{"id":12512,"date":"2019-02-15T10:00:40","date_gmt":"2019-02-15T16:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=12512"},"modified":"2020-03-07T21:26:50","modified_gmt":"2020-03-08T03:26:50","slug":"ebertfest-19-starts-on-quiet-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/?p=12512","title":{"rendered":"Ebertfest \u201819 starts on QUIET note"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"Maja Komorowska stars in A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN. (Photo: TOR Film Production)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/Images\/CUBlog Art\/cu_quietsun_majak.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"335\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\u2018Tis the pre-spring season when the <strong>Champaign-Urbana<\/strong> citizenry, ranging from friendly neighbors to at-large cineastes, perks up every single time the <strong>College of Media<\/strong> at the <strong>University of Illinois<\/strong> makes public mention of an upcoming <a title=\"Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival :: Official Site\" href=\"http:\/\/ebertfest.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival<\/span><\/strong><\/a>. We all want to know what films fill out the program, which will be presented from <strong>Wednesday, April 10<\/strong>, to <strong>Saturday, April 13<\/strong>, at the <a title=\"The Virginia Theatre :: Home Page\" href=\"https:\/\/thevirginia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Virginia Theatre<\/span><\/strong><\/a> in downtown Champaign, as well as the guests, panels, and such that will be unique to the newest edition. Per the usual protocol for \u201c<strong>Ebertfest<\/strong>\u201d organizers, nuggets of information trickle out in February and March until the full wealth of details drops right before <strong>April 1<\/strong>, when individual tickets go on sale. The lead-up to this twenty-first year is no exception as the tease has finally begun!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Various local media have <a title=\"\u2018Ebert's co-host, friend as excited as ever to attend film festival\u2019 by Paul Wood :: The News-Gazette\" href=\"http:\/\/www.news-gazette.com\/arts-entertainment\/local\/2019-02-10\/eberts-co-host-friend-excited-ever-attend-film-festival.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">confirmed that <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Chicago Sun-Times<\/span><\/strong> columnist and movie critic <strong>Richard Roeper<\/strong> will appear<\/span><\/a> informally after multiple screenings to talk shop and fete his former television co-host. Also revealed is the first feature from the 2019 schedule, a period drama called <strong>A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN<\/strong> (<strong>ROK SPOKOJNEGO S\u0141O\u0143CA<\/strong>, 1984) that is written and directed by <a title=\"Krzysztof Zanussi :: MUBI\" href=\"https:\/\/mubi.com\/cast\/krzysztof-zanussi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">the prolific filmmaker <strong>Krzysztof Zanussi<\/strong><\/span><\/a> and stars <strong>Maja Komorowska<\/strong> as a wartime widow and <strong>Scott Wilson<\/strong> as an Army private who meet by chance in <strong>Poland<\/strong> and begin a courtship that is deep and possibly doomed. This award-winning feature has seldom been seen in America since <a title=\"'A Year of the Quiet Sun' :: The Take\" href=\"http:\/\/screenprism.com\/film\/page\/a-year-of-the-quiet-sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">its regional release in 1985-86<\/span><\/a> by a tiny <strong>Utah<\/strong>-based outfit, <strong>Sandstar Releasing Company<\/strong>, and is otherwise <a title=\"A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN :: Kino Lorber\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kinolorber.com\/product\/a-year-of-the-quiet-sun-dvd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">available on an early 2000s DVD<\/span><\/a> issued by <strong>Kino on Video<\/strong> and <a title=\"A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN :: Kanopy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kanopy.com\/product\/year-quiet-sun\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">streaming via the library-based service <strong>Kanopy<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nR8grhyn5lI\" width=\"450\" height=\"253\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This year\u2019s festival will be dedicated to Wilson, as <a title=\"'First film and guests announced for 21st annual \u2018Ebertfest\u2019' by Craig Chamberlain :: University of Illinois News Bureau\" href=\"https:\/\/news.illinois.edu\/view\/6367\/749995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">detailed in the press release