Spring has sprung!(?) Get out there and do stuff in Montreal this week! Here are a few suggestions…

Le MIAFF: Montreal International Animation Film Festival Featuring 4 days of animation feature films, shorts workshops, panel discussions and interactive performances, The Montréal International Animation Film Festival, in association with www.filmfestivals.com and Animation World Network is all set to ANIMAZE and entertain Montreal! April 16-19, Concordia University.

Glass Door Gallery Spring Mixed Group Show Come join us to celebrate the exposure of emerging Montréal talent , and the first of many home-curated shows hosted by Glass Door Gallery, who from now on will be accepting portfolio submissions on an ongoing basis. This is a major step in the Gallery’s overall mission of providing an accessible platform for emerging Montréal talent. Curated by Brooke Rutner. Friday, April 17, free, Glass Door Gallery, #1-4064 Blvd. St-Laurent. 

Vernissage : Lucy Raven + Raymond Boisjoly Lucy Raven, « Curtains », image fixe, 2014, installation vidéo anaglyphe avec son, 50 min. Avec l’aimable permission de l’artiste. Raymond Boisjoly, de la série « From age to age, as its shape slowly unravelled… », 2015, impression jet d’encre sur vinyle autocollant, 132 x 191 cm à 290 x 419 cm. Avec l’aimable permission de l’artiste et de Catriona Jeffries, Vancouver. Friday, April 17, 17-20H, free, VOX, centre de l’image contemporaine, #401-2 rue St-Catherine.

The Void Launch with Vesuvia Solo and Superbloom Join us in celebrating the launch of our Adaptations issue! Readings from Montreal’s best and brightest, sweet sounds to bring you into spring (yes, spring!) & dancing to follow all night long. Friday, April 17, 20h30, $5, La Vitrola, 4602 Blvd. St-Laurent.

University of the Streets Café: Men and Feminism What role should men play in the feminist movement? Recently, feminist mobilization campaigns have received a lot of media attention. Their common goal: putting men at the center of the discussion. Internationally, #HeforShe, a campaign launched by UN Women, argued that gender equality is not solely a women’s issue and called on men to make their voices heard. Closer to home, #BeenRapedNeverReported made men more aware of the realities faced by women in their communities. At the same time, feminist voices are emerging that oppose this new focus. Can men be part of the feminist movement without transforming its very nature? What are the advantages and disadvantages of their participation? This public conversation invites people of all genders to explore what it means to be an ally. If men want to support feminist causes, what role should they play? How can we work together (or separately) to fight gender-based oppression? Monday, April 20, 19-21H, free, Café Bloom, 1940 rue du Centre. 

National Poetry Month Book Launch w/ Robert Melançon + Robyn Sarah + Zachariah Wells Please join Biblioasis and The Word in celebrating National Poetry Month with a launch of three new poetry books: My Shoes Are Killing Me by Robyn Sarah, Montreal Before Spring by Robert Melançon, and Sum by Zachariah Wells. Monday, April 20, 19h30, free, The Word Bookstore, 469 rue Milton.

Festival Howl! Arts 2015 films / concerts / conférences / expositions / radio broadcast / activist art fair April 20-26, various locations.

including…

24 heures ou plus Pamphlet cinématographique réalisé par Gilles Groulx à un moment de fièvre populaire exceptionnelle au Québec, quelques mois après le front commun des trois syndicats québécois les plus importants (CSN, FTQ, CEQ) face au gouvernement québécois. Œuvre personnelle et militante d’un cinéaste québécois engagé, sa philosophie s’oppose à la « société de consommation » perçue comme la suprême incarnation du mal. 20 avril, PWYC, La Passe, 1214 de la Montagne.

Howl! Activist Art Fair The individuals and groups presented here have dedicated practices of activist art making, in content and form, not only art in service of the struggle, but art born of movements and radical ideas for social change. Join us for a showcase of their work and to support their continued production. April 25, Casa del Popolo, 4873 boul. St Laurent.

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Stories & Connections w/ Authors Gillian Cott + Tom Abray + Dana Bath Join us as Gillian Cott signs and discusses her new book Make me, Remake me: Writing Myself Across Two Continents. With Special Guests: Tom Abray and Dana Bath. April 22, 18h30, free, Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College ave.

Film Screening: ‘Let Each One Go Where He May’ by Ben Russell with filmmaker present “Let Each One Go Where He May is the stunning feature debut of celebrated filmmaker Ben Russell. Having its world premiere in Toronto, the film traces the extensive journey of two unidentified brothers who venture from the outskirts of Paramaribo, Suriname, on land and through rapids, past a Maroon village on the Upper Suriname River, tracing the voyage undertaken by their ancestors, who escaped from slavery at the hands of the Dutch 300 years prior. Shot almost entirely with a 16mm Steadicam rig in thirteen extended tracking shots, this cartographic portrayal of contemporary Saramaccan culture is a rigorous and exquisite work that partakes in and dismantles traditional ethnography, inviting anachronism and myth-making to participate in the film’s daring conflation of history.” - Andréa Picard, TIFF April 22, 19H, $9-10, Cinémathèque Québécoise, 335 boul. de Maisonneuve E.

Exhibition: ‘For All We Know’ by Catherine Everett La Galerie Han Art est fière de présenter l’exposition solo de la peintre Catherine Everett intitulée For All We Know. Dans ce nouveau corpus, les oeuvres de Everett evoquent la manifestation d’un vie intérieure mystérieuse. April 23, 18-21H, free, La Galerie Han Art, 4209 Ste-Catherine W.

Papier15 Art Fair Dedicated exclusively to the promotion of art on paper, Papier is one of the most important fairs of its kind in North America. The event is an important catalyst for the Canadian contemporary art market and constitutes a unique meeting ground for the greater public, art enthusiasts and professionals alike. For its 8th edition, Papier will present 40 Canadian galleries, demonstrating the liveliness of Montreal as a major center for contemporary art. April 24, 12-21H, free, 5445 de Gaspé. 

Artist Talk w/ Yinka Shonibare MBE British artist Yinka Shonibare MBE will discuss his exhibition Pièces de résistance with Cheryl Sim, DHC/ART Curator. April 27, 19H, free, Phi Centre, 407 rue Saint-Pierre. 

University of the Streets Café: Personalizing the Oil Sands What can we learn from the multiple narratives of extraction? The oil sands are one of the largest industrial complexes in the world and undeniably a central part of Canada’s economy and international identity. Despite its prominence, discussions of this subject can seem taboo and often present only two opposing narratives pitted against each other; economic development versus environmental preservation. Is it really that simple? What about the diverse narratives in between that are lost in these polarized exchanges? This public conversation will emphasize the human-side of the story, focusing on the perspectives of people directly affected by and implicated in the oil sands. How does this industrial development impact First Nations communities? What about oil workers, farmers and faith leaders? The people who actually live in Fort McMurray often feel frustrated with how issues are presented to the wider public. Can their perspectives deepen the debates around this topic? Together, we will reflect on the roles each of us play in the oil sands as we seek to take a more holistic look at this controversial subject. April 29, 19H, free, Anglican Diocese, 1444 Union.