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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> Since we went full tilt and at length in the Teletype<\/strong> last week with our sojourn into Bloomington-Normal<\/strong> concerns, we\u2019re going to bring it back home to our own fair Twin Cities and other nearby locales. Movie culture storylines are flowering like crazy<\/em> here in April\u2026<\/p>\n With the annual Boneyard Arts Festival<\/strong>, sponsored by the 40 North<\/strong> arts council of Champaign County<\/strong>, upon us this weekend comes the annual wondering of what time-based media might be on exhibit as part of the whole. Two artists and three projects have caught our eye. Champaign-Urbana resident Timothy J. Hickey<\/strong> has been recording with still photography the various textures of city streets in our neighborhoods and a 50-minute compilation of those studies, STREET PAVERS<\/strong>, will be presented daily as a continual loop<\/a><\/span> from 10 a.m.<\/strong> to 4 p.m.<\/strong> this Friday, April 10<\/strong>, to Sunday, April 12<\/strong>, at the UI Spurlock Museum of World Cultures<\/strong> in Urbana<\/strong>. Also, Champaign-Urbana artist-about-town Matt Harsh<\/strong><\/a><\/span> had a pair of public displays on the schedule \u2013 an interactive light-and-sound installation on the third floor of the One Main<\/strong> building in downtown Champaign<\/strong>, part of the \u201cOne Main Art Group<\/strong>\u201d of more than forty artists, and a window arrangement called \u201cTube Visionz<\/strong>\u201d of older televisions and monitors displaying his creations at 125 W. Main Street<\/strong> in downtown Urbana, across the street from Cinema Gallery<\/strong>, that unfortunately seems to be postponed as of Saturday afternoon. The former can still be enjoyed during all three days, and a visitors\u2019 guide to all the featured Boneyard displays and venues is available to peruse on this page<\/a><\/span>\u2026<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n We\u2019ve also kicked up a few other timely tidbits from wandering those streets and a few others, too:<\/p>\n Later tonight, Friday, April 10<\/strong>, the Fischer Theatre<\/strong> will return to showing movies with a special presentation of a new indie production, MANDATE<\/strong> (stylized as \u201cManDate\u201d), which was written and directed by Danville<\/strong> native James J. Gutierrez<\/strong>. According to a Yahoo News<\/strong> article<\/a><\/span>, this \u201ctest screening\u201d is a way for him to share his show business career with the hometown folks and solicit honest feedback about the dramedy, which stars Don Worley, Jon Lovitz, Chris Kattan, Louis Lombardi, Andrew Keegan<\/strong>, and Tara Reid<\/strong>, before it is finalized and released. The story involves several individuals, including the main character \u201cDon\u201d played by Worley, who go on \u201cManDates\u201d to help restore their self-confidence and an appreciation of their lives. Gutierrez states that theatrical play and distribution are both in the works\u2026<\/p>\n Also, a new documentary about Defy Gravity<\/strong>, the pole fitness studio that is located in Urbana\u2019s Lincoln Square<\/strong>, was recently unveiled at a private showing and its creator, Tori Beach<\/strong>, is looking for assistance to bring it to a wider audience. Celebrating ten years in business last fall, Defy Gravity trains their clientele to find strength and grace in who they are and what they can do while in the moment; Beach\u2019s film, MAYBE IT\u2019S THIS<\/strong>, mixes performance and practice footage of them with testimonials to paint their vibrant picture. The goal is to raise $5,000 to finish the film properly and afford costs related to festival submissions and promotions, while more information and a preview can be found on Facebook<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. Beach owns the firm Tori Beach Videography<\/strong> in Urbana<\/a><\/span> and provides services through Mager Image<\/strong>\u2026<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n To close, here is a sobering note about how nothing lasts forever, yet never is everything lost. We can look to the successful revivals of the Normal Theater<\/strong>, which has been nurtured well over the last three decades by the Town of Normal<\/strong> as was noted last week, as well as the Virginia Theatre<\/strong>, which has been restored in stages by the Champaign Park District<\/strong> due to patience, grant money, and ticket sales from a consistent roster of events like Roger Ebert\u2019s Film Festival<\/strong>, and the Lincoln Square Theatre<\/strong>, which has been jump-started by a game board of directors and avid live concert fans to become an entertainment bedrock in downtown Decatur<\/strong> once again, as examples of different approaches in how to make new use of older communal spaces with loads of historic and sentimental value that had fallen on hard times.