<\/p>\n
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday\/Saturday on <\/em>C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!<\/strong><\/p>\n 4\/21: Brian Paris (multimedia producer, City of Champaign administration department, Champaign, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n Even though this makes for a mostly disappointing Report<\/strong>, we\u2019re going for a dose of current news today given its timeliness. First, alleged details came to light<\/a><\/span> via The New York Times<\/span><\/strong> that many Netflix<\/strong> projects in development had been shelved or turned down recently by the streamer under the watch of incoming film division head Dan Lin<\/strong> such as AURORA<\/strong>, an adaptation of the eponymous novel by veteran screenwriter David Koepp<\/strong> (JURASSIC PARK, KIMI<\/strong>) we told you about a few weeks ago<\/a><\/span>; IndieWire<\/span><\/strong> turned to Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos<\/strong> for clarification in a piece run yesterday, Thursday, April 18<\/strong>, in which he denied much of what was claimed by the Times<\/span><\/a><\/span>. So, who knows what<\/em> is the true status of the global climate thriller, partly set in upstate Aurora, Illinois<\/strong>, that Kathryn Bigelow<\/strong> (THE HURT LOCKER, STRANGE DAYS<\/strong>) had previously been attached to as director. For now, sit tight and read the book.<\/p>\n And then, Variety<\/span><\/strong> broke the story on Tuesday, April 16<\/strong>, that Participant Media<\/strong>, the high-profile production firm<\/a><\/span> that regularly put its weight behind narrative and documentary works with a socially conscious bent, would be shutting down after two decades in business<\/a><\/span>; among its more than 100 features and five series is THE INFORMANT!<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, starring Matt Damon<\/strong> as the real-life corporate executive with Don Quixote tendencies who infiltrated the agriculture powerhouse Archer Daniels Midland<\/strong> for the FBI<\/strong>, which was largely filmed in Decatur<\/strong> and downstate Illinois<\/strong> in 2008 and released 15 years ago by Warner Brothers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n And, to finish on a level much closer to all of us in scope and budget, we belatedly confirm the shuttering of the genre streaming experiment ScarePlex<\/strong> that we introduced to you last fall<\/a><\/span>; founded by Ash Hamilton<\/strong> and friends in 2023, the start-up only lasted a few months but its ambitious steward, also the editor of Horror-Fix<\/span>.com<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and director of the new found footage favorite HOLES IN THE SKY: THE SEAN MILLER STORY<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, has already rebounded with the completion of an apocalyptic horror anthology, F\u2019D: TALES FROM THE END TIMES<\/strong>. It has apparently started festival play, landing a few early laurels in a continuation of HOLES IN THE SKY<\/strong>\u2019s success, and a trailer finally dropped for it yesterday<\/a><\/span>; the other segment directors with Hamilton, who works out of the Springfield<\/strong> area, are local talents John Isberg<\/strong> (FINAL SUMMER<\/strong>), Joshua Brucker<\/strong> (THE WOODMEN<\/strong>), and Ben Harl<\/strong> (AFTERLIFE<\/strong>) as well as Dillon Brown<\/strong> (TAJOE JOE 2<\/strong>) from Nevada<\/strong>. The C-U and beyond has spawned enough horror films recently that a homebrewed \u201cScare-a-Thon\u201d is not out of the question during a future Halloween<\/strong> season. Sayin\u2019\u2026<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 25 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 April 21-25, 1999:<\/em> The famed Pulitzer Prize<\/strong>-winning film critic and television personality, Roger Ebert<\/strong>, hosts the inaugural Overlooked Film Festival<\/strong><\/a><\/span> at the Virginia Theatre<\/strong> in Champaign, IL<\/strong>, sponsored by the College of Communications<\/strong> at the University of Illinois<\/strong>. Ten films selected by Ebert, a native of neighboring Urbana<\/strong> and UI graduate in journalism<\/span><\/a>, are shown between Thursday, April 22<\/strong>, and Saturday, April 24<\/strong>, to respectably-sized crowds at the 1,400-seat Virginia, which will receive a portion of the \u201cEbertfest<\/strong>\u201d proceeds for its renovation needs<\/span><\/a>. \u201cThere are countless festivals devoted to the premieres of new films,\u201d writes Ebert in a welcome address that appears in the program, \u201cbut none dedicated to taking a second look at wonderful films that for one reason or another haven\u2019t yet found the audiences they deserve.