Keen for a sneak-peek at tracks from The Strokes' new album, 'Angles'? Not due for release until March 22, you cynically reply? Think again. Thanks to a glitch in the iTunes UK store, 30-second previews of every track from the album were prematurely uploaded. They've since been taken down, but not before being ripped by fans eager to hear what the band have been up to for the last couple of years. 'Angles' has been five years in the making. Check out snippets of the new songs, compiled conveniently into one YouTube video. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hjyIxgiryHo [Via Addict Music]
UPDATE, MARCH 18: Due to concerns around COVID-19, Spiral: From the Book of Saw will no longer release on its initially scheduled date of Thursday, May 14, 2020. At present, a new release date has not been announced — we'll update you when one has been revealed. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. In 2003, James Wan and Leigh Whannell made a short film that completely changed the Australian duo's careers. These days Wan is known for directing everything from Fast and Furious 7 to Aquaman, while Whannell has jumped behind the lens on Upgrade and the upcoming The Invisible Man — but none of that might have happened if it wasn't for the Saw franchise. Running for just under ten minutes, the original Saw short was designed to help the Aussie filmmakers secure funding to make a feature — a horror flick of the same name, in fact. Not only did it achieve that aim, but it sparked a long-running big-screen series about the twisted Jigsaw Killer. And this unnerving saga just keeps spawning sequels. Spiral: From the Book of Saw is the latest Saw instalment, marking the franchise's ninth outing. Whenever a horror movie series starts approaching double digits, it can prove a case of diminishing returns; however Spiral has a few aces up its sleeves. Wan and Whannell have long since stepped back from leading the charge, instead taking on roles as executive producers — but the newest flick to spring from their gruesome short film stars Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson. As the just-dropped first Spiral trailer shows, Rock plays Detective Ezekiel 'Zeke' Banks. With his rookie partner William Schenk (Max Minghella), he's soon investigating a spate of gory murders. For seasoned Saw fans, these killings should look more than a little familiar. Naturally, because that's how this series works, it doesn't take long for Banks to get caught up in a game with the perpetrator. The fact that Spiral is directed by Saw II, Saw III and Saw IV's Darren Lynn Bousman might temper your curiosity a little. Indeed, the last few Saw films mightn't inspire much confidence either — including 2017's Jigsaw, as directed by fellow Aussies Michael and Peter Spierig (Winchester). But seeing Rock and Jackson step into this franchise is intriguing at the very least. In case you were wondering, Jackson plays another police veteran with ties to the case, busting out his usual swaggering, swearing on-screen persona in the process. Check out the Spiral trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gaWj_c0-wM&feature=youtu.be Spiral was due to open in Australian cinemas on May 14, 2020; however it'll now release on a yet-to-be-revealed date — we'll update you when one is announced.
It's easy to delay playing tourist in your own backyard. We've all done it, thinking that we'll head overseas now and see Australia's sights later. Looking for motivation to make 2025 the year that you finally visit some Aussie must-sees, wandering around Uluru, relaxing on Hamilton Island or touring Tasmania? Virgin Australia's latest sale on domestic flights is here to help. You've got until Sunday, March 2 to nab a discounted fare — unless they're all snapped up earlier — for flights between Wednesday, April 30, 2025–Wednesday, February 11, 2026. That gives you options for most of this year and the start of next, and across all four seasons, whether autumn, winter, spring or summer getaways best suit your schedule. Prices start cheap at $49. Where can you head? To Byron Bay from Sydney for that low fare, which covers a one-way flight. Other specials include Brisbane–Proserpine from $59, Melbourne–Launceston for the same price, Sydney–Gold Coast from $65, Sydney–Sunshine Coast from $69, Melbourne–Adelaide for $85, Brisbane–Hamilton Island from $105 and Melbourne–Uluru for $109. Or, travel from Sydney–Hamilton Island, also from $109; Brisbane–Uluru from $129; Melbourne–Perth from $189; and Brisbane–Darwin from $195. The list goes on. This sale kicked off on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 — and the cheap fares, which cover both directions between each point in the discounted route, start with Virgin's Economy Lite option. With the travel periods available, all dates vary per route. Inclusions also differ depending on your ticket and, as usual when it comes to flight sales, you'll need to get in quick if you're keen to spend some, part or even most of April 2025–February 2026 anywhere but home. [caption id="attachment_976496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Darren Tierney[/caption] Virgin's 'Gotta get away' sale runs until 11.59pm AEST on Sunday, March 2, 2025 — unless sold out earlier. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
The annual celebration of independent music merchants, Record Store Day, is back this Saturday, April 22, and there are a heap of exciting activations across the country hoping to draw patrons out to their local shop and have them flicking through stacks of vinyl. One such activity is a nationwide record treasure hunt being held by the Australian Music Vault. If you want to take part in the hunt and possibly get your hands on a free record from a beloved Aussie artist, all you have to do is head to your local record store and keep an eye out for releases marked with special Australian Music Vault branding on the front. If you find one of these gems, flash it at the counter where they'll confirm it's a winner and you can take it home to spin on your turntable, free of charge. [caption id="attachment_782966" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] Created by the Arts Centre Melbourne, the Australian Music Vault celebrates contemporary Aussie tunes by exhibiting and archiving important pieces of music history and working with artists to facilitate the growth of the country's music scene. All of the vinyl available as part of the Record Store Day treasure hunt will be from featured Australian Music Vault artists. While the exact location of these freebies are being kept under wraps, hints will be given over on the Australian Music Vault Facebook and Instagram pages on the day. "There's a magical energy about Australia's music culture. Record stores are often a meeting place of inspiration for creatives, and we can't wait to see stores full of activity for Record Store Day," said Australian Music Vault Senior Curator Carolyn Laffan. "It's a treat to be a part of this amazing initiative and good luck to all on the lookout for hidden Australian Music Vault gems." Alongside the treasure hunt, you can also expect limited-edition releases from the likes of Bluey, Ball Park Music, Foals and Groove Armada, plus Confidence Man, Peking Duk, Orville Peck and Loyal Carner to be available on the day. And the celebrations don't stop there, with performances from Ella Thompson, Close Counters, Redhook and Tropical Strength; Peking Duk's in-store signing at Beatniks on the Gold Coast; and a stack of MTV specials and giveaways among the other activations popping up across the country. Record Store Day will be taking over record stores across the country on Saturday, April 22. Head to the Record Store Day website for the full list of special-edition releases. Top image: Destination NSW
The zombie apocalypse has evolved. When just 28 days had passed, survivors faced a nightmare. Little had improved when 28 weeks had gone by. Now, following 28 years of chaos, Jodie Comer (The Bikeriders), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The Fall Guy), Ralph Fiennes (The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar), Jack O'Connell (Back to Black) and Alfie Williams (His Dark Materials) are dealing with the aftermath of a society ravaged by a horrific infection for decades. Yes, the trailer for the aptly named 28 Years Later is here. Although 2030 will mark 28 years since viewers were treated to one of the best zombie movies ever, aka 28 Days Later from filmmaker Danny Boyle (Yesterday), you'll be watching a new flick from Boyle in the same franchise in 2025. First confirmed at the beginning of 2024, the movie has dropped its first full sneak peek to help close out the year — complete with Teletubbies, towers of skulls and bones, a possibly familiar-looking zombie, and the grim reality after days became weeks and then years of coping with the new status quo. 28 Days Later has already spawned one follow-up thanks to 2007's 28 Weeks Later, but Boyle didn't direct it. Screenwriter Alex Garland, who also penned Sunshine for Boyle, then hopped behind the camera himself with Ex Machina, Annihilation, Men, Civil War and TV series Devs, wasn't involved with 28 Weeks Later, either. But they're both onboard for the third film in the series, which is the start of a new trilogy. The saga's fourth feature 28 Years Later Part II: The Bone Temple has already been shot, in fact, with Candyman and The Marvels' Nia DaCosta directing. The setup this time around: almost three decades after the rage virus initially seeped through humanity after escaping from a biological weapons laboratory, some survivors have etched out a life on a small island. Elsewhere, quarantine remains a key way of tackling the infection. With that starting point — and with unease dripping through the first trailer, complete with stunning imagery — expect Boyle and Garland to dig into the terrors that linger when two of the island's residents venture over to the mainland. With 28 Days Later among the movies that helped bring Oppenheimer Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy to fame, the actor is an executive producer on 28 Years Later. That mightn't be all that's in store for him, though, if you pay close attention to the trailer. In the original film, he played Jim, a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma in a deserted hospital 28 days after an outbreak changed the world forever. Marking Boyle and Garland's first proper collaboration after Boyle adapted Garland's best-selling novel The Beach for the big screen two years prior, 28 Days Later still ranks among the best work on either's resume — and on Murphy's as well, even if it didn't win him any of Hollywood's top shiny trophies. Set in the aftermath of the accidental release of a highly contagious virus, the film's images of a desolated London instantly became iconic, but this is a top-notch movie on every level. That includes its performances, with then-unknowns Murphy and Naomie Harris (the Bond franchise's current Moneypenny) finding the balance between demonstrating their characters' fierce survival instincts and their inherent vulnerability. If you wondering why 28 Months Later wasn't made, it was talked about for years, but the time has now passed unless the new trilogy includes a flick set between 28 Weeks Later and 28 Years Later. Check out the first trailer for 28 Years Later below: 28 Years Later releases in cinemas Down Under on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
What happens when a touring showcase of music throughout Queensland joins forces with an annual citywide celebration of arts and culture in Brisbane? Sweet Relief!, the latest event from both Qld Music Trails and Brisbane Festival. A collaboration between both fests, but taking place in Brissie in September, this one-day-only excuse to get dancing will make its debut in 2023 with a helluva electronic-focused lineup, starting with Groove Armada, The Avalanches and Ladyhawke. Sweet Relief! also involves the folks at Untitled Group, the team behind festivals such as Beyond The Valley, Grapevine Gathering and Wildlands — and they've helped bring in quite the names. Groove Armada and The Avalanches will both play Australian-exclusive gigs, in fact, with the former doing a DJ set and the latter performing live. [caption id="attachment_907867" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grant Spanier[/caption] We see you, festival-loving babies. The day to block out in your diary: Saturday, September 16. The place to head: the Maritime Green at Northshore Brisbane. As well as New Zealander Ladyhawke, the bill also spans Cut Copy doing a DJ set, plus Nina Las Vegas, Latifa Tee and YO! Mafia. Poof Doof Pride Patrol featuring Jimi the Kween is on the lineup as well, and additional Brisbane acts are still to be announced. [caption id="attachment_907869" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kath Gould[/caption] "We're so excited to be heading up to Brisbane to play at Maritime Green at Northshore Brisbane. It's such a cool looking spot — we've got a feeling it's gonna be a very special one," said The Avalanches. "Brisbane's history is littered with iconic festival moments such as Livid, Boundary Street Festival and Valley Fiesta that gave the Brisbane community an opportunity to bring their weirdest and wildest selves out to create an electric atmosphere of togetherness, diversity and inclusion," added Joel Edmondson, CEO of Qld Music Trails, announcing Sweet Relief!. "We hope that Sweet Relief! can establish itself as a place where people travel from around the country to experience Brisbane's local flavour and global appeal." SWEET RELIEF! 2023 LINEUP: Groove Armada (DJ set) The Avalanches (live) Ladyhawke Cut Copy (DJ set) Nina Las Vegas Latifa Tee YO! Mafia Poof Doof Pride Patrol featuring Jimi the Kween + more Brisbane acts to be announced Sweet Relief! will take over the Maritime Green, Northshore Brisbane, on Saturday, September 16. For more information and images — and to register for ticket presales from 6pm on Wednesday, July 5, with general sales from 12pm on Thursday, July 6 — head to the event website.
First, the bad news for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans: the reports about the big- and small-screen franchise starting to space out its output are coming to fruition with its next big streaming series Echo. Now, the good news: the five-part miniseries just released its first trailer, and promises rage, darkness, focusing on a superhero who is deaf, bringing back Kingpin and also dropping its entire season at once come January. Echo was previously locked in for a November release, as one of two MCU shows due to stream this spring. While the first series on that list, the second season of Loki, did indeed arrive as planned, Echo has now been pushed to 2024. Hopefully good things will come to those who wait, with this Hawkeye spinoff slated for Wednesday, January 10. While Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) is at Echo's centre — as first seen in Hawkeye, she's the gang leader who is deaf that had Clint Barton in her sights for a stint of revenge — the show's debut trailer gives narrating duties to Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio, Dumb Money) to set a brooding tone. "You have so much pain in you, so much rage, that you can't contain it," says the character also seen in Hawkeye, and before that in Daredevil as well. "You and I are the same," Kingpin continues amid sound design that lives up to the show's moniker. When all five instalments of Echo hit at once, the series will enjoy a first for the MCU on streaming. As viewers who've been watching along since WandaVision's small-screen arrival know, Disney+ usually drops a few episodes at once for each MCU entry, then unfurls the rest weekly afterwards ‚ but this one will arrive all at once on the same day. Story-wise, Echo follows Maya as Kingpin's criminal empire chases her down — and as the initial sneak peek illustrates, that ties in with her past. So, yes, this is an origin story. Also featuring alongside Cox and D'Onofrio: Chaske Spencer (The English), Tantoo Cardinal (Killers of the Flower Moon), Devery Jacobs (Reservation Dogs), Cody Lightning (Run Woman Run), Graham Greene (The Last of Us) and Zahn McClarnon (Dark Winds). Check out the trailer for Echo below: Echo will stream via Disney+ from Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Images: Chuck Zlotnick. ©Marvel Studios 2023. All Rights Reserved.
