NOT YOUR USUAL LIBRARY EVENT The Berkeley Public Library Foundation is holding a “spirited after-hours event” on Saturday, Oct. 10. Tall Tales & Local Ales will feature David “DJ Dave” Wittman, of “Whole Foods Parking Lot” fame (if you haven’t seen it, drop everything and watch now). Wittman will be joined by an all-star cast of storytellers, including Kay DeMartini, Scott Sanders, Saida Acevedo, Rachman Blake, Robin Claire and Berkeley High senior Lena Sibony. Musicians from the BHS music programs will perform. Local cider and beer is provided by Crooked City Cider, Hoi Polloi, Sierra Nevada, Triple Rock and Calicraft, plus home-made ginger ale, lemonade and hearty finger foods. 14-years-old and older welcome. The evening benefits “It’s Time for Central,” high-impact renovations at the Central Library, including a new space for teens, renovation of the reference room, expanded space for art installations, improved interior lighting and more. Berkeleyside Nosh is a sponsor of Tall Tales & Local Ales. Tickets are $50 for the first two, and $35 for additional tickets available online. Saturday, Oct. 10, 7-10 p.m., Berkeley Central Library, 2090 Kittredge St.
KORTY & CUTOUTS On Friday, Oct. 9 from 7-9 p.m. Berkeley City College is hosting a free tribute to filmmaker John Korty. Korty, the only American filmmaker to have won major awards in dramatic, documentary and animation work, will tell how it all started, 50 years ago, with scissors, paper and yarn. His first film, “Any Many and Man,” was about new math for children. He did many number and letter spots for Sesame Street. In the 1980s, he made a full-length animated feature with his cut-out technique, “Twice Upon a Time,” that was never released. Korty is credited with inspiring Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas’ move to northern California in the 1960s and is known as the “father of Marin film.” Lucas, Coppola and Korty occupied the first offices of American Zoetrope. The evening is being held by BCC, together with ASIFA-SF, a chapter of The International Animation Association and the Bay Area Antioch College Alumni Chapter. Tickets are free through Eventbrite, and available at the door. Friday, Oct. 9, 7-9 p.m., Berkeley City College, 2050 Center St.
AGILITY PROJECTS OPENING The Berkeley Art Center opens Agility Projects — New Photography inspired by the Paul Sack Collection on Friday, Oct. 9 from 6-8 p.m. Six photographers, Filza Ahmad, Ingeborg Gerdes, Toby Kahn, Nick Lawrence, Maggie Preston and Susan Lynn Smith, were selected by a panel of three jurors. The Paul Sack Collection of Photography seeks to show the history of photography from its beginnings to about 1975 in photographs each of which contains somewhere within it an ownable or leasable building. That does not mean that it is a collection of architectural photography or of images of buildings. The structure in the picture could be a small dot on a large landscape or could be the wall behind a portrait. This theme flows from Sack’s career as an investor in real estate. The exhibition runs until Nov. 22. Berkeley Art Center, 1275 Walnut St.
TANGLED VINES Of course a book reading about the California wine industry should happen in a wine bar. Berkeleyside co-founder Frances Dinkelspiel will be reading from Tangled Vines at Botella Republic on Sunday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. The reading is part of Litquake, the Bay Area’s nine-day literary extravaganza for booklovers. Tangled Vines interweaves the tale of Berkeley-born Mark Anderson, who destroyed a world-record amount of wine through arson at a Vallejo storage facility, and the often violent early years of the California wine industry in the 19th century. Wines by the glass or flight will be available. Admission free. Sunday, Oct. 11, 5 p.m., Botella Republic, 2055D Center St.
CAL BASKETBALL OPEN PRACTICE Watch an open practice of the Cal women’s basketball team Saturday afternoon at the Haas Pavilion — something that only happens twice a year — at the annual Tip off Event which also includes a carnival-style celebration that includes food and entertainment. The event starts with a welcome from head coach Lindsay Gottlieb at 12:30 p.m., followed by open practice from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Fans will be able to see the Bears interact in a live, full practice setting as the team prepares for the upcoming season. Admission is free for both portions of the event. Details at CalBears.com.
Don’t miss these other events previously featured on Berkeleyside:
Big Screen Berkeley: ‘Trash’ and ‘Shout Gladi Gladi’
Getting actualized with John Schott
Liz Cunningham to speak about her book, ‘Ocean Country’
The full program for Uncharted: The Berkeley Festival of Ideas on Oct. 16 and 17 in downtown Berkeley is now out. Check out the line-up of speakers and performers. And don’t forget the party, the plentiful food and drink and the fun. One- and two-day early-bird tickets still available. Get yours here.