Downtown Welcomes the 11th Annual Ebertfest April 22-26th

11th Annual Roger Ebert Film Festival

April 22-26, 2009

Virginia Theatre

Roger Ebert, a 1964 Journalism graduate of the University of Illinois and a Pulitzer winning acclaimed film critic, comes to Champaign-Urbana each spring for a week to host the festival.  He selects twelve films that represent a cross-section of important cinematic works “Overlooked” by audiences, critics and distributors.  The films are screened in the 1,500-seat Virginia Theatre, a restored movie palace built in 1921.  Mr. Ebert brings together film producers, writers, actors and directors to help showcase these films.  Following each screening, Mr. Ebert leads an on-stage Q&A sessions with guests for general audiences and critics.  In addition to the screenings, the festival host a number of academic panel discussions (held on the University of Illinois Campus) featuring Mr. Ebert, festival guest and academic scholars.  The festival if a non-profit event of the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For more information on the 2009 line-up visit www.ebertfest.com

For ticket information contact the Virginia Theatre Box Office at (217) 356-9063.

PARKING INFORMATION

*All day parking for this event is available in the city’s New Hill Street Parking Deck located at the corner of Hill and Randolph Street (just 1.5 blocks from the Virginia).  This deck offers over 300 daytime and 500 nightime parking spaces with no time limit and convenient payment methods (accepts credit and debit card).  The hourly rate is $0.75/hour with the first hour free!  All day parking max is $7.50.