Over the past few years, Jamie's Italian has taken a rollercoaster ride through Australia's hospitality scene. An offshoot of Jamie Oliver's UK eateries, the local chain of restaurants has changed ownership several times — with Oliver buying them back in 2016, relaunching them in 2017 and then bringing in a new operating partner in 2018. For the last year and a half, Brisbane-based hospitality outfit Hallmark Group has been running the show — and now they're expanding the brand. In the next few weeks, Australia's first Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria will open, setting up shop at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast. While an exact launch date hasn't yet been revealed, Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria will be serving up its doughy slices in a 148-square-metre space at Broadbeach's sprawling Pacific Fair Shopping Centre. The menu hasn't been unveiled either; however, pizzas that feature at the chain's international locations — in India, the Netherlands and Dubai — include pepperoni, four cheese, chicken pesto, Chilli Freak (with jalapeños, chilli sauce and fresh chilli), spicy meatball and a carbonara number. Expect salads, entrees and a pasta or two to make an appearance, too. Diners can also expect to watch their pizzas, salads and desserts get made in the open kitchen. Of course, Oliver himself won't be tossing the dough or removing fresh pizzas from the speciality ovens — although the new Aussie joint is inspired by his experiences in Italy. Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria currently operates in India, Dubai and Hungary. Find Jamie Oliver's Pizzeria at Pacific Fair, Hooker Boulevard, Broadbeach in the coming weeks — we'll update you with an opening date when we have one.
Like the finer stuff when it comes to eating and drinking? Keen on multi-course meals with carefully matched food and beverage options? If you said yes to both and you love craft beer, then let Newstead Brewing Co. take you on a journey. Browse through pale, golden and amber ales as well as porters, as served with a mouth-watering selection of tasty treats, while you enjoy everything from a fire-twirling performance to an auction — complete with prizes. And not only will the event fill your bellies with goodness, but it'll make a difference too, with all funds raised going towards providing vital services for people with cystic fibrosis.
Back in 2018, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it was adding a new award to the Oscars for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film. If you can't remember which flicks have won it, there's a reason for that: the gong was scrapped quickly thanks to a heap of backlash. Across plenty of years since, the reason that that accolade wasn't needed has been proven. Black Panther, Joker, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Oppenheimer and Barbie have all featured heavily among the nominations, for instance — and everything except Barbenheimer so far has notched up wins. Both Christopher Nolan and Greta Gerwig's latest films are among the flicks with the most nominations in 2024, with 13 and eight apiece. They're also massive global box-office hits. So, going into this year's ceremony, you've likely seen at least those two contenders — but if you're wondering where to catch everything else, we've got the rundown. We've predicted who we think will emerge victorious, but the winners will be anointed on Monday, March 11, Down Under time. Right now in Australia, you can catch up with 31 movies that are hoping to score trophies. Some you need to hit the cinema to see. Others you can catch on the couch. With a few, you have the choice of heading out or staying home. From Barbenheimer (of course) and twists on Frankenstein to animated Spider-Man antics and devastating documentaries, here's where to direct your eyeballs. On the Big Screen: Anatomy of a Fall Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Justine Triet), Best Actress (Sandra Hüller), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing Our thoughts: A calypso instrumental cover of 50 Cent's 'P.I.M.P.' isn't the only thing that Anatomy of a Fall's audience won't be able to dislodge from their heads after watching 2023's deserving Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or-winner. A film from writer/director Justine Triet (Sibyl) that's thorny, knotty and defiantly unwilling to give any easy answers, this legal, psychological and emotional thriller about a woman (Sandra Hüller, The Zone of Interest) on trial for her husband's death is unshakeable in as many ways as someone can have doubts about another person: so, a myriad. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. Four Daughters Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: There's a reason that Four Daughters can't include its entire namesake quartet, with just two appearing on-screen themselves and the other two played by actors. Unlike the younger Eya and Tayssir, the older Rahma and Ghofrane are no longer at home with their mother Olfa; instead, they left their family after becoming radicalised, with Islamic State in Libya their destination. So explores Tunisian filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania (The Man Who Sold His Skin), in a documentary that's as gripping as it is heartbreaking — and uses recreations with a purpose unlike almost any other movie. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. May December Nominations: Best Original Screenplay Our thoughts: May December takes inspiration from Mary Kay Letourneau, the teacher who had a sexual relationship with her sixth-grade student in the 90s. A simple recreation was never going to be Todd Haynes' (Dark Waters) approach, however. Starring Julianne Moore (Sharper) and Charles Melton (Riverdale) as its central couple decades after the scandal, plus Natalie Portman (Thor: Love and Thunder) as an actor about to feature in a movie about them, this a savvily piercing film that sees the impact on the situation's victim, the story its perpetrator has spun, and the ravenous way that people's lives are consumed by the media and public. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. The Zone of Interest Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Jonathan Glazer), Best International Feature, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound Our thoughts: Quotes and observations about evil being mundane, as well as the result when people look the other way, will never stop being relevant. A gripping, unsettling masterpiece, The Zone of Interest is a window into why. The first film by Sexy Beast, Birth and Under the Skin director Jonathan Glazer in more than a decade, the Holocaust-set and BAFTA-winning feature peers on as the unthinkable happens literally just over the fence, but a family goes about its ordinary life. If it seems abhorrent that anything can occur in the shadow of any concentration camp or site of World War II atrocities, that's part of the movie's point. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas. Read our full review. In Cinemas or at Home: The Holdovers Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing Our thoughts: Melancholy, cantankerousness, angst, hurt and snow all blanket Barton Academy in Alexander Payne's (Nebraska) The Holdovers. It's Christmas 1970 in New England in this thoughtful story that's given room to breathe and build, but festive cheer is in short supply among the students and staff that give the movie its moniker. Soon, there's just three folks left behind: Angus Tully (debutant Dominic Sessa), whose mother wants more time alone with his new stepdad; curmudgeonly professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti, Billions); and grieving cook Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Only Murders in the Building). Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Killers of the Flower Moon Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Martin Scorsese), Best Actress (Lily Gladstone), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Original Song ('Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)', Scott George), Best Production Design Our thoughts: Death comes to Killers of the Flower Moon quickly. Death comes often, too. While Martin Scorsese will later briefly fill the film's frames with a fiery orange vision, death blazes through his 26th feature from the moment that the picture starts rolling. Adapted from journalist David Grann's 2017 non-fiction novel Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, this is a masterpiece of a Lily Gladstone (Reservation Dogs)-, Leonardo DiCaprio (Don't Look Up)- and Robert De Niro (Amsterdam)-starring movie about a heartbreakingly horrible spate of deaths sparked by pure and unapologetic greed and persecution a century back. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via Apple TV+, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Martin Scorsese. Poor Things Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Yorgos Lanthimos), Best Actress (Emma Stone), Best Supporting Actor (Mark Ruffalo), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design Our thoughts: Richly striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce, and sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. The Favourite, their first collaboration, ticked both boxes. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein also couldn't be more constant. Combining the three in Poor Things results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning creation, as zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air, Stone at her most extraordinary and empowerment blazing like a lightning bolt. Where to watch: In Australian cinemas, and streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Via Streaming: American Fiction Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Jeffrey Wright), Best Supporting Actor (Sterling K Brown), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score Our thoughts: Here's Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison's (Jeffrey Wright, Rustin) predicament when American Fiction begins: on the page, his talents aren't selling books. So, sick of hearing that his work isn't "Black enough", he gets a-typing, pumping out the kind of text that he vehemently hates — but 100-percent fits the stereotype of what the world keeps telling him that Black literature should be. It attracts interest, even more so when Monk adopts a cliched new persona to go with it. Wright is indeed exceptional in this savvy satire of authenticity, US race relations and class chasms, and earns his awards contention for his reactions alone. Where to watch: Streaming via Prime Video. Read our full review. American Symphony Nominations: Best Original Song ('It Never Went Away', Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson) Our thoughts: Jon Batiste has enjoyed a dream career so far, with the musician packing more into his 37 years than most people do in a lifetime. Matthew Heineman's (Retrograde) American Symphony isn't that tale, though. Instead, it spends a year with The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's former bandleader and Soul Oscar-winner — a year where he's nominated for 11 Grammys, and endeavours to compose the symphony that gives this intimate and touching documentary its name. Also shaping the 12 months: in his personal life, grappling with the return of his wife and bestselling author Suleika Jaouad's leukaemia. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Barbie Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), Best Supporting Actress (America Ferrera), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Song ('I'm Just Ken', Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt; 'What Was I Made For?', Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design Our thoughts: No one plays with a Barbie too hard when the Mattel product is fresh out of the box. The more that the toy is trotted through DreamHouses, though, the more that playing with the plastic fashion model becomes fantastical. Like globally beloved item, like live-action movie bearing its name. Barbie, the film, starts with glowing aesthetic perfection. It's almost instantly a pink-hued paradise for the eyes, and it's also cleverly funny. The longer that it continues, however, the harder and wilder that director Greta Gerwig (Little Women) goes, as does her lead-slash-producer Margot Robbie (Babylon) as Barbie and Ryan Gosling (The Gray Man) as Ken. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Bobi Wine: The People's President Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: In western countries where democracy is entrenched, the system of government is too easily taken for granted. Bobi Wine: The People's President shows what the fight for a nation that's free, fair and gives its people a voice looks like, chronicling the plight of its titular figure. Bobi Wine was an Ugandan pop star, and a popular one. Then, in response to the autocratic rule of Yoweri Museveni since 1986, he turned to political activism. Filmmakers Moses Bwayo and Christopher Sharp, both first-time directors, also show how important and difficult his quest is — and there isn't a second of this documentary that isn't riveting. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+. The Color Purple Nominations: Best Supporting Actress (Danielle Brooks) Our thoughts: On the page, stage and screen, The Color Purple's narrative has mostly remained the same, crushing woe, infuriating prejudice and rampant inequity included. Musicals don't have to be cheery, but how does so much brutality give rise to anything but mournful songs? The answer here: by leaning into the rural Georgia-set tale's embrace of hope, resilience and self-discovery. Ghanaian director Blitz Bazawule follows up co-helming Beyoncé's Black Is King by heroing empowerment and emancipation in his iteration of The Color Purple — and while it's easy to see the meaning behind its striving for a brighter outlook. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Creator Nominations: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Science fiction has never been afraid of unfurling its futuristic visions on the third rock from the sun, but the resulting films have rarely been as earthy as The Creator. Set from 2065 onwards after the fiery destruction of Los Angeles, this tale of humanity clashing with artificial intelligence is visibly awash with technology that doesn't currently exist — and yet the latest movie from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Gareth Edwards, which focuses on an undercover military operative Joshua (John David Washington, Amsterdam) tasked with saving the world, couldn't look or feel more authentic and grounded. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. El Conde Nominations: Best Cinematography Our thoughts: What if Augusto Pinochet didn't die in 2006? What if the Chilean general and dictator wasn't aged 91 at the time, either? What if his story started long before his official 1915 birthdate, in France prior to the French Revolution? What if he's been living for 250 years because he's a literal monster of the undead, draining and terrifying kind? Trust Chilean filmmaking great Pablo Larraín (Ema, Neruda, The Club, No, Post Mortem and Tony Manero) to ask these questions in El Conde, which translates as The Count and marks the latest exceptional effort in a career that just keeps serving up excellent movies. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Elemental Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: With Elemental, Pixar is in familiar territory — so much so that this film feels like something that was always destined to happen. Embracing the the studio's now-standard "what if robots, playthings, rats and the like had feelings?, it anthropomorphises fire, water, air and earth, and ponders these aspects of nature having emotions. The result from filmmaker Pete Sohn (The Good Dinosaur) is just-likeable and sweet-enough, despite vivid animation, plus the noblest of aims to survey the immigrant experience, opposites attracting, breaking down cultural stereotypes and borders, and complicated parent-child relationships. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. The Eternal Memory Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: After The Mole Agent, writer/director Maite Alberdi earns her second Oscar nomination in two successive films for a documentary that's just as layered — but she's no longer telling a caper-esque tale. This time, Augusto Góngora and Paulina Urrutia receive her attention. The former is an ex-former journalist and broadcaster. The latter is an actor and politician. Góngora's diagnosis with Alzheimer's disease sits at the centre of this haunting effort, which focuses on how its central couple endeavour to cope with his memory loss, the role that reflecting on the past has on our present and future, and how love endures. Where to watch: Streaming via DocPlay. Flamin' Hot Nominations: Best Original Song ('The Fire Inside', Diane Warren) Our thoughts: The feature directorial debut of Desperate Housewives actor Eva Longoria, Flamin' Hot is a product film, as Cheetos fans will instantly know. If you've ever wondered how the Frito-Lay-owned brand's spiciest variety came about in the 90s, this energetically made movie provides the answer while itself rolling out a crowd-pleasing formula. Eating the titular snack while you watch is optional, but expect the hankering to arise either way. This story belongs to Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia, Ambulance) — and it's also an underdog tale, and an account of chasing the American dream, especially when it seems out of reach. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+. Read our full review. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Nominations: Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Arriving to close out a standalone trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 zooms into the saga's fifth phase with a difference: it's still a quippy comedy, but it's as much a drama and a tragedy as well. Like most on-screen GotG storylines, it's also heist caper — and as plenty of caped-crusader flicks are, within the MCU or not, it's an origin story. The more that a James Gunn-written and -directed Guardians film gets cosy within the usual Marvel template, however, the more that his branch of Marvel's pop-culture behemoth embraces its own personality. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Nominations: Best Original Score Our thoughts: Old hat, new whip. No, that isn't Dr Henry Walton 'Indiana' Jones' shopping list, but a description of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While the fifth film about the eponymous archaeologist is as familiar as Indy films come, it's kept somewhat snapping by the returning Harrison Ford's (Shrinking) on-screen partnership with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag). If you've seen one Indy outing in the past 42 years, you've seen the underlying mechanics of every other Indy outing. And yet, watching Ford flashing his crooked smile again, plus his bantering with Waller-Bridge, is almost enough to keep this new instalment from Ford v Ferrari filmmaker James Mangold whirring. Where to watch: Streaming via Disney+, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Maestro Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress (Carey Mulligan), Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Our thoughts: When a composer pens music, it's the tune that they want the world to enjoy, not the marks on a page scribbling it into existence. When a conductor oversees an orchestra, the performance echoing rather than their own with baton in hand and arms waving is their gift. In Maestro, Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) is seen as Leonard Bernstein in both modes. His portrayal is so richly textured that it's a career-best turn. But Cooper as this movie's helmer and co-writer wants Maestro's audience to revel in the end result — and if he wants love showered anyone's way first, it's towards Carey Mulligan (Saltburn) as Felicia Montealegre Bernstein. Where to watch: Netflix. Read our full review. Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One Nominations: Best Sound, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: Just as its lead actor's gleaming teeth do, Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, the seventh instalment in the TV-to-film spy series, thoroughly shines. Like Tom Cruise (Top Gun: Maverick) himself, it's committed to giving audiences what they want to see, but never merely exactly what they've already seen. This saga hasn't always chosen to accept that mission, but it's been having a better time of it since 2011's Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, including since writer/director Christopher McQuarrie jumped behind the lens with 2015's Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Napoleon Nominations: Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Visual Effects Our thoughts: When is a Ridley Scott (House of Gucci)-directed, Joaquin Phoenix (Beau Is Afraid)-starring trip to the past more than just a historical drama? Twice now, so whenever the filmmaker and actor team up to explore Europe centuries ago. Gladiator was the first; Napoleon follows — and where the Rome-set first was an action film as well, the second leans into comedy. This biopic of the eponymous French military star-turned-emperor can be funny. In the lead, Phoenix repeatedly boasts the line delivery, facial expressions and physical presence of someone actively courting laughs. When he declares "destiny has brought me this lamb chop!", all three coalesce. Where to watch: Streaming via Apple TV+, YouTube Movies and Prime Video. Read our full review. Nimona Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: Bounding thoughtfully from the page to the screen — well, from pixels first, initially leaping from the web to print — Nimona goes all in on belonging. Ballister Boldheart (Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal) wants to fit in desperately, and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it in this animated movie's medieval-yet-futuristic world, where there's nothing more important and acclaimed than being part of the Institute for Elite Knights. But when tragedy strikes, then prejudice sets in, he only has one ally. Nimona's namesake (Chloë Grace Moretz, The Peripheral) is a shapeshifter who offers to be his sidekick regardless of his innocence or guilt. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Nyad Nominations: Best Actress (Annette Bening), Best Supporting Actress (Jodie Foster) Our thoughts: Most sports films about real-life exploits piece together the steps it took for a person or a team to achieve the ultimate in their field, or come as close as possible while trying their hardest. Nyad is no different, but it's also a deeply absorbing character study of two people: its namesake Diana Nyad (Annette Bening, Death on the Nile) and her best friend Bonnie Stoll (Jodie Foster, True Detective). The first is the long-distance swimmer whose feats the movie tracks, especially her quest to swim from Cuba to Florida in the 2010s. The second is the former professional racquetball player who became Nyad's coach when she set her sights on making history as a sexagenarian. Where to watch: Netflix. Read our full review. Oppenheimer Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director (Christopher Nolan), Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), Best Supporting Actor (Robert Downey Jr), Best Supporting Actress (Emily Blunt), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound Our thoughts: Cast Cillian Murphy and a filmmaker falls in love. There's an arresting, haunting, seeps-under-your-skin soulfulness about the Irish actor, including when playing "the father of atomic bomb" in Christopher Nolan's (Tenet) epic biopic Oppenheimer. Flirting with the end of the world, or just one person's end, clearly suits Murphy. Here he is in a mind-blower as the destroyer of worlds — almost, perhaps actually — and so much of this can't-look-away three-hour stunner dwells in his expressive eyes, which see purpose, possibility, quantum mechanics' promise and, ultimately, the Manhattan Project's consequences. Where to watch: Streaming via YouTube Movies, iTunes and Prime Video. Read our full review. Past Lives Nominations: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay Our thoughts: Call it fate, call it destiny, call it feeling like you were always meant to cross paths with someone: in Korean, that sensation is in-yeon. Partway through Past Lives, Nora (Greta Lee, Russian Doll) explains the concept to Arthur (John Magaro, The Many Saints of Newark) like she knows it deep in her bones, because both she and the audience are well-aware that she does. That's what writer/director Celine Song's sublime feature debut is about, in fact. The term also applies to her connection to childhood crush Hae Sung (Teo Yoo, Decision to Leave) in this sensitive, blisteringly honest and intimately complex masterpiece. Where to watch: Streaming via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Celine Song. Rustin Nominations: Best Actor (Colman Domingo) Our thoughts: After Selma, One Night in Miami and Judas and the Black Messiah arrives Rustin, the latest must-see movie about the minutiae of America's 60s-era civil rights movement. All four hail from Black filmmakers. All four tell vital stories. They each boast phenomenal performances, too, including from Colman Domingo (The Color Purple) as Rustin's eponymous figure. His turn as Bayard Rustin, who conceived and organised the event where Martin Luther King Jr gave his "I Have a Dream" speech, isn't merely powerful; it's a go-for-broke portrayal from a versatile talent at the top of his game while digging into the every inch of his part. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Society of the Snow Nominations: Best International Feature, Best Makeup and Hairstyling Our thoughts: Society of the Snow isn't merely a disaster film detailing the specifics of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571's failed journey, the immediate deaths and those that came afterwards, the lengthy wait to be found — including after authorities called the search off — and the crushing decisions made to get through. JA Bayona (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom), who also helmed the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami-focused The Impossible, has made a weighty feature that reckons with the emotional, psychological and spiritual toll, and doesn't think of shying away from the most difficult aspects of this real-life situation, including cannibalism. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix. Read our full review. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Nominations: Best Animated Feature Our thoughts: When 2018's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse took pop culture's favourite web-slinger back to its animated roots, it made flesh-and-blood superhero flicks and shows, as well as the expensive special effects behind them, look positively trivial and cartoonish. The end result was a deservedly Academy Award-winning masterpiece — and its first sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which hails from directors Joaquim Dos Santos (The Legend of Korra), Kemp Powers (Soul) and Justin K Thompson (Into the Spider-Verse's production designer), plasters around the same sensation like a Spidey shooting its silk. Where to watch: Streaming via Binge, Prime Video, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Read our full review. To Kill a Tiger Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: A battle for justice sits at the heart of To Kill a Tiger, a documentary that is as powerful as it is heavy, and is also an essential piece of filmmaking. When his 13-year-old daughter becomes the victim of sexual assault, Ranjit is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice. Not that that's a straightforward feat anywhere, but it isn't the same quest in India as it is in western countries, as writer/director Nisha Pahuja (The World Before Her) examines. Ranjit is dedicated to the fight, even knowing how difficult it is — from the backlash that he receives across his village to the horrifying statistics regarding the frequency of rape in the country and the paltry conviction rate. Where to watch: Streaming via Netflix from Friday, March 8. 20 Days in Mariupol Nominations: Best Documentary Feature Our thoughts: Incompatible with life. No one ever hears those three devastating words — one of the most distressing phrases there is — in positive circumstances. Accordingly, when they're uttered by a doctor in 20 Days in Mariupol, they're deeply shattering. So is everything in this on-the-ground portrait of the first 20 days in the Ukrainian city as Russia began its invasion, as the bleak reality of living in a war zone is documented. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov, that this film even exists is an achievement. What it shows — what it immerses viewers in, from shelled hospitals and basements-turned-bomb shelters to families torn apart and mass graves — can never be forgotten. Where to watch: Streaming via DocPlay. The 2024 Oscars will be announced on Monday, March 11, Australian time. For further details, head to the awards' website. Wondering who'll win? Check out our predictions.
When 2023 first kicked in, it brought a multi-sensory Frida Kahlo installation Down Under, letting art lovers in Sydney immerse themselves in the iconic Mexican artist's works. Consider that exhibition the appetiser before the main meal that is Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution: a huge winter-long tribute to Kahlo, her well-known spouse Diego Rivera and the entire Mexican modernism movement, which is now on display in Adelaide. Open at the Art Gallery of South Australia since Saturday, June 24, running until Sunday, September 17 and one of the venue's headlining exhibition for 2023, this showcase is sizeable. Visitors can currently see more than 150 works, spanning everything from paintings and photographs to works on paper and period clothing, as drawn from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection. Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution has two key aims: examining why Kahlo's work, and Kahlo herself, holds such enduring appeal; and placing Kahlo and Rivera's art in context with their contemporaries. "'Each generation brings a new lens to the profoundly inspiring figure that is Frida Kahlo. A 21st-century muse, Kahlo is today revered as a feminist and as a singular political and creative force. Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution speaks to the influence and ingenuity of art practice in Mexico and aims to recontextualise the enduring allure of Kahlo within today's society," said AGSA Director Rhana Devenport ONZM. "These iconic paintings from the extraordinary Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection form the heart of this exhibition. Close friends of Kahlo and Rivera, the Gelmans were pioneering collectors who formed an outstanding collection of works foregrounding Mexican modernism," adds Tansy Curtin, AGSA's Curator of International Art, Pre-1980s. Amid suitably colourful walls, attendees can also spy large-scale reproductions of folk art-heavy Rivera's murals. Another highlight: exploring Kahlo and Rivera's home life and artistic practice, as inspired by their La Casa Azul house and studio. That said, while Kahlo, Rivera, and their art, connection, politics and influence all sit at the centre of this wide-ranging showcase, it also highlights pieces by Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Miguel Covarrubias, María Izquierdo, Carlos Mérida, David Alfaro Siqueiros and more — as any survey of Mexican modernism should and must. Focusing on the first half of the 20th century, this an Australian-exclusive exhibition, too — meaning that you'll have to go to Adelaide to see it — as well as most comprehensive exhibition of Mexican modernism that the country has ever seen. Unsurprisingly, South Australia expects it to be a big tourist attraction. Accordingly, Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution is being accompanied by a series of events, and not just at AGSA, to cater for locals and travellers alike. Think: clay and cocktails sessions, making paper-cut flowers in the traditional Mexican decorative craft style, a dining experience to mark Mexican Independence Day, Mexican-themed menus at Adelaide restaurants and a La Casa Azul installation in Rundle Mall. Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution is on display at the Art Gallery of South Australia until Sunday, September 17, 2023. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the AGSA website. Images: installation view: Frida & Diego: Love & Revolution, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide; photos: Saul Steed.
