Free things to do this week ft. Made in Manchester, curry + more

Made in Manchester Screening at 70 Oxford Street
The venue formerly known as Cornerhouse, now known by the rather literalist moniker of 70 Oxford Street, plays host to this screening as part of the Kinofilm Festival running all through this week. The screening consists in a number of locally-made shorts, all of which were made as part of the Northern Exposure programme that casts a spotlight on the North’s hottest new directors. It’s a great opportunity to see some up-and-coming talent and a great way to get into the swing of year’s festival. If you miss this one, there’s still a paid screening available on Tuesday night.
Mon 22 Feb, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH, 7.50pm, www.skiddle.com

Quarantine’s No Such Thing at Kabana Curry Café (pictured)
They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch, but site-specific theatre company Quarantine are out to prove this wrong. At this regular monthly lunchtime event, the guys from Quarantine will buy you lunch. The catch? You’ve got to provide them with half an hour of conversation, picked from an array of available conversation cards. If you’re a bit of a talker, this is definitely the best way to get lunch this week. Advance booking required.
Wed 24 Feb, Kabana, 52 Back Turner Street, Manchester M4 1FP, 2pm – 2.30pm, www.qtine.co.uk

Ben Rivers at The Whitworth
This Thursday artist and filmmaker Ben Rivers brings his new exhibition to The Whitworth. This video installation mixes documentary and more traditional storytelling using footage shot in Morocco. Check out our full preview for further details.
Thu 25 Feb – Sun 22 May, Whitworth Art Gallery, Oxford Road, Manchester M15 6ER, Tel: 0161 2757450, 10am – 5pm, www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk

David Hartley Launch at Castle Hotel
Writer David Hartley has chosen the Castle as the venue to launch his new book Spiderseed, which is a collection of short stories. Promised on the night is literature, music and nasty surprises – the arachnid title possibly foreshadowing this. As is usual for these events, Hartley will be reading from the volume, as well as introducing a roster of local literary talent including Bad Language host Fat Roland.
Thu 25 Feb, Castle Hotel, 66 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE, 7.30pm, www.facebook.com