Photo by frederiksenp

FRIDAY

MOVIES: This weekend there are three film festivals to choose from: the Alexandria Film Festival, Chocolate City Films: Reflections on the Diaspora, and the AFI Latin American Film Festival. Get all the details on what to see at these festivals, along with the rest of our film picks of the week, here.

ART: All four artists featured in Renwick Gallery’s Staged Stories: Renwick Craft Invitational 2009 will be will be at the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum for a roundtable discussion and reception. 6 p.m., free. Read more about art events this weekend in our Arts Agenda.

MUSIC: See who’s in the The Minus 5 tonight, as their frequently rotating line-up has included guests from Guided By Voices, Wilco, R.E.M., The Decemberists, and Death Cab for Cutie. They’re at Iota at 9:30 p.m., $20.

D.C. band the Cornel West Theory has a new album on the way and a show at Liv. As an added bonus, they’ll be appearing at the performance with their namesake, Princeton prof. Cornel West. $10 in advance, 7 p.m.

JAZZ: An icon of African American culture, poet/playwright/activist Amiri Baraka comes to Twins Jazz tonight for a reading with jazz accompaniment. Leading the backing band will be woodwind artist Renè Profit-McLean. Tickets to the 9 and 11 p.m. sets are $20. And with more jazz events this upcoming week than I’ve ever seen highlighted before, please look at our Week in Jazz feature for much more to choose from, and good luck making your jazz rounds this weekend.