a deep connection until the lion suddenly disappears.
You’ve Got This, Allie!
While trying to get to her school, Allie finds herself lost in a new city. Along the journey, she’ll discover how her community will guide her way.
> 1
Featuring a gentle song by Steve Burns this tender music video showcases the wonder of siblings and a nostalgia for childhood.
Sponsors
Program Sponsor
CineYouth Program
Far From Home
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Offered as a tribute to our roots, these sentimental and tender shorts lovingly consider identity and belonging. Containing stories of migration, disconnection from ancestry, and striving to fit in, this program addresses what it takes to feel at home in a complicated world.
Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Don Chingón
A young Mexican immigrant searches his new city for a culinary cure to homesickness.
The Spectacular Quiet
In this documentary, a young girl explores the complexity of her bi-racial identity through dance. Facing questions of belonging, self-acceptance, and identity, Sierra navigates growing up as one of few mixed-race people in her predominantly white community.
Mixed Signals
A cross-cultural conversation around Western ideas of dating and love occurs when a married Arab immigrant ventures out on his first online date.
Moroccan Haircut
What do culture and hair have in common? They both have roots. In this clever essay film, a young man visits a barber shop hoping to reconnect with his heritage.
Housekeepers
Translating is a difficult job; translating bad news to your mother is even harder. A daughter of a Japanese Immigrant finds herself in a tight spot in this melancholy film.
Volador
Eighteen-year-old aspiring photographer Mateo begins to doubt his choice to immigrate to Michigan from Morella as he struggles to establish himself professionally. This charming and humorous narrative follows Mateo and a cast of lovable characters as he seeks guidance from his friends and reflects on the highs and low of following a dream.
CineYouth Program
Between Me and You
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Captivating visuals and unconventional storytelling illuminate a wide range of relations between parents and children, best of friends, and bitter enemies. These seven shorts explore how the different people we encounter in our lives can have a lasting effect on us for better or for worse.
Note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages, including guns and violence.
Films
Check Please
In this comedy action film, a Korean and a Korean-American fight over their pride, honor, and who gets to pick up the tab.
Bi-Nocular Panic
Two young girls spend an afternoon in the park spying on boys when one of them discovers something new about themself.
Until He’s Born
Years after the death of his unborn brother, a teenager comes face to face with his guilt and grief in this beautiful rumination on tradition and family set during China’s one-child policy.
Loose Lace
Lighten up with this lighthearted film, which unites two of our favorite things – skating and pizza – to subtly depict humans being human.
Desync
Confronting the past, a young Filipina filmmaker re-lives a painful conversation with her mother to produce the perfect movie scene of a mother and daughter cooking. Sophisticated camera work shifts the scene between the present-day movie set and her memory exploring the complexity of the mother-daughter dynamic.
Just. Drop. Dead.
Two inept hitmen struggle to complete their latest job. Their target? A man with dance moves so rhythmic that he seems to dodge death at every turn.
The New Raymond
After an attempted break-in goes wrong, a burglar is held captive by the homeowners–a grieving couple with a sinister plan for bringing their son back.
CineYouth Program
Scream Screen
Screenings & Events
Virtual Screening
Available to stream Mon, April 28 @ 12:00pm CT through Sun, May 4 @ 11:59pm CT for a 48-hour watch window.
Synopsis
Tense up with horror hits from filmmakers all over the world. These unconventional yet chilling shorts will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Please note: Films in this program contain flashing lights and themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
The Mechanization of Man
Diagnosed with terminal insomnia, Cillian clings to his past, obsessively building a time machine in his final days only for it to fail. With shifting visual styles and a driving pace, The Mechanization of Man is a compelling thriller.
Runway Kill
The latest fashion trend is not what you think. When a loner gets in with the cool kids by fixing their outfits, she finds her own gruesome way of being stylish.
Pongo Labyrinth [VTuber KawaiiMermaid120’s Final Livestream]
Enter the nightmare-fueled and abstract final live stream of a virtual YouTuber. Nathan William Frost, winner of CineYouth’s 2024 Rising Star Award, delivers an otherworldly, unsettling experience, this time utilizing stop-motion animation, found footage, and horror video game conventions.
The Last Chapel
Embrace the silliness of this zany and pink-tinted comedy, in which a wedding chapel dedicated to the late Poolvis Poodle is shut down by the poodle’s money-grubbing estate advisors. Highlighted by its eccentric production design and over-the-top performances, The Last Chapel marries (!!!) live-action and animation to create a wholly unique vision.
Barracuda
Jack’s pet fish have been disappearing at night, and it dominates his every thought. He suspects his younger brother, who has been acting strangely lately. Filmmaker Izzy Dalton deploys distinct, varied styles to contrast the mundane daytime against the bizarre, eerie night.
Timer
Two hotel workers compete in an off-kilter game to kill time. When the clock stops, so does the game – but that doesn’t mean their increasingly disturbing behavior will. Tensions escalate, and their anger starts to get out of hand.
Seventh Heaven
A young man experiences sensory overload at a party sending him on an ever-changing trip. Fast-paced and packed with unexpected surprises, Seventh Heaven is an experiential, exhilarating ride.
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