Who's on 'First'?

Bridget Gray, an award-winning slam poet, will appear at First Thursday tomorrow.

Spoken word artist Bridget Gray will be in the house when First Thursday moves to its new home at the Hawaiian Hut in the Ala Moana Hotel, starting at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow.

The event, hosted by Kealoha, will feature a $100 slam poetry competition, with the top two poets qualifying for the 2005 HawaiiSlam finals.

In addition, painters will create live art in the wings, there will be massages in the lounge and a guest DJ will provide turntable bliss. Admission is $3 before 8:30 p.m. and $5 after.

Since entering the slam scene in 1999, Gray has appeared on HBO's Def Poetry Jam and has won numerous slams, including the first HBO Soul Poetry Slam, the Battle of LA and the Nuyorican Poets' Cafe Slam in New York.

She has attended various National Poetry Slams as a team member for Hollywood and Los Angeles.

Call 387-9664.

Seeing stars

ARTAfterDARK hosts a masquerade ball in the Venetian tradition to raise funds for children's art projects.

The Starlight Ball, 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Honolulu Academy of Arts, will raise funds for the Academy Art Center at Linekona and Art to Go, an outreach program for youths at risk. Last year's event raised $10,000.

Hard 2 Oppose and the Ned Flanders Group will provide music for dancing and food will be handled by the academy's Pavilion Cafe, Town, Y. Hata & Co., 12th Avenue Grill, Superb Sushi, Honolulu Baking Co. and Starbucks.

A silent auction will feature art and "lifestyle packages."

Tickets are $75. Call 532-6099 or visit the Web site, www.artafterdark.org.

Celebrity Tuxedos is donating $10 to the academy for every tuxedo rented for the night, as well as offering reduced rates on the rentals.

Instant director

"I promise that in two days, you'll understand how to produce and direct (films) ... guaranteed."

So claims Dov S-S Simens of the Hollywood Film Institute, whose crash-course film school travels to the Ala Moana Hotel Jan. 29 and 30.

Simens' all-day classes -- broken down to, first day, "Make the Movie"; second, "Sell the Movie" -- condenses four years of film school theory and education into a couple of rapid-fire sessions over a weekend.

Previous attendees listed in his promotional brochure include directors Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan, Guy Ritchie and Baz Luhrman, and actors Will Smith and Queen Latifah.

Cost is $389. Call Lex Clark at 258-8018, e-mail him at contact@lclarkproductions.com, or visit the Web site, lclarkproductions.com.

School of golf

SDGA, a two-year college offering a degree in golf management and golf complex operations, will open its newest campus in Hawaii this month.

The Golf Academy of Hawaii will be at the Ko'olau Golf Club, with a campus including computer lab, library, lounge, club repair center, indoor instruction and video analysis area, student and placement service areas, as well as administrative offices, for those interested in the golf business degree program and the SDGA International ESL/GOLF Certificate Program.

SDGA is the oldest and largest golf college of its kind, with locations in California, Arizona, South Carolina and Florida.

Call (800) 342-7342, or visit the Web site, www.sdgagolf.com.

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