You’ve heard and read the story countless times of how one small festival started projecting a handful of films against a wall in St. Augustine College in front of a total audience of 500. Of how that small festival that celebrates Iberoamerican cinema in all its forms, today shows about five times the number of shorts and features to over 35,000 attendees. And of how that small festival led to the creation of a multidisciplinary organization, the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, that not only programs films, but also music, theater, dance, literary and culinary events, among many other cultural expressions. I myself have proudly told that story plenty of times.
And here we are, 40 years later. During these past four decades, the Chicago Latino Film Festival has introduced audiences to the new voices of Iberoamerican cinema and the latest works by its masters. It has also, in its own unique way, documented the history of this art form in our continent, with all its ups and downs. An arts festival is as good as the art created by its guest artists.
This year we are welcoming some old friends who, throughout the years, have trusted their films to us. We are presenting 50 features, out of which half are made by first-time filmmakers, and 35 shorts out of more than 700 submissions. And we will welcome over 50 filmmakers to Chicago. In this website, you will find anything and everything about these magnificent films.
I am deeply grateful to Mike Angell and the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation for partnering with us in this 40th anniversary celebration. Mike’s unwavering commitment to the arts in Chicago and his continued support of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago has been vital in these challenging times.
I have always been blessed to receive the support of so many people and institutions who still believe in the role our Festival, the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, and the arts play in our society. So, to our funders and sponsors, volunteers, staff, filmmakers, the Film Selection Committee members, our board of directors and, most important of all, you…THANK YOU!
Pepe Vargas
Founder and Executive Director
International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago