Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1

Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 brings together the best of the so-called niche cinemas – queer, Asian American, black, experimental, etc. – culled from local film festivals, micro-cinemas, and film schools. This eclectic collection boasts award-winning films including a finalist for the 2014 Student Academy Award and the recipient of a Human Rights Award from Nielsen Reviews. Collectively, the films featured in Chicagoland Shorts Vol. 1 have screened nationally and internationally at museums, galleries, and over 100 competitive film festivals.

Curated by:
Eugene Sun Park
Kayla Ginsburg
Beckie Stocchetti (Kartemquin Films)

The Films

Featured
Queen of My Dreams Fawzia Mirza & Ryan Logan As a young girl, Fawzia Mirza fell under the spell of Bollywood heroines and their promise of love and feminine perfection. In Queen of My Dreams , Mirza re-imagines the epic romance in the cl

Queen of My Dreams
Fawzia Mirza & Ryan Logan

As a young girl, Fawzia Mirza fell under the spell of Bollywood heroines and their promise of love and feminine perfection. In Queen of My Dreams, Mirza re-imagines the epic romance in the classic film Aradhana in a new queer light. Written and directed by Fawzia Mirza and Ryan Logan, it was an official selection of over 50 major festivals, including the Chicago International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival and Outfest.

Jaspa’ Jenkins Robert-Carnilius As a radio advertisement pours poison in his ears, Jasper Jenkins wants one thing-- to be an All-American civilized member of society. The only problem is, he’s Black. This narrative silent short screened at the

Jaspa’ Jenkins
Robert-Carnilius

As a radio advertisement pours poison in his ears, Jasper Jenkins wants one thing-- to be an All-American civilized member of society. The only problem is, he’s Black. This narrative silent short screened at the Chicago International Film Festival and was a Student Academy Award Finalist.

Western Candyland Robert-Carnilius This animated short is a fun and whimsical look at gender roles and child imagineering.

Western Candyland
Robert-Carnilius

This animated short is a fun and whimsical look at gender roles and child imagineering.

Premute Lydia Fu Existential heroine Lulu attempts to solve a cryptic fate that she is only able to discover through the oblique vignettes of a film noir cityscape. Permute was an Official Selection for Miami shorts, and has screened internat

Premute
Lydia Fu

Existential heroine Lulu attempts to solve a cryptic fate that she is only able to discover through the oblique vignettes of a film noir cityscape. Permute was an Official Selection for Miami shorts, and has screened internationally at venues such as the Vancouver Asian Film Festival, DisOrient Asian Film Festival, and Anifest in Prague. Permute also won Fu Best VFX at the Vancouver Short Film Festival.

Moms and Dads Fred Frederiksen & Dylan Jones Moms and Dads beautifully and comically merges the filmmakers' passion for music through film performance. The film spotlights one man's nostalgia for the lessons of goodness enforced by hi

Moms and Dads
Fred Frederiksen & Dylan Jones

Moms and Dads beautifully and comically merges the filmmakers' passion for music through film performance. The film spotlights one man's nostalgia for the lessons of goodness enforced by his parents

THE CAROUSEL, 1952-1987 (AMANDA TAVES)
THE CAROUSEL, 1952-1987 (AMANDA TAVES)

The Carousel, 1952-1987
Amanda Taves

This experimental short from Amanda Taves blends a dream-like description of a landscape marked by genocide with found slide footage from the era of the Kodak Carousel slide projector, to explore the effects of memory and individual translation on the stories we tell.

Mae’s Journal Amir George Mae's Journal is an experimental chronicle of the historic 1992 space mission of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space. Through six fictional journal entries, Mae's journey is imagined

Mae’s Journal
Amir George

Mae's Journal is an experimental chronicle of the historic 1992 space mission of Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman to travel in space. Through six fictional journal entries, Mae's journey is imagined through recreated and actual footage of the STS-47 voyage.

Shirley’s Kids Michael Paulucci Shirley’s Kids is a short documentary focusing on a woman who lost all four of her children to gun violence. It has received national recognition, winning a Human Rights Award from Nielsen Reviews.

Shirley’s Kids
Michael Paulucci

Shirley’s Kids is a short documentary focusing on a woman who lost all four of her children to gun violence. It has received national recognition, winning a Human Rights Award from Nielsen Reviews.

Train Valia O’Donnell In her animation Train , Valia O’Donnell pulls from the familiar to present a surreal interpretation of riding the Chicago Green line train.

Train
Valia O’Donnell

In her animation Train, Valia O’Donnell pulls from the familiar to present a surreal interpretation of riding the Chicago Green line train.

Self-Deportation Eugene Sun Park An Asian American woman crosses over into a surreal world after a series of strange encounters on the subway. Caught in an endless loop of subway cars and mysterious hallways, she becomes lost in the fantastic

Self-Deportation
Eugene Sun Park

An Asian American woman crosses over into a surreal world after a series of strange encounters on the subway. Caught in an endless loop of subway cars and mysterious hallways, she becomes lost in the fantastical landscape of "Real America" -- dreamlike environments populated by various American archetypes. An official selection of the DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, Speechless Film Festival, and the Ithaca Pan Asian Film Festival.

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