Author: chicagofilmfestival

A showcase of the best new films from around the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Best Feature Film: TRAIL MIX
Best Performances: SMALL TOWN GIRLS
Best Comedy Film: HAMMERSTONE MEETS WOOFSTOCK
Best Story: ROUTINE
Best Direction: SUPER VILLAIN COFFEE
Best Student Film: THE CALLBACK
Best Micro-Short: COSMIC RHAPSODY: A JOURNEY OF HOPE

Trail Mix, 50min,. USA
Directed by Glenn Robert Sweitzer
Trail Mix follows a 2,000-mile journey from Georgia to Maine, uncovering the personal struggles and healing of hikers seeking solace, purpose, and transformation. Directed by Glenn Sweitzer, the film reveals how nature becomes a powerful path back to wholeness.

http://trailmix.film/https://instagram.com/trailmix_film

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-trail-mix

SMALL TOWN GIRLS, 4min., USA
Directed by Layal Hamdeh
Feeling confined by their small empty town and unambitious locals, Jasmine and Sarah entertain the idea of moving away to New York.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-small-town-girls

Hammerstone Meets Woofstock, 20min., Canada
Directed by Josh Holliday
A film that straddles the line between narrative and documentary, landing squarely on comedy. Steve Hammerstone is a small town radio host and big time buffoon, who’s sent to explore Woofstock: North America’s largest festival for dogs.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-hammerstone

Routine, 5min., Canada
Directed by Abo Fall
Meet Benedicte, a happy young woman living in a beautiful, heavenly garden where she doesn’t have a single worry in the world. She loves to wander around, lay on the grass and simply live in the moment.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-routine

Super Villain Coffee, 15min., USA
Directed by Leonard Frank Smith
“Supervillain Coffee” is a satirical comedy about Maximum “Chaos” Maxwell, a once-feared supervillain now slinging espresso in a hip downtown coffee shop. Max trades doomsday devices for latte art, grumbling about his past while perfecting milk foam with the precision of a mad scientist. His sidekick in this caffeine-fueled redemption arc is Travis “The Trendsetter” Thompson, ex-villain obsessed with livestreaming his barista life for TikTok clout—complete with hashtags like #VillainToVanilla. The shop’s a circus of chaos and coffee until Captain Righteous, Max’s old heroic nemesis, struts in to rub salt in the wound with smug jabs and a lactose-laden latte order that backfires hilariously. Between plunging toilets and dodging Travis’s phone, Max wrestles with his villainous past and barista present—until a rare moment of wisdom from Travis hints at deeper redemption, only for Max to shrug it off with a grunt. It’s a wild brew of absurdity, heart, and sharp laughs—a tale of evil gone mild, one overpriced coffee at a time.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-super-villian-coffee

THE CALLBACK, 10min., Canada
ISAAC is one of several actors auditioning for the lead in the globally renowned action franchise: MAX STORM. Every actor has been invited into the audition room, which is empty aside from a table with a black covering. Suddenly, they’re greeted by the voice of director DEAN WEST over the intercom. “Do whatever it takes to secure the role.” The tablecloth comes off, revealing a massive collection of deadly melee weapons. Everyone is skeptical, but distrust is already growing. When one of the actors sets his sights on Isaac, snatches an imposing knife off the table, and begins to close in, Isaac is forced to fight to survive.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-callback

Cosmic Rhapsody – A Journey of Hope, 3min. Singapore
Directed by Susan Mey Lee Lim, Christina Teenz Tan
In 2020, the world seemed to be on the brink. A global pandemic raged, wildfires scorched the earth, and anxieties soared. Yet, amidst this turmoil, a spark of hope ignited: NASA astronauts returned to space aboard SpaceX’s CrewDragon, the first mission of its kind in nearly a decade. This inspiring event, against the backdrop of a world in crisis, gave birth to “Cosmic Rhapsody.”

https://www.cosmicrhapsody.ai/
https://www.instagram.com/cosmicrhap/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-cosmic-rhapsody

A showcase of the best films in the world today!

