FILMWorldwide Short Film Festival
The Worldwide Short Film Festival hits town today, showing off more shorts than a Daisy Duke look-alike contest. The films were chosen from a record-breaking 4046 submissions, and with 33 programs of 90 minutes culled from 281 films and 34 countries, there's plenty to choose from whether you're into alternative comedy, mini-musicals, or just want to learn more about Poland, the festival's spotlight country this year. Check out our preview to plan your festival schedule. Runs til June 6.
Various venues and times, single tickets $10 - $12, Daytime screening pass $40, Festival pass $125

GALLERY | Work T.O.gether
The Agents of Urban Change are a fledgling collective of young architects intent on injecting urban development with a social conscience. Their new exhibit at 52 McCaul examines how design decisions affect life in our city, paying particular attention to four factors: the idea of local community, the challenges posed by urban food supply, the need for education created by influxes of young families, and the need for green pockets in the city. The exhibit, which was created in partnership with urban innovator Fsh Tnk, features an interactive model based on the area surrounding 52 McCaul that juxtaposes the familiar with the possible. The show kicks off tonight with an opening talk with the designers. Runs til June 5.
52 McCaul, 52 McCaul Street, Opening talk tonight free, 7 pm, Gallery hours: Tuesday to Saturday 12 pm - 7 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm

THEATRE | Opera Erotique
It's a truism in the world of opera that smart, opinionated female characters usually don't live to see the finale. Out of the Box's new production of Opera Erotique seeks to reverse that theatrical injustice with strong female characters taking centre stage in a tale of art, sex, and cyborgs. The production is a multi-disciplinary experimental collaboration between some first-rate artists, including baritone Alexander Hajek, who recently made his debut for the Canadian Opera Company in Carmen, and cellist Liza McLellan of Quartetto Gelato. The show is also an experiment in sustainable theatre, as organizers have tried to "green" the production while not sacrificing Out of the Box's consistently impressive set design. Tonight is a PWYC preview of the show, which opens tomorrow and runs til June 5.
The Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue, PWYC tonight, $25 - $30 Wednesday to Saturday, 8 pm

BOOKS AND LIT | Book Launch: West Bank Graphic Novel
With recent events in the Middle East promising to once again reshape relations between Israel and Palestine, the launch of the West Bank Graphic Novel tonight offers a seldom heard youth perspective on one of the world's most intractable conflicts. Produced by youth relief organization Project Hope, the book is a collection of twelve stories written by students from the an-Najah University in Nablus. From Persepolis to Maus, graphic novels have time and again proven to be an effective medium for cross-cultural communication, something which will be of utmost importance in the Near East in the coming months. Volunteer editor Rebecca Cox will be talking about her experiences helping compile the book, and copies will be on sale with all proceeds going to help pay tuition fees for participating students.
Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham Street, Free, 7 pm

COMMUNITY | Hunger Awareness Day
According to Food Banks Canada, each year 2.7 million Canadians struggle to get enough to eat. Each day 40,000 people rely on food banks and 37% of these are children. In a country as wealthy as Canada, this situation is clearly preventable, and today events across the country mark Hunger Awareness Day, a Food Banks Canada initiative to bring attention to the plight of Canadians in need by telling the stories of the families who use food banks. Food Banks Canada representatives will be joined by members of the Daily Bread and North York Harvest Food Banks in an event at City Hall to mark the occasion which will include the unveiling of an interactive art exhibit based on Canadians' answers to the question "What would you do to end hunger?"
Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen Street West, Free, 9 am - 2 pm

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Photo: "Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library" by Noah Markus, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.