A slimmed down and verbally repentant Rob Ford returned to the mayor's office yesterday, which (naturally) piqued the interest of Jimmy Kimmel, who has followed the mayor's various controversies with an interest level that borders on obsession. "It's always a great day for a city when their mayor comes back from rehab," the late night host sarcastically noted before making light of the dramatic physical changes Ford has undergone over the last two months. Insert a totally unrealistic body underneath Ford's head and you have a basic joke that somehow works. "Whatever you think about the mayor, you have to admit that he looks good." Indeed.

Photo by Chris Cachia in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto it's World UFO Day, but good luck finding a celebration in this rational drone of a town (anyone want to roadtrip to Niagara Falls for Flying Saucer hangs?) At least we have the weirdness of the Fringe Fest, which launches today and runs in venues across the city until July 13 - check out our preview here.

Pride is never over in Toronto, and post parade you can get sexy literary style at the Gladstone, or dance it out at Queer as Fuck. TURF (Toronto Urban Roots Fest) is beginning its club series with Born Ruffians at the Horseshoe, and this week's TIFF in the Park screening is 20 Feet from Stardom, a tribute to back-up singers. Need a cheap laugh? Free Flicks: Funny Girls will showcase some seriously funny women at the Harbourfront. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Theatre: The Toronto Fringe Festival
• Music: TURF: Born Ruffians (Horseshoe)
• Lit: Tell Me Something Good: Sexy Storytelling Slam PRIDE edition (Gladstone)
• Film: TIFF in the Park (David Pecaut Square)
• Party: Queer As Fuck - Pride Hangover Edition (Steady)
• Comedy: Free Flicks (Harbourfront)
• Art: Geoffrey Farmer: Every day needs an urgent whistle blown into it (AGO)
• Comedy: Holodeck Follies ft Debs and Errol (Black Swan Comedy)
• Comedy: Comedy Night at Musideum (Musideum)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo via The Toronto Fringe on Facebook

Outdoor movies in Toronto are becoming something of a summer tradition. There's always room in town for another impromptu movie theatres - especially when free popcorn is involved. Belljar Cafe, near Dundas and Roncesvalles, has just announced that they'll begin hosting evening movie screenings on their back patio.

Every Tuesday night until September, the cafe will be showing a series of crowd-pleasing flicks (Terminator 2, Donnie Darko and Groundhog Day are a couple notable selections). The series will occasional skew a little more highbrow, with the addition of some special guests. Monkey Warfare director Reg Harkema was on hand to introduce a screening of the film earlier this week, and on July 17, Fat Girl Food Squad will launch a three-part screening series on food, body image and feminism, starting with a showing of A Place at the Table. (And no, I wasn't kidding about the free popcorn.)

Photo from Holy Motors.

The artist behind this new tattoo parlour has already found success in his native Korea; now, he's brought his expertise to Toronto. This Annex shop offers intricate twists on traditional tattoos, from Japanese-influenced styles to American tattoo flash classics, in an ultra-modern, light-filled setting.

Read my review of Tattoo People in the services section.

The top salons for pastel and rainbow hair in Toronto make unusual hair colours a specialty. Somehow, the trend for hyper-unnatural hair colour hasn't yet faded, making the leap into fashion-world legitimacy via famous heads like model Charlotte Free, Nicole Richie, and even Helen Mirren. All of this is much to the joy of people who spent their high school years longingly eyeing the tubs of Manic Panic at Shoppers (including yours truly).

In Toronto, there are tons of places that can add a zip of Crayola colour to your cut, but there's a difference between having some semi-permanent colour kicking around and having the products and skills to create a vivid, long-lasting, multi-dimensional shade. These salons and colourists have a rep for delivering some of the best, boldest colour in town.

Here are my picks for the top salons for pastel and rainbow hair in Toronto.

Blyss Salon
Don't let the Yorkville location turn you off - this salon has a rep for friendly, down-to-earth staff. They're also masters of a "mother-of-pearl" hair technique, pioneered by haircare brand Davines - check out the subtle rainbow effect on local fashion writer Alyssa Garrison. Pricing for the "flamboyage" technique varies.

Proudest Pony
Just east of Lansdowne on College, this gallery-turned-salon takes a painterly approach to colour. Recent greatest hits include vibrant-green ombre and subtle greyish-lavender streaks; check out their Instagram for more recent examples. Full colour starts at $65.

