Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 1.11.07

The real story coming from Ladysmith Black Mambazo's upcoming Corvallis show is its choice of venue, the Corvallis High School's Mainstage Theater. Not only is this venue hosting the globe-trotting African a cappella troupe (pictured), it will be graced with Dar Williams in February and Greg Brown in April. Is Corvallis lacking concert venues or just lucky with their bookings? A little of both, maybe. See Corvallis listings.

Here's the rundown on the week's pileup of film series and other screenings. The UO's International Resource Center's Korean Film Series kicks off tonight with Take Care of My Cat. On Friday, you have Arlington West at Cozmic Pizza, Slaughterhouse-Five at Unity of the Valley and The Slingshot, part of the UO's Swedish — yes, Swedish — Film Series. Enjoy the OpenLens juried selections over the weekend or DIVA's Best of the Eugene Film Festival Sunday night. Stay at home Monday for some football on the boob tube, but on Tuesday, reel in a whopping Fly Fishing Film Tour (you know, because it's like Xtreme Fishing!) at the UO, or soak up the return of the Russian Film Series with Dauriia Part I. Still with us? Good, there's more. Wednesday sees the inaugaration of an Ethnic Studies Film Series with From the Heart at UO's McKenzie Hall, and next Thursday witnesses the Katrina Amnesty Campaign's screening of I Won't Drown on That Levee and You Ain't Gonna Break My Back at the UO's EMU Ballroom or finish off this M.C. Escher film-walk with the Korean Film Series' Peppermint Candy (pictured), also at the EMU. Many of these films are under $5 or free, so, um, break out of the cineplex box of Bijou-Beltline and see Calendar.

Meraviglioso! Splendido! Sure, it's rainy here, but if you're dreaming about sun-drenched patios, columns of marble, the lovely Mediterranean, olive tree fields swimming in light, string instruments lightly playing, well, you're in luck — with the last one, anyway. The Oregon Mozart Players bring pieces of Italy back to sad-sack wintery Eugene this weekend with Viva Italia!, a concert focusing on charm, sunny delights and the beautiful interaction of visual art with classical music. Even if you're all atwitter about the Deeply Germanic Beethoven Moment coming up from the Symphony, you can definitely relax into the OMP's lively program of Rossini, Respighi, Salieri and Mendlessohn. True, Mendelssohn isn't exactly, shall we say, from those Southern climes, but his Symphony No. 4 (that's right: the Italian Symphony) should satisfy all ears. Have a drink at Café Perugino ahead of time and dinner at Ambrosia or Oregano's afterward for a favoloso evening full of brio and eleganza. See Saturday and Sunday Calendar.

It's a good week to be a film connoisseur in Eugene. On top of a full slate of film programs practically every day of this week (which we listed above), there's DIVA's OpenLens Short Video and Film Festival, a showcase of top-notch filmmaking from artists south of the Portland/Salem metro area. The 13 juried shorts will show twice on Saturday and once on Sunday, with a wrap party awarding the Best Juried Award and Audience Choice Award. Tied to the film festival will be Friday's premier of Kicking Bird by Portland filmmaker Kelley Baker (pictured). Baker describes his indie film as being made "on less money than most of the [mainstream indie] films spend on coffee and bagels." Indie, indeed. Baker will be on hand at his screening and throughout the weekend's festivities.