Today's workplace isn't what it used to be. While there are plenty of reasons for this, technology is a big factor as is a shift in what most people consider important in regard to job satisfaction. In order to keep pace with such societal changes, workplaces are constantly adapting the type of skills they look for in new hires. Don't be too concerned though. Open Universities Australia (OUA) and its university partners are well aware of what it takes to succeed. That's why we've teamed up with OUA to outline five of the core skills you need to thrive in every work situation. The best part? There's a fantastic range of relevant courses through university partners across Australia. Regardless of your previous education, you can enrol instantly in a number of uni subjects that will help you upskill quickly and excel in the workforce. LEARN TO NAVIGATE THE CHANGING DIGITAL LANDSCAPE We live in a time of rapid change, particularly when it comes to technology. In the modern workplace, you don't necessarily need to be the one pumping out code or building expertly designed websites, but it is important to have an understanding of how technology intersects with your work. Studying subjects like Digital Culture and Everyday Life with Curtin University through OUA allows you to get acquainted with the basics. You'll learn how the internet became a part of everyday life and its general impact on society and culture. If you're keen to get more in-depth, you can also take a look at more focused subjects such as Writing for Digital Media or Cyber Crime, which both offer very specific skillsets. LEARN TO SET BOUNDARIES AND MANAGE YOUR TIME Knowing how to set boundaries is a crucial skill in every aspect of your life. However, striking the right balance between work and play isn't always a simple task. When the lines blur (as they often can), it's common for anxiety and stress to arise, so knowing how to separate the two is a valuable skill to have. And when your student life is full-time online, meaning your university exists wherever your computer does, you'll quickly learn that those essential clear and concise limits are the only way to properly manage your time. While it may not be fun at the time, it'll definitely stand you in good stead later down the line. LEARN HOW TO LEAD AND MANAGE PEOPLE Leadership skills. We all know we're supposed to have them but how do you actually hone them? The answer is simpler than you think. Just by taking online university courses you'll learn how to keep up with deadlines and work autonomously — skills which many places look for in leaders. Or, if you want to take it a step further, you can study the 14-week Project Leadership and Teams course with the University of South Australia via OUA. You'll learn all about managing teams effectively, critical problem solving and understanding and harnessing different people's strengths and weaknesses. Plus, you'll gain some great interpersonal skills. LEARN TO MAKE AND KEEP A SAFE WORKPLACE ENVIRONMENT It should come as no surprise that workplace safety is critical. After all, everyone wants and deserves to work in a secure and protected environment. But what may come as a shock is that plenty of people don't even know their own workplace rights, let alone what to do if they suspect those rights are being violated. Enrolling in Griffith University's Work Health and Safety through OUA will have you up to speed with the 2011 Work Health and Safety Act in no time. Plus, you'll get a clear understanding of the main types of hazards at work — be it in the office or out in the field. LEARN HOW TO BE APPROPRIATELY CULTURALLY AWARE People from all sorts of cultural backgrounds are represented in the workplace. Aside from the fact that cultural respect and an understanding of one's own privilege should be an inherent part of life anyway, having that sort of awareness and the ability to lead by example can be extremely beneficial in a work setting. From working in teams and avoiding miscommunication to scheduling mishaps during religious holidays, studying something like Curtin University's Human Rights History Across Cultures and Religions via OUA is a great first step to building your knowledge of a diverse range of cultures beyond the western viewpoint. Because everyone deserves to be treated equally both in and outside of the workplace. Start looking at all the subjects on offer online from leading Australian unis through Open Universities Australia and you could have a new skill by the end of the year. Hop to it.
It sure is no secret that Sydney's a pretty exxy place to call home. But here's some news to make you really start plotting that move interstate: a recent report on the cost of living has stuck it right up at number 10, above both New York and London. That's right, all your mates battling those killer Hackney rent prices now, apparently, have it better than you. As The Guardian reported this week, the Economist Intelligence Unit's 2018 study pushed our harbour city up four spots higher than in the same list last year, seeing it crack the top ten for the first time ever. This comes after another pice aggregation website Numbeo saw Sydney and Melbourne move up on its list too. The study compared prices across more than 150 products and services, looking at things like food, transport, utilities, clothing and rent in all the major cities. Singapore has again claimed the title of the world's most expensive city, followed by Paris, which jumped five points, and Zurich, which climbed one position. New York swapped last year's number nine ranking for a spot in 13th, while at number 30, London scored its lowest position in two decades — a fall the report's authors say has a lot to do with a little thing called Brexit. Via The Guardian.
The Art Gallery of NSW has announced the finalists for the 2016 Archibald Prize — and this year's got some good'uns. This is the 95th year for the highly sought-after portraiture award.Considered the "who's who of Australian culture", portraits entered into the prize generally depict notable Australians, from politicians and celebrities to artists and athletes. This year's finalists include Natasha Bieniek's oil painting of Wendy Whiteley (above), Clara Adolphs' portrait of actor Terry Selio, Betina Fauvel-Ogden's painting of MasterChef's George Calombaris (which is also the winner of the Packing Room Prize) and — our personal favourite — Carla Fletcher's portrait of fashion icon Linda Jackson. Seriously, look at those colours. [caption id="attachment_579238" align="alignnone" width="455"] Carla Fletcher, Twin souls, Linda Jackson, mix media on board, 200 x 150.5 cm, © the artist, Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins.[/caption] The Archibald finalists will be exhibited at AGNSW from July 16 to October 9, along with the finalists for the Wynne Prize (which awards the best landscape painting of Australia or figure sculpture) and the Sulman Prize (for the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project), which were also announced yesterday. After exhibiting in Sydney, the finalists will then tour regionally until August 2017, after which time the winner will be announced by the trustees of AGNSW. The winner will be awarded $100,000 in prize money and some serious bragging rights to boot. The prize was created by Jules Francois Archibald, the founding editor of The Bulletin magazine. He established the prize with the goal to promote both great Australian portraiture and great Australians. The only real stipulation within the contest is that the painting must have been created in the last 12 months and include at least one live sitting with the subject. The award is an open competition, which means that any resident of Australia or New Zealand can enter. Something to keep in mind for next year. Top image: Natasha Bieniek, Wendy Whiteley, oil on wood, 34.5 x 32.5cm, © the artist Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.
In great news for cat-loving cinephiles, 2019 is shaping up to be a huge year for felines on film. Photorealistic big cats are currently prowling around the new remake of The Lion King, and they'll soon be joined by a bunch of singing, scurrying street mousers in the silver-screen adaptation of stage musical Cats. For nearly four decades, Andrew Lloyd Webber's acclaimed production has pranced across stages everywhere, turning a tale inspired by poems from T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats into an award-winning theatre hit. But, while plenty of other popular musicals have made the leap to cinemas, this one hasn't until now. The first trailer for the new flick might just explain why. Ever wanted to see Taylor Swift as a preening, purring cat? Keen to soothe your disappointment over the fact that Idris Elba isn't James Bond by spotting him with whiskers, fur and a tail? Perhaps you've always dreamed of watching accomplished actors such as Judi Dench and Ian McKellen channel their inner feline? Have you ever hoped for all of the above, and for the actors to all play cat-sized cats? That's what's on offer in the just-dropped first clip, as well as a heap of dancing and singing set to the musical's famous melancholic tune 'Memory'. In terms of story, Cats zaps Swift, Elba and company down to feline height to spin a narrative about the Jellicle cat tribe, who spend a night deciding just which four-legged moggy will get to leave their group, ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The movie comes with a significant pedigree, with Les Miserables' Tom Hooper in the director's chair, Webber on music duties, Hamilton's Andy Blankenbuehler doing the choreography, and the cast also spanning James Cordon, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Ray Winstone and Rebel Wilson. And yet, it all looks a little odd. Perhaps it doesn't help that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt featured a fantastic Cats parody, or perhaps it's just the film's cats-with-human-faces concept. Check out the first Cats trailer below: https://youtu.be/FtSd844cI7U Cats opens in Australian cinemas on December 26.
Long before we were all forced to indulge our international wanderlust through a screen — and only though a screen — the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival was projecting France's wonders into Australian cinemas. For the past 31 years, the annual event has let Aussie movie buffs see the European nation's newest, best and brightest flicks. And when you're watching French features, you're often watching films set against Paris' busy streets, the country's greenery-filled countryside or along its scenic coastline. As it always does, the 2021 festival traverses plenty of France through its big-screen lineup. City-set dramas, suburban comedies, beachside romances: they're all on this year's bill. In total, 37 films are hitting cinemas Down Under throughout March and April, in a touring program that's making its way around the nation. Wondering what to check out? We've planned your movie-watching itinerary for you, all thanks to our ten must-see picks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYCyYJofeEE SUMMER OF 85 Nothing is ever simple in a film by François Ozon, as the likes of 8 Women, Swimming Pool, In the House and By the Grace of God has already made plain across his 19-feature resume. So, when Summer of 85 makes viewers swoon over its blossoming seaside love story — and makes teenager Alexis (Félix Lefebvre, School's Out) fall for the slightly older David (Benjamin Voisin, Moving On) when the latter rescues the former after capsizing in a sailboat — no one should get comfortable or cosy, or think that a complication-free romance will float easily and effortlessly across the screen. Alexis falls hard for his new friend, who is one of the only people he has connected with since moving to Normandy. But, unfolding across two timelines as the 16-year-old looks back on his time with David, this becomes a knotty tale of love, heartbreak and forging one's identity out of defining moments. Writing as well as directing, Ozon adapts Aidan Chambers' 1982 novel Dance on My Grave with his usual swelling mood and command of detail — and from the pitch-perfect period fashions to the coastal setting, Summer of 85 catches the eye as much as it demands the audience's emotional investment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7GvHwRzjz0 SKIES OF LEBANON Heartfelt and hauntingly evocative, Skies of Lebanon starts its story in the 50s, when Alice (Alba Rohrwacher, Happy as Lazzaro) departs Switzerland for Beirut. Never feeling as if she belongs in her homeland, she jumps at the chance to work abroad, where she quickly meets, falls for and starts a family with astrophysicist Joseph (Wajdi Mouawad, Still Burning). That part of the tale happens quickly, because this isn't the kind of romance where a couple simply lives happily ever after. Indeed, once the Lebanese Civil War begins, the ebbs and flows of Alice and Joseph's existence are wholly dictated by the combat, which instantly changes the mood of the entire city. Making a stunningly affecting feature debut, writer/director Chloé Mazlo plunges into the reality of having everything you hold dear touched by conflict, with her narrative drawn from her grandmother's recollections from the time. The always-exceptional Rohrwacher conveys Alice's internal struggle in a quietly expressive performance, while Mazlo's jumps into playful animation and striking use of stylised sets gives the film the air of a memory, helping an already moving feature to keep landing stirring blows. THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN Back in 2017, when The Square clawed through the commercialisation and commodification of the art world, it won the Cannes Film Festival's coveted Palme d'Or for its efforts. Fellow satire The Man Who Sold His Skin doesn't have the same accolade to its name, but it's just as savagely entertaining as it rips into the same topic. The man of the movie's title is Sam Ali (Yahya Mahayni, Opium). A Syrian refugee in Lebanon, he accepts a strange offer from an acclaimed, controversy-provoking artist (Koen De Bouw, Torpedo) to have Europe's Schengen visa tattooed on his back. He'll also receive assistance to obtain the real thing, as long as he agrees to sit in art galleries as a living exhibition whenever he's asked. If that last part sounds familiar, Wim Delvoye's Tim, which is live-streaming at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art, provided writer/director Kaouther Ben Hania (Beauty And The Dogs) with inspiration for The Man Who Sold His Skin. That said, this whip-smart and wild movie takes its own ride. The great Monica Bellucci (Twin Peaks) also pops up, but a film this vivid, clever and ferocious about art, money, freedom, borders and the way the world treats asylum seekers doesn't need a star to stand out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM3J6INVpcw THE GODMOTHER With the inimitable Isabelle Huppert at its centre, and a premise that owes a debt to Weeds and Breaking Bad, The Godmother strikes a crafty balance between comedy, drama and thrills. The Greta and Happy End star (and Elle Oscar-nominee) plays Patience Portefeux, a translator who works with the Paris police on narcotics cases. During a routine job listening to wiretapped phones, she decides to prevent the big bust that'd make her boyfriend Philippe's (Hippolyte Girardot, Marseille) career, steal the enormous stash of hash after redirecting the cops' attention and take up a side hustle as a wholesaler to street-level dealers. Her motivation: money, with the long-widowed mother of two attempting to secure her financial future in a world that's hardly accommodating to single, middle-aged women. Adapted from Hannelore Cayre's book of the same name by the author with director Jean-Paul Salomé (Playing Dead, Female Agents), The Godmother is unsurprisingly lifted by Huppert, as everything she stars in is. Still, this lively and engaging crime caper is helmed with a light touch, as well as a keen awareness of the material's deeper moments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puzzh3wowd8 DELETE HISTORY Following three French suburbanites who are each intensely unimpressed with today's always-online times, Delete History is a satire for anyone that's ever felt tired of social media's hold on their lives; of the likes, favourites and ratings that now dictate much of human interaction; and