This week in film rounds up the most noteworthy independent screenings and cinema-related events happening in Toronto.

MONDAY MAY 9TH / BILL CUNNINGHAM NEW YORK / KINGSWAY CINEMAS / 7:20PM
The photographic force of nature who charged into the fashion scene with a click of his shutter, Bill Cunningham has been a staple in the New York Times for over 30 years, tearing through the city on his bike and capturing street fashion as he sees it. The doc follows his career and legacy as he's inspired legions of photographers, (most notably the Sartorialist), and features candid interviews with the likes of Anna Wintour and the de la Rentas. Tickets can be bought at the cinema. This film is also currently running at the Varsity Cinema with multiple screening times.

TUESDAY MAY 10TH / TANGO, A STORY WITH JEWS / BLOOR CINEMA / 3PM
Screening as part of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Tango, A Story with Jews follows the history of tango in Buenos Aires and the influence that Jewish immigrants fleeing Russia in the late 19th century had on the development of the dance style. A sumptuous look at a city that is a mix of all types of cultures and peoples, the film is a celebration of food, music, culture and of course, the tango. Matinee tickets are $8 and can be bought online, at the advance box office or at the cinema.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11TH / DROP YOUR SHORTS - SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL / REVUE CINEMA / 7PM
The best value for a toonie that you'll find this evening, the Revue Cinema's Drop Your Shorts Short Film Festival is celebrating it's fifteenth birthday! The festival prides itself on being comprised completely of user-created content, and as the programming is scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis, you have no idea whether the film will be from your neighbours or by a local filmmaker. Unjuried and definitely unpredictable. Tickets are $2, seriously, and can be purchased at the cinema.

THURSDAY MAY 12TH / MARY LOU / BLOOR CINEMA / 8PM
Screening as part of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, Mary Lou is Israel's answer to Priscilla Queen of the Desert (the official description says it's more like Glee, but I don't think that's a compliment!) Mary Lou is a mini-series that follows Meir, a drag-queen in the making as he goes on a quest to find his estranged mother and becomes a star along the way. Full of energy, sexy situations, some heartwarming moments and lots of pop songs, it sure beats prime-time autotuned teenagers. Tickets are $13 and can be purchased online, at the advance box office or at the cinema.

FRIDAY MAY 13TH / TIFF NEXT WAVE: BATTLE OF THE SCORES / TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX / 8PM
Back in the day, musical accompaniment was de rigour for films, as piano-men tinkled the ivories to add enjoyment for cinema-goers, or phonographs playing classic opera pieces that are still found in film scores today. (Flight of the Valkyries much?) Battle of the Scores revives that tradition with a twist, by inviting teenagers to take part in the film process by accompanying specially selected films and performing them for audiences in the Lightbox. Tickets are $12 for adults, $9.50 for students and seniors and can be purchased online or at the cinema.

SATURDAY MAY 14TH / MODRA / ROYAL CINEMA / 4PM
Modra, one of Canada's Top Ten Features this past year, is screening again one last time at the Royal Cinema. The film follows Lina, a Torontonian teenager who goes to visit family in Slovakia, who on a whim decides to invite a young man she hardly knows to fill the spot left when her boyfriend dumps her. The story of that first relationship on the cusp of adulthood, and that first realization that you don't yet who you are or what you are becoming. To celebrate the DVD release of the film, director Ingrid Veninger will be in attendance for a Q&A period following the film. Tickets are $10 and can be bought at the cinema.

SUNDAY MAY 15TH / MY BEST GIRL / TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX / 11AM &12PM
Part of the Mary Pickford exhibition underway at the Tiff Bell Lightbox, My Best Girl is Pickford's last film, a romcom about love, retail and mistaken identity. A classic story in that boy meets girl under guise of poverty, the two fall in love and their family differences cause all kinds of mayhem. The story gets sweeter when you realize that Buddy Rogers, the love interest in this film, ended up married to Mary Pickford a decade later and they remained so until she passed away. After the film, be sure check out the exhibition on the 4th floor at the Lightbox while you're there. Tickets are $12 and can be bought online or at the cinema.

Still from Bill Cunningham New York