Calendar: January 23-29, 2026
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
12/27: Grant Morenz, 51 (actor, SCARY NORMAL, Hot Diggity Productions, Champaign, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
We’ve been hearing from not-so-far away that Champaign-Urbana weather is a big ol’ polar bear this weekend. Therefore, we hope that everybody does their best to be heads’ up if you have to go out. AMC Champaign 13 cancelled their slate for Friday and the Savoy 16 has done the same on Sunday as we finally put this together, so, please visit your favorite theaters’ websites or call their hotlines to be in the know on when they’re open for business. We won’t be updating this week’s Calendar after today unless we sneak in an anecdotal goodie for you. Once a week to compile is enough for ye olde Ye Ed.
That said, from the comfort of your shelter we can finish looking back at local film activity as reported in MICRO-FILM issue 7 from October of 2005, when it provided a smorgasbord of cinema writings for our dearest micro-readers to devour. “The Confidential Teletype” packed a litany of updates and what follows are the final tidbits from page 44 of that fateful journal. If you’ve enjoyed our reminisces in the last two Reports, you’ll enjoy this as well. Who and what else played a part in our film scene? Glad you asked…
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Carlin Trammel of Savoy has completed two short films under his Stormspeed Entertainment banner. DAVID VON FANGE IN TASTES LIKE CHICKEN adapts a comics story about a restaurateur/superhero whose capacity to “turn off” his emotions interfere with getting the girl, while MISSED ME (in tandem with Farmer City resident Josh Hawn of Ten44 Productions) finds a pair of camouflaged soldiers tangling with “some rather unconventional weaponry” …
Members of the Creative Dramatics Workshop in nearby Sidney branched out into video production with a full-length rendering of Sophocles’ Antigone. Adapted and directed by the theater group’s Robert Picklesimer, ANTIGONE follows closely the classic war-tragedy set in Thebes with an unusually young-skewing cast, including 18-year-old Claire Cowles in the title role. The film made its bow in April at the Savoy 16 Theaters …
At the same time, the seventh annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival (MF 3) once again welcomed thousands of moviegoers to the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, presenting several features and guests that should be familiar to MF readers: PRIMER (Shane Carruth), BAADASSSSS! (Mario Van Peebles), THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH (John Sayles), ME AND YOU AND EVERYONE WE KNOW (Miranda July), and a glorious Guy Maddin match-up, THE HEART OF THE WORLD and THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD …
Correcting an error in last issue’s Teletype, John Chua (MARION’S TRIUMPH) actually earned a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature – not Cinema Studies – from the University of Illinois. Chua’s documentary also had its first public C-U screening in April … fin.
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…and, Great Scott, we’re back to the future. Trammel and family now live in Tallahassee, where he works at the University of Florida and wields his multimedia skills in their advancement department, while Hawn offers insurance products in Farmer City and apparently has kept open Ten44 as a sideline to “manage video projects such as Documentaries, Mission Videos, [and] Hunting Television Series” per LinkedIn. Since the death of Picklesimer in 2020, both the Workshop and its long-time home, the Homer Opera House in Homer, have struggled to keep going as online records of their activity have trickled to a halt. Chua has made several social-issue films since MARION’S TRIUMPH and trotted the globe for work in various capacities as a producer, writer, and academic instructor. “Ebertfest,” at least the version of it we’ve known since its inception in 1999, is allegedly returning to Champaign for “one last dance” in an abbreviated format, per Chaz Ebert, with an intent to keep it going in some fashion if a replacement source of funding is found, per Nate Kohn. All us average citizens can do at this point is to stay tuned.
