The A-List: My shortlist of artsy things to see + hear, Oct. 8-12

This return of this event, after a seven-year ditch, is news unto itself. But calling this a “festival” sorta stretches the common perception of what a festival is or should be. In truth, it’s four separate films each screened over four consecutive Saturdays-Sundays.

This weekend, we get “Once Upon My Mother,” about a mother’s relentless drive to fulfill a promise to her clubfooted son to get him the help he needs to walk and lead a normal life. I’m most looking forward to “The Sea” (Oct. 24-25), about a 12-year-old Palestinian boy determined to reach the Mediterranean alone without speaking Hebrew.

Even after the 2021 death of founding bassist Eliot Wadopian, Free Planet Radio has continued making soul-enriching music with co-founding guitarist Chris Rosser and multi-percussionist River Guerguerian.

A handful of stellar musicians and notable artists in their own right are helping FPR celebrate the album, “Sunflower Code,, including Jake Wolf, Adam Maalouf, Jane Kramer, Casey Driessen, Lilly Syracuse and dancer Aparna Keshaviah.

This recurring festival brings the region’s experimental musicians and artists together to raise money for Static Age. More than 25 performers and music makers are scheduled over two sessions. The bio for one of the featured artists Yawni of Asheville, reads: “A hospice nurse and a Waffle House waitress start a band.”

The night before, Inter Arma plays at Static Age. I mention this because they’ve opened for and toured with some major artists, so to see a band of their longevity and accomplishment headlining tiny Static Age Records is a rarity. For those outside the know, Inter Arma, from Richmond, Va., makes atmospheric, doomy and, often, lyrically indecipherable black metal.

How will a mosh pit go down there? I’ll check in over the weekend and report back.

Billed as live-action, family-friendly theater, the 14th annual Haunted Trail combines immersive sets, live performers, and interactive storytelling to create a Halloween experience designed for kids as young as 3 but offering a lot for people who can legally make their own life decisions.

They promise no physical contact or gore, but there’s still a lot of room on the scale of scary. Performances continue Oct. 16-17.