By Caryn Rousseau
CHICAGO (AP) --Efforts are underway to raise about $2.5 million to create a center named for late film critic Roger Ebert in the College of Media at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, officials announced Thursday.
Ebert was a Pulitzer Prize-winning movie critic for the Chicago Sun-Times who graduated from the University of Illinois. He died of cancer in 2013. The Ebert Center's goal would be to combine the studies of film and ethics to encourage writers and filmmakers to think critically about film, according to the school and Ebert's wife.
"Lots of colleges have film studies programs," Chaz Ebert said. "Roger wanted a program that focused more on critical thinking and analysis and why you do certain things in filmmaking and the way you write about it."
It takes $5 million to establish a center at the university. So far about $2.5 million has been raised, including an endowment from the Eberts, leaving about $2.5 million more needed along with approval from the university's board of trustees. The money is needed to make sure the center is independently financially viable, said College of Media Dean Jan Slater.
The center will act as a clearinghouse for all things related to Ebert at the university. The school's library has some of Ebert's archives and the center will house the annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival or Ebertfest. The center will offer special classes, symposiums and programming and filmmakers will be invited to speak, officials said.
Three university students also have been chosen to participate in a fellowship named for Ebert that will have them write media and film criticism for a year under the mentorship of Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips.
The Ebert Center is something Roger Ebert wanted, Chaz Ebert said.
"Roger thought of this as a way to give back to the university from which he thought he had gotten so much," she said. "He loved everything about the University of Illinois."
Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among hosts for “SNL” season 50
Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart will kick off the landmark 50th season of "Saturday Night Live."
NBC on Thursday announced the lineup of hosts for the season, which premieres Sept. 28. Joining Smart on the first show will be Jelly Roll as the musical act. He was also at the Emmys, singing during the ceremony's in memoriam segment.
It will be Smart's first time hosting "SNL."
Comedian Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay as the musical guest.
Ariana Grande will host Oct. 12, with musical guest Stevie Nicks.
"Beetlejuice" star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19, the last show before Halloween, and Billie Eilish will be that night's musical guest.
The host on Nov. 2 will be "SNL" alum John Mulaney, with breakout sensation Chappell Roan as the music guest.
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