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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 THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U<\/strong><\/p>\n What we\u2019re seeing on our beat this week \u2026<\/em> Looks like we\u2019re picking odds and ends off the concrete in order to fulfill the Teletype<\/strong>! Let\u2019s begin with the big one-two of detailed reveals that have been made over the last week. Nat Dykeman<\/strong> of Chambana Film Society<\/strong><\/a><\/span> has posted the entire schedule, including six bonus shows, for the second annual Savoy Lumier\u00e8<\/strong>; everything will take place at the Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX<\/strong> in Savoy<\/strong> with the core conglomeration of programs scheduled to be shown April 29<\/strong> to May 5<\/strong>, and you can view the programs and purchase tickets and passes through this website<\/a><\/span>. Also, Chaz Ebert<\/strong> and company have now shared all the main selections and special events of the last Champaign<\/strong> edition of Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival<\/strong>, while individual tickets (and, therefore, a concrete schedule) will not be available until next Wednesday, April 1<\/strong>, through the Virginia Theatre<\/strong> box office. A recent News-Gazette<\/span><\/strong> article goes over the basics<\/a><\/span> including the local premiere of the locally-filmed indie black comedy, CHILI FINGER<\/strong>, and possibly the first-ever showing of a new Roger Ebert<\/strong> documentary that we didn\u2019t see coming, THE LAST MOVIE CRITIC<\/strong>, shepherded by Luke Boyce<\/strong> and Michael Moreci<\/strong> of REVEALER<\/strong> and REVIVAL<\/strong> fame. Keep a sharp eye on the \u201cEbertfest<\/strong>\u201d website<\/a><\/span> for all that will be \u201cThe Last Dance\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n One of the Savoy Lumier\u00e8\u2019s early screenings, set for Friday, April 24<\/strong>, is a local reprise of BRIM<\/strong>, the stylish historic drama about Black health, legacy, and repression that was filmed in the Champaign-Urbana area by the creative team of Keenan Dailey<\/strong> and Trudy Namara<\/strong> from Visage Entertainment<\/strong>. We received an email update about what is happening currently with the studio, now based in Atlanta, GA<\/strong>, and it includes a select theatrical release this summer for BRIM<\/strong>, the festival play of a dramatic short titled BLINK<\/strong>, the upcoming production of a documentary called TIGHTROPE<\/strong><\/a><\/span> that \u201cfollows a group of adults living with social anxiety as they try to reclaim confidence and connection through an improv class designed to help them feel human again,\u201d and completion of a piece in conjunction with Experience CU<\/strong> about the Champaign County African-American Heritage Trail<\/strong>. Samples of their work are on Vimeo<\/strong><\/a><\/span> …<\/p>\n More and more, students attending the University of Illinois<\/strong> have academic, social, and paid opportunities to explore media-making, and now the College of Media<\/strong> has launched a program to guide teenagers living in the area on becoming literate and responsible with the tools available to them. Based at the Illinois Public Media<\/strong> studio on Goodwin Avenue<\/strong> in Urbana<\/strong>, the Content Creation Lab<\/strong> will host its first series of workshops starting on Saturday, April 4<\/strong>, and participants will be engaged in \u201cpodcasting, audio storytelling, video, and digital media projects.\u201d Parents should check out this web page for information<\/a><\/span> on the program\u2019s goals and how to register their children in the sessions, which are of no cost to them …<\/p>\n And lest we forget, our friend Andy Due<\/strong> reminded all of us who need a good laugh and a gaggle of chuckles that his efforts to keep classic comedy alive through Rubber Chicken Films<\/strong> reached the ten-year milestone in February. To celebrate, he released Episode 30<\/strong><\/a><\/span> of THE ANDY DUE SHOW<\/strong> on Wednesday, February 25<\/strong>, and it\u2019s an Eighties Spring Break all over again with his tubular friends including Zoe Due, Hannah Leal, Toine Perry, Abigail Pichay<\/strong>, and Dave Rediger<\/strong> of Camp Nostalgia Studios<\/strong>. Surf on over to his YouTube<\/strong> channel<\/a><\/span> to have a fun and explore his skits and parodies. Congratulations, dear chap! \u2026 and that\u2019s what we can reveal for today. Always remember \u2013 this is not just movies, it\u2019s our lives.