1. FREE FRIDAY FILMS (FREE!)
Hosted by U of T’s Cinema Studies Student Union, this weekly movie night runs throughout the school year, with a reading week triple bill of cult faves. The lineup includes erotic sci-fi thriller Barbarella, super-campy Super Fuzz and blaxploitation classic Dolemite. Even better, all the flicks are shown in 35 mm format for maximum authenticity. Feb. 20, 7 p.m. Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave., Room 107, http://cinssu.sa.utoronto.ca.

2. AFROBEAT AT THE GLADSTONE
Invented by Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, Afrobeat’s sound is a jazz-drenched mix of highlife, funk and traditional African rhythms. Head to the Melody Bar for a free performance by Young Afrobeat Stars. Or check out the ballroom for a tribute to Kuti by Toronto’s premiere Afrobeat band, Femi Abosede and Culture Force. Feb. 20, Young Afrobeat Stars 7 p.m., free. Femi Abosede and Culture Force, 10 p.m, $10. Ballroom, Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., 416-531-4635, www.gladstonehotel.com.

3. SUBWAY DANCE PARTY (FREE!)
A dance party of a different sort, this Improv in Toronto event is perfect for culture-jamming types. Participants in this highly coordinated “mission” need only meet up with other dancers at Queen’s Park, get on a subway car and scare the crap out of riders by shakin’ their groove things on the trains. Left, a video of last year’s antics. Feb. 21, 3 p.m. Edward VII statue, Queen’s Park, http://improvintoronto.com.

4. ECOSUAVE 2009
Billed as an eco-friendly soirée for young professionals looking to reduce their carbon footprint, this party includes live jazz and samples of locally (and sustainably) produced beer, wine and nibbles. Feb. 21, 8 p.m. $20. Canada’s National Ballet School, 400 Jarvis St., 647-723-3693.

5. BLOOR-YORKVILLE ICEFEST (FREE!)
There are still a few more weeks of winter, so embrace the ice at this annual cold-weather fest. Check out the ice sculpture exhibit, where there are chilly reproductions of such world-famous landmarks as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the CN Tower and the Sphinx, an ice carving competition (both at the Village of Yorkville Park) and ice-carving demos (Manulife Centre). To Feb. 22. Bloor-Yorkville, www.bloor-yorkville.com.

6. LENI RIEFENSTAHL VS. THE 20TH CENTURY
Part of Buddies in Bad Times’ 30th annual Rhubarb Festival, this “expressionistic cabaret” sees Nazi propagandist Riefenstahl going head to head with American writer and political activist Susan Sontag. Only at Buddies. Feb. 21 and 22, 9:45 p.m. $17. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St., 416-975-8555, www.artsexy.ca.

7. THE WIZARD OF OZ
Take the kids to see Dorothy, Toto and the gang in this adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s classic novel, brought to life by local theatre company Fallen Rock Productions, which will donate the proceeds to the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. Feb. 21 and 22. $25–$55. Isabel Bader Theatre, 93 Charles St. W., 416-978-8849, www.uofttix.ca.

8. ANNEX STREETKNIT STITCH & BITCH (FREE!)
Knitters and crocheters with a social conscience will love this weekly stitch and bitch session; all the goods produced are given to local homeless shelters. With needles, yarn, patterns and even lessons for beginners provided free of charge, all it takes to make a difference is your fingers. Sundays, 1 p.m. The Green Room, 296 Brunswick Ave., www.streetknit.ca.

9. FUNKAESTHETICS (FREE!)
Funk is best known as the musical genre of James Brown and George Clinton; this art exhibit looks at its utopian ideals (see: Spiritual togetherness, Collective pleasure and Shameless bodily expression) and its place in the American civil rights movement. To March 23, Fridays 11–7, Saturdays and Sundays 1–5. Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, Hart House, University of Toronto, 7 Hart House Cir., 416-978-8398, www.jmbgallery.ca.

Home page images: Kaitlyn Regehr in Leni Riefenstahl vs. the 20th Century, ice carver by Oxfam International and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.