As I ascend the escalators of this multi-level theater, I find that its lobby is adorned with flags from featured nations. There is a palpable passion in the air. In its 42nd year, the Chicago Latino Film Festival succeeds in bringing an international array of films that showcase the complexity, diversity, and passion of the diaspora’s stories and the excellence in which they are told with in the cinematic medium. Returning to the Landmark Century Cinema this year, the festival is concentrated in this single multiplex from Opening to Closing Night.
Pepe Vargas, the Founder and Executive Director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, which produces the film festival, did not shy away from acknowledging the excessive hardship imposed on the entire creative and cultural industry under the current economic and political regime. Naturally, such restrictions resulted in fewer filmmakers attending than in previous years, but several still made the trek to speak with festivalgoers. Their shared stories exposed the injustice of those absent. This resilience reverberates in ways that many audiences relate to; a testimony to this year’s excellent lineup, yet an unfortunate byproduct of an adversarial force that unnecessarily demands that these artists prove that their art is worthy of being accessed and shared across the world.
Across 11 days, the festival programmed 51 feature and 31 short films. With films from over 20 countries, it’s incredible how the festival’s curation is unified by one central thread: the desire for home and belonging. In selecting my festival films, I tried to virtually visit as many places as possible.
From the comfort of my seat at the cinema, I was transported to Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Venezuela, and more. Similar to my viewing experience at the 2025 Chicago Latino Film Festival, the curators do not uniquely organize dedicated shorts blocks. Rather, short films are paired with a feature film; although they are often from different countries, there are thematic similarities.
Like the vast variety of countries presenting films, the Chicago Latino Film Festival also showcases all genres and styles. This year’s opening night film, “It Would Be Night in Caracas,” from Venezuela and Mexico by directors Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugás, is an intense drama centered on a grieving woman navigating escalating violence and revolution. While grief is a universal byproduct of the human experience, the film speaks directly to the lived experiences of many people who fled their home nation by any means necessary to simply survive. At a time when censorship of hard truths is increasingly prevalent, this film, like many others in the festival lineup, finds ways to reveal realities that many Americans should listen to and learn from. Luckily, the film is now widely available on Netflix.
“Isla Negra,” a Chilean film by director Jorge Riquelme Serrano, also touches on what it means to be connected to a place and how gentrification can manifest as a deeply personal violence while operating on a systemic level. As we see a couple infiltrate the home of the real estate developer, who is a key player in revoking their land and displacing them, it’s as if we are prompted to question which form of hurt is worse. The movie is haunting, with no true resolution, but that’s what resonates.
In a similar slow-thriller style, “Zafari,” by opening-night director Mariana Rondón, also explores what it means when communities are forced to perpetuate inequities and navigate problems greater than the power they hold. Prior to “Zafari,” the fictional short “White Crows” by director Sofia Samour created a similar concept with a more comedic tone. A couple seeking a better life is scamming other couples, hoping to get lucky for a chance for a bright future; we laugh at its silliness while shaking our heads at the characters’ lack of shame.
Puerto Rican filmmaker William D. Caballero screened his experimental, animated documentary, “TheyDream,” which also played and was awarded the NEXT special jury award at the Sundance Film Festival. The reflective feature, which focuses on Caballero’s sense of self and his relationship with his family, is a standout at the Chicago Latino Film Festival because of its artistic style, which blends archival footage and audio. In a post-screening Q&A, Caballero proudly shared that the film will soon screen on PBS. Remarkably, as I began to recognize this recurring theme of home and identity, he says how he “can’t stop coming home in his films.”
A couple of films that brought a bit of levity and laughter to my personal viewing were two women-centered rom-coms. The Costa Rican feature “Abril” is about a mother who is trying to rediscover her sense of self while also nurturing her relationship with her tween daughter. To my surprise, “Heated Rivalry,” star François Arnaud played the adrift artistic love interest.
“Life Is,” a feature film by Mexican director Lorena Villarreal, is a complex story that weaves together generations of women. While each character navigates some form of grief, there is a reckoning with what it means to unearth and go after our true desires, or lack thereof.
As the festival came to a close, I remain hopeful for the years and films to come. While the industry at large is in flux, it’s inspiring to see what’s possible when countries invest in the cinematic arts, fostering an increasingly rare compassion that is so desperately needed.
To learn more about the Chicago Latino Film Festival and its satellite programming, read more about the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago.
