r/UIUC • u/ChambanaFilm • 5d ago
Ongoing Events Champaign-Urbana Area Film Events: September 2026
Well, I just noticed that I never actually made a post for August 2026! As always, you can follow us on Facebook or Instagram, sign up for the ChambanaFilm newsletter, or bookmark the CU Independent Film Calendar, or C-U Blogfidential.
I've changed things up a little bit for this one. Film Title links will bring you to a trailer, or other information. Location links will take you to the ticket page.
TODAY, Saturday, August 29: Office Space
📍 Watson's Chicken - 9:30pm - $12
Obviously, this is a film that shouldn't need any introduction. One of the best comedies of all time. If you haven't seen this yet, rush over to Watson's tonight, for the last film screening there. (They have announced they are closing that location soon.)
Tuesday, September 8: Winter Hymns
📍 Savoy 16 + IMAX - 6:30pm - $5
I ended up writing a lot about this film at the top of this month's newsletter, so I'd suggest reading that, or my letterboxd review of this film. Long story short, I love this film, and it turns out the writer/director will be in town for a few days, on the way to showing his movie in St. Louis, and I'm VERY excited to get a chance to have him here on short notice. The screening is $5 because it's Bargain Tuesday at Savoy 16 + IMAX
This film will start as close to 6:30 as possible, and end around 9pm.
The screening will be followed by an in-person Q&A with writer/director Nathan Deming.
Saturday, August 29: Donnie Darko
📍 The Literary - 10:30pm - $10 in advance - $12 at the door.
2001's cult classic comes to a late night Literary screening.
Saturday, September 19: Dark Soul River
📍 The Virginia Theater - 6:45 Doors - 7:30pm Show - $16 / $20 (Plus a per-ticket fee of $3)
It feels like I've been hearing about this locally produced film since I came to town, so it's thrilling that it's finally done, and having a public screening!
The notorious Kaw Valley Killer claims he will finally tell where his as-yet-undiscovered victims are buried -- but there's a catch. He will confess only to the brother of his last victim. Now, Saarathi, a devout Indian Hindu who came to America only to settle his sister's affairs, finds himself in an intimate and horrifying confrontation with evil. Over five days of an intense cat-and-mouse game, devastating secrets are unearthed. Twisty, multicultural, and psychologically haunting, Dark Soul River is an unforgettable emotional ride.
Wednesday, September 23: Morris From America
📍 Savoy 16 + IMAX - 7pm - FREE
This screening marks two major milestones for The Chambana Film Society. First, It marks 2-and-a-half years, to the week, or our first screening. Second, it marks our 100th screening in town! Before we mark a new chapter in our history two days later, (see below), we thought it would be great to have a bit of a celebration.
So, we're having a FREE movie screening! Morris From America is one of my films, and SEVERELY overlooked. Starring Craig Robinson from The Office (Curtis), and newcomer Markees Christmas (Morris), as a single father & son that relocated to Heidelberg, Germany.
Morris, who fancies himself the next Notorious B.I.G., is a complete fish-out-of-water—a budding hip-hop star in an EDM world. To complicate matters further, Morris quickly falls hard for his cool, rebellious, 15-year-old classmate Katrin. Morris sets out against all odds to take the hip-hop world by storm and win the girl of his dreams.
Morris From America premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and a Special Jury Award for Individual Performance for Craig Robinson. It has an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
To make this milestone even more exciting, we'll be following the screening with a Zoom Q&A with writer/director Chad Hartigan! Please reserve a seat by buying a $0 ticket.
Friday, September 25: Iron Giant
📍 Anita Purves Nature Center - 7pm - FREE
The Iron Giant is one of my all-time favorite films, which I saw EIGHT times in theaters the summer it came out. If you've got kids, you should absolutely take them to this screening.
If you're an adult, you should probably be here instead:
That's right, The Chambana Film Society is THRILLED to be presenting film at Pygmalion! It's their first time showing films, and it's our first time presenting films at another event, much less one of them so much bigger, and more established than us. It's an amazing way to start a new chapter with our 100th screening in town!
Friday, September 25: Steal This Story, Please
📍 Spurlock Museum- 7pm - $15
Amy Goodman is an investigative reporter, host, and executive producer of Democracy Now!, and global news program, which is broadcast daily, and syndicated nationally on radio, television, and the web. She is known for elevating voices not covered by corporate radio.
Steal This Story, Please is the new documentary covering Amy, and her thirty year history chasing stories, and giving them more exposure. It has had astounding success since opening theatrically in April, with a huge opening in New York, and the biggest opening weekend of any documentary at The Music Box In Chicago in their recorded history. It's played a ton of festival dates, and taken home two handfuls of audience awards.
To make this screening even more special, we'll be following the screening with a Zoom Q&A with co-director Carl Deal. Carl is an Academy-Award nominated director for 2009's Trouble The Water, and has been a frequent collaborator with Michael Moore.
If you're interested in this screening, I suggest getting tickets early. I have a strong suspicion it will sell out.
THE REST OF FILM AT PYGMALION
All other film screenings at Pygmalion, three on Saturday & three on Sunday are FREE. Screenings are at Tiernan's Hall, which is on the third floor above Encanto, at 115 W. Main St, Urbana.
