Today is chock full of enlightening and mingling opportunities, and you can see a TIGLFF movie at night!
First up: Creative Pinellas' CRAFT: Cultural Meetups series of free monthly continues this afternoon with a visit to the newly opened Sideshow music venue in Safety Harbor. The meeting/social is open to artists, performers and representatives from cultural organizations of all types. It is an opportunity for artists to meet, learn about local arts venues and discuss collaborations. There will be a cocktail hour at 7:30 p.m. and a free drawing for a chance to win items such as art supplies or museum memberships. All guests are asked to RSVP. Free. 6 p.m., 737 Main St., Safety Harbor. creativepinellas.org/craft-meetups.
In Tampa at the Jan Platt Library, USF Special Collections Librarian Andy Huse will discuss Tampa’s lesser known rabble-rousers in his informational and entertaining presentation, Tampa’s Rebels and Revolutionaries: Looking Beyond the Gangsters and Pirates. 7-8 p.m. at 3910 S. Manhattan Ave., Tampa.
Head south to learn about our night skies at Stelliferous Live with Jeff Rodgers, director of the Bishop Planetarium. Bradenton's South Florida Museum hosts the monthly event the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. $5. Paid reservations required. Call 941-746-4131, ext. 13.
The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival resurfaces in St. Petersburg to present the film Helicopter Mom, a 2014 comedy, at freeFall Theatre this evening. The movie follows Maggie (My Big Fat Greek Wedding's Nia Vardalos), who says she would not only accept that her son Lloyd is gay, but it would be "really cool." In fact, Maggie becomes so convinced that Lloyd himself is gay that she "outs" him to his entire high school and takes control of his social life, sets him up on dates with boys whom and tries to find him a gay student college scholarship. The hitch (if you didn't see this a mile away): Lloyd doesn't even know whether he's gay. Movie starts at 7:30 p.m., 6099 Central Ave. $12. Purchase tickets here.
This article appears in Jan 15-21, 2015.