The College of MMediaedia at IIllinoisllino is ppresentsr esents RoRoger17thAnnualarl Ebert’srs Filmilm Festivalsial2015 AprAprilil 1515-19,-19, 20152015 TThehe VVirginiairginia TheatreTheatre 203 WW.. Park, ChampaignChampaign SpecialSpecial Suppo Supportrt Provided Provided by Cha bym Champaignpaign County County Alliance Alliance for the for Ptheromotion Promotion of Accep of Acceptance,tance, Inclusion, Inclusion, & Respect; & Respect,Steak Steak ‘n Shake; ‘n Shake and andthe Univthe Universityersity of Illin of oiIllinoiss at U atrbana-Cha Urbana-Champaignmpaign Ebert2015Cover.indd 1 2/27/15 9:08 AM This year’s festival is dedicated to Chicago’s own Harold Ramis 1944-2014 “Honestly, Harold was a Renaissance man who enjoyed so many things, just like Roger. He was not only sweet but deeply intelligent and insightful and inquisitive. He had his feet on the ground the whole time, enjoying every minute of it.” – Erica Mann Ramis Film Screenings Academic Panel Discussions Wednesday, April 15 Illini Union 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 7:00 p.m. Goodbye to Language Free and open to the public 9:30 p.m. Harold Ramis Tribute Thursday, April 16, 2015 Friday, April 17, 2015 Pine Lounge, 1st Floor Pine Lounge, 1st Floor Thursday, April 16 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Challenging Stigma Filmmaking in the Reflecting on Existence Through the Arts Digital Age 4:00 p.m. Moving Midway Moderated by Moderated by Eric Pierson Nate Kohn 8:30 p.m. The End of the Tour 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Ebert Center @ Illinois: Critics Forum Friday, April 17 Storytelling Meets Moderated by 1:00 p.m. Girlhood Engineering Godfrey Cheshire 4:00 p.m. The Son of the Sheik Moderated by 8:30 p.m. A Bronx Tale Dean Jan Slater Saturday, April 18 Live On-air Interview 11:00 a.m. Wild Tales Wednesday, April 15, 2015 2:00 p.m. Ida 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. The Motel Life Jim Turpin’s (WDWS-AM 1400) 9:00 p.m. 99 Homes Ebertfest Interview Sunday, April 19 11:00 a.m. Seymour: An Introduction All films will be shown at the historic Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park, Champaign, IL. Festival guests will appear on stage after each film to join the audience in discussions about the films. Festival passes ($145). Individual tickets ($14) and student & senior citizen tickets ($12) on sale at the Virginia Theatre box office, 217-356-9063. For more information contact: Mary Susan Britt [email protected] 217-244-0552 College of Media You don’t have to be a math major to know Binny’s has the lowest prices in town! “otd Bst lac o Buy lcohol” -- BUZZ WEEKLY: Best Of CU BINNY’S IN CHAMPAIGN 802 Town Center Blvd l Prospect & Town Center l 217-355-0625 If you can’t find it at Binny’s, it’s probably not worth drinking TM 2 17th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival ale o ontents Welcome from Chaz Ebert . 5-7 ovie eviews Welcome from the University of Illinois . 9 WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2015 Goodbye to Language (7:00 p .m .) . 40 Welcome from the Festival Director . 11 Harold Ramis Tribute (9:30 p .m .) . 41 Talking with Chaz Ebert . 13 THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015 A Pigeon Sat on a Branch The force behind Ebertfest . 17 Reflecting on Existence (1:00 p .m .) . 46 Moving Midway (4:00 p .m .) . 48 Important Information About the Festival . 19 The End of the Tour (8:30 p .m .) . 52 Dining Tips . 21 FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2015 Girlhood (1:00 p .m .) . 54 Volunteering is a Family Affair for Elliotts . 23 The Son of the Sheik (4:00 p .m .) . 56 Festival Guests . 25-37 with The Alloy Orchestra A Bronx Tale (8:30 p .m .) . 58 Remembering Harold Ramis . 39 SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015 A Look Back at Last Year’s Festival . 79-81 Wild Tales (11:00 a .m .) . 60 Ida (2:00 p .m .) . 64 Special Thanks . 83 The Motel Life (5:00 p .m .) . 66 99 Homes (9:00 p .m .) . 70 Festival Sponsors . 84-85 SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015 Parking Information and Area Map . 87 Seymour: An Introduction (11:00 a .m .) . 