Editing Ebertfest (section)

== Festival format ==
Twelve to fourteen films are presented at each festival, opening with a single film on a Wednesday night and concluding with a single movie the following Sunday. On each day during the interim three or four films are presented. As of 2019, the format excluded the Sunday screening.<ref name="Pieper3">{{cite news |last=Pieper |first=Frank |date=April 13, 2019 |title=Ebertfest 2019 Day 3: Our Favorite Moments |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2019-04-13/ebertfest-2019-day-3-our-favorite-moments.html |work=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref>

For the first eight festivals, before each screening Roger Ebert would make a few introductory remarks. After the film was shown he would have a discussion on stage with the filmmakers or others connected with the film,<ref>{{cite news |last=Zwecker |first=Bill |date=1 April 2002 |title=A second chance for some first-rate films |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |page=Features, 32}}</ref> sometimes hosting a brief panel discussion.

After Ebert lost his speaking voice due to cancer, starting with the ninth festival in 2007, his wife [[Chaz Ebert|Chaz]] assumed many of the hosting duties.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=25 April 2007 |title=Ebert will have best seat in the house |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007-04-25/ebert-will-have-best-seat-house.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=21 May 2016}}</ref> Post-show panels are led by his "Far-Flung Correspondents" or other respected film professionals, such as film historian [[David Bordwell]] and film critic [[Christy Lemire]].<ref>Chamberlain, Craig. [http://news.illinois.edu/news/13/0322ebertfest_sked.html "'Days of Heaven,' Tilda Swinton and Jack Black all part of 2013 'Ebertfest'"], "University of Illinois News Bureau", 22 March 2013.</ref>

On April 4, 2013, Ebert died after a long battle with cancer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Neil |url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17320958-418/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html |title=Roger Ebert dead at 70 after battle with cancer |newspaper=The Chicago Sun Times |date=April 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216070113/http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/17320958/roger-ebert-dies-at-70-after-battle-with-cancer.html |archive-date=December 16, 2014}}</ref> Despite his death, the film festival went along as scheduled, simultaneously acting as a tribute to Ebert's legacy.<ref>{{cite news |first=Alison |last=Marcotte |url=http://www.dailyillini.com/news/local/article_4e120996-9fea-11e2-9cfc-001a4bcf6878.html |title=Ebertfest to continue as tribute to film critic |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725072617/http://www.dailyillini.com/news/local/article_4e120996-9fea-11e2-9cfc-001a4bcf6878.html |archivedate=2013-07-25 |newspaper=The Daily Illini |date=8 April 2013}}</ref> At the opening of the 15th annual Ebertfest, it was announced by Ebert's wife, Chaz, that his alma mater, the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]], will be establishing a new Film Studies program within the College of Media in honor of his legacy. The program will be funded in part by a $1 million grant from Ebert and his wife to the University. The non-degree program will be both a collection of film-related seminars and classes as well as a platform for Ebertfest to continue.<ref>{{cite news |first=Lewis |last=Lazare |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/04/18/roger-ebert-film-studies-program-for.html |title=Roger Ebert film studies program for University of Illinois |newspaper=Chicago Business Journal |date=18 April 2013}}</ref>

=== Festival guests ===
Since its inception, many film directors, actors, producers, cinematographers and other crew members, as well as studio executives have been invited to participate in Ebertfest. Examples include [[Werner Herzog]],<ref name="champions">{{cite news |last=Emerick |first=Laura |date=26 April 2004 |title=The champions of 'overlooked' cinema |newspaper=Chicago Sun-Times |page=Features, 58}}</ref> [[Spike Lee]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Wood |first=Paul |date=April 26, 2014 |title=Spike Lee Q and A |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2014-04-26/spike-lee-q-and.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref> and [[Tilda Swinton]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 20, 2013 |title=Enthusiast Tilda Swinton: Everyone at Ebertfest cut from same cloth |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/blogs/art-and-about/2013-04/enthusiast-tilda-swinton-everyone-ebertfest-cut-same-cloth.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=4 June 2016}}</ref>

For the tenth Ebertfest in 2010, many of the international invited guests were unable to attend due to the [[2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull|volcanic eruptions]] in Iceland that disrupted air travel in Europe.<ref name="thumb">{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 23, 2010 |title=Ebertfest notebook: Of volcanoes, unbreakable thumbs, heroes and more |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2010-04-23/ebertfest-notebook-volcanoes-unbreakable-thumbs-heroes-and-more.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=23 May 2016}}</ref>

For the 2022 festival, actor [[Gilbert Gottfried]] was scheduled to appear as a panelist to discuss the documentary film about him, ''[[Gilbert (film)|Gilbert]]''.<ref name="Chaz">{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/ebertfest-2022-to-welcome-guillermo-del-toro-terry-zwigoff-ramin-bahrani-and-more |title=From Guillermo and Gottfried to the Golden Arm, Ebertfest 2022 is Back in Full Swing |last=Ebert |first=Chaz |date=March 31, 2022 |website=RogerEbert.com |access-date=May 8, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Bureau">{{cite web |url=https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/322560300 |title=From Gottfried to 'Golden Arm,' Ebertfest back in full swing |date=March 31, 2022 |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=Illinois News Bureau |publisher=University of Illinois |access-date=May 8, 2022}}</ref> In the aftermath of his death on April 12, 2022, Ebertfest announced it was dedicating the event to the memories of Gottfried and [[Sidney Poitier]].<ref name="Ebertfest 2022 Announces Complete Lineup, Will Be Dedicated to Sidney Poitier and Gilbert Gottfried">{{cite web |title=Ebertfest 2022 Announces Complete Lineup, Will Be Dedicated to Sidney Poitier and Gilbert Gottfried |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/ebertfest-2022-announces-complete-lineup-sidney-poitier-gilbert-gottfried |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=April 15, 2022 |access-date=April 17, 2022 |website=RogerEbert.com}}</ref>

