Gov. Quinn Helps Roger Ebert Kick Off Annual Film Festival

Roger Ebert's Film Festival kicked off its 12th annual edition in downtown Champaign Wednesday night, with a showing of "Pink Floyd The Wall", and an appearance by Governor Pat Quinn.

Quinn introduced Ebert, who came to the Virginia Theater stage as the near capacity audience rose to their feet to welcome him. The 67-year-old Ebert is a native son of Champaign-Urbana. He attended Urbana High School and the University of Illinois, before launching his career as a film critic at the Chicago Sun-Times and on a long-running TV show.

The governor presented Ebert with a proclamation naming the festival's s opening day as "Ebertfest Day" in Illinois. Reading from the document, Governor Quinn said that Ebert "has guided, informed and challenged Illinois moviegoers, championing films of every genre that lesser critics have ignored or demeaned".

The proclamation also praises Ebert for showing "extraordinary grace and unflagging courage in the face of serious illness, continuing to write with passion, strength and confidence about film, about life, and about the essential connections between the two."

Speaking through a laptop-mounted voice synthesizer, Ebert thanked the governor. "You took office at a difficult time, and brought honor back to the state's highest office", Ebert said through the device. "This is a most meaningful award, and with permission, I would like to share it with everyone involved in Ebertfest."

Ebert uses his annual film festival to highlight movies he feels deserve first-time or renewed attention. His choices range from Hollywood blockbusters, to little-known independent and foreign films, everything from silent movies to musicals.

Roger Ebert's Film Festival continues through Sunday in Champaign-Urbana, with movies shown at the Virginia Theater, and panels on film at the U of I Illini Union. Thursday night's s schedule includes a showing of the extended version of Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now", with the film's sound designer Water Murch as a guest.