Supporting Illinois' Arts Sector

The International Latino Cultural Center (ILCC) of Chicago, a cornerstone of Latino culture in the city since 1987, is gearing up for the much-anticipated Chicago Latino Film Festival. The ILCC, originally known as Chicago Latino Cinema, has a storied history of showcasing the rich and diverse Latino heritage through various art forms. As the largest festival of its kind in the United States, the Chicago Latino Film Festival is a testament to the ILCC's mission to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the multifaceted Latino identity through cultural expressions.

This year's festival promises an impressive lineup with 51 feature films and 31 shorts, set to run from April 16 to April 27, 2026, at the Landmark Century Centre Cinemas. The festival opens with the Chicago premiere of the dystopian film "It Would Be Night in Caracas" by Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugás. The closing night will feature the Ecuadorian comedy "The Dog, My Father and Us" by Pablo Arturo Suárez. Both films promise engaging post-screening Q&As with the filmmakers. Tickets for these special events include not only the film screenings but also a reception with food, drinks, and live music.

Kelli Connell’s photography investigates sexuality, gender, identity, and photographer-sitter relationships. Her work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, J. Paul Getty Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Dallas Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography, among others. Connell's recent publications include Kelli Connell: Pictures for Charis (Aperture and Center for Creative Photography, March 2024). Connell has received fellowships and residencies from the IAC, the Guggenheim Foundation, MacDowell, PLAYA, Peaked Hill Trust, LATITUDE, Light Work, and the Center for Creative Photography. Connell is a professor at Columbia College Chicago.

Currently, Connell’s work is being celebrated at the Elmhurst Art Museum in an exhibition titled "Living with Modernism: Kelli Connell’s Pictures for Charis and Double Life." This exhibition marks the largest presentation of her work in Chicago, and it draws intriguing parallels between her photographs and the iconic images of 20th-century photographer Edward Weston. The exhibition is divided into two parts: "Pictures for Charis," which reimagines Weston’s landscapes and portraits through a modern feminist lens, and "Double Life," an ongoing series exploring personal relationships and self-identity. Connell's work is presented alongside Weston's original prints, creating a rich dialogue across time and space.

"Living with Modernism" is on view at the Elmhurst Art Museum through April 26, 2026. Connell, reflecting on this exhibit, states, “The importance of this project, for me, is turning the focus towards Charis Wilson. Learning about her writing, work, and relationship with Weston during the eleven years they lived together sheds light on a side of history that is often forgotten: the side of the subject as told through her own voice. The exhibition “Pictures for Charis” provides excerpts of text written by Wilson, and it is her voice that I used to guide my own image-making. ”.