Since 1999, Roger Ebert, the late, famed film critic and former editor-in-chief of The Daily Illini, has been hosting Ebertfest, formerly Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival, in collaboration with the University of Illinois. This year’s festival will be the first without the Urbana-native, and the first his wife, Chaz, and co-creator and festival director, Nate Kohn, will be taking over. 

But that doesn’t change the mission of Ebertfest: giving second chances. Ebertfest will continue providing second chances to underappreciated films, and Chaz and Kohn will give Ebertfest a second chance to thrive following Ebert’s death. 

And beyond that, this year’s Ebertfest doesn’t just call for celebrating great films, but also for celebrating the great man who put these films back into the spotlight. It calls for celebrating a man who reinforced film as a part of Champaign-Urbana’s culture, and who never forgot to give back to the community that gave to him. 

In 2009, Roger and Chaz donated $1 million toward the formation of the Roger Ebert Program for Film Studies in collaboration with the University’s College of Media. And recently in 2012, Ebert pleaded to the public for donations to save the financially struggling Daily Illini and Illini Media Company, which he once worked for as a student. 

Through keeping Ebertfest alive, the C-U community is acknowledging and appreciating all that Ebert has contributed. He’s been there for us, and we’ll keep being there for him. 

Spike Lee, Patton Oswalt, Oliver Stone and Steve James, who all plan to attend Ebertfest this year, keep the festival alive. And its attendees — students, faculty, community members and individuals around the country — keep the festival thriving. This year’s Ebertfest is about honor and appreciation, but, most importantly celebration.