of the fact that every word, text, video and action can last forever in the digital world. All residents of the same masterplanned community, the recently separated Marie (Blanche Gardin, #Iamhere) is being blackmailed over a sex tape she can't remember starring in, widower Bertrand (Denis Podalydes, La Belle Époque) keeps writing letters to Facebook over his teenage daughter's cyberbullying, and ride share driver Christine (Corinne Masiero, Invisibles) can't seem to amass more than a single star from her customers. Banding together in a film that's always purposefully odd and absurd, and yet also clearly grounded in relatable situations and emotions as well, this trio decide to take matters into their own hands in increasingly offbeat ways. Writer/director duo Benoit Delepine and Gustave Kervern (I Feel Good) don't deliver an earth-shattering insights about modern-day life, but in a quickly memorable movie, they do serve up a wealth of wry laughs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqEjJW059TA IBRAHIM An on-screen presence in everything from TV's Spiral and The Returned to films such as In the Name of the Land and The Transporter Refuelled, actor Samir Guesmi makes his feature directing and screenwriting debut with the sensitive and moving Ibrahim. He also co-stars, playing waiter and single father Ahmed Bougaoui; however, the movie's real point of focus is the titular teenager (Abdel Bendaher, How to Make Out), his character's son. After sliding into shoplifting with his friend Achille (Rabah Nait Oufella, Nocturama), getting caught and leaving his dad with a sizeable debt, Ibrahim is torn in two directions. He's determined to make things right for his already-struggling father, even if that means further flirting with crime. With Ahmed sternly condemning of Ibrahim's new direction, the latter is also a ball of pain, uncertainty and unhappiness. Both Guesmi and Bendaher turn in exquisitely layered performances as a father and son weighed down by life's disappointments but, despite their hurt and heated feelings, always tied together. And, as a filmmaker, Guesmi tackles the coming-of-age genre with naturalistic flair — visually, and in exploring his intricate characters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuSlIPZZFRc CALAMITY, A CHILDHOOD OF MARTHA JANE CANNARY If you've ever watched Deadwood, as everyone should've, then you've already seen one version of Martha Jane Cannary on-screen. The American frontierswoman better known as Calamity Jane has been immortalised on television and in film many times, including in the 1950s Doris Day-starring musical that shares her nickname — but Calamity, A Childhood of Martha Jane Cannary steps back to the real-life figure's formative years. While telling her tale through gorgeous minimalistic animation filled with deep and vibrant blues, greens and purples (and with breathtaking renderings of America's sprawling landscape, too), this all-ages gem does't pretend to stick to the facts. Instead, it spins Cannary's youth into an 1860s-era adventure set on and around the Oregon Trail. Director and co-writer Rémi Chayé already has 2015's Long Way North to his name, and also worked on 2009's The Secret Life Of Kells, so he's no stranger to eye-catching animation. Here, he teams spectacular imagery with a spirited narrative, and the delightful end result won him the Best Feature Film award at the 2020 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z56cG1ULGi0 NIGHT SHIFT In Lupin, playing the titular master thief, Omar Sy continually skirts the law. In Night Shift, he stands on the other side, as one of three cops assigned to escort asylum-seeker Tohirov (Payman Maadi, The Night Of) to the airport — to be deported back to Tajikistan, where further torture and worse likely await. A tense drama that delves into topical subject matter, Night Shift splits its attention between Sy's Aristide and his fellow officers Virginie (Virginie Efira, Bye Bye Morons) and Erik (Grégory Gadebois, An Officer and a Spy). Each has their own story, took their own path to their present situation and deals with the demands of the job in their own fashion. With their current task, and the fate their prisoner is expected to face, each copes in their own way as well. Adapting Hugo Boris' novel Police, it's a testament to director and co-writer Anne Fontaine (The Innocents) that little here feels as straightforward as it sounds, even if it primarily remains in familiar territory. The top-notch cast assist considerably, with Efira pushed to the fore in a rare cop movie that noticeably values a female perspective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-SxVU5P3g MISS When Misbehaviour thrust beauty pageants into the cinematic spotlight in 2020, it recreated real-life events from 1970 to call attention to the fight for equality — a battle that became worldwide news half a century ago, as covered in the film, but still hasn't been won in the 21st century. Because movies on similar themes often arrive in pairs, Miss also explores the industry, this time pondering gender identity and the norms that society has long ascribed to femininity. Since childhood, Alex (Alexandre Wetter, Emily in Paris) has dreamed of becoming Miss France. Uttering that goal as a boy earned laughs, and pursuing it as a twentysomething requires navigating a wealth of expectations, preconceptions and judgement. Playing a character that's confident in their heart but still learning to show the same assurance externally, Wetter brings grace, poise, texture and complexity to the central part, while filmmaker Ruben Alves (The Gilded Cage) ensures that Miss is rousing, charming and never as by-the-numbers as its feel-good premise signals. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRGs--e32Sc MANDIBLES In Mandibles, friends Manu (Grégoire Ludig, Bye Bye Morons) and Jean-Gab (David Marsais, The Nobodies) stumble across a giant fly. Freeing it from a car boot, they decide that they can train it, then profit. Yes, that's what this OTT film is about. Yes, it comes straight from the mind of Quentin Dupieux, because it really couldn't spring from anywhere else. The French filmmaker has already made movies about psychotic tyres and alluring jackets — in 2010's Rubber and 2019's Deerskin, respectively — so adding a big insect flick to his resume hardly comes as a surprise. His sense of humour is that absurd and distinctive and, if the film-viewing world is lucky, he'll keep reminding us of that fact with every new movie he makes. Dupieux's work isn't to everyone's taste, as you've either gathered by watching or just by reading the above right now; however, if you're on his out-there, surreal and often incredibly silly yet also disarmingly astute wavelength, it's a delight. And sure, multiple versions of The Fly already exist, but they're bound to look positively sensible compared to this. The Alliance Française French Film Festival tours Australia from March 2–April 22, screening at Sydney's Palace Central, Palace Verona, Palace Norton Street, Chauvel Cinema and Hayden Orpheum Cremorne from March 2–April 5; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, Astor Theatre, The Kino and Pentridge Cinema from March 3–April 5; Palace Raine Square, Luna Leederville, Windsor Cinema, Luna on SX and Camelot Outdoor Cinema from March 10–April 11; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from March 17–April 15; and Adelaide's Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas and Palace Nova Prospect Cinemas from March 23–April 22. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the AFFFF website.
Bumps and jumps can happen at any time, but they feel extra eerie when October rolls around each year. So, when it comes to unleashing its spooky tales upon horror-loving Melburnians, acclaimed West End hit Ghost Stories has obviously chosen the exact right part of the calendar. Coming to Australia for the first time, Ghost Stories will bring its thrills and chills to the Athenaeum Theatre from this October. Exact dates are yet to be announced, but the season will run for eight weeks. And, it'll be doing so with the team behind a couple of other unsettling recent experiences: Melbourne-based Realscape Productions, who've been responsible for shipping container installations Seance, Flight and Coma, plus a number of horror audio experiences since 2020. Created, written and directed by Andy Nyman (Derren Brown) and Jeremy Dyson (The League of Gentlemen), and first staged in the UK back in 2010, Ghost Stories offers exactly what its name suggests. Leading the charge is fictional Professor of Parapsychology Phillip Goodman, who takes audiences through three of his cases. If it sounds familiar even though the production hasn't ever made it to our shores as yet, that's because Ghost Stories was turned into a film with The Office, The Hobbit and Sherlock star Martin Freeman a couple of years back — and also featuring Nyman as Goodman. This is the type of show where the less you know going in, the better. You want to experience those frightening tales afresh, after all. Audience members have been known to physically jump in their seats while they're watching, too, which is part of the point. "If people are paying their hard-earned money to see the show, we have a responsibility to give them more than they pay for," said Dyson in a statement. "We knew that we wanted to craft a play that would deliver something of substance to an audience, some solid ground underneath the fun, that would leave a deeper, darker residue and be harder to shake off," continued both Dyson and Nyman. Yes, the show has been likened to watching a horror movie play out on stage — so if you that sounds like your ideal way to spend 80 minutes, prepare to be in your element. If you're easily scared, you probably already know to stay away. Check out Ghost Stories' Australian trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfabPFfTm6g Ghost Stories will hit Melbourne's Athenaeum Theatre sometime this October, with exact dates yet to be announced. For further details, and to sign up for the ticket waitlist, head to the production's website. Top image: Chris Payne.
If you're the kind of person who can't stop moving up in the world — taking every opportunity to see whichever city you're in from towering heights, that is — then you'll understand why one Brisbane hospitality crew keeps being drawn to rooftop bars. Earlier in 2022, Icatha Hospitality's Ross Ledingham launched Lina Rooftop, which soars over South Brisbane. Now, with Evita's ex-head chef David Hernandez, he's about to add Soko Rooftop to the Fortitude Valley skyline. Set to welcome in patrons from November this year, Soko will sit on the 14th floor of Jubilee Place, which towers over St Paul's Terrace. If you've been in the area lately, you won't have missed the new building, which sits above the Jubilee Hotel. Perched on its top level, Soko will offer scenic views over the city to 500 patrons — and a mix of Peruvian and Japanese drinks and bites to eat. While the full menu hasn't been revealed as yet, ceviche, traditional lomito al jugo, yakitori and sashimi will all be on offer. So will grade nine wagyu served with yuzu kosho, which'll be created by the venue's specialist chefs on each counter. Drinks-wise, wine and sake will feature heavily, and the cocktail menu will include more than 40 flavours of pisco sours — including using sake and yuzu. Soko will take inspiration for its decor from South America, too, complete with an Amazon-inspired irrigated ceiling that'll be filled with greenery. And, while you're eating and drinking, you'll be listening to Latin music, and watching Latin dancers and bongo players, with the venue's live entertainment set to be as big of a drawcard as the obviously impressive vistas. Find Soko Rooftop on the 14th floor at Jubilee Place, 470 St Paul's Terrace, Fortitude Valley from early November — open 11am–3pm Monday–Friday for lunch, 5pm–late Wednesday–Friday for dinner, and 12pm–late on weekends. We'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
Even vegetarians and vegans need a filthy food option sometimes — and Lord of the Fries is one of few fast food joints that really gets this. Now, Australia's homegrown vegetarian chain is expanding their offering to include all-day vegan breakfast. The photos may look like Maccas knock-offs, but the brekkie options — like the rest of the Lord of the Fries menu — are 100 percent vegan. Think BLTs, sausage and hash brown muffins, and a fried chicken and waffle bun with bacon, butter and maple syrup. Plus, there's also an English muffin stuffed with the holy trinity of 'bacon', 'egg' and 'cheese'. All made without any animal products, of course. The idea of vegan eggs might make some people squirm, but the mere fact that vegan fast food breakfast options are readily available is roof-raising news for those who like to keep their hangover cures cruelty-free. The all-day breakfast is now available nationwide and in all stores. Check out the full menu here.
If finding out when and where Groovin the Moo is taking place in 2024 didn't get you pumped enough, here comes the next piece of exciting news: who'll be taking to the large-scale touring music festival's stages this year. The just-dropped lineup spans a hefty and impressive list of talent, including Wu-Tang Clan's GZA, Spice Girl Melanie C doing a DJ set, The Kooks, The Beaches and Alison Wonderland. Stephen Sanchez, Armani White, Kenya Grace, King Stingray, DMA's, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Mallrat and San Cisco are all also on the bill, alongside Hot Dub Time Machine, Mura Masa, Claire Rosinkranz, Jessie Reyez, Meduza and The Rions — and more. Six states and territories, six locations, six reasons for a road trip: that's the setup. Largely taking tunes beyond Australia's capital cities, Groovin the Moo will traverse the country in April and May, again hitting up South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. In New South Wales, festivalgoers also have a new location to head to, with Groovin the Moo making a major move in 2024. Instead of taking place at its previous site in Maitland, the fest will pop up in Newcastle, with Foreshore Park its new home. The change comes after feedback from attendees, especially regarding transport and accommodation. In all other states and territories, the festival will settle into the same spots as last year — starting at Adelaide Showground, then hitting Exhibition Park in Canberra and Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds. After the Newcastle spot, Groovin the Moo will move on to Sunshine Coast Stadium Precinct, then Bunbury's Hay Park. Carla From Bankstown and Mowgli May are on hosting duties at Groovin the Moo 2024, and there's still some names to come, with the Triple J Unearthed, Fresh Produce artists and community programs yet to be announced. [caption id="attachment_938500" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gilbert Sanchez[/caption] Groovin the Moo 2024 Lineup: Alison Wonderland Armani White The Beaches Claire Rosinkranz DMA's The Grogans Gza (Wu-Tang) & The Phunky Nomads Hot Dub Time Machine Jacoténe Jessie Reyez Jet The Jungle Giants Kenya Grace King Stingray The Kooks Mallrat Meduza Melanie C DJ set Mura Masa DJ set Nerve & Friends (Ecb & Cloe Terare) The Rions San Cisco Stephen Sanchez Hosts: Carla From Bankstown Mowgli May Triple J Unearthed, Fresh Produce artists and community programs still to be announced Groovin the Moo 2024 Dates and Venues: Thursday, April 25 — Adelaide Showground, Kaurna Country, Wayville, South Australia Friday, April 26 — Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country, Mitchell, Australian Capital Territory Saturday, April 27 — Bendigo's Prince of Wales Showgrounds, Dja Dja Wurrung Country, Bendigo, Victoria Saturday, May 4 — Foreshore Park, Awabakal Land, Newcastle, New South Wales Sunday, May 5 — Sunshine Coast Stadium Precinct, Kabi Kabi and Jinibara Country, Warana, Queensland Saturday, May 11 — Hay Park, Wardandi Noongar Country, Bunbury, Western Australia Groovin the Moo will tour Australia in April and May 2024, with tickets on sale from Tuesday, February 6 at 12pm local time for Newcastle and the Sunshine Coast, 2pm local time for Bendigo, 3pm local time for Wayville, 4pm local time for Bunbury and 5pm local time for Canberra. For more information, head to the festival's website. Groovin the Moo images: Jordan Munns.
