Two opportunities present themselves to watch interesting independent movies with Berkeley connections, in Berkeley, with the bonus of supporting Berkeley nonprofits as you do so.

Given Berkeley’s top billing in many news stories recently, not always flattering, the Oaks Theatre has pulled of something of a scheduling coup with its special screening of a movie focused on Berkeley politics. Power Trip: Theatrically Berkeley, directed by Emio Tomeoni,is described as “an unfiltered look at the frantic pace of the activist and reactionists, asking only one question: does anything actually ever get done here?” The movie will be screened on Saturday December 18th at noon at the Oaks Theatre, 1875 Solano Ave. Admission is $7 (a portion of which goes to the Berkeley Humane Society Shelter Fire Relief Fund).

Meanwhile, tonight at 7pm, the Zaenta Media Center on 10th Street presents The Heretics, a 2009 Berkeley Film Foundation grant winner directed by Joan Braderman, which charts the history of the feminist Heresies Collective “from the inside out”. The collective published “Heresies: A Feminist Publication on Art and Politics” from 1977-1992.

Tickets are $10 and benefit the Berkeley Film Foundation.

Tracey Taylor is co-founder of Berkeleyside and co-founder and editorial director of Cityside, the nonprofit parent to Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Before launching Berkeleyside, Tracey wrote for...