The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC), producer of the Chicago Latino Film Festival (CLFF) is proud to announce that Chicago-based graphic designer Jorge Pomareda is the winner of the 34th Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest. Pomareda is a three-time winner of this contest, having previously won first prize in 2012 and 2015 for his design of the official posters for the 28th and 31st Chicago Latino Film Festivals. The ILCC received 639 submissions for this year’s poster contest from around the world; entries came from Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Mexico, Russia, Spain, Venezuela and the United States, among other countries. “The idea behind the poster is centered on the power of film. Films can transport audiences thousands of miles, across mountains, deserts and oceans to create an emotional connection with Latin American stories and characters,” said Pomareda. “I used the visual metaphor of a filmstrip breaking through these natural and man-made barriers in order to connect cultures. The style is minimal and the color palette very simple to focus attention on the idea.”

Jorge’s design is of the moment and timeless. It speaks of film as a transcendental art form, one that knows no barriers, whether they are linguistic, cultural, social or even racial. It also speaks of film as an art form that embraces other expressions such as theater, literature, dance and music. In that respect, Jorge’s design stands as a symbol of the International Latino Cultural Center’s and the Chicago Latino Film Festival’s core mission,” said Pepe Vargas, founder and executive director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago. Jorge Pomareda graduated with a Master in Visual Design from the Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan, Italy. His career in graphic design and advertising spans over 15 years, living and working in Latin America, Europe and the United States. The 34th Chicago Latino Film Festival will take place April 5 – April 19 at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois St. The full program will be announced in mid-March.