Events happening this week

After a May hiatus, Mills Folly Microcinema returns to Arts + Literature Laboratory during this last week of June. Full disclosure: I'm a member of this film series' programming committee and helped book Rajee Samarasinghe's Show Me Other Places (2021). So, it's both my biased and unbiased opinion that Madison is in need of a regular anchor for experimental cinema. Since 2018, Mills Folly has provided that primarily at ALL, in featuring filmmakers ranging from more Wisconsin-affiliated talent like Kym McDaniel (who visited with Exit Strategies #1-5 in late April) to a Sri Lankan native like Samarasinghe. His two films in this program, Show Me Other Places and The Eyes Of Summer (2020), shift from the relationship between physical and virtual space in the former to Samarasinghe's mother's home hamlet in the latter. Summer explores, in a haunted and improvisatory narrative, the relationship between a child and a dwelling spirit.

This program also spotlights Australian filmmaking duo Richard Tuohy and Dianna Barrie's In And Out A Window (2021), a play on cinematic framing devices (softly recalling Abbas Kiarostami's 24 Frames), as well as Michael Robinson's 23-minute Polycephaly In D (2021) from this year's Media City Film Festival. Robinson's conceptually apocalyptic work characterizes the separations and telepathic connections between two men in polar opposite environments with dizzying montage. And then it transforms into an absurdist, high-minded commentary on the history of fantasy cinema. But, most of all, you won't shake that one ineradicable shot of Melania T. in her malevolent element.

Mad Lit, a free concert series presented by Urban Community Arts Network and Greater Madison Music City Project, begins its second year with a solid block of music. For the kickoff event, the focus will be placed on emergent acts and equitable landscapes in a city that desperately needs that type of commitment. KIC, Alice Mosley, RSHN 6, and DJ Terrence J will be the performers taking the stage for Mad Lit's 2022 kickoff. This year's iteration of Mad Lit will again take place on every other Friday, this time from July 1 through to October 7, promising an exceptional and diverse roster of not only artists but participating sponsors and businesses. State Street's 100 block will remain Mad Lit's location, providing a familiar backdrop to counterbalance a slew of fresher musical faces. Among the artists slated to perform over the series' two-plus month run are Danielle Crim, Orquesta Mas, Kinfolk, Nono, Rob Dz, a host of DJs, and several others. Every entry in Mad Lit 2022 will be worth seeking out, not just for the inarguable talent of the performers but for the genuinely progressive spirit of the series, something Madison could use much more of going forward.

The Hot Summer Gays series quickly became a crucial part of Madison's annual music lineup when it launched in 2017. On top of their fierce commitment to creating supportive queer spaces in Madison nightlife, HSG's organizers reliably put together solid, varied, and local-heavy bills of DJs and live performers. This summer Halloween costume-party edition is no exception, and the lineup is potently primed for a night of sweaty dancing. The night features DJ sets from series co-founder Sarah Akawa, Sunstone, and DJ Goldiloxx. Plus, 7ucky Vita will be performing a live set of brash, funky, glammy-filthy pop behind a recently released self-titled album.