General News 6 | College of Media

Advertising and ICR faculty, students present research at 2025 American Academy of Advertising Conference

March 21, 2025

Advertising faculty and graduate students in the MS advertising and ICR doctoral programs, as well as several alumni, participated in the 2025 annual conference of the American Academy of Advertising, held March 6-9 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Faculty and graduate students participated in eight paper presentations and three panels, discussing research and ideas related to teaching AI and advertising, disability, ethics and data, and more.

As vice president of AAA, Chang-Dae Ham, professor of advertising and associate head of graduate studies, organized the research paper reviews and conference program and Kevin Wise, professor of advertising, served as chair of AAA’s graduate student committee.

The full list of Illinois papers and authors included:

“Finessing Realism: Harmonizing Behavioral Realism and Message Framing in Virtual Influencer Advertising – Mind Perception Theory Application”
Seo Jeong Heo, Se Il Park, Floria Yujin Lee

“Does Authenticity Matter? The Impact of Visual Realism and Humanlike Expressions on the Effectiveness of Virtual Influencers”
Jinping Wang (University of Florida), Assistant Professor Guolan Yang

“Navigating Consumer Acceptance of Cultured Meat: An Exploratory Narrative Review of Communication Strategies”
Ziyang Gong, Tianli Chen, Yan (Anna) Liu, Associate Professor Leona Yi-Fan Su, Jingen Xuan

“In Watermark We Trust? Exploring How Consumers Cope with AI Influencer Advertising: Multidimensional Persuasion Knowledge and Construal Level Approach”
Se Il Park, Floria Yujin Lee, Seo Jeong Heo

“TikTok Made Me Buy It: Breaking Expectations with Shoppable Ads”
Alice Ji, Muskan Khowaja, Kevin Gilloly, Haoxue Luo, Nelson Oshodi, Zoe Randolph, Ruiheng Sun, Chun-Yao Wang, Professor and Head Michelle Nelson

“Exploring How Consumer Evaluation of Social Justice Issues Influence Brand Activism Effectiveness”
Assistant Professor Louvins Pierre, Carolyn Lin (University of Connecticut)

“Understanding Consumer Engagement with Vertical Farming Brands on Twitter: An Approach Using Guided Latent Dirichlet Allocation for Topic Modeling”
Junqi Shao, Tianli Chen, Associate Professor Leona Yi-Fan Su

“When Virtual (vs. Human) Celebrity Voice Matters: Interplay between Celebrity Type and Endorsing Message – Construal Level Theory Application”
Floria Yujin Lee, Seo Jeong Heo, Se Il Park

Panels

“Teaching Data Ethics in Advertising: Pedagogical Approaches That Meet Industry Demand“
Natalie Brown Devlin (University of Texas at Austin), Associate Professor Ewa Maslowska, Daniela Molta (Syracuse University), Associate Professor Harsh Taneja

“Generative AI and the Future of Advertising Creativity: Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry”
Weizi Liu (Texas Christian University), Yanyun (Mia) Wang (University of Boulder), Assistant Professor Louvins Pierre, Tripp Westbrook (Firehouse Agency), Linda Groendyke (Digital Insights Labs), Jon Irwin (Liquid Agency)

“Disability DEI in Advertising: Preparing Future Advertising Professionals to Embrace Disability Authentically in Their Work”
Cathy Chan Butler (American Association of Advertising Agencies), Josh Loebner (VML), Professor and Head Michelle Nelson, Edward Timke (Michigan State University), Beth Haller (Towson University), Erin Whiteside (University of Tennessee), Summer Shelton (Limelight Insights by Shugoll), Maria DeMoya (University of Tennessee), Eric Haley (University of Tennessee)

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Journalism alumna Marilynn Preston supports well-being initiatives for College of Media students

March 14, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

From her standing desk at her home office in Northern California, Marilynn Preston (BS ’67, journalism)—journalist, healthy lifestyle expert, and Emmy-winning TV producer—spoke with zeal about the role health and wellness has played in her life and why she’s inspired to share her passion with students in the College of Media.

