Chaz Ebert

Chicago Shakespeare Theater announces the return of in-person performances at the Theater’s home on Navy Pier with the much-awaited debut of As You Like It infused with the hit songs of The Beatles, beginning October 6, 2021. 

'Mr. SOUL!” was also shortlisted at the 93rd Academy Awards in the category of Best Original Song, for “Show Me Your Soul” by Grammy Award-winning composer Robert Glasper and Grammy Award-winning singer Lalah Hathaway. 

The first-ever New Works Virtual Festival kicks off tonight! Every evening from December 5th - 25th of 2020 at 8PM EST/5PM PT, the New Works Virtual Festival will stream video readings of 20 new scripts of non-musical pieces (19 plays, 1 teleplay) as well as an 21st (a 'Christmas Special') featuring the work of a diverse group of writers and all-star cast members.

The New Works Virtual Festival will stream 20 new non-musical scripts every day from December 4th - 24th of 2020 (19 plays, 1 teleplay) featuring the work of a diverse group of writers and all-star cast members. A 21st piece will be selected from holiday-themed submissions to be streamed on December 25th.

The first ever New Works Virtual Festival will stream video readings of 20 new non-musical scripts (19 plays, 1 teleplay) featuring the work of a diverse group of writers and all-star cast members.

On Friday, October 16, radio host Rikki Lee Travolta welcomes New Works Virtual Festival producer Kevin Pollack to 101.5 FM's It's Showtime with Rikki Lee airing at 3 PM Central. The popular weekly radio program offers a glimpse into the world of entertainment, including stage, film, and television.

Filming via Zoom has begun for New Works Virtual Festival. From Sunday October 25th to Saturday the 31st, the NWVF will stream video readings of 20 new scripts of non-musical pieces (19 plays, 1 teleplay) featuring the work of a diverse group of writers and all-star cast members. 4 new play scripts have been announced by the team.

 The 22nd Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest”, announced today that this year's event has been cancelled due to the situation with the coronavirus (COVID-19) and has been rescheduled for April 14-17, 2021, and will take place at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL.  The festival was informed by the University of Illinois that all University sponsored events with more than 50 attendees will be suspended indefinitely, effective Friday, March 13.

 The 22nd Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest”, announced today Ari Aster's HEREDITARY will be joining this year's lineup.

Jane Fonda (seven-time Golden Globe Award winner), Serge Bromberg (Lobster Films, Founder), Eddie Muller (Film Noir Foundation, President), Sandra Schulberg (IndieCollect, President & Executive Director), Chaz Ebert, (Wife of the late Robert Ebert), and Mario Van Peebles (Director, New Jack City) joined the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) and American Cinematheque at the HFPA Film Restoration Summit held at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles.

Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest,” announced today that the 22nd Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival will take place April 15-18, 2020 at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL with related talks and panel discussions to be held at the Hyatt Place in Champaign and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In a fitting sequel to last year's daylong slate of activities across Chicago, rogerebert.com, and the Roger and Chaz Ebert Foundation once again are honoring their namesake's legacy with the 2019 observance of Day4Empathy in the city. Today, Thursday, April 4th is the sixth anniversary of the celebrated film critic and author's untimely death, and to that end the Day4Empathy continues to reinforce the late Roger Ebert's embrace of the universal concepts of empathy, and his staunch belief in the necessity of humility, compassion and paying small, unassuming acts of kindness forward.

The 21st Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest,” announced today the final slate of films for the 2019 event.  

The 21st Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival, co-founded and hosted by Chaz Ebert and also known as 'Ebertfest", announced today that Alan Elliott's AMAZING GRACE will open this year's festival. AMAZING GRACE is the highly-anticipated concert film presenting Aretha Franklin's live performance at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Los Angeles in January 1972. 

With less than two weeks until the program is announced, and less than three months until Day One, Sundance Institute today announces new hires on its programming team and new initiatives to deepen support for independent storytellers and broaden access to the Festival. The 2019 Festival will showcase work drawn from over 14,200 submissions, a record high.

'Queen Sugar,' the critically acclaimed OWN drama series from Academy award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay ('Wrinkle in Time,' '13th,' 'Selma'), executive producer Oprah Winfrey and Warner Horizon Scripted Television, announced today the remaining directors to complete the season three all-female directorial line-up to include first time television directors Nijla Mu'min, Christina Choe, Ayoka Chenzira and Rachel Raimist, along with the return of 'Queen Sugar' showrunner Kat Candler. These directors join the previously announced line-up including 'Queen Sugar' producing director DeMane Davis, Patricia Cardoso, Shaz Bennett, Maria Govan and Lauren Wolkstein. Continuing the creative initiative established in the show's first season by series creator and executive producer DuVernay to hire all female directorial teams, the series has employed 26 female directors to date. The series airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.

“Queen Sugar,” the critically acclaimed OWN drama series from Academy award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay (“Wrinkle in Time,” “13th,” “Selma”), executive producer Oprah Winfrey and Warner Horizon Scripted Television, announced today the remaining directors to complete the season three all-female directorial line-up to include first time television directors Nijla Mu'min, Christina Choe, Ayoka Chenzira and Rachel Raimist, along with the return of “Queen Sugar” showrunner Kat Candler. These directors join the previously announced line-up including “Queen Sugar” producing director DeMane Davis, Patricia Cardoso, Shaz Bennett, Maria Govan and Lauren Wolkstein. Continuing the creative initiative established in the show's first season by series creator and executive producer DuVernay to hire all female directorial teams, the series has employed 26 female directors to date. The series airs Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT on OWN.

Sundance Institute Announces Fellows for Two Focused Intensives

After 10 days and 123 feature films, the 2018 Sundance Film Festival's Awards Ceremony took place last night, with host Jason Mantzoukas emceeing and jurors presenting 28 prizes for feature filmmaking in Park City, Utah.

Sundance Film Festival: Juries, Awards Night Host Announced