Lakefront Trail Maintenance Alert: Over the next several months, repairs will be made throughout the trail, one section at a time. Work will start on the south end and move north. Signage will be placed ahead of the construction site. Please be alert and safe, and avoid these active construction work zones. Learn more: Lakefront Trail Maintenance. Posted 9/15/26
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Chicago Onscreen 2026
2026’s Official Selections profile and celebrate our shared superpower of transformation. In big, profound ways and small, silly ways, these are stories of flexibility at its finest. Evidence of the strength we all possess to face the impossible and the daunting, even if we don’t know we have it. A young boy from Mexico learns Chicago winters are no joke in First Winter, a couple reckons with the fact that evolution isn’t always a straight line in one direction in COEXIST, Muddy Waters makes opportunities for himself when the music establishment won’t in Roots and Blues: The Muddy Waters MOJO Museum, a mother and daughter join forces to revive a passion after a death and loss of a restaurant in What I Am Today: Maa Maa Dei, a young woman takes matters into her own hands to level up her life in The Protagonist Gene, a closeted artist in repressive times pivots his artistry to fill a need and finds his place along the way, and the Chicago River itself reinvents itself as a garden and thriving natural habitat (with some human help) in The Wild Mile: A River Reborn.
These tales of innovation and adaptation remind us all that we can do much more, face much harder obstacles, and overcome worse odds than we can imagine.
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ABEL
"It was kind of a surprising, surprising event..." Abel Berumen, an accomplished Mexican-American photographer, woke up blind one day as a result of a rare disease called Pseudoxanthoma Elasticum. This film, made seven years after the unexpected event, reflects on the paradox of his disability: how his loss of vision has enabled him to truly see.
Directed by Brian Zahm, Produced by Tasha Matsumoto
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Be Mine, Mime
In this mixed media silent film, a hopeless romantic comedically attempts to woo a Mime at the park.
Directed by Mathew Sharifi, Produced by Grace FuCai, Matthew Sharifi, Kishore Hariharan, Smaran Kapa
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COEXIST
COEXIST is an animated documentary short that is centered on two conversations, occurring 6 years apart, between Jamie and Alicia as they discuss the journey of their relationship in the face of queer identities, transitioning, and self-destructive behaviors that have contributed to who they are today.
Directed by Angie Panganiban
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Draft Paper
Modeled after the real-life practice of US sailors being forced to censor their pin-up tattoos during World War II, Draft Paper tells the story of an unfulfilled fashion designer who has to face the moral and personal implications of creating his art during a tumultuous time in history.
Directed by Olivia Moon, Produced by Adrian Nuño and Andrew Nuño
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First Person: Civic Matters Stories
Short films about about arts, community, and justice in Chicago
Directed by David DiGangi, Produced by Bartram Nason
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First Winter
Ángel is a newly arrived immigrant who is experiencing his first winter in Chicago. The film follows his realization of what it may mean to be away from home for a very long time.
Directed by Schantelle Alonzo
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Humboldt Park Riots
Facing decades of hardship inflicted by both ethnic street gangs and the police department, Chicago's Puerto Rican community refused to endure further oppression. Humboldt Park Riots chronicles the two pivotal uprisings that forged a stronger, more resilient Puerto Rican presence in the city and redefined its future.
Directed and Produced by Javier Vargas
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Jacuzzi Man
A poolside mystic dispenses unlikely wisdom to a man who has bet everything on a dream.
Directed and Produced by Jesse Rothenberg
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Queer Up the Details
When a straight-laced mother visits her son’s home with her distracted, work-obsessed husband, she expects a normal family afternoon. Faced with an unfamiliar lifestyle, Mom is challenged to confront her preconceptions. What begins as an awkward encounter becomes an eye-opening experience, as Mom discovers that her son’s world is not something to fear, but something that might just expand her own.
Directed by Anna Rose Ii-Epstein, Produced by Anna Rose Ii-Epstein, Hannah Ii-Epstein, Lehua Ii-Michaelson, Geoffrey Michaelson and Penelope Strauss Villars
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Roots and Blues: The Muddy Waters MOJO Museum
'Roots and Blues' is a documentary exploring the extraordinary life and lasting legacy of Muddy Waters—born McKinley Morganfield—the father of modern Chicago blues. From his humble Mississippi Delta beginnings to becoming a global icon, Muddy’s journey is the embodiment of the American Dream: a testament to resilience, creativity, and the transformative power of music.
Directed by Chandra Cooper and Nate Wyse, Produced by Chandra Cooper
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Six Hour Pass
Amos, a middle-aged man is granted a coveted pass for 6 hours to be on the “outside" after years of incarceration. This film unfolds to present his choices on his first day of real freedom. What will he do? Who will he see? How do you fix broken relationships, and will there be consequences if Amos doesn’t return on time?
Directed and Produced by Juelle A. Daley
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Super Parent
Super Parent is an uplifting short film about a determined Black mother in Chicago who goes to great lengths to find the perfect birthday gift for her son — a pair of coveted New Balance sneakers designed by local fashion icon JoeFreshgoods. Set to the soulful sounds of Roy Ayers and Mary J. Blige, the film highlights themes of love, perseverance, and the bond between parent and child, as well as paying homage to Chicago’s culture and community.
Directed by Tapree Collins and Kevin Fervil, Produced by Tapree Collins, Kinswana Collins and Kevin Fervil
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Taste of Community
A group of Chicago teens set out to find restaurants in their community that are giving back.
Directed by Aiden Shah and Leila Kniffen, Produced by Amanda Saucedo and Joshua Romero
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The Good News
The Good News is a documentary about the transformation of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood—told by the people who are leading it. Once dismissed as a lost cause, Austin is now home to a movement of organizers, business owners, and residents who are reshaping the story of their community. The film captures the pride, history, and urgency of a neighborhood that refused to be defined by its past and chose to build its own future.
Directed by Christopher Hoerdemann, Produced by Norma Hoerdemann
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The Protagonist Gene
When a timid woman is medically diagnosed as a Supporting Character, she must undergo a radical procedure in order to attain Main Character energy.
Directed and Produced by Kyle Leland Cullerton
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The Wild Mile: A River Reborn
The Wild Mile is the first ever mile-long floating eco-park in the world. What is the history of this revolutionary park and what is the city of Chicago’s interest in the preservation of our wildlife eco-systems in the very famous Chicago river.
Directed by House of Bug Productions, Produced by Lexie Garrett, Taylor Evans Ghosal, Duncan Hoag and Christina Hoffmann
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What I Am Today: Maa Maa Dei
Jessica "Jaye" Fong started her pop-up, Maa Maa Dei, to capture the experience of growing up as an Asian-American restaurant kid in the Midwest. In 2022, her pop-up won Chicago Tribune's Readers Choice for Best Pop-Up/Virtual Restaurant. This film traces the roots of her creations and how embracing mediocrity as the child of immigrants can help you push beyond your comfort zone. From growing up as a Third Culture restaurant kid to pursuing a career in architecture/engineering in Chicago, this story ultimately showcases how our lineage can impact our trajectory in life and can shape what we aspire to do with the time we are given.
Directed by Ian Szetho, Produced by Eunice Wangadi and Matt Hebron
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Your Tomorrow Will Be My Song
After years of living in Chicago, a Quechua couple envisions their return to their homeland in the Andes. Memory, tradition, and tenderness converge as they reenact a conversation in which they share their hopes for what awaits them.
Directed by Fernando Saldivia Yáñez, Produced by Fernando Saldivia Yáñez and Ignacio Cavieres Maragaño