Roger Ebert donates $1 million to U. of Illinois

University of Illinois film students should start exercising their thumbs.

Film critic Roger Ebert and his wife Chaz have donated $1 million to his alma mater to create the Roger Ebert Program for Film Studies Fund.

The gift from the Chicago Sun-Times critic, known for his "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" reviews, was announced Wednesday during the 11th annual Roger Ebert's Film Festival in Champaign, also known as "Ebertfest."

"The University of Illinois is deep in my heart as a great institution," Ebert said in a statement. "It informed and enriched me. Although there were no film courses when I was an undergraduate, it nevertheless guided me in my lifelong love of film. I hope when this program and center are fully realized, they will inspire new generations."

The school will continue to raise money for the program. When the total reaches $5 million, it will become the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, which will teach film criticism, history, exhibition and production, school officials said.

Wednesday's announcement was not Ebert's first donation to Illinois. In 2004 he announced that he would leave his papers and other material to the Illinois library.

Earlier Wednesday, officials in neighboring Urbana honored the 66-year-old Ebert by placing a bronze plaque on the sidewalk in front of the house where Ebert lived with his parents from his birth in 1942 until 1961.

Ebert became film critic for the Sun-Times in 1967 and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1975. He has battled cancer and undergone surgery that has left him unable to speak but he continues to write film reviews.

The film festival, which highlight movies Ebert thinks have been overlooked, started Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the historic Virginia Theatre in Champaign.

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University of Illinois: http://illinois.edu/

Roger Ebert: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/