19th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival // April 19-23, 2017 in Champaign, IL
The 19th Annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert, also known as ‘Ebertfest,’ announced today the panel discussions that will take place during the festival. All of the panels address the themes of the festival this year: empathy, compassion, kindness and forgiveness, principles that Roger believed cinema should inspire.
Panelists include festival filmmaker guests, critics, scholars and Ebert Fellows. Panels are free and open to the public and will be streamed live at www.ebertfest.com. Film introductions and after-film discussions will also be streamed live at www.ebertfest.com. Additionally, selected festival events will be streamed at .
This year’s panel discussions, with associated guests (*appearance of panelists subject to availability):
EMPATHY AND COMPASSION AND THE ARTS
Moderated by Chaz Ebert
Panelists: members of the Ebert Fellows
9:00 am, Thursday, April 20
Hyatt Place Hotel, downtown Champaign
TWO HOURS IN SOMEONE ELSE’S SHOES
Moderated by Nate Kohn, Director, Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
Panelists: Tanya Wexler, Hugh Dancy, Michael Phillips, Michael Hausman, Michael Butler, Charles Burnett, Sheila O’Malley, Richard Neupert
10:15 am, Thursday, April 20
Hyatt Place Hotel, downtown Champaign
WHY DOCUMENTARIES MATTER
Moderated by Simon Kilmurry, IDA Executive Director
Panelists: Ben Lear, Sasha Alpert, Rick Goldsmith, Jay Rosenstein, Matt Zoller Seitz, Nell Minow, Brian Tallerico, Robert Townsend, Richard Leskosky 9:00 am, Friday, April 21 Hyatt Place Hotel, downtown Champaign
EMPATHY FOR THE UNIVERSE
Moderated by Brand Fortner, Professor, North Carolina State University
Panelists: Donna Cox, Ed Seidel, Robert Patterson, Bill Gropp, Julie Turnock, Veronica Paredes, Nate Kohn, Chaz Ebert
10:15 am, Friday, April 21
Hyatt Place Hotel, downtown Champaign
Workshop: THE ETHICS OF FILM PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION
Barry Allen, film archivist
9:30 am, Saturday, April 22
Hyatt Place Hotel, downtown Champaign
CHALLENGING STIGMA THROUGH THE ARTS
Discussion with Q&A following the screening of MIND/GAME: THE UNQUIET JOURNEY OF CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW
Moderated by Eric Pierson
Panelists: Rick Goldsmith, Carla Hunter, Juli Kartel, Joseph Omo-Osagie, Chamique Holdsclaw (via Skype)
Virginia Theatre
*Please note this panel is only available with a festival pass or individual ticket to MIND/GAME.
Ebertfest is a special event held in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois and will take place April 19-23, 2017 in Champaign, IL at the Virginia Theatre. Major filmmakers, stars, historians, critics and film-lovers from all over the world come to experience this annual celebration that includes films from lists Roger drew up over the first 15 years of the festival, as well as others selected by Chaz Ebert and Festival Director Nate Kohn based on Roger’s established criteria for an Ebertfest film.
Festival passes are available for $150, plus processing, and for the first time, festival-goers will receive a discount when they purchase a four-pack priced at $510 instead of $600, or 15 percent off. Additionally, a small number of U. of I. student passes will be made available priced at $100 each.
Tickets for individual movies are available. Admission is $15 for adults and $13 for students and seniors. All passes can be purchased through www.ebertfest.com, www.thevirginia.org or at the Virginia Theater box office, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, 217-356-9063.
For additional information, please visit http://www.ebertfest.com/.
