Five countries represented at Elgin Latino film fest
If you want to get a taste of the Chicago Latino Film Festival but don't want to make the trek from the suburbs, look no farther than Elgin.
The five films to be shown starting Friday at the Latino Film Festival Elgin - all of them part of its much larger sibling in Chicago - are family-friendly and promote positive values, director Margarita Mendoza said.
"This time it was so difficult to pick the movies because they were so good," said Mendoza, who organizes the festival with her husband, Enrique, and numerous volunteers. "We tried to choose, first of all, that they are positive. In our society we are sick and tired of bad news, so we want to show people entertainment, but something that really nourishes their brain and nourishes their soul."
The festival kicks off at 6:30 p.m. at Elgin Community College with "American Curious," a romantic comedy from Mexico. It will be followed by a reception expected to be attended by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti, Mendoza said.
The other four movies will be shown Saturday and Sunday at Marcus Elgin Cinema. They include "Looking For a Boyfriend ... For My Wife," a comedy from Chile; "The Last Hour," a Peruvian film about the capture of terrorist Abimael Guzmán; "Home Team," a Uruguayan film about soccer, before which the Chicago Mustangs indoor soccer team will make an appearance; and "Run Fast or Fly High, a U.S. comedy after which the Chicago director and cast will answer questions.
Elgin's Cultural Arts Commission has supported the festival since its inception, and provided a $1,000 grant this year.
For the first time the festival featured a film in Aurora before the official opening. About 300 people attended the event last week at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.
Pepe Vargas, director of the Chicago Latino Film Festival running through April 19, said Mendoza's hard work has been "a blessing."
"I think it's quite an accomplishment to be (at) six years in Elgin," he said. "There should be more (suburban Latino festivals) but it's not up to us. It's people like Margarita who take the initiative."