What makes people bust their gut in Bangladesh may not have the same effect in Stalingrad.

Humor and its vast potential for variety will be explored in this year's Chiaroscuro (Kee-ar-oh-skyur-oh, Italian for light/dark) film series.

Inspired by the 2011 Grand Rapids LaughFest, Chiaroscuro aims to show how

different humor can be depending on the origin. The Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts will be hosting the event for the sixth straight year.

"We were influenced by Toronto Film Festival, which I try to attend every year," said President of Chiaroscuro Film Series, Gretchen Minnhaar. "Of course, we aren't nearly as big, but we do have high hopes for the series."

Starting out from the ground up was the toughest thing for the series. The Grand Rapids Community Foundation funded the first year, and the turnout was big enough that they gained followers and more sponsors, such as Grand Valley State University, Meijer and Steelcase. The sponsors allow the event to be free to the public.

Along with the free admission, complimentary drinks are served after the show, along with a discussion.

"The discussion after the film is my favorite part of the gig," Minnhaar said.

She also hopes to raise enough money to fly in several directors of the films, so they can join in the debate. In order to keep the discussions fresh, each year the series has a new theme. Earlier seasons followed topics such as women directors, food and muses.

The new theme each year also helps in the film selection process by narrowing the search. President (Minnhaar) and vice president (Zulema Moret) hunt for films online and watch as many as they can. Out of the films they view, they select six to present. In addition to these films, the two accept short film submissions from local talent.

"All the short films we show are from people in West Michigan," Minnhaar said. "How many short films do people see these days? Practically zero. We want to change that. All these talented people do not get many opportunities to get their films seen, so we give it to them."

Many of the short films accepted originate from Calvin College, Grand Valley State University, Kendall College and Compass Film Academy.

Minnhaar hopes for more people to attend the series this year, and for Grand Rapids to continue to develop as a well-rounded, internationally represented city.

Despite minor details such as no supporting science or foothold in rational thought, this year will be chock-full of 2012 prophecy talk, and all the related end of the world ballyhoo. And while the likelihood of planetary collision or other cataclysmic occurrence is about the same as any other year, it is a deliciously topical chance to catch a few post-apocalyptic flicks. Nothing as obvious as Mad Max or the soulless spectacle of 2012 here — and no stark, Cormac McCarthy realism welcome.

2019,  After the Fall of New York (1983)
A classic of Italian trash cinema, 2019 showcases the aftermath of nuclear fallout (infertility) and wraps it in a low-budget blanket of action and violence as our hero Parsifal endeavors to locate the last remaining fertile woman. We get needlessly intense weaponry (and outfits!), mutants and more in this gnarly clunker of an Arthurian homage.

Zardoz (1974)
If you want to blow a few movie-loving friends' minds, tell them you have a Sean Connery film you're dying to show them. Five minutes into Zardoz and you will have either demolished any respect for your taste they may have had - or forever earned it. The definition of "see it to believe it" films, Zardoz is the story of a post-apocalyptic world where the near-primal survivors worship an anti-procreation, gun-spewing stone head idol and (a scantily clad) Sean Connery discovers a secret, affluent society far removed from the violence of the outside world. Part heady sci-fi, part camp masterpiece, and part red loin cloth, Zardoz is unlike anything you've seen — for better or worse.

A Boy and His Dog (1974)
It is post-nuclear war, and the titular Boy, Vic (Don Johnson. Yes, that Don Johnson) and his dog, Blood, roam the land, scavenging for what they can to survive. That ol' Blood happens to be a telepathic pooch with a bottomless stomach and what they're scavenging for is primarily female companionship, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Darkly humorous and with a vaguely nasty streak, A Boy and His Dog is something of a cult classic and is pulp sci-fi at its ragged, eccentric best.

Solarbabies (1986)
In the new world order water is hyper scarce and orphans form friendships through competing in a rollerball/hockey hybrid - sounds realistic thus far. But when one of the Solarbabies (that's the name of their team, obviously) finds a glowing orb with supernatural powers, things get a little far-fetched. And by "far-fetched" I mean "ludicrously magnificent," because Solarbabies is a delirious ‘80s romp from start to end. Who knew all it took to rise up against your water-enslaving oppressors was a magic E.T. ball and some roller skates?

At some point during the holiday season, you're likely to reach a breaking point. That moment when anything resembling Will Ferrell exclaiming how much he loves syrup or, Heaven forbid, a bratty blonde boy tries to scheme his way into a dangerous BB gun as a present, just brings your blood to a near boil. When that inevitable moment occurs, take solace in the fact that there is a selection of viewing guaranteed to erode all traces of the typical, saccharine Christmas tales from your mind.

Video-sharing website Vimeo will be at ArtPrize, hosting Vimeo Offline, an opportunity for you to see your favorite videos in an offline environment.

Vimeo will screen the very best in animation, music video, short film and time-lapse made by its users. During that time, a community-made ArtPrize video will premiere.

“We thought the two brands fit together really well and wanted to do something a little different in terms of events at ArtPrize this year,” said Steve Niebauer, a content and community manager at Vimeo, as well as a graduate of Grand Valley State University.

Filmmakers are encouraged to shoot anything and everything during ArtPrize 2011 and upload their footage to Vimeo. That footage will be “edited into a narrative that speaks to the creative process and impact ArtPrize has on everyone involved.”

Catered appetizers and a cash bar will be available during that time.

A new web series, produced in Grand Rapids, will make its debut at ArtPrize. “Backstage Drama” is the story of a young man who witnesses a murder and is placed in a witness protection program as a janitor in a community theatre in Grand River, Mich. Teresa Thome, one of the creators of the series says “Backstage Drama” could be called “‘Sopranos’ meets ‘Waiting for Guffman,’ meets ‘Glee.’”

The web series was going to premiere this fall at backstagedrama.com, but when Thome and co-creator, Patrick Ziegler, heard ArtPrize wanted to expand its offerings in new media, they knew the art competition would be the perfect debut.

The international film festival, Thriller! Chiller!, is back for its sixth year. Having been in the community so long, it’s a favorite of not just the West Michigan community, but local filmmakers as well.

“I’m just a fan of a well-run festival that plays incredibly entertaining, well-made films and it’s nice when a festival is just great to its filmmakers,” said Michael McCallum of Rebel Pictures.

The 2011 lineup of films includes 13 features and 44 shorts for a total of 57 films. Thriller! Chiller! may seem like a horror-only film festival, but it also features the best of sci-fi, action and suspense from around the world.