FESTIVAL | Kuumba
The 16th annual Kuumba festival descends upon the Harbourfront Centre this weekend in celebration of Black History Month. African and Caribbean communities will be highlighted in this festival that will showcase international artists, drum circles, hip-hop dance workshops and a fashion workshop with Stacey Mackenzie. A village market will also be open, capturing African roots from a 21st century perspective along with the topical discussion panels that will take place throughout the festival. Kuumba closes February 5th and is free and open to the public.
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West) 6PM Free

MUSIC | Young Empires ∆ CD Release Party
Young Empires have been getting significant airplay in the GTA with their recent single "White Doves" appealing to both mainstream and indie audiences. These Toronto boys are rising and to celebrate the release of their full-length album Wake All My Youth, they are performing tonight at the Horseshoe. Joining the four-piece onstage tonight will be Bravestation, Honheehonhee and Paradise Animals. Doors open at 9PM and, sorry kids, but this is a 19+ affair.
Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen Street West) 9PM $10

FILM | Screening The Ponzi Scheme
A victim of a Ponzi scheme, Billie Mintz decides that with his life savings lost, he has nothing to lose by taking matters into his own hands. Hiring a private investigator, Mintz documents his road trip to New York to uncover the scheme that has defrauded innocent people of millions. With stories of victims intertwined, the Toronto filmmaker (and interestingly enough, former Degrassi Junior High star) investigates how this scam works in his 2010 documentary The Ponzi Scheme. Opening at the Projection Booth tonight, the screening will be followed by a Q&A with the Toronto director.
The Projection Booth (1035 Gerrard Street East) 9PM $8 regular, $6 student/senior

ART | Anders Oinonen/ People People
Toronto painter Anders Oinonen debuts People People--an exhibit of faces within landscapes--with an opening reception party at Cooper Cole tonight. Working in the form of abstract expressionism and obscured representation, Oinonen uses colour and gradation to reveal the facial features of ambiguous subjects. The local artist's work has previously appeared in collections at the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal and the Canada Council Art Bank but this is his first solo exhibit. The exhibit closes February 26th.
Cooper Cole (1161 Dundas Street West) 6PM Free

FILM | Cinenova: Opening Screening
Non-profit feminist film and video distributor Cinenova presents a double bill screening this evening that features two Toronto films curated by New York-based artist Emma Hedditch. Hedditch will discuss the two films as part of an initiative of the Feminist Art Gallery, The Power Plant and the Art Gallery of York University. The film selections include Ronna Bloom's I Feel Hopeful About the Future, a short about memory, and Midi Onodera's The Displaced View, a 52-minute doc about finding identity as a Japanese-Canadian. This event is free but seating is limited so make sure to arrive early.
The Department (1389 Dundas Street West) 6:30PM Free

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• Freaks and Geeks--A Drag Musical
• Moon Point at AMC
• Pink Ribbons, Inc.
• Ryan Wallace & Chris Duncan / Transmission Lines
• Vernissage: Ebb and Flow Exhibition at Muse Gallery

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For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by yedman in the blogTO Flickr pool