below<\/span><\/a>, while his wife <strong>Heavenly Wilson<\/strong> and veteran actress Komorowska (<strong>DEKALOG, FROM A FAR COUNTRY<\/strong>) plan to appear in support of <strong>QUIET SUN<\/strong>. <a title=\"'Scott Wilson Dies: \u2018Walking Dead\u2019 Actor Was Age 76; AMC Calls \u2018Emotional Core\u2019 Of Series' by Bruce Haring and Dominic Patten :: Deadline Hollywood\" href=\"https:\/\/deadline.com\/2018\/10\/scott-wilson-dies-walking-dead-actor-played-hershel-the-veterinarian-was-age-76-1202477939\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #993300;\">The durable character actor passed away last October at age 76<\/span><\/a> after a lengthy career marked by popular <strong>Hollywood<\/strong> and better-than-average genre productions including <strong>IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT<\/strong>, <strong>IN COLD BLOOD<\/strong> (both 1967), <strong>THE GREAT GATSBY<\/strong> (1974), <strong>THE NINTH CONFIGURATION<\/strong> (1980), <strong>THE RIGHT STUFF<\/strong> (1983), <strong>THE GRASS HARP<\/strong> (1995), <strong>SHILOH<\/strong> (1996), <strong>MONSTER<\/strong> (2003), <strong>THE HOST<\/strong> (2006), and <strong>HOSTILES<\/strong> (2017). As well, a memorable run as \u201cHerschel\u201d on <strong>THE WALKING DEAD<\/strong> marked a high point of his recent television work. The Wilsons were loyal to Roger and <strong>Chaz Ebert<\/strong>, attending Ebertfest several times previously<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">We presume the \u201cdigital print\u201d of <strong>QUIET SUN<\/strong> will be derived from a recent restoration done by <a title=\"ROK SPOKOJNEGO S\u0141O\u0143CA :: Studio Filmowe TOR\" href=\"http:\/\/www.tor.com.pl\/film,50609\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">the film\u2019s original studio<\/span><\/a>, <strong>TOR Film Production<\/strong> (<strong>Studio Filmowe TOR<\/strong>), which has apparently been reviving key titles from their 50-year history with the help of cultural agencies and the Polish government. A region-free Blu-ray was issued in that country as well as<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><a style=\"color: #800000;\" title=\"ROK SPOKOJNEGO S\u0141O\u0143CA @ YouTube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lZgOF6eR49E\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> a legitimate <strong>YouTube<\/strong> streaming copy<\/a><\/span> with optional English subtitles, should you wish to preview the beautifully photographed and hauntingly scored love story. A viral video posted by TOR and shared here gives a brief before-and-after sample of the necessary image upgrade. There is no crime in getting familiar with the program in advance! Of course, these suggestions are not to distract you from the Ebertfest experience of <strong>A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN<\/strong> or any other selection, which are bound to impress greatly on the Virginia\u2019s giant screen.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">~ Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone\" title=\"Scott Wilson stars in A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN. (Photo: TOR Film Production)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/Images\/CUBlog Art\/cu_quietsun_scottw.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"335\" \/><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">~~~~~<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><em>From February 11, 2019:<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>First film and guests announced for 21st annual \u201cEbertfest\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>(Champaign, Illinois) February 11, 2019: Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival<\/strong> has had a thing for films featuring <strong>Scott Wilson<\/strong>, and he has come to four festivals as a guest, including the first.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">This year\u2019s \u201c<strong>Ebertfest<\/strong>\u201d will be showing yet another of the actor\u2019s films, a post-World War II romance, <strong>A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN<\/strong> (1984), but this time in his memory. Wilson died last year.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>QUIET SUN<\/strong> is the first film announced for this year\u2019s festival, coming <strong>April 10-13<\/strong> to the ornate <strong>Virginia Theatre<\/strong>, a restored downtown <strong>Champaign<\/strong> movie palace, with related events held at other downtown or <strong>University of Illinois<\/strong> locations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Wilson\u2019s co-star, Polish actress <strong>Maja Komorowska<\/strong>, will be a guest with the film along with the actor\u2019s widow, <strong>Heavenly Wilson<\/strong>. Both will appear onstage after the film for a celebration of the actor\u2019s life. The entire festival is also being dedicated to his memory.