Ramberg wins $1K prize in Latino Fest poster contest

A portion of Ramberg’s winning poster

Chicago-based illustrator, 25-year old Morgan Ramberg won the $1,000 cash prize from the 20th Annual Official Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest and her poster will become the face of the festival, April 8-21.

Ramberg’s vibrant-colored, minimalist imagery of a film strip/flamenco dancer design was selected from among 1,043 international submissions this first year that the contest was open to global artists.

Ramberg, who is not Latino, says she is “super excited” her design was chosen. “I’ve been submitting entries to the Latino festival since I was a student at Loyola University.  For this project I wanted to create an actor-centric poster, while communicating clearly and beautifully the excitement and celebration of a movie premiere.

“I am so happy to have had the chance to contribute to one of Chicago’s major cultural events.”

The Chicago Latino Film Festival is also the largest event of its kind in the US.

Ramberg’s day job is in-house illustrator for Walgreen’s and at night, she says, she creates all the things she thinks up during her lunch break. During and after college she freelanced as a graphic designer, illustrator and production artist.

In 2013, Ramberg won the Wells Street Art Festival Poster Competition, one of the Midwest’s largest and most prestigious fine art fairs.

Poster judges were Jorge Pomareda, senior creative, Cossette Chicago and winner of the 28th and 31st Chicago Latino Film Festival Poster Contest; art director Jonny Arcila, Lapiz, Chicago; associate graphic designer Matías Delfino, United Nations, New York; photographer/graphic designer Alberto March-Tobella, Barcelona, Spain and Alma Velasquez, VP/Community Affairs of BMO Harris Bank Chicago, a festival sponsor.

“We couldn’t be happier with the results,” says Pepe Vargas, founder and executive director of the International Latino Cultural Center of Chicago.

“Morgan’s poster captures the vibrancy our cinema is currently enjoying, a vibrancy which the Chicago Latino Film Festival embraces and is a part thereof.”

The poster will be on sale for $5 at the festival, to take place mainly at the AMC River East Theatres.