Hero Heroine
Nico and Anthony, the proprietors of this modern, massive Ossington salon, have been doing psychedelic colours on Torontonians since the Electric Circus heyday of the mid-'90s. (Nico himself is known to rock a rainbow of hair colours.) They carry a range of colours and permanence levels - and are willing to research something if they don't have it already. Bleaching and colour starts at $65.

Loft Hair Lounge
At Richmond and Bathurst, Loft (not related to the salon just around the corner on Queen) turns out head after head of attention-grabbing colour: In the past few weeks alone, they've done popsicle-hued ombre, silver with imperceptible pink highlights, and screaming fire-engine red. A single-colour, full-head application starts at $65.

Coupe Bizzarre
It's been open for almost 20 years, and Coupe Bizzarre has still held onto its reputation for cutting-edge cuts. The West Queen West salon turns out Technicolour dye jobs on the regular (check out this recent Pride-worthy look). Colourist Courtney is their fantasy-shade specialist; they deal mostly in semipermanent dye, starting at $75 if you're looking to do streaks or patches and going up from there.

Distinct Hair Salon
For all its homey atmosphere, this cozy salon tucked into the Village on Maitland turns out some pretty edgy stuff; colourist Kenickie is a local fave for ombre-pink, pastel-purple and Crayola-yellow looks. Colour starts at $115.

Palm Sunday
The anything-goes vibe of this easygoing salon on Harbord extends to their approach to colour - including rainbow streaks and some unbelievable cotton-candy-like styles. Pops of colour start at $65, with layered double-process shades going up to $100.

Colour Lab 12
This Rosedale salon is dedicated exclusively to colour - including the wacky ones. They won't fix your roots, and they won't strip old colour out of your hair, but they will give you bright green bangs or jazz up your existing colour with a blue ombre. Their ever-changing rotation of fashion colours starts at $60.

Bob + Paige
On the Danforth, Bob + Paige do some out-of-the-box things with colour; some of their creative looks, featuring delicately-placed streaks and panels, have even placed in Goldwell's annual colour competitions. A full head of colour starts at $70, while highlights start at $110.

Grateful Head
At this rock-and-roll salon on Roncesvalles, colourist Sarah turns out unicorn-pink streaks, violet ombre and Sailor Neptune-worthy all-over turquoise. "Creative colouring techniques" are $120 and up.

Did I miss your favourite? Add it to the comments.

A brand-new startup has launched in Toronto catering to an under-served market: plus-sized gents in search of a sharp wardrobe tailored to their needs. Parker & Pine, a clothing line geared toward "men who live large", has just unveiled a brand-new webstore.

Interestingly enough, though, most of the world probably won't see you showing 'em off. The brand chose boxer briefs, which feature "a supportive pouch, mesh zones for extra breathability, and a non-slip waist" (goodbye, awkward readjusting) as their debut product.

If you're wishing they'd gone for collared shirts or fancy socks instead, never fear: The brand is planning to crowd-source future products (perhaps taking a leaf out of Betabrand's book), so shoppers may get to have their say soon. (Plus, it's always smart to start an outfit - and a company - with a good base layer.)

The Playa Cabana family has a new member. This new backyard cookout behind Playa Cabana Hacienda offers snacks, tacos and tequila cocktails, with a specific focus on styles from the Yucatan peninsula.

Read my profile of La Libre in the restaurants section.

You might have heard that Mandarin was giving away free buffet on Canada Day to mark the restaurant's 35th birthday. The giveaway was only available to Canadian citizens (what?), but that didn't seem to curb the massive lineups that formed over the course of the day. Sure, one expects a queue for free food, but when you get into lawn chair and umbrella territory, that's when it all gets a little bit silly. Some lines reached beyond three hours at their peak, which is a dubious way to spend a holiday. That said, not everyone is as lineup-averse as I am, and what better way to spend some quality family time than milling about in brutally humid weather? Congrats to those who made it inside.

Photo of the lineup for the Finch Ave. Mandarin by David Geguzinskis on Flickr.

Things were already going badly for Rob Ford when the shirtless jogger arrived at the East York Canada Day parade. Booed and heckled as he and a small group of sign-carrying supporters brought up the rear of the walk, the scene was turning more embarrassing by the second.

"You disgusting man," shouted one person. "Shame on you!" "He's scaring kids!" "Get out of my neighbourhood!"

