Ebertfest 2017 — Hair, Elle, Hysteria, and More

One of the highlights of my year is Ebertfest, founded by Roger Ebert as the Underlooked Film Festival in his hometown of Champaign/Urbana Illinois, the home of the University of Illinois. What I love about the festival is the community it creates, because there is just one venue, the magnificent Virginia Theater, so everyone sees all the films together.

This year’s line-up looks great: opening night is “Hair,” and the rest of the schedule includes “Hysteria,” “The Handmaiden” (which I will be co-presenting), “Being There,” “Pleasantville,” a documentary about television pioneer Norman Lear, and, as always, a silent film with the live accompaniment by the magnificent Alloy Orchestra. Hope to see you there!