Roger Ebert Makes First Public Appearance in 10 Months

By: E&P Staff Roger Ebert last night made his first public appearance in 10 months at his Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, Ill.

The Chicago Sun-Times/Universal Press Syndicate columnist received a standing ovation, according to a Sun-Times story by Jim Emerson, editor of RogerEbert.com.

Ebert, who received the Pulitzer Prize for criticism in 1975, has been dealing with complications from surgery since last June. He still can't talk (pending further surgery), so his wife Chaz spoke for him last night.

Emerson reported that "Gattaca" producer Michael Shamberg told the festival crowd, "Nobody has been more important in telling Americans why we should love film than Roger Ebert."