51吃瓜

Director Francis Ford Coppola to participate in a virtual Q&A

Actress Jane Levy and Critics Michael Phillips, Richard Roeper, Matt Zoller-Seitz, Nell Minow, Brian Tallerico, Eric Pierson, Dion Metzger, and Brenda Butler will be attending in person 

CHAMPAIGN, IL (April 1, 2025) 鈥� Roger Ebert鈥檚 Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today the final three films screening at this year鈥檚 festival, to be held April 23-26 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign:

Francis Ford Coppola鈥檚 MEGALOPOLIS
Walter Salles鈥� Academy Award-winning I鈥橫 STILL HERE
Lotte Reiniger鈥檚 THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED 

Coppola will participate in a virtual Q&A immediately following the screening of MEGALOPOLIS; Michael Barker, Co-President of Sony Pictures Classics, will discuss the Oscar-winning film I鈥橫 STILL HERE, which Sony Pictures Classics distributed domestically; and back by popular demand, The Anvil Orchestra will perform during THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED. 

鈥淚t is incredible that Nate Kohn and I are just as excited to present the lineup for this 26th Ebertfest as we were for the first!鈥� said Chaz Ebert, CEO of movie review site Rogerebert.com and cofounder of Ebertfest. 鈥淲hat Roger said about movies being a machine that generates empathy is so true. My heart swells with emotion in anticipation of the films and guests who will join us. And I look forward to sharing this communal film experience with our Ebertfest audience. Roger, we thank you!鈥�

鈥淓choing Chaz, this year鈥檚 lineup is one of the most exciting we鈥檝e ever had,鈥� said Nate Kohn. 鈥淭here will be lots to celebrate in Champaign this year, and I know Roger would be very proud to see how his festival continues to grow.鈥�

MEGALOPOLIS is a Roman Epic set in an imagined Modern America. The City of New Rome must change, causing conflict between Cesar Catilina (Adam Driver), a genius artist who seeks to leap into a utopian, idealistic future, and his opposition, Mayor Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito), who remains committed to a regressive status quo, perpetuating greed, special interests, and partisan warfare. Torn between them is socialite Julia Cicero (Nathalie Emmanuel), the mayor’s daughter, whose love for Cesar has divided her loyalties, forcing her to discover what she truly believes humanity deserves.

The film was nominated for multiple awards and had its world premiere at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in 2024. 

鈥淔rancis Ford Coppola has once again given us big ideas to digest,鈥� said Chaz Ebert, 鈥淎re the characters in Megalopolis akin to those in Rome before its collapse, or can we find some redemption in acts seemingly small, but that portend hope for the future. Does Coppola鈥檚 film hold a mirror up to today鈥檚 society? And if so, does this master director give us a roadmap to avoid similar obstacles? We will eagerly pose these questions and others when he appears after the screening of this gorgeously shot film.鈥�

I鈥橫 STILL HERE is set in Brazil, 1971, as it faces the tightening grip of a military dictatorship. Eunice Paiva, a mother of five children, is forced to reinvent herself after her family suffers a violent and arbitrary act by the government. The film is based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva’s biographical book and tells the true story that helped reconstruct an important part of Brazil鈥檚 hidden history.

The film had its world premiere at the 81st Venice International Film Festival in 2024 where it was critically acclaimed and received the Best Screenplay Award. I鈥橫 STILL HERE, which is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a score of 97%, has continued winning over audiences globally and earned 69 nominations and 49 awards including a Golden Globe Award and the Best International Feature Film Academy Award, the first-ever Brazilian produced film to win an Academy Award. 

鈥淭hrough Fernanda Torres’ formidable presence, the deliberate I’M STILL HERE, a film that locates further meaning in the face of Brazil鈥檚 present Far-Right wave, remains in the heart long after the picture fades,鈥� said Robert Daniels in his 4-star review for RogerEbert.com.

THE ADVENTURES OF PRINCE ACHMED is a fantasy animated film from 1926 that tells the story of a handsome prince with a flying horse who befriends a witch, meets Aladdin, and battles demons to win a princess’ heart. The screening will feature a performance from Ebertfest鈥檚 audience favorite group The Anvil Orchestra. 

Newly announced guests include actress Jane Levy (A LITTLE PRAYER), and critics Michael Phillips, Richard Roeper, Matt Zoller-Seitz, Nell Minow, Brian Tallerico, Eric Pierson, Dion Metzger, and Brenda Butler.

As previously announced, the 2025 Roger Ebert鈥檚 Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood on Wednesday, April 23. Additionally, Guy Maddin鈥檚 RUMOURS will screen, and Todd Phillips鈥� THE HANGOVER will close out the festival on Saturday, April 26. The festival recently announced a 40th anniversary screening of Susan Seidelman鈥檚 DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, 35MM screenings of both Azazel Jacobs鈥� HIS THREE DAUGHTERS and Barbara Kopple鈥檚 HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A., and screenings of Baltasar Korm谩kur鈥檚 TOUCH, Angus MacLachlan鈥檚 A LITTLE PRAYER, and David Fortune鈥檚 COLOR BOOK.

Ebertfest tickets and passes are currently available to  or by calling the Virginia Theatre box office at 217-356-9063. to each film cost $20, while to see all films cost $200, with both including reserved seating. are available for $65.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
6:30 p.m.: The Searchers

THURSDAY, APRIL 24
9:00 a.m.: Megalopolis
1:30 p.m.: Desperately Seeking Susan
5:00 p.m.: Harlan County U.S.A.
9:30 p.m.: His Three Daughters

FRIDAY, APRIL 25
10:30 a.m.: A Little Prayer
2:30 p.m.: I鈥檓 Still Here
7:30 p.m.: Rumours

SATURDAY, APRIL 26
9:00 a.m.: The Adventures of Prince Achmed
11:30 a.m.: Color Book
4:00 p.m.: Touch
9:00 p.m.: The Hangover

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, a University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and an Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author of the indie bestseller 

Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College 51吃瓜 at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, including the full festival schedule, please visit , and follow us on social media:

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To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu. 

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn
mcornyn2@illinois.edu
217-333-1590

Lee Meltzer
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
551-208-8617

Editor’s Note: Although originally announced as attending, unfortunately, actress Carrie Coon had to cancel attending Ebertfest with her film His Three Daughters. Director Azazel Jacobs will still be participating in the post-screening discussion.