-- Fil Lorenz & the Collective West Jazz Orchestra: Check out this choice 12-piece jazz band tonight at 8 p.m. & 10 p.m. at Jazz at Pearl's, 256 Columbus; $10-$15. -- Tomo, Caribbean, Change!: Experimental indie pop and plinky sounds abound  tonight at 9:30 p.m. at Hemlock Tavern, 1131 Polk; $5. --  The S.F. International Festival of Short Films: For people like us who suffer from drug-company-created disorder ADHD, this film festival, featuring 60+ short films,......

Our infatuation with Tara Wray and her documentary, Manhattan, Kansas, began at the opening shot of a very energetic and young-looking woman on a rooftop in Manhattan, New York, who turned out to be Tara Wray herself, and the creator of the adventurously personal film we were about to watch. She said she always felt like she was born in "the wrong Manhattan." ...

The two SF Indie Fest films we watched on Friday night at the Victoria Theatre made for a very thought-provoking juxtaposition. The short film Mischief at 16th and Florida captured the rich history of an industrial area (and the river beneath it) located just a mere five blocks from the film screening. The feature film The Ballad of Greenwich Village was related to us through the countless anecdotes of the many amazing artists, performers......

It's the kick-off party for the Bicycle Film Festival. Starting at 9 tonight, the shindig's at BOCA (414 Jesse Street, just off 5th). And, hey, even if you can't make tonight's do, you should hit the film fest, running this Friday and Saturday at the Victoria Theatre (2961 16th Street, just off Mission). You can buy an all access pass for $29 (whatta deal!) or a single ticket is $8. See the entire program here.......

Saturday: Head to the The Exploratorium (3601 Lyon Street) for the Physics of Toys: Ride Like The Wind! At 11 a.m. ­or 3 p.m, you'll have the chance to make your own kites, sail-carts, and pinwheels. Shut up, it sounds fun. That night, at 7:30, we're hitting Project ARTAUD (450 Florida Street between 17th and Mariposa) for Every Little Movement: a benefit for Remy Charlip. Charlip, an acclaimed dancer, recently suffered a stroke, and......

We've got quite a diversity of recommendations this week - from the politically conscious, to the "sick and twisted", to the, well, sick and twisted and Russian. Check it out! First on our list is the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, which runs February 19- 26 at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley and March 10, 16, 23, 30 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. This year the festival......