Academy Award winning director, UI grad returns to town

CHAMPAIGN – Director Ang Lee returned triumphant to his alma mater on Saturday, receiving a standing ovation at Roger Ebert's Film Festival after he first walked on stage, along with a surprise serenade of "Illinois Loyalty"" by the a cappella group The Other Guys.

Lee smiled, nodded and clapped. He thanked Chaz Ebert, who had introduced him as a leading filmmaker who apparently had come out of nowhere, and the audience.

"I'm so proud to be a Fighting Illini," said the 1980 graduate of the UI Department of Theatre and one of the world's leading filmmakers.

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