Oh My Goodness! The 19th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival (Ebertfest) was awesome! The theme was Empathy, Kindness, Compassion and Forgiveness, and we welcomed filmmakers whose films, in one way or another, exemplified those principles, or in some cases, the need for them. NORMAN LEAR received the first “Ebert Humanitarian Award” given to a person rather than a movie after the doc about him by RACHEL GRADY, HEIDI EWING and BRENT MILLER (“Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You); ISABELLE HUPPERT flew in from Paris with “Elle”; GARY ROSS showed us why “Pleasantville” is more relevant today than ever, as did CALEB DESCHANEL with “Being There” and MICHAEL BUTLER and MICHAEL HAUSMAN with “Hair.” CHARLES BURNETT and ROBERT TOWNSEND gave us a stirring discussion about “To Sleep With Anger,” and BEN LEAR and SASHA ALPERT told us why a reform is needed in the juvenile detention system in “They Call Us Monsters.” RICK GOLDSMITH destigmatized mental illness with “Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw,” while TANYA WEXLER and HUGH DANCY celebrated female sexuality and distinguished it from a mental disorder in “Hysteria,” as did “The Handmaiden.” IRWIN AND CHARLES WINKLER brought in an element of romance, Cole Porter-style with “De-Lovely,” and JIMMY AND DONNIE DEMERS tugged at our heartstrings with a rendition of “Every Time We Say Goodbye.” SHEILA O’ MALLEY took us on a short trip down memory lane with “July and Half of August,” while the ALLOY ORCHESTRA wowed us with their orchestral performance accompanying the silent film “Varieté’.” Was this the best Ebertfest in 19 years? Or was it just that the EBERT FELLOWS said it was as transformative an experience as any they have had. You had to be there. And you can be for our 20th Anniversary coming up April 18-22, 2018, in Champaign, Illinois at the Virginia Theater. The following table of contents features our full coverage of Ebertfest 2017 at RogerEbert.com, as well as the festival coverage from The News-Gazette in Champaign, Illinois.Chaz EbertROGEREBERT.COMStars, Music, Movies and Compassion Converge: Ebertfest 2017 Preview by Chaz EbertEbertfest 2017, Day 1: Come for the Movie, Stay for the Company by Sam FragosoEbertfest 2017, Day 2: No Transition Without Representation by Matt FagerholmEbertfest 2017, Day 3: A Special Short, The World’s Greatest Actress and More by Peter Sobczynski Ebertfest 2017, Day 4: Being Human is Hard by Sam FragosoEbertfest 2015, Day 5: Every Time We Say Goodbye by Matt FagerholmVideo: 35mm at Ebertfest 2017 by The EditorsTHE NEWS-GAZETTEThe scoop on Ebertfest by Melissa MerliEbertfest never rests: A guide to the 2017 event’s films by Melissa MerliUp Close and Personal with Norman Lear by Melissa MerliTownsend says ISU naysayer was ‘catalyst for my destiny’ by Melissa MerliEbertfest director ready to let ‘Hair’ down in C-U by Marcus JacksonEbertfest appearance ‘a big personal first’ for ‘Hysteria’ director by Melissa MerliDancy on “Hysteria” and More by Melissa MerliAudio: Penny for Your Thoughts featuring Chaz Ebert and Nate KohnLining up at 7:30 a.m. for a 1 p.m. film? That’s ‘the power of Ebert’ by Marcus JacksonTV icon’s filmmaker son impressed by audience by Marcus JacksonTelevision titan Norman Lear wows audience by Melissa MerliVideo of singer leads to invite to open, close Ebertfest by Melissa Merli19th Ebertfest receives a lovely send-off by Melissa Merli