“Media is so changed now as a profession. It’s a high-risk, high-stress profession that you have to train for in a way that just didn’t exist before,” Preston said. “If journalism students can learn these valuable self-care skills in college, calming their minds and strengthening their ability to focus and perform under pressure, they can benefit and thrive for the rest of their life.”

Preston’s generous support of a multi-year series on wellness and self-care is aimed at helping nurture students while on campus and prepare them for a career in a demanding field that can take a physical and emotional toll on its professionals.

Deadlines, covering traumatic events, and avoiding burnout are just a few of the stressors a journalist may face throughout their career.

I”m just so grateful that the College of Media sees the value of self-care as a way to deal with anxiety in these destabilizing times. I hope to see the self-care program grow and pick up steam. It’s a great new initiative and I’m excited to see where it goes.

Marilynn Preston

(BS ’67, journalism)

So far, two wellness events have been organized through the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media—a well-being open house for students in Spring 2024 and a breath workshop and presentation with James Nestor, author of Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, in Fall 2024.

Another wellness event for Media students is planned for this spring, focusing on the power of nasal breathing and stress reduction. College of Media faculty and staff are also welcome at these events.

“I’m just so grateful that the College of Media sees the value of self-care as a way to deal with anxiety in these destabilizing times. I hope to see the self-care program grow and pick up steam. It’s a great new initiative and I’m excited to see where it goes,” she said.

Preston is a verifiable expert when it comes to the subject of health and personal well-being.

She’s the creator of Energy Express, America’s longest-running syndicated fitness column that ran for 43 years, reaching millions of newspaper readers across the country. She’s had three books published, with her most recent deemed an Amazon best-seller.

She also created, wrote, and produced the Energy Express TV series beginning in the 1990s that ran in 120 cities, won two Emmys, and a Women’s Sports Foundation award.

A trailblazer in her field, Preston started writing about personal wellness and the mind-body connection as a feature writer at the Chicago Tribune, back when life-changing practices like meditation and yoga were just beginning to capture people’s attention.

“In Chicago in 1976, yoga and yogurt were interchangeable terms,” she said.

Preston says her columns were about “having fun and staying healthy,” and they covered a myriad of topics, from injury prevention and weight-loss to integrative medicine and holistic healthcare.

She shares the same ideas in her books, Dear Dr. Jock: The People’s Guide to Sports and Fitness; Work Well, Be Well; and All Is Well: The Art {and Science} of Personal Well-being. Her publisher asked her to write a second edition of All Is Well during Covid and now Preston considers it her most valuable book. “Covid turned our lives upside down, and learning to prioritize self-care is something we’re all still struggling with.”

K9 Huff at a College of Media well-being open house — *UIPD Therapy K9 Huff was a featured attraction at the College of Media Well-Being Open House for students in Spring 2024. (Photo by Nathan Gonzalez, photography intern.)*

Preston recommends simple routines like walking outdoors in nature and even taking quick naps, habits that have been measured and proven to be beneficial to a person’s health.

In recent years, she’s discovered that breathwork and meaningful in-person connections can have a huge impact on overall health and wellness, much greater than scientists ever realized.

“Find a way to experience fun, joy, and pleasure because if you value your own well-being, that becomes your North Star for life” she said.

In addition to supporting College of Media students, Preston also serves on the board of a nonprofit organization in Chicago called Girls in the Game, which works with girls in under-resourced neighborhoods to provide them with exposure to sports, fitness, leadership, and team play. Recently, she’s helped GIG focus on teaching self-care skills to the girls—practices like breathing, journaling, and mindful movement—and the girls are very happy to have these new ways to handle stress and anxiety.

While Preston recognizes the current journalism landscape presents new and difficult challenges, she’s still thinks “it’s a wonderful time to be a journalist because the country has to heal, and journalists can help with that.”

Speaking from her own personal experience, Preston is grateful journalism provided her with the opportunity to educate so many people throughout her career and, hopefully, transform lives.

“Journalism can be a wonderful ticket to ride and see the world and write about things you care about and help people build better lives,” Preston said. “Helping others get through these confusing times is more important than ever.”

For more information and writings from Preston, visit marilynnpreston.com.

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Public Relations Student Society of America at Illinois back in action thanks to student-led mission

March 13, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

The Public Relations Student Society of America at Illinois is back after a four-year hiatus, thanks to a group of determined students who revitalized the local chapter.

