The following was written by Ebertfest correspondent Andy Herren.

I am now home from John Turturro’s brilliant film Romance & Cigarettes.  The ambiance today was much different that during The Cell last night, as the old people were out again in full force.  I excitedly waited in my seat while Chaz Ebert and Richard Corliss from TIME Magazine introduced the film.  Chaz then exclaimed, “I’m off to see my man!” and exited the theater, bringing this year’s bittersweet Ebertfest to a close.
The film was great.  Funny, moving, and catchy, with actress Aida Turturro and choreographer Tricia Brouk answering questions immediately following the screening.  The mood throughout the day was all about family, both with the film’s narrative structure, and the way that Ms. Turturro spoke of her cousin, director John Turturro, and the way that the film is loosely based on his life.
Plus, I got to talk to Aida Turturro about one of my favorite guilty pleasure films:  Deep Blue Sea.  When I asked her if she was bummed that her character was blown up and not eaten by sharks in Deep Blue Sea, she responded, “Haha!  I was in Mexico, drinking and laying on the beach…I didn’t give a shit!”  It was at this moment that I fell in love with Aida Turturro.  

The following was written by Ebertfest correspondent Andy Herren.
Whimsical.  No other word could better describe both actress Christine Lahti and her role as Aunt Sylvie in Bill Forsyth’s bizarre, yet compelling and sweet 1987 film, Housekeeping. 
I entered the Virginia Theatre around 6:50, figuring that I would have plenty of time to grab a seat, even save a few for friends, before Housekeeping’s 7:30 start time.  Sadly, I underestimated the promptness of the Ebertfest crowd, also known as old people.  As I walked in, much to my chagrin, I found every single seat in the center section to be occupied except one, which I quickly snatched up.  And this was after I had already been yelled at for trying to sit in the V.I.P. section. 
I knew nothing about this film going into the screening, and after Chaz Ebert’s delightful introduction, I was plunged into Bill Forsyth’s unique artistic vision only to come out feeling elated that I took the ride.  The film tells the story of two sisters whose mother commits suicide, and they end up living with their eccentric Aunt Sylvie.  One of the sisters hates Aunt Sylvie and finds her eccentric lifestyle abhorrent, yet the other sister finds Sylvie’s quirky, eccentric personality compelling.  The film is ultimately about the inner child of these three women, with Sylvie never wanting to let hers go and the two girls tragically losing theirs at an early age. 
Forsyth presents the audience with a demanding film that never compromises its artistic vision.  Some characters receive no closure and their flaws are not corrected, yet this makes the movie great because it reflects how life is never perfect.
Actress Christine Lahti and director Bill Forsyth joined film critic Michael Phillips onstage after the screening, and Lahti is just as wonderful off-screen as she was in the film.  The two had not been in touch for twenty years, so that made the reunion all the more endearing.  Lahti exclaimed how excited she was that Diane Keaton passed on the role of Sylvie when she exclaimed that Housekeeping was “the best script that had ever, ever been sent to me.  I just sucked up to him [Forsyth] to land the role.”
When asked about the film’s initial, unsuccessful release by Columbia Pictures, Forsyth commented, “I don’t think it was released.  It escaped for a bit.” He furthered by explaining that the studio official at Columbia backing Houskeeping was fired while the film was in production, and his replacement cared nothing for the film, putting it on the backburner in favor of new, high-end concepts. 
When asked about the proudest moment of her career, Lahti closed the discussion by stating, “I might be most proud of this movie.  I really am.  I just love it so much.”  The passion of both Lahti and Forsyth was through the roof, and the magic of the film seemed to linger throughout the audience as the theater emptied.
After all was said and done I thought once again of my elderly friends all around me.  I got to thinking, and came up with a question for Ms. Lahti.  “What can be done to bring out more young people to Ebertfest?” I asked her.  “Well,” she said in semi-serious, semi-joking tone, “just get Miley Cyrus to come.”  While she was partially kidding, the truth in her statement sent shivers down my spine.  More college students should be attending the festival, and if it takes Miley Cyrus to bring in the numbers, then I am officially transferring.
I also stayed for the screening of Tarsem Singh’s beautiful, chilling The Cell, and this restored my faith in U of I students a bit.  The audience was about half elderly, half college age, and I can’t really even put into the words the joy that shot through my body while watching six elderly people vacate the theater as Vince Vaughn was getting disemboweled.