International Latino Cultural Center Of Chicago

The International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago (ILCC) 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 including film, music, dance, visual arts, comedy and theater. The ILCC, originally founded as Chicago Latino Cinema, attained not-for-profit status in 1987, at which time it fulfilled its mission of promoting Latino culture primarily through the annual Chicago Latino Film Festival. As part of the Center’s mission, the Chicago Latino Film Festival and every cultural event presented by our organization serve as vehicles to break the barriers created and perpetuated by stereotypes, and provoke the audience to challenge mainstream ideals of the Latino identity by showing, through our cultural expressions, that Latinos are defined by more than 20 different nationalities and come from all social and racial backgrounds. As the demand grew for a wider range of cultural events; so did the offerings of the organization. In July 1999, Chicago Latino Cinema officially changed its name to the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago and expanded its programming to include music, theater, dance, comedy and art exhibits. Currently, the Center offers over ten annual events, including the Film Festival, which is its largest event.