Jordan Butler, a senior in journalism and president of PRSSA at Illinois, said a call to action in a College of Media newsletter last spring led to a group chat amongst students which ultimately became the impetus for the official return of PRSSA at Illinois in Fall 2024. The local chapter had been inactive since 2019.

“Over [this past] summer, a couple of [us] took on [the executive board positions] and then this semester and last semester we started to really build out more. We’ve been working to gain more members and to let people know who we are, and [organizing] different activities and events across campus,” Butler said.

The Illinois chapter of PRSSA was originally formed in 2012 to offer students the chance to work with real clients, put together campaigns, and network with industry professionals.

The goal today remains similar, says Butler, who noted the group’s emphasis on helping students learn how to communicate effectively.

I think people have this very rigorous idea of what PRSSA is in the sense of [it being] very structured or business-like, but it’s so much more than that. And there’s so much that falls under the realm of PR that I think you don’t know it until you do it, until you try it, until you talk about it.

Jordan Butler

President of PRSSA

However, Butler also hopes its members “have found different things that [are] fun or interesting through public relations that perhaps they weren’t maybe as interested in when they walked through our doors or started with us.”

Butler can attest to how PRSSA at Illinois has helped her improve her communications skills. As an introverted person, Butler admits she doesn’t always feel comfortable reaching out to others first or speaking to a crowd, but her experience as president has allowed her to hone that skill.

“I’ve really learned how to kind of put myself out there in those positions and network with people and do a lot of public speaking, even if it makes me really nervous,” said Butler, who also works as a communications and social media intern at Research Park, a technology hub for corporate research, development operations, and startup companies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Currently, PRSSA at Illinois includes a small membership of less than 15 students, but Butler hopes to see that number go up in time.

“We’re just trying to get our names out there as much as possible but also focus on what our members are really interested in doing and what they’re really interested in learning about,” she said.

PRSSA at Illinois, which is open to all majors, holds meetings every Wednesday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in 31 Gregory Hall.

In response to student interest, a public speaking workshop will be held soon.

Butler encourages any students interested in PRSSA to join a workshop or a meeting to talk to current members and ask questions.

“I think people have this very rigorous idea of what PRSSA is in the sense of [it being] very structured or business-like, but it’s so much more than that. And there’s so much that falls under the realm of PR that I think you don’t know it until you do it, until you try it, until you talk about it,” she said.

For more information about PRSSA at Illinois, check out their Instagram page @illinoisprssa.

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Ebertfest adds Barbara Kopple’s Academy Award-winning ‘Harlan County U.S.A.,’ Angus MacLachlan’s ‘A Little Prayer,’ and David Fortune’s ‘Color Book’

Actors David Strathairn, William Catlett, and Jeremiah Daniels, two-time Academy Award-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple, and directors Angus MacLachlan and David Fortune join this year’s star-studded lineup

February 20, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, IL (February 20, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today the addition of three new films to this year’s festival, to be held April 23-26 at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign:

Barbara Kopple’s Academy Award-winning HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A.
Angus MacLachlan’s A LITTLE PRAYER starring David Strathairn, Jane Levy, Celia Weston, Will Pullen, Anna Camp, and Dascha Polanco
David Fortune’s COLOR BOOK starring William Catlett, Brandee Evans, Terri J. Vaughn, and Jeremiah Daniels

Kopple, MacLachlan, Fortune, Strathairn, Catlett, and Daniels will all be making their Ebertfest debuts with each receiving a coveted “Golden Thumb Award” following their screenings.

HARLAN COUNTY U.S.A., winner of Best Documentary at the 1977 Academy Awards, will include a post-screening discussion with director Barbara Kopple. The film, which received critical acclaim and currently holds a 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score, had its world premiere at the 14th New York Film Festival in 1976.

In this documentary about labor tension in the coal-mining industry, Kopple films a strike in rural Kentucky. After the coal miners at the Brookside Mine join a union, the owners refuse the labor contract. Once the miners start to strike, the owners of the mine respond by hiring scabs to fill the jobs of the regular employees. The strike, which lasts more than a year, frequently becomes violent, with guns produced on both sides, and one miner is even killed in a conflict.

