Honoring Rob Reiner with a Special Tribute Screening of The American President; Featuring Nuremberg with Sony Pictures Classics Co-Founder Michael Barker in Attendance; and Presenting a Live Performance of SISKEL/EBERT, as Zack Mast and Stephen Winchell Bring Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel to Life on Stage
Champaign, IL, February 26, 2026 — Ebertfest: The Last Dance, also known as Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, the annual film festival co-founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Roger Ebert and Chaz Ebert and held at the historic Virginia Theatre, today announced the initial slate for what will be the festival’s final edition. The festival will be held on Friday, April 17, and Saturday, April 18, and will be dedicated to filmmaker Rob Reiner, celebrating his enduring contributions to American cinema and the humanistic storytelling long championed by Ebert.
In honor of Rob Reiner, the festival will present a special screening of The American President, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening. Directed by Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin, the film remains a defining work of modern American cinema, blending idealism, romance, and political discourse with uncommon warmth and intelligence. The screening will serve as a centerpiece of this year’s festival, celebrating Reiner’s enduring influence and his alignment with the thoughtful, audience-centered filmmaking championed by Roger Ebert. Guest appearances connected to The American President screening will be announced at a later date.
“We are especially honored to recognize Rob Reiner this year,” said Chaz Ebert. “I had the pleasure of inviting Rob to Ebertfest last year, and while he wasn’t able to attend at the time, he shared how much he was looking forward to joining us in the future. To now celebrate his extraordinary body of work and his deep commitment to storytelling feels incredibly meaningful. We are also proud to honor Robert Redford for his immeasurable contributions to independent filmmaking; his vision helped create a path for generations of filmmakers to tell bold, personal stories.”
The lineup continues with Nuremberg, from Sony Pictures Classics, written and directed by James Vanderbilt. The film stars Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, and Mark O’Brien, with Richard E. Grant and Michael Shannon. Set as the Nuremberg trials are about to begin, the film follows a U.S. Army psychiatrist who becomes locked in a gripping psychological confrontation with accused Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring, delivering a tense and timely examination of justice, power, and moral reckoning. Michael Barker, Co-Founder and Co-President of Sony Pictures Classics, will be in attendance, with additional guests to be announced.
Bringing the spirit of film criticism itself to life on stage, SISKEL/EBERT sees Stephen Winchell and Zack Mast take the stage to embody the ultimate small-screen duo, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, in a theatrical tribute to Siskel & Ebert & the Movies. In a production that straddles the line between reenactment and parody, director Katlin Schneider brings back one of the pair’s most heated half-hours, a full-bore discussion of Full Metal Jacket and sideways sparring around other famous (and not-so-famous) films of the 1987 summer season. A cast re-creates the movie clips live on stage as Siskel and Ebert duke it out over what it truly means to be a film critic.
“Co-founding Ebertfest with Roger has been one of the great joys of my life,” said Ebert. What began as a celebration of films we loved became a beautiful community that has gathered year after year to share stories, empathy, and the magic of cinema together. I am so grateful to have been part of it all these years, along with Nate, and I truly believe Roger would be deeply pleased — and maybe a little amazed — that it has continued, grown, and thrived for so long in his absence. This Last Dance is both a celebration and a thank you to everyone who helped carry it forward.”
Ebertfest has long stood as a celebration of films that challenge, move, and connect us. With The Last Dance, the festival marks a final chapter, bringing filmmakers and audiences together one last time to honor the enduring emotional, intellectual, and humanistic power of cinema. Additional programming details and ticket information will be announced.
Ebertfest passes are currently available for purchase online or by calling the Virginia Theatre box office at 217-356-9063. An Individual Reserved Seating Festival Pass, which includes admission to all films, is $150 plus a $9.00 processing fee per pass. A Reserved 1-Day Festival Pass is available for $75.00 plus a $6.00 processing fee. Individual Reserved Seating Tickets are $20.00 plus a $3.00 processing fee per ticket. Individual film tickets will go on sale April 1, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, a University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and an Urbana native.
Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie bestseller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.
Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning.
To become a supporting Festival Sponsor, please contact Sonia Evans – sonia@ebertdigital.com.
For additional information, please visit https://ebertfest.com/ and follow us on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/
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Chelsea Norton
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