Priority list: Heartland Film and Crossroads Comedy fests, more

This weekend, you can pick and choose events or settle into one of two weekend-long festivals.

Heartland Film Festival

Opening night has moved from a Thursday to a Friday (at the Indianapolis Museum of Art), a Premiere Pavilion party area will be set up outside AMC Traders Point, and the award ceremony has moved to the second Saturday at the Egyptian Room, with the winners re-screened on Sunday at Traders Point. An Indiana Spotlight category has been added to recognize local filmmakers. And there is film after film after film that you haven’t been overexposed to with commercials, trailers, and late-night talk show interviews. For a half dozen picks to get you started, visit www.ibj.com/arts

Various locations Oct. 16-25  Details

“Remembrances: A Ballet in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust”

Former Dance Kaleidoscope dancer Brian Honigbaum choreographed this work inspired by his relationship with local Holocaust survivors Mike and Agnes Vogel. In addition to DK dancers, the piece also will involve dancers from the Indianapolis School of Ballet. In addition to the public performances, the work will reach schoolchildren during matinees. DK’s “iconoGlass” opens the show.

Clowes Hall Oct. 16-18  Details

Crossroads Comedy Festival

This new festival features 28 comics (including Brooks Wheelan), 23 comedy groups, a string of workshops and a block party. Performers are spread out through Theatre on the Square, CSz Theatre, and the IndyFringe Theatre. You can go a la cart (some tickets are as low as $5) or pick up a festival passes and fill your weekend.

Various Mass Ave locations Oct. 16  Details

Also this week

The darling of the PBS pledge-break set, Josh Groban, performs in concert Oct. 14 at the Murat Theatre.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art’s performance company in residence, Know No Stranger, offers the latest edition of its popular “Optical Popsicle” variety show Oct. 15, 17.

Jazz vocalist Rachel Caswell sings from her latest album, “All I Know” Oct. 14 at the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center.

Eclectic Pond Theatre Company sets Shakespeare’s bloody “Titus Andronicus” into a post-apocalyptic future Oct. 16-31 at Indy Indie Artist Colony.

Comic Lewis Black brings his latest show to the Murat Oct. 17.

The limit-pushing drum/bass/piano trio The Bad Plus is joined by tenor saxophonist/friend Joshua Redman for an evening of originals and iconoclastic covers Oct. 18 at the Palladium.

Ensemble Music Society presents The Atos Trio Oct. 14 at the Indiana History Center

1931 classic version of “Frankenstein” is screened at Garfield Park Arts Center Oct. 17.