And then a topless Joe Killoran, a local teacher who has previously expressed his opinion on education in the pages of the Toronto Star, arrived on the scene.

I daresay a large part of the reason Killoran's frustrated outburst went viral was his lack of a shirt, but his anger was articulate and, best of all, drenched in the frustration of a Rob Ford-weary Toronto. "Answer one of the million questions people have for you" he said. "People have a million questions about your lying and your corruption."

"You're a corrupt, lying, racist, homophobe. Answer the people's questions."

Ford didn't say anything, of course. Doug Ford grinned through the shouts and accused Killoran of being a plant from a rival campaign. "Do I look like I'm with a campaign?" he snapped back. "I'm an East York guy out for a jog."

Here are the best #shirtlessjogger tweets.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

The Grid is shutting down. Announced on the publication's Twitter account, the weekly will run its last issue this Thursday before ceasing operations altogether. The Torstar-owned property launched three years ago to much fanfare as a replacement for Eye Weekly, and subsequently won a slew of awards for its sleek design and top notch journalism. John Cruickshank, president of Star Media group confirmed the closure in a statement on the Star's website this morning.

"Regretfully, despite a strong and loyal following, we have been unable to generate sufficient revenue from marketers and other sources to fund The Grid's great journalism.

Like all media brands, The Grid has been tremendously impacted by the proliferation of new advertising vehicles that are available to marketers in today's world."

The Globe and Mail reports that severance packages were issued today, though it's not clear at this stage whether the TorStar Corp. will take in some of The Grid's writers or editorial staff.

Signs of trouble first surfaced with staff layoffs last year, but were increased with the announcement of a pared down redesign this spring. That said, the general reaction to today's news has been that of shock. It's unclear right now what the fate of the publication's digital content will be, though there appear to be no plans to continue in any capacity. One hopes that archived content will remain available even in the wake of the closure.

With contributions from Chris Bateman

Gelato in Toronto ain't exactly tough to find, so you hardly have to travel to Italy to have an Eat, Pray, Love-like experience. There are numerous hidden gems around Toronto that might not specialize exclusively in the frozen Italian treat, but make the good stuff in the authentic way: by hand, in small batches, with top notch ingredients. Expect to find some unusual flavours too, not just the Italian standards but bold and unique variations that'll have you licking the bowl.

Here are the top 10 under the radar sources for gelato in Toronto.

Manic Coffee
The College Street cafe does more than just espresso. A selection of house made gelati and vegan sorbets come in unique flavours like roasted banana, Japanese matcha, kalamansi mint, and coconut lime. Order a single ($2.62), double ($3.90) or triple ($5.20) scoop, or by the half or full litre for takeaway ($13-$23).

SanRemo Bakery
The Italian bakery cafe on Royal York makes this cool treat exclusively in the summer months. Made fresh daily, choose from flavours like chocolate, bacio (a chocolate hazelnut kiss), nocciola (hazelnut), torrone (roasted almonds), wild berry yogurt and stracciatella, plus lemon, raspberry and mango sorbetto.

Sud Forno
Located on West Queen West, this Terroni offshoot offers house-made gelato in flavours like cioccolato, nocciola, pistachio, crema, limone and frutti di bosco. While a single scoop (in a cup, sugar cone or regular cone) sells for $4.25, everyone knows that gelato is best when matched with a complimentary flavour, so opt for two scoops for $6.

Cheese Boutique
Peruse this Etobicoke cheese shop with a scoop (or two) of gelato in hand. Among the range of 28 flavours, the most popular are peanut butter, salted caramel or pistachio available to stay ($3.75/small, $4.86/medium, $5.75/large) or in to-go packs ($16/litre, $10/half litre or $7/quarter litre).

Millie Creperie
Order a signature crepe ($6-$6.75) a la mode with a scoop of house-made gelato at this Kensington Market creperie that melds French and Japanese influences. By the cup ($3.50/single, $5/double) flavours like mango, hazelnut, vanilla, green tea, blood orange or chocolate are available, or opt instead for a gelato parfait ($6) topped with fresh fruit, cornflakes and whipped cream.

