Max, a rambunctious and sensitive boy who feels misunderstood at home, escapes to where the Wild Things are, landing on an island full of mysterious and strange creatures whose emotions are as wild and unpredictable as their actions. The Wild Things desperately long for a leader to guide them, just as Max longs for a kingdom to rule. When Max is crowned king, he promises to create a place where everyone will be happy. He soon finds, however, that ruling his kingdom is not so easy, and his relationships there prove to be more complicated than he originally thought. Admission is $6 for all University of Miami faculty, staff, and alumni; free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Saturday, February 13 at 10 p.m., and Sunday, February 14 at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

In his most powerful performance to date, Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army staff sergeant who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s casualty notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone (Woody Harrelson) to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia (Samantha Morton), to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband’s death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving, and very human portrait of grief, friendship, and survival. Featuring tour-de-force performances from Foster, Harrelson, and Morton, and a brilliant directorial debut by Oren Moverman, The Messenger brings us into the inner lives of these outwardly steely heroes to reveal their fragility with compassion and dignity. Admission is $6 for all University of Miami faculty, staff, and alumni; free for students. General admission is $8. The film screens on Friday, February 12 at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.; Saturday, February 13 at 3:15 p.m., 5:30 p.m., and 7:45 p.m.; and Sunday, February 14 at 3:30 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. For more information, visit www.cosfordcinema.com.

Alba Rosa Vietor was a world-class violinist and pianist touring the world and studying under the finest instructors throughout the 20th century.  While she always experimented with composing, it was in her later years, following her performance career, that she really focused on her compositions. Rose Vietor was born in Italy; lived in Uruguay, Argentina, and the United States; spoke Italian, Spanish, French, and English; and married a man from the Netherlands. Her music reflects traditions from around the world as well as her classical upbringing to produce a modern, international, unique sound. The first concert of the Alba Rosa Vietor Concert Series, titled Ensemble Illuminations, to be held on Sunday, February 14, at 2 p.m. in Clarke Recital Hall, will feature select pieces of Alba Rosa’s chamber music works.  Admission is free. For more information on Alba Rosa Vietor, please visit www.albarosavietor.com. For more information on the concert, please email Susie Dantzig at [email protected].

Attend Family Day at the Lowe Art Museum on Sunday, February 14, from 12 to 3 p.m. Latin American Folktales includes a reading and book-signing by children’s author Lucia Gonzalez (author of The Bossy Gallito, Señor Cat’s Romance, and other favorites). Families can create their own print for their favorite valentine during a crafts portion of the event. Attendance is free for Lowe members. Non-members are $10; UM faculty and Staff are $5.

Support the Department of Neurological Surgery at the Walk for a Cure event at 10 a.m. on Sunday, February 14, at Oleta River State Park, 3400 NE 163 Street, North Miami Beach. Sponsored by The Mystic Force Foundation, founded by Steven Vanni, D.O., D.C., assistant professor of neurological surgery, and his wife, Silvia, in honor of their son who was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, Walk for a Cure will help fund neuroblastoma research efforts at the Miller School. Registration is $25 and 100 percent of proceeds will go directly to fund research. Help surpass last year’s total of $60,000!  If you would like to participate, please contact the foundation administrator, Ellen Vanni-Bunch, at 305-726-7306. For more information, visit http://www.mysticforcefoundation.com/NewsEvents.html.