=== Awards ===
As a non-competitive film festival,<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Festival & market listings |newspaper=Variety |location=Los Angeles, California |date=August 26, 2002 |page=Special supplement: Film Fest Guide, p. 37}}</ref><ref name="show" /> Ebertfest does not have jury or audience awards. But beginning with the sixth festival in 2004, all invited guests have been given an award originally referred to by Ebert as the Order of the Silver Thumb,<ref name="champions" /> but subsequently known as the Golden Thumb Award.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=March 16, 2005 |title=The stars come out at Ebertfest |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2005-03-16/stars-come-out-ebertfest.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> The Golden Thumb trophy is a casting of Roger Ebert's [[Thumbs signal|thumb in the up position]], made by the [[R.S. Owens & Company]], which is the same business that makes the Oscar statuette.<ref name="thumb" />

The first Roger Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented in 2016 to co-directors Andrew Young and Stephen Apkon for their documentary film ''[[Disturbing the Peace (2016 film)|Disturbing the Peace]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 16, 2016 |title=Middle East conflict gives rise to work, doc of peace |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2016-04-16/middle-east-conflict-gives-rise-work-doc-peace.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> The film focuses on the work of [[Combatants for Peace]], a group of former Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters who put down their weapons and began working together for peace in the region.

In 2017, the second Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented to [[Norman Lear]] for "a lifetime of empathy".<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 23, 2017 |title=Ebertfest: Television titan Norman Lear wows audience |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2017-04-23/ebertfest-television-titan-norman-lear-wows-audience.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> Lear was the first person to receive the award, because the 2016 award was given to the film ''Disturbing the Peace''. Lear was a special guest at the 2017 festival, to screen the documentary about his life.

In 2019, the third Ebert Humanitarian Award was presented to [[Morgan Neville]] for his film ''[[Won't You Be My Neighbor? (film)|Won't You Be My Neighbor?]]''.<ref name="Pieper">{{cite news |last=Pieper |first=Frank |date=April 14, 2019 |title=Ebertfest 2019 Day 4: Everyone was quite neighborly |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-04-14/ebertfest-2019-day-4-everyone-was-quite-neighborly.html |work=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref> That same year, Chaz Ebert presented the first-ever Ebertfest Icon Award to Rita Coburn Whack for the documentary film she co-directed about poet and civil rights activist [[Maya Angelou]], titled ''Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise''.<ref name="Pieper2">{{cite news |last=Pieper |first=Frank |date=April 15, 2019 |title=Ebertfest 2019 Finale: Our Favorite Moments |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2019-04-15/ebertfest-2019-finale-our-favorite-moments.html |work=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=24 April 2019}}</ref>

=== Academic panel discussions ===
Co-sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media, every Ebertfest since its inception has included panel discussions with invited festival guests and scholars from academia, covering a variety of film-related topics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ebertfest.com/archives.html |title=Festival archives |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=ebertfest.com |access-date=8 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527135922/http://www.ebertfest.com/archives.html |archive-date=27 May 2016}}</ref> These discussions are free and open to the public, and are held in the mornings during the festival. From 1999 to 2016, the panels were held on the University of Illinois campus. Beginning in 2017, the panel discussions are held in a hotel close to the Virginia Theatre.<ref name="scoop">{{cite news |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2017-04-09/scoop-ebertfest.html |title=The scoop on Ebertfest |last1=Merli |first1=Melissa |date=April 9, 2017 |website=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=10 April 2017}}</ref>

=== Live streaming ===
Beginning in 2010, the panel discussions, film introductions, and post-film discussions/question and answer sessions with festival guests have been streamed live, and then archived on [https://www.youtube.com/user/Ebertfest Ebertfest's YouTube channel].

=== Admission ===
Festival goers can purchase tickets to individual shows or full-festival passes. The number of passes sold is limited to 1,000 with the remainder of seats allotted for individual tickets or sponsors.<ref name="tickets">{{cite web |url=http://www.ebertfest.com/generalinfo.html |title=General Information/Ticket Policy |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=ebertfest.com |access-date=6 June 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527135907/http://www.ebertfest.com/generalinfo.html |archive-date=27 May 2016}}</ref> As passholders do not necessarily attend every show, it is often possible to obtain tickets at the last minute after empty seats are counted. At every festival since 2002, all patrons waiting in line for sold-out films were able to gain entry to the theatre.<ref name="tickets" />

Passes for the first Ebertfest in 1999 cost $30, and individual film tickets were $5.<ref name="overlooked" /> In 2016, passes cost $150, and individual film tickets were $15.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 5, 2016 |title=Linklater sends movie and its stars to Ebertfest |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/arts-entertainment/local/2016-04-05/linklater-sends-movie-and-its-stars-ebertfest.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=6 June 2016}}</ref> In 2023, passes cost $200 and individual film tickets were $20.<ref name="Chaz" />

The first sell-out of passes was in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last=Merli |first=Melissa |date=April 21, 2004 |title=Ebert film festival a sellout for first time |url=http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2004-04-21/ebert-film-festival-sellout-first-time.html |newspaper=News-Gazette |location=Champaign, Illinois |access-date=6 June 2016}}</ref>