Festival Schedule    Festival Passes   Ticket Sales   Film Selection & Submission   General Festival Questions  Volunteer

FAQs
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE  
How many films are screened each day?
 
One film is screened on Wednesday, April 23, the opening day of the Festival.
Three films are screened on Thursday, April 24
Four films are screened on Friday, April 25
Four films are screened on Saturday, April 26
One film is screened on Sunday, April 27
All films are screened at the Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Avenue, Champaign, IL.
Are there other events during the Festival besides the films?
  • Panel Discussions, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings, April 24-26, at Illini Union   Pine Lounge, First Floor. 1401 Green Street, Urbana, IL
• Roger Ebert Book Signing, TBA
• These events are free and open to the public.
FESTIVAL PASSES  
When do passes go on sale? Will they sell out?
  Festival passes went on sale November 1, 2007. Get your festival passes early, as they sold out November 30, 2007 for the 2008 festival.
How much do passes cost?
  Festival passes are $100 and include all screenings.
How can I buy passes?
  The Virginia Theater has generously offered to maintain a waiting list for those who want to buy Festival passes. In the event additional passes become available, those on the waiting list will be contacted by phone or email, according to the order in which they were added to the list (on a first-come, first-served basis). Those on the waiting list will be given the contact information for those unable to use the passes they'd purchased, and the re-sale of the pass(es) will be conducted directly between the seller and the buyer. Any resale of passes should be done at cost, i.e. no scalping or discounting.
Does buying a pass guarantee me a seat at all screenings?
  A Festival pass guarantees seating at all screenings. NOTE: Please arrive 15 minutes before each screening, latecomers cannot be guaranteed admittance. Shortly before the film begins, any empty seats will be sold as individual tickets.
TICKET SALES  
When and where can I buy tickets?
  Individual tickets go on sale April 4, 2008 at 9:30AM Central Time. Individual tickets are sold at the Virginia Theatre. Call 217-356-9063 or visit the box office at 203 W. Park Avenue, Champaign, IL. Individual tickets are not available online.
Do some individual films sell out? If so, by when?
  Individual films sell out quickly. Get your individual tickets ASAP!
How much do individual tickets cost?
  Individual tickets are $10 each. Student/Senior Citizen tickets are $8 each. Students & seniors must present appropriate ID when purchasing $8 tickets.
Is there a limit to how many tickets I can buy?
  Up to 4 tickets per film may be purchased at a time; there is no limit to how many films you can purchase tickets for.
FILM SELECTION & SUBMISSIONS  
How are films selected?
  All films are selected from among the films Mr. Ebert sees in the normal course of his reviewing.
Do you accept film submissions? What is the entry deadline? Is there a screenplay competition?
  We do not accept submissions of any kind. All films are selected from among the films
Mr. Ebert sees in the normal course of his reviewing. There is no submission process or mechanism for us to receive or review submissions. Please do not send us films.
GENERAL FESTIVAL QUESTIONS  
Do you have a mailing list?
  We have an email list. Please email Mary Susan Britt at marsue@uiuc.edu to be added to the list.
How can I sign up to get important Festival announcements?
  Please email Mary Susan Britt at marsue@uiuc.edu to be added to the Festival’s email list.
Are there any accommodations for the hearing impaired at the screenings? Is closed captioning available?
  Yes. Assisted listening devices are available upon request at the Virginia Theatre. A single earpiece bud, ear speaker, or neck loop may be used by a patron to help enhance their enjoyment of the film. Devices maybe obtained at the box office before the show, and a personal credit card or driver's license will be held by the theatre staff until the device is returned at the completion of the film. We do not provide closed captioning.
What is the quality of the projection and sound systems in the theater?
  We pride ourselves on the quality of our projection and our sound systems. The Virginia Theatre, where all films are screened, is a restored 1,600-seat movie palace. We have turned our 35/70mm Norelco projectors into state-of-the-art machines, and DTS, the sound company, has donated a state-of-the-art 5.1 Stereo Sound System. We installed new speakers in 2002. We bring our world-class projectionist and sound engineer in from Chicago. Among his other credits are the design and installation of the audio and visual systems at the new Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles!
Is there an online ‘chat room’ to discuss the films and panels?
  We look forward to offering a chat room in the future. For now, please check out our festival & photo blogs.
Who hosts the Festival?
  Roger Ebert is the programmer and host of the Festival.
VOLUNTEERS  
What is the minimum number of hours volunteers can sign up for?
  You can volunteer for as little or as much time as you like. It is strictly up to the volunteer and their personal schedule. Please contact Mary Susan Britt marsue@uiuc.edu if you are interested in volunteering for the Festival.