The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago Announces the Winner of the 42nd Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest

The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC), producer of the Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF), announces the winner of the Festival’s annual poster competition: Washington D.C.-based Salvadoran visual art designer and photographer Eduardo Mejía.

With a Master’s Degree in Advertising and a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design, Mejía specializes in the creation and development of brand concepts, online advertising, and social media. His experience includes collaborating with various brands on branding projects, commercial and artistic photography, social media content creation, and editorial material design. You can see Eduardo’s full portfolio at edmejiastudio.com.

Let’s take a look at the winning poster…

“The poster design was inspired by my visit to Chicago last summer, where I witnessed the city’s iconic Chicago theater signs and its strong structural and geometric architecture. The experience left a lasting impression on me. I translated those visual rhythms into a bold, cinematic graphic language. At the center is the filmmaker —the action storyteller behind the lens— captured in motion as the driving force of every film. The composition emphasizes process, movement, and collaboration, honoring not only the director but the entire team whose combined effort makes each story possible. The design reflects cinema as both a crafted structure and a living, collective experience,” said Mejía.

“Our last ten posters have celebrated moviegoing as a communal experience, and both films and the camera as a weapon against racism and the many misconceptions that still exist about Latin America and of the many Latinos who are now part of America’s colorful quilt. Don’t let the simplicity of Ed’s magnificent design fool you: as those past posters, it speaks about the power the camera gives moviemakers to tell our stories and to bear witness the many abuses inflicted on our community,” said Pepe Vargas, Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center and Founder of the Chicago Latino Film Festival.

The ILCC received over 750 submissions from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, El Salvador, India, Ireland, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, Uruguay, and the United States, among other countries. 

The poster will be the face of the Festival, as it will be on the cover of newsprint schedules, invitations, t-shirts, a range of merchandise, the Festival’s website, PSAs, and more. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize.

Featuring close to 100 short and feature-length films from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, and the United States, the 42nd Chicago Latino Film Festival will run from April 16th thru April 27th, exclusively at the Landmark Century Center, 2828 N. Clark St. including Opening and Closing Night.

Program announcements will be made in late February/early March. In the meantime, visit latinoculturalcenter.org for more information on this and other events.

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