“The film retains all of its power, in the story of a miners’ strike in Kentucky where the company employed armed goons to escort scabs into the mines, and the most effective picketers were the miners’ wives—articulate, indomitable, courageous,” said Roger Ebert in his 4-star review.

A LITTLE PRAYER will be complemented with a post-screening discussion with director, writer, and producer Angus MacLachlan and actor David Strathairn. The film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.

The film follows a man who tries to protect his daughter-in-law when he discovers his son is having an affair. A LITTLE PRAYER touches upon a variety of issues in a changing modern South, including a woman’s volition over her own body, war veterans grappling with PTSD, and the limits of patriarchal interference.

“Our festival line-up has been carefully curated to give our loyal Ebertfest audiences films that will make them laugh and may make them cry, but even more important, these films and our guests will serve to confirm that we are all in this together,” says Ebertfest Co-Founder Chaz Ebert. “We gather to understand each other better, but also to just have fun!”

COLOR BOOK will be presented with a post-screening conversation with director David Fortune, cast members William Catlett and Jeremiah Daniels, and producer Kiah Clingman. The film had its world premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Festival in NYC. COLOR BOOK’s Ebertfest debut will be sponsored by the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect.

COLOR BOOK tells the story of single father Lucky who, following his wife’s recent passing, finds himself navigating the challenges of raising his son Mason, who has Down syndrome. Seeking solace, Lucky and Mason embark on a journey across Metro Atlanta to attend their first baseball game together. Throughout their day-long trip, they encounter Murphy’s Law. From car breakdowns to missed trains, the duo faces a series of obstacles that test their relationship with each other. Despite the setbacks, they persevere, determined to reach the game. COLOR BOOK provides an intimate portrait of a father and son while exploring the experiences of raising a child with Down syndrome, highlighting the strength and resilience that emerge from their bond.

The 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood on Wednesday, April 23. Additionally, Guy Maddin’s RUMOURS will screen, and Todd Phillips’ THE HANGOVER will close out the festival on Saturday, April 26. The festival recently announced a 40th anniversary screening of Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, as well as screenings of Azazel Jacobs’ HIS THREE DAUGHTERS and Baltasar Kormákur’s TOUCH.

Additional updates to the festival program will be announced in the coming weeks.

Ebertfest passes are currently available to purchase online or by calling the Virginia Theatre box office at 217-356-9063. Individual festival passes to see all films cost $200, which includes reserved seating.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, a University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and an Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author 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 festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, please visit ebertfest.com, and follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

Ebert Symposium 2025 focuses on Artificial Intelligence

February 12, 2025

“Artificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized”

The 2025 Chaz and Roger Ebert Symposium, presented by the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, will address “Artificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized.” The Ebert Symposium’s mission this year is to bridge academic research with broader cultural conversations about the uses of artificial intelligence.

Join us for this free two-day event on April 22-23, featuring a film screening, a keynote speaker, and a roundtable discussion. The Ebert Symposium is co-sponsored by the Institute of Communications Research.

Tuesday, April 22

Film Screening

7 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum

Watch a screening of Spike Jonze’s award-winning film Her (2013). Jonze’s film follows the solitary life of Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) as he begins to use the AI chat technology Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) to come to terms with the break-up of his relationship. The film melds technology and the human condition through a quiet and moving journey of self-discovery.

Wednesday, April 23

Keynote Speaker

9:30-10:45 a.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
Register to join via Zoom

“Artificial Annoyance and Augmented Hilarity: The Disordered Personalities of AI Comedy”

The Ebert Symposium keynote will be delivered by Dr. Scott Bukatman, Professor of Film and Media Studies at Stanford University, who will use science fiction literature, film, and comics to explore how AI helps reveal “the downsides of personality.”

University of Illinois Faculty Roundtable

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
Register to join via Zoom

A roundtable discussion at 11 a.m. on the intersection between science fiction and engineering. The conversation will cover the interplay within real-world AI technologies by concentrating on the portrayals of artificial intelligence in film and popular culture. This conversation will be moderated by Professor Mike Yao (Digital Media), director of the Institute of Communications Research, with panelists Professors Heng Ji (Computer Science), Alison Duncan Kerr (Philosophy), Ben Grosser (New Media), and Robert Markley (English).