It just might be Australia's brightest festival, and it's returning to light up Alice Springs once again. That'd be Parrtjima - A Festival In Light, which will deliver its latest annual program in 2022 — between Friday, April 8–Sunday, April 17. It's been a chaotic few years for the radiant fest, after its 2020 event was postponed to September due to COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions — and after moving to an autumn time slot back in 2019, too. But, following a few years of change and adaptability, Parrtjima will finally mark two consecutive stints in its April dates, after 2021's festival lit up the Red Centre over six months ago. While it's too early to announce the event's lineup just yet, visitors can once again expect a big — and free — ten-day public celebration of Indigenous arts, culture, music and storytelling, including an eye-catching array of light installations. That'll all take over Alice Springs CBD's Alice Springs Todd Mall, as well as tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park Precinct just out of town — and yes, the event will dazzle, like it usually does. [caption id="attachment_801811" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Greg McAdam[/caption] If you haven't yet made the trip and you're wondering what could be in store, this year's Parrtjima included various luminous pieces, such as a 20-metre-long entranceway made out of light tubes of different lengths, an animated sequence of curated artworks projected onto the sands of Alice Springs Desert Park and a train of five illuminated camels. One thing that'll definitely be on the bill in 2022: the festival's main annual attraction, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic, 300-million-year-old MacDonnell Ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival. Registrations for the 2022 fest have just opened, if you'd like to nab an early spot in line for tickets when they go on sale. Of course, Parrtjima is just one of Northern Territory's two glowing attractions in 2022, with Australia's Red Centre lighting up in multiple ways. The festival is a nice supplement to Bruce Munro's Field of Light installation, which — after multiple extensions — is now on display indefinitely. If you're keen to start making Parrtjima plans, remember to check out the Northern Territory's COVID-19 border restrictions first. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from April 8–17, 2022 around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Top image: Greg McAdam.
Listening to a song, discovering a musician for the first time and feeling like they're speaking directly to you: it's a moment that everyone can relate to. It's also the premise for Blinded by the Light, a new coming-of-age movie which wowed this year's Sundance Film Festival with its enormous love of Bruce Springsteen. The Boss' tunes don't just feature on the film's soundtrack (17 of them, in fact). They actually inspired the entire flick, jukebox musical-style. It's based on the experiences of Springsteen-obsessed journalist Sarfraz Manzoor, with the Pakistan-born British broadcaster also co-writing the script, which is set in 80s-era England at the height of Thatcherism. He's no ordinary fan, either, having seen the denim-loving singer perform live more than 150 times. Narrative-wise, Blinded by the Light follows 16-year-old Javed (film newcomer Viveik Kalra), whose life changes when he's given a couple of Bruce's cassette tapes. You could say he's born to run, feels like he's on fire and is suddenly dancing in the dark — but, used to being under his strict parents' watch and being an outcast at school, he just finds hope in the music of a rocker from New Jersey. In the director's and co-writer's chair sits someone with a background in cross-culture teen-focused Brit pictures, Bend It Like Beckham filmmaker Gurinder Chadha. Plus, as well as Kalra, the film stars Hayley Atwell, Sally Phillips and Rob Bryden. If Blinded by the Light sounds a little like another feel-good, 80s-set, music-fuelled, high school-oriented British standout from a few years back, Sing Street, that's definitely not a bad thing. Tap your toes along to the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ond9SLcHX4Q Blinded by the Light screens at this year's Sydney Film Festival, then releases in cinemas around Australia on August 22.
UPDATE, December 14, 2020: Marriage Story is available to stream via Netflix. Talk about a bait-and-switch. Marriage Story opens with Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) and Charlie (Adam Driver) penning tender, generous prose about each other, explaining why they fell in love and built a life together. As they speak, writer/director Noah Baumbauch pairs their praise with glimpses of the New York-based couple's romantic highlights. But these aren't love letters. Rather, as viewers disconcertingly discover, they're part of a pre-divorce therapy exercise. And while Marriage Story does indeed tell the tale of the pair's marriage, this devastatingly astute and empathetic drama does so within a portrait of their relationship's dying days and its rocky aftermath, particularly focusing on the custody battle over their young son Henry (Azhy Robertson). 'Talk' is a keyword here. It's not by accident that Baumbach starts his 12th film with two hearty, revelatory monologues — the first of many. Chatter has often played a large part in the acclaimed filmmaker's movies, with his characters exposing their woes and shortcomings with a sea of words — and his actors, including the astonishing Johansson and Driver here, benefit from meaty, multifaceted roles as a result. Greenberg's titular grump, Frances Ha's buoyant but directionless twenty-something and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)'s feuding family members all fit the above description. Everyone in While We're Young and Mistress America, too. In his ever-perceptive way, Baumbach hones in on figures whose lives are a shambles, then watches as they natter their way forward — revealing their fragile core while revelling in the minutiae of their existence. Nicole moves back to Los Angeles and tells her new lawyer (Laura Dern) about frustrations she hasn't dared voice in years: about being a rising Hollywood commodity who married an experimental theatre wunderkind, putting her wants and needs on hold, and feeling like Charlie was always directing their lives. And, as she does so, we don't just hear her story — we also learn about who she is, what she holds dear and where her path might lead, all while we listen and watch. When Charlie tries to juggle making the leap to Broadway for the first time and jetting back-and-forth to LA to see Henry, we go through the same process with him as gets annoyed with Nicole's decisions, pinballs around town, yet hardly makes the most of his time with his son. Marriage Story overflows with these kinds of scenes. The movie's duelling monologues basically continue from the outset, even when Nicole and Charlie are talking to others, or singing (which they both do) — and even when they're not saying a word. Taking the audience through these moments, and through the couple's clearly tumultuous times, Johansson and Driver are exceptional. It's through their achingly realistic work, and their way with Baumbach's witty and incisive script (and, yes, its words) that Marriage Story comes alive. Between this, his excellent performance in The Report, and standout turns in The Dead Don't Die and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Driver is having a fantastic year (and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker isn't even out yet). Meanwhile, demonstrating that she's acting's successor to the great Annette Bening, Johansson makes her biggest on-screen impact since the trio of Lucy, Her and Under the Skin. The two aren't just impressive — they make you feel Nicole and Charlie's ups and downs and, especially, the raw uncertainty about their new futures. And, they'll likely earn a string of well-deserved nominations and awards for their efforts, as should Dern as one of the uncompromising figures caught in the middle. (Ray Liotta and Alan Alda are also memorable as the legal eagles in Charlie's corner.) These are all sharp, layered performances that fill a big screen — perhaps a contentious point given that Marriage Story was funded by Netflix, and plays in cinemas before hitting the streaming platform in a few weeks. It might seem counterintuitive, but Baumbach's intimate, dialogue-heavy films and their accompanying portrayals soak up the light and room that a larger canvas provides, as if the director is putting his scenarios and characters under a magnifying glass. (He is, of course; that's what movies do.) His naturalistic imagery, lensed here by the visually talented Robbie Ryan (I, Daniel Blake, American Honey, The Favourite), also relishes the heftier format, laying bare the everyday interiors that fill the feature's frames, as well as the space that frequently blankets its protagonists. Indeed, in the movie's biggest confrontation, to watch Driver and Johansson go head-to-head against the beige walls of the west coast apartment Charlie doesn't even want to be renting is to witness the heart and soul of Marriage Story. Two people, ordinary surroundings, relatable circumstances, a whole lot of talk and a mess of whirling emotions — that's this shattering but phenomenal drama in a nutshell. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHi-a1n8t7M
If Brisbane was a man, he'd be rather mysterious to say the least. Sure, up front you might be taken aback by his bi-polar weather patterns (let's celebrate summer...by staying indoors and losing power!) and his Eiffel Tower in the middle of Milton's little Italy (je ne parle pas Italien!). However, take a trip to his suburban ethnic grocery stores and you'd be forgiven for falling in love with his well-travelled and cultured charm. Mr. Brisbane sure knows his haloumi from his Dodoni! Here at Concrete Playground, we've done all the hard work for you, presenting Mr. Brisbane's top 10 ethnic gourmet finds. Hellene Food Brokers Specialty: Olives/Wholesale Hidden in the industrial backstreets of West End, Hellene Food Brokers offers the public top quality products at wholesale prices. Shelves are packed full of Turkish, Greek, and Italian goodies and the smell of spices gets you feeling all giddy inside. You may have to elbow a few eager nannas out of the way to get to the olive bar, but it is well worth it. Wait. Did we just say olive bar? Yes we did. From kalamata to stuffed green olives, a lovely assistant will help you bag your preference from their huge drums of imported salty nuggets. At the back of the store, you'll even find Greek souvlaki BBQ kits complete with rotating motors, so you can DIY your own feast at home. Prices are extremely competitive when buying in bulk, and why wouldn't you want to when everything tastes so good? 2/17 Duncan St, West End; 07 3844 1696; http://www.hellenefood.com.au/ Rosalie Gourmet Market Specialty: Pastries and gifts Otherwise known as Brisbane's boutique food hall, Rosalie Gourmet Market has everything on offer. From the gorgeous fresh flowers that greet you on your way in, the I'll-have-one-of-everything mini patisserie, locally made preserves to the imported Italian boxed chocolates there is absolutely no excuse to walk away empty handed. This is also a great spot to pick up a gift for your food-obsessed friend (or for yourself) as they have a great range of boutique kitchenware. 1/164 Baroona Road, Rosalie; 07 3876 6222; http://www.rosaliegourmet.com.au/ Koz Asian Grocer Specialty: Japanese candy Affectionately known to local university students as the ultimate pre-exam pitstop, Koz is where you will find more Asian snacks than you can Pocky a stick at. For those with a savoury tooth, Koz also offers countless flavours of instant ramen noodles and sachets of Furikake — dry rice condiments made from seaweed and dried fish, bound to make anyone on a tight budget leap for joy. If you are on your fifth week of eating nothing but fifty cent packets of Mi Goreng, then consider this place to take your taste buds to the next level (without breaking the bank.) 85 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane; 07 3220 2677 Kumusha African Store Specialty: Biltong You never know when unexpected guests may arrive at your doorstep. As your mama taught you, it's polite to offer them a cup of tea and possibly something to nibble on. But these days, let's face it, a weak cup of International Roast and stale iced vo-vos just won't cut it. Impress your visitors with South African Biltong wafers and chocolate Romany creams. Kumusha also offers a range of delicious marinades and chutneys, the perfect addition to any BBQ celebration. Stale iced vo-vos be gone! 16/2100 Logan Road, Upper Mount Gravatt; 07 3420 3422; http://www.kumushastore.com.au/ Sourced Grocer Specialty: Middle Eastern Yes, this foodie hipster hang out is awesome. We get it. The food is great and the coffee is pretty damn good too. But did you know that the lovely owners suffer from Middle Eastern fever? It’s a real disease, look it up. It’s right next to Taboulehitis and Hommus Syndrome. Head on over to the back shelves and the evidence is clear: delicious Orange Blossom water from Lebanon, Egyptian Zaatar made from local ingredients, colourful Persian sweets. These are common symptoms of Middle Eastern fever and the only treatment is to stock up on your favourites and consume orally. If you fancy something fresh, Sourced Grocer’s bakery section also carries locally made Afghan bread, perfect as a base for fancy homemade pizzas or as a dipping apparatus to baba ganoush. 11 Florence Street, Newstead; Phone: 3852 6734; www.sourcedgrocer.com.au Banneton Bakery Specialty: Brioche loaf If you can manage to walk through this bakery without physically drooling at their many treats in the window, then we applaud you. If indulging in a tasty breakfast and smooth as silk coffee just isn't enough for you, then Banneton's take-home breads are just what you need to fill that bread-shaped hole in your heart. The brioche loaf, made based on the traditional French recipe of eggs, milk, and butter is so damn popular you may like to call ahead the day before and secure this treasure for yourself. Just a warning though — French toast with this baby will never be the same; birds will sing, unicorns appear at your doorstep, and you will find yourself in a trance of pure bliss. 25 Balaclava Street, Woolloongabba; 07 3393 2111; http://www.banneton.com.au/ Heinz Butcher & Continental Goods Specialty: Smoked meats It seems as though good ol' Heinz has been there since Brisbane was founded. With its antique signs and a shopfront enough to draw in any keen carnivore walking along Stanley Street, Heinz has become a bit of a landmark. It specialises in house-smoked meats and German sausages, and you shouldn't leave here without a few Knackwursts and their signature wood-smoked pork fillet rolled in pepper and herbs. Heinz also offer a selection of ready-to-eat Danish specialties — perfect for those bring-a-plate late-notice dinner parties. 611 Stanley Street, South Brisbane; Phone: 3391 3530; http://www.heinzmeats.com.au/ Hong Lan Asian Food Supplies Specialty: Fresh rice noodles It can happen anytime. To anybody. It can hit you like a fistful of rocks to your pretty little face. Yes, we're talking about the craving of a freshly prepared pad see-ew. Who knows what restaurants are open or nearby when the craving strikes? Lucky for us, Hong Lan Asian Grocer is West End is one of the few places in Brisbane where you can buy fresh rice noodles, silken tofu, kai lan (chinese broccoli), and other fresh herbs without having to make the trek out to Sunnybank. So don't be caught unawares; stock up or spend your 2am cravings thinking of what could have been — a delicious bowl of noodles sitting right there in your lap loving you right back. 56 Vulture Street, West End; 07 3844 4873 Pennisi Cuisine Specialty: Cheese A cheese lovers paradise, Pennisi has an incredible range to satisfy the biggest fanatic from their fresh buffalo mozzarella to their big wheels of Parmiggiano Reggiano. New products are featured regularly and loyal locals are never disappointed as Pennisi is also renown for its consistency in quality. With ample choice, why not bring a basket and fill up before heading out to a nearby picnic spot? There's no doubt your loot will turn heads and bring all the boys to the yard. 17 Balaclava Street, Woollongabba; 07 3891 7643 Maha Latchmi Specialty: Indian sweets Here at Concrete Playground we take no responsibility for getting our readers addicted to the fine delicacies Brisbane has to offer. Be very careful when walking into this little establishment. Maha Latchmi is one of the few Indian shops specialising in desserts and take-home sweets that will have you coming back time and time again. For such a small little shop, the daily variety it offers it quite impressive. As a first-timer, you can't go past freshly made jalebi (deep-fried orange pretzel shaped sweets soaked in sugar syrup) and gulab jamun (deep-fried milk solid dumplings soaked in rose water). If you are looking for a quick fix while trawling the weekend Valley markets, grab one of Maha Latchmi's tasty and filling mango lassis. You've been warned, friends! 24 Warner Street, Fortitude Valley; 07 3216 0142;
Take a must-visit Paris art museum, an acclaimed Victorian gallery, an iconic French painter and one of the world's most influential architects, mix them all together, and Australia's latest huge exhibition is the end result. So is something unsurprisingly stunning: the world premiere of Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi at the NGV International in Melbourne. The National Gallery of Victoria's revolving door of blockbuster exhibitions shows no sign of slowing, with this exceptional meeting of creative minds announced earlier in 2023, and now gracing its halls from Friday, June 9–Sunday, October 8. When the temperature dips each year, the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series kicks in — and, as created in collaboration with the Musée d'Orsay, home to the world's largest collection of Bonnard works, this ode to Bonnard and Mahdavi is the current centrepiece. On display: more than 100 pieces by the famed French artist, but seen through a fresh lens. Helping provide that new perspective is scenography by internationally renowned architect and designer Mahdavi, in a major showcase that was originally slated to debut in 2020 before the pandemic did its thing. An icon of late 19th- and early 20th-century art, and a good mate of Henri Matisse, Bonnard is known for his colourful, textural depictions of French life, offering stylised yet subtle glimpses of intimate domestic scenes, urban backdrops and natural landscapes. Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi includes a hefty collection of the artist's own paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and other decorative objects, alongside works from his contemporaries — including Édouard Vuillard, Maurice Denis, Félix Vallotton and cinematic pioneers the Lumière brothers. Attendees can expect to step through Bonnard's early artistic days in the 1890s, highlighting his focus on Parisian street life; his evolution from there, including when he started focusing on more domestic scenes as inspired by his relationship with his companion Marthe Bonnard; and his love of landscape, especially from 1910 onwards, and as influenced by his fellow pal Claude Monet. Numerous pieces are on loan from the Musée d'Orsay, as well as other museums and private collections in Europe, Australia and the USA. The NGV's own collection also includes significant works, however, including Bonnard's 1900 painting La Sieste (Siesta). Considered one of the world's most influential architects, multi-award-winning Mahdavi has been commissioned to help bring the historic pieces to life via her scenography, tasked with creating a setting that complements Bonnard's signature use of colour and light. The results aren't just spectacular — they're dreamy. "Monsieur Bonnard and I share the same passion: colour," Mahdavi explains of the exhibition. "I love his subjective perception of colour — the way he transforms the intimacy of everyday life into something sublime." "Pierre Bonnard is one of the most captivating artists of the post-impressionist movement. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience his work within a vivid scenography designed by India Mahdavi, one of the world's leading designers working today. Both the artist and the designer are celebrated for their ingenious use of colour, which made them a natural and authentic pairing for this NGV-exclusive exhibition," adds Tony Ellwood AM, the NGV's director. Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi runs at the NGV International, St Kilda Road, Melbourne from Friday, June 9–Sunday, October 8. For more information, see the venue's website. Images: Installation view of Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi, on display from June 9–October 8, 2023 at NGV International, Melbourne. Photos: Lillie Thompson.
