This year’s festival is dedicated to You will understand me when you see me dance. Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Illini Union 7:00 p.m. Joe Versus the Volcano 1401 Green Street, Urbana, IL 10:00 p.m. The Truth About Beauty and Blogs Free and open to the public 10:15 p.m. Phunny Business: A Black Comedy Thursday, April 26, 2012 Thursday, April 26, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. The Personal and Political in Film 1:00 p.m. Big Fan Moderated by Nate Kohn 4:00 p.m. Kinyarwanda Pine Lounge, 1st Floor 8:30 p.m. Terri 10:30 p.m. Kind Hearts and Coronets 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Hosted by Patton Oswalt Far Flung Correspondents: NOTE: This screening is at Foellinger Auditorium What’s New Around the World? and is free and open to the public. Moderated by Omer Mozaffar Pine Lounge, 1st Floor Friday, April 27, 2012 1:00 p.m. On Borrowed Time Friday, April 27, 2012 4:00 p.m. Wild and Weird with the Alloy Orchestra 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. 8:30 p.m. A Separation Underrepresented Cinematic Voices Moderated by Eric Pierson Pine Lounge, 1st Floor Saturday, April 28, 2012 1:00 p.m. Higher Ground 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. 4:00 p.m. Patang ON DEMAND: Movies Without Theaters 8:30 p.m. Take Shelter Moderated by Jim Emerson Pine Lounge, 1st Floor Sunday, April 29, 2012 12 noon Citizen Kane Saturday, April 28, 2012 Sunday, April 29, 2012 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Shooting Your Short Film 4:30 p.m. Antwone Fisher Presented by Don Tingle The Champaign County Anti-Stigma Alliance is pleased to General Lounge, 2nd Floor announce that they will have a special showing of “Antwone Fisher” immediately following the close of Ebertfest (April 29). The Anti- Stigma Alliance is a community collaboration which works to address and challenge the negative impact of stigma. This screening will be at the Virginia Theatre at 4:30 p.m. and is free to the public. Saturday, April 28, 2012 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. The Tree of Life: Making Movies Using Scientific Data Moderated by Donna Cox and Robert Patterson Wednesday, April 25, 2012 Pine Lounge, 1st Floor 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Jim Turpin’s (WDWS-AM 1400)Ebertfest Interview 2 14th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival Welcome from Roger Ebert ........................4 MOVIE REVIEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2012 Welcome from the University of Illinois ............9 Joe Versus the Volcano (7:00 p.m.)............. 36 Welcome from the Festival Director ...............11 The Truth About Beauty and Blogs (10:00 p.m.) 40 Phunny Business: A Black Comedy (10:15 p.m.).. 40 Virginia Theatre Renovates Wurlitzer Organ....... 13 THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2012 Complete Schedule of Events.................... 14 Big Fan (1:00 p.m.) ........................... 44 Kinyarwanda (4:00 p.m.) ...................... 46 Important Information about the Festival ........ 17 Terri (8:30 p.m.) .............................. 48 Kind Hearts and Coronets (10:30 p.m.) ......... 50 Dining Tips.................................... 19 FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2012 Roger Ebert – Casting a Lens on C-U ............. 20 On Borrowed Time (1:00 p.m.)............. 54 Wild and Weird accompanied by the Festival Guests ............................. 23-34 Alloy Orchestra (4:00 p.m.) .................. 56 A Separation (8:30 p.m.) ................ 58 Festival Sponsors .............................. 76 SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012 A Look Back at Last Year’s Festival ........... 79-81 Higher Ground (1:00 p.m.) ............... 62 Special Thanks................................. 83 Patang (4:00 p.m.) .................... 64 Take Shelter (8:30 p.m.) ................ 68 Parking Information and Area Map............... 85 SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2012 Festival Dedication – Paul Cox .................. 87 Citizen Kane (12 noon) ....................... 