A statue of the late critic Roger Ebert in the famous "thumbs up" pose has been placed outside a cinema hosting the film festival that bears his name.

The bronze figure, placed between two cinema seats on which visitors can sit, has been described as "interactive art" by Ebert's widow, Chaz. It was unveiled on Thursday at the entrance to the Virginia cinema in Champaign, Illinois, which hosts the annual Ebertfest.

"Roger, he would feel honoured that someone wanted to do this for him, but he almost would feel embarrassed because he was so modest," Chaz told the Associated Press. "But he would be very grateful that they thought enough of him to do it."

Champaign is next to Urbana, where Ebert grew up. Ebertfest was founded in 1999 by the former Chicago Sun-Times critic. It developed over time into a festival supporting films deemed to have been overlooked at the time of their release.

The statue will stand outside the Virginia cinema throughout the festival, which runs until Sunday. Organisers hope to place it permanently in the summer.

Ebert died, aged 70, in April 2013 after suffering from cancer.