OPENING NIGHT GALA – Friday, April 17, 2009

Sponsored by Univision Chicago, the Festival kicks-off in grand style with the Chilean box office hit, El Regalo (The Gift). This refreshing comedy stars Nelson Villagra as Francisco, a depressed widower who is given the gift of a short vacation by his best friends. The trip will yield unexpected turns that will change their lives forever. Directors Cristian Galaz and Andrea Ugalde will be in attendance. A cocktail reception and live entertainment will follow the screening.

Film: 6:00 p.m. – AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois, Chicago

Reception: 8:00 p.m. – River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois, Chicago

Tickets: $75 General/$60 ILCC Member

Proudly presented by the International Latino Cultural Center, the Chicago Latino Film Festival celebrates its first quarter-century with over 100 feature and short films in an array of genres–fiction, documentary, animation, drama and comedy. The Festival runs April 17-29 and is considered the oldest and most comprehensive Latino film festival in the country. The film selections continue to reflect the great diversity of the Latino culture from the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Portugal, and Spain.

“I truly believe the Festival is a jewel for the City of Chicago that has contributed greatly to its positioning as a world-class city. For the past 25 years, I’ve committed myself to sharing the Latino culture with Chicagoans by highlighting the work of our artists and making a stand against discrimination. At this moment, I can proudly speak on behalf of everyone who has helped me, that we have a great achievement to celebrate!” expressed Pepe Vargas, Founder and Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago and Director of the Chicago Latino Film Festival.The two-week Festival features special segments: Made in USA, Women in Film and LGBT. During the majority of screenings, the audience will have the opportunity to participate in discussions with local and visiting filmmakers.
Made In USA – Some of the best Chicago-crafted films by Latino filmmakers presented include: Silent Shame directed by Tadeo Garcia, Rudy Lozano directed by Victoria Cervantes and A Forgotten Injustice directed by Vicente Serrano.
Women in Film – For the first time in the Festival’s history, over 30 films are directed by women. Obscure Camera (Argentina) directed by Maria Victoria Menis, O, Pai, O (Brazil) directed by Monique Ganderberg, Stars of the Estuary (Puerto Rico) directed by Sonia Fritz, and Titon, from Havana to Guantanmera (Cuba) directed by Mirtha Ibarra, among many others.
LGBT – We proudly showcase lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) films and celebrate the important diverse artistic contributions LGBT talent make to the Latino film industry. Inconvenient Friends (Chile), Hermaphrodite (Dominican Republic) and Chef’s Special (Spain) among others.

SPECIAL EVENTS

In keeping with tradition, a series of special events include: Opening Night Gala, Noche Mexicana, A Night of Spain and Closing Night Gala.

NOCHE MEXICANA – Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Sponsored by the Mexican Tourism Office/Consulado de Mexico en Chicago, Noche Mexicana begins with a mariachi cocktail reception followed by the special screening of one of the most widely acclaimed and expensive films in Mexican cinema history, Arráncame la vida (Tear This Heart Out). Director Roberto Sneider will be in attendance.

Reception: 6:00 p.m. – Thorne Auditorium/Northwestern, 375 East Chicago Ave., Chicago

Film: 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $50 General/$40 ILCC Member – $15 Film Only (sold at the door at 7pm)

A NIGHT OF SPAIN – Friday, April 24, 2009

A Night of Spain brings Chicagoans the splendor of Spanish cinema with the award-winning drama

Lo mejor de mí (The Best of Me) starring Marian Alvarez as Raquel, a young lady who is faced with the decision of donating one of her organs to her boyfriend. Sponsored by the Tourist Office of Spain in Chicago, the special screening will be followed by a bubbly cocktail reception featuring live entertainment.
Film: 6:00 p.m. – AMC Pipers Alley, 1608 N. Wells St., Chicago

Reception: 8:00 p.m. – Chicago History Museum, 1601 North Clark Street, Chicago
Tickets: $35 General/$30 ILCC Member

CLOSING NIGHT GALA – Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The Chicago Latino Film Festival will conclude with a cocktail reception and live entertainment followed by the hilarious dark comedy, Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) from Colombia. The story about the once affluent De La Concha Family as they prepare to celebrate Christmas Eve. Over the course of the evening, each member of the family will face their harsh economic reality resulting in amusing entanglements. Director Camila Loboguerrero will be in attendance.

