As this time of the year rolls around, I am always looking for interesting gifts. I know it’s pretty painless to drop by a Best Buys or the Apple store and pick up a gadget for the men in our lives. But us girls, we need something more fun, frivolous and sentimental for the holidays. At least I do - is EVERYONE listening? Luckily, I have a great holiday market in mind, and the release on DVD of two favorite films of mine, just in time for the giving!

If you are in the mood for a dance film but the thriller part of Black Swan just doesn’t inspire you, then have I got the film for you! It’s called Breath Made Visible and it’s about the glorious Anna Halprin, a dancer who has been able to transcend the typical test of time and in her eighties, is still a force to be reckoned with in the world of dance. Read my review of the film here, if you need more convincing, or simply order your copy today from the Breath Made VIsible store. You’ll find inspiration in this beautifully made documentary. The DVD retails for $24.95 and if you order it today you should get it in time to put it under the tree…

Another charmer of a film, and a personal best-kept-secret favorite along with the Halprin film above, is Mid August Lunch, a slice of life piece about a middle-aged man who is forced to take care of four feisty and very opinionated older women during a sleepy summer weekend in Rome. If food, human interactions and love are part of your must-haves in a film, then Mid August Lunch is the film for you. Read my review of the film for more encouragement, of course. But with this one, your friends will think you are very clever to include it in their Xmas stockings, and you’ll enjoy watching it yourself. Click on the name of the film above to order the DVD from Amazon, where it retails for $21.99.

Finally, the Indo-American Arts Council comes to the rescue for the fashionistas in your life, with a Holiday Folk Arts Market at the Ramada Inn, 30th St @ Lexington Ave, NYC, today, Thursday the 9th and tomorrow, Friday the 10th of December, from 1 to 7 both days. There will be Banjara tribal embroidery, Bandhini tie/dye work from Gujarat, embroidered shawls from Kashmir and Phulia stoles from West Bengal, to name a few. Knowing the IAAC, it’s going to be THE shopping affair of the holiday season. For more info, contact them at phone number 212 594 3685.

Images courtesy of Argot Pictures, Zeitgeist Films and the IAAC