After a 12-year hiatus, Tom Verlaine finally got round to releasing not one, but two albums earlier this year. The self-explanatory Songs And Other Things and all instrumental set Around (both Thrill Jockey) were naturally received like manna by fans, though critics remained somewhat sniffy. From the reports you'd imagine Verlaine had been lazing about for the intervening dozen years. Granted, these offerings of undeniably mercurial songcraft wreathed in Verlaine's unique yearning-then-lambent guitar textures, were hardly a match for Television's Verlaine-helmed 1977 album Marquee Moon, but they were spirited enough to evince a robustly intact muse, at the very least. In fact, while Verlaine has watched his influence spread like a rash through yet another generation of sallow-cheeked guitar bands, he's actually been anything but idle. Whether playing sporadic tours with the reformed Television or old flame Patti Smith, essaying live film soundtrack accompaniments with fellow axe maverick Jimmy Ripp, or cutting loose in Sonic Youth's private basement band, Verlaine has been more than keeping his hand in. Tonight's show could well feature some of these disparate elements, but whatever he includes in the set you're guaranteed a night of fretboard melodrama that will make The Strokes, Razorlight et al look like the camp following guitar Pygmies they really are.

The last Wednesday of the month: surely one of the more dismal days in the calendar and normally one worth spending tucked up on the sofa rather than traipsing around town in the hope of finding something to entertain yourself. Of course what that means in reality is that there is something amazing that is happening somewhere but that no one's told you about it, but that is why we are here. This Wednesday, Film Friends Forever takes over the Parlour at sketch, for their fourth evening of short films, unseen pop promos and screenings attended by a cabal of industry insiders, film-makers and cineastes. This week's celluloid delights include Plaid and Bob Jaroc's Greedy Baby, Alex Weil's award-winning short One Rat Short, and Elephants Dream, the world's first film made with open source technology. In addition to this London DJ and producer Scanone and The Karminsky Experience Inc will be on hand to provide an aural dessert to the visual treats on offer.

NB: admission is free but only after you've sent an email to getin@filmfriendsforever.com and received a confirmation reply.

Low are an enigmatically intriguing and much cherished band; often described as slowcore due to their minimalist arrangements and languid tempos, they have acquired a devout following drawn to their life-affirming music. In performing their Steve Albini produced 2001 release Things We Lost In The Fire, expect to hear an album of extraordinary and almost unparalleled beauty. From the opening descending chords and driving snare of album opener "Sunflower", the album is imbued with that unmistakable sense of greatness and melancholic gravitas. It is characterised by fascinating understated riffs, subtle deafening crescendos, organic ambient textures and an exquisite use of dynamics that utilises the power of gentle tones to create an emotional heaviness. Tracks range from the liltingly hypnotic "Dinosaur Act" to the acute minimalist beauty of the prayer-like "Laser Beam". Throughout, the gentle voices of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker are intertwined and beautifully harmonised. It's the sort of album that evokes the sort of language rarely equated with music -- elegance, modesty and power. Those already acquainted with Low will undoubtedly already have their tickets and be eagerly awaiting this one-off gig; for those yet to discover this special band, this will be an ideal opportunity to see them perform their best album in its entirety.

NB: tickets for Wednesday's concert are sold out, but tickets are still available for the same concert on Thursday.

The Unicorns reinvented the indie-rock wheel, earning glowing reviews with their distinctive lo-fi indie-pop blend. On the cusp of crossing over into the mainstream, they split, condemning them to eternal cult-indie status. Now two of their core members have formed a new band, Islands, and recorded Return To The Sea, one of the albums of the year so far. Their sound fuses conventional indie-rock with heightened Paul Simon and Brian Wilson sensibilities, with occasional calypso and hip-hop influences; a seemingly strange mix, it is one that works perfectly. Tracks such as single "Rough Gem", "Volcanoes" or "Jogging Gorgeous Summer" are drenched in melody, complemented by choice arrangements featuring clarinets, flutes, keyboards, whistles and recorders. It is all characterised by an infectious sense of fun, making it perfect music for the summer. It's doubtful they have or ever will play a venue this small again; hence, this will be a rare chance to catch them in an intimate setting. Support is offered by self-confessed "sea-sick power-poppers" Favours For Sailors, an engaging three-piece resembling Pavement at their most melodic. Hands On Heads should warm up proceedings perfectly with their blasts of vicious organ spiked genius pop.