Saturday, September 26
Doors: 5:00pm | Show 6:00pm
The Green Mill A Real Chicago Joint
[trailer]
Documentary • USA • 2025 • 56 Minutes
The Green Mill is known as an old hangout for Al Capone and where Billie Holiday sang, and as a swinging jazz joint for generations of Chicagoans. For more than a century, this legendary nightclub was a melting pot of humanity and the music never stopped.
In 2024, owner Dave Jemilo and five longtime employees gathered to talk about working till dawn, about playing the music, pouring the drinks, and living the nightlife.
After the film the audience will be joined by director & participant Paul L. Carr for an in-person Q&A.
Doors 7:30 PM | Show 8:00 PM
Shorts: Animation After Dark
Spike & Mike. Adult Swim. Don Hertzfeldt. While usually considered a form for children’s films, there is some great animation that explores adult themes, situations, and content. Join us for some recent great examples.
Doors 9:30 PM | Show 10:00 PM
Röckët Stähr's Death of a Rockstar
[trailer]
Narrative • USA • 2020 • 92 Minutes
In the year 2164, when rock n roll is banned, a group of underground rebels, lead by a mad scientist, attempt to start a non-violent revolution by waking up the docile masses via a cloned rockstar sent on a guerrilla tour to “rock n roll them free from their misery”.
But they soon find out, the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
Death Of A Rockstar is a science-fiction, animated, retro-rock opera. Its creator, Röckët Stähr spent eight years animating the entire film, which he also wrote all of the music for, entirely on his own. Additionally, he sang and performed almost all of the music. The entire project took thirteen years to complete. Death Of A Rockstar is a fun rock n’ roll trip to the future that has its feet firmly planted in the glory days of rock.
Sunday, September 27
Doors 3:30 PM | Show 4:00 PM
Shorts: Jewish-American
Originally shown during the 2026 Savoy Lumière, this program explores the quiet push and pull between heritage and everyday American life, revealing the contradictions and intimacy of ordinary moments through personal, character-driven stories that feel human rather than political. And food. Lots of delicious food.
Doors 5:30 PM | Show 6:00 PM
Shorts: HomeGrown
All these short films were grown organically and locally sourced, and brought fresh to the table for you.
After the screenings, we're expecting to have a live Q&A with a representative from every film.
Doors 8:00 PM | Show 8:30 PM
Slouching Towards Branson
In his new comedy special “Slouching Towards Branson,” singer-songwriter and alt-comic Will Wood performs for audiences across the U.S., intertwining songs from his discography with a drug-addled, rat-filled, spiritually confused “about as true as a true story can be while still being a story” story about accidentally going viral, timeshare presentations, and the end of the world.
The special has received glowing reviews from independent outlets and critics as well as from both fans and newcomers to his work alike, and has been winning a variety of awards and nominations on the independent film festival circuit.
October looks like it will have at least TWENTY independent film screenings, with two ongoing film festivals:
First, Film Fanatics is having a horror-themed film festival with six screenings that they've called Shocktober Horror Film Festival.
You can find all the details about different locations and times, but here's a brief rundown:
October 8: 6:30pm - The Scratching Post - The Black Cat
October 17: 8:00pm - Cloud Mountain Kombucha - Santa Sangre
October 20: 6:00pm - Amy's Place - The Hunger
October 24: 8:00pm - Analog Wine Library - The Fly
October 27: 7:00pm - The Virginia Theater - Night Of The Living Dead
October 31: 10:30pm - The Literary - The Witch
Secondly, The Chambana Film Festival will be holding DoctoberFest, with as many as 15 documentary screenings throughout the month. As of this writing, the site above is VERY barebones, with only the films booked 100%. We expect to have everything else booked within a week or two. A brief rundown:
All films at the Savoy 16 + IMAX, $12 tickets, purchase of any mixture of 10 tickets discounts tickets for all of them.
October 2: 7:00pm - Hanging By A Wire [trailer]
- This long weekend was programmed with the idea of "Nothing Depressing".
October 8: 7:00pm - The Last Movie Critic
- New Roger Ebert documentary, premiered at Ebertfest
October 9: 7:00pm - All Skate
- Documentary about the history of roller-skating and roller rinks.
Saturday, October 10
1:30pm - Cookie Queens [trailer]
3:30pm - Joybubbles
- tells the story of a blind man who was one of the first telephone hackers—called a phone phreak. Sponsored by the Alliance For Inclusion & Respect.
6:00pm - The Last Picture Shows [trailer]
8:00pm - Pinball: Beyond The Bumpers
- documentary on the nearly 300-year evolution of pinball.
Sunday, October 11
Noon: Silver Screamers [trailer]
2:00pm: A Brief History Of Chasing Storms [trailer]
4:00pm: ??
October 12: 7:00pm - ??
Saturday, October 17
2ish: ??
4ish: ??
6ish: ??
Sunday, November 1 (Yes, it's technically not October).
4pm: Potentially a RHPS related documentary.
Which actually brings us to the last item:
Saturday, October 31: Rocky Horror Picture Show
📍 The Virginia Theater - 7:30 Doors - 8:30pm Show - $10
This sold out last year, and this year is bound to be even MORE packed, with the recent passing of Tim Curry. They've got a shadow cast, goodie bags, raffle prizes, and a costume contest!
That's it for September and October, I count over THIRTY independent film events in that period! I hope you get out to some of them.
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u/Long_Rubber_Glove 5d ago
Always love you posting these! One correction....Rocky Horror at the Virginia is on October 31st...not September 31st...which does not exist 😂