CHAMPAIGN, IL (February 3, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Movie Pageant, also called Ebertfest, introduced as we speak the addition of three new movies to this 12 months’s pageant:
- fortieth Anniversary Screening of Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN starring Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, and Madonna
- Azazel Jacobs’ HIS THREE DAUGHTERS starring Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, and Elizabeth Olsen
- Baltasar Kormákur’s TOUCH starring Egill Ólafsson, Kōki, and Palmi Kormákur
The Virginia Theatre will likely be partying prefer it’s 1985 when Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN celebrates its fortieth anniversary with a particular screening and Q&A with director Susan Seidelman and actress Rosanna Arquette. Initially launched theatrically on March 29, 1985, the movie was extremely profitable on the field workplace grossing $55.3M within the US and turning into the thirty first highest grossing movie of the 12 months. DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, which options an all-star forged together with Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, Madonna, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurie Metcalf, and Steven Wright, acquired 2 movie awards together with a BAFTA Award and 6 nominations.
DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN tells the story of New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) who spices up her boring life by studying private adverts, particularly a collection of them being positioned by a mysterious denizen of New York Metropolis named Susan (Madonna). When certainly one of Susan’s adverts proposes a rendezvous together with her suitor (Robert Pleasure) at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags alongside. However when her voyeuristic jape ends in everlasting reminiscence loss and a brand new jacket, Roberta begins to assemble numerous undesirable consideration from some unsavory characters.
“What I favored in ‘Desperately Looking for Susan’ was the cheerful means it bopped round New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters, performed by good actors,” stated Roger Ebert in his 3-star overview.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Susan Seidelman and Rosanna Arquette to Champaign to have fun this trailblazing film about ladies,” stated Chaz Ebert, Co-Founder and Producer of Ebertfest.
HIS THREE DAUGHTERS will function a post-screening dialog with director Azazel Jacobs, who returns to the pageant for a three-peat following screenings of TERRI in 2011 and FRENCH EXIT in 2022. The critically-acclaimed movie acquired 10 awards together with wins at The Gotham Awards and Movie Unbiased Spirit Awards and is Rotten Tomatoes Licensed Contemporary with a 98% rating.
From writer-director Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers), HIS THREE DAUGHTERS is a bittersweet and sometimes shaggy dog story of an aged patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his closing days. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a controlling Brooklyn mom coping with a wayward teenage daughter; free-spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is a unique type of mother, separated from her offspring for the primary time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a sports-betting stoner who has by no means left her father’s residence — a lot to the chagrin of her stepsisters, who share a unique mom and worldview. Persevering with his astute exploration of household dynamics in close-knit areas, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of three unstable days, as demise looms, grievances erupt, and love seeps by means of the cracks of a fractured house.
“As a father of three daughters, this movie resonates with me on a deeply private degree,” stated Pageant Director Nate Kohn. “Azazel is masterful at balancing a fragile story with comedic parts when applicable. Like his different screenings in earlier years, I’ve little question that the Ebertfest attendees will respect seeing this movie and listening to from Azazel instantly following.”
Baltasar Kormákur will make his Ebertfest debut for a Q&A to debate his critically-acclaimed TOUCH, which acquired the coveted Viewers Award on the 2025 Tromsø Worldwide Movie Pageant in Tromsø, Norway. Moreover, the movie was chosen as Iceland’s official entry for Greatest Worldwide Movie on the 97th Academy Awards the place it was named to the shortlist and is at the moment Rotten Tomatoes Licensed Contemporary with a 92% rating.
A romantic and thrilling story that spans a number of a long time and continents, TOUCH follows one widower’s emotional journey to seek out his old flame who disappeared 50 years in the past, earlier than his time runs out. “TOUCH is simply flat-out romantic, and so grown-up in its execution,” stated Chaz Ebert. “Typically we are saying they don’t make them like this anymore; effectively, Kormákur proves that they do. That is the type of film that takes its time to permit your coronary heart to soar.”
As beforehand introduced, the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Movie Pageant will open with a brand new 70mm print of the Western basic THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wooden, on Wednesday, April 23. Moreover, Man Maddin’s RUMOURS will display screen and Todd Phillip’s THE HANGOVER will shut out the pageant on Saturday, April 26.
Further updates to the pageant program will likely be introduced within the coming weeks.
Ebertfest passes are at the moment accessible to purchase online or by calling the Virginia Theatre field workplace at 217-356-9063. Particular person pageant passes to see all movies value $200, which incorporates reserved seating.
Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic for the Chicago Solar-Instances, College of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.
Chaz Ebert can be the creator of the indie bestseller It’s Time to Give A FECK: Elevating Humanity through Forgiveness, Empathy, Compassion, and Kindness.
Ebertfest is hosted by Chaz Ebert and Nate Kohn, the pageant director for the reason that very starting, in collaboration with the Faculty of Media on the College of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
For added data, please go to https://ebertfest.com/ and comply with us on social media:
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To change into a supporting Pageant Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Pageant Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.00, which incorporates reserved seating.
