From unrequited love and teen suicide to fresh ideas for a better world, former out of school Chicago youth told their stories at the 4th Annual Chicago Youth Community Film Festival (CYCFF) on Thursday, May 19 at the Carruther’s Center for Inner City Studies. The festival showcased 24 films by 500 teens from 11 Chicago alternative high schools. The films were developed in class taught by Community TV Network video instructors and sponsored by the Alternative Schools Network.

Using state-of-the-art video production equipment, youth developed skills and techniques to effectively use the film medium, exploring a range of film genres including documentaries, dramas, public service announcements, video poetry, animations, music videos and other experimental styles. All of the films were created for broadcast and webcast by Chicago’s Community TV Network youth media organization.

Now in its fourth year, the Chicago Youth Community Film Festival is gaining recognition for its productions with 2010 Reel Look student films winning awards in national and international festivals. The 2011 Reel Look student films will be aired on Hard Cover: Voices and Visions of Chicago’s Youth, cable channel CAN TV 19 on Monday, June 6 and 13 at noon and Tuesday, June 7 and 4 at 5pm.