NB: advance tickets can be bought here and a small number of tickets will be sold on the door; however, early attendance is recommended.

The Fallen Idol (1948), a re-working of a short story by Graham Greene, was Carol Reed's first and more favoured collaboration with the mighty writer. A rites of passage tale, it follows a lonely boy, Felipe, played out with great cadence and complex sensitivity for a screen debut by Bobby Henrey. Felipe, the son of an absent French ambassador and sick mother, all but abandoned within the confines of his father's embassy building, forms a close bond with the butler Baines, played tenderly by Ralph Richardson. The boy yearns for his parents' love and in one sad scene confesses to Baines that he cannot even recall his mother's face. Mrs Baines, played by Sonia Dresdel, proves to be no substitute and is cold and indifferent towards the boy. After an accident following the revelation of Baines' relationship with a mistress, Felipe's loyalty to Baines is tested. The use of wide angle photography by Georges Perinal portrays the bleakness of the Belgravia interiors as no place for a sensitive child like Felipe and serves to highlight his lonely existence. Reed, a trained actor before working his way through the ranks of the British Lion Film Corporation, was well known for a talented instinct in his canny casting of exactly the right person for each role.

NB: the new print of The Fallen Idol screens at the NFT from 28/07 till 14/08. A new print of Carol Reed's most well known film, another Greene collaboration, The Third Man (1949), screens at the NFT from 11/08 till 24/08. Both The Fallen Idol and The Third Man are being shown in conjunction with a Carol Reed retrospective (Part I runs in August and Part II in September).

In Profils paysans: le quotidien, the photographer and filmmaker Raymond Depardon continues his series profiling the fascinating people that work the traditional and small farms of France. With brilliant simplicity, Depardon watches and questions the farmers whilst they work, also taking in moments where the community pulls together, as well as key meetings that trace how life works in rural France. Many of the shots in the film are set up just like photographs, subjects often very still, contemplative, with carefully controlled light levels -- moments that diplay the skill and talent for which the Magnum photographer is known for. There is also a political focus to the documentary, highlighting the escalation of bureaucracy, and the changes in the French countryside. Farmers may have arguments over one another's land, however they are always in agreement about the paradoxes in the government subsidies and policies. Though this second chapter of Depardon's Profils paysans has many dark undertones (it opens with the funeral of one of the main characters from the first chapter), it remains an uplifting experience, mainly due to the candid and genuine way in which the people speak to the filmmaker and his camera.

NB: Profils paysans: le quotidien screens at the ICA till 10/09. Raymond Depardon curated this year's recent Rencontres d'Arles Photography Festival which runs till 17/09.

"Under The Big-Top" might be a more apt title for this 24-hour art-talk extravaganza to be held in Rem Koolhaas' questionable blimp-pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery. With ringmasters Koolhaas and Hans Ulrich Obrist taking on over 60 interviews at 25-minutes-a-pop through the wee hours of the night, one may indeed begin to get wafts of popcorn and carnival music. The idea, supposedly, is to capture some hidden essence of London by bringing in well-known representatives from various professional backgrounds who have some shared past with the city. The fact that it appears 90% of the participants represent the culture industry does not seem to be a major concern to the organizers -- this is the Serpentine Gallery, right? Who needs politicians, athletes, zookeepers, union organisers or business people to present their version of London? We must admit, this all seems a like a pretty convenient excuse to amass the material for Hans Ulrich Obrist: Interviews Volumes II & III! Enough bitching: the list does bear some potential (Brian Eno, Zaha Hadid, Doris Lessing, Ken Loach...) and whatever it may come to lack in edification will most likely be made up for by the fun of seeing what happens before dawn... Russell Haswell at 3:30am followed by Damien Hirst at 4am.