Note: The second roundtable featuring Ebertfest filmmaker guests unfortunately had to be canceled.

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American Advertising Federation at Illinois boasts largest student chapter in the nation

February 12, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

The American Advertising Federation at Illinois is the largest student chapter in the nation, currently boasting more than 400 members. Caroline Burns, a senior in advertising and president of the AAF at Illinois, knows why.

“I think it’s a combination of we’ve been around for so long at the University of Illinois so there’s the legacy there, but it’s also just the people are so great. I think once you join, you find your tight-knit community and you find your people,” Burns said.

AAF at Illinois, which is one of more than 1,000 registered student organizations on campus, helps to equip members with the tools, skillsets, and experience to make an impact in the advertising field. It’s open to any major but the majority are advertising focused.

There are 13 separate agencies that operate within AAF that specialize in different areas of advertising, including video ad production, consumer insights, and experiential marketing.

While each agency has a different purpose, they all provide members with the opportunity to work with real clients, tour ad agencies, and gain insider knowledge about the industry.

Many of the agencies include student teams partnering with clients, who are typically from the Champaign-Urbana area, and helping them execute an advertising campaign.

Last semester, an AAF agency worked with the Libman cleaning supply company and created a video ad for them. This semester, a team carried out a full-service ad campaign for Atomic Wings, which recently opened on Green Street in Champaign.

AAF has just set me up for so much success—jobs, everything, I owe it all to AAF.

Caroline Burns

Senior in Advertising, President of AAF at Illinois

Burns likes to think of AAF as a mini-internship that gives students “a little peek of what your life might be like in the advertising industry.”

Some of the agencies are considered “open,” which means they are designed for any experience level, while others require an application process.

In addition to agency experiences, AAF members participate in competitions, take trips, and plan social events throughout the year.

The annual National Student Advertising Competition will be held in South Bend, Indiana, on April 12, with an Illinois team presenting an ad campaign for AT&T. The Illinois team earned second place at the district level competition in 2023.

Carrie Wilson-Brown, lecturer of media and cinema studies and of advertising, and faculty advisor for the NSAC team, said the competition is an opportunity for students to apply their classroom knowledge and skills in the advertising industry.

In addition, Wilson-Brown said preparing for the competition allows students to gain confidence and find talents and leadership abilities they didn’t know they had.

AAF meeting — AAF students at a meeting.

“There is an excitement and comradery that builds throughout the year as the team sees their ideas, plans, and goals take shape into a real-world marketing campaign,” Wilson-Brown said.

Burns thanks AAF for helping her find her first internship during her sophomore year at a networking event held in Chicago. She interned last summer at Pepsi, which led to a job offer after graduation in Boston as a customer account manager.

“AAF has just set me up for so much success— jobs, everything, I owe it all to AAF,” she said.

AAF’s spring registration opened on February 10 for new members. Burns recommends students review the agency descriptions on the website and then try different ones for a few weeks.

“[Students should] see what fits their schedule and their interest and then by the third week, they should have a pretty set idea about what they would want to stick with for the semester, whether that’s one agency, two, or even three,” Burns said.

She also advises prospective members to talk to students in the agencies and those running it.

“There are so many opportunities to grow and network, not only personally but professionally,” Burns said. “Community is what we’re all about.”

Read more about the AAF at Illinois or follow them on Instagram @aafillinois.

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Media Career Services to hold first annual Media Career Week for students February 24-27

February 4, 2025 | Kelly Youngblood

Media Career Services is holding its first annual Media Career Week, featuring workshops, guest speakers, and media professionals offering helpful insights to prepare College of Media students for a campuswide career fair as well as their post-graduation career.

*Media Career Services hosts a panel with recruiters.*

Media Career Week will kick off Monday, Feb. 24, and run through Thursday, Feb. 27, culminating with the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair, which typically attracts hundreds of employers recruiting for a wide range of jobs and internships. The event is organized by The Career Center on campus and held at the Illini Union.

