.Indie Week at the New Parkway

From April 8–14, the New Parkway Theater (474 24th St., Oakland) is holding its first ever Indie Week — seven days dedicated to highlighting movies that are typically difficult to find screenings for in large movie theaters. The line up includes everything from indie cult classics (such as The Blair Witch Project) to recent releases that have only seen narrow distribution (such as Mountains May Depart). The schedule also includes a few locally-made films, such as the buzzed-about 2013 feature Licks, which tells the story of a young Oaklander who returns home after serving two years in prison for a botched robbery. Licks will be showing on the opening night of Indie Week, followed by a Q&A session with the filmmakers. And on Wednesday of Indie Week, The New Parkway’s Karma Cinema program will be in effect, meaning that all screenings will be pay-what-you-want, and 20% of ticket sales will go to its nonprofit partner Planting Justice. If that isn’t enough low-budget cinema for you, the Oakland International Film Festival takes place April 5–9, with screenings at various venues around the city (OIFF.org). — Sarah Burke