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| Chaz Ebert | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chaz Ebert |
| Birth name | Elaine Elizabeth Johnson |
| Birth date | 1952 |
| Birth place | Chicago, Illinois, United States |
| Occupation | Film executive, lawyer, columnist, producer |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Spouse | Roger Ebert (m. 1992–2013) |
Chaz Ebert Chaz Ebert is an American film executive, lawyer, columnist, producer, and advocate known for her work in film criticism platforms, preservation, and media production. She rose to public prominence through her marriage to Roger Ebert and has since developed a multifaceted career spanning film festivals, publishing, legal practice, and public advocacy for diversity in cinema. Ebert is active in organizations that intersect with film, journalism, philanthropy, and urban cultural institutions.
Born Elaine Elizabeth Johnson in Chicago, Illinois, Ebert attended local schools before pursuing higher education. She studied at the University of Illinois at Chicago and later earned a law degree from the Loyola University Chicago School of Law, where she trained in legal practice alongside peers who later entered fields connected to the Chicago Bar Association and regional civic institutions. Her early Chicago upbringing connected her to cultural venues such as the Chicago Theatre, Art Institute of Chicago, and neighborhood communities around Hyde Park, Chicago and South Side, Chicago.
Ebert began her professional life in law, practicing as an attorney in Chicago and working on matters that intersected with media, public policy, and nonprofit administration. She transitioned into publishing and journalism through collaborations with major cultural figures and institutions, contributing to outlets and platforms linked to Chicago Sun-Times, NPR, PBS, and other media organizations. Over the years she developed roles as a film producer and executive, engaging with the networks behind the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival, and the Telluride Film Festival. Ebert has served on boards and advisory committees for entities like the Chicago Film Archives, National Film Preservation Board, Film Foundation, and the National Italian American Foundation, leveraging relationships with figures from institutions such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Peabody Awards, American Film Institute, and British Film Institute.
Ebert founded and operates media ventures that promote film criticism, restoration, and distribution, partnering with companies and distributors such as MPI Media Group, Kino Lorber, Sony Pictures Classics, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., and independent producers affiliated with A24 and Focus Features. Her production credits and executive roles have placed her in collaboration with filmmakers showcased at festivals like Berlin International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, SXSW, and institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Projects under her aegis have included restoration initiatives tied to archives such as the Library of Congress and collaborations with preservationists from the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Ebert’s ventures have engaged critics and commentators from outlets including Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
Ebert is active in advocacy for diversity, access, and preservation within film and media, working with organizations such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP Image Awards, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and groups affiliated with civil rights leaders like those connected to Martin Luther King Jr. foundations and Rainbow PUSH Coalition. She has appeared on panels and delivered remarks at institutions including Harvard University, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and law forums tied to the American Bar Association. Ebert’s public activities include fundraising and board leadership with cultural and philanthropic organizations like the Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and local arts councils connected to venues such as the Steppenwolf Theatre Company and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Ebert was married to film critic Roger Ebert from 1992 until his death in 2013; during their marriage she worked closely with him on projects related to film criticism and preservation, engaging with personalities tied to the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle, and television programs on networks like PBS and CNN. She maintains residences linked to Chicago cultural neighborhoods and remains involved with civic organizations, public libraries such as the Chicago Public Library, and educational initiatives at universities including DePaul University and Columbia College Chicago. Ebert’s social and professional circles include filmmakers, critics, legal professionals, and cultural leaders connected to institutions like the Kennedy Center and Smithsonian Institution.
Ebert has received honors and recognition from film, civic, and cultural bodies, including acknowledgments from the Chicago Tribune, film preservation groups, and arts organizations connected to the National Film Registry and the American Cinematheque. She has been invited as a speaker and honoree by festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca Film Festival, and Chicago International Film Festival, and recognized by professional associations including the Women in Film organization, the Association of American Publishers, and legal circles tied to the Chicago Bar Association.
Category:People from Chicago Category:American film producers Category:American lawyers Category:Living people