NB: the Serpentine Gallery London Marathon runs for 24 hours non-stop from Fri 28/07 6pm till Sat 29/07 6pm (for the full list of participants click here).

Quite how something can be both utterly cool and completely passe is a feat only creative geniuses can achieve with the enviable nonchalant panache. The annual village fete at the V&A is one feat that is ever thus: naffer than your Gran's doilies, yet hipper than your average Hoxton acolyte. Expect lucky dips, coconut shies and cake stalls -- but "curated" by artists in their own particular way. Think freak vegetable shows, an odd balls' tombola -- the star prize for which is a signed Convex Mirror designed by Sebastian Wrong for Established & Sons -- and stalls full of weird and wonderfully bizarre trinkets (by the likes of Tatty Devine and Mark Pawson). And no, it's not trying-to-be-trendy-but-actually-missing-the-mark. It's damn good fun -- nostalgic, avant-garde, innovative, cosy, edgy fun. And if that makes no sense to you, it should, and if you go, it will. If you go on Saturday, dress as a "design icon" for a chance to win the fancy dress competition [it's supposed to be for the kids, but hey -- aren't we all children deep down?].

NB: runs on both 28/07 and 29/07.

Throw a stick on any given weekend night around Shoreditch and the chances are you'll hit a new basement club or warehouse filled with kids dancing through the night to minimal electronic sounds. With so much on offer the hard part is sorting the wheat from the chaff, a fair bet for those with the urge to dance through till dawn to pared down techno are the DJsCanDance parties. Held in a variety of spaces legal and otherwise throughout the East End collaborating with the likes of Border Community, Freak n' Chic and Crosstown Rebels, they have become a byword for forward thinking underground music and more importantly throwing a good party. This weekend they've teamed up with the none more minimal Minus label run by techno superstar Richie Hawtin, with Marc Houle and Troy Pierce, who comprise two thirds of Run Stop Restore, playing alongside resident Jamie Jones.

The Soldier's Tale has been considered one of the most important (but least known) of Stravinsky's works, fusing Russian nationalistic music (pioneered by Stravinsky's teacher Rimsky-Korsakov), folk, neoclassical (with its inclusion of chorales), and popular styles (including ragtime and tango). Adorno considered it one of Stravinsky's most authentic pieces, describing it as "surrealist" for its use of stylistic montage, cliche and irony to represent the social fragmentation of its day (indeed, Brecht / Weill were much influenced by The Soldier's Tale). Adorno wasn't alone in this; Stravinsky was one of the key contemporary composers to be featured in Documents, and this concert is given to coincide with the Underground Surrealism show. Strongly influenced by Russian folklore (with Faustian overtones), it's a tale of a violinist-soldier being possessed by the devil, winning over a princess but reaching a tragic end. It is what Stravinsky called a "theatre ambulant"; a small-scale work that could be performed in many locations, indoor or outdoor. Notable Stravinskian motifs include role-play where a specific character is associated with a musical instrument (violin-soldier), and a central narrator (to be played here by legendary Sir Willard White). And if all this hasn't already convinced you, the pioneering London Sinfonietta will be conducted by Diego Masson, son of none other than Andre Masson. Unmissable.

NB: The Soldier's Tale will be performed both at 7pm and 9pm.

A perfect antidote for those bored by the usual run of the mill clubs, Digital City takes the best in electronic music, throws in some cutting edge VJs, showcases underground films from around the world and does it all with a refreshing lack of attitude. This Saturday, fresh from celebrating their first anniversary, the Digital City crew are back with another warehouse full of leftfield talent, including the incredible DMX Krew, XFM's champion of the lesser heard Nick Luscombe and live performances from MC Riz and LJ Kruzer, whose This Is How I Write was one of the finest electronica albums to be released last year. If you need a break from the music Cinema 16 will be on hand with a selection of films from their recent American Short Films DVD including works by Todd Solonz, Tim Burton, Andy Warhol and George Lucas.

