CineYouth Festival Leans on Columbia College Chicago Student Talent Behind the Scenes and on the Screens

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The annual Chicago festival to screen films by Columbia students and alums, with Columbia students serving on the festival’s youth programming committee.

The CineYouth Festival in Chicago will screen the films of two Cinema and Television Arts recent alums and four students. Columbia students also worked behind the scenes at CineYouth as part of the youth programming committee, reviewing more than 350 films from around the globe from filmmakers ages 10 to 22.  

The event will be held in-person April 19 to 21 at Facets in Chicago and will stream April 24 to 30. All CineYouth events are free and open to the public (see full schedule and information for tickets).   

Here are the selected films made by Columbia alums and students: 

  • “Youth”– Sophomore Jacob Sutton and Adelaide Wilson ‘23 
  • “Dissonance” – Jason Hart ‘23 
  • "Daydreamers” – Sophomore Yanely “Nelly” Castellanos  
  • “Treasure Haunt” – Sophomore Carlos Lerma 
  • “After Love” – First-year student Chris Derek Van 

The students serving on CineYouth’s youth programming committee included:  

  • Dante Dammit, Junior  
  • Ziyi Yuan, Senior  
  • Jonah Hall English, Senior  

About the Films 

Young  

Jacob Sutton, senior; Adelaide Wilson ‘23  

promo photo for young

Friday, April 19, 7 p.m. 

Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m. (Open Captions Presentation) 

Shot on Super 8 Vision 3, this music video compiles stop-motion, vignettes, and performance to showcase a coming-of-age ballad. 

Dissonance  

Jason Hart ‘23 

promo photo for dissonance

 Friday, April 19, 7 p.m. 

Sunday, April 19, 6 p.m. (Open Captions Presentation) 

Struggling to grieve the loss of a family member, a young boy spirals into self-harm before finding relief in an unlikely source. 

Daydreamers 

Yanely “Nelly” Castellanos

promo photo of daydreamers

Saturday, April 20, 1 p.m. 

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. 

Treasure Haunt  

Carlos Lerma, sophomore 

promo image of haunted

Sunday, April 21, 12:30 p.m. 

Longing for a single hug, a man traverses all boundaries and drinks the ghost potion, flying toward his love. 

After Love  

Chris Derek Van  

promo photo of after love

Sunday, April 21, 2 p.m. 

In city apartments, an 18-year-old and a middle-aged man form an intimate bond amid shared isolation.