“He’s back!” Chaz Hammelsmith exclaimed. “And so are you.”
The crowd rose to their feet as Roger Ebert’s wife, Hammelsmith, introduced him and welcomed everyone to the 11th Annual Eberfest.
“It’s great to see Roger back,” Tammy Schafer-Leuch said, “He was highly missed.”
Last year Ebert was unable to attend the festival because he was recovering from hip surgery. This year, he used a computer to introduce the first film of the festival: Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music. The movie ran just over three hours and depicted the emotions, actions and of course the music of the three days of Woodstock.
Wendy Grossman saw the film when it originally came out 40 years ago. She said that although things have changed in the last several decades, the film still delivers the same message.
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“It still seems to give me the same feeling that it originally did,” Grossman said.
Marianne Karjacic, a graduate of the University, also saw the film when it originally debuted.
“I found myself remembering the music rather than the script,” Karjacic said.
The crowd applauded after the individual performances that were presented including Joe Cocker, Santana, and Jimi Hendrix. A sing along even erupted during Country Joe’s anti-Vietnam song, Fish Cheer.
The general excitement that filled the room is sure to last though the upcoming weekend. While Joe Spencer is anticipating the silent film, “The Last Command,” many more attendees are looking forward to “Nothing but the Truth” and Matt Dillon’s presence at the festival.
“Matt Dillon was my Tiger Beat heartthrob growing up so I’m looking forward to that,” Tammy Schafer-Leuch said.
Although Chelso Frescura attends the festival in hopes of seeing foreign and independent films, he agrees that the appearances by actors and directors are a draw for him.
“Seeing all the stars that show up is worth the admission alone,” Frescura said.
While the eagerness to see Dillon is apparent, the thing Grossman appreciates most about the festival is that it is not bogged down with commercialism and is not really about the industry.
“It’s a festival for people who really love movies,” Grossman said.
June Allison agrees that this is a wonderful way to see independent films that normally do not play in the movie theatres
around Champaign-Urbana.
“Why wouldn’t you take advantage of this opportunity?” Allison said.