If you want a concentrated dose of C-U film culture in the here and now, you won’t have long to wait. Postponed from this Sunday due to the weather and now scheduled for next Sunday, February 1, at 12:30 p.m., is a program of 48-hour challenge films made by teams of Champaign Movie Makers members. It will be followed at 3 p.m. by a screening of MOSES THE BLACK, the Fathom Events release that was almost completely filmed in east central Illinois back in the fall. Both events are presented by Chambana Film Society and will be held at the Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX in Savoy. There is also a third event of the fashionable “pop-up” variety, arranged by CMM organizer Andrew Stengele, which will take place at a former theatrical venue, the Orpheum Champaign, on Tuesday, February 3, starting at 7 p.m. It will be a collection of local films, old and new, projected in a storied space that hasn’t seen this kind of action in some time. Might it be a recurring thing? Attendance by you, you, and you will help CMM decide.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
CHATHA PACHA: THE KING OF ROWDIES* (in Malayalam with English sub), H IS FOR HAWK, MERCY, RETURN TO SILENT HILL*, 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, ANACONDA, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION*, HAMNET*, THE HOUSEMAID, MARTY SUPREME, PRIMATE, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS* (animation), ZOOTOPIA 2 (animation) (1/23 on), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING* (re-release) (1/23-1/26, 1/29), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS* (re-release) (1/23-1/25, 1/27), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING* (re-release) (1/23-1/25, 1/28), SENTIMENTAL VALUE w/onscreen discussion by cast (in Norwegian with English sub) (1/25, 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (1/26, 7 p.m.), PARIS HILTON: INFINITE ICON – A VISUAL MEMOIR (music documentary) (1/28, 7 p.m.; 1/29, 4 & 7:10 p.m.), IRON LUNG, SEND HELP, SHELTER (1/29 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
MERCY, RETURN TO SILENT HILL*, 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH, CHARLIE THE WONDERDOG* (animation), DAVID (faith animation), GREENLAND 2: MIGRATION*, HAMNET*, THE HOUSEMAID, IS THIS THING ON?, MARTY SUPREME, NO OTHER CHOICE (in Korean with English sub), PRIMATE, SONG SUNG BLUE, THE SPONGEBOB MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS* (animation), ZOOTOPIA 2 (animation) (1/23 on), Indian cinema: BORDER 2* (in Hindi with English sub; 1/23-1/28), NARI NARI NADUMA MURAI (in Telugu with English sub; 1/23), CHATHA PACHA: THE KING OF ROWDIES* (in Malayalam with English sub; 1/23-1/24), THALAIVAR THAMBI THALAIMAIYIL* (in Tamil with English sub; 1/24, 1/26), ANAGANAGA OKA RAJU* (in Telugu with English sub; 1/25), and MANA SHANKARAVARAPRASAD GURY (in Telugu with English sub; 1/25-1/28), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING* (re-release) (1/23), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS* (re-release) (1/24), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING* (re-release) (1/25), The Metropolitan Opera: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay (1/24, 1 p.m., simulcast; 1/28, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), UFC 324: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett, more (mixed martial arts) (1/28, 8 p.m., simulcast), INTERSTELLAR (1/24, 1/28, 7 p.m.), SEND HELP (1/29 on) *single screenings daily
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2025 Weekend Films” feat. ROOFMAN, I-Room A, 1st floor (1/23-1/24, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!
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NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ AMC Classic 12, Springfield, IL
Springfield Art Association presents Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series feat. THERE’S STILL TOMORROW (1/25, 1 & 4 p.m.; 1/27, 7 p.m.)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
DAVID (animation) (1/28), SEND HELP (1/29 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
CITIZEN KANE (1/23-1/25), NO OTHER CHOICE (in Korean with English sub) (1/29 on)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE HOUSEMAID (1/23-1/25)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast. And for northern Illinois industry news, be sure to read Reel Chicago, Screen Magazine, and the Chicago Reader.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events.
NEW! 2/6
2026 Flatlands Dance Film Festival*
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
NEW! 2/7
Film Fanatic Movie Nights* presents ONE FROM THE HEART: REPRISE
@ Gallery Art Bar, Urbana, IL, 6 p.m.
NEW! 2/16
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting
@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
NEW! 2/28
43rd Insect Fear Film Festival*
@ Foellinger Auditorium, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m., free
4/3-4/10
28th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/9-4/12
36th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/17-4/19
26th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
NEW! 9/7-9/17
44th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival
@ Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema + Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
UPDATE! Chambana Film Society presents “The Savoy Arthouse”
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 3 p.m. unless noted otherwise
2/1: The Champaign Movie Makers* 2026 48-Hour Film Competition Screening (12:30 p.m.); 2/1: MOSES THE BLACK*; 2/8: THE VOICE OF HIND RAJAB
NEW! Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2025 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
1/23-1/24: ROOFMAN (in I-Room A); 1/30-1/31: BLACK PHONE 2; 2/6-2/7: TRON: ARES; 2/13-2/14: REGRETTING YOU; 2/20-2/21: ZOOTOPIA 2; 2/27-2/28: FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2; 3/6-3/7: THE RUNNING MAN; 3/13-3/14: THE HOUSEMAID; 3/27-3/28: WICKED: FOR GOOD; 4/3-4/4: ANACONDA; 4/10-4/11: MERCY; 4/17-4/18: 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE
NEW! Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies events
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. (unless noted otherwise)
2/12: THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG screening; 3/5: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER screening; 3/30: THE WIZ screening
NEW! Springfield Art Association presents the 31st annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series
@ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL, 1 & 4 p.m. Sunday + 7 p.m. Tuesday
1/25, 1/27: THERE’S STILL TOMORROW; 2/1, 2/3: LEE; 2/8, 2/10: SANTOSH; 2/15, 2/17: HOW TO MAKE MILLIONS BEFORE GRANDMA DIES; 2/22, 2/24: TERRESTRIAL VERSES; 3/1, 3/3: NIGHT CALL; 3/8, 3/10: THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2026 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
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