Ebertfest is an annual
film festival
A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon ...
held every April in
Champaign
Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metropo ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
, United States, organized by the
College of Media at the
University of Illinois
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the University ...
.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
, the TV and ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has the second largest circulation among Chicago newspapers, after the ''Chicago T ...
''
film critic
Film criticism is the analysis and evaluation of films and the film medium. In general, film criticism can be divided into two categories: journalistic criticism that appears regularly in newspapers, magazines and other popular mass-media outlets ...
, was a native of the adjoining town of
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...
and is an alumnus of the University.
Founded in 1999 as "Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival", this event is the only long-running film festival created by a critic.
Despite Ebert's death in 2013,
the festival continues to operate based on Ebert's notes and vision for the kinds of films he championed.
The 2020 festival was postponed due to the
coronavirus pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...
. The 22nd edition of the event was rescheduled three times, eventually opening on April 20, 2022.
Origins
The festival is a direct descendant of a program put on at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1997 called Cyberfest which used the supposed birthday of
HAL (the computer in the film ''
2001: A Space Odyssey'') to highlight the University's involvement in the history of computers and computing. The film was to be shown as part of Cyberfest, Roger Ebert had agreed to host and actor
Gary Lockwood
Gary Lockwood (born John Gary Yurosek; February 21, 1937) is an American actor. Lockwood is best known for his roles as astronaut Frank Poole in the film '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968), and as Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell in the '' Star ...
was a special guest.
It was suggested that the film should ideally be shown as it was originally, in 70 mm format. The original plan was to have the screening at the University's performing arts center but time constraints vs. the need to install projection equipment and elaborate six channel sound made this impossible. Someone suggested looking at the
Virginia Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed b ...
, as 70 mm films had been shown there in the past. At this point the theatre was in the hands of a local live theatre group and had not run films since sold by a theatre chain. All concerned were pleasantly surprised to learn the chain had left behind not only what is reputed to be the finest 35/70 mm projector made but also the screen and speakers. The rest of the equipment was brought in for the special showing which went perfectly.
Venue
Since its inception in 1999, Ebertfest has been held at the
Virginia Theatre
The August Wilson Theatre (formerly the Guild Theatre, ANTA Theatre, and Virginia Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 245 West 52nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1925, the theater was designed b ...
, an old-time movie palace in Champaign built in 1921 and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
.
The theatre is now owned by the
Champaign Park District
The Champaign Park District is the municipality association responsible for maintenance of park, public parks in the city of Champaign, Illinois. There are just over of parkland within the city limits. As of the fiscal year 2011-2012, the park d ...
. Ebert spoke of having attended films at the Virginia while growing up in Champaign-Urbana and attending the University. It was Ebert's intention that all festival attendees see all of the films in a single theatre in order to create a sense of community among film lovers.
In 2014, a
bronze statue of Roger Ebert was unveiled outside of the Virginia Theatre as tribute to both Ebert and Ebertfest.
Growth
Through donations, the Virginia has been able to fully equip its projection and sound system with a second projector, the latest in digital sound equipment and top quality lenses.
The theatre's screen is 56 feet wide by 23 feet high, with a viewable image of up to 50 feet wide x 21½ feet high. The main speakers sit directly behind the screen during film presentations and are augmented by 36 surround sound speakers.
Instrumental in these upgrades has been notable
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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-based projection expert James Bond who doubles as one of the projectionists during the festival.
Capacity
Since 2013, the Virginia Theatre has a seating capacity of 1,463. The theatre was closed from 2012 until April 2013 for renovations that included replacing all of the seats. Capacity dropped from about 1,550
to 1,463 but the new seats are more comfortable and the theatre offers wheelchair and companion access.
Name change
In April 2007 it was announced that beginning in 2008 with the tenth festival "Overlooked" would be dropped from the name and subsequent events would be known as "Roger Ebert's Film Festival", but commonly referred to as simply Ebertfest. This did not necessarily indicate any change in the philosophy or theme but simply eliminated the need to explain when current or even unreleased films were included which had sometimes been the case. They had sometimes been jokingly referred to as "pre-overlooked."
