Cindy Cashdollar will return to Ellnora The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center in early September as the festival’s artist in-residence.                                           &nb

Australian director Paul Cox might just hold the record for the director who’s appeared most often at Roger Ebert’s Film Festival.

But in 2013 he was a no-show, even though he had been scheduled to attend with his lyrical 1987 documentary, “Vincent: The Life and Death of Vincent van Gogh.”

With the movie “Julia,” director Erik Zonca and lead actress Tilda Swinton wanted to make a film about an alcoholic who’s interesting.

“Like the ones I know,” Swinton said after the 2008 movie was shown on Friday night at the 15th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival at the Virginia Theatre.

At Ebertfest on Thursday night actor Jack Black’s disembodied voice spoke to the audience, prompting Michael Barker to say, “You sound like God.”

“It’s a miracle of modern technology,” responded Black, who was to have appeared in person at the 15th annual Roger Ebert Film’s Festival after the screening of “Bernie,” in which he plays the title role.

The Ebertfest audience tends to be civil and pleasant. But opionated, much like Roger Ebert was himself.

On Thursday, while waiting under the Virginia Theatre marquee for the second day of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival to resume, Monica Schmidt of Iowa City complained about the new Ebertfest app being available for only the Apple iPad.

On Thursday morning Virginia Theatre volunteer Don Waulthier of Champaign appeared outside the theater, in front of the marquee, as he does before every Ebertfest screening.

“Welcome to Ebertfest Day 2,” he tells the crowd of festival pass holders who have gathered to wait for the theater to open,.
They applaud.

CHAMPAIGN — It’s two hours before Day 2 of Ebertfest resumes.

Chaz Ebert will be here to emcee her husband’s 15th annual festival at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign.

“As of now, she will be here, and the festival will go on pretty much as planned,” festival director Nate Kohn said Friday morning, a day after Roger Ebert’s death in Chicago.

If the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour concert on Wednesday night at Krannert Center was a good indication of the festival itself, put it on my bucket list.

A new program starting this month at the Indi Go Artist’s Co-op aims to break down the divisions among different arts forms.

Total Art will feature artists working in a variety of disciplines who will come together to talk about their work. The first Total Art will be at 8 p.m. Saturday (March 9) at  Indi Go, 9 E. University Ave., C.