Voiceless Roger Ebert returns to limelight

by Kaitlin | April 26, 2007 at 10:09 am

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Last night Roger Ebert made his first public appearance in ten months at the Overlooked Film Festival in Champaign, Illinois, a festival he himself started eight years ago. The popular film critic is still recovering from cancer surgery that resulted in the removal of part of his jawbone. As a result, the famously verbal writer is unable to speak. It is unclear at this point whether this condition is permanent or not.

Due to his condition, Ebert's hiatus from Ebert & Roeper is ongoing; however, he (thankfully) continues to write. In his absence, a series of guest critics, including director Kevin Smith, have filled in on the nationally syndicated show.

Ebert, the only movie critic to receive a Pulitzer Prize, 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."