“I like to watch,” said Chance the gardener, played magnificently by Peter Sellers in the classic film “Being There,” and frankly, who doesn’t? Get your googly eyes on and check out these three very different visual experiences — from a unique outdoor video series to a merry band of mesmerizing musicians — before they disappear.
CineLatino (Sept. 25-27)
A four-day celebration of Latino cinema during Hispanic Heritage month, this fest features 12 fascinating films, from documentaries to full-length features, at the Denver Film Society’s Sie FilmCenter.
Check out a special screening of the animated hit “The Book of Life” — an exploration of Día de Los Muertos — and don’t miss the discussion afterword with the film’s art director, Paul Sullivan, as well as the finale, “Landfill Harmonic,” which explores the unique music from the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, a Paraguayan band that plays instruments crafted from garbage. Bonus activity: decorate your own sugar skull in Henderson’s Lounge. Cost: $70 for an all-access pass ($55 for DFS members), which includes all films and receptions, as well as the guest talks and panels. Click here for details
Denver Digerati’s Flash Friday (Sept. 25)
This is the final presentation for this year’s free Flash Friday program, a public art effort that presents short, in-motion works from digital artists on outdoor LED screens. The finale features seven new works — including one from Denver artist Mario Zoots — and will be shown on the screen at 14th and Champa streets (it’s about 50 feet wide and 30 feet tall) starting at 8 p.m., with each piece lasting anywhere from two to 30 minutes.
Expect edgy and unexpected — for instance, Zoots calls his a “marriage of French New Wave cinema and digital art.” But most of all, expect to be intrigued by what The Denver Post says is likely to be “the art of the future.” Click here for details
The Slambovian Circus of Dreams (Sept. 27-28)
Riveting and delightful, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams — based in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. — has been described as “hillbilly Pink Floyd” and “surreal Americana,” which makes this psychedelic concert hosted by Swallow Hill Music at Daniels Hall a natural for imbibing.
Frontman and singer/songwriter Joziah Longo looks like a magician from “Alice in Wonderland,” and his voice is so smooth he could charm the Queen of Hearts right out of her foul mood. He’s backed by a beguiling collection of instruments, including the slide mandolin, cello, melodica and theremin, an electronic musical instrument controlled without using physical contact, instead using antennae that sense the musician’s hand movements. Tickets: $20 ($22 at door). If you can’t make the Sunday night show and/or are headed to the mountains Monday, they play again at the Vilar Center in Vail on Sept. 28 at 7:30 p.m. ($24). Click here for details
