Film Lineup Revealed for Ebertfest 2013
The schedule for Roger Ebert's 15th annual film festival is out. "Ebertfest" takes place from Wednesday April 17-21 at the Virigina Theatre in Champaign.
The director of the festival says planners have moved beyond the pattern of the festival’s first few years.
Nate Kohn said there’s no particular theme to the slate of movies unveiled today, as film critic and Urbana native Roger Ebert seeks out more low budget and independent films.
But the 14 films on the schedule do include some standout guests, including actor-comedian Jack Black, appearing with the dark comedy ‘Bernie’ along with director Richard Linklater. Actress Tilda Swinton will make her second Ebertfest appearance, accompanying the thriller ‘Julia’.
But Kohn said the opening night film will be director Terrance Malick’s 1978 drama ‘Days of Heaven’:
"We are showing an archival print of this film, which is very, very rare," he said. "It is a print, I believe that was struck from the original negative on which the picture was shot. This is one of those archvial prints that major studios rarely let outside their vaults."
Noted cinematographer Haskell Wexler, an uncredited director of photography, will accompany ‘Days of Heaven’ at the festival.
The film festival will also be the first event since massive renovations were done at Champaign’s Virginia Theater.
Here is the lineup, which includes appearances by the filmmakers:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 at 7pm
- Days Of Heaven (PG; 95 min), Haskell Wexler (Cinematographer)
- I Remember (Short Subject), Grace Wang (Witer and Director) and Lily Huang (Actor)
THURSDAY, APRIL 18 at 1pm
- Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent Van Gogh (99 min), Paul Cox (Director)
- To Music (Short Subject), Sophie Kohn (Co-Director) and Feike Santbergen (Co-Director)
THURSDAY, APRIL 18 at 4 pm
- In The Family (169 min), Patrick Wang (Director)
THURSDAY, APRIL 18 at 9 pm
- Bernie (PG-13; 98 min), Richard Linklater (Director) and Jack Black (Actor)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 at 1pm
- Oslo, August 31st (87 min), Joachim Trier (Director)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 at 4pm
- The Ballad of Narayama (PG: 80 min), David Bordwell (Film Theorist)
FRIDAY, APRIL 19 at 8:30pm
- Julia (R; 140 min), Tilda Swinton (Actor)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 at 11am
- Blancanieves (PG-13; 104 min), Pablo Berger (Director)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 at 2pm
- Kumaré (86 min), Vikram Gandhi (Director) and Stephen Feder (Producer)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 at 5pm
- Escape From Tomorrow (103 min), Randy Moore (Director) and Soojin Chung (Editor)
SATURDAY, APRIL 20 at 9pm
The Spectacular Now (95 min), James Ponsoldt (Director)
SUNDAY, APRIL 21 at 12pm
Not Yet Begun To Fight (60 min), Sabrina Lee (Producer and Co-Director) and Elliott Miller & Erik Goodge (Subjects)
Individual tickets go on sale April 1. Panel discussions and other events tied to the 2013 Festival will be announced soon.