View the many documentaries in this year’s festival, co-sponsored by Yale, which seeks to build a sense of community among filmmakers from the greater New Haven area. Films scheduled include “Gina’s Journey,” which depicts the quest of one woman in tracing the steps of her ancestor, who traveled along the Underground Railroad to freedom and authored the first fugitive slave narrative in U.S. history. Free. Through June 10.
Attend a lecture by Poynter Fellow Sam Quinones, journalist, storyteller, and author of three acclaimed books of narrative nonfiction. Free. Connecticut Mental Health Center, 34 Park St. June 6 at 11 a.m.
Explore the mysteries of the universe with expert astronomers at the Leitner Family Observatory and Planetarium. Tickets: $5; free for children under 13 and Yale students. 355 Prospect St. Tuesdays at 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.
Explore your artistic side in an outdoor program that takes place in front of the Yale University Art Gallery and fosters impromptu art making on a drop-in basis. Led by gallery staff and Yale undergraduate and graduate students, each session focuses on a single medium and connects to related works in the collection. Free. 1111 Chapel St. June 7 & 14 at 2 p.m.
Go behind the scenes of the American Decorative Arts Furniture Study, the Yale University Art Gallery’s working library of American furniture and wooden objects, which features more than 1,100 works from the 17th to the 21st century. Space is limited. Free. 1111 Chapel St. June 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” with the Mark Morris Dance Group’s performance of “Pepperland.” The festival partnered with arts organizations from around the world to commission this piece. Morris’ choreography combines with fresh arrangements of Beatles songs and new Pepper-inspired pieces. Tickets: $25-$125. Schubert Theatre, 247 College St. June 21 & 22 at 8 p.m.
Join Michael Fegley, co-creator and star of “A Billion Nights on Earth,” for a master class in developing theater for children and their parents. This session features simple yet dynamic theater games that involve parents and kids in creating multi-generational theater that expands both the imagination and the notion of what can actually happen on a stage. Free. New Haven Green. June 13-16.
Listen to Yale historian Timothy Snyder discuss his new book, which explores the lessons learned from the rise of the Russian oligarchy, which crushed the burgeoning democracy at the end of the Cold War. Free. Yale University Art Gallery, 1111 Chapel St. June 10 at 1:30 p.m.
Savor the sounds of one of the most acclaimed vocal ensembles in the German-speaking world. The choir, with singers from Germany and Switzerland, performs standard older music, as well as works that lie outside the regular repertoire. Tickets: $35. Morse Recital Hall, 470 College St. June 13 & 16.