Reception: 6:00 p.m. – Thorne Auditorium/Northwestern, 375 East. Chicago Ave., Chicago

Film: 8:00 p.m.

Tickets: $50 General/$40 ILCC Member – $15 Film Only (sold at the door starting at 7pm)

LOCATIONS AND RESOURCES
The Festival is non-competitive except for the coveted Audience Choice Award presented by Cine Latino and determined by the filmgoers. All films are presented in their original language with English subtitles unless otherwise noted and presented at the following venues:
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinemas, 2828 N. Clark Street, Chicago
Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago
A film schedule is available online www.latinoculturalcenter.org and a daily schedule of films is available by calling the festival hotline, (312) 409-1757.
Ticket Prices:
General Admission $10, Students/Seniors/Disabled $9, ILCC Members $8
Festival Pass (10 Admissions) $80 ILCC Member : $70
Festival Pass (15 Admissions) $100 ILCC Member: $80
Advance ticket sales for special events only may be purchased by calling (312) 431-1330 or online at www.latinoculturalcenter.org.
SPONSORS
Official Sponsors of the Silver Anniversary of the Chicago Latino Film Festival are:
Platinum: American Airlines, NBC/Telemundo Chicago, Univision Chicago

Gold: Chicago Latino Network, CTA, Hoy/Tribune, La Raza, PGC, WYCC, Verizon Wireless Zocalo

Silver: American Family Insurance, Chicago Fire, Mexico Tourism Office/Consulado de Mexico en Chicago, Extra Newspaper, Seneca Hotel, Starbucks Coffee, Tourist Office of Spain

Bronze: Abako Group, Baker & McKenzie, Cine Latino, Consulate General of Brazil, Illinois Film Office, Prado & Renteria, State Farm Insurance and TGC Partners

Additional funding provided by: The National Endowment for the Arts, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs (City Arts Program), The Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, The McArthur Fund for Arts & Culture at Prince and the Illinois Arts Council.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
What began in 1985 as 14 films projected onto a concrete wall for 500 viewers, gave birth to the Chicago Latino Film Festival—which has grown into the International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC), a premiere cultural organization. The ILCC is a pan-Latino, nonprofit, multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to developing, promoting and increasing awareness of Latino cultures by presenting a wide variety of art forms and education including film, music, dance, visual arts, comedy and theater. Imperative to the ILCC mission is to increase cultural opportunities for the Latino community, as well as, create a cultural dialogue amongst Latinos and non-Latinos to discuss universal cross-cultural experiences.
The Chicago Latino Film Festival is produced by the International Latino Cultural Center in collaboration with Columbia College Chicago.

Abril 4-16, 2008

Enlaces

• Calendario completo del Festival
• Pagina oficial del Festival

Peliculas Chilenas

• Fiestapatria (2007)
• El Brindris / To Life (2007)
• Pasta (9 minutos), mostrando antes Partes Usadas / Used Parts (2007)
• Kiltro (2006)
• Debajo / Under (13 minutos), mostrando antes Juan Francés: Live (2007)

OJO: Para fechas, teatros y descripciones de las películas chilenas estrenando en este festival, haz click sobre el link abajo.

Fiestapatria

Chile (2007)

Director: Luís R. Vera

Screenplay :

Cinematography :

Cast :

Mare Gonzalez, Tiago Correa, Patricio Contreras, Daniel Munoz

Info:

Fiestapatria es una metáfora del estado social y moral del Chile de hoy. La película se sirve de una extensa galería de personajes, todos representativos de la sociedad chilena actual, para contarnos la historia de dos familias que se reúnen en una casa de campo a celebrar las fiestas patrias y el compromiso de matrimonio de sus hijos, Macarena y Alvaro… Poco antes de que la fiesta llegue a su esperado final feliz, la joven Macarena se entera del secreto mejor guardado de la familia…

Fiestapatria is a metaphor for the social and moral state of Chile. The film makes use of a gallery of representative characters from Chilean society to tell the story of two families that get together in a country house to celebrate the National Holiday and the engagement of their children, Macarena and Álvaro. Just before the event comes to an eagerly awaited happy ending, young Macarena discovers the family’s best kept secret…

Film Schedule:

AMC Piper Alley 4 1608 N. Wells St./24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 12, 2008 4:00 PM
AMC Piper Alley 4 1608 N. Wells St./24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 09, 2008 6:30 PM

El brindis / To Life

Chile (2007)

Director: Shai Agosin

Screenplay :

Cinematography :

Info:

La mujer, criada en México, viene a Valparaíso, Chile, a visitar a su padre enfermo, a quien no ha visto en mucho tiempo. Conoce a sus otros familiares, y participa con ellos en la asistencia a la sinagoga, donde su padre esta preparándose para su propia mitzvah. El rabino, joven y de buen ver e inquieto, tendrá un impacto en ella.

