Film News: Second Week Highlights of the 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival

Submitted by PatrickMcD on April 19, 2015 - 6:32pm

CHICAGO – It’s the second week of the 31st edition of the Chicago Latino Film Festival which continues through Thursday, April 23rd, 2015. It concludes on that evening with the musical comedy film “Ciudad Delirio.” All films are at the AMC River East 21 in Chicago.

The energy has been strong so far throughout the festival, with filmmaker appearances, event receptions and representative films from all over the Latino world. The closing night film “Ciudad Delirio” will be followed by a reception at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Chicago. For details and to purchase tickets click here.

’Ciudad Delirio’ is the Closing Night Film at the 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival
Photo credit: Chicago Latino Film Festival

The Closing Night Capsule and the highlights of Week Two are as follows…

CLOSING NIGHT: “Ciudad Delirio”

Thursday, April 23rd, 6pm

This delightfully romantic, highly energetic, and ultimately fun musical comedy proves that salsa is alive and well in Cali, Colombia. Angie and her dance troupe are preparing for a major audition for the legendary dance company Delirio when she meets visiting Spanish doctor Javier. Sparks fly in and out of the dance floor as Javier and Angie fall in love and the troupe begins to face problems of their own. Featuring over 200 professional dancers and 3000 extras, choreography by Blanca Li (who has worked with Beyoncé and Kylie Minogue) and the music of Grupo Niche, Guayacán Orquesta and Fruko y sus tesos, among others.

”Aurora”

Monday, April 20th, 6:30pm

Sofia, a schoolteacher in the small industrial coastal town of Las Ventanas, and her husband Pedro are in the process of adopting a child when she reads about a dead newborn baby found in a dumpster. Obsessed with the fate of the child, whom she names Aurora, Sofia decides to adopt the infant to give her a proper burial. The law, however, won’t allow it but Sofia won’t give up. Based on a true story, “Aurora” is a beautiful and melancholic film about parenthood.

”His Wedding Dress”

Monday, April 20th, 8:45pm

Havana, 1994. The worst riots the Cuban capital has seen since 1959 leave a trail of broken windows and stores. Thousands of Cubans leave the island in flimsy rafts. Rosa Elena’s and Ernesto’s happy marriage will face its own crisis as the truth about her sex reassignment surgery years ago comes out. Winner of the Audience Award at the 2014 Havana Film Festival, “His Wedding Dress,” like “Strawberry and Chocolate” before it, bravely confronts homophobia while celebrating tolerance.

”The Naked Screen”

Monday, April 20th, 9pm

College students Alex and Esperanza are deeply, madly in love. They text and call each other constantly – Alex even records a lovemaking session on his smartphone, over Esperanza’s objections. Alex’s best friend Octavio seeks to drive a wedge between the two lovers and finds the right opportunity when, after stealing Alex’s phone and discovering the video, uploads it anonymously on the web. From classism and sexism to the role technology plays in our lives, director Florence Jaguey smartly tackles a wide array of themes in this devastating fable. Also screening at 9pm on Wednesday, April 22th.

”Day Release”

Monday, April 20th, 9pm

On his first weekend out on parole after five years in prison, Mark feels the need to make amends with his brother Toni. About to be evicted from their family home, Toni accuses Mark of abandoning him and their ailing mother. The following morning, Mark wakes up in his car; a young and attractive stripper is sleeping on the backseat. After taking her to the shopping mall where she works, he witnesses the bloody armed robbery of a security van. He decides to follow it, setting in motion a chain of bloody events. Also screening at 9pm on Wednesday, April 22th.

“Dead Man’s Hand”

Tuesday, April 21st, 6pm

Seven professional poker players meet at a luxurious house for a private event. The stakes are high: a pot of more than seven million dollars. The stakes are raised when one of them suddenly and mysteriously dies at the poker table. It’s a classic whodunit as a detective tries to figure out who did the deed, unseen. Director Fernando Urdapilleta’s detective thriller will keep you guessing until the surprising end.

”The House at the End of Time”

Tuesday, April 21st, 9pm

Dulce wakes up in a darkened hallway, her face slashed; looking for her son, she finds her husband in the cellar, stabbed to death. She finally finds her son, but a mysterious force takes him away. Accused of and imprisoned for her husband’s and son’s murders, she is set free 30 years later and sentenced to spend the rest of her life in the house where these incidents took place. Beautifully shot, “The House at the End of Time” relies on mood and atmosphere to deliver its scares. Also screening at 6:30pm on Wednesday, April 22th.

The 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival runs through April 23rd. All films at the AMC River East 21, 322 E. Illinois, Chicago. Click here for day-by-day schedules and to purchase tickets.