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Going Places: Chicago Short Films
Synopsis
These shorts, all featured at past Festivals, display the brilliance and variety of our city’s incredible filmmakers. They explore a friendship in crisis (A Real One), the sisterhood bonds (Video Funeral), the inherent comedy of an overprotective mother (Grizzlies), a meditative cab ride (Saya), the meaning of success (Winning in America) and a supernatural animation (Step Into the River).
Screenings & Events
In-person Screening
Wed, Sep 11 @ 6:30pm CDT
at Chicago Cultural Center
Tickets available Monday, September 2.
Media
Sponsors
CineYouth Program
Chicago Lens
Synopsis
Watch the city breathe life into the stories of ten local young filmmakers. From documentaries to music videos, this program represents the city’s long-term love affair with art and culture.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Young
Shot on Super 8 Vision 3, this music video compiles stop-motion, vignettes, and performance to showcase a coming-of-age ballad.
Lisa
Rising young basketball star Lisa Thompson navigates expectations on and off the court as the number one-ranked player in Illinois.
Once Upon a Time… In Aztlan
An abstract exploration of history, belonging, memory, and knowing from an immigrant perspective.
So There’s This Girl
Young and unrequited love between two friends reaches a breaking point, rendering their relationship’s future uncertain.
I Can No Longer See
A self-portrait of trauma, dilemma, objectification, and relief told through a collection of experimental shorts.
Dissonance
Struggling to grieve the loss of a family member, a young boy spirals into self-harm before finding relief in an unlikely source.
All My Friends Are Nineteen
The friendships and intimacies (and lack thereof) that color the life of a 19-year-old college student.
Coloring Through the Eyes of Youth
Go in-depth with an After School Matters program that guides teens through crafting murals for the Belmont-Cragin community.
How to Spot a Heterosexual
A parody PSA that focuses on the real threat walking among us.
Fruit Math
One man’s wacky quest to solve a basic math problem spirals into chaos.
CineYouth Program
Friday Night Frights
Synopsis
An array of frights await in this assortment of horror films. These shorts from around the world tap into our most primal fears and darkest secrets in unique, uncanny, and inventive ways.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
Artist on the Go! (DS Advanced Unreleased Gameplay)
A surreal, nightmarish game in which the player (or the viewer) is confronted with abstract and frightening tasks to complete.
The Body
An abstract tone poem, which uses the human body as a landscape for a variety of sensations and processes.
Rat King
A young boy’s affinity for a dead rat brings dire consequences to himself and his local community.
The Veiling of a Heart
Devout Catholic Miriam is forced to choose between forbidden romance and religious obligation.
AMPM
An obsessive workaholic pits his wits against a loud drummer in a battle for peace and quiet.
CineYouth Program
Imagination Adventure: Family Friendly
Synopsis
The journey of growing up is an adventure filled with boundless possibilities and endless imagination. Eight young filmmakers from diverse backgrounds showcase their incredible talent and creativity in this all-ages program, transforming the screen into a vibrant cinematic playground.
Films
Baby Boot (Botitas)
In order to protect her favorite baby boots, Valery embarks on a playful “Baby Boots Battle” with her school.
Be Mine, Mime
In a world devoid of color, sound, and hope, a mime and a young man fall in love, bringing vibrancy to each other’s lives.
Submerged
As a boy explores the ocean in his dream, his joy fades when he uncovers human-induced perils beneath the once-clear waters, sparking his determination to take action.
Brushstrokes
As a painter who awakens colors in the grayscale world, a young boy, on his first day of work with his father, seems to have unconventional ideas.
The Spelling Bee
Preparing for the spelling bee, high schooler Barry stumbles upon a lucky winning clue.
Daydreamers
After discovering a mysterious map, two lively sisters embark on a magical treasure hunt and discover a reward better than gold at the end of the path.
Downwind
Obsessed with launching paper airplanes, Milly’s playtime ignites conflict between mother and daughter.
Broccoli Chase
A little girl dreams of fleeing and dodging the dreaded broccoli.
Sponsors
Presented by
CineYouth Program
Odysseys: Drama
Synopsis
Follow along on the eclectic journeys of vibrant characters as they face the trials and tribulations of their lives. Travel back to 1940’s France, race alongside a fugitive teen, or come of age with a crew of misfit girls in this selection of bold and inventive works by the next generation of narrative storytellers.
Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, and language that may not be suitable for all ages.
Films
The Damp Season
In this drama about family ties, a young girl comes across the teenaged version of her immigrant mother from whom she has long been estranged. A newfound empathy for her mother leads them to reconnect.
Caterpillars House (Lou, notre maison s’envole)
A young girl, soon to move away from her hometown, runs away with her best friends. But as each friend slowly abandons the plan, the girl is forced to accept her reality and the heartbreak of losing friendships.
Recollect
A boy wakes up in a desert with no recollection of what happened to him. He hitchhikes back to town and comes to a horrifying realization as he begins to remember the actions that led him to this car.
Space Coast
A group of friends come to terms with the end of childhood in a dying tourist town home to the former space program.
On the paths awakened (Sur les sentiers éveillés)
In WW2 France, two teenagers are employed to deliver messages for the Resistance. Their journey will be long and arduous and not without moral dilemma, but they must push on, for liberty’s sake.