This week, Plymouth movie buffs can be part of an international jury when the Manhattan Short Film Festival returns to the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., Wednesday, Sept. 30, and Thursday, Oct. 1.
Audiences at venues around the world watch the same 10 finalist short films, then cast ballots for Best Film and Best Actor. This year’s finalists span 10 countries and move between comedy and drama, touching on migration, reconciliation, parenthood and coming of age. Small Talk (USA), directed by Eduardo Moral, follows a cab driver preserving human connection in a neon-drenched future dominated by AI. Mary Is Missing (Ireland), directed by Aisling Byrne, centers on the unsettling disappearance of a care worker.
In Candy Bar (Australia), directed by Nash Edgerton, a young girl notices a striking resemblance between a stranger and her father. Vultures (South Africa), directed by Dian Weys, unfolds in the tense aftermath of a car crash, while Life Goes On (United Kingdom), directed by Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt, is an end-of-life “romp.”
Hai Davai (Moldova), directed by Vlad Gradescu, follows a young woman on the verge of leaving her rural village. Pickup (Russia), directed by Viktoriia Lapushkina, takes place during a pickup workshop, while Norheimsund (Cuba), directed by Ana A. Alpizar, explores a long-distance romance.
When the Sea Was Calm (Georgia), directed and animated by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili, is a silent animated short transforming memories of pre-war Sokhumi into a poetic story. Never Give Up! (Hungary/Mexico), directed by Tamás Yvan Topolánszky, follows a young boy attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. For information on each film, go here.Doors open at 6 p.m., with films beginning at 7 p.m. For tickets go here.
On the music front, if you love soft rock from the ’70s, singer-songwriter Jon Pousette-Dart performs with guitarist Jim Chapdelaine at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2. Cambridge-born Pousette-Dart was the frontman of the popular 1970s soft rock group the Pousette-Dart Band, known for songs including “Amnesia,” “For Love” and “Fall on Me.” For tickets go here.
For fans of ’80s country music, one of country’s most recognizable voices and catalogs — Randy Travis in his More Life Tour — comes to Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., on Saturday, Oct. 3. Travis, who suffered a massive stroke in 2013 that severely affected his ability to speak and sing, remains at the center of the music he made famous. He takes the stage with his longtime touring band while singer James Dupré performs the songs. The evening spans a career that helped define traditional country beginning in the 1980s, including “On the Other Hand,” “Three Wooden Crosses” and, inevitably, “Forever and Ever, Amen.” The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets and information are available through Plymouth Memorial Hall.
Monday, Sept. 28
The Musical is playing at Plimoth Cinema, 137 Warren Ave., and runs through Thursday, Oct. 1. Will Brill stars as Doug, a frustrated playwright stuck teaching middle-school theater while dreaming of bigger things in New York. When he discovers his ex-girlfriend (Gillian Jacobs) is dating his nemesis, the school principal (Rob Lowe), Doug plots revenge by secretly producing the most inappropriate school play imaginable. The unrated comedy runs 1 hour, 24 minutes and screens at 4:30 and 7 p.m. in the Maxwell Theater. For information go here.
Primetime is at Plimoth Cinema, 137 Warren Ave., and runs through Thursday, Oct. 1. Robert Pattinson stars as Chris Hansen in the film, set in 2006 as the To Catch a Predatorhost sets out to make television history. The R-rated film runs 1 hour, 50 minutes and screens at 4:30 and 7 p.m. in the Linn Theater. There will be no 4:30 p.m. screening Sunday, Sept. 27, because of a private event. For information go here.
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Book Love, 7 Village Green South, welcomes authors Susan Donovan Bernhard and Katherine A. Sherbrooke from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for a conversation about their latest books. Bernhard is the author of Westerly and Winter Loon; Sherbrooke’s novels include Leaving Coy’s Hill and This Much Is True. The evening includes an audience Q&A and book signing. Registration required. To register go here.
Wednesday, Sept. 30
The Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra will officially become Orchestra-in-Residence with the Town of Plymouth at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., at 10 a.m. The designation formalizes The Phil’s longstanding relationship with Memorial Hall and the town as the orchestra begins its 111th season. The ceremony will take place on the steps of Memorial Hall, moving indoors in case of inclement weather. For information go here.
The 29th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival comes to the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St. Audiences join moviegoers around the world in viewing 10 finalist short films and casting ballots for Best Film and Best Actor. Doors open at 6 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12. For more, see the lead story. For information go here.
“Cutting the Cord: Alternatives to Cable TV” is at the Plymouth Public Library, 132 South St. Chuck Nilosek of Cord Cutting New England explains streaming services, equipment and ways to compare streaming with cable at 2 p.m. and from 6 to 7 p.m. Registration required. For information go here.
Thursday, Oct. 1
The Manhattan Short Film Festival returns for a second screening at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St. Audience members view the festival’s 10 finalist short films and vote for Best Film and Best Actor. Doors open at 6 p.m. For information go here.
Plimoth Patuxet Museums presents “Lunch & Learn: More Than a Loving Wife, Sarah Jenney” from noon to 1 p.m. at 137 Warren Ave. Lauren McDonough, site supervisor of the Plimoth Grist Mill, will explore the life of Sarah Carey Jenney, a 17th-century Plymouth wife, landowner and business owner who operated a grist mill. The program is offered in person and online. For information go to www.plimoth.org.
Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St., hosts the opening reception for Art in Bloom from 6 to 8 p.m. Floral arrangements by local garden clubs take inspiration from works in the annual juried art show. The exhibition runs Oct. 1–4. Reception tickets are $20. For information go to artsplymouth.org.
Friday, Oct. 2
First Fridays Plymouth returns for its final installment of 2026 from 5 to 8 p.m. House Cat Vintage, 1 Main St., offers first-come, first-served tarot readings and jewelry by Carol Nelson Jonas; Hedge House, 126 Water St., offers mini-tours; Plymouth Center for the Arts, 11 North St., hosts Irish music by Slainte Plymouth and collage card-making mini-lessons with Nora Cannon; and See Plymouth, 4 North St., features music by Just 2 Guys. Black Dog Plymouth, 14 Main St., holds an all-day Homeport Tee sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For information go here.
Plimoth Cinema, 137 Warren Ave., shows Digger. The new film from Academy Award-winning director Alejandro G. Iñárritu stars Tom Cruise, with Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg and Jesse Plemons. Showtimes are 4:30 and 7 p.m. The R-rated film runs 2 hours, 8 minutes and continues through Oct. 8. For information go to www.plimoth.org.
Singer-songwriter Jon Pousette-Dart performs with guitarist Jim Chapdelaine at the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 8 p.m. Pousette-Dart first gained a national following with the Pousette-Dart Band, while Chapdelaine is a four-time Emmy-winning composer, producer and guitarist. Doors open at 7 p.m. For information go here.
Saturday, Oct. 3
The Plymouth Public Library will host its seventh annual Fall Fun Fest Saturday, Oct. 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the library’s front lawn, 132 South St. The free, all-ages Health & Wellness Festival will feature a mobile farmers market and cooking demonstration, health education and risk screenings, and information from local health and social service organizations. There will be activities for children, snacks, music and more. The event is designed to bring health resources and some fall fun together in one family-friendly morning. For more information, go here.
Country music legend Randy Travis brings his More Life Tour to Plymouth Memorial Hall, 83 Court St., at 7 p.m. Travis appears onstage alongside his longtime touring band and guest vocalist James Dupré, who performs Travis hits including “On the Other Hand,” “Forever and Ever, Amen” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” Doors open at 6 p.m. For information go here.
The Fat City Band brings its mix of jump blues, swing, New Orleans R&B and roots music to the Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court St., at 8 p.m. The Boston-based band is now in its fifth decade. Doors open at 7 p.m. For information go here.
The Plymouth Swap Shop, 33 Hedges Pond Road in Cedarville, is open from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays through the end of October. Residents can drop off gently used items — or browse for something to take home for free — as part of the town’s effort to reduce waste through reuse and repurposing. The municipally owned Swap Shop is staffed by volunteers and managed by the Plymouth Department of Public Works and Recycling Committee. No after-hours drop-offs allowed. For a list of accepted items go here.
The Plymouth Town-Wide Litter Cleanup returns for its fall edition, continuing a spring-and-fall tradition of more than 16 years. Volunteers collected more than 4,000 pounds of litter during the spring 2026 cleanup. Join a group, organize your own or participate solo. Purple bags are available at the third-floor Planning Office at Town Hall, 26 Court St. Questions: Patrick Farah, 508-322-3374 or PFarah@Plymouth-MA.gov. For more information go here.
Grab a fishing pole — or borrow one when you get there — for “Take Me Fishin’!” at Fearing Pond Day Use Area in Myles Standish State Forest, 194 Cranberry Road, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free family event includes fishing lessons from experienced anglers, crafts and nature activities, animal-themed games, prizes and a fishing contest. Fishing poles and bait are provided free, and no fishing license is required. Fishing ends at 1 p.m., followed by awards and prizes. The event is presented by Mass Wildlife, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Friends of Myles Standish State Forest and Myles Standish State Forest. Free parking is available at Fearing Pond Day Use Area. For information go here.
Sunday, Oct. 4
Big Yellow Taxi celebrates the music of Joni Mitchell at 3 p.m. as part of the Spire Center’s Sunday Serenades series at 25 1/2 Court St. Led by vocalist Teresa Lorenço, the tribute band explores Mitchell’s music from her early folk songs through her pop and jazz-influenced work. Doors open at 2 p.m. For information go here.
Julia Marie Davis can be reached at julia@plymouthindependent.org.