More than the movies: 17th Ebertfest brings sense of community
By Annabeth Carlson, Assistant features editor
April 20, 2015
In The Virginia Theatre’s gold, ornate rooms, the aroma of popcorn wafted through the air Wednesday night as people socialized and took programs from ushers. Outside, the theatre’s sign illuminated the reason behind the commotion: 17th annual Ebertfest. Ebertfest, founded by the late-movie critic and Univ...
“A Bronx Tale:” Ebertfest welcomes Chazz Palminteri and Jon Kilik
April 20, 2015
I would never deny that “A Bronx Tale” is a great film; it references important dialogue about race relations, gender construction, class discrepancies and morality. But experiencing “A Bronx Tale” as introduced by Roger Ebert’s wife, Chaz Ebert, viewing it as a personal 35-mm print that bel...
Chaz, Kohn hand-pick films true to vision
April 14, 2015
Festival Director Nathaniel Kohn and Chaz Ebert have worked throughout the last year to hand-pick the films shown at Ebertfest. Kohn said the process of picking the films is ongoing, and many factors are considered when choosing the films, which are announced in March. Some of the film choices com...
Mary Susan Britt: The ‘force’ behind Ebertfest
April 14, 2015
Fourteen years ago, Mary Susan Britt responded to an ad in the paper to work for the University of Illinois’ College of Media. Her family had just moved to Champaign-Urbana from Vicksburg, Mississippi, and she thought she’d try her luck with a new job in a new town. She couldn’t have predicted...
Talking with Chaz Ebert
April 14, 2015
When Roger Ebert considered potential films to show at Ebertfest, there was one person in particular who he loved to discuss movies with: his wife, his supporter and his closest friend Chaz. We spoke with Chaz via email and asked her a few questions about her connection to the Champaign-Urbana communi...
Ebertfest 2014 to maintain message, atmosphere of late host, founder
By Declan Harty
November 7, 2013
For the first time in its 16 years, Ebertfest is being planned without longtime host and co-creator Roger Ebert — University alumnus, Urbana native and the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize. Ebert passed away in April 2013 due to thyroid and salivary gland cancer, leaving behind many thing...
