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CineYouth Program

Born This Way: Queer Stories

  Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, United States     7 shorts | 70 minutes

Screenings & Events

In-Person Screening

Sat, Apr 26 @ 4:00pm CDT

at Facets

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

Discovering who you are is an integral part of growing up, even if the world disagrees. Whether it’s awkward first dates, traveling across the universe, or reckoning with adulthood, these seven short films are not afraid of opinions or naysayers.

Please note: Films in this program contain themes, images, language, that may not be suitable for all ages.

Films

Two teenage boys walk down an alleyway together.

Alleyways

Beck Espiritu | Vallejo, California | Age 14

As new friends appear in his life, a teenage boy is uncertain how to navigate his best friend’s trans identity.

A girl sits in a bathtub facing a giant pile of clothing in the tub with her.

Within the Seams (Entre Costuras)

Olivia Mora Carrasco | Ecuador | Age 17

Burdened by her anxiety, a high school graduate, Eva, must navigate her transition to adulthood and how it affects the relationships around her. Surreal and funny, Within the Seams authentically captures the uncertainty of young adulthood.

A nonbinary person looks at themselves in the mirror, with scribbles overlaid on their figure.

Cut From My Own Cloth

Zivia Avelin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Age 18

After getting VIP tickets to their favorite artist’s show, a young non-binary person struggles to find an outfit that represents them while shopping with their parents.

Two women in fancy dresses and glittery makeup hold each other and dance in a kitchen.

Maladaptive

Petra Popper-Freedman | Chicago, Illinois | Age 20

Sophia, a maladaptive daydreamer, struggles to keep her mind in the present moment on her first date with Ingrid. Lingering too long in her romantic fantasies threatens to stall things before they begin.

A young man sits in the back seat of a car driving through the desert.

James

Tayler Gilbert | Kansas City, Missouri | Age 22

After his mother’s passing, James has two choices: family or sanity. Shot on Super 8mm, James confronts the often messy mix of religion, family, and identity as its characters learn to cope with their new bereft reality.

Two women touch foreheads surrounded by a red magical mist.

Echo Equinox

Jack Cosgriff | Czech Republic | Age 20

In this surrealist experimental piece, Echo Equinox and Nova recount their relationship as it transcends space and time. Using mixed media elements like hand-drawn rotoscope, analogue glitch art, and a blend of VHS & digital photography, Echo Equinox transports you to a world like no other.

A Black woman and a white woman sit across from each other in a bar.

Yasmin

Shabnam Alimardani Shafigh | Denmark | Age 19

Yasmin and Karoline share a clear chemistry on their first date in a romantically moody bar. Their conversation continues past closing time, and, as they leave together, Karoline’s remarks change their rapport and force Yasmin to make a decision.