AUSTRALIA’S “Young At Heart” film festival is a mix of premieres and classics, Q&As and live performances aimed at senior audiences. This year’s highlights include “Fathers and Daughters” with Russell Crowe, Amanda Seyfried and Jane Fonda and the biopic “The Man Who Knew Infinity”, starring Dev Patel, Jeremy Irons and Stephen Fry. Palace Electric, April 11-17, details at youngatheart.net.au

POLITICAL journo Laura Tingle is also a proud member of the Canberra Choral Society and has just taken over as publicist for the lively organisation directed by Toby Cole. She’s even dug up evidence of political skulduggery in the life of Elizabethan composer William Byrd, partly the subject of CCS’s next concert “From Byrd to Britten: 400 years of English choral music”, at Ainslie Arts Centre, Saturday, April 2 and 3pm, Sunday, April 3, bookings via trybooking.com

AS the National Folk Festival draws near, director Pam Merrigan’s thoughts are turning to fun, with a swinging ‘60s dress-up day on Easter Sunday, March 27, to mark the event’s 50th anniversary. Initially called The Port Phillip District Folk Music Festival, the “National,” began in 1967 and eventually came to roost in Canberra in 1993. All details at folkfestival.org.au

THE Hindu Festival of Colours, Holi Mela, is to be celebrated by the India Australia Association at Stage 88 from 11am on March 26. The entertainment includes belly dancing, Bollywood dance and a choreographed fashion parade. Entry is free and food, drink and most important, colours, will be available at nominal prices.

“WEILL-ENCE & Weimar” is the quirky title chosen for a Lunchtime Live concert by soprano Sarahlouise Owens and pianist Colleen Rae-Gerrard. They’ll explore the music of Kurt Weill and his contemporaries and throw in “some Australian surprises” from Peter Casey and Calvin Bowman. Wesley Music Centre, from 12.40pm to 1.20pm, Wednesday, March 30. Entry by note, no bookings required.

ARTIST Denise Moule and calligrapher Merran Hunter will be combining two genres in “The Art of Paint and Pen” at Sweet Copper, Gold Creek (the old Ginninderra Schoolhouse) opening at 5pm, April 3, then running from April 7 to May 1.

CARL Rafferty is taking a moment from his operatic extravaganzas to present “Gershwin & Friends”, music by George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin, Leroy Anderson and more. Performed by Rafferty himself at the grand piano and a troupe of local vocalists and instrumentalists, at Bungendore Wood Works, Saturday, April 2.