Ebertfest 2016 runs from April 13th through April 17th in Champaign, Illinois. To purchase tickets, click here. The following article was written by Mariah Schaefer of The Daily Illini.
When Chaz Ebert
introduced Haskell
Wexler as a special guest at
the 2013 Ebertfest and said he
was going to receive a Golden
Thumb, Wexler smiled and
bounced onto the stage at the
Virginia Theatre.
"Now you have a Thumb
and an Academy Award," Chaz
Ebert said as Wexler thanked
her.
Wexler, a cinematographer
with more than 80 credits to
his name on IMDb, was the
recipient of the Roger Ebert's
Film Festival dedication in
2013. This year, the festival
is once again dedicated to
Wexler, who passed away last
year at age 93.
Because Wexler, a Chicago
native, was "such a friend
of the festival and such a supporter of excellence in cinema," the festival
coordinators decided to
dedicate Ebertfest to him again
this year, said Nate Kohn,
festival director.
What stood out to Kohn at
the 2013 Ebertfest was how
Wexler was a perfect guest
because he was very present
at the festival and stayed for
the entirety of Ebertfest, along
with his wife, Rita Taggart.
"When he was at the
festival, he always walked
around with a small digital
camera, and he just took
pictures of everything and of
everybody," Kohn said. "He had the ability to hold this
small camera extremely steady
as he moved and walked, and you could tell that he
knew what he was doing as a
cinematographer."
Kohn said the Eberts had
known Wexler for years and years, and Roger Ebert
suggested dedicating the
festival to Wexler in 2013
because he admired him, the
body of his work and his social
activism.
After Wexler's death, Chaz
Ebert said on RogerEbert.com,
"Roger always wrote highly of Haskell's work, often noting
(like in his 4-star review of
‘Bound for Glory') about how
he expected such images to
last with him a lifetime."
Wexler attended Ebertfest in
2013 for the showing of 1978's
"Days of Heaven," for which
he shot more than half of the
cinematography.
Throughout his career,
Wexler was nominated five times for an Academy
Award and won two Best Cinematography Oscars, one
for "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?" in 1967 and one for
"Bound for Glory" in 1977.
When accepting his Oscar
for "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf?" Wexler ran up to the
stage and said, "I hope we can
use our art for peace and for
love. Thanks."
In 1968, Wexler wrote,
filmed and directed the film
"Medium Cool" during the Democratic Convention in
Chicago. The film was released
in August 1969, and Kohn
said Roger Ebert loved it.
"Medium Cool" was shown at
Ebertfest in 2003, a decade
prior to when the festival was
dedicated to Wexler.
Wexler was born on Feb. 6, 1922, in Chicago and died
on Dec. 27, 2015, in Santa
Monica, California. He began
his cinematography career in
the 1950s. Throughout his
career, he shot both feature
films and documentaries.
Wexler also served as director,
producer, writer and actor in
many projects.
"Haskell Wexler just
exemplified all that Roger
loved about cinema," Kohn
said. "He was a passionate
artist who was respected by
everyone in the industry."
The following excerpts of remembrances were published at RogerEbert.com a day after Haskell's death. To read the full article, click here.
"Haskell was revered as much for his social activism as he was for his film work, and was a tireless advocate for those who had no voice. He spoke truth to power whether he was advocating on behalf of shorter hours on film sets or for safer work conditions on sets."—Chaz Ebert
"I met Haskell a couple of times through Daryl Hannah, (Haskell's niece). He was a kind man—I recall watching a Chicago Bulls basketball game at Daryl's house in Santa Monica. While the emotions of the game swept the room, I could sense Haskell watched the game through a different lens—he was viewing something we couldn't see. I was curious, and he just smiled. Haskell didn't say anything. I believe he appreciated the gift of seeing a situation."—Michael Polish, director of the Ebertfest 2016 selection, "Northfork"
"Haskell was perennially young and forever committed to whatever cause needed him. He was anti-mainstream but capable of reaching large audiences if by default. He was a man—paraphrasing Brecht—that fought always for what was right and was thus indispensable. His loss feels harder when you realize how many real-world issues he tackled through his art and generosity."—Guillermo del Toro, director of the Ebertfest 2016 opening night selection, "Crimson Peak"
Ebertfest 2016 runs from April 13th through April 17th in Champaign, Illinois. To purchase tickets, click here. To read Chaz Ebert's preview of the festival, click here.