The woman, raised in Mexico, comes to Valparaiso, Chile, to visit her sick father, whom she has not seen for a long time. She meets her other relatives, and participates in their attendance to the synagogue, where her father is preparing for his own bar mitzvah. The young, good-looking rabbi, restless, will have an impact on her.

Film Schedule:

Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 13, 2008 8:30 PM
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 11, 2008 6:30 PM

Partes usadas / Used Parts

Mexico (2007)

Director: Aarón Fernández

Screenplay :

Cinematography :

Cast : Emery Eduardo Granados, Alan Chávez, Carlos Ceja

Info: Shown with Pasta. Chile, 9 min

Ivan y Efrain, dos adolescentes, trabajan en un negocio de repuestos para carros. El origen de los repuestos que colectan y venden no es necesariamente legal. Por su parte, lo que ellos quieren es ganar dinero suficiente para irse al Norte, a los EE.UU. Los mayores que comparten el sueño, traicionarán a los jóvenes.

Ivan and Ephraim, two teenagers, work with relatives in the auto parts business. The origin of the parts they actually collect and sell is not necessarily legal. They themselves have a goal: to save enough money to go North, to the U.S. Grown ups who share the dream will betray the youngsters.

Film Schedule:

AMC Piper Alley 4 1608 N. Wells St./24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 10, 2008 6:30 PM
AMC Piper Alley 4 1608 N. Wells St./24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 12, 2008 6:30 AM

Kiltro

Chile (2006)

Director: Ernesto Díaz Espinoza

Screenplay :

Cinematography :

Cast : Marko Zaror, Caterina Jadresic

Info: Sammy ha aprendido a luchar en la calle. Al entrar en el mundo de las artes marciales, se da cuenta de que tiene todavía mucho que aprender. No sólo eso, sino que se involucra en una lucha antigua dentro de la comunidad de artes marciales, donde sociedades secretas han batallado entre sí por demasiados años.

Sammy has learned how to fight in the streets. As he enters the world of martial arts, he finds that he has a lot to learn in this area. Not only that, but he gets involved in a long-ago struggle within the martial arts community, where secret societies have been battling it out for too many years.

Film Schedule:

Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 14, 2008 9:00 PM
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 12, 2008 6:30 PM

Juan Francés: Live

USA (2007)

Director: Amy French

Screenplay : Amy French, Spencer John French.

Cinematography : Stephanie Martín

Cast : Lupe Ontiveros, Danny Trejo, Elisa Bocanegra, Spencer John French

Print Source : Amy French
1643 12th St. #2
Santa Monica, LA. CA 90404
(310) 804 9949
afrench@brandx.net

Info: Shown with Debajo / Under. Chile, 13 min.

JUAN FRANCES: Jonathan French was orphaned at just 3 months old. From then on, he was lovingly raised by his Mexican Nanny and Gardener in Beverly Hills, where one day, he was blessed by the Virgin of Guadalupe with the gift of music. Executive produced by Norman Lear and George Lopez, the film follows the rise of Juan Frances from the half empty soccer bars of East L.A. to international fame. This irreverant musical mockumentaty finds the humor in one man’s search for ethnic identity against the backdrop of a celebrity obesessed culture.

Jonathan French quedó huérfano cuando tenía tan sólo 3 meses de edad, y a partir de entonces lo criaron con amor su niñera y su jardinero mexicanos en Beverly Hills. Fue allí donde un día la Virgen de Guadalupe lo bendijo con el don de la música. Esta película, bajo la producción ejecutiva de Norman Lear y George López, sigue los pasos de Juan Francés en su ascenso desde los bares medio vacíos del este de Los Ángeles, donde veía partidos de fútbol, hasta la fama internacional. Con una cultura obsesionada con la celebridad como telón de fondo, esta irreverente parodia de documental musical encuentra el lado humorístico en la búsqueda de identidad étnica de un hombre.

Film Schedule:

Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 15, 2008 6:00 PM
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema 2828 N. Clark St. /24th Chicago Latino Film Festival , Apr 13, 2008 6:30 PM