Nino D'Aversa
With four locations across the GTA, this Italian bakery carries 16 flavours at a time from its roster of 35 house-made gelati. Tiramisu, pistachio, lemon and chocolate are among the top picks available by the cup or cone ($3/small, $5/medium, $7/large)

Pizzeria via Mercanti
Best known for awesomely tasty wood-fired pies, two locations of this pizzeria also excel when it it comes to living La Dolce Vita. Finish off a pizza dinner with scoops of artisanal house-made gelato ($7) in flavours like creme brulee or nutella crostada.

Capitano Burgers & Gelato
Made fresh daily in small batches, this burger shop and gelateria makes all-natural gelato along with dairy-free and vegan versions. Inventive flavours like Nutella pound cake, German rice pudding, cereal milk, and PB&J can be had in a cup ($4-$6), to-go pack ($14-$25) or sandwiched between a sweet bun ($5).

Famoso
Love or hate the pizza from this fast-casual chain, it's the exclusive source for gelato from Calgary-based Fiasco Premium Artisan Gelato, which is undeniably good. The authentic Italian ice cream is handcrafted in small batches with fine ingredients to produce unusual and seasonal flavours like burnt sugar banana chocolate, blueberry basil and blood orange creamsicle. Order a single scoop for $3.75, a double for $5, or a whole pint for $9.

Zsa Zsa Espresso Bar
Four locations of this Italian espresso bar are now prospering since the first Yorkville location opened over 10 years ago. While the coffees are the major draw, the 18 flavours of gelato are exceptionally good too. Sample classic flavours like cioccolato (chocolate) and bacio (chocolate hazelnut). Ranging in size from small to medium, cups sell for $4.65 to $9.65.

BONUS

Be Good Gelato
Toronto's only mobile gelateria sells gelato sandwiches ($5) and half pint ($5) cups from its cargo bike at markets and pop-ups, at catering events or by special order from its production kitchen, located at the Paintbox Bistro. Small batches of all-natural from-scratch gelati come in refreshing creative flavours like tart tatin, maple buttertart, and pineapple basil.

Soma Chocolate
Two boutique locations (in the Distillery District and on King West) stock a dozen or so house-spun gelati and sorbetti in rotating flavours like lemon sour cream, blood orange and mascarpone. Of course, chocolate, being the shop's raison d'etre, is the specialty - don't ignore the dark or milk chocolate flavours. A single scoop sells for $4.55, while a pint goes for $12.

Did we miss any low profile gelato spots? Leave your favourite restaurants or cafes that serve great gelato in the comments.

The best Caesars in Toronto come in an astounding variety of styles. What, after all, really makes a Caesar great? Legend has it that this Canadian classic originated in 1969 at Marco's Italian restaurant at the Calgary Inn. Inspired by the dish Spaghetti Vongole (spaghetti with clams), the first drink consisted of tomato and clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, vodka and Tabasco. But over and above these basics, it seems that the sky's the limit.

Compared to its American cousin, the Bloody Mary, the Caesar is generally lighter and easier-drinking, thanks to the addition of clam broth to the tomato juice. Before the past couple of years, however, virtually every iteration had to be made with either Mott's Clamato cocktail, or some similar derivative. As such, what constituted the best had more to do with lavish garnishes and rimmers than much else. But with Toronto's bartenders taking more risks with additions and infusions (can you say bacon?), the times are changing, albeit slowly.

Here are the best Caesars in Toronto.

See also:

The best cocktails in Toronto
The best brunch in Toronto

Photo by Steve Chui in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Today in Toronto Trash Palace (RIP) will be reborn as monthly film night at the Revue on Roncesvalles, because there are no rules in underground cinema, only edges. TP is screening Destroy All Planets this month, while this week's screening at the Open Roof Festival pairs Jason Bateman's Bad Words with the music of pHoenix Pagliacci. Manifesto are showing "artifacts" from their eight years in Toronto with a fundraiser auction at Artscape Yongeplace. Best yet - SSION is playing at the AGO, so First Thursdays can't not be fun. Read more here. For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Art/Music: First Thursdays: SSION + queerdeathdrive (AGO)
• Music: BadBadNotGood (Adelaide Hall)
• Film: Open Roof Festival (99 Sudbury)
• Art: Manifesto presents - Artifacts (Artscape)
• Film: The Trash Palace is Back - Destroy All Planets (Revue)
• Fashion: Horses Atelier SS14 Sample Sale (198 Walnut Avenue)
• Music: TURF: Deer Tick (Lee's Palace)
• Film: The Sun and the Moon: The Films of Satyajit Ray (TIFF)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo of the Open Roof Festival on Facebook

Summerlicious 2014 starts tomorrow. Running through July 20th, the annual food event provides one of the best ways to sample dishes at Toronto restaurants with three-course fixed priced menus offered at hundreds of different spots. Are you doing Summerlicious this year? If so, we want to see your photos and might even reward you for your efforts too.

