What to Do: September 12–14

Looking for a short break before you tackle those 200 pages of Faulkner or that 10-page chem lab assignment? Check out our suggestions for some of the events taking place this weekend.

Friday, September 12
A feature film starring Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen, and Renee Zellweger and a documentary on 1960s Boston rock group the Remains are among the movies to be screened at the 24th Boston Film Festival at the Kendall Square Cinema, One Kendall Square, Cambridge. The festival also features Detained, a film by recent College of Communication graduate Jenny Alexander (COM’08). A shorter version of the film took second place at this year’s Redstone Film Festival at BU.

The festival opens tomorrow night, September 12, with a screening of Appaloosa, which Harris also directed, at 7 p.m., and continues through Wednesday, September 17. Purchase tickets for $10 at the Landmark Theatres Web site. For more information, check out the Boston Film Festival’s Web site or call the festival’s office at 617- 523-8388.

A weekend without laughter is a weekend wasted. Catch comedian Nigel Lawrence at the LOL Comedy Series at BU Central in the basement of the George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth Ave. Doors open at 9 p.m. The show is free with a BU ID, and you are allowed to bring two non-BU guests. E-mail buc@bu.edu with questions, or visit the BU Central Web site for more information.

Did you always wish you could be on Jeopardy? Would you like the chance to win a cash prize of $1,000? Go to the Thinkfast Big Prize Gameshow at the Sargent Activities Center, 1 University Road. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. E-mail sao@bu.edu with questions, or visit the Student Activities Office Web site for more information.

Saturday, September 13
Take advantage of one of the last days of summer at the carnival-style Welcome Back BBQ, sponsored by Greek Life, from noon to 4 p.m. at the BU Beach. The barbecue is free and open to all BU students. Contact the Student Activities Office at 617-353-3635 for more information.

It’s barely two weeks into the semester, and you’ve already had your fill of Shakespeare. If it’s a contemporary play you’re looking for, check out The Boys of Winter, at 8 p.m. at the Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave. The play, directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and written by Barry Brodsky, Eric Small, and Dean B. Kaner, will be staged every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through September 21. Tickets are $10 with a BU ID. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.

For a different kind of drama, go see Frank Santos, the R-Rated Hypnotist. The show opens at 11 p.m. in the George Sherman Union’s Metcalf Hall (second floor). Admission is free with a BU ID. Contact the Student Activities Office at 617-353-3635 for more information.

Sunday, September 14
What’s a weekend without a little music and art? The third day of (ähts): The Boston Arts Festival will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at Boston’s Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park (Friday is from 2 to 7:30 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.). Performers include the Indian dance group Aparna Sindhoor Dance, the Boston Ballet, spoken word artist–soul singer Iyeoka, and the local indie group Bon Savants. Plus, more than 65 juried visual artists will be exhibiting and selling their works. The festival is open to the general public. The park is within walking distance of the North End, between Long Wharf and Atlantic Avenue. To get there by T, take the Blue Line to the Aquarium stop or take the Green or Orange Line to the Haymarket stop. For more information, visit the Boston Arts Festival Web site.

If you prefer sports to the arts, cheer on the Terrier soccer teams at Nickerson Field. The women’s team faces Northeastern University at 1 p.m.; the men’s team hosts the University of Rhode Island at 4 p.m. Tickets for students are $2 for each game.

Davide Nardi can be reached at dnardi@bu.edu.