<\/p>\n And yet, market forces continue to take their toll elsewhere in the area as other groups seek out the best ways to rebuild the vitality of other venues for the sake of other communities. In one instance that we have neglected to share until now, a regional family operation is refusing to give up on their own legacy after feeling the bottom drop out. On January 4<\/strong> of this year, the Eagle Theaters<\/strong> chain announced that its locations in Clinton, Robinson<\/strong>, and Streator<\/strong> were closed after a run lasting twenty-two years. Since then, CEO Eric Gubelman<\/strong> has been posting notes on Facebook to their customers<\/a><\/span>, describing in eloquent tones how his group is meeting with municipalities, investors, and more to find a solution to an operations model that had run its course, and it makes sense that all the possible options would require a steady patronage from the moviegoers in order for the doors to open again and stay that way. Can Eagle rise like a phoenix from the proverbial flames left after their last big opening, AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH<\/strong>? Stay tuned<\/a><\/span>\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 LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Ames Library, Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, IL<\/strong> @ Analog Wine Library, Urbana, IL, 7:30 p.m.<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ 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 @ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/strong> @ 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> @ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Newcity 14, Chicago, IL<\/strong> @ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL<\/strong> @ Landmark Century Centre Cinema, Chicago, IL<\/strong><\/p>\n
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\n\u201cFestival of the Arts\u201d presents IWU student film showcase (4\/11, 3:45 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nFilm-Fanatic.Club presents Film Fanatic Movie Nights* feat. A SCANNER DARKLY (4\/16, 7:30 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nChambana Film Society* presents Savoy Lumier\u00e8 2026* pre-shows feat. RELATIVE w\/filmmakers (4\/10, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nBoneyard Arts Festival events: STREET PAVERS* film loop by Timothy J. Hickey (4\/11-4\/12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.) and FIVE MONTH TRIAL screening (4\/12, 4:30 p.m.), Francophone Film Festival presents LE RETOUR (in French with English sub) (4\/13, 6:30 p.m.), South Asian Studies Initiative, Illinois Global Institute, presents ZINDA BHAAG w\/discussion (in Punjabi with English sub) (4\/16, 7:30 p.m.) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nBEAST, FACES OF DEATH*, NEWBORN, YOU ME & TUSCANY, BUNNY!!* (in Vietnamese with English sub), THE DRAMA, A GREAT AWAKENING (faith film), HOPPERS (animation), PROJECT HAIL MARY, READY OR NOT 2: HERE I COME, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), THEY WILL KILL YOU (4\/10 on), AMC \u201cScream Unseen\u201d (mystery movie) (4\/13, 7 p.m.), OVER YOUR DEAD BODY sneak preview w\/bonus content (4\/15, 7:30 p.m.), LEE CRONIN\u2019S THE MUMMY, NORMAL (4\/16 on) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nBEAST, DACOIT: A LOVE STORY (in Telugu with English sub), FACES OF DEATH, YOU ME & TUSCANY, THE DRAMA, 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, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), THEY WILL KILL YOU*, UNDERTONE (4\/10 on), UFC 327: Ji\u0159\u00ed Proch\u00e1zka vs. Carlos Ulberg, more (mixed martial arts) (4\/11, 8 p.m., simulcast), The Royal Ballet: Giselle<\/span> (4\/12, 3 p.m., 4\/13, 7 p.m., recorded), LEGENDS OF THE LOST ARK (religious documentary) (4\/12, 3:30 & 7 p.m.; 4\/14-4\/15, 7 p.m.), E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (4\/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 4\/15, 7 p.m.), JERRY MAGUIRE 30th anniversary (4\/12, 4\/14-4\/15, 6 p.m.) *single screenings daily<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSpring 2025 Weekend Films\u201d feat. MERCY (4\/10-4\/11, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n
\nMANDATE test screening w\/filmmaker James J. Gutierrez (4\/10, 6:30 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (Screen 1), PROJECT HAIL MARY (Screen 2) (4\/3-4\/4)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/10-4\/12)<\/p>\n
\nACLU of Central Illinois, etc., present THE LIBRARIANS (documentary) (4\/10, 6:30 p.m., free), 2026 Jewish Film Festival in partnership with Moses Montefiore Congregation presents \u201cFlesicher Studios Greatest Hits Volume One\u201d (animation) (4\/11, 10 a.m., free), JOJO RABBIT (4\/11, 7 p.m., free), and SHTTL (4\/12, 3 p.m., free), ISU Film Society presents PARIS, TEXAS (4\/14, 7 p.m., free), DUCK SOUP (4\/16, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (4\/10-4\/12)<\/p>\n
\nTHE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), ANACONDA (Screen 1), PROJECT HAIL MARY, CRIME 101 (Screen 2) (4\/10-4\/11)<\/p>\n
\nSophia\u2019s Choice presents 20th Asian Pop-Up Cinema festival (through 4\/12) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nChicago Filmmakers presents 36th Onion City Experimental Film Festival (4\/9-4\/12) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n
\nInternational Latino Cultural Center of Chicago presents 42nd Chicago Latino Film Festival (4\/16-4\/27) Information<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n