Selection criteria
Unlike typical film festivals, Ebertfest does not accept submissions.
Roger Ebert selected films for the festival which in his opinion are excellent, but have been overlooked by the public or by film distribution companies. All films were selected from those that Ebert saw in the course of his normal reviewing work. Since Ebert's death, all films have been selected by the Festival Committee.
The original purpose of the Overlooked Film Festival, as reflected in the name, was to showcase films that had not been given enough attention by the public, film critics, or even distributors.
Ebert had cheerfully admitted that he could bend the definition of "overlooked" to accommodate any film that he would like to include, since entire genres and formats can be overlooked as well as individual films.
The selection philosophy is expected to continue, but with the name change there will no longer be a need to come up with a pretext for including any film.
70 mm
In most years the festival has opened with a film in the
70 mm format.
The films may be major releases, like ''
2001: A Space Odyssey'' or ''
Patton
George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in Franc ...
'', or less well-known, like 2005's showing of the French film ''
Playtime.''
These films were all chosen primarily due to their use of the 70 mm process, which Ebert felt was overlooked.
Silent film
Each year a
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
is shown with live orchestral accompaniment. The films selected are generally well-known (for example, ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
''),
but Ebert felt that silent films in general are overlooked by the majority of moviegoers.
The festival also strives to include a musical film for the same reason.
Performers providing live accompaniment have included the
Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra The Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra (CUSO) is a professional orchestra located in the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area in central Illinois, United States. The Orchestra is the Professional Orchestra in Residence at the Krannert Center for the ...
and the
Alloy Orchestra.
Festival format
Twelve to fourteen films are presented at each festival, opening with a single film on a Wednesday night and concluding with a single movie the following Sunday. On each day during the interim three or four films are presented. As of 2019, the format excluded the Sunday screening.
For the first eight festivals, before each screening Roger Ebert would make a few introductory remarks. After the film was shown he would have a discussion on stage with the filmmakers or others connected with the film, sometimes hosting a brief panel discussion.
After Ebert lost his speaking voice due to cancer, starting with the ninth festival in 2007, his wife
Chaz assumed many of the hosting duties. Post-show panels are led by his "Far-Flung Correspondents" or other respected film professionals, such as film historian
David Bordwell and film critic
Christy Lemire.
On April 4, 2013, Ebert died after a long battle with cancer. Despite his death, the film festival went along as scheduled, simultaneously acting as a tribute to Ebert's legacy. At the opening of the 15th annual Ebertfest, it was announced by Ebert's wife, Chaz, that his alma mater, the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...
, will be establishing a new Film Studies program within the College of Media in honor of his legacy. The program will be funded in part by a $1 million grant from Ebert and his wife to the University. The non-degree program will be both a collection of film-related seminars and classes as well as a platform for Ebertfest to continue.
Festival guests
Since its inception, many film directors, actors, producers, cinematographers and other crew members, as well as studio executives have been invited to participate in Ebertfest. Examples include
Werner Herzog
Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...
,
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, has produced more than 35 films since 1983. He made his directorial debut ...
, and
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...
.
For the tenth Ebertfest in 2010, many of the international invited guests were unable to attend due to the
volcanic eruptions
Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often ...
in Iceland that disrupted air travel in Europe.
For the 2022 festival, actor
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York accent, and his edgy, often controversial, sense of humor. His numerous ro ...
was scheduled to appear as a panelist to discuss the documentary film about him, ''
Gilbert Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South ...
''.
In the aftermath of his death on April 12, 2022, Ebertfest announced it was dedicating the event to the memories of Gottfried and
Sidney Poitier
Sidney Poitier ( ; February 20, 1927 – January 6, 2022) was an American actor, film director, and diplomat. In 1964, he was the first black actor and first Bahamian to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. He received two competitive ...
.
