The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC), producer of the Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF), is proud to announce Turkish artist and graphic designer Yağmur Genç as the winner of the 36th Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest.
The ILCC received 928 submissions for this year’s contest from Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Jamaica, Mexico, The Netherlands, Russia and the United States, among other countries.
Genç is a freelance graphic designer and a student of Visual Communication Design at Medipol University in Istanbul. Last year, she won the Bronze Prize in the Next Generation category of Nikon’s annual photo contest for her image titled Lonely Girl, and third prize in Contrado’s bottle design contest. (Contrado Imaging specializes in making quality custom products on demand.)
The winning submission
Designed as an isolated frame from a filmstrip, Genç’s colorfully dreamlike poster depicts a woman staring upwards towards an eye, surrounded by flowers and vegetation.
“Every movie is actually a journey,” she explains. “All the films we watch introduce us to different worlds and perspectives. In all the movies I have watched since my childhood, I thought that the audience was actually a part of the movie. I wanted to show this idea in my design.”
She adds that the design reaches out to viewers through specific elements.
“The female figure represents the audience and the eye the connection between the audience and the movie,” she continues. “I also aimed to achieve a different perspective by using warm and cold tones together. The flowers on the edge of the banner reflect the multi-color of Latin American culture.”
Genç’s winning submission marks another chapter in the Latino Film Festival’s longstanding tradition of excellence, according to ILCC founder and executive director of Pepe Vargas.
“Every year we strive to select an image that is not only representative of our culture but also of film culture as a whole,” he says. “Our choices are not made lightly. We are always amazed at the many ways Latino culture is represented and interpreted by artists worldwide. We chose Yağmur’s image for its uniqueness and originality in expressing that deep connection we all feel towards cinema.”
REEL CHICAGO
REEL CHICAGO VISITS THE 34TH ANNUAL CHICAGO LATINO FILM FESTIVAL
The face of the festival
The winning poster will be the face of the Festival, as it will be on the cover of newsprint schedules, invitations, program books, t-shirts, the Festival’s website and more. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize.
Featuring over 100 features and short films from Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and the United States, the 36th Chicago Latino Film Festival will take place April 16-30 at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. The full program will be announced throughout March.
Sponsors
Gold: Corona Extra
Silver: Delta Air Lines, Allstate, The Whitehall Hotel, Yes Press,
Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science, DePaul University
Bronze: US Bank, Illinois Lottery, Tristan & Cervantes,
Lopez & Co, Prado & Renteria, Consulate General of Chile in Chicago
Media: CAN-TV, Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune, La Raza,
Telemundo Chicago, NBC Chicago, Mike Oquendo Events,
Chicago Latino Network, Chicago Sun-Times
Additional support
The Chicago Latino Film Festival receives additional support from: The Reva and David Logan Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, The Field Foundation of Illinois, The National Endowment for the Arts, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council –a State Agency, the Illinois Film Office and the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.
About the ILCC
The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago is a pan-Latino, nonprofit, multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to developing, promoting and increasing awareness of Latino cultures among Latinos and other communities by presenting a wide variety of art forms and education including film, music, dance, visual arts, comedy and theater. | The Center prides itself for its outstanding multidisciplinary local and international cultural programming which spans Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and the United States. | Born out of the Chicago Latino Film Festival, The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago also produces other programs, including the Latino Music Series; Film in the Parks, also in its 15th season; the monthly Reel Film Club, already in its 12th year; and many others. All in all, the audience has grown from 500 people in 1985 for the first Chicago Latino Film Festival to more than 50,000 (Latinos and non-Latinos) who enjoy the year-round multidisciplinary cross-cultural exchanges offered by the Center.
