Chaz Ebert and Festival Director Nate Kohn are thrilled to announce the addition of two more Special Guests at Ebertfest 2026: The Last Dance, it’s 27th and final edition, in Champaign, Illinois, today, April 17th, and tomorrow, April 18th. At today’s screening of Jordan Peele‘s Oscar-winning “Get Out” we are fortunate to have actress Betty Gabriel, in attendance for the post-screening Q&A. Gabriel’s spellbinding performance stands as one of the film’s many highlights, and is among the numerous impressive achievements in her career, which includes roles on TV shows such as “Westworld,” “Good Girls Revolt” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” as well as films including “Upgrade,” “It Lives Inside” and “Novocaine.” We are also pleased to be welcoming talented writer/director James Vanderbilt, with his epic “Nuremberg.” He will be participating in a post-screening Q&A with Sony Pictures Classics Co-Founder and Co-President Michael Barker (whose films have graced the Ebertfest screens for many years.) Mr.

Vanderbilt’s directorial debut, 2015’s “Truth,” starred Robert Redford as “60 Minutes” anchor Dan Rather, while his script for David Fincher’s 2007 film “Zodiac” received rave reviews. Other notable credits in his remarkable career include penning the screenplays for “The Amazing Spider-Man,” “White House Down” and 2022’s successful “Scream” reboot. Presented by Century Law Firm, this milestone year marks a poignant farewell to one of the most beloved film festivals in the country, celebrating a legacy rooted in empathy, storytelling, and the communal power of cinema.

Ebertfest will kick off at 9am on April 17th with Libby Ewing’s Tribeca prize-winner, “Charliebird,” with its star and writer, Samantha Smart, in attendance. The film will be presented in partnership with the Alliance for Inclusion and Respect, and follows a music therapist who forms an unexpected bond with a young patient, unlocking the buried grief of her past in a journey of connection, loss, and healing. The festival’s second scheduled screening at 11:25am will be James Vanderbilt’s acclaimed ensemble piece, “Nuremberg,” starring Russell Crowe, Rami Malek, Leo Woodall, John Slattery, and Mark O’Brien, with Richard E.

Grant and Michael Shannon. Set as the Nuremberg trials are about to begin, the film follows a U.S. Army psychiatrist who becomes locked in a gripping psychological confrontation with accused Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring, delivering a tense and timely examination of justice, power, and moral reckoning.

Following a break for lunch will be Luke Boyce and Michael Moreci’s new documentary on Roger Ebert, “The Last Movie Critic,” at 3:30pm. Through the voices of filmmakers Ebert championed and the words he left behind, it explores how one man’s deep and abiding love for cinema became a gift to audiences everywhere, serving as a celebration of movies, empathy, and the belief that what we watch together can make us more human. Jennifer Shelby served as an Executive Producer on projects, while Chaz Ebert, Nate Kohn, and Brett Hays are among the producers.

The picture is a production of Shatterglass Films, for which Boyce and Hays have documented Ebertfest and interviewed its guests for over a decade. One of 2025’s beloved crowd-pleasers, “Bob Trevino Likes It,” will screen at 5:10pm with its writer/director Tracie Laymon and star French Stewart in attendance. Inspired by a true story, the film follows Lily Trevino (Barbie Ferreira), a young woman navigating abandonment and emotional isolation, who forms an unexpected and transformative friendship with a stranger (John Leguizamo) online.

After a dinner break, Friday will conclude with an 8:50pm screening of Jordan Peele’s galvanizing modern classic, “Get Out.” Winner of the Best Original Screenplay Oscar, the 2017 film follows Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) as he accompanies his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) for a weekend visit to meet her parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener), only to uncover a series of increasingly disturbing revelations that lead to a shocking and horrifying truth. The film also features memorable turns by Lil Rel Howery, Caleb Landry Jones and the evening’s special guest, Betty Gabriel, who will participate in a Q&A with Fulbright Scholar Dr.

Douglas Arnell Williams afterward. Moviegoers who catch the first show on April 18th are in for a serious treat: a 9am screening of Buster Keaton’s 100-year-old uproarious masterpiece, “The General,” with its score performed live by The Anvil Orchestra. One of the most revered comedies of the silent era, the film follows Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray, who must pursue Union soldiers after his train—and his beloved Annabelle Lee—are taken during the Civil War, leading to a series of inventive and daring comedic set pieces.

Renowned organist Dr. Steven Ball will also be bringing his own live signature musical interludes between each screening this year. One of Roger’s favorite filmmakers, Gregory Nava, will return to Ebe