The Egyptian goes Greek this week

The third annual Los Angeles Greek Film Festival, which opens tonight and continues through Sunday at the Egyptian Theatre, includes seven features, seven documentaries and eight shorts -- with 15 of the films making their U.S. premieres.

The festival kicks off this evening with Christos Georgiou’s “Small Crime.” Highlights of the festival include a tribute to director Penelope Spheeris with a screening of her 1984 film “Suburbia,” the world premiere of Nia Vardalos’ romantic comedy “I Hate Valentine’s Day” and an awards presentation on closing night, along with a screening of Alexis Kardaras’ “Guinness.” www.lagreekfilmfestival.org

In short

The 2009 Palm Springs International ShortFest continues at the Camelot Theatres in the desert community through Monday. Now in its 15th year, the festival features 76 world premieres, 43 North American premieres and 14 U.S. premieres. Among the films scheduled are Demi Moore’s directorial debut, “Streak,” which features her daughter Rumer Willis; Courteney Cox’s “The Monday Before Thanksgiving,” with Laura Dern, Cox and Rosemary Harris; Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s “Ink”; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s “Sparks,” with Carla Gugino and Eric Stoltz. www.psfilmfest.org

Varda on Varda

French filmmaker Agnes Varda, 81, is being feted at the American Cinematheque’s Aero Theatre with a weeklong retrospective. Varda will discuss her work at each screening. Tonight is her 2001 documentary “The Gleaners & I” and 2002’s “The Gleaners & I: Two Years Later.” On tap for Friday are her hippy-dippy 1969 American film “Lions Love (and Lies),” which stars Viva and “Hair” authors James Rado and Gerome Ragni, and 1981’s “Mur Murs,” about L.A.’s murals. Varda’s 1962 masterwork “Cleo From 5 to 7” and 1985 drama “Vagabond” screen Sunday. The retrospective ends Wednesday with a sneak preview of her 2008 autobiographical documentary “The Beaches of Agnes.” www.americancinematheque.com

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susan.king@latimes.com