10 Mar

THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: MARCH 9-15

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Montreal is teeming with activities – indoor and out – and creative talent this week, at film festivals and on stage in music, dance, theatre and art, whether you’re looking for a party, inspiration or quiet time…

(young arty) Get the scoop on up-and-coming artists as Parisian Laundry’s Collision 8 exhibition shows the work of MFA graduates from UQAM and Concordia, to March 17. Emerging talent also comes out to play at Concordia’s multidisciplinary Art Matters Festival, to March 16, featuring an open house this weekend at venues around the city, including internet art in a laundromat, performance and video at Eastern Bloc and dance at Studio 303. And the MMFA welcomes artists in the making with free activities that go along with museum’s carnivalesque exhibition of work by American painter, photographer and composer Lyonel Feininger.

(film festivities) The Amérasia Festival features Asian and Asian-Canadian films, a 72-hour Smartphone Film Challenge and a K-Pop festival and fashion show, to March 11. Later this week, the International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA), March 15–25, celebrates its 30th edition with world premieres and new films from Canadians and filmmakers from Canada and around the world, including Luc Bourdon’s A Museum in the City, stereoscopic 3D dance film Lost Action: Trace and Bone Wind Fire, about the work of Georgia O’Keefe, Emily Carr and Frida Kahlo.

(new theatrics) World-renowned circus maestro and former member of Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize, Jamie Adkins wows with his show Circus Incognitus, to March 11, at Montreal’s circus centre TOHU. In drama, the word is good on François Archambault’s award-winning The Leisure Society, a darkly humorous drama about love, marriage, divorce and the meaning of life, at Infinithéâtre, to March 25. The Segal Centre puts on Morris Panych’s comedy Vigil as well as two smaller shows, both headed by women: Traffik Femme about human trafficking and crowd-pleasing, burlesque comedy Miss Sugarpuss Must Die! Meanwhile, Centaur Theatre goes for romantic comedy in Nicolas Billon’s The Game of Love and Chance.

(bold moves) Beauty and the beholder travel to dark places in Düsseldorf-based choreographer (and former dancer for Pina Bausch) Ben J. Riepe’s Love | Death | Devil – The Piece, at Theatre La Chapelle to March 10. The classic Swan Lake as interpreted by the National Ballet of Ukraine twirls over to Place des Arts, to March 11. Agora de la Danse challenges with cutting-edge choreography in Deborah Dunn’s Orlando, March 14–17. And the Edgy Women Festival , March 15–April 1, pushes the performance envelope with dance, theatre and performance art done in fabulous, rebellious womanly ways.

(family time) Take the metro to Parc Jean-Drapeau and experience the fun side of Montreal winter: from winter sports to games and plenty of family-friendly activities, to March 11. The Biosphère Environment Museum offers free entry to its Wild About Nature exhibition as well as short films, a photobooth, Inukshuk building and a bistro-lounge with hot chocolate and waffles to warm the body and soul. Or eat, drink and warm up at Montreal’s own Snow Village, open to March 31. Indoors, the Montreal Science Centre’s hands-on, high-tech Technofollies keeps kids active in mind and body.

(melodic music) Montreal’s Plants and Animals rock us right into spring with their new album, The End of That, March 10, at Cabaret du Mile End – afterwards head over to Casa del Popolo for a dance party. Rock out with joyous abandon with The Black Keys on March 13 at the Bell Centre or visit much-loved locals Elephant Stone and Molly Sweeney who play Sala Rossa for a mere $8. Singer, performer and hilarious, heartfelt storyteller Jann Arden sings songs from her 11th album, Uncover Me 2, March 14 at Olympia, while indie-rock media artist EMA lets loose at Il Motore that same night. And none other than Van Halen returns to shred on March 15 at the Bell Centre.