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Feature Film: The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia
Short Film: Confession
Best Story: Career Stall
Best Performances: The American Trail
Best Micro-Short: Clothe Trouble
Best Animation: Meevil the Weevil: Breakfast of Champions
Best Direction: The Interrogation
Best Experimental Film: Withing the Flow of Existence
Best Thriller Film: Bluebottle Theory

See the full lineup of films:

The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia, 86min., USA
Directed by Chris Beier
A washed-up YouTube star blackmails an old rival in an attempt to reclaim her fame. But when things go awry, she finds herself ensnared by a drug trafficking ring. As Cecilia spirals out of control, she’s forced to confront her true place in society.

https://www.queencecilia.com/
https://instagram.com/wetdenimproductions

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-ego-death

CONFESSION, 10min., USA
Directed by Paul Schwartz
A desperate man has just ten minutes to prove he is a winner.

http://www.nelsonavidon.com/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-confession

Career Stall, 8min., USA
Directed by Nima Nourani
A businessman’s routine bathroom break turns surreal when he’s trapped in a stall, witnessing a cascade of bizarre events.

https://www.nimzeeproductions.com/career-stall-film

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-career-stall

The American Trail, 21min., USA
Directed by Tomer J. Keysar
The American Trail follows two friends who embark on a journey to walk across the United States. It’s not as glamorous as it seems — they’re pitching tents on the side of the highway and trudging through mud for six months.

https://tomerkeysar.com/the-american-trail

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-american-trail

Clothe Trouble, 2min., Australia
Directed by Tony Zhang
Clothe Trouble depicts the story of a main character who lacks the motivation to clean the house, becoming increasingly distracted by social media apps while continuously adding dirty clothes to a growing pile. Suddenly, the pile collapses, and a mysterious entity emerges, confronting the protagonist.

https://runtomanto-folio-site.squarespace.com/
https://www.instagram.com/runtomanto/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-clothe-trouble

Meevil the Weevil: Breakfast of Champions, 4min., USA
Directed by Kyle Arneson
Meevil https://filmfreeway.com/submissions/32428116#ff_javascriptthe Weevil is a little bug with big dreams of being a stuntman. “Breakfast of Champions” mixes stop motion animation with live action footage where we follow Meevil’s thrilling ride across a 1970s breakfast table on rocket roller skates.

https://www.instagram.com/stunt.bug/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-meevil-the-weevil

The Interrogation, 5min., USA
Directed by Brady Jacquin, Kyle Riggs, Dylan Lighthall
A Russian mob interrogation goes awry when an over-eager enforcer tries to pitch in, but can’t get his mind out of the gutter.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-interrogation

Withing the Flow of Existence, 2min,. USA
Directed by Truth Tran
A short, surreal visual meditation that invites viewers to reflect upon impermanence and interconnectedness, the illusion of self, and our place within the universe’s grand cosmic interplay.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-within-the-flow

Bluebottle Theory, 10min., UK
Directed by John J. Sanders, Luke O. Roberts
Ever wanted to take the shot? Drew does. Every bloody day. Bluebottle Theory is a darkly comic noir-style nine-minute thriller with a twist.

https://instagram.com/Bluebottlefilm

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-blue-bottle-theory

Sarah Smythe believes she only needs to follow the cards supplied by her company to make her first knife sale until she finds the perfect customer but they’re too sharp!