To participate, just add your photos to our Summerlicious stream here.

The deadline for entry is end of day July 20th after which we'll select our 10 favourite photos and then let you vote for the top 3. Winners will receive the following prizes:

• 1st place: a $200 gift certificate to Ganzi Osteria
• 2nd place: a $100 gift certificate to Turf Lounge
• 3rd place: a $50 gift certificate to Trevor Kitchen & Bar

Good luck!

Photo by Gregory Thiel from the blogTO Flickr pool.

On the Danforth near Greenwood, this brand-new butcher shop stocks a wide selection of meats (prepared and not), spice rubs, hot sauces and marinades, but it's the sandwich selection that really shines. Pull up a standing-room table and enjoy a porchetta or buttermilk chicken sandwich - just skip the beef neck version, unless you really like chewing.

Read my review of Stock in Trade in the grocery section.

Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.

NOW OPEN

• Little Sister Indonesian Food Bar, from the same folks behind Quince, is now open at 2031 Yonge St.
• Tilde, the taqueria at 699 Danforth Ave., is now open and offering an introductory menu featuring selections like Korean chicken tacos and Nopal fritters. Time to redeem those free tacos.
• Kobu Nobu, a Japanese cookhouse, is now in soft opening mode at 786 Broadview Ave. dishing up an izakaya-like menu featuring spring rolls, dumplings and ramen.

RECENTLY REVIEWED

• La Libre
• Mata Petisco Bar
• Smith
• North of Brooklyn (Church)
• Cluny

OPENING SOON

• Kujira Japanese Cuisine is moving into 12 Cumberland St., formerly home to Fortuna Ristorante and Lounge.
• The Sterling Social looks poised to take over Good Times Bad Times Cafe, next to Nonna's Place at 1421 Bloor St. West.
• Signs Restaurant and Bar will soon open at 556 Yonge St.

Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com

Photo of Tilde at TUM from Jesse Milns

New painted bike lanes started to appear on Simcoe Street this week, but it seemed users of the street's soon-to-be-defunct parking meters were turning scofflaw, blocking the painted contraflow track with their cars and motorcycles.

Not so, says Dan Egan, the city's Manager of Cycling Infrastructure and Programs. The lines might look finished, but the transportation department still needs to install south-facing traffic signals for the new northbound cyclists.

"We've done the contraflow on Richmond west of Bathurst, we've done the contraflow on Stephanie and Phoebe--we're doing all the connecting pieces first before we put Richmond and Adelaide in," he says. "We will finish the Simcoe piece and it will get activated next week."

The new Simcoe bike lane, which runs between Front and Queen, is part of the city's year-long pilot project centred on Richmond and Adelaide streets, the results of which will be passed on to council with an eye to making the lanes permanent.

When construction wraps up in a few weeks, Richmond will have a separated westbound bike lane between York and Bathurst. Eastbound riders will get a similar set-up on Adelaide from Bathurst to Simcoe.

"[The lanes] will be there probably for a good year," Egan says. "The intent is to keep the pilot and transition to a permanent facility once the report goes through council."

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Film events this summer in Toronto will provide you with an air-conditioned escape from rising temperatures. The next few months are boiling over with must-see special screenings, retrospectives, new releases, and a certain well-known film festival, so allow me to guide you toward cooler climates and faraway worlds with an outline of the summer full of exciting and unique cinematic visions that await you.

Here are my picks for the top film events in Toronto for summer 2014.

Watch a free movie outside / Until August 28
You might have seen our awesomely detailed outline of the copious screening line-ups for free outdoor screenings in Toronto this summer. This is quintessential seasonal activity, so if you're reading this list at all, make sure you take advantage of as many of these as possible.

