Hector Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini, a French opera written in the 1830s, is so complex, richly detailed, and prolifically imaginative that Berlioz’s contemporaries often considered it unplayable. However, this is resoundingly proven false in the 2007 Salzburg Festival production of director Philipp Stölzl, conductor Valery Gergiev (”the wild man of music”), and a high-caliber cast accompanied by the Vienna Philharmonic and its chorus. Called “the surprise hit of this year’s Salzburg Festival” (Bloomberg), the production met with rave reviews. Admission is $18 for all University of Miami alumni, faculty, and staff, and free for students. General admission is $20. The opera screens on Saturday, May 16  and Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m. For more information visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

Milo is a professional hit man living on the edge. After a botched hit, he flees to a small Welsh town in the countryside, where he is mistaken for the overdue baker. Unfortunately for him, he can’t cook to save his life. Mind you, that’s not all Milo has to worry about. For one, the cache of guns that he buried upon arriving in town has since been unearthed by a local boy who is also fond of homemade explosives. On the bright side, Milo does catch the eye of the spunky town veterinarian. Meanwhile, back in the city, Milo’s retired buddy Leo is back on the job trying to get Milo off the hook. Admission is $6 for all University of Miami alumni, faculty, and staff, and free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Friday, May 15 at 7 p.m., Saturday, May 16 at 6 and 10 p.m., and Sunday, May 17 at 6 p.m. For more information visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

Renowned English video artist Steve McQueen’s feature film debut is a cinematic punch to the gut. McQueen brings a visceral intensity to his retelling of the hunger strike instigated by Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender) and several other detained Irish Republican Army members in the early 1980s, who were determined to live in a Northern Ireland free from British rule. In prison, Sands and other IRA members at first protest by refusing to wear the standard prison garb, but soon they take their protest dangerously further. Admission is $6 for all University of Miami alumni, faculty, and staff, and free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Friday, May 15 at 9 p.m., Saturday, May 16 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday, May 17 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

Vist the Lowe on International Museum Day and take a tour of the Palley Pavilion with tour guides Myrna and Sheldon Palley.

As the world honors International Museum Day, the Lowe Art Museum in conjunction with other local cultural institutions and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) is proud to invite all residents and visitors to celebrate this special day on Saturday, May 16.  This year’s theme, “Museums and Tourism,” includes free admission, a 10 percent discount on memberships for people who join the Lowe, and a 10 percent discount on sales in the Museum Store.

Attend a special tour of the Myrna and Sheldon Palley Pavilion for Contemporary Glass and Studio Arts, guided by Myrna and Sheldon Palley themselves. Tours will take place at 1 and 3 p.m. Space is limited. RSVP by calling 305-284-5960.

Also, during Miami Museum Month through May  31, membership at any one of numerous participating Miami museums will work as a free pass to any of the other museums in the area. Whether just joining or a patron for years, this is an incredible opportunity to museum hop and experience the Miami cultural scene. The month will be punctuated by a vast range of programming at each of the institutions. For more information on Miami Museum Month, visit  www.MiamiMuseumMonth.com. For more information on the Lowe Art Museum, visit www.miami.edu/lowe.

More than 3,200 students will graduate at the University of Miami during six ceremonies to be held from Thursday through Sunday, May 14 - 17 at the BankUnited Center. Details about each ceremony are listed below. For more information, visit www.miami.edu/commencement, where the undergraduate ceremonies will be Webcast live and archived.

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Attend a performance by The Miami Bach Society Orchestra, conducted by Don Oglesby, with Baroque violoncellist Ross Harbaugh, featuring the Concerto in A Minor of Vivaldi and works by J.S. Bach and his most famous son, C.P.E. Bach. Musicians include keyboard soloists Frank Cooper and Shelly Berg, dean of the Frost School of Music, who will perform the Double Concerto in C Minor of J.S. Bach. After the event, meet the artists at an after-concert reception in The Atrium, included with your tickets. The event occurs on Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Martha Church, 9301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami Shores. General admission is $10; Blue Circle Admission is $20. To purchase tickets, visit www.saintmartha.tix.com or call 1-800-595-4849. Tickets may also be purchased at the church office or at the door.

Spring has returned and nature beckons discovery and exploration—even in art form. The annual two-part UM Student/Master of Fine Arts Exhibitions are viewable at the Lowe Art Museum. Also on view: UM’s Faculty Exhibition, featuring Carsten Meier’s Naturell. A preview and reception for the juried student exhibition and Naturell will be held Friday, April 17 from 7 to 10 p.m. The evening will be highlighted with a special lecture by Meier. A preview reception for the MFA exhibition, on view from May 14-June 14, will be held Wednesday, May 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. Both receptions are free and open to the public. Regular admission to the Lowe (not including special events) is $10; $5 for seniors and non-UM students; and free for Lowe Art Museum members, UM students, faculty and staff, and children under 12 years of age. For more information, call 305-284-3535 or visit www.lowemuseum.org.