Best Things To Do In NYC This Weekend
This week, we're all about the festivals: we've got a theater festival; not one, not two, but three movie festivals; and a music festival. Read on for details about our picks for the best in eating, drinking, and merrymaking this weekend. By Jessica Allen.
This festival only sounds cold. During the end of February and beginning of March, FRIGID New York features more than 150 performances by 30 independent theater companies over the course of 19 days. It's definitely worth bundling up for. Now's your chance to watch Emily Dickinson investigate paranormal activity, to discover a punk grandpa, and to see Little Women re-imagined as a rap musical. Tuesday, Feb. 16, through Sunday, March 6, see schedule for details, tickets required.
Taking place at Lincoln Center, the Film Comment Selects film festival (run by the folks behind Film Comment magazine) is pretty prestigious and pretty popular. Now in its 16th year, this festival features a carefully curated selection of movies that are "coming-soon and … never-coming-back, … rare and … rediscovered, … unclassifiable and … underrated, … sacred and … profane, .. cute and .. creepy," including some NY premieres. Wednesday, Feb. 17, through Wednesday, Feb. 24, see website for details, tickets required.
Now in its fifth year, the all-volunteer Winter Film Awards Indie Film Festival puts the spotlight on diversity in independent film, with a particular focus on emerging minority and women filmmakers. This year, you'll have the chance to see 80+ official selections, ranging from horror films to web series to animations, representing 25+ countries. You might not be able to see any of these at your local cinema, so come see them here. Thursday, Feb. 18, through Saturday, Feb. 27, see schedule for details, tickets required.
Billing itself as a "Movie Theater, Bar, Restaurant," in that order, Syndicated seeks to revamp the movie-going experience. Leading up to the theater's Oscar Week, Syndicated will be showing Oscar-nominated live action (including Stutterer), animated (including Pixar's Sanjay Super Team), and documentary (including Last Day of Freedom) films this weekend. Friday, Feb. 19, through Sunday, Feb. 21, see schedule for details, tickets required.
The Avant Music Festival gives contemporary American composers the chance to "experiment with long-form concerts and the full programmatic experience of their work." This year—the festival's seventh—includes a new opera by John King, collaborative percussive performances by Adrian Knight and TIGUE, and the world premiere of a "drone/video Epic" by Randy Gibson. Be sure to check out the installations too. Saturday, Feb. 20, through Saturday, March 5, see schedule for details, tickets required.
