Film fans can reach out to local series and festivals

If you weren't already tired of the late-August movie "dog days," last Friday gave us three more movies that weren't pre-screened for critics: "Babylon, A.D.," "College" and "Disaster Movie." And next weekend holds "Bangkok Dangerous," which looks dreadful.

But there are still some options out there for audiences that have already seen the better summer hits "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man" and "WALL• E."

For example, would-be crooners can now participate in something called "Mamma Mia!: Sing-Along Edition." Select theaters, including Megaplex Theatres' District and Jordan Commons locations, are showing the musical in a subtitled format that encourages audience participation.

(Call 304-4636 or browse www .megaplextheatres.com for ticket prices and show times.)

You might also want to check out:

• BYU'S SPECIAL COLLECTION ARCHIVES MOVIE SERIES. This series at Brigham Young University begins a new "season" with screenings of "The Ten Commandments" Sept. 11 and 12.

The 1956 Cecil B. DeMille classic will be screened at 6 p.m. both days, in the Harold B. Lee Library auditorium.

Now in its 10th year, the series is sponsored by the L. Tom Perry Special Collections. Most screenings are at 7 p.m. Admission is free but is also limited to those 8 and older. (No food or drinks are permitted in the auditorium.)

Other upcoming films in the series include "Stagecoach" (Sept. 26) and "Charge of the Light Brigade" (Oct. 17). A full schedule of films in the series is available at sc.lib.byu.edu.

• THE GANGRENE FILM FESTIVAL. Despite its rather unsavory-sounding title, the annual event boasts screenings of comedy shorts, stand-up comedy performances and musical concerts. Most, if not all, of it is family-friendly.

Layton's Ed Kenley Amphitheatre, 403 N. Wasatch Drive, hosts this year's event on Friday. A "general audience" session starts at 8:30 p.m., and the "late session," with slightly edgier material, follows at 11 p.m.

Tickets are $7, or $10 for both sessions. More information on the festival can be found at www.gangrene

productions.com.

• GLOBAL LENS 2008. The Global Lens Initiative and the Salt Lake Film Center are sponsoring a series of screenings of "10 feature films from the developing world."

The touring event showcases narrative features and short films from Third World countries, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. "Global Lens 2008" starts Friday at the Broadway Centre Cinemas, 111 E. Broadway.

A full schedule of featured films is at www.saltlakefilmsociety.org, as well as www.globalfilm.org.