These days, it can be hard to choose what to watch among all the shows on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock and other livestreaming platforms.

Lucky for you, the discerning jury of the Sioux City International Film Festival has done that work for you. They sorted through more than 260 submissions from around the world and chose 83 to screen Oct. 1-3 at the Promenade Cinema in the heart of Sioux City’s Fourth Street Historic District.

The films will be screened in two-hour themed blocks—documentaries, comedies, thrillers, etc.—and the stories run the gamut.

There’s an Oscar-winning short, “Skin,” about a fateful encounter in a grocery store. There’s “The Letter Room,” about a prison guard tasked with reading inmates’ letters. And there's a fun one called “The Homework Fairy."

Now in its 16th year, the annual festival showcases top-notch films from around the world and closer to home, including a handful of Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota selections that will be screened during a special preview on Sept. 30. (That night’s lineup includes “Storm Lake,” the new documentary about Storm Lake’s award-winning newspaper.)

Visit the festival’s website for all the details—or check out more than a dozen other Iowa film festivals coming to a theater near you.

Families should check out craft-filled Sodafest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Iowa Children’s Museum. Find more information here.

A HALF-CENTURY OF ARTS FESTIVALS IN AMES

Now on display at the Muscatine Art Center, “Alterations. tailored solutions to climate change" takes the concept of recycling to a new level.

Created by artist and environmentalist Nancy Judd, the 15 sculptures appear to be high-style couture, but are made with trash, recycled goods, roadside litter and elements from nature. Judd’s goal is that the sculptures will last a century. Each work is paired with a science-based solution for reducing carbon in the atmosphere.

The exhibit, which premiered at the Atlanta International Airport last year, runs through the end of October.

Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and weekends from 1 to 4 p.m.

If you’re interested in getting an inside look at how some Iowa artists work, there are two events to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Northeast Iowa Artists’ Studio Tour
More than 40 artists in 31 locations will take part in this weekend event, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Oct. 8-10. Decorah is the central hub for most studios, but sites are located as far as 40 miles away from the city. Tours are self-guided and free to attend. You can find a list of locations and artists online.

North Iowa Studio Tour
Check out 16 artist studios at the 10th annual North Iowa Studio Tour this weekend. Work from 27 artists in Ventura, Clear Lake, Mason City, Manly and Sheffield will be on display, and tours are self-guided. Admission is free. Informational brochures with locations are available at each studio as well as Art on the Plaza, MacNider Art Museum, Mason City Chamber of Commerce, North Iowa Visitors Center (all in Mason City) or the Clear Lake Arts Center. You can also see a map here.

Writer: Michael Morain
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs

Sure, you’ve heard of the Everly Brothers. But do you know the Everly son?

Edan Everly returns to Shenandoah this weekend to sing a few rock 'n' roll hits by his dad and uncle and accept a key to the city where they grew up. His concert with the Killer Vees (relatives of 1960s artist Bobby Vee) is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Shenandoah High School auditorium.

Edan, 53, is the son of Don, who died last month in Nashville. Don’s brother, Phil, died in 2014. You can visit their childhood home, which locals moved about 15 years ago to a spot next to the Shenandoah Historical Museum.

This weekend you can also visit the State Historical Society of Iowa’s mobile museum, which will be in town for Shenandoah’s sesquicentennial and the annual Shenfest, complete with a parade, car show, pancake breakfast, film screening and more.

So there's plenty to sing about, right along with Edan Everly.

“He sounds just like his dad,” says Bill Hillman, who owns the Depot restaurant near the Everly house.

He helped organize the Everly Brothers reunion concert, back in 1986, when 8,500 fans crowded into town. As he recalls, “it was kind of a big deal.”