By Charlotte H.
From April 25 to 27, artists from around the world gathered in Chicago for CineYouth, an annual festival showcasing the work of young filmmakers.
Founded in 2005, CineYouth is part of Cinema/Chicago, the group behind the Chicago International Film Festival. It was created to provide a platform for filmmakers 22 and under to share their work and connect with the film industry.
For the 2025 festival, the CineYouth programming team selected 79 films from hundreds of submissions, featuring filmmakers from 21 countries. These films were presented over three days at Chicago’s FACETS film center, in thematic screening blocks ranging from “In the Loop: Chicago Voices” to “Scream Screen” and “Born This Way: Queer Stories.” Filmmakers also participated in workshops and mixers with their peers.
Programmer Yanelli Castellanos said she and her team were “completely blown away by the passion these young filmmakers poured into their respective films.” She added, “What universally grabbed the programmers’ attention were the films that had something to say unapologetically. The films that put us on the edge of our seats, that made us cry together, made us laugh together. It is a reminder of how powerful filmmaking is as an art form.”
One of these filmmakers was Carlos Lerma, 22, from Mexico. He believes CineYouth has improved his work, explaining, “When I did CineYouth for the first time last year, I was doing well with my animation shorts, but my live-action ones weren’t getting as much festival attention. Going to CineYouth and seeing other fellow teens and twenty-somethings’ shorts made me realize that I needed to step up my game. I took notes on what worked and what didn’t, and now after all that, I’m back at CineYouth for a second time with a live-action short!”
Lerma also values the festival’s sense of community: “I love audience reactions. We, as entertainers, exist for the audience. It’s always so rewarding to hear a laugh, an ‘aww,’ or even . . . a gasp!” He added, “Professionally, I also take away all the cool friends I met at CineYouth.”
Programmer Castellanos encourages new artists to connect with the festival, saying, “CineYouth is so important for young filmmakers because it recognizes the potential that young people have when we allow them to create for themselves. They are the next directors, writers, animators in this industry and will reshape the way we see films as a whole. I hope people become more involved with CineYouth and festivals just like it.”
To learn more about participating in CineYouth and to view this year’s winning films, visit https://www.chicagofilmfestival.com/cineyouth.
