Women in power

The Indie Film Series at Studio C! continues this weekend with six new titles, blazing an art-house movie trail that will lead into the 17th Annual East Lansing Film Festival at the end of the month. Series programmer Susan Woods once again cherry-picked the films from the buzziest international, independent and documentary fare making the festival circuit rounds.

“These are some of the best movies out there, and if it weren’t for (the Indie Film Series), Lansing audiences would never get to see them on the big screen,” Woods said.

October’s lineup features a bevy of films featuring strong female characters, including a mind-bending documentary about a ‘50s-era photographer whose brilliant work was only recently discovered, a coming-ofage comedy/drama about three Swedish teens trying to start a female punk band and a riveting sexual power play from that polarizing button-pusher, Roman Polanski.

“Abuse of Weakness” (NR, drama, 105 minutes — in French with English subtitles) French director Catherine Breillat based this story on her real-life experience of being swindled by a con man following her 2004 stroke.

“(Actress) Isabelle Huppert is excellent,” Woods said. “This examination of greed, emotional manipulation and simple need is gripping and beautifully acted.”

“Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me” (NR, documentary, 81 minutes) Before her death at age 89 earlier this year, Detroit native Elaine Stritch had successfully navigated a life of performance from the Broadway stage to television and movies. This film serves as a coda to her remarkable 70-year career, and features interviews with Nathan Lane, Tina Fey and the late James Gandolfini.

“It’s a tender, funny and intimate look at a one-of-a-kind performer,” Woods said.

“Finding Vivian Maier” (NR, documentary, 83 minutes) In 2009, a real estate agent bought a mysterious box of 60-year-old undeveloped photographs at an auction. What he found was over 100,000 negatives by an amateur photographer/professional nanny named Vivian Maier that would go on to set the photography world on fire. This documentary tracks Maier´s strange life and is lush with her photography.

“Fascinating film,” Woods said.

“The Past” (PG-13, drama, 130 minutes — in French and Persian with English subtitles) From Oscar-nominated filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (“A Separation”) comes the twisty story of an Iranian man who reunites with his estranged wife in Paris to finalize their divorce, which is soon complicated by a shocking revelation.

“It’s a magnificent, engrossing film that seamlessly changes perspectives as the story unfolds,” Woods said. “Highly recommended.”

“Venus in Fur” (NR, drama, 96 minutes — in French and German with English subtitles) Roman Polanski´s first non-Englishlanguage feature in 51 years is an adaptation of David Ives´ Tony-nominated play about the sexual politics of the entertainment world.

“(It’s) wickedly smart and wickedly playful — it´s almost dizzying,” Woods said.

“We Are the Best!” (NR, comedy/drama, 102 minutes — in Swedish with English subtitles) Despite having no instruments or musical experience, two rebellious 13-year-old Swedish girls decide to form a punk rock band. Director Lukas Moodysson adapted the film from his wife’s graphic novel.

“It’s the sleeper film of the program,” Woods said.

Indie Film Series

Friday, Oct. 3-Friday, Oct. 29 Studio C! Meridian Mall 1999 Central Park Drive, Okemos (517) 393-7469, celebrationcinema.com/ studioc

FRIDAY, OCT. 3 >> ‘SONIC SALON’ AT THE BROAD

“The museum of the 21st century doesn’t have to be a place of quiet reflection on the pieces within,” said Broad Art Museum spokesman Jake Pechtel. But would you ever think that would entail someone banging together farm equipment next to an exhibit? The Broad’s new series, “Sonic Salon,” invites artists to utilize the museum space as a laboratory for creating work with an emphasis on the exchange of ideas. The first installment features Thollem McDonas, a pianist, composer and educator who will utilize farm tools and other implements, in conjunction with the Broad Exhibition ‘The Land Grant: Flatbread Society,’ to create an evening of improvised music. The performance is meant to create an instruction-based, participatory and site-specific concert and dialogue. 7 p.m. FREE. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 E. Circle Drive, MSU campus, East Lansing. (517) 884-4800, broadmueseum.msu.edu.

FRIDAY, OCT. 3-SUNDAY, OCT.5 >> ‘CHILDS PLAY’ AT RIVERWALK THEATRE

Just in time for the Halloween season, director Amy Rickett brings the Tony-winning play “Childs Play” to the Riverwalk Theatre’s Black Box. It´s a thriller about rivalry between two faculty members at a Catholic boarding school. After a few violent encounters among the students, a former pupil begins to believe there is a demonic possession to blame. 8 p.m. Friday/Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $12/$10 seniors and students. Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Drive, Lansing. (517) 482-5700. riverwalk.com (Continues Oct. 10-12)

FRIDAY, OCT.3-SATURDAY, OCT.4 >> ‘ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER’ BY LCC PERFORMING ARTS

Playwright Rajiv Joseph must have a thing for animals. The creator of “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” which electrified audiences at last week at the Peppermint Creek Co., is also the writer of “Animals Out of Paper,” presented this week by Lansing Community College’s Performing Arts Department. “Animals” is the story of an origami artist who opens her studio to a teen prodigy and his teacher. 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday. $10/$5 students. LCC Black Box Theatre, 168 Gannon Building, Lansing. (517) 483-1488. lcc.edu/showinfo [Continues Oct. 10-11]