Directed by Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin, The American President remains a defining work of modern American cinema, blending idealism, romance, and political discourse with uncommon warmth and intelligence. The screening will serve as a centerpiece of this year’s festival, celebrating Reiner’s enduring influence and his alignment with the thoughtful, audience-centered filmmaking championed by Roger Ebert.

PG-13
113min





EBERTFEST 2026 "THE LAST DANCE" is presented by:




Roger Ebert’s Film Festival celebrates films, genres, and formats that have been overlooked by distributors, audiences, and/or critics. These include independent, international, and studio films that did not win wide audiences; overlooked formats such as 70mm; and overlooked genres such as documentaries and musicals.

The festival screens one film at a time – so that everyone sees the same films – promoting a strong sense of community among audience members, filmmakers, guests, students, and scholars.

Ebertfest was founded in 1999 by Roger and Chaz Ebert, with Professor Nathaniel Kohn as Festival Director. Roger was an Urbana native, U of I Journalism graduate, and Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic for The Chicago Sun-Times.

For a complete list of the films, visit this page.

For more, visit www.ebertfest.com