CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Those wanting to take in all of the 16th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, or “Ebertfest,” can purchase festival passes starting Nov. 1.
The passes cover all 12 or more screenings during the five-day event, to be held April 23-27 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, Ill. Related talks and panel discussions will be held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The festival presents cinematic works overlooked by audiences, critics or distributors. Chaz Ebert is the festival host and executive producer; Nate Kohn is the festival director.
The passes are $145, plus processing. A thousand passes will be available.
Passes can be purchased through the festival website, the theater website, or the theater box office, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign (217-356-9063).
The lineup of films, guests and other events will be announced several weeks before the festival, which is sponsored by the U. of I. College of Media. Updates will be posted on the festival website. Tickets for individual movies will be available April 1. Admission is $14 ($12 for students and seniors).
The festival was founded by Roger Ebert, a U. of I. journalism graduate and Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, who died April 4.
Those interested in being a festival sponsor or volunteer should contact Mary Susan Britt, associate director of the festival, at 217-244-0552 or marsue@illinois.edu.
