If you haven’t seen the 2013 winner of the Academy Awards Best Documentary Feature “Searching for Sugarman”, you need to since the phenomenol star/musician/songwriter of the movie Sixto Rodriguez is coming to Tucson this week.

I wrote a movie review of this inspiring film before it won the Oscar (click here) after I saw it at the Crossroads Festival Theater (where it is still playing once a day). And last week the Loft Theater, which had originally shown this movie, brought it back for one night on April 11.

Seeing this movie the 2nd time brought to reality the role that Rodriguez’s existential, anti-establishment lyrics had on the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa.

The star of the film, Sixto Rodriguez is now on tour, and coming to Tucson on April 19, at the AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road. Online tickets at tickets.solcasino.com, or call 1-800-344-9435. More info:http://www.rialtotheatre.com/news/archives/2013/02/rodriguez_at_av.html. Originally he was supposed to perform at the Rialto Theater downtown on Congress St, but due to his recent popularity, the venue was changed to the AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol, to accommodate the thousands of new fans.

All ages welcome, doors open at 7 p.m., for the 8 p.m. live show. Giant Sand will also be performing, and tickets are $20 and up.

Listen to new phenomenon Rodriguez perform this week, then see the film (or vice versa). DVDs of the film are also already available at Casa Video and at the Pima County Public Library.

Rodriguez’s nationwide tour starts off in Mesa, Arizona on April 18, comes here, then goes on to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, Salt Lake City, Broomfield (CO), Dallas, Austin, New Orleans, Tampa, Atlanta, Nashville, St. Paul (MN), Chicago, and ends up in his hometown of Detroit, MI, all in a month! Some of his songs are also on youtube.com. I especially like the haunting lyrics of “I Wonder”.

“From Up on Poppy Hill” written by Hayao Miyazaki, directed by his son Goro Miyazaki, opens at the Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway on April 12. Winner: Japan Academy Prize 2011, Animation of the Year. The Loft just hosted a Hayao Miyazaki film series of 8 animated films in January. This is the latest film.

From the iconic and highly celebrated Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro) comes From Up on Poppy Hill, written by legendary studio founder and Oscar-winner Hayao Miyazaki and directed by Goro Miyazaki. This uniquely inspired and highly anticipated coming-of-age story marks the first feature film collaboration between father and son, and the results are stunning.

Set in Yokohama in 1963, this lovingly hand-drawn film centers on Umi (voiced by Sarah Bolger) and Shun (voiced by Anton Yelchin) and the budding romance that develops as they join forces to save their high school’s ramshackle clubhouse from demolition. The top-grossing Japanese film of 2011 and winner of the Japan Academy Prize for Animation, From Up on Poppy Hill captures the innocence of new love as well as the beauty of Yokohama’s harbor and lush surroundings. With its rich color palette, stunning exteriors, sun-drenched gardens, bustling cityscapes and painterly detail, From Up on Poppy Hill provides a pure, sincere, and nuanced evocation of the past (buoyed by an upbeat soundtrack of period pop music), and marks yet another creative triumph for Studio Ghibli.

The star-filled voice cast also includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Christina Hendricks and Ron Howard, among many others. (Dir. by Goro Miyazaki, 2011, Japan, dubbed in English & subtitled in English 2011, 91 min) Digital.

I’ve seen most of Miyazaki’s animated films, so I’m looking forward to seeing this new one as well.

The Loft Cinema Farmers’ Market

Every Saturday from 8:00am – 11:00am
We’re happy to announce that we have launched a weekly farmers’ market on our patio. The market will be open from 8:00am – 11:00am and will feature baked goods and cold salads from the Food Conspiracy Co-op and fresh organic food from local vendors and farmers!

Free organic popcorn will be available to attendees!

On Saturday we’ll have baked goods and cold salads from the Food Conspiracy Co-op, local honey from the Tucson Honey Company, produce from Menlo Farms, San Xavier Coop Farm and Local Roots Aquaponics, raw macaroons and crackers from R’s Raw Kitchen, lasagna from Lasagna and More, canned goods from Iskashitaa Refugee Network, raw ice cream from Tonic Sustenance, fair trade/organic coffee from Café Aqui, plants from Dream Flower Garden, power bars from PHOD, salsa from Chilttepica Salsa, seed bombs from Green Fire Arizona and soap from Sun Grown Soaps.

Each week, along with all the great local food being sold, we will offer live music, food demonstrations, short films, and other activities. We will also offer three tables for other non-profits to use, free of charge, to promote their organizations.

Please contact us farmersmarket@loftaz.com for more information.

I reported on this grand opening on March 16 (click here), and dropped by on that day as well to sample some of the goodies. It’s definitely a fun market due to the variety of vendors, live music, outdoor location right on Speedway in the Loft’s new courtyard area. And you can stay longer to view an independent film as well.