72 The Daily Illini is proud to produce this Festival Program each year. We are honored to Daily Illini Illio Technograph Buzz WPGU-FM Independent Univerity of Quarterly Weekly Student-run call Roger Ebert one student news Illinois engineering entertainment Commercial of our own. organization Yearbook magazine magazine radio station Roger Ebert, The Daily Illini editor-in-chief, 1963-64. illinimedia.org What goes around. Comes around. Investing in the future isn’t about what you get to keep. It’s about what you choose to give away. EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | MEMBER FDIC HICKORYPOINTBANK.COM CHAMPAIGN DECATUR PEORIA SPRINGFIELD 4 17th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival Chaz Ebert executive producer and host elcome to ertest t is difficult for me to believe “Overlooked” in the original title Ithat it has been a year since of the festival. I am thrilled to our last Ebertfest. Memories welcome two Oscar nominees, of our 2014 festival are still so actor/filmmaker Chazz Palminteri vivid in my mind. It feels like and producer Jon Kilik, to the just yesterday Bill Nack was festival for a screening of their reciting Roger’s favorite passage 1993 film, “A Bronx Tale.” from “The Great Gatsby” onstage Palminteri based the film’s script following the magical opening on his semi-autobiographical night screening of Steve James’ play. Palminteri co-stars in “Life Itself.” You could feel the the film along with Robert De silence in the room as audiences Niro, who made his directorial shared in the experiences of my debut with this picture. In his dear husband’s final days, while 4-star review, Roger wrote that bursting out into uproarious the film “is filled with life and laughter at his ageless wit and colorful characters and great incomparable banter with his lines of dialogue, and De Niro legendary sparring partner, […] finds the right notes as he Gene Siskel. It truly felt like a moves from laughter to anger to homecoming for us, screening the tears.” Another fine character film for our ever-growing family study screening at the festival is at Ebertfest, and I carried those 2013’s “The Motel Life,” pairing good memories with me for the Chaz Ebert, executive producer and host of Ebertfest Stephen Dorff and Emile Hirsch rest of the year as I traveled the as brothers on the run, also co- country promoting the film. It The rich smorgasbord of Adult?” Or how the audience starring Dakota Fanning. We are received a great many accolades audience members—a mixture of rose to its feet for an emotional pleased to have the director, along the way, yet none quite as filmmakers, journalists, students, standing ovation celebrating Alan Polsky as a guest along poignant as the Golden Thumb. Road Scholars and film buffs the astonishing achievement of with acclaimed actor Stephen Last year also saw the both local and from around the Haifaa Al-Mansour? Her debut Dorff. The co-director of the film, unveiling of Rick Carney’s globe—that annually make feature, “Wadjda,” was the Gabe Polsky, is Alan’s brother wonderful sculpture of Roger. their pilgrimage to the Virginia first film ever to be shot in its and directed the acclaimed Thank you to Donna and Scott displays an enthusiasm, kindness entirety in Saudi Arabia, not to documentary, “Red Army.” Anderson for making this a and adventurous spirit unlike any mention the first film helmed Several of the films screening reality. Although Roger would I have witnessed at any other by a female Saudi director. The this year, however, have yet to have been too modest to think festival. Their participation in picture stands as unassailable be seen by the vast majority he deserved a monument to the post-film Q&As always leads proof that artistry can survive of people in the U.S. As an himself, it just feels appropriate to great conversations that are and flourish anywhere—even in attendee at Ebertfest, you will that the bronze figure of Roger well worth sticking around to a country lacking an industry to be among the lucky few to view now has a permanent home at see. Who can forget how Patton support it. them before everyone else. On Ebertfest’s grand and grandly Oswalt brought down the house Ebertfest is proud to shine the heels of gaining a well- intimate venue, the Virginia last year with his uproarious a light on movies that deserve deserved reputation as one of the Theatre, where it will give a quips and candid reflections to be rediscovered. That is hottest tickets on the festival hearty “Thumbs Up” to movie on Jason Reitman’s “Young why Roger included the word circuit, James Ponsoldt’s “The lovers for generations to come. It End of the Tour” will screen at is especially touching for me to Ebertfest. James will join us see Roger’s likeness honored in Ebertfest is proud to shine a light on making this his second visit to this way, since it brings him full Ebertfest following his celebrated circle back to his alma mater, the movies that deserve to be rediscovered. That appearance two years ago with University of Illinois at Urbana- actress Shailene Woodley for a Champaign, which has done a is why Roger included the word “Overlooked” screening of his riveting teen superb job of hosting the festival, romance, “The Spectacular Now.” thanks to Dean Jan Slater and in the original title of the festival.