In Minneapolis this Labor Day weekend, Black queer filmmakers will showcase their works at Pillsbury House and Theatre, including two short films by the city’s poet laureate, Junauda Petrus. Meanwhile, the Minnesota sibling band Nunnabove will headline a solo show at the Dakota.

And North Hennepin Community College is showcasing newly acquired works by local Black, Indigenous and Latinx artists through the end of September, while the Calendula Gallery presents acrylic paintings portraying queer life in Otter Tail County. 

Plus, a sneak peek at Minnesota filmmaking with “Rudram,” a debut feature following two Indian sisters taking on a dangerous drug mafia in their small Midwestern town.

Exhibit highlights Black, Indigenous and Latinx art

North Hennepin Community College has added contemporary works to its Fine Art Collection, which spans the period from the 1950s to today, and will celebrate with the exhibit “New Voices / New Visions.” The show spotlights 13 local artists, including Black queer artist Nana Aforo, Dakota artist Marlena Myles and Latinx artists Selma Fernández Richter, Maria Cristina Tavera and Xavier Tavera, alongside contributions from seven student artists. A reception and artist talk will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11, at the college’s Joseph Gazzuolo Gallery. 

Paintings capture rural Minnesota through a queer lens

The Calendula Gallery in St. Paul is showcasing “Queericana,” a series of acrylic paintings by Latinx artist Kandace Creel-Falcón that captures the sights of Otter Tail County. Creel-Falcón draws inspiration from life in the Midwestern countryside with their wife, goats and chickens, as well as hours spent driving across rural landscapes. Their work reflects what cultural theorist José Esteban Muños calls “queer utopic possibility,” imagining spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals create alternative ways of living and seeing the world.

Nunnabove performs at the Dakota

Minnesota sibling band Nunnabove will bring neo-soul, alternative pop and jazz to the Dakota stage this Sunday in a set featuring its latest single, “Daisy.” Since forming in 2016, lead singer Cadence Nunn, keyboardist Mattie Nunn, lead guitarist Bennett Nunn and drummer Wisdom Nunn have lit up Twin Cities music festivals and community fundraisers, and made a 2018 appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” 

Film festival celebrates Black queer stories

The Pillsbury House and Theatre will host the Black August Queer Film Festival on Sunday, curated by artist and activist Tish Jones and poet Danez Smith. The program highlights Minneapolis’ poet laureate Junauda Petrus with her film series “Sweetness of Wild” and the project “Erotics of Abolition.” 

Poet Ajanaé Dawkins will screen “How to Witness a Miracle,” inspired by her poem “How to Witness a Miracle Without Converting.” Jai Stephenson will present the short film “All My Niggas Surround Me, and I’m Surrounded by All My Niggas,” and Ibimina Dominique Thompson will feature “Love Is Like.” The artists will open the festival with performances and close the event with a community conversation. 

Film investigates Indian myths, sisterhood and the opioid crisis

In his debut feature film “Rudram,” Indian-born, Minnesota-based filmmaker Sasi Chakravarthula tells the story of two sisters who draw on the power of Indian mythology while navigating a childhood scarred by substance abuse and a Midwestern community gripped by the early-2000s opioid epidemic. 

The film follows Bhavani (played by Sravanti Yerragudi), a drug crime investigator who analyzes patterns of opioid distribution. Her younger sister, Shivani (Ahana Chandini Subahan), is autistic and non-verbal, with anger issues stemming from a difficult upbringing. Raised in foster care after losing their parents to substance abuse, the sisters confront not only a dangerous drug mafia in their small Midwestern town but also the lasting effects of their trauma.

“Bhavani is like a mom,” Chakravarthula said. To guide Shivani, she turns to Indian mythology, sharing stories of heroism and morality that shape her sister’s understanding of right and wrong. As Shivani learns these myths, she begins to channel the spirit of Shiva — the Hindu god of dance, destruction and creation — when facing the mafia.

Shot in Minnesota, “Rudram” grew out of Chakravarthula’s summer film classes at St. Paul’s Film North, pursued alongside his career as a senior director in software engineering.

“Since I was three years old, I was big into Indian film, particularly Telugu Cinema,” Chakravarthula said. “Rudram” “is very rooted in Indian culture. It is also applicable for the opioid crisis across the globe, particularly in the U.S.”

Scheduled to premiere in early September at Woodbury 10 Cinema, the film explores how mythology and storytelling can become sources of resilience and empowerment.

“This [film] has been a dream for many years,” Chakravarthula said. “I want the world to hear this story, and I want my actors to be recognized because they did so well.”

Date: Early September. Follow the film’s Instagram for updates.

Location: Woodbury 10 Cinema, 1470 Queens Drive, Woodbury

Cost: Free

For more information: Visit instagram.com/rudramgf 

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