Calendar: March 20-26, 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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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U
What we’re seeing on our beat this week … The heart and soul of who and what we seek out, the indie creators in our midst, provide the beat for the Teletype this week! To start, our friend Kimberly Conner of Predestined Arts & Entertainment in Springfield has announced she is hosting an updated informational session on what it takes to find success in independent production; “How to Make a Movie in 50 Bite Size Steps” will be reprised on Friday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. via the WebEx conferencing platform and registration is one click away. Conner has also revealed that she is exploring options and seeking partnerships for launching a full-service soundstage in or near the Capital City to take advantage of the Illinois tax credit program and bring in business; “serious inquiries only,” and she means it …
Elsewhere, our friend Jessie Seitz of Acid Goth in Decatur recently gave her contributors and supporters a sneak peek at a workprint of MONSTER GIRLS, a long-gestating documentary and tribute to women artists who ply their trade in the messy and exacting world of special effects make-up for the screen and stage. The piece is structured around lengthy talks with two trailblazers, the retired Oscar-winner Ve Neill (BEETLEJUICE, BATMAN RETURNS, FACE OFF) and still active Emmy-winner Jennifer Aspinall (THE TOXIC AVENGER, STREET TRASH, PAM AND TOMMY), and loving nods to the late Millicent Patrick, who designed several seminal characters while at Universal Studios including the Gill Man. Narration and an appearance by Diana Prince (THE LAST DRIVE-IN) is woven in along with commentary from several younger artists voicing their perspectives on the modern iteration of this fascinating line of work. Seitz says a distribution deal is near and fine tuning in store for the passion project and historical record …
We also have a few brief notes to share. One, we finally got a look at the concept short film, CHILDREN OF THE CORNFIELD, which we talked about back in December when its director, Crystal Hughes, hosted a premiere for it at Danville’s Fischer Theatre. You can see the offbeat farmland doings of her on-screen alter ego, “Zella,” for yourselves here and keep an eye out here for hiring announcements on the feature film version that is set for production in late May and June in Vermilion County, last we knew …
Two, Anne and Chris Lukeman are having a soft opening this weekend for their newest endeavor, Parcadia, an “indoor magical minigolf tavern” concept that is located near their successful escape room business, Champaign-Urbana Adventures in Time and Space; who knew their yarn-spinning and crafting savvy would lead these former filmmakers down such unique paths? The secret formula is probably buried along with the Mummy, Ted Johnson, well beneath the University of Illinois foundations …
Three, Camp Nostalgia Studios recently told their Facebook fans of a programming shake-up that will result in the debut of several new shows in 2026 and 2027; staff storyteller and illustrator Gela Rediger takes charge of this year’s premieres including a collaboration with Earth-217 Studios’ Chase Todd called THE SMALL AND TALL BOOK CLUB and an interview series with local artists called REAL ART … and that’s what we can reveal for today. Always remember – this is not just movies, it’s our lives.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Lake County College, Grayslake, IL, etc.
16th annual Lake County Film Festival* (through 3/24) Information
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
Redbird Film Forum at the School of Theatre, Dance, and Film, presents the ISU Student Film Festival* (3/24, 7-9 p.m., free) Information
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (in Hindi with English sub), THE POUT-POUT FISH* (animation), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, Studio Ghibli Fest: KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (animé) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), USTAAD BHAGAT SINGH* (in Telugu with English sub), THE BRIDE!, GOAT (animation), HOPPERS (animation), REMINDERS OF HIM, SCREAM 7, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE 35th anniversary* (re-release), UNDERTONE (3/20 on), Fan Faves: THE KING OF KINGS* (animation; 3/22, 3/25) and AMERICAN UNDERDOG* (3/22, 3/25), AMC “Scream Unseen” (mystery movie) (3/23, 7 p.m.), FORBIDDEN FRUITS sneak preview (3/25, 7 p.m.), THE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST (documentary), FORBIDDEN FRUITS, THEY WILL KILL YOU (3/26 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (in Hindi with English sub), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, THE BRIDE!*, CRIME 101, EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT (music documentary), GOAT (animation), HOPPERS (animation), I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 (faith film), REMINDERS OF HIM, SCREAM 7, SLANTED*, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES II: THE SECRET OF THE OOZE 35th anniversary* (re-release), UNDERTONE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS* (3/20 on), The Metropolitan Opera: Tristan und Isolde (3/21, 11 a.m., simulcast; 3/25, 12 & 6:30 p.m.), RAD 40th anniversary (3/22, 4 & 7 p.m.; 3/24, 7 p.m.), MATILDA (3/22, 3 & 7 p.m.; 3/25, 7 p.m.), THE FIRST HYMN (religious documentary) (3/24, 3/26, 4 & 7 p.m.) *single screenings daily
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
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
Opens next week!
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
PROJECT HAIL MARY (3/20-3/22, 3/26 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
ALIEN (3/20), PULP FICTION (3/21), GOOD WILL HUNTING (3/22), ISU Student Film Showcase* (3/24, 7 p.m.), PURPLE RAIN (3/25), ISU Queer Coalition, etc., present “Queering Horror” feat. DRACULA’S DAUGHTER w/discussion (3/26, 7 p.m., free),
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
HOPPERS (animation) (3/20-3/22)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ AMC Newcity 14, Chicago, IL
Sophia’s Choice presents 20th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival (3/20-4/12) Information
@ Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI
64th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival (3/24-3/29) Information
@ The Varsity Center, Carbondale, IL
SIU Carbondale presents 48th Big Muddy Film Festival* (through 3/21) Information
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
4/3-4/10
28th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/9-4/12
36th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL
NEW! 4/11
“Festival of the Arts” presents IWU student film showcase
@ Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL, 3:45 p.m.
4/17-4/19
26th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival: “The Last Dance”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
4/23-4/26
2026 Foxtail Film Festival*
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
5/1
2026 Illinois Student Film Festival*
@ UI Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
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
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
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
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies events
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. (unless noted otherwise)
3/30: THE WIZ screening; 3/31: Ebert Symposium 2026: “Onscreen Fantasies/IRL Illusions: Fandom, Parasocial Relationships, and the Media” (2 p.m. roundtable discussion, 4 p.m. keynote address by Dr. Alfred L. Martin, Jr., University of Miami)
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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