Vishnevetsky joins Ebert review program

CHICAGO, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Ebert Productions says Ignatiy Vishnevetsky has signed as the co-host of the new U.S. weekly film-review program "Ebert Presents At the Movies."

Vishnevetsky, who was born in Russia and is now based in Chicago, will accompany the previously announced Christy Lemire of The Associated Press as co-host on the show.

"I was struck by the depth and detail of his film knowledge, and by how articulate he was," Roger Ebert said of Vishnevetsky in a statement Tuesday.

Vishnevetsky reviews films for Mubi.com and is a co-founder of Cine-File.info. He is also a contributor to The Chicago Reader, and helps program the current Cine-File Selects series at the University of Chicago's Doc Films film society.

"Ebert Presents At the Movies" is scheduled to make its debut Jan. 21 on public television stations across the United States. It will be produced in Chicago at WTTW, where Ebert and the late Gene Siskel began taping their "Sneak Previews" review show 35 years ago. The new series will be distributed by American Public Television.

Co-producer Ebert also will serve as host of a special segment each week.

Ebert, a longtime columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times and former co-host of "Siskel and Ebert At the Movies," has battled cancer for years and lost his ability to speak. A syndicated version of "At the Movies," featuring lesser-known critics, was recently canceled.