The Twin Cities Film Fest launches its nine-day run tonight with a selection of prestigious indies, Oscar-bait studio releases, docs and short subjects. There are films on tap starring Bradley Cooper, David John Hawkes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Justin Long, Maggie Smith, Julia Stiles and the Rhymesayers, and a variety of film panels, parties and special events. Tonight's presentation is the feature-length documentary "A Place at the Table," an eye-opening investigation of food insecurity in America, featuring Jeff Bridges, at 8:30 p.m. at the Showplace Icon theater. For a complete schedule and to order individual tickets or festival passes, visit twincitiesfilmfest.org. (Showplace Icon theater, W. 16th St. and Park Pl. Blvd., St. Louis Park.)

The Ayn Rand drama "Atlas Shrugged, Part II" (PG-13 for brief language) apparently was not made by capitalists, since last year's "Part I" earned $4.6 million on a reported $20 million budget. None of the lead actors has returned for the sequel -- Samantha Mathis replaces Taylor Schilling as heroine Dagny Taggart -- but there are celebrity cameos from Sean Hannity, Grover Norquist and Teller of Penn & Teller. The film was not screened for review.

COLIN COVERT