Tilda Swinton pays tribute to Roger Ebert

London: Actress Tilda Swinton paid tribute to late movie critic Roger Ebert at his annual film festival in Illinois by turning the event into a dance party in his memory.

Ebert lost his battle with cancer earlier this month, but his widow Chaz decided to go ahead with the reviewer`s yearly movie celebration in the town of Champaign, reported Daily Star. Swinton ensured the 2013 Ebertfest was a joyful occasion by recruiting 1,500 film fans for a dance-along to Barry White`s You`re the First, the Last, My Everything down the aisles of the Virginia Theater - the cinema Ebert frequented as a youngster. "We`re not dancing up here (on stage), because if we dance up here, you`re just gonna sit and watch us and laugh. So no observers allowed participants only. It`s a service, this is a spiritual service," Swinton told the crowd. The Oscar winner bounded down the stairs and into the audience, before making her way around the venue leading a conga line through the aisles. "That`s why she`s one of our favourite festival guests. There`s nothing better than having 1,500 people dancing along to Barry White," Chaz said. PTI