Dance music hits. An orchestra. Combine the two and Ministry of Sound Classical is one end result. For a few years now, this event has been giving Australia what no one probably knew they wanted when Ministry of Sound first started as a London club night back in 1991: tunes that usually fill dance floors performed by classical musicians. If you're a fan of making shapes and you're fond of getting nostalgic, then Ministry of Sound keeps indulging — sometimes by throwing huge 90s and 00s parties that nod back to raves three decades back and club nights at the turn of the century, and sometimes via this orchestral tour that gives bangers from the past 30 years a new live spin. In Australia, the latter is returning before 2025 is out, including seeing out spring in Brisbane. This year's run kicks off at Victoria Park in the Sunshine State capital on Saturday, November 1, with Sneaky Sound System headlining. Conducted by Vanessa Perica and with DJ Groove Terminator on backing duties, the Ministry of Sound Orchestra takes pride of place, of course, with vocalists and other talents on hand to assist. Ministry of Sound Classical is calling 2025's run a summer dance music festival — even if Brisbane's date is the month prior — which means that a curated food and bar lineup is also on offer, as is a silent disco. As for the soundtrack, the event surveys tunes that've packed dance floors over Ministry of Sound's existence — so you just might hear classical renditions of Basement Jaxx, Darude, Röyksopp, Robin, Underworld, Moby, Fisher and more played by its orchestra. Images: Ruby Boland, Ashlea Caygill and Jack Dullard.
After introducing its cookie pies to the world earlier this year, followed by serving up an OTT red velvet one, Gelato Messina is bringing the decadent dessert back again. This time, though, it's filled with a peanut butter and jelly. Yes, it's peanut butter jelly time. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of cookie dough. And it serves two-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. On its own, the indulgent PB&J pie will cost $20. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. You can add on a 500-millilitre tub for $28, a one-litre tub for $36 or a 1.5-litre tub for $39. If you're in NSW or Queensland, these pies are available to preorder from today, Monday, July 13 — so if you missed out last time, here's your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie — with pick up between Friday, July 17 and Sunday, July 19 from your chosen Messina store. Victorians can get their pie from Messina's Fitzroy store (no preordering necessary) or via Deliveroo right now (while stocks last). The same bundle packs are also available. Once you've got the pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20 minutes at 170 degrees and voila. Messina's peanut butter and jelly cookie pies are available to pick up from now from the Fitzroy store (or via Deliveroo). NSW and Queensland can preorder now with pick up available from July 17–19.
Bundaberg Rum might be best known for its polar bear logo and accompanying ad campaign (as well as its combo with coke), but they're no longer the Queensland distillery's only claims to fame. In fact, the Aussie brand can now add the title of World's Best Rum to its credentials, after emerging victorious at the World Drinks Awards in London. Not only was their MDC Blenders Edition 2015 crowned the globe's number one dark rum, but it was named the world's best rum overall too. Given the number of varieties that line bottle shop shelves, that's quite the triumph. It's also the first time ever that an Australian spirit has achieved the feat. Best served neat or over ice — i.e. without mixers, and definitely not as part of a rum and coke combo — it was the Blenders Edition's delicate hints of raisins, spice and tobacco coupled with a long and exceptionally smooth finish that won the judges over. It wasn't the only Bundy beverage to get a gong, with Bundaberg Small Batch anointed the world's top golden rum as well. Yes, it seems Australians aren't just great at knocking back a few drinks — we're great at making them, too. Anyone after a taste of the finest rum on the planet had best get in quick though. The award-winning tipple is so limited that it comes in numbered bottles, and is certain to fly off the shelves now that it has such a prestigious stamp of approval. Via Executive Style. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
Cooler winter weather is starting to set in across Brisbane (well, Brisbane's version of cooler weather), which means it's time to bust out your warmer outfits once again. And if you're a fan of frostier climates, you might want to celebrate with some mates over a few beverages and a bite to eat — perhaps while partying in your own private igloo. Dubbed Igloo Gardens, these winter wonderlands will take over not one, not two, but five beer gardens at pubs across Queensland. Last week, they took over the Cleveland Sands Hotel, now they've arrived at the Chancellors Tavern on the Sunshine Coast and the Bribie Island Hotel. From Monday, June 22, Kenmore Tavern and Springlake Hotel will join the igloo party, too. With Queensland's current stage of eased COVID-19 restrictions allowing restaurants, bars, cafes and pubs to accommodate 20 patrons per area, it's a way for you to hang out with your mates in your own space while still being part of a socially distanced crowd. Each igloo can fit between two-to-six people and comes with twinkly fairy lights. You can hire out them for a 90-minute or two-hour time slot, which includes a three-course meal and a cocktail, with drinks, food and price varying slightly at each venue. Igloos at both the Chancellors Tavern and Bribie Island Hotel will set you back $39. Packages for Kenmore and Springlake will be announced in the coming days. So that you can not only enjoy a winter escape without having to leave the city, but can do so safely, Australian Venue Co's (who owns all the aforementioned pubs) COVID-19 policies include 30-minute cleaning breaks between igloo bookings, plenty of hand sanitiser on offer, floor markers for queueing and contactless ordering and payment. Igloo Gardens are now available to book at the Cleveland Sands Hotel, Chancellors Tavern and Bribie Island Hotel, with Kenmore Tavern and Springlake Hotel set to launch on Monday, June 22. The gardens are set to stay until August.
Brisbane has woken up to a particularly hazy morning, with foggy skies descending upon the city. And no, this isn't just your usual early-hour gloom, with the conditions reducing road visibility around town. Heading out of the house on this murky Wednesday morning? Can't spend the day working from home? If either applies, then you'd best prepare for a longer journey than normal — and to be as careful as possible if you're driving. The latter is just common sense all the time, of course, but the Bureau of Meteorology has issued a road alert warning this morning due to the blanket of fog. BOM's alert is brief, simply stating: "reduced visibility in fog will make road conditions dangerous during Wednesday morning in the Brisbane area." If you've peeked out of your window already this morning, or you've already ventured out, you'll likely have seen exactly why the warning has been issued. https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1404890855056588809 Even if you're not heading far — or you're walking or cycling — it goes without saying that you should take caution on and near the road this morning given that visibility is low. BOM is due to update its alert by 11am, on what could be another slightly wet day for Brisbane. As well as being partly cloudy, Brissie has a 40-percent likelihood of late showers today, and there's also the possibility of a thunderstorm in the west. Temperature wise, a top of 24 degrees is expected. For more details about the Bureau of Meteorology's weather warnings, head to the organisation's website. Images: Darren Ward.
Splendour in the Grass is back this July, but not as we know it. The blockbuster Byron Bay music festival is packing its bags and road tripping down to Sydney to launch a new nine-day festival at the city's Overseas Passenger Terminal. Splendour in the City will run from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18 in the lead up to Splendour's virtual festival Splendour XR, which will kick off the following week. Across the lineup, music fans will find an array of beloved Australian artists — plus two stacked nights of stand-up comedy and a whole heap of extras that are aiming to recreate as much of the OG Splendour in the Grass experience as possible. While you won't get caught knee-deep in mud or have to climb North Byron Parklands' heartbreak hill to reach the main stage, you'll still find art installations, a range of dining options and food trucks, specialty bars from the likes of The Winery and The Strummer Bar, markets, a Little Splendour kids program and a VR pop-up at Splendour in the City. Taking over the 900-person Customs Hall and 400-person Cargo Hall, the lineup ranges from Splendour in the Grass mainstays such as Violent Soho, Illy, Vera Blue, Dune Rats and Tash Sultana to fresher faces like Spacey Jane, Masked Wolf, Ziggy Ramo and Triple One. Some local Sydney and Wollongong artists will also be popping up including Big Twisty, A.Girl and The Lazy Eyes — with the latter launching their second EP at the festival. Then, across at the Comedy Club, you'll find the likes of Nazeem Hussein, Nikki Britton, Tom Ballard, Nath Valvo and Triple J's Michael Hing and Lewis Hobba. 2021 will be the second year in a row that Splendour in the Grass won't welcome patrons come July. The full-sized Byron Bay edition of the music festival is currently scheduled for November with headliners Tyler the Creator, The Strokes and Gorillaz; however, that's reliant upon COVID-19 restrictions allowing the event to take place. [caption id="attachment_788985" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ocean Alley[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE CITY Customs Hall Saturday, July 10 — Spacey Jane Sunday, July 11 — Tash Sultana Wednesday, July 14 — Ocean Alley and Clews Thursday, July 15 — Illy, Masked Wolf and A.Girl Friday, July 16 — Running Touch Saturday, July 17 — Vera Blue and Cxloe Sunday, July 18 — Violent Soho Cargo Hall Saturday, July 10 — Nikki Britton, Tom Ballard, Michael Hing and more Sunday, July 11 — Nazeem Hussein, Nath Valvo, Lewis Hobba and more Monday, July 12 — Big Twisty and the Funknasty Wednesday, July 14 — The Southern River Band and Vast Hill Thursday, July 15 — Ziggy Ramo and Alice Skye Friday, July 16 — Triple One Saturday, July 17 (Early) — The Lazy Eyes Saturday, July 17 (Late) — Ebony Boadu Presents Sunday, July 18 — Dune Rats and Totty Splendour in the City will run from Saturday, July 10–Sunday, July 18 at Sydney's Overseas Passenger Terminal. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday, June 18.
