While this was the twelfth consecutive "Roger Ebert Film Festival," it was my tenth. With this anniversary of sorts in mind, I became reflective about those ten years. Some of the attendees go to the festival year after year, and it is hard not to observe how they have changed over that time. Some changes are trivial like hair styles, and others are more serious like a limp. Festival conspirator Dusty Cohl died. Roger Ebert has lost the ability to speak. Festival favorite Warren York, who played the organ before every movie, became very sick about three years ago and so far has been unable to return. You would think that I would know a lot of people at the festival by now. Well, there are a lot of recognizable faces, but curiously the attendees seem to come and go. I personally know of very few people out of the 1,000 pass holders who have attended every festival since my first one. Just when I think someone is becoming a festival regular, they don't show up the next year. Whether it is health problems, money problems, time off problems, or a disinterest with the festival, I don't know.
Other changes involve the theater itself. Much reconstruction work has been done on the theater since I first started attending the festival back in 2001. This summer the front lobby/concession area is going to be redone, thanks to a generous donation. This will leave only a few things left to repair/improve. The most important potential upgrade is new seating. If they put in new seats, along with somehow spacing out the rows in the balcony, attending the festival would be cinematic nirvana. Maybe I would no longer have to stand in line hours before opening in order to reserve a "good" seat. Maybe.