72 Daily Illini Illio Technograph Buzz WPGU-FM the217.com Independent Univerity of Quarterly Weekly Commercial Entertainment student news Illinois engineering entertainment radio station Web site organization Yearbook magazine magazine illinimedia.org to the 14th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival This year's festival is dedicated to Paul Cox From Roger Ebert 26 in Foellinger Auditorium (a new determined that this would be ness set down in the middle of day and time made necessary be- the year. a field of mud. Tom Hanks stars omething nice happened cause of a change in the shooting As you will see, John Patrick as the worker who hates his job to us while we were pre- schedule of Oswalt’s new film). Shanley’s film is so visionary and so much he welcomes a death paring the schedule for Patton Oswalt himself sug- epic in conception that it really sentence from his doctor. In the Ebertfest 2012, which plays April gests the same versatility; think requires a big screen like the Vir- spirit of Alec Guinness, Meg Ryan 25-29 at the Virginia Theater of the gulf between his characters ginia’s to make its ideal impact. I plays three different roles in the in Champaign-Urbana, Ill. We’d in “Big Fan” and 2011’s “Young can’t wait to see again that early film: As Joe’s secretary, and both invited Patton Oswalt to attend Adult.” In seeing “Big Fan” I was scene of dark skies lowering over daughters of Granamore (Lloyd with his “Big Fan.” He agreed and struck by how deeply he penetrat- its factory – a vast block of ugli- Bridges), who wants to hire Joe to went one additional step: “I’d ed to the heart of the character, be a human sacrifice. like to personally choose a film to sidestepping obvious openings for As I wrote in my show to the students, and discuss easy comedy and asking himself review: “I had it.” what many of us must have That sounded to me like a wondered: Who are those splendid idea, embodying the people who seem to live on spirit of this festival, which sports talk radio, as all- combines the love of good films knowing experts on first- with volunteerism. This is a rare name terms with the host? festival where no business takes “Big Fan” illustrates some- place. No films are bought or sold. thing I believe: The more No deals are signed. It’s simplicity specific a performance itself: We join in a classic 1920 is, the more universal it palace, 1,600 of us, and watch a can become. The film film as it should be seen, on a plays at 1 p.m. April vast screen with perfect sound. 26. Then we talk about them after- Now I’d like to wards. The festival and the the- discuss the rest of our ater come to us through the work selections in the order of countless volunteers from the they will appear. As al- University and the community ways, they were selected of Champaign-Urbana. On a more by me, in consultation mundane level, the considerable with the festival director, cost of the festival isn’t met by Nate Kohn. My wife Chaz, ticket sales, and is offset by our who will reprise her popular generous sponsors, who you’ll see role as emcee, also had major thanked on the screen before ev- input. ery screening. “Joe Versus the Volcano” Oswalt’s choice to show and (1990) will play at 7:00 p.m. April discuss is a natural for him: 25, as our opening night film. Robert Hamer’s “Kind Hearts and No film has almost played in Eb- Coronets” (1949), starring Alec ertfest more often than this one. Guinness – who plays eight differ- Nate may be able to confirm that ent members of the same family, it’s been shortlisted in at least men and women, ranging in age ten of the past years. Something over six decades. Sir Alec’s other always came along to crowd it roles in a long career included out. Because it was often rumored Hitler and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The to be a selection, people started movie will be shown free and open to badger me about when they’d to the public at 10:30 p.m. April finally be able to see it, and we 4 14th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival not seen this movie before. Most it could not be more effective or entire world, including his trou- to explore cinema’s first 30 years movies, I have seen before. Most look more professional. Watching bled home life, his peers, and the after being introduced to silent movies, you have seen before. it made me realize that “Hotel solace he finds in solitude. Both films by the Alloy. Most movies are constructed out Rwanda,” powerful as it was, Wysocki and Azazal Jacobs, the di- On their travels, they usually of bits and pieces of other movies, gave the view from the top, and rector, will be with us in person. showcase feature-length films. like little engines built from cin- “Kinyarwanda” puts us inside the “On Borrowed Time,” a docu- But especially in the early years, ematic Erector sets. But not ‘Joe situation at ground level. mentary filmed largely during the a great many films were shorts. Versus the Volcano’.” I continue Rwandans commit the mur- most recent two years of Paul They’ve compiled a special pro- to believe it deserves greater rec- ders, suffer from the murders, Cox’s life, will play at 1:00 p.m. gram sampling those riches, and ognition, and cannot understand recover and repent. Interlocking Friday. Ebertfest has had no better call it “Wild and Weird,” playing why I gave it 3.5 stars instead of vignettes establish a vivid group friend than Cox, who has visited at 4:00 p.m.