Saturday, November 7, 2009 East Central Illinois

11th Annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival 2009

Local volunteers sacrifice time to cater to festival guests

By: Melissa Merli
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Story Photo

Photo by: John Dixon

Longtime Ebertfest volunteer Ray Elliott stands beneath the Virginia Theatre marquee last week with his daughters Jessica, 14, left, and Caitlin, 12. Over the years, Elliott has hosted many of the guests of Roger Ebert's Film Festival.

CHAMPAIGN – Every year in late April, 30 Champaign-Urbana residents clear their calendars for five days, clean their cars and charge their cell phones.

They're the ones who squire around the famous and not-so-famous guests who come to town for Roger Ebert's Film Festival, which starts today at the Virginia Theatre.

"I continue doing my own activities, but if I get a call, I drop those and go," said host Andrew Timms. "As a volunteer host, I give up the right to say, 'I'm sorry. It's inconvenient right now; give me another 45 minutes.'"

The most frequent duties for the 24/7 hosts, who use their own cars, are picking up and dropping off their festival charges at Willard Airport in Savoy and at the Illini Union in Urbana, where most of the guests stay.

They also drive them to the Virginia Theatre; restaurants, including Roger Ebert's favorite, Steak 'n Shake; festival after-hours parties; and anywhere else the guests want to go. That would be Wal-Mart for at least three.

Last year, actress Aida Turturro's luggage didn't follow her here; she had Timms drive her at 12:30 a.m. the morning before her festival appearance to a Wal-Mart to buy what she needed.

She and "Romance and Cigarettes" choreographer Tricia Brouk, who went along, were thrilled – the big-box discount giant does not have locations in the urban areas where they live.

Wal-Mart is always the destination for Ebertfest guest Kaylie Jones as well. In addition to shopping for herself, the Long Island resident buys gifts for host Ray Elliott's daughters, Jessica and Caitlin.

The two Urbana Middle School students have grown up the last 11 years around festival visitors, among them actor Scott Wilson, who was twice escorted by their father.

Before ever meeting the actor, Jessica had seen his performance in "Shiloh" as "a mean old man who abuses his dog." She was scared at first to be around him.

But she and her sister found Wilson and his wife, Heavenly, to be lovely. Wilson even gave acting tips to the Elliott girls, who perform in school and other plays.

"The cool thing about Ebertfest is you find out the guests are not big-headed. They're just people," Jessica said.

Even the great German director Werner Herzog falls into that category.

Late one night when Herzog was hanging with Wilson and Australian director Paul Cox, the visionary German director asked Elliott to take them to a Kentucky Fried Chicken to eat. Elliott thought he was kidding. He was not; a friend's daughter later heard Herzog in an interview talk about his fondness for the American fast food chain.

Longtime Ebertfest hostess Becky Rowe was asked by French director Bertrand Tavernier to stop for a sandwich soon after he arrived at Willard. He had to go straight to the Virginia, where he stood literally eating from Rowe's hand while joking around with admirers.

Another year, Rowe drove around town uber-publicist Bobby Zarem, who developed the "I (heart) New York" campaign. She knew that and so wore her "I (heart) New York" T-shirt to the airport.

Rowe was still nervous, though, when she took Zarem to the Springer Cultural Center, where guests gather. She left her car running, went inside to make sure he was settled and sat down with Zarem and others for a glass of wine.

"A couple of hours later, I remembered that my car was still running outside the Springer building," she said.

Partly because her mother, Betsy Hendrick, is a major festival sponsor, Rowe feels compelled to make sure all Ebertfest guests enjoy themselves and feel comfortable.

"I tell them, 'If you need anything, call me.,'" she said.

So one day at 6 a.m., wheelchair-rugby athlete Mark Zupan did just that. At the festival with the documentary "Murderball," Zupan needed a ride after having partied all night with University of Illinois wheelchair athletes.

Festival Assistant Director Mary Susan Britt, taking their personalities into account, matches festival guests to volunteer hosts.

Elliott, who turns 69 on Thursday, admits the annual task can be tiring, especially when his guests want to party until 4 a.m.

But "every year, Mary Susan asks, 'Are you going to do this again?'" Elliott said, "and I always say, 'Of course. I wouldn't miss it.'"

 

Full schedule

When: April 22-26

Where: Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign

Online: www.ebertfest.com

TODAY

7 p.m.: "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music," the Director's Cut (184 minutes). Appearances by Michael Wadleigh, director, and Dale Bell, producer.

THURSDAY

1:30 p.m.: "My Winnipeg" (80 minutes). Appearance by Guy Maddin, director.

4 p.m.: "Chop Shop" (84 minutes). Appearance by Ramin Bahrani, director.

8:30 p.m.: "Trouble The Water" (NR; 96 minutes). Appearances by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, director and producer, and Kimberly & Scott Roberts.

FRIDAY

1:30 p.m.: "Begging Naked" (80 minutes). Appearance by Karen Gehres, director.

4 p.m.: "The Last Command" (88 minutes). Appearance by the Alloy Orchestra.

8:30 p.m.: "Frozen River" (R; 97 minutes). Appearances by Courtney Hunt, director, and Misty Upham, actor.

SATURDAY

11 a.m.: "The Fall" (R; 117 minutes). Appearance by Catinca Untaru, actor.

2:30 p.m.: "Sita Sings The Blues" (82 minutes). Appearance by Nina Paley, director, animator, etc.

6:30 p.m.: "Nothing But The Truth" (R; 108 minutes). Appearances by Rod Lurie, director, and Matt Dillon, actor.

9:30 p.m.: "Let The Right One In" (R; 114 minutes). Appearance by Carl Molinder, producer.

SUNDAY

Noon: "Baraka" (NR; 96 minutes). Appearances by Mark Magidson, producer, and Ron Fricke, director.

 

 

 

 

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