Wednesday, September 10

Are you fashionable yet? While heavy-hitters Michael Kors and Oscar de la Renta show under the tents (don’t get too excited, reality TV fans, the Project Runway show—yes, a runway show about a TV show about runway shows—isn’t till Friday!), do-gooders at the Ghetto Film School (not that we don’t consider our Diane von Furstenberg jacket to be born of a profound concern for mankind …) host the school’s Public Film Screening, at which they will award scholarships to student filmmakers chosen by judges Spike Jonze (formerly the better half of Sofia Coppola, now dating Michelle Williams, and he directs movies, too!), Jim Jarmusch (Coffee and Cigarettes), David O. Russell (I Heart Huckabees) and Damon Dash (whose wife, Rachel Roy, is showing at Fashion Week, but never mind that). “The students have worked so hard all summer,” said Joe Hall, Ghetto Film School’s founder and president. “I think the judges are going to be blown away. For first-time teenage filmmakers, their work is well developed and highly creative—really demonstrates a great deal of effort and creativity.” (Just don’t let them see Broken Flowers.) Finally, songstress Daniella Cotton performs a “Rock for Barack” benefit concert at Le Poisson Rouge, because, she told us, “I love Barack as a candidate obviously, not for the obvious reasons, I think. Not just for the color of his skin, but I think that when you’re judging a politician, he’s accomplished a lot as a man, and we should look for that in a candidate—not just what he’s accomplished as a candidate, per se. … We need a face in there who will smooth over our image.” Ms. Cotton will perform songs from her album, Rare Child, to benefit MoveOn.org. “One of my favorite presidents was Jimmy Carter,” she said wistfully. “And”—click! 

[Ghetto Film School’s Ninth Annual Public Film Screening, Walter Reade Theatre, Lincoln Center, 6 p.m., 718-589-5470; “Rock for Barack” Benefit Concert, Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, 7 p.m., http://lepoissonrouge.com]

mbryan@observer.com