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morris
Mr. Jones: Geoff Mays
McCready: Val Cole

A showcase of the best films in the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Best Short Film: BAD CHEMISTRY
Best Micro-Short: SPIDER-MAN: A Day in the Neighborhood
Best Direction: A LIFE BET
Best Animation: THE CORMORANT’S SHADOW
Best Story: THE LIGHT IN THE DARK
Best Performances: THE SESSIONS

See the full lineup of films:

Bad Chemistry, 20min., USA
Directed by Michael Rognlie, EE Tallent
In Bad Chemistry, a traumatized young woman goes to stay with her deceased boyfriend’s parents, only to discover chilling truths lurking beneath their kindness. This horror short explores grief, psychological torment, and the dark side of family.

https://www.badchemistrymovie.com/

https://www.instagram.com/miromakesmovies/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-bad-chemistry

The Cormorant’s Shadow, 1min., Switzerland
Directed by Barbara Peikert
A funny cormorant relaxes on a buoy in the lake and watches an animation that reveals a plan behind it: AI or the urge to take part in the spectacle?

http://www.astrazione-fiction.info/

https://www.instagram.com/baraba_pe/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-cormorants-shadow

The Light in the Dark, 6min., Taiwan
Directed by YuFeng Chiu
This story is about climate disaster survivor and his comforter/savior . I lived in Taiwan this small island, there were many typhoons and floods in my memory, earthquakes were also often happened in my dairy life. My works always focus on the survivors, including the comfort women and earthquakes survivors and the poor rains and flood survivors in many places because of the climate changing.

https://chiulattefriend.wixsite.com/my-site

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-light-in-the-dark

The Sessions, 27min., USA
Directed by Vince Eisenson
In this crime driven, pilot episode, we met a therapy group for murderers where someone is bound to snap.

https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-sessions

Spider-Man: A Day in the Neighborhood, 3min,. USA
Directed by Michael Fernandez
Peter Parker deals with yet another work-life squall courtesy of his famous Parker luck. While it seems he can’t ever catch a break, he’ll never stop trying, even if that means swinging from a toilet.

https://www.instagram.com/julianojeda23/?hl=en

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-spiderman

A showcase of the best films in the world today.

AUDIENCE AWARDS:

Best Short Film: WILD HORSES
Best Feature Film: TANGO MALHAR

Wild Horses, 3min,. China
Directed by Wenjie Lee, Zhengyang Yin
The film “Wild Horses” tells the story of the survival scenes of a group of wild horses in the future. This film is produced by AI generation technology and can be regarded as a science fiction suspense concept film made with the latest AI technology. Although the production of the film is mainly completed through AI generation technology, its story content and film style are not restricted by the technology at all. It is a short film completed in the form of traditional screenwriting and shooting. From conception to completion of production, the cycle of the film took two weeks.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-wild-horses

Tango Malhar, 93min,. India
Directed by Saya Date
In the bustling city of Pune, Malhar, a young rickshaw driver, shoulders the heavy burden of supporting his widowed mother and younger sister, Rani. Despite his unwavering dedication to family, Malhar feels like an outcast among his peers, his responsibilities isolating him from the carefree life of a typical youth.
sayadate@gmail.com

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-tango-malhar

Haunted by a fatal mistake, a shattered vice cop reunites with a bright but brooding detective and his mysterious family to tame her frightening new power and protect it from the evil eager to control it.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Rachel: Val Cole
Brandon: Steve Rizzo

A gay ghost haunting a West Hollywood house, along with his dysfunctional Grim Reaper friend, help a straight cop solve crimes.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Val Cole
Sal: Steve Rizzo
Shawn: Shawn Devlin
Corey: Andy Camp

A carefree young American woman gains a new appreciation for life when she is caught up in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

https://www.instagram.com/hannah_pacificostudios/

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Geoff Mays
Kalyna: Hannah Ehman
Rachel: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Stepan: Shawn Devlin

Inspired by the music of Three Dog Night, a young girl enjoys childhood in 1970s Ohio and develops a desire to travel abroad, if she can convince her parents to let her go.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Shawn Devlin
Ruth: Hannah Ehman
Andrea: Val Cole

In her later years, Aria finds herself plagued by traumatic memories from her past. But when her daughter reveals her ex-husband will reveal the truth, Aria fears what will happen. Things are made worse still when she catches sight of her ex-partner Emily. But determined to rise above it, she embraces her daughter’s attempts to get her out of her comfort zone.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Shawn Devlin
Anna: Hannah Ehman