For the first time ever Cinema Femme Short Film Fest is having in-person screenings in Chicago. For Shorts Program 1 we elevate and celebrate Chicago women and non-binary filmmakers and their work. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeQEzsOtTZk" target="_blank">Q&amp;A with Shorts Program 1 filmmakers on April 28, 2023, 8 PM Central on our YouTube Channel.</a> Filmmaker Q&amp;A moderated by Clare Cooney ("Relative", "Runner" and coming soon her feature directorial debut "Departing Seniors") <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/xeQEzsOtTZk?feature=share" target="_blank">WATCH NOW</a>

As the brutal Chicago winter draws near, Deirdre, Helen and Jennefer—avid open water swimmers—make a pact to continue their daily sunrise swim through the snow and ice. This commitment becomes their salvation from lockdown and helps alleviate each of their personal struggles as the pandemic rages on.

Swimming Through

Three women forge a friendship by swimming through the winter in Lake Michigan as a way to cope with the pandemic.

Rachel has a problem. She’s decorating for Christmas, and just needs a few key packages to arrive so she can finish. But these packages are misdelivered across the hall–and Rachel suffers from debilitating agoraphobia. Her attempt to retrieve them is interrupted by the emergence of an unexpected tenant from the apartment across from hers. Their anxiety-filled first meeting becomes a chemistry-crackling correspondence as Rachel sends Jo, the temporary new neighbor, notes on paper planes across the hall and Jo responds in kind. But can this new romance overcome Jo’s fleeting stay in town and Rachel’s need to stay where she feels safe?

Paper Planes

A woman with agoraphobia and the AirBnB guest across the hall strike up a correspondence that becomes something more for the holidays.

Two estranged sisters are forced to reunite on a sweaty Chicago day. As the car comes to a boil so does their tolerance for one another.

this is not the morning i thought i was going to have

Two estranged sisters are forced to reunite on a sweaty Chicago day. As the car comes to a boil so does their tolerance for one another.

A documentary that explores the beginning and end of a bloodline. Starting in the urban environment of São Paulo city where the filmmaker was raised and ending on her family’s country farm where her grandparents spend their golden years, the film delves into the personal and shared history of a Brazilian family, and the explorations of a longing&nbsp;memory.

Dois Estágios (Two Stages of Blood)

FADING MEMORIES OF CHILDHOOD ARE UNRELIABLE. THEY CAN ONLY BE REASSURED BY FAMILIAR FACES.

22 year-old Caroline enters the audition room with a big smile, a laundry list of special skills, and a fresh diploma from one of the best theatre programs in the country. On the other side of the table are a bumbling assistant, flippant casting director, and world-famous director. It's the biggest audition of her life -- but how far does she want to go to land the role? Told through the lens of the DSLR filming her audition, "Caroline" explores the places in our industry where consent falls through the cracks.

Caroline

A young woman’s audition for a major movie takes an unexpected turn.

Shorts Program 1: Let's Chicago

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The 5th annual Cinema Femme Short Film Fest runs from April 28 through May 4. This one-of-a-kind festival emphasizes the importance of supporting emerging female and non-binary filmmakers by connecting them to seasoned industry members through the Breaking Down Walls mentorship program.

Here's what's coming up soon. Can't make it? No sweat. Many live streams will be available for on-demand viewing as well.