Toronto events on June 24th, 2013

FILM | 9th Annual ReelHeART International Film Festival
The ReelHeart International Film Festival, now in its ninth year, returns to deliver a stellar showcase of international film talent, and launches tonight. The mandate of this festival gets to the "real heart" of what film is all about: the story. Programmers at the festival place this element above all else when considering what to show at this annual June event, and present the work of film students beside established filmmakers across a wide spectrum of styles and genres. Tonight, the festival opens with Shorts Heard Around The World, a screening of 5 short films from various locations around the globe, followed by a reception, then Canadian Makin': 5 films from Canada, and the evening concludes with an opening night celebration. ReelHeart runs until Saturday, June 29th.
The Big Picture Cinema (1035 Gerrard Street East) 6PM $12/program

BOOKS & LIT | Blue Coffee Poetry Night
There's a new poetry night in town, and it happens tonight at the Magpie Taproom. Blue Coffee Poetry Night aims to feature writers of both poetry and fiction in the community, and also hopes to engage people who appreciate these literary forms. Tonight's participants include Rocco De Giacomo, an established poet who has appeared on the CBC, and has been published internationally; and Liisa Ladouceur, whose writing has appeared in various publications, even those of a non-literary variety, will be sharing a work-in-progress, Requiem Birds. Shawn Nolan, Kelly Paoli, and Mindi St.Amand will also be reading tonight. Come out and support your local literary scene!
Magpie Taproom (831 Dundas Street West) 7:30PM PWYC

MUSIC | TD Toronto Jazz Festival
Already in full swing (pardon the pun), the TD Toronto Jazz Festival continues today with a variety of sounds and styles which all fall under the ever-expanding, progressive umbrella of jazz. This afternoon, you can catch free performances by both John MacLeod & The Rex Hotel Orchestra, and The Heavyweights Brass Band at the Toronto Star Stage at Nathan Phillips Square. The real action is tonight, though, with organ maestro Dr. Lonnie Smith hitting the Horseshoe Tavern; the great Fred Hersch will deliver a solo piano performance at Harbourfront; and Richard Whiteman's band will play Gate 403 on Roncesvalles Ave, plus much more.
Nathan Philips Square (afternoon concerts only) 12:30PM FREE

FILM | Early Monthly Segments #52 = Material Action! W + B Hein + Brakhage + Solomon
Early Monthly Segments returns to the Gladstone Hotel Art Bar for its June edition. This monthly event screens vintage and modern experimental films on their original format (usually 16mm film) that are rarely seen, and historically significant. Tonight's program consists of two films. The first, Rohfilm (meaning "Raw Film"), is a film by Wilhelm and Birgit Hein, a couple whose X Screen cinema became the epicentre of German art films and global underground screenings in the late '60s and early '70s in Cologne. The second film is Elementary Phrases a collaboration between Stan Brakhage and Phil Solomon, and consists of handpainted film and photography combined to deliver a unique visual experience.
Gladstone Hotel Art Bar (1214 Queen Street West) 8PM (pwyc - $5-10 suggested)

Also Of Note

Canadian Media Guild-Toronto's 2013 Pride Week LGBT Short Film Festival
Sandwich Showdown

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Photo by Bruce Wang in the blogTO Flickr pool