Look, we’re going to level with you: most film festivals are expensive. You shell out $15 here, $20 there, and before you know it, you’ve seen three films and your wallet’s crying for mercy. But the Chicago Latino Film Festival—the granddaddy of Latino film fests in the Northern Hemisphere—just dropped a deal that actually makes sense.
From now through March 27th, you can snag a 10-ticket Passport for $110. That’s it. Normally $140, but they’ve slashed $30 off for anyone smart enough to jump on it early. Do the math: that’s ten films for eleven bucks a pop. Try finding that deal anywhere else in this city.
Why This Actually Matters
The Chicago Latino Film Festival isn’t some scrappy upstart trying to find its footing. This thing’s been running since before you were streaming movies on your phone, showcasing the best Latino cinema has to offer. We’re talking over 100 features and shorts this year—everything from gritty dramas out of Mexico City to documentary gems you won’t find on Netflix, experimental work that’ll mess with your head in the best way, and comedies that’ll have you ugly-laughing in a dark theater surrounded by strangers.
Directors fly in from Madrid, São Paulo, Havana, Los Angeles, Bogotá. Actors show up for Q&As. The whole scene descends on Chicago every April, and if you’re not there, you’re missing out on films that won’t hit your local multiplex. Like ever.
When you come out to see one or more of these films you are supporting a Latinosphere of creators, actors, directors and film professionals that share the laughs, the cries, and provoked thoughts we need to expand our minds, grow our curiosity and uplift ourselves. You are also supporting a Festival that for 42 years has uplifted Latino film professionals from around the world and given them a screen to share their work with the world.
The Passport Play
Here’s the thing about the Passport: it’s freedom. You’re not locked into one genre or one night. You grab your 10 tickets and build your own festival experience. Want to binge five films in a weekend? Go for it. Prefer spreading them out across the festival’s 12-day run (April 16-27)? You do you.
With 100+ films on the slate, you’ve got options. Lots of them. The Passport means you can take risks on that weird-sounding experimental short, catch the buzzy feature everyone’s talking about, and still have tickets left for whatever your film-nerd friends won’t shut up about.
And, you can share the 10 tickets! Go with a friend, take two, hell – go with 9 others. But you may want to buy more than one Passport at this point, because you are going to want to indulge in a Film buffet this April!
Also: This Makes a Killer Gift
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and let’s be honest—flowers die, chocolates get eaten, and another dinner reservation is just another dinner reservation. A Festival Passport? That’s two months of anticipation plus 12 days of actual good times. It’s the gift that says “I know you have taste.”
Same goes for St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays, or any random Tuesday between now and April when you want to do something decent for someone. This is a gift that literally keeps on giving – ten times! Your film-obsessed friend, your partner who’s always complaining there’s nothing good to watch, that cousin who actually appreciates art—they all want this more than whatever else you were going to get them.
The Clock’s Ticking
February 10th to March 27th. That’s your window. After that, it’s back to $140, and honestly, why would you do that to yourself when you can save thirty bucks right now? Buy two and your saving $60!
This is the kind of festival that puts Chicago on the map for film lovers who know what they’re talking about. The kind of event where you stumble out of a theater at 10 PM buzzing about a film you’ll be recommending for the next six months. The kind of experience that reminds you why you love movies in the first place.
So yeah. $110. Ten films. The best of Latino cinema from around the world, right here in the Windy City.
You’ve got six weeks to make the move. Don’t blow it. If this info is not for you -share it with friends and family that are into this kinda thing, you may even make a friend by doing so.