The 43rd Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest is seeking an original poster design for the 2027 festival, taking place in Chicago from 15 to 26 April 2027. Organised by the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago, the competition invites artists and designers to develop a visual identity inspired by Latino and Ibero-American cinema. The festival has been running since 1985 and presents films from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal and the United States.
The theme for this edition is Latino Stories for Movie Lovers, with an emphasis on the experience of watching films and the cultural diversity represented by the festival. Posters must include the text 43rd Chicago Latino Film Festival and the dates April 15-26, 2027, with the number 43rd incorporated into the design. Entrants should avoid imagery associated with a single country, historical figure or cultural symbol, as well as cultural stereotypes. The selected artwork must be adaptable for print, digital media, merchandise and animation.
Designs must be submitted through the online application form in JPEG or PNG format. Entrants are also required to identify the tools used to create their artwork. The festival's internal selection committee reviews submissions anonymously, assessing their visual appeal, content and suitability for promotional use. The winning designer must provide a high-resolution vertical design measuring 18 × 24 inches at 150 dpi in RGB, together with editable layered files, a visual style guide and a signed version of the artwork.
Entry fee: Free to enter. Each individual, collaborative team or design firm may submit up to three poster designs.
Eligibility
Open to individual artists, collaborative teams and design firms worldwide, with preference given to artists from Illinois and the Midwest and Latino artists internationally; entrants must hold full copyright to their original designs and all included elements, AI-generated designs are excluded, and submissions grant the festival unrestricted rights to use or display the artwork.
Prize
The winner will receive $1,000 USD, and the selected poster will become the official visual identity of the 43rd Chicago Latino Film Festival. The design will appear on the festival's printed programmes, website, invitations, digital advertisements, merchandise, trailers, social media and animated promotional materials. The winning designer is expected to be announced in late January 2027.