Friday, Oct. 18

Running through this weekend is the Arab Film Festival at the Harmony Gold Theater, which has the mission to dispel stereotypes in American mass media and broaden the public's understanding of Arab culture. It starts today at 11:30 a.m. with two shorts. In Imago, a woman's belief in an imaginary world, where she goes to feel safe, threatens her chances of getting custody of her son during divorce proceedings. In The Cup Reader, we see the choices various women make about their relationships after seeing Warde, a fortune teller.

Then, at midnight at the Nuart, it's the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer — the film that came before Joss Whedon's popular show. Buffy, played by Kristy Swanson, is a high school student by day, ass-kicking vampire killer at night, protecting the streets of Los Angeles.

Saturday, Oct. 19

Based on the Japanese sci-fi anime series that was shown in North America under the name Star Blazers in 1979, Space Battleship Yamato follows former pilot Susumu Kodai, who takes a crew on a mission to save Earth from the radiation caused by the Gamilas, a mysterious alien entity trying to eradicate all of mankind. See the live-action film at the Downtown Independent today at 7:30 p.m. or at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27.

Sunday, Oct. 20

As part of the Museum of Latin American Art's celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), it will be screening The Feast of the Souls / Lanii Xtee Tugul along with a pre-movie presentation at 2 p.m. The documentary explores how this tradition creates a bond among family members and within a community. Admission is free.

See also: More L.A. Weekly Film Coverage

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