MUST SEES Arts & Film / April 6 - 13

April 6 (6 pm) Felipe Galindo: Between the Lines--Opening reception. Presented by Columbia University's Office of Government and Community Affairs, Mexican artist and illustrator Felipe Galindo (Feggo) shows a selection of works on paper from his “Magical Realism in Manhattan” series, a humorous critique of life in the city. On view through April 29th at the Russ Berrie Medical Science Pavilion, 1150 Saint Nicholas Avenue, at 168th Street (open Monday through Friday, 9 am-5pm) and the Lasker Biomedical Research Building, 3960 Broadway at 166th Street (open 24 hours, 7 days a week). Opening reception at 6 pm. For more information, click here.

April 6 and April 8 (6 pm) La Mission: Preview. The National Museum of the American Indian and Cinema Tropical present a special screening of the upcoming La Mission (Peter Bratt, 2008), a film documenting life in San Francisco’s Hispanic District. Followed by a roundtable discussion with the director and the film's lead actor, Benjamin Bratt. At the George Gustav Heye Center, One Bowling Green. To RSVP and for more information, click here or call 212-514-3737.

April 7 (6.30-8.30 pm) Havana Film Festival Shorts. In collaboration with Havana Film Festival New York, El Museo del Barrio presents Uprooted (Juan Mejía Botero, 2009), a film about the aspirations of an Afro-Colombian woman, and El Play (Pablo Medina, 2009), a documentary following the journey of a Dominican teen hoping to make it into baseball’s major leagues. At El Café at El Museo, 1230 Fifth Avenue (at 104th Street). For more information click here or call 212-831-7272.

April 7 and 8 (7 pm) New Argentine Cinema: Martín Rejtman. Anthology Film Archives presents Silvia Prieto (2003), a minimalist comedy about a young woman who becomes obsessed with others who have her name, and The Magic Gloves (2003), a movie about life spiraling out of control. The filmmaker will be present on the April 8th screening. Shown in Spanish with English subtitles. At the Anthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Avenue. Ticket prices vary. For more information, click here or call 212-505-5185

April 8 (6-8 pm) The Colors of Music and Backlight Paintings and Drawings—Opening Reception. The Consulate General of Argentina presents two exhibitions by María de Echevarría and Isabel Picasso, running through April 29th at the Consulate’s Art Galleries, 12 West 56th Street. Open Monday through Fridays, 11 am to 5 pm. For more information, click here or call 212-603-0440.

April 8 (7 pm) Cuban Popular Music On Film 1929-1960’s. Cemi Underground and Taller Boricua present a rare vintage film series from the Henry Medina Archives, exploring the early Afro-Cuban music and its influence in Cuba, Mexico, and the United States cinema. Tickets are $7. At the Julia de Burgos Cultural Center, 1680 Lexington Avenue and 106th. For more information, click here.

April 9 (6 - 9 pm) Dialects IV—Opening Reception. The Bronx River Art Center presents Scintilla (Gallery 1) and 1:24 (Gallery 2), two solo exhibitions featuring new works and site-specific installations by Bjargey Olafsdottir and Vidal Centeno, respectively. Running through May 29th at the Bronx River Art Galleries, 1087 East Tremont Avenue, open Mondays through Fridays, 3-6 pm and Saturdays, 12-5 pm. For more information, click here or call 718-589-5819.

April 9 (7 pm) Voces del Alma—Opening Reception. Rio Gallery presents an exhibition featuring cast sculptures by Viviana Puello in collaboration with Daya de la Rosa. At 583 Riverside Drive, 7th Floor. For more information, click here or call 212-568-2030.

April 10 (3 pm) Artist Talk: Valerie Hallier's Screened Calls and Slow Portraits. Using Skype as a medium for generating temporally destructive portraits and self-portraits, Hallier redefines portraiture for the digital age. Talk is part of the ongoing exhibition, based on 80 long-distance conversation Hallier conducted online with friends and family members throughout the past year. At MediaNoche, 1355 Park Avenue, Corner Store (entrance on East 102nd Street). Gallery hours: Thursday - Saturday, 3pm - 7pm. For more information, click here or call 212.828.0401

April 10 (3 pm) Queens Beats at DQVC—Closing. The Queens Economic Development Corporation presents Queens Beats, an exhibition investigating how people experience the borough’s culture, tradition, heritage, and history through music, spoken word, local languages, and field sounds through installations. At the Queens Visitors Center, at the Queens Center Mall, 90-15 Queens Boulevard, at Elmhurst, open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 am-6 pm and Sundays, 11 am-7 pm. For more information, call 718-263-0546.

April 11 (7.30 pm) Maysles Cinema. The Maysles Institute presents Best of Reggae Sunsplash (1982) and Made in Jamaica (Jerome Laperrousaz, 2007), two films exploring the role that the reggae music movement has played in Jamaica and the world. At The Maysles Cinema, 343 Malcolm X Boulevard between 127th and 128th Streets. $10 General Admission (suggested). For more information, click here or call 212-582-6050.

April 11: Tania Bruguera: On the Political Imaginary--Closing. A survey of Cuban performance artist Tania Bruguera’s interdisciplinary work and its focus on the relationship among art, politics, and life. At the Neuberger Museum, open Tuesdays through Sundays, 12-5 pm at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase. Tickets are $5. For more information, click here or call 914-251-6100.

April 11: Contemporary Latin American Art from the Luis Calzadilla Collection--Closing. A selection of 27 works by a variety artists active in Miami in the 1980s and 1990s. At the Neuberger Museum, open Tuesdays through Sundays, 12-5 pm at Purchase College, 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase. Tickets are $5. For more information, click here or call 914-251-6100.

April 12 (7 pm) The Afterlife of Violence. As part of an ongoing film series on the Spanish Civil War, NYU's King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center presents Salvador (Manuel Huerga, 2006). In Spanish with English subtitles. At 53 Washington Square South. For more information, click here or call 212-998-3650.

April 12 (7.30 pm) Movies at AFA. Anthology Film Archives presents Our Disappeared (Juan Mandelbaum, 2008), a film about a man’s search for a friend who disappeared during the 1976-1983 military dictatorship in Argentina. Followed by a discussion with the director. At the Anthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Avenue. For more information and tickets, click here or call 212-505-5185.

April 13 (6 pm) The World is So Boring. The Americas Society presents a panel discussion with Alexander Alberro, Carolee Schneemann, Jenni Sorkin, and Gabriela Rangel to accompany the exhibit by Marta Minujin, MINUCODEs, which revisits society and media in the sixties. At the Americas Society, 680 Park Avenue at 68th Street. For more information or to RSVP, click here or call 212-249-8950.

April 13 (7.30 pm) Ecuadoran Cinema. Videoteca del Sur Presents Black Mama (Miguel Alvear, Patricio Andrade, 2009), a film exploring Ecuador’s annual “Mama Negra” Festival, an eclectic mixture of Catholic, African, and indigenous traditions. At the Millenium Film Workshop, 66 East 4th Street. For more information, click here or call 212-673-0090.