By Margaret McGurk
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Underneath Cincinnati, the periodic short-film showcase fast becoming a must-see event for local cinema fans, returns to the SS Nova Gallery, 2260 Central Parkway, at 8 p.m. today.

Sara Mahle, who took over Underneath Cincinnati after founder Phil Morehart relocated to Chicago, is curator of the new show, which includes Been There, Done That, by Andre Hyland; Homucufilm, a mini-documentary on local band Homuculus by Marcelina Robledo; Glamorous Life by John Parker; the first-ever screening of Three Stories by Eric Mattimore; and Nous Sommes La Meme (which translates to "We are the same") by Matthew Pillischer.

SS Nova offers another treat for lovers of unexpected cinema on Friday at 10 p.m., when it hosts the Lucky Bum Film Tour featuring a pair of Portland, Ore., artists who call their show a presentation of "Funhouse Cinema and the Oregon Department of Kick Ass."

Vanessa Renwick and Bill Daniel are criss-crossing the continent in what they call a "merciless, road-dogging onslaught," showing works dating back more than a decade.

Mr. Daniel will present The Girl on the Train in the Moon, an installation, complete with campfire, based on material he collected during 14 years of investigating "the secret world of freight riding and hobo graffiti."

Ms. Renwick will show 10 short films totaling 70 minutes, under the umbrella title of Go Baby Go. Included is her most recent documentary video, Richart, about an artist and former mental patient, Richard Tracy.

Suggested donation for both events is $5 per person. See www.underneathcincinnati.com.