Welcome the new year by expanding your horizons with the cinema. In the coming week, you have the opportunity to view film as art, film as politics, film as history and film as divertissement. If you only like your film in one of these flavours, make it a resolution to try another one. Film can at turns entertain and challenge, be game changers or trash. Transformers was all these things.

CINÉMA DU PARC If you're looking for film as art, look no further than 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick's 1968 operatic film on evolution and space that divided audiences in the day. It's the film that The Tree of Life was hoping to be (sorry Malick). The 35mm print is screening at Cinéma du Parc from the 13th to the 19th. (+) An all-day event on Saturday, Arab Revolutions in Review and Perspectives, is hosted by La Collectif Tunisien au Canada. This is a free event that starts at 10:30 am with a brunch and continues all day with an exposition of works by cartoonists and photojournalists, including the screening of two Tunisian documentaries on the uprisings earlier this year: Al Sharara (L'Étincelle) and Rouge Parole. The director of this last will be streamed live for audience questions. (+)

BLUE SUNSHINE I am intrigued by the new documentary, Puppet, a sweeping look back at the history of puppetry in the United States. Part of this interest is due to my wife's powerful fear of puppets, but mostly because the screening will be preceded by a live performance by the UK's Sokobauno Puppet & Object Theatre. Check it out this Saturday. (+) On Friday, the Montreal Nintendo Orkestar electronic duo will provide live accompaniment to the 1922 silent witchcraft documentary, Häxan. They debuted this piece in 2010 as part of Pop Montréal. (+)

CINÉMATHÈQUE QUÉBÉCOISE For a wholly different musical take on Häxan, check out the classical piano accompaniment by Gabriel Thibaudeau on January 19th. (+) René Clair's An Italian Straw Hat will also be coupled with a live performance on Friday. (+) To round off the slew of silent film screenings this week is Stacka by Russian director Eisenstein on Sunday. As opposed to music, this screening will instead have a host who will translate the Russian inter-titles into French. (+) For something more contemporary, check out the continuing retrospective of Rodrigue Jean's films (+), cult classic Donnie Darko (+) or the depressingly eye-opening (for children) animated film, All Dogs Go to Heaven (+).

RIALTO THEATRE The first of a series of spaghetti Western films at the Rialto screens on Monday. This one is Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dynamite, commonly known as Duck, You Sucker!, also a superior title. (+)

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY With an Occupy-like mix of generalized anger under the guise of unfettered fun, Cinema Politica trucks on with a screening of Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-Day Outlaws on Monday. The film documents a group of young climate change activists who voice their opposition with performance art blockades. (+)

CINÉMA BANQUE SCOTIA Sherlock Holmes 2, Mission: Impossible 4 and Oscar hopefuls continue to dominate, but I'm here to draw your attention to non-mainstream fare. In its attempt to garner some exclusive limited releases and broaden its own corporate-set horizons, Cineplex will be hosting a one-time-only screening of Fullmetal Alchmist: The Sacred Star of Milos. Japanese anime enthusiasts should welcome a chance to continue following the adventures of the Elric brothers. (+)

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That's all for this week. If you are hosting any screenings at alternate venues that are not shown here, please give us a shout below so we can include you.