Satyajit Ray and India Seen By Outsiders / July 3-August 17 / TIFF Bell Lightbox
Raj Kapoor was a hot ticket at the Lightbox in the summer of 2011, and now TIFF showcases an even more revered Indian auteur - perhaps the biggest one of all. Satyajit Ray is to the cinema of India what Abbas Kiarostami is to that of Iran, Ozu to Japan, Bergman to Sweden, and Dreyer to Denmark; that is, he put his national cinema on the map, and gave it a new artistic integrity. There'll also be a side program of India-set films made by non-Indians, which includes Marguerite Duras's rare and legendary India Song.

Richard Linklater's Boyhood / July 18
RIchard Linklater is known for his radical depictions of time passing, most notoriously in his Before trilogy; he could have made each sequel the way most others would: by slathering make-up on his actors to make them appear nine years older. But Linklater prefers to let life do the make-up work, and Boyhood, which chronicles twelve years in the life of a boy named Mason and, yep, took twelve years to film, is his most moving ode to the power of waiting. Set in Texas, it's also a great summer movie, what with the ambience always being summery there, no matter the season.

Site/Sight/Cite: The Cinema of Nancy Holt / July 19 / 401 Richmond Courtyard
Nancy Holt was a Massachusetts native who worked closely with Robert Smithson (of Spiral Jetty fame) until his sudden, early death in 1973. One of their collaborations in particular, Breaking Ground: Broken Circle / Spiral Hill, was finished just before she passed earlier this year, and took forty years to complete. That film, as well as other films by Holt and Smithson, will be featured in this special screening.

Retrospectives on American masters / July 24-August 31 / TIFF Bell Lightbox
Jim Jarmusch. Sara Driver. Robert Altman. Besides India, this summer sees TIFF put a keen focus on old school American cinema dating back to the 60s, roaring through the '80s, and continuing to flourish well into the 21st century. Nashville. You Are Not I. Dead Man. McCabe & Mrs. Miller. Stranger Than Paradise. The Long Goodbye. Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. Sleepwalk. 3 Women. Mystery Train. I guess I'll stop there, but I really don't want to.

Second Coming: Cinema's Greatest Sequels / August 8-31 / TIFF Bell Lightbox
I see no reason to hesitate in expressing that the current epidemic of sequels, remakes, reboots, and based-on-a-true-whatever bullshit is killing popular cinema today, but nothing made me happier as a kid than finding out that one of my favourite movies was "getting a Part 2," and that's largely to the credit of a time when a sequel wasn't merely a cash-in. This series encompasses just about all the sequels worth your time. No need to make anymore Hollywood, thanks.

Queer West Film Festival / August 9 / Buddies In Bad Times Theatre
Only a four-hour component of the four-day Toronto Queer Arts Festival, the Queer West Film Festival is a self-proclaimed "small, but quality film festival" and offers a casual and intimate opportunity to view some carefully curated queer-themed films high artistic ambitions. By mid-August, many of us will already be feeling a deep nostalgia for the late-May-to-June Inside Out and World Pride blow-out, making this little one-off perfectly placed.

Señoritas / August 22 / TIFF Bell Lightbox
The debut feature from Toronto-based filmmaker Lina Rodriguez, Señoritas focuses on the sexual and spiritual awakening of a Colombian girl named Alejandra. Produced by TIFF programmer Brad Deane, this is one of the more exciting debuts on the radar, as the short, avant-garde works I've seen by Rodriguez are truly stellar. A great cap to the dog days of August.

Double Play: James Benning and Richard Linklater / August 23 / TIFF Bell Lightbox
Two of the best working American filmmakers just so happen to be friends, and just so happen to be deeply concerned with cinematic duration. Comprised mostly of casual conversations between Benning and Linklater as they discuss their various working strategies and philosophies, Double Play bridges the arbitrary divide between avant-garde and narrative filmmaking, and finds common ground in the two directors' practices. This edition of TIFF's The Free Screen will be succeeded by a screening of Benning's feature American Dreams (lost and found), with Benning there in person for both.

Toronto International Film Festival / September 4-15
There's a little film festival that takes place in early-to-mid September in Toronto, you may have heard of it. They show some pretty cool movies there, some of them are kinda great. We'll have more on this in the weeks leading up to the main event. All public can buy ticket packages as of July 9 (or July 2 if you're a Visa cardholder; or now if you're a TIFF member) here. (All my pity to those of you who fail to purchase a Wavelengths package before they sell out.)

Thanks to Pure Leaf for sponsoring our summer adventures. For more things to do this summer, check out our Best of Summer page.

What did I miss? Add more film events to the comments.