Sarah Ward

Sarah Ward is Concrete Playground's Editor — and also Film and TV Editor, Film and TV Critic, Arts and Entertainment Editor, and Brisbane Editor. If it's on a screen big or small, happening in Brisbane and southeast Queensland, or news of national and international interest — particularly arts and entertainment — then Sarah is across it.

Sarah has also been a film critic for ABC radio for over a decade. Covering all things cinema and television, Sarah has written for Screen International since 2015, and contributed to SBS, ACMI, AACTA, Birth.Movies.Death, Flicks, Senses of Cinema, ScreenHub, ArtsHub, Junkee, FilmInk, Lumina, Metro Magazine, Screen Education and more. Sarah's background includes managing, writing for, mentoring at, being on judging panels at and hosting Q&As at Australian film festivals, such as the Brisbane International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Sydney Film Festival, Queensland Film Festival, Sydney Underground Film Festival, Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival and Gold Coast Film Festival.

Favourite cinema in Brisbane: Angelika Film Centre, which is a glorious new place to see a movie.

Favourite cinema in Sydney: Golden Age Cinema & Bar, the one cinema everyone needs to go to in Sydney if they only go to one cinema.

Favourite cinema in Melbourne: The Astor Theatre, and not just because of its history with cinema cats.

News
Crushes, Coming Out and Cute Paris Trips: The Trailer for 'Heartstopper' Season Two Is Here

Charlie and Nick are officially a couple in the page-to-screen Netflix hit's second season, which hits streaming in early August.

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News
Kmart's Latest Homewares Range Is Big on Coastal and Desert Oasis Vibes (Including for Pets)

The department store's latest affordable collection heroes contrasting textures, seashell and palm silhouettes, and even includes a cactus-shaped cat scratcher.

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News
From RackaRacka's Viral Videos to 2023's Creepiest Horror Movie: Danny Philippou Chats 'Talk to Me'

Since they were nine, Adelaide-born twins Danny and Michael Philippou wanted to make movies. Now they've directed the A24-distributed horror sensation of the year.

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News
Shut Up and Take My Money: The Newly Defrosted and Still-Hilarious 'Futurama' Is Back in Vintage Form

It's been 24 years since it debuted, and ten since it last aired episodes, but Matt Groening's other big animated hit feels like it never left.

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News
Higher, Further, Faster: The Full Trailer for 'The Marvels' Is Here with Space Fights and Flerkens

Continuing its fifth phase, the MCU is teaming up Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan to save several worlds.

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News
It Looks Like Some of 2023's Big Movies Might Delay Releasing Until 2024 Due to the Actors' Strike

'Dune: Part One' was delayed due to the pandemic — and 'Dune: Part Two' might take longer to make it to the big screen, too.

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News
Eight Movies You Really Need to See at the 2023 New Zealand International Film Festival

This year's NZIFF standouts include a deeply affecting romance, Sydney Sweeney's most stunning performance yet and a heartbreaking French courtroom drama.

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Event
Talk to Me

Thu, 27 Jul - Wed, 16 Aug 2023
Various cinemas in Auckland, Auckland

Australian twins Danny and Michael Philippou, aka RackaRacka, cross over from YouTube videos to the big screen with this super-creepy instant horror gem.

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News
Getting Paul Mescal Dancing in the Australian Desert: Benjamin Millepied Chats Reimagining 'Carmen'

In the acclaimed dancer-turned-filmmaker's hands, outback town Broken Hill backdrops a brand-new take on the classic opera.

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Event
Oppenheimer

Thu, 20 Jul - Wed, 16 Aug 2023
Various cinemas in Auckland, Auckland

Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr are extraordinary in Christopher Nolan's striking atomic-bomb thriller.

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Event
Barbie

Thu, 20 Jul - Wed, 23 Aug 2023
Various cinemas in Auckland, Auckland

Playing with dolls proves inventive, hilarious, intelligent and delightful for Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie and a scene-stealing Ryan Gosling.

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News
'The Bear' Serves Up Another Course of Sublime TV in the Hit Dramedy's Sizzling Second Season

Yes chef — the best new show of 2022 is finally back, and it's just as appetising and intense as ever.

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News
'The Dry' Sequel 'Force of Nature' Is No Longer Hitting Cinemas in August Due to the Actors' Strike

You'll have to wait a little longer to see Eric Bana return as detective Aaron Falk, with a new release date not yet confirmed.

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Event
Whanau Marama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2023

Wed, 19 Jul - Sun, 6 Aug 2023
Various cinemas in Auckland, Auckland

International festival favourites, homegrown standouts, cult classics in the making: they're all on this year's NZIFF lineup.

Buy Tickets

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The 15 Best Straight-to-Streaming Movies of 2023 So Far

Watching flicks on the couch has delivered Oscar-nominees, unsettling horror gems, delightful walk-and-talk rom-coms and more across 2023's first half.

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The 15 Best Returning TV Shows of 2023 So Far

Whether you love feuding families, survival-of-the-fittest thrillers or savage satires of history, this year's best returning series have kept delivering.

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News
New Zealand's Rippon Winery Was Just Named the 11th Best Vineyard in the World for 2023

The Central Otago winery was also named the best vineyard in Australasia, beating out winemakers from across the ditch.

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Playing Detective, Parodying Genres and Loving Murder-Mysteries: Sam Richardson Talks 'The Afterparty'

He has two Emmy nominations for 'Ted Lasso'. He loves getting ridiculous in 'I Think You Should Leave'. And he’s revelling in the sleuth life in an Apple TV+ gem.

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News
Hooray for HBO: 'Succession', 'The Last of Us' and 'The White Lotus' Lead 2023's Emmy Nominations

It's a great day to be a cast member on one of the three HBO hits, which picked up the US cable network 74 nominations.

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News
Steven Soderbergh's Twisty New Miniseries 'Full Circle' Is an All-Round Compelling Crime-Thriller

Fresh from 'Magic Mike's Last Dance', the prolific filmmaker directs, lenses and edits every episode of this starry must-watch show.

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Sarah Ward

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Talk to Me

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Whanau Marama: New Zealand International Film Festival 2023

The 15 Best Straight-to-Streaming Movies of 2023 So Far

The 15 Best Returning TV Shows of 2023 So Far

New Zealand's Rippon Winery Was Just Named the 11th Best Vineyard in the World for 2023

Playing Detective, Parodying Genres and Loving Murder-Mysteries: Sam Richardson Talks 'The Afterparty'

Hooray for HBO: 'Succession', 'The Last of Us' and 'The White Lotus' Lead 2023's Emmy Nominations

Steven Soderbergh's Twisty New Miniseries 'Full Circle' Is an All-Round Compelling Crime-Thriller

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