College of Media Events Calendar
Thursday, February 5, 2026
-
5:00 pmStudents are invited to an online workshop to learn more about television newswriting with Jeff Butera, author of Write Like You Talk: A Guide to Broadcast Newswriting. Butera is a 12-time Emmy Award-winning journalist who has reported for stations across the country. He is currently a weekday news anchor at Spectrum Bay News 9 in Tampa Bay, Florida.
-
5:30 pmKrannert Center for the Performing ArtsIllinois Soul is dedicated to spotlighting homegrown talent, and Erech Bruce embodies that mission perfectly. Hailing from Peoria, Erech delivers soulful, hard-hitting blues with powerful vocals and undeniable authenticity. Erech will kick off the Spring 2026 Uncorked series on Feb. 5, setting the tone with music rooted in lived expierience.
Saturday, February 7, 2026
-
7:30 pmKrannert Center for the Performing Arts, Tryon Festival Theatre, 500 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801101.1 FM Illinois Soul celebrates two years amplifying Black voices and culture here in East-Central Illinois! What better way to throw an anniversary party than with food, friends, and great music provided by smooth jazz sensation MAYSA!
Thursday, February 12, 2026
-
5:30 pmKrannert Center for the Performing ArtsOn Feb. 12, Illinois Soul and the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts welcome acclaimed saxophonist Chris Greene, an artist respected across genres and generations. His résumé includes performances with Common, The Temptations, and Midnight Sun. His Uncorked set blends jazz, soul, and funk with precision and purpose.
-
Ebert Center Screening: Seasonal Affective Cinema—Jacques Demy’s 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg' (1964)
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin us for a screening of Jacques Demy's enchanting French musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" (1964), winner of the Palme d'Or and nominated for five Academy Awards.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmGregory Hall, Room 336 -
5:00 pmRichmond Studio, 1110 W. Main, UrbanaStudents are invited to a workshop on in-studio anchoring tips with alum and Emmy-award winner Lauren Scafidi (BS ’19, journalism), anchor and reporter at 9NEWS in Denver, Colorado.
-
5:30 pmKrannert Center for the Performing ArtsOn Feb. 19, Champaign-Urbana’s favorite R&B band Ther’Up.Y takes over Stage 5, bringing the funk, the classics, and of course the fun.
Friday, February 20, 2026
-
12:00 - 1:30 pmFrank Newsroom at Richmond Studio, 1110 W. Main, UrbanaStudents are invited to a lunch with alum and Emmy-award winner Lauren Scafidi (BS ’19, journalism), anchor and reporter at 9NEWS in Denver, Colorado. During her time at U of I Scafidi served as president of the Society of Professional Journalists, helped start the University's first morning show Good Morning Illini, hosted a radio show on WPGU-FM, and more.
Monday, February 23, 2026
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Thursday, February 26, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmSiebel Center for Design- Sunset Studio 1050
-
5:30 pmKrannert Center for the Performing ArtsJoin us on Feb. 26, with the baddest neo-soul band in the land — Zo! & Tall Black Guy — joined by Deborah Bond for an electrifying performance from this nationally acclaimed band demonstrating all the things a live performance should be.
Friday, February 27, 2026
-
12:00 - 1:30 pmFrank Newsroom at Richmond Studio, 1110 W. Main, UrbanaLearn more about the career journey of Joe Sargis (BS ’13, journalism) and his time at Fox News as a senior producer. During his time at U of I he was an on-air personality at WPGU-FM, an active member at UI7 News, and a Student U broadcaster for the Big Ten Network. Sargis worked at WCIU-TV in Chicago as a production assistant, associate producer, and then line producer.
Thursday, March 5, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmSiebel Center for Design- Sunset Studio 1050
-
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaThis year’s Ebert Fellows invite you to their curated screening of One Battle After Another (2025), a timely story of the fictional American revolutionary group, the French 75. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Chase Infiniti, Sean Penn, and Teyana Taylor, the film will be introduced by the Ebert Fellows and their mentor, film critic Michael Phillips.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Saturday, March 14, 2026
Monday, March 23, 2026
Thursday, March 26, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmSiebel Center for Design- Sunset Studio 1050
Monday, March 30, 2026
-
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin us for a screening of Sidney Lumet’s The Wiz (1978). See cultural icons such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and Nipsey Russel follow the yellow brick road in this musical retelling of The Wizard of Oz. While considered a failure upon its release, the film has since developed an enduring and charming legacy, as well as a dedicated cult fan base.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
-
2:00 - 3:30 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin a roundtable discussion with doctoral students from the Institute of Communications Research about fandom’s interaction with the media. Not only will it explore themes from The Wiz and the Ebert Symposium keynote speech, but it will also expand to all types of media. Moderated by Cait Coker, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the University of Illinois.
-
4:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaDr. Alfred L. Martin, Jr, Chair of the Department of Cinematic Arts at University of Miami, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Ebert Symposium. As a part of the Ebert Symposium’s theme, “Onscreen Fantasies/IRL Illusions: Fandom, Parasocial Relationships, and the Media,” Martin will discuss the role of audiences in the curation of and the cultural meaning of cinema.
Thursday, April 16, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmSiebel Center for Design- Sunset Studio 1050
Thursday, April 23, 2026
-
12:30 pm 1:30 pmGregory Hall, Room 336
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Friday, May 1, 2026
-
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, UrbanaJoin us for a celebration of student filmmaking at the Illinois Student Film Festival, featuring the work of students from across the University of Illinois campus. The programming will include about two hours of shorts and other activities to celebrate the hard work being done by student filmmakers across the University of Illinois campus.
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Friday, May 8, 2026
Saturday, May 9, 2026
-
7:00 pmKnight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory, Urbana
The Department of Media & Cinema Studies presents the fourth annual MACS Student Showcase, featuring faculty-curated work created by students in MACS classes throughout the academic year.
