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Arts & Entertainment

Pencil This In: Pi and Pie Contests, Donut Art, an Indie Film Festival and a Special Bruery Night

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Happy Thursday! Here's what's on our short list of events happening in LA tonight: Machine Project's hosting an American Pi-dol Night, an LA Indie Film Fest, a Bruery Night and donut art at the Downtown Art Walk. Read on for all the details.

PI
It’s National Pi Day, and Machine Project presents the program American Pi-dol: Pie of the Month Club. The American Idol-style event features a talent show in which participants show off a “Pi” or “Pie”-related talent or trick. Contestants will be judged by mathematician Ami Radunskaya, Machine Project Director Mark Allen and our own LAist Food Editor Krista Simmons. Tickets: $10 ticket ($3.14 for Machine Project members) and includes a slice of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie and glass of wine. The evening ends with a pie eating contest. Competition participants must sign-up ahead of time for the pie eating or Pi-dol contests

EXPERIMENTAL FILM
Los Angeles Filmforum presents we're (still) living—an evening of new work by Rick Bahto, Julia Holter, and Mark So tonight at 7 pm at MOCA Grand Avenue (Ahmanson Auditorium). The three artists work at the intersection of art, experimental music, and projector performance and in the same vein as the pioneering spirit of John Cage. Expect the unexpected. Tickets: $12, free for MOCA or LA Filmforum members (bring your membership card).

FILM FESTIVAL
The LA Indie Film Festival, which opens today and runs through March 24 at Let Live Theatre, is the partner festival to the LA Comedy Festival. Sponsored by Greenhouse Studios, there’s a slate of features, documentaries and shorts programs scheduled throughout—some comedies, some not. No screenings on March 18-19. Tickets are $8 online and $12 at the door.

FOOD+DRINKS
The Little Bear presents a Smoked n' Sour Bruery Night tonight at 6 pm. The Bruery's marketing guy Benjamin Weiss will be on hand to talk about the tap list and Chef Andre Guerrero has created dishes that patrons have the option to pair with the beers. For example, The Bruery’s Mrs Stoutfire (a collaboration with Beachwood BBQ & Brewing) has its LA debut tonight, and Guerrero's created a mini pastrami melt to complement it.

INDIE FILM
Ishai Setton’s latest film The Kitchen opens for a weekend run tonight at the Laemmle Noho 7. Starring Laura Prepon, Bryan Greenberg, Dreama Walker and Matt Bush, the film is an ensemble comedy set entirely in a kitchen. In the film, Jennifer’s (Prepon) 30th birthday spirals into a day she wishes she could forget. 7:30 pm. Tickets: $11. We hear that various cast and crew will be present at all screenings.

ART
Tonight at the Downtown Art Walk, Manny Castro and FactoryLA presents: #Donuting. In a vacant garment district retail space, artist Castro (who’s best known for his ‘Tastes Like Hate’ riff on a Chik-fil-A building) creates giant donut sculptures from recycled car tires and hung from the rafters. The installation’s party is being held tonight from 6 pm-midnight. Local donut trucks will be parked out back and there’s an open bar, too. 21+.

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