Ebert Center for Film Studies Events, College of Media
Thursday, February 12, 2026
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Ebert Center Screening: Seasonal Affective Cinema—Jacques Demy’s 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' (1964)
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin us for a screening of Jacques Demy's enchanting French musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964), winner of the Palme d'Or and nominated for five Academy Awards.
Thursday, March 5, 2026
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7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaThis year’s Ebert Fellows invite you to their curated screening of One Battle After Another (2025), a timely story of the fictional American revolutionary group, the French 75. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, the film will be introduced by the Ebert Fellows and their mentor, film critic Michael Phillips.
Monday, March 30, 2026
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7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin us for a screening of Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz (1978). See cultural icons such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Nipsey Russel follow the yellow brick road in this musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz. While considered a failure upon its release, the film has since developed an enduring and charming legacy, as well as a dedicated cult fan base.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
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2:00 - 3:30 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin a roundtable discussion with doctoral students from the Institute of Communications Research about fandom’s interaction with the media. Not only will it explore themes from The Wiz and the keynote speech, but it will also expand to all types of media. Moderated by Cait Coker, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Illinois.
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4:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana
Professor Alfred Martin, Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at University of Miami, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Ebert Symposium. As a part of the Ebert Symposium’s theme, “Onscreen Fantasies/IRL Illusions: Fandom, Parasocial Relationships, and the Media,” Martin will discuss the role of audiences in the curation of and the cultural meaning of cinema.