\u201d For instance, the first movie shown is DANCE ME TO MY SONG<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, a recent Australian production with no American distributor that is being lauded for the uplifting and complex role played by Heather Rose<\/strong>, who wrote the screenplay with director Rolf de Heer<\/strong> and does not shy away from working her real-life cerebral palsy into the unconventional love triangle at its heart. Other picks in succession are AUTUMN TALE, SURRENDER DOROTHY, HAMSUN, MOBOROSI, HOUSEHOLD SAINTS, SHILOH<\/strong>, and THIRTEEN<\/strong>, while two well-known pieces represent forms as well as function: Sergei Eisenstein<\/strong>\u2019s landmark epic BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN<\/strong>, a silent film and a progenitor of modern editing techniques, and Steven Lisberger<\/strong>\u2019s science fantasy TRON<\/strong>, the de facto<\/em> debut of extensive computer graphics in a Hollywood<\/strong> feature to be shown in the uncommon 70mm format, although it has been replaced by a crisp 35mm print at the last moment. Panels on campus, discussions after each screening, casual access to guests including Ebert himself, and private parties round out this novel experience for local residents and visiting film fans alike. \u201cEberfest\u201d is directed by fellow UI alum Nate Kohn<\/strong>, produced by Nancy Casey<\/strong>, and dedicated to Ebert\u2019s longtime friend and contemporary in the Chicago<\/strong> media, Gene Siskel<\/strong>, who passed away two months ago at age 53. The on-line movie critic James Berardinelli<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, another Ebert colleague and \u201cEbertfest\u201d guest, predicts this show will go on for years to come<\/span><\/a>. [R]<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Normal Theater, etc., Normal, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong>
\n4\/21: William Kephart (scene shop chief clerk, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL)
\n4\/24: Ron Bonk (producer\/distributor, SRS Cinema, Syracuse, NY)
\n4\/25: Marty McKee (writer, Johnny LaRue\u2019s Crane Shot<\/span>, Champaign-Urbana, IL)<\/p>\n
\nIllinois State University Schools of Communication, Theater and Dance, and Wonsook Kim School of Art present the 2nd annual Foxtail Film Festival* (4\/25-4\/27)<\/p>\n
\nABIGAIL, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, SASQUATCH SUNSET, SPY X FAMILY \u2013 CODE: WHITE (anim\u00e9) (English dub or in Japanese with English sub), BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN (in Hindi with English sub), CIVIL WAR, DUNE: PART TWO, THE FIRST OMEN, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), MONKEY MAN (4\/19 on), BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (4\/20, 4:20 & 8 p.m.), AMC \u201cScreen Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (4\/22, 7 p.m.), CHALLENGERS preview (4\/22, 7 p.m.),<\/p>\n
\nABIGAIL, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, SASQUATCH SUNSET, SPY X FAMILY \u2013 CODE: WHITE (anim\u00e9) (English dub or in Japanese with English sub), CIVIL WAR, DUNE: PART TWO, THE FIRST OMEN, GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, GODZILLA X KONG: THE NEW EMPIRE, KUNG FU PANDA 4 (animation), MONKEY MAN, SOMEONE LIKE YOU (4\/19 on), BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE (4\/19, 9:30 p.m.; 4\/20, 4:20 & 9:45 p.m.; 4\/22, 7 p.m.), The Metropolitan Opera: La Rondine<\/span> (4\/20, 11:55 a.m., simulcast; 4\/24, 1 & 6:30 p.m.), HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE (4\/21, 3 & 7 p.m.; 4\/24, 7 p.m.), \u201cMiracles at the Movies\u201d feat. COME OUT IN JESUS NAME\/THE DOMINO REVIVAL (religious documentaries) (4\/23 7 p.m.), UNSUNG HERO (faith film) (4\/24, 6 p.m.; 4\/25, 6 & 8:30 p.m.), CHALLENGERS (4\/25 on)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSpring 2024 Weekend Films\u201d feat. WONKA, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (4\/19-4\/20, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n