Urban Planner: June 15, 2009

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com

Still from Lesbian National Parks and Services Presents: Endangered Species by Lorri Millan and Shawna Dempsey, courtesy of Sharon Switzer.

PRIDE: While the Pride Parade is still two weeks away, Pride 2009 is already gearing up with queer culture events, including today's launch for Video Art Is Queer. For its third year, Video Art Is Queer will showcase seven short videos from established Canadian artists Cecilia Berkovic, Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan, Barry Doupé, Richard Fung, Dana Inkster, Stephen Lawson and Aaron Pollard (2boys.tv), and Deirdre Logue. The event is curated by local artist (and Art for Commuters advocate) Sharon Switzer. If you don't catch it this week you can view one-minute versions of the videos as they play every ten minutes on TTC screens during Pride Week. Trinity Square Video (401 Richmond Street West, Suite 376), 10 a.m.–6 p.m., June 15 to 27, FREE.

WORDS: This Is Not A Reading Series treats Toronto to a chat between Pages founder Marc Glassman and award-winning author David Bezmozgis. Preceding the Q&A will be an "avant-premiere screening" of Bezmozgis's first feature film, Victoria Day, which had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival this past January. The film, inspired by Bezmozgis's experiences as the son of Russian immigrants, follows a sixteen-year-old as he discovers girls, drugs, and the trouble with missing classmates all over the course of one Victoria Day long weekend. The chat will focus on the differences between telling stories on the page and telling them on the screen or the stage. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), 8 p.m. (doors 7:30), $10.

WORDS: Rupert McNally of Ben McNally Books hosts The Fine Print literary series, which launches with British writer Monica Ali reading from her latest novel, In the Kitchen. Ali is best known for her controversial 2003 novel Brick Lane, which was adapted into the the 2007 film of the same name. A Q&A and a book signing will follow the reading. Dora Keogh Traditional Irish Pub (141 Danforth Avenue), 7 p.m. FREE.

MUSIC: Phoenix, those adorable French pop-rockers with the electronic funk grooves, have flown into town to play at, where else, the Phoenix Concert Theatre. They're out promoting their latest album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. They've collaborated with Air and have ties with Daft Punk and are rumoured to put on a solid show (you may have caught their performance on Saturday Night Live last month). Tickets may be scarce, but it'll be worth the search. Phoenix Concert Theatre (410 Sherbourne Street), 9 p.m., $22.50 (19+; ID required).