<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 10 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Friday, March 11, 2016:<\/em> Hometown Hero Productions<\/strong> of Ottawa<\/strong>, nestled at the crux of the Illinois<\/strong> and Fox<\/strong> rivers within the Illinois Valley<\/strong> region that includes Starved Rock State Park<\/strong>, premieres their second feature-length film GRACE\u2019S ROOM<\/strong><\/a><\/span> at Roxy Cinemas<\/strong> in the city\u2019s bustling downtown. Co-written with Virginia Campbell<\/strong> and directed by Tyler Amm<\/strong> with a deliberate goal to feature various Ottawa personalities, locations, and attractions, such as the annual Ottawa Riverfest<\/strong> that serves as a backdrop for its climax, this manic horror-comedy follows an all-night misadventure suffered by Billie (Rachel Alig<\/strong>), a listless twentysomething who holds down odd jobs while drafting screenplays on the side, and her friends as she housesits for relatives who are visiting the Wisconsin Dells<\/strong>. Billie decides to invade the bedroom of her insufferable cousin, Grace (Grace Reinhardt<\/strong>), in search of an idea book and multi-color pen that she believes the teen stole from her. What they open instead is a can of demon-worshipping worms and inadvertently tip off a bunch of ne\u2019er-do-wells embedded in the community of their presence. GRACE\u2019S ROOM<\/strong> also stars Amber Herfurth, Sean Walsh, Nick Chandler<\/strong>, and Patrick Garrigan<\/strong> as Billie\u2019s crew and Alex Dittmer<\/strong> and Heather Call<\/strong> as their main adversaries. The one-week run at the Roxy also includes showings of a behind-the-scenes featurette, created by Janette Marie<\/strong>, and the group\u2019s previous feature, RIVER CITY PANIC<\/strong>. Both GRACE<\/strong><\/a><\/span> and a following film, BUTCHER THE BAKERS<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, would eventually be distributed to streaming platforms by Dark Cuts Entertainment<\/strong> of Santa Monica, CA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, 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> @ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional \u201cNow Playing\u201d and \u201cComing Soon\u201d listings appear after the jump!<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n BACK OPEN! @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong> @ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Newcity 14, Chicago, IL<\/strong>
\nRoger Ebert Center for Film Studies presents THE WIZ screening (3\/30, 7 p.m.) and Ebert Symposium 2026: \u201cOnscreen Fantasies\/IRL Illusions: Fandom, Parasocial Relationships, and the Media\u201d (3\/31, 2 p.m. roundtable discussion, 4 p.m. keynote address by Dr. Alfred L. Martin, Jr., University of Miami)<\/p>\n
\nTHE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST (documentary), BUNNY!! (in Vietnamese with English sub), FORBIDDEN FRUITS, A MAGNIFICENT LIFE (animation), THEY WILL KILL YOU, DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (in Hindi with English sub), GOAT (animation), HOPPERS (animation), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, REMINDERS OF HIM, SCREAM 7*, UNDERTONE* (3\/27 on), THE MUMMY RETURNS 25th anniversary* (re-release) (3\/27-3\/29), Fan Faves: JESUS REVOLUTION (3\/27-3\/29, 3\/31-4\/1) and DAVID* (animation) (3\/27-3\/30, 4\/1), AMC \u201cScream Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (3\/30, 7 p.m.), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/1 on), THE DRAMA, A GREAT AWAKENING (faith film) (4\/2 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nTHE AI DOC: OR HOW I BECAME AN APOCALOPTIMIST (documentary), FORBIDDEN FRUITS, THE MUMMY RETURNS 25th anniversary* (re-release), THEY WILL KILL YOU, DHURANDHAR THE REVENGE (in Hindi with English sub), EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT* (music documentary), GOAT (animation), HOPPERS (animation), I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2* (faith film), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, REMINDERS OF HIM, SEND HELP*, SCREAM 7, UNDERTONE (3\/27 on), STAND BY ME (3\/28, 5 p.m.; 3\/30-3\/31, 4:30 p.m.; 4\/2, 4:45 p.m.), BEN-HUR (1959) (3\/29, 2 & 7 p.m.; 4\/1-4\/2, 7 p.m.), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/1 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSpring 2025 Weekend Films\u201d feat. WICKED: FOR GOOD (3\/27-3\/28, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n
\nHOPPERS (animation) (Screen 1), SCREAM 7 (Screen 2) (3\/28-3\/29), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (Screen 1), HOPPERS (animation) (Screen 1) (4\/1-4\/2)<\/p>\n
\nPROJECT HAIL MARY (3\/27-3\/29), I CAN ONLY IMAGINE 2 (faith film) (3\/31), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/1 on)<\/p>\n
\nTHE GODFATHER (3\/27-3\/29), THE GODFATHER PART II (3\/28-3\/29), \u201cTroubling the Troubled Teen Industry\u201d community discussion moderated by Dr. Joshua H. Stout, Criminal Justice Sciences, ISU (3\/30, 6 p.m.) followed by documentary screening, THE KIDS ARE NOT ALRIGHT (3\/30, 7 p.m.), THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2 (3\/31), NORMAL pre-release screening w\/filmmakers Bob Odenkirk and Derek Kolstad (4\/1, 6:30 p.m.), MR. NOBODY AGAINST PUTIN (documentary) (4\/2 on)<\/p>\n
\nHOPPERS (animation) (3\/27-3\/29)<\/p>\n
\nSophia\u2019s Choice presents 20th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival (through 4\/12) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n