Wednesday, July 8

* Just for Laughs begins with The Ethnic Show
* The Fantasia film fest screens four hours of trailers at the SAT
* Burlesque, acrobats, music & lovelife advice at the Wiggle Room’s Voix de Ville
* Todd Haynes’ 1995 film Safe screens on Mount Royal
* Orchestral folk septet Heirloom launches a record at la Sala Rossa
* The Salt of the Earth documentary screens at the Phi Centre

>> Click to read more…

Anna Ostapenko
Anna Ostapenko. Photo by  Matt Beard
 
Just for Laughs is on! The comedy fest launches with the debut of the 2015 edition of The Ethnic Show, featuring comics Alfonzo Bodden, Rachid Badouri, Frank Spadone, Gina Yashere, Ahmed Ahmed, Ronny Chieeg and Dan Naturman. (Not recommended for easily ruffled politically correct complainers.) Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent), 7 p.m., $42.91–$60

The Fantasia film fest launches its 2015 program with a free event at SAT, where they’ll be screening four hours (!) of previews for films that are coming to the festival this year. (See our Fantasia 2015 highlights here.) 1201 St-Laurent, 7 p.m., free

The Wiggle Room’s weekly vaudeville variety show (and competition) Voix de Ville presents burlesque acts Lola Spark  and Miss Fanny Fine & Punani DiFranco, acrobat Anna Ostapenko (from Cirque du Soleil?!), live music by the Continentals and advice from the Love Doctor. 3874 St-Laurent, doors 7:30 p.m., show 8 p.m., $10/$8 for students

Cinema Out of the Box is a travelling series of outdoor film screenings using a bicycle-powered projector. Find them on Mount-Royal tonight for a screening of Todd Haynes’ 1995 film Safe starring Julianne Moore. Come early for a potluck picnic! Mount-Royal Park (check the link for exact location), 8 p.m. picnic, 9 p.m. screening, free

Local orchestral folk septet Heirloom launches their third record at la Sala Rossa with opener Nick Vallee of Folly and the Hunter. 4848 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $10

The Salt of the Earth, a fascinating documentary about Brazilian photographer Sebastio Salgado, is screening at the Phi Centre. (See our interview with Salgado and his son, who co-directed the documentary with German auteur Wim Wenders.) 407 St-Pierre, 9:30 p.m., $11.25
 
Check out our complete listings for more concert, nightclub, theatre, comedy and art events.