Daniel Almanza, assistant director of Media Career Services, said he wanted to try something new this year, taking events that would normally be held throughout the academic semester and planning them during the same week to build momentum leading up to the main career fair held every spring at the University of Illinois.

“What I had in mind was to offer different workshops, different opportunities for students to be able to prep for the Hire Illini Career and Internship Fair, but also to start thinking about what they want to potentially do as a career,” Almanza said.

Media Career Services is partnering with other units on campus to put on daily events throughout Media Career Week, including The Career Center, the Media James Scholar Program, the Richard and Leslie Frank Center for Leadership and Innovation in Media, and the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies.

Events include resume reviews with local professionals, student internship panel, an alumni career night, and more.

Students are encouraged to self-select which events they attend, based on their interests and needs, whether it’s talking tips, networking opportunities, or learning more about a specific field in the media industry.

“It’s really about helping students prepare for their future career and attending events they think are going to help them ultimately at the career fair,” he said.

Almanza, who has led Media Career Services for more than three years, recently shared some of his career advice in Getting from College to Career by Lindsey Pollak.

In the book, Almanza highlights webinar tips, provides interview recommendations, and suggests how to showcase previous experiences and skills.

Almanza hopes the inaugural Media Career Week will help Media students become fully equipped to succeed at the annual Hire Illini and Internship Fair.

“I’m excited to do this, to see how well it works and really pilot [this program] and see if students enjoy a condensed week of professional development,” he said.

A full schedule of Media Career Week events can be found here.

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Ebertfest to Celebrate 40th Anniversary of ‘Desperately Seeking Susan’ and Adds ‘His Three Daughters’ and ‘Touch’ to 2025 Lineup

Actress Rosanna Arquette and Directors Azazel Jacobs, Baltasar Kormákur, and Susan Seidelman will attend this year’s festival

February 3, 2025

CHAMPAIGN, IL (February 3, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today the addition of three new films to this year’s festival:

40th 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 be partying like it’s 1985 when Susan Seidelman’s DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN celebrates its 40th anniversary with a special screening and Q&A with director Susan Seidelman and actress Rosanna Arquette. Originally released theatrically on March 29, 1985, the film was highly successful at the box office grossing $55.3M in the U.S. and becoming the 31st highest grossing film of the year. DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN, which features an all-star cast including Rosanna Arquette, Aidan Quinn, Madonna, John Turturro, Giancarlo Esposito, Laurie Metcalf, and Steven Wright, received two film awards including a BAFTA Award and six nominations.

DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN tells the story of New Jersey housewife Roberta Glass (Rosanna Arquette) who spices up her boring life by reading personal ads, especially a series of them being placed by a mysterious denizen of New York City named Susan (Madonna). When one of Susan’s ads proposes a rendezvous with her suitor (Robert Joy) at Battery Park, Roberta secretly tags along. But when her voyeuristic jape ends in permanent memory loss and a new jacket, Roberta begins to gather a lot of unwanted attention from some unsavory characters.

“What I liked in Desperately Seeking Susan was the cheerful way it bopped around New York, introducing us to unforgettable characters, played by good actors,” said Roger Ebert in his 3-star review.

“We are thrilled to welcome Susan Seidelman and Rosanna Arquette to Champaign to celebrate this trailblazing movie about women,” said Chaz Ebert, co-founder and producer of Ebertfest.

HIS THREE DAUGHTERS will feature a post-screening conversation with director Azazel Jacobs, who returns to the festival for a three-peat following screenings of TERRI in 2011 and FRENCH EXIT in 2022. The critically-acclaimed film received 10 awards including wins at the Gotham Awards and Film Independent Spirit Awards and is Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh with a 98% score.

From writer-director Azazel Jacobs (French Exit, The Lovers), HIS THREE DAUGHTERS is a bittersweet and often funny story of an elderly patriarch and the three grown daughters who come to be with him in his final days. Katie (Carrie Coon) is a controlling Brooklyn mother dealing with a wayward teenage daughter; free-spirited Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is a different kind of mom, separated from her offspring for the first time; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) is a sports-betting stoner who has never left her father’s apartment—much to the chagrin of her stepsisters, who share a different mother and worldview. Continuing his astute exploration of family dynamics in close-knit spaces, Jacobs follows the siblings over the course of three volatile days, as death looms, grievances erupt, and love seeps through the cracks of a fractured home.

