Roger Ebert’s Movie Competition, also referred to as Ebertfest, introduced at this time the addition of three new movies to this yr’s pageant, to be held April 23-26 on the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign:
- Barbara Kopple’s Academy Award®-winning HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A.
- Angus MacLachlan’s A LITTLE PRAYER starring David Strathairn, Jane Levy, Celia Weston, Will Pullen, Anna Camp, and Dascha Polanco
- David Fortune’s COLOR BOOK starring William Catlett, Brandee Evans, Terri J. Vaughn, and Jeremiah Daniels
Kopple, MacLachlan, Fortune, Strathairn, Catlett, and Daniels will all be making their Ebertfest debuts with every receiving a coveted “Golden Thumb Award” following their screenings.
HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A., winner of Greatest Documentary on the 1977 Academy Awards®, will embrace a post-screening dialogue with director Barbara Kopple. The movie, which obtained vital acclaim and presently holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Rating, had its world premiere on the 14th New York Movie Competition in 1976.
On this documentary about labor pressure within the coal-mining business, Kopple movies a strike in rural Kentucky. After the coal miners on the Brookside Mine be a part of a union, the house owners refuse the labor contract. As soon as the miners begin to strike, the house owners of the mine reply by hiring scabs to fill the roles of the common staff. The strike, which lasts greater than a yr, continuously turns into violent, with weapons produced on each side, and one miner is even killed in a battle.
“The movie retains all of its energy, within the story of a miners’ strike in Kentucky the place the corporate employed armed goons to escort scabs into the mines, and the best picketers had been the miners’ wives—articulate, indomitable, brave,” stated Roger Ebert in his 4-star evaluate.
“Barbara Kopple is an unimaginable documentarian who has crafted a few of the most impactful movies and highlighted necessary subject material,” stated Competition Director Nate Kohn. “HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A. was a strong movie that delivered to gentle the tensions within the coal-mining business, and Barbara was capable of inform this story in a wonderful means. Because the movie approaches its fiftieth anniversary subsequent yr, we’re honored for Barbara to share this gem with our Ebertfest attendees.”
A LITTLE PRAYER can be complemented with a post-screening dialogue with director, author, and producer Angus MacLachlan and actor David Strathairn. The movie had its world premiere on the 2023 Sundance Movie Competition.
The movie follows a person who tries to guard his daughter-in-law when he discovers his son is having an affair. A LITTLE PRAYER touches upon a wide range of points in a altering trendy South, together with a girl’s volition over her personal physique, warfare veterans grappling with PTSD, and the boundaries of patriarchal interference.
“Our pageant line-up has been rigorously curated to provide our loyal Ebertfest audiences movies that may make them snicker and will make them cry, however much more necessary, these movies and our visitors will serve to substantiate that we’re all on this collectively,” says Ebertfest Co-Founder Chaz Ebert. “We collect to know one another higher, but additionally to simply have enjoyable!”
COLOR BOOK can be offered with a post-screening dialog with director David Fortune, solid members William Catlett and Jeremiah Daniels, and producer Kiah Clingman. The movie had its world premiere on the 2024 Tribeca Competition in NYC. COLOR BOOK’s Ebertfest debut can be sponsored by the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect.
COLOR BOOK tells the story of single father Fortunate who, following his spouse’s current passing, finds himself navigating the challenges of elevating his son Mason, who has Down syndrome. In search of solace, Fortunate and Mason embark on a journey throughout Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball sport collectively. All through their day-long journey, they encounter Murphy’s Legislation. From automobile breakdowns to missed trains, the duo faces a collection of obstacles that take a look at their relationship with one another. Regardless of the setbacks, they persevere, decided to succeed in the sport. COLOR BOOK supplies an intimate portrait of a father and son whereas exploring the experiences of elevating a baby with Down syndrome, highlighting the energy and resilience that emerge from their bond.
The 2025 Roger Ebert’s Movie Competition will open with a brand new 70mm print of the Western traditional THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wooden on Wednesday, April 23. Moreover, Man Maddin’s RUMOURS will display screen, and Todd Phillips’ THE HANGOVER will shut out the pageant on Saturday, April 26. The pageant lately introduced a fortieth anniversary screening of Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, in addition to screenings of Azazel Jacobs’ HIS THREE DAUGHTERS and Baltasar Kormákur’s TOUCH.
Extra updates to the pageant program can be introduced within the coming weeks.
Ebertfest passes are presently accessible to buy on-line or by calling the Virginia Theatre field workplace at 217-356-9063. Particular person pageant passes to see all movies value $200, which incorporates reserved seating.