Conscious consumerism and shopping sustainably are hot topics at the moment. That's where independent markets come in handy — aside from the joy of uncovering rare, one-of-a-kind (or, at least, one of a small number) finds, they're also great for discovering quality vendors that specialise in ethical practices and products. And when it comes to rolling out the creme de la creme of local producers every season, the Finders Keepers market knows its stuff. For over a decade, the twice-yearly mini-festival has been championing small-scale producers. So, sustainable shoppers and knick-knack connoisseurs, we've got some good news — Finders Keepers is back for another season. The first stop on its autumn/winter circuit is Sydney, running from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5 — just in time for you to snag the perfect Mother's Day gift. It's then popping up in Brisbane between Friday, June 21 and Sunday, June 23, before wrapping up in Melbourne across Friday, July 12–Sunday, July 14. As always, Finders Keepers has pulled together a high-calibre of art, fashion, beauty and design stalls. And, to help you figure out which ethical vendors to make a beeline towards, we've trawled through the huge Finders Keepers directory to find eight brands doing good for the world — and making even better products. [caption id="attachment_718857" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finders Keepers. Captured by Mark Lobo.[/caption] YALU APOTHECARY Yalu Apothecary will be gracing the markets this year with its simple ethos — nurture with nature. This philosophy perfectly captures its offerings of sustainable, handmade beauty products. Yalu Apothecary promotes holistic wellness with specialty naturopathic herbal tea blends, crystal-infused botanical perfume oils, face masks and bath products. The products are handcrafted by Rhiannon Mapstone, who sources the finest natural and organic botanicals from local gardens in Australia and from around the globe. Skip the damaging chemicals of mass-produced beauty products and opt for a Yalu perfume, made with pure plant essences, organic infusions and supercharged with crystal healing power. Yalu Apothecary will be at the Sydney and Melbourne markets this season. MISTER TIMBUKTU Secretly hoarding two draws dedicated to activewear for all days of the week? Yep, we're guilty too. Make your yoga tights habit a positive one by grabbing a pair from Mister Timbuktu — an apparel store saving plastics from landfill and the ocean and turning them into outdoor and fitness apparel. A simple yet brilliant idea, Mister Timbuktu began as a crowdfunded debut collection before officially launching in June 2018. In addition to being a recycled and high quality material, these plastics use less energy, water and chemicals to produce compared to traditional fabric. The business ensures ethical and sustainable practices all the way from above-minimum wage for its factory workers in Indonesia to home-compostable bags for deliveries. For stylish and sustainable active threads, Mister Timbuktu will be open at all three city's Finders Keepers markets. CORNER BLOCK STUDIO Avoid scraping Blu Tack off the walls of your rental at the end of each lease and display your favourite artworks in a frame from Corner Block Studio. This modest store combines innovation with handcrafted woodwork to bring you simple and stylish adjustable frames for your artwork. Whether you want to display your band poster, record covers or beautifully illustrated coffee table books, Corner Block Studio has a frame for every purpose. With respect to the planet, all products are made from recycled Australian hardwoods that have been reclaimed from decommissioned buildings. Each piece is crafted in Brisbane and features unique characteristics in the timber, so you'll walk away with a one-of-a-kind frame. Corner Block Studio will be popping up at the Brisbane and Melbourne markets. EARTH FIBRE Take a piece of the gorgeous Australian natural environment home with Earth Fibre. Each handcrafted piece tells a story of the colourful landscape. Creator Michelle Ohara uses various mediums, carefully selected from the Glass House Mountains area in the Sunshine Coast, to produce her collection of eclectic designs. She utilises the local flora to make her goods, including seeds, environmental earth fibres, paper fibres, wood and environmental weeds. You'll find baskets woven from garden waste, small books made from seed pods and botanically dyed scarves made using leaves. Michelle leaves it to nature to put an individual stamp on each of her designs — with no trace of the chemicals or materials that you might find in goods made in a factory. This season, you'll find Earth Fibre at the Brisbane Finders Keepers market. POSIE Posie provides an alternative to the mountains of mass-produced candles packed with chemicals. Co-founders Ashleigh Sampson and Casie Brooker started the brand from a shared passion for travel, design and the simple things in life — and each candle blend is reminiscent of the people, places and paths that they've encountered in their journeys. The candles are designed and made using 100 percent soy wax and their individual scents come from natural fragrances and essential oils. Each candle is hand-poured into a recycled container in Posie's Byron Bay studio. By working and sourcing materials locally, Sampson and Brooker ensure that every Posie candle upholds their core principles of fair, cruelty-free and sustainable trade. You can pick up a Posie candle for your home at the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. [caption id="attachment_718864" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Homelea Lass via Pintrest[/caption] HOMELEA LASS Baby, it's cold outside. Fight the oncoming winter temperature drop with cosy, snuggly crocheted textiles from Homelea Lass. Pick up a thick blankie to snuggle in on the couch or a gorgeous snood and matching beanie for all your outdoor winter adventures. Or, better yet, you can become your own grandma with a DIY crochet kit and keep warm inside while you make your own woollies. As an Australian farmer and maker, owner Lynda Rennick is passionate about supporting the Aussie farming industry — which is why she uses 100 percent Australian-grown and -processed merino wool. Homelea Lass keeps business sustainable with its use of locally sourced and ethical materials and tools, too. You'll be able to snag these cosy crochets at Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. NZURI ORGANICS Avoid incorporating harsh chemicals into your skincare routine by switching to products by Nzuri Organics. Founder Nadine Shuma ensures that each and every handcrafted product is made with certified organic, raw materials. From body butters to hand creams, Nzuri provides organic solutions for everything from your face to your feet. Nadine is Tanzanian-Australian and her brand incorporates beauty routines and ingredients from Tanzania, along with locally sourced organic ingredients of the highest quality. Accredited by Choose Cruelty Free, Nzuri Organics' products are handmade and all containers are either 100 percent recyclable or biodegradable. Nourish your skin by giving Nzuri Organics a visit at the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. [caption id="attachment_675445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finders Keepers. Captured by Samee Lapham.[/caption] ARCADIA SCOTT Reusable travel cups are all the rage nowadays. They're much better for the environment, a lot of cafes offer a discount on your morning cuppa if you use one, and they just look so much better than a plain disposable cup — it's a win, win, win. If you're yet to jump on the bandwagon, or you just want to upgrade to something more aesthetically pleasing, stop by Arcadia Scott's stall. The self-taught potter creates a range of ceramic pieces in her Melbourne studio including bowls, vases and adorable glazed travel cups. Each item is handmade, giving your purchase a unique edge — which is exactly why you came to an independent art fair, right? Arcadia Scott will be popping at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets. Finders Keepers will be at Sydney on Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5, Brisbane on Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 23 and Melbourne on Friday, July 12–Sunday, July 14. Entry is $5 and your ticket is valid across the entire weekend. Visit the website here for more information and to find open hours for your city. Top Image: Finders Keepers. Captured by Samee Lapham.
Very serious media outlet The Betoota Advocate is coming to Brisbane this summer, bringing its particular brand of satire and wit to Fortitude Valley. The travelling show will cover the last four years in Aussie news — a time that's not only seen three prime ministers, but inspires Betoota's latest book How Good's Australia?. How have we, as a country, managed to get through it? Why is Australia so chaotic and confused? Why did the Betoota folks write a book about it? All these questions will be answered and more, when The Betoota Advocate founders Clancy Overell and Errol Parker stop by The Outpost for a chat with Pip Courtney from the ABC's Landline. With millions of hits online per month, the Advocate is certainly doing something right — even if that something is turning the zeitgeist completely on its head. If you're reading this wondering who they are and what they write about — well, best get acquainted. Past headlines include "Australia Enjoys Another Peaceful Day Under Oppressive Gun Control Regime", and "21-Year-Old Disappointed To Learn He's Too Old And Out-Of-Touch To Be A SoundCloud Rapper". It's a riot. Since the website has birthed endless confused texts from parents — asking, for example, whether the Australian Citizen Test really includes a question on how to mix cordial properly — we suggest you bring them along. Tickets are on sale now for the Saturday, December 7 show — and you can opt for a ticket that includes the book as well.
Time doesn't quite fly when you're setting up Australia's newest airline, with low-cost carrier Bonza first announced in 2021 but only securing regulatory approval to hit the skies at the beginning of 2023. Still, just weeks after receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), aka the official go-ahead, Bonza has just put its first-ever fares on sale — and will take to the sky from Tuesday, January 31. Yes, your 2023 getaways just got cheaper — and you now have a new way to fly off on holidays, too. The soon-to-launch carrier's aim: opening up routes to more of the country's regional destinations, flying 27 routes to 17 locations, and offering low-cost fares in the process. In its first batch of flights, one-way fares start at $49, with tickets available to 12 destinations on 15 routes. In this initial batch of fares, most routes leave from the airline's Sunshine Coast base, with the $49 options getting passengers to Coff's Harbour, Port Macquarie and Rockhampton. Legs to the Whitsunday Coast, Mackay and Newcastle come in at $59 from the Sunny Coast, while the $69 fares include trips to Albury and Townsville. The most expensive? $79 to get to Victoria's Avalon airport, Mildura and Cairns. Departures from Cairns to Mackay cost $49, and to Rockhampton costs $59. Bonza's just-dropped first fares also include Rockhampton to Townsville for $49 and Newcastle to the Whitsunday Coast for $79. The number of flights per route varies, ranging from two to five — with the Sunshine Coast to Cairns getting the most each week. When its full range of flights hits the air, the airline will also service locations such as Bundaberg, Gladstone and Toowoomba, in Queensland — plus Tamworth in New South Wales — as part of its big focus on regional destinations. Bonza's second batch of fares is expected to drop in a few weeks, covering flights from its second base in Melbourne To book, you'll need to download the airline's app. For travellers who have already done so, the carrier advises that you will need to delete it and then reinstall the latest version to get access to reserve flights. App-only reservations are one of Bonza's points of difference, unless you're booking via a registered local travel agent. Another: a previously announced all-Australian in-flight menu, spanning both food and craft beer. Passengers will get soaring in planes given names as Aussie as the carrier's itself: Bazza, Shazza and Sheila. The trio will take passengers to places they mightn't otherwise been able to fly to, too, with Bonza noting that 93 percent of its routes aren't currently served by any other airline — and 96 percent of them don't presently have a low-cost carrier. The airline is launching with the backing of US private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has a hand in Canada's Flair Airlines and the Southeast Asian-based Value Alliance. Bonza's fares don't include baggage and seat selection, which you need to pay extra for — and it is cheapest to do so when you make your booking, rather than afterwards. Bonza is set to start flying from Tuesday, January 31 , with flights on sale now. For more information, and to buy fares, head to the airline's website, or download its app for Android and iOS.
Brisbane's Premiership win over Geelong didn't just light up the MCG — it also dominated Australian screens, drawing more than 6.1 million viewers across broadcast and streaming. According to figures released by the Seven Network, Saturday's Grand Final reached a national total TV audience of 4.08 million, up on last year's numbers, with a further 969,000 streaming the match on 7plus Sport — a 48 percent increase year-on-year. The post-match presentations pulled in 5.5 million viewers, while 3.9 million tuned in for the pre-game show. The result makes the AFL Grand Final 2025's most-watched program so far, surpassing the NRL's State of Origin decider, which reached 5.7 million Australians. Seven's Head of AFL and Sport Innovation, Gary O'Keeffe, said the numbers reinforced the sport's unrivalled pull. "We want to thank every viewer who has joined us across the season. From the opening bounce at the SCG, right through to the Grand Final post-match celebrations, Australians have embraced Seven and 7plus in record numbers," he said. Chris Jones, Seven's Director of Sport, called the audience record "a fitting end" to an incredible season. With an 81.1 percent share of commercial audiences on Saturday, plus 90.9 percent in live streaming and 86.7 percent in BVOD, the AFL Grand Final sets a high bar for Seven as it moves into a stacked summer schedule that includes the Bathurst 1000, Spring Racing Carnival, AFLW Finals and a home Ashes series. You can watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final back now via 7plus. Images: Getty Images
In the coming years, works by Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya, Brett Whiteley and Arthur Boyd will find a new home on the New South Wales south coast. The pieces will form part of an art gallery that's set to spring up on the Bundanon property at Riversdale in the Shoalhaven region, with the New South Wales government committing more than $8.5 million to revamp the site. A quarter of a century since the 1100-hectare property was gifted to the Australian public by artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne Boyd — becoming a haven for creativity, arts and education, as well as remaining a working farm — it'll welcome a new space to house the Boyds' other gift: over 3800 items, including with more than 1300 works by Arthur Boyd himself. At present, hundreds of pieces can be viewed in the existing Bundanon Homestead, as well as in Arthur Boyd's studio; however the forthcoming expansion will see the construction of a gallery and storage facility for the huge art collection, which is valued at $43 million. While the new plans centre around the gallery itself, which will built into the site's hillside and boast windows that frame the artwork with glimpses of the natural splendour outside, that's not the only addition as part of the project. A 140-metre-long by nine-metre-wide structure will branch out of the gallery, into a bridge spanning across the Bundanon bushland and parkland, and across to 34 bedrooms, a teaching and dining space, and a public cafe. Stepped terraces, an openair arrival hall and an outdoor learning space are also mooted. The NSW government's contribution has been allocated through the state's Regional Cultural Fund, with $28 million required in total to complete the project — and an opening date yet to be announced. "Arthur Boyd's extraordinary works live on as enduring inspiration for the many passionate and talented