(Image: Night Visions Facebook page)

A night of film noir-inspired art will visit the northern Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy tonight, part of the City of Yarra’s Leaps and Bounds festival.

Showcasing art inspired by the highly stylised world of film noir, Night Visions will feature local musicians, film makers and spoken word artists. The opening night ‘Songs in the Key of Noir‘ promises “noir inspired pieces, films and songs” inspired by “the themes and imagery of classic film noir”.

The evening will include performances and works by Ruth Lindsey, Bonnie Mercer, Brendan Gray, writer Rijn Collins, artist Peter Dowd and Alyssa McBain.

Film noir (literally ‘black film’ in French) is a genre which emerged in the 1940s involving stylish and dramatic crime drama. Often recognised for its trademark lighting techniques (such as stark silhouettes) and femme fatale characters, the genre is responsible for movies such as Double Indemnity, The Big Sleep, Strangers on a Train, and more recently, the neo-noir Sin City.

Night Visions is being held during the inaugural Leaps and Bounds Music Festival of the City of Yarra in Melbourne. Running from Friday 5th July to Sunday 21st July, the festival celebrates the local live music scene which is such a part of Melbourne life.

Night Visions kicks off tonight at 7pm at Kent St. bar, 201 Smith Street Fitzroy.