Before My Fair Lady there was Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw's play about a Victorian language expert who wagers he can teach a working-class woman to talk proper, and pass her off as a Lady. This is the original film version from 1938, with screenplay by Shaw himself. The film will be introduced by two fascinating and prominent Shavian experts: well-known humanist Barbara Smoker and theatre director Richard Digby-Day, who has directed more plays by Shaw than any other living director. There will also be a question and answer session, with an opportunity to ask questions about Shaw's life and work and about adapting his work for the screen. The Barbican -- awesome and gruesome at the same time -- is perhaps an unlikely location for a George Bernard Shaw celebration, radical humanist that he was. Still want more Shaw and not just for his 150th anniversary? There are monthly events at Conway Hall on Theobalds Road (so that's what goes on there!).

NB: on 23/08 at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park catch a special event devised by Richard Digby-Day to celebrate George Bernard Shaw's 150th anniversary.

Renaissance is an animated sci-fi / film noir / thriller / love story hybrid, with a fabulous futuristic Parisian setting, beautiful (and brilliantly intelligent) women, greedy and corrupt mega-corporations, evil genetic scientists, a mysterious disappearance, a renegade -- yet incorruptible -- cop, and the future of mankind hanging in the balance. Yes, all the familiar ingredients of both graphic-novels and detective stories are accounted for. But the story is almost incidental to this film -- the real reason to see it is visual. The amazing high-contrast monochrome images, like nothing else you have seen before, were created using a new motion-capture / 3D type technology -- then hand-painted (taking seven years to make) -- resulting in gorgeous light and shadow graphics with amazing depth. Endless reflective glass surfaces (including a glassed-over Seine, with cars speeding below), computer-screen reflections and falling snow test the B&W animation techniques to the limit. Paris is futuristic, yet recognisable, with Notre Dame, the Metro and the Eiffel Tower nestled amongst the Blade Runner-esque skyscrapers, multi-layer bridges and gigantic holographic advertising screens. Inevitable comparisons to Sin City arise, but differences are clear -- and this fully animated (and much less violent) monochrome story was begun years before. See it for the visuals -- remarkable.

NB: Renaissance is released in London 28/07.

It's very, very easy to get over-analytical about someone like Michael Mann. Recurring themes of loyalty, honour and morality. Strong, disturbed, complex male characters and weak female ones. The fascination with urban landscapes. These are all subjects for any film lover to get fully immersed in.

But ultimately, we see this NFT retrospective as a celebration of someone who's been responsible for creating some of the most beautiful visuals ever seen in modern American Cinema. Along with people like Terrence Malick, these films simply fuse commercial know how and cinematic art with effortless aplomb. This neatly coincides with the release of Miami Vice, where we can report that the pastel and neon nights of the '80s TV original are replaced by digital darkness and arc-light definition.

Following his films chronologically, you can see the path of progression he's taken to get to here. The initial tinkering with digital cinematograhy in Ali through to the full blown use of the medium on Collateral and Miami Vice. The close-up framing and searing tension of The Insider even though it doesn't contain a single moment of physical violence. The fact that despite having both De Niro and Pacino in the same movie, the real star of Heat was LA itself (the same can be said for Collateral). Not to forget that he was responsible for two of the best movies from the '80s: Thief and Manhunter (still hands down the best Thomas Harris adaptation).

Include the epic Last Of The Mohicans and the little seen The Keep and The Jericho Mile and you have an unmissable month for anyone remotely interested in modern cinema. With his next film Arms And The Man, all about Victor Bout, the world's biggest arms trafficker, it looks like he'll continue to apply his unique vision to the tough stories.

NB: this retrospective runs from 01/08 till 31/08. Miami Vice is released in London 04/08.