“As a father of three daughters, this film resonates with me on a deeply personal level,” said Festival Director Nate Kohn. “Azazel is masterful at balancing a delicate story with comedic elements when appropriate. Like his other screenings in previous years, I have no doubt that the Ebertfest attendees will appreciate seeing this film and hearing from Azazel immediately following.”

Baltasar Kormákur will make his Ebertfest debut for a Q&A to discuss his critically-acclaimed TOUCH, which received the coveted Audience Award at the 2025 Tromsø International Film Festival in Tromsø, Norway. Additionally, the film was chosen as Iceland’s official entry for Best International Film at the 97th Academy Awards where it was named to the shortlist and is currently Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh with a 92% score.

A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents, TOUCH follows one widower’s emotional journey to find his first love who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out. “Touch is just flat-out romantic, and so grown-up in its execution,” said Chaz Ebert. “Sometimes we say they don’t make them like this anymore; well, Kormákur proves that they do. This is the kind of movie that takes its time to allow your heart to soar.”

As previously announced, the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic THE SEARCHERS (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood, on Wednesday, April 23. Additionally, Guy Maddin’s RUMOURS will screen and Todd Phillip’s THE HANGOVER will close out the festival on Saturday, April 26.

Additional updates to the festival program will be announced in the coming weeks.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author 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 festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, please visit ebertfest.com and follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

###

PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn
mcornyn2@illinois.edu
217-333-1590

Lee Meltzer
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
551-208-8617

Todd Phillips’ ‘The Hangover’ to close 26th annual Ebertfest

January 15, 2025

Guy Maddin’s Rumours gets set for this year’s lineup

Producer Scott Budnick and Director Guy Maddin to attend this year’s festival

CHAMPAIGN, IL (January 15, 2025) — Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, also known as Ebertfest, announced today that Todd Phillips’ The Hangover starring Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Heather Graham, and Justin Bartha will close the 26th annual festival on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign, IL. There will be a Q&A with producer Scott Budnick immediately following the screening.

In his 3.5/4 stars review, Roger Ebert called The Hangover “a funny movie, flat out, all the way through…a movie that deserves every letter of its R rating…. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, especially after you throw up.”

In The Hangover, Doug (Justin Bartha) and three friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis) drive to Las Vegas for a wild and memorable stag party. In fact, when the three groomsmen wake up the next morning, they can’t remember a thing; nor can they find Doug. With little time to spare, the three hazy pals try to retrace their steps and find Doug so they can get him back to Los Angeles in time to walk down the aisle.

“In 2009, a cult phenomenon was born when Scott Budnick, Todd Phillips and the entire team involved with The Hangover unveiled this offbeat comedy classic,” said Chaz Ebert, Co-Founder and Producer of Ebertfest. “This film made me realize the amazing flexibility of all the actors, but especially Bradley Cooper. Shortly after the film debuted in America, I ran into Bradley in Cannes and was surprised to see him speaking perfect French while being interviewed on French television, a far cry from his ‘Hangover’ character. Both Roger and I enjoyed the outrageousness of the movie, and I look forward to hearing the laughter and excitement from the packed house in the Virginia Theatre!”

The festival is pleased to share that Guy Maddin’s Rumours, released in 2024 and starring Cate Blanchett, will officially screen as part of this year’s lineup. Director Guy Maddin will be returning to the festival following a well-received screening of My Winnipeg at the 2009 event.

In his review of Rumours, RogerEbert.com’s Brian Tallerico says, “[Maddin is] A filmmaker that Roger admired so much has once again burst his imagination onto the big screen in what will surely be one of the highest-profile projects of his career (Cate Blanchett can do that)…. After all, Roger’s statement is still true: Few filmmakers obviously love movies as much as Guy Maddin.”

Rumours follows leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies who gather for the annual G7 Summit to draft a provisional statement regarding an unnamed global crisis. They soon become spectacles of incompetence, contending with increasingly surreal obstacles as night falls in the misty woods and they realize they are suddenly alone.

