With BottleRock just about ready to boom, Napa’s other wide-eyed fest, the Napa Valley Film Festival, is getting in on the action early with some music-centric sneak peak screenings. Monday, May 6, taps the organization’s alliance with BottleRock for a fundraiser/screening and Q&A of the documentary Sound City, Dave Grohl’s (of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame, who will be in attendance) directorial debut. Tuesday, Sundance favorite Twenty Feet from Stardom will get its Napa debut at the building formerly known as COPIA. Music is also on the mind in this flick, which brings the stars-behind-the-stars to the forefront. Rock legends like Sting, The Boss and Mick Jagger wax about how below-the-radar backup singers like Darlene Love, Lisa Fischer and Judith Hill (now forging her own tracks on Season 4 of The Voice) helped define the sounds of the time. Director Morgan Neville will be on hand for Q&As after both screenings, and Fischer, making a pit stop off her tour with the Rolling Stones, will perform live following the 5:30PM screening. Looks like Napa is most definitely ready to rock. The 5:30pm screening is $20 and includes a wine tasting; 8:30pm screening is $10. 500 First Street, Napa, www.nvff.com.

You might think Zach Braff is a destitute hobo, the way he was begging for money on the internet last week. But no! Zach Braff is in fact a very famous and wealthy actor, screenwriter, producer and director, and Zach Braff is also the donor who just pitched in enough money to save the Rio Theater in Monte Rio.

That’s right: the star of Scrubs and Garden State put the Rio’s fundraising efforts over their $60,000 goal just today—meaning that the cutest little Quonset hut theater in Sonoma County will be able to buy a digital projector, thereby appeasing the big-movie-studio ogres and staying open to bring life and love and entertainment to the deep reaches of West County.

On Facebook, Braff testified about the Rio Theater that he “Can’t wait to see a movie there!”

Congratulations to the Rio Theater, which opened in 1950 and has become a favorite of ours here at the Bohemian. The quaint one-screen is a true small-town gem, refreshingly removed from the moviegoing experience at huge megaplexes. With its hand-picked music, personalized slides, and fabric from Christo’s fence hanging from the ceiling, it’s a beloved staple of the West County community. (For the full story of the Rio Theater, see Stephen Gross’ history of the place, here.)

May the Rio last another 63 years or more—and you can bet that sometime soon, they’ll be showing Braff’s upcoming film, Wish I Was Here.

At the annual California Newspaper Publishers Association awards luncheon on April 27, the Bohemian was honored to take home two awards. Competing in a category with 35 other weekly newspapers statewide, staff writer Leilani Clark won second place in the Best Feature Story category for her cover story detailing the crackdown on medical marijuana growers and dispensaries (“Smoked Out,” May 2, 2012). In addition, the Bohemian staff won second place in the Special Section category for our Best Of issue spotlighting longstanding local businesses that have thrived for 40 years or more (“Best Of: Legends,” March 21, 2012). Furthermore, Blue Ribbon certificates were awarded to William Smith and Sara Sanger for their Bohemian work in illustration and photography, respectively.

This marks three statewide awards and seven national awards that the Bohemian has won in the last five years for excellence in journalism. Frankly, we’re honored, and will continue to work hard to bring you the best paper possible.

—The Ed.

Blasting Sonny Rollins in Joy