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Organizers also announced that this year\u2019s Ebertfest will celebrate the on-air partnership <strong>Roger Ebert<\/strong> shared with <strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Chicago Sun-Times<\/span><\/strong> film critic Richard Roeper in their television series <strong>EBERT &amp; ROEPER<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Roeper will select two of the festival\u2019s 12 films, working with festival co-founder and host <strong>Chaz Ebert<\/strong> and festival director <strong>Nate Kohn<\/strong>. Roeper also will appear onstage after each of those films to reflect on his partnership with Roger and to moderate the guest panels.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Scott Wilson attended the first Ebertfest in 1999 with <strong>SHILOH<\/strong> and returned in later years with <strong>THE RIGHT STUFF, COME EARLY MORNING<\/strong>, and <strong>JUNEBUG<\/strong>, making him among the festival\u2019s most frequent guests. His other credits included <strong>IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, IN COLD BLOOD, THE GREAT GATSBY, DEAD MAN WALKING<\/strong>, and <strong>THE NINTH CONFIGURATION<\/strong>, for which he received a <strong>Golden Globe<\/strong> nomination. More recently, he played Hershel Greene in the television series <strong>THE WALKING DEAD<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">In <strong>A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN<\/strong>, Wilson plays an American soldier who falls in love with a Polish refugee in war-torn <strong>Europe<\/strong>. In a 2003 review, <a title=\"'A Year of the Quiet Sun' by Roger Ebert :: RogerEbert.com\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-a-year-of-the-quiet-sun-1984\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #800000;\">Roger Ebert praised Wilson\u2019s \u201cgreat performance\u201d and called the movie \u201cpoetic in the way it visualizes the hope of the two lovers while reflecting the poignancy of their fates.\u201d<\/span><\/a> It won a best film award at the <strong>Venice Film Festival<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Festival passes, covering all screenings, are available for $150 plus processing. A four-pack of passes can be purchased for $510, or 15 percent off. Additionally, a small number of U. of I. student passes will be made available priced at $100 each.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">The festival is sponsored by the U. of I. <strong>College of Media<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">All passes can be purchased through <strong>Ebertfest [dot] com<\/strong>, <strong>TheVirginia [dot] org<\/strong>, or at the Virginia Theatre box office, <strong>203 W. Park Ave., Champaign<\/strong>, 217-356-9063.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Tickets for individual movies will be available April 1 after the full schedule is announced.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>CONTACT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><strong>Craig Chamberlain<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>Social Sciences Editor<\/strong><br \/>\n217-333-2894<br \/>\ncdchambe [at] Illinois [dot] edu<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">###<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\" align=\"center\"><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" title=\"ROK SPOKOJNEGO S\u0141O\u0143CA (Studio Filmowe TOR\/Studio Blu)\" src=\"http:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/Images\/CUBlog Art\/cu_quietsun_coverPL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"450\" height=\"572\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even though the 21st iteration of Roger Ebert&#8217;s Film Festival will not arrive until April, fans can get an early look at the first announced selection, A YEAR OF THE QUIET SUN, direct from Poland if they so choose. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,1666,15,416,13,30],"tags":[2049,2050,2051,1688,72,1841,564,108],"class_list":["post-12512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-area-festivals","category-bittersweet-places","category-media-coverage","category-news-du-c-u","category-public-events","category-roger-ebert","tag-a-year-of-the-quiet-sun","tag-krzysztof-zanussi","tag-maja-komorowska","tag-richard-roeper","tag-roger-eberts-film-festival","tag-scott-wilson","tag-the-virginia-theater","tag-uiuc-college-of-media"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12512\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}