“The ‘Rumours’ are true…Guy Maddin’s work of art is officially slated for our incredible Ebertfest audience!” said Festival Director Nate Kohn. “As a festival that not only celebrates the very best in film, but also the creative geniuses that masterfully tell these stories, it is only fitting that Guy Maddin be honored at this year’s event.”

As previously announced, the 2025 Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will open with a new 70mm print of the Western classic The Searchers (1956), starring John Wayne and Natalie Wood on Wednesday, April 23.

Additional updates to the festival program will be announced in the coming weeks.

Roger Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, University of Illinois journalism alumnus, and Urbana native.

Chaz Ebert is also the author 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 festival director since the very beginning, in collaboration with the College of Media at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

For additional information, please visit https://ebertfest.com/ and follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ebertfest/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ebertfest/

To become a supporting Festival Sponsor please contact Molly Cornyn, the Festival Coordinator, at mcornyn2@illinois.edu.

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PRESS CONTACTS:

Molly Cornyn
mcornyn2@illinois.edu
217-333-1590

Lee Meltzer
Lee@LeeMeltzerConsulting.com
551-208-8617

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College of Media spaces for faculty, staff in Gregory Hall undergo renovations

November 7, 2024 | Kelly Youngblood

College of Media faculty, staff, and students can see notable changes at Gregory Hall after several major remodeling projects that began in May 2024 have been completed or are scheduled to wrap up this fall semester.

Thanks to a sizeable investment from campus, the college has been able to focus on facility as well as technology improvements, including a new administrative suite for the academic departments and a unit-reservable event space.

“We are grateful to the Office of the Provost for support in pursuing these projects, which are reflecting of the confidence campus has in our departments and units. These updates will enable us to accelerate our momentum even further,” said Tracy Sulkin, dean of the College of Media.

Facilities & Services staff have completely overhauled the space for the academic department suite (pictured at right), combining a classroom and adjoining office to create three new offices and a large lobby area, adding new walls, floors, lighting, doors, and transom windows that will allow natural light into the lobby.

The new suite will be the administrative home for the college’s three academic departments, with offices for the heads of the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, the Department of Journalism, and the Department of Media & Cinema Studies, and their administrative support.

The College of Media main office in 119 Greg Hall will house the Office of the Dean, the college’s business office, and a small reservable meeting space adjacent to the administrative suite.

Room 225 on the second floor that formerly housed Media Tech—which has been relocated to a set of offices on the east wing of the first floor, convenient to the Media Technology Center on the lower level—has been remodeled to serve as a unit event space for departments and units for talks, faculty meetings, workshops for students, orientation and prospective student events, and more.

This new event space (pictured at top) is designed to accommodate about 25 people. Additions to the room include fresh paint, new flexible meeting furniture, a large-screen display, Owl webcam, and Apple TV.

Conference Rooms 231 (Peterson Room) and 336 (Sandage Room) have also been outfitted with new displays, Owl webcams, and Apple TVs.

Upgrades to the foyer in the suite of faculty offices on the second floor include removal of cubicles, additional furniture for informal gatherings, new paint, and the creation of a copy room with network and electrical upgrades.

Gregory Hall will see more changes in the summer of 2025 when the lower level will undergo renovations and create a new hybrid, flexible classroom, thanks to a generous gift from Richard and Leslie Frank. Read more about those plans.

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Panels

Actors David Strathairn, William Catlett, and Jeremiah Daniels, two-time Academy Award-winning documentarian Barbara Kopple, and directors Angus MacLachlan and David Fortune join this year’s star-studded lineup

“Artificial Intelligence Imagined and Realized”

Tuesday, April 22

Film Screening

7 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum

Wednesday, April 23

Keynote Speaker

9:30-10:45 a.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock MuseumRegister to join via Zoom

University of Illinois Faculty Roundtable

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock MuseumRegister to join via Zoom

Actress Rosanna Arquette and Directors Azazel Jacobs, Baltasar Kormákur, and Susan Seidelman will attend this year’s festival

Guy Maddin’s Rumours gets set for this year’s lineup

Producer Scott Budnick and Director Guy Maddin to attend this year’s festival

9:30-10:45 a.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
Register to join via Zoom

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum
Register to join via Zoom