Nick O'Neill (right), the youngest victim of the Rhode Island tragedy, is shown performing in a scene from "41."
Local Action
A documentary about the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island gets its theatrical premiere tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. at the Cable Car Cinema and Cafe in Providence. A question-and-answer session with filmmakers and family members of fire victims will follow.
Co-directed by Christian DeRezendes and Christian O'Neill, "41" focuses on O'Neill's younger brother, Nick, who was the youngest of the 100 people killed in the fire five years ago. Nick was a musician, and his guitar solos are woven into a score by composer Michael Teoli.
The first film released by NEHST Studios of New York, "41" was submitted through the company's open pitch process, a system designed to break industry barriers for aspiring filmmakers. The company says almost 20 properties are now in development after being entered through its website, PitchNehst.com. NEHST founder and "41" producer Larry Meistrich was a producer on "Sling Blade" and "You Can Count on Me."
Meistrich and both directors are expected at tomorrow's screening and follow-up Q&A. A NEHST studios representative says "41" is expected to play the Cable Car Cinema for at least a week and eventually go to theaters nationwide. The film is also for sale at the PitchNehst.com site.
WATCH AND LEARN: Have you ever watched a TV science show at home and thought, "I wish there were an expert on hand right now who could answer my questions"?
The folks at the Harvard Museum of Natural History have, and that's why they're hosting a DVD screening Saturday at noon of "Nova" 's "The Four-Winged Dinosaur," a program that explores the evolutionary connections between birds and dinosaurs. Produced by Mark Davis, the show premiered last week on PBS stations.
The screening is the result of a new partnership the museum has with "Nova" to show recent series documentaries and host follow-up discussions with Harvard researchers. Paleontologist Charles Marshall will make a presentation on "The Lives and Death of the Dinosaurs" at 2 p.m. after the "Four-Winged Dinosaur" screening.
Saturday's event is part of a daylong family program called Fossil Fest taking place at the museum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. In addition to the "Four-Winged" showing and talk, hands-on activities will be available in the galleries that allow visitors to explore everything from the world of Ice Age mammals and how fossils form to the ways today's scientists look for clues about prehistoric life.
The mini-fest is free with museum admission, and free parking is available (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) in the 52 Oxford St. garage. The museum is located at 26 Oxford St., Cambridge. Future events include a screening of "Nova" 's award-winning "Dimming the Sun," about the ways that air pollution has masked the impact of global warming, on April 19 at 2 p.m. Kelly Chance of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics will be the guest speaker.
For more information, call 617-495-3045 or visit hmnh.harvard.edu and click on "Lectures, classes + events" and then "Lectures + special events."
WHO'S GOT SHORT SHORTS?: Two interesting short films events this week: First, the local Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film will show off its finalists for this year's annual Chlotrudis Short Film Juried Festival competition on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Those attending will be able to vote for the Audience Award winner. A 70-second trailer with bits from all the films is posted at chlotrudis.org.
Second, to celebrate International Women's Day, Women in Film & Video/New England will host a program of nine shorts chosen by the New York-based Women in Film and Television International to showcase female directors. The program will be shown in 19 cities worldwide, from Auckland to Copenhagen to Cambridge. It takes place at the Brattle Theatre on Saturday at 2:30. Four of the directors have bases in the US: Valeria Ruiz, Michelle Hung, Sophie Barthes, and Bryce Dallas Howard.
The women's films run from sweet to tart. Hung's short, "Chinese Dumplings," is about two young sisters who would rather be doing anything than practicing violin, and how the younger sister takes charge. Ruiz's "A Moment" is about an elderly woman's memories of intimate moments. Barthes's "Happiness" is about a factory worker who buys a box of happiness, has no idea what to do with it, and returns the box and goes back to her life.
To contact the Coolidge, call 617-734-2500 or go to coolidge.org. To check the Brattle schedule, call 617-876-6837 or visit brattlefilm.org.
SCREENWRITING COMPETITION: More news from Women in Film & Video/New England: it and Lesley University's new Writing for Stage & Screen MFA Program are cosponsoring a screenwriting competition. Their quest: works by women featuring good roles for actresses. Screenwriter Kate Boutilier ("Rugrats in Paris") will judge the competition. The top winner will receive $200 and have her script read by an agent. Deadline is March 15; details at wifvne.org.
Leslie Brokaw can be reached at lbrokaw@globe.com.
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