Annie (PG): Foster child Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) has her life changed when she is taken in by Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx), a wealthy New York mayoral candidate. Based on the Broadway musical.

Saturday

CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY:

10am: Christmas in the City continues with the trampoline playground Flip Out, camel rides, roving entertainers, charity markets during the day and food markets at night and the record-breaking display of Christmas lights among the attractions. inthecitycanberra.com.au.

CHRISTMAS MARKETS

10am: Gorman House Christmas Markets offer shopping and entertainment until 4pm. Choose unique gifts from the range of wares from Australian and international arts and handicrafts through to fashions, novelties, collectables and produce. Multicultural food and coffee will also be available.

FAMILY SPACE

11am: Open for the school holidays is the Portrait Gallery Adventure Family Space. Explore the lives of Australia's greatest adventurers through interactive art carts, dioramas and dress-ups. Make your own portrait that expresses your spirit of adventure using fun art materials and the photo booth. All materials provided. Free. Open 11am-4pm daily, except Christmas Day, until February 1.

UNWRAP ME

2pm: Playwrights from across Australia were asked to begin a short play with the stage direction: [A character] enters carrying a Christmas present. The result is Unwrap Me, an eclectic collection of festive plays. Produced by Budding Theatre in aid of Doctors Without Borders and World Animal Protection. Also 8pm. Also showing December 18 and 20 at 8pm. Canberra Theatre. Tickets $30/$23 from canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

UNDER THE STARS

6.30pm: The final IMB Sunset Cinema session for the year is Interstellar (M) in which a group of explorers make use of a newly discovered wormhole to surpass the limitations on human space travel and conquer the vast distances involved in an interstellar voyage to try to save the human race. Australian National Botanic Gardens. Tickets $11-$17. Website: sunsetcinema.com.au.

THE COMPETITION

6.45pm: The Canberra-made film The Competition is now showing at Dendy Canberra until Christmas Day. This screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Simon Weaving, two of the cast, Jess Brent and Tony Turner, and producer John Frohlich. Tickets from dendy.com.au.

CHRISTMAS BALL

7pm: Dress in Christmas or Dickensian-themed costume for the Christmas Carol Ball at Ainslie All Saints Hall. All welcome, no partners necessary and all dances are led. Bring a contribution for the late-evening supper table. Water, tea and coffee provided. Tickets $20 online or $25 at the door. For more information visit earthlydelights.com.au

CELL BLOCK 69

8pm: Cell Block 69's Stadium Rock Spectacular is at the ANU Union Bar.Over 18s only. Tickets $24.82 plus transaction fee from premier.ticketek.com.au.

Sunday

OLD BUS DEPOT MARKETS

10am: Immerse yourself in everything Christmassy! The Old Bus Depot Markets are open for the last time before Christmas with wreaths, table centrepieces, candles, handmade stockings and advent calendars. Buy a live Christmas tree from St Nicholas Trees. Order a personalised Christmas bauble. Buy delicious Christmas fare including cakes, gingerbread houses, mince tarts, puddings, shortbread, party dips, farmhouse cheeses, olives and more. Free entry.

CHRISTMAS CLASSIC

10.30am: It's A Wonderful Life (1946) tells the story of George Bailey (James Stewart), a man who's spent his whole life helping others and who is driven to suicidal despair by circumstances. An angel comes to show him what the world would have been like if he had never been born. It's a movie filled with humour, pathos and a great cast. Palace Electric, tickets $8.50. palacecinemas.com.au.

REMBRANDT

1pm: Exhibition: REMBRANDT, from the National Gallery London and Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, documents the exhibition of works focusing on the final years of the artist's creative life and interweaves his life story with the behind-the-scenes preparations for the show. The film explores each of the exhibition's key works, through contributions from invited guests including curators and leading art historians. Dendy Canberra: bookings dendy.com.au and Palace Electric: bookings: palacecinemas.com.au.

CAROLS IN THE COURT

1.30pm: A free two-hour concert to celebrate the festive season will be held at the High Court of Australia. Louise Page, Tobias Cole, the Resonants, Vocal Fry and New Voices along with pianist Phillipa Candy and The Trumpet Club will perform well-known and less famous carols and other Christmas music.The audience is invited to sing along in this conclusion to the High Court's 2014 concert program.