CHAMPAIGN, Ill. The fourth annual Roger Ebert Overlooked Film Festival will be held April 24 to 28 at the historic Virginia Theater in Champaign, Ill., and at the University of Illinois.
Ebert, a 1964 UI journalism graduate, adjunct professor and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, will again host the event and select the films that he believes have been overlooked by audiences, critics and distributors. The lineup of films, along with additional information on film-associated guests and other festival events, should be available after Feb. 1.
Updates will be posted on the festival Web site: www.ebertfest.com.
Passes that cover all screenings for the festival will go on sale beginning Jan. 2 at the theater (phone: (217) 356-9063; fax: (217) 356-5729). Passes are $50; tickets for individual films are $6.
Last years festival attracted 30 producers, directors, writers and actors associated with the featured films, along with panelists from the film industry. About 17,500 people attended the films, panels and other associated events.
Sponsors and volunteers for the festival are still being sought. Those interested should contact Mary Susan Britt or Nickie Dalton at the UI College of Communications, which is sponsoring the event. Call Britt at (217) 244-0552, Dalton at (217) 333-2350, or send email to marsue@illinois.edu.
Those seeking additional information and updates on films, guests and festival events should contact festival director Nate Kohn (nkohn@arches.uga.edu; (706) 542-4972).