While it didn’t pick up any hardware at the Academy Awards last month, this film by Quebec director Philippe Falardeau was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film. It’s about an Algerian immigrant who takes over as a substitute teacher in an elementary school classroom after the previous teacher committed suicide.

Monsieur Lazhar screens tonight at 7 p.m. and Sunday night at 9 p.m. at RPL Theatre. Here’s the trailer.

It’s St. Paddy’s Day, of course. And if you’re looking for something else to do that doesn’t entail a rowdy bar, consider a show at Creative City Centre by Calgary singer-songwriter Samantha Savage Smith. Doors are at 8 p.m. tickets are $10, and Robyn Barbour will also be performing.

To give you a sense of what Smith’s about here’s the video for her 2011 song “You Always Come to Mind”.