Awards
As a non-competitive film festival,
Ebertfest does not have jury or audience awards. But beginning with the sixth festival in 2004, all invited guests have been given an award originally referred to by Ebert as the Order of the Silver Thumb,
but subsequently known as the Golden Thumb Award. The Golden Thumb trophy is a casting of Roger Ebert's
thumb in the up position, made by the
R.S. Owens & Company, which is the same business that makes the Oscar statuette.
The first Roger Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented in 2016 to co-directors Andrew Young and Stephen Apkon for their documentary film ''Disturbing the Peace.'' The film focuses on the work of
Combatants for Peace
Combatants for Peace ( he, לוחמים לשלום; ar, مقاتلون من أجل آلسلام) is an Israeli-Palestinian NGO and an egalitarian, bi-national, grassroots movement committed to non-violent action against the “Israeli occupation ...
, a group of former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who put down their weapons and began working together for peace in the region.
In 2017, the second Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented to
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (born July 27, 1922) is an American producer and screenwriter, who has produced, written, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear is known for many popular 1970s sitcoms, including the multi-award winning ''All in the Famil ...
for "a lifetime of empathy". Lear was the first person to receive the award, because the 2016 award was given to the film ''Disturbing the Peace''. Lear was a special guest at the 2017 festival, to screen the documentary about his life.
In 2019, the third Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented to
Morgan Neville
Morgan Neville (born October 10, 1967) is an American film producer, director and writer. His acclaimed film ''20 Feet from Stardom'' won him the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2014 as well as a Grammy Award for Best Music Film. ...
for his film ''
Won't You Be My Neighbor?''.
Also in 2019, Chaz Ebert presented the first-ever Ebertfest Icon Award to Rita Coburn Whack for the documentary film she co-directed about poet and civil rights activist
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...
, titled ''Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise''.
Academic panel discussions
Co-sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media, every Ebertfest since its inception has included panel discussions with invited festival guests and scholars from academia, covering a variety of film-related topics. These discussions are free and open to the public, and are held in the mornings during the festival. From 1999 to 2016, the panels were held on the University of Illinois campus. Beginning in 2017, the panel discussions are held in a hotel close to the Virginia Theatre.
Live streaming
Beginning in 2010, the panel discussions, film introductions, and post-film discussions/question and answer sessions with festival guests have been streamed live, and then archived o
Ebertfest's YouTube channel
Admission
Festival goers can purchase tickets to individual shows or full-festival passes. The number of passes sold is limited to 1,000 with the remainder of seats allotted for individual tickets or sponsors.
As passholders do not necessarily attend every show, it is often possible to obtain tickets at the last minute after empty seats are counted. At every festival since 2002, all patrons waiting in line for sold-out films were able to gain entry to the theatre.
Passes for the first Ebertfest in 1999 cost $30, and individual film tickets were $5.
In 2016, passes cost $150, and individual film tickets were $15. In 2022, passes cost $200 and individual film tickets were $20.
The first sell-out of passes was in 2004.
Festival administration
Festival founder, programmer and host, 1999
–2012:
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
Festival producer, 1999
–2006: Nancy Casey
Festival producer and host, 2007–present: Chaz Ebert
Festival director, 1999
–present: Nate Kohn
Films
The following is a complete list of films presented at Ebertfest.
2022
Festival schedule
2019
Festival schedule
2018
Festival schedule
2017
Festival schedule
2016
Festival schedule
2015
Festival schedule
2014
Festival schedule
2013
Festival schedule
2012
Festival schedule
2011
Festival schedule
2010
Festival schedule
2009
Festival schedule
2008
Festival schedule
2007
Festival schedule
2006
Festival schedule
2005
Festival schedule
2004
Festival schedule
2003
Festival schedule
2002
Festival schedule
2001
Festival schedule
2000
Festival schedule
1999
Festival schedule
External links
*
Rotten Tomatoes feature from 2003, archived April 21, 2008
References
{{SiskelandEbert
Film festivals in Illinois
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Tourist attractions in Champaign County, Illinois
Film festivals established in 1997
1997 establishments in Illinois
Roger Ebert
Siskel and Ebert