Ebert documentary to open critic's film festival
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Roger Ebert's film festival will open this year with a screening of a documentary about the late film critic.
The Ebertfest lineup was announced Thursday. The annual festival will run from April 23-27 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign. The festival previously announced that directors Spike Lee and Oliver Stone would attend to mark the 25th anniversaries of two of their films - Lee's "Do the Right Thing" and Stone's "Born on the Fourth of July."
The Ebert documentary "Life Itself" will open the festival on April 23. Other films include late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's Oscar-winning "Capote" and comedian Patton Oswalt's "Young Adult."
Ebert died last April at age 70. Ebert's alma mater, the University of Illinois, is based in Champaign and neighboring Urbana.