Francis Bacon was obsessed with meat, human meat that is, the perishable flesh that he moulded and distorted in his paintings. Bacon was one of the few painters after Picasso to have developed an entirely novel and unique aesthetic, the effects of which remain unsurpassed to this day. But the Gagosian Gallery would have us believe otherwise. Although most of the exhibition is a testimony to the potency of his disquieting explorations of the mortified flesh, it is also a rather clumsy attempt to present Damien Hirst as his heir. Five large triptychs set the tone. Populated with warped figures, dense shadows and saturated colours, the paintings are both repulsive for their unsettling rendition of fragile humanity and engaging for their deeply personal quality. They are juxtaposed with Hirst's own triptychs displayed around his installation A Thousand Years. This rather easy association -- Hirst has always admired Bacon, Bacon is said to have admired A Thousand Years -- is a good demonstration of how Hirst failed where Bacon succeeded. His dead flies, beheaded cows, flayed lambs and thin irony have all the interest of the Smithfield Market on an early morning: carcasses displayed for mass consumption alongside discarded bottles of alcohol and the odd syringe.

NB: runs till 04/08.

&documentIIn celebration of the collaboration between Carmen Maura and Pedro Almodovar, the NFT is hosting a Guardian Interview with him and his younger muse Penelope Cruz. After coolly picking up two awards this year at Cannes (Best Actress and Best Screenplay), Volver (literally "Return") tells the story of a mother's ghost (played by Maura) returned to set straight all that she was not able to rectify in her life. With time her children (played by Cruz and Lola Duenas) are comforted by the maternal apparition's presence. In the past, Almodovar has delved into the depths of his own experiences to tell his most poignant human dramas. He again returns to the impoverished region of La Mancha, near to where he was born, for his latest film. Maura and Almodovar had worked together on several films in the 1980s. After a long hiatus, the two return to their craft in Volver. The interview follows a screening of the film.

NB: Volver is released in London on 25/08. The Carmen Maura and Pedro Almodovar season runs from 02/08 till 31/08. Also, the Curzon Mayfair and the Renoir are running a mini-season of Almodovar's older films (runs from 13/08 till 03/09).

The invitation to put together this show came just before Grayson Perry won the Turner Prize in 2003, from the senior keeper at The Collection in Lincoln, where the exhibition was first shown earlier this year. Perry selected Victorian artefacts from the dusty holdings of several museums in Lincolnshire around themes that had a charge for him -- death, childhood, religion, hunting, folk art -- and made his own new works inspired by these artefacts. The centrepiece of the show, a real horse drawn wooden hearse (minus the horses), inspired Perry to make a child's coffin out of cast iron steel, decorated with totems. On one wall sits a collection of photographs showing aspects of rural life from 19th century Lincolnshire that has inspired a photographic response from Claire, Perry's alter ego. The seamless way that Perry's beautifully crafted objects, including some new pots, sit amongst Lincoln's Victorian ephemera; tear bottles, hunting rifles, smocks, illustrated Bibles, game traps, a picture of Lincoln Cathedral embroidered in human hair, to name a few, is the most wonderful thing about this curious and dark "three-dimensional poem".

NB: runs till 12/08.

Few compilations can maintain an integrity and flow but Touch has consistently enabled a listening experience over its 25-year history with its exploratory collections of visionary sound. To celebrate its silver anniversary, Touch 25 compresses the voices of many of its artists into a singular listening experience, with previously unissued recordings from Philip Jeck, Ryoji Ikeda, Biosphere, Chris Watson, Christian Fennesz, Pan sonic, Wire's Bruce Gilbert and many more, snuggled in between field recordings of news items, in-flight announcements, and sundry quirky audio reports. Drones slip across mournful electronica, elevated strings envelop unexpected harmonies and subterranean bass frequencies threaten to pierce the surface at any moment. Epic moments are born from the simplest voices, as with Jeck and Ikeda, whilst Johann Johannsson leaves a hauntingly transcendental note in your ear. Touch 25 marks out a certain point in our history that will continue to resonate in years to follow. Immerse yourself in this moment and savour it.

To buy Touch 25 online click here.

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