Your weekly guide to local film events, festivals and under-the-radar screenings.

Send repertory film listings to tami.fertig@citypaper.net.

ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 19th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-299-1000, ansp.org. Arctic Exploration in Motion This festival features rare films of Arctic explorers (Robert Peary, Frederick Cook, Richard Byrd, Josephine Peary and many more) doing their thing. In between films, the event organizers will give short lectures providing background and history. Held in conjunction with the Academy of Natural Sciences' "North by Degree: An International Conference on Arctic Exploration, 1850-1940" (see Web site for more). Sat., May 24, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., free with museum admission.

AMBLER THEATER 108 E. Butler Ave., Ambler, 215-345-7855, amblertheater.org. The Best of the Diamond Screen Film Festival Selected documentaries, animations, experimental films and more by Temple University's senior and graduate film students. Presented by the filmmakers and Temple's Department of Film and Media Studies. Thu., May 22, 7 p.m., $6.50-$8.50.

THE BRIDGE 40th and Walnut streets, 215-386-3300, thebridgecinema.com. Sesame Street: Dinosaurs (2008, U.S., 40 min.) Amateur paleontologist Elmo digs up fun facts on dinos, such as what they ate, how they moved and what they looked like. Sat.-Sun., May 24-25, 10 a.m., $3.50.

COLONIAL THEATRE 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, 610-917-0223, thecolonialtheatre.com. The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959, U.K., 87 min.) Sherlock Holmes (Peter Cushing) and his assistant, Dr. Watson (Andre Morell), investigate the case of Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee), who believes a supernatural beast is knocking off heirs to his family's manor house. Shown as part of the Colonial Theatre's monthlong Sherlock Holmes series. Sun., May 25, 2 p.m., $4-$7.

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INTERNATIONAL HOUSE 3701 Chestnut St., 215-895-6555, ihousephilly.org. Essential Visual Music: Rare Classics from CVM Archive An 81-minute program of prints from Los Angeles' Center for Visual Music, which specializes in visual music, experimental animation and avant-garde media. Included are rare films from the '20s through '70s by German pioneer Oskar Fischinger, Mary Ellen Bute, Anthology of American Folk Music's Harry Smith and others. The series continues next Friday, May 30, with films produced in the 21st century. Fri., May 23, 7 p.m., $5-$7. (See Screenpicks on p. 84.)

LIBERTIES WALK 1040 N. American St., myspace.com/libertieswalk. This Is Spinal Tap (1984, U.S., 82 min.) Tagline of the week: Does for rock and roll what The Sound of Music did for hills. Preceded by Heavy Metal Parking Lot (1986, U.S., 17 min.) Jeff Krulik's cult-fave mini-documentary on scary-looking fans hanging out in the parking lot before a Judas Priest concert in Largo, Md. Sorta like Spinal Tap, only real. In the event of rain, the movies will be shown inside Think Music & DVD Rentals (1040 N. American St., Suite 1001). Sat., May 24, 9 p.m., free.

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THE LITTLE THEATER 7141 Germantown Ave., 215-247-3020, mtairyvideolibrary.com. In the Shadow of the Moon (2007, U.S., 96 min.) Surviving crew members of NASA's Apollo missions (including Buzz Aldrin and Gene Cernan) get nostalgic in this Ron Howard-produced doc. CP's Shaun Brady calls it "a valiant, largely successful attempt to recapture the awe that's gone missing from the space program." Fri.-Sat., May 23-24, 8 p.m.; Sun., May 25, 7 p.m., $5.

941 THEATER 941 N. Front St., 215-235-5603, 941theater.com. Stump the Band (2006, U.S., 88 min.) While on tour in rural Wisconsin, four punk-rocker girls get caught up with an ax-wielding foot fetishist who will stop at nothing to get a piece of foot. The Philadelphia premiere of JoJo Henrickson and William Holmes' horror flick. Followed by discussion with the directors, cast and crew. Sat.-Sun., May 24-25, 8 p.m.

N. 3RD 801 N. Third St., 215-413-3666, norththird.com. Fancypants Cinema Weekly open screening for shorts — bring your own VHS or DVD. Tue., May 27, 9 p.m., free.

WOODEN SHOE BOOKS 508 S. Fifth St., 215-413-0999, woodenshoebooks.org. Vera Drake (2004, U.K./France/New Zealand, 125 min.) In this Mike Leigh movie, the titular abortionist (Imeld Staunton) leads a simple life in 1950s London, caring for her ailing mother and poor family — until the police find her out. CP's Sam Adams raves that it's the most accomplished and honest film of Leigh's 30-ish-year career, which includes the awesome weepie Secrets & Lies. Sat., May 24, 7:30 p.m., free.