‘Ebertfest’ ends after 26 editions
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We kind of knew it would reach this point. We certainly will feel the roller coaster deep down in our guts as this week presses on. The curtains will be drawn, the house lights will dim, and the balcony will be closed on this era of “Ebertfest” when we get to mid-day Sunday. The prior evening, final remarks will be offered by event emcee and producer Chaz Ebert, event director Nate Kohn, and assistant festival coordinator Matt Fagerholm after the last audience of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival watches the last selection, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT directed by the dearly missed Rob Reiner, and offers each other their goodbyes, high fives, and ugly cries. Let’s appreciate the fact that we even get a reprieve at all.
After making a joint announcement about shutting down Champaign-Urbana’s marquee cinema event back in September with the College of Media at Illinois, which had been a partner dating back to the first Overlooked Film Festival in 1999 and declined to continue their support of the effort due to their reasons, Chaz Ebert asked the faithful what they’d like to see happen. A resounding “One more year!” was the response. We therefore have the 26th overall edition of “Ebertfest” taking place during a concise two-day stretch at its forever home, The Virginia Theatre at 203 W. Park Avenue in downtown Champaign, this Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, with a familiar cast of commentators enlisted to discuss each feature as did famously the eponymous founder, Roger Ebert, and a roster of guests who are either familiar or directly involved with the pictures set to light up that towering screen.
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Eight theatrical features, a new hour-long documentary looking at the qualities of the late film critic and his festival, and a half-hour, one-act play called Siskel/Ebert, which dramatizes the taping of the duo’s show early on in their syndication run with Disney, will make up this final bow to all the attendees, volunteers, journalists, financial partners, community and business sponsors, Ebert student fellows, RogerEbert.com associates, University of Illinois academics and staff, and movie fans-at-large who have played a role in making this annual gathering a success. We’ll even confide in our Confidential Agents that Ye Ed, who has not attended or been directly woven into its fabric for a decade, plans to materialize, even though he may only take in two or three shows at the Virginia. To him, part of the “Ebertfest” mystique all these years was living in the moment all weekend and that involved West Side Park to the west, the Sesquicentennial Neighborhood just past that where he once lived, and the business district to the east with all the pre- and post-movie hangouts one could ask for. Mr. JaPan would like to soak up a little of everything once more.
Before we get together, we must also bring another “Ebertfest” tradition to bear and that is our “short form” schedule you can reference on the fly while darting about Park Avenue – we’re not sure if there will be courtesy tents and food vendors across from the theater as in previous engagements – and rubbing elbows with your friends, neighbors, and visitors. Individual tickets and passes can still be bought through the Virginia’s box office during business hours at (217) 356-9063 or at their website, although we have caught a few social media comments about CHILI FINGER being sold out. In the past, the Virginia has offered rush tickets prior to the more popular screenings, so be aware of those start times that we’ve listed below if you want to take your chances. Enjoy, embrace, and may the thumbs up be with you.
The Ebert Symposium, organized by the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies and held at the Spurlock Museum of World Cultures on the UI campus in the spring, took place in advance of “Ebertfest” this year on March 30 and 31. The film in focus was THE WIZ and discussions pertained to Black acceptance and participation in our country’s media culture. Ebert and Kohn have confirmed in public comments the Ebert Center will continue on at UI, so maybe we’ll get to enjoy hints of “Ebertfest” vicariously in the future through that avenue, which has offered five to six events per semester and made them free and open to the public. Here’s to the conclusion of a high-water mark in the film culture du C-U. It will be missed.
~ Jason Pankoke
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2026 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival schedule
@ The Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL
Friday, April 17
9:00 a.m. CHARLIEBIRD (2026, 98 min., Dir. Libby Ewing)
11:25 a.m. NUREMBERG (2025, 148 min., Dir. James Vanderbilt)
3:30 p.m. THE LAST MOVIE CRITIC (2026, 58 min., Dir. Luke Boyce & Michael Moreci)
5:10 p.m. BOB TREVINO LIKES IT (2025, 101 min., Dir. Tracie Laymon)
8:50 p.m. GET OUT (2017, 99 min., Dir. Jordan Peele)
Saturday, April 18
9:00 a.m. THE GENERAL (1926, 79 min., Dir. Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman) Accompanied by the Anvil Orchestra
10:35 a.m. MI FAMLIA (MY FAMILY) (1995, 127 min., Dir. Gregory Nava)
2:30 p.m. ‘Siskel/Ebert’ performance, starring Stephen Winchell and Zack Mast (Premiered 2024, 35 min., Dir. Katlin Schneider)
3:40 p.m. CHILI FINGER (2026, 100 min., Dir. Edd Benda & Stephen Helstad)
7:25 p.m. THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT (1995, 113 min., Dir. Rob Reiner)
Special guests who are scheduled to appear include Samantha Smart (actress/writer, CHARLIEBIRD), James Vanderbilt (writer/director, NUREMBERG), Luke Boyce and Michael Moreci (writers/directors, THE LAST MOVIE CRITIC), French Stewart (actor) and Tracie Laymon (writer/director, BOB TREVINO LIKES IT), Betty Gabriel (actress, GET OUT), Gregory Nava (writer/director, MI FAMILIA), Stephen Winchell (actor), Zach Mast (actor), and Katlin Schneider (director, ‘Siskel/Ebert’), Judy Greer (actress), John Goodman (actor), Edd Benda (director), and Stephen Helstad (writer/director, CHILI FINGER). Film critics and personalities who are also scheduled to participate include Dr. Doug Williams, Dr. Eric Pierson, Matt Fagerholm, Matt Zoller Seitz, Michael Phillips, Nate Kohn, Nell Minow, Richard Roeper, and Robert Daniels. “Ebertfest” is emceed and produced by Chaz Ebert and directed by Nate Kohn. Sonia Evans is festival coordinator and Matt Fagerholm is assistant festival coordinator. Daniel Jackson is festival associate and Lee Meltzer manages public relations. Website management is by Surface 51.
The Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, Illinois, which first opened in December 1921, is directed by Steven Bentz and operated by the Champaign Park District.
Publicity still from CHILI FINGER is courtesy YellowHouse Entertainment/SXSW. | Publicity still from NUREMBERG is courtesy Sony Pictures Classics. | Poster artwork from THE LAST MOVIE CRITIC is courtesy Shatterglass Films/Roger Ebert’s Film Festival. | Publicity still from CHARLIEBIRD in this week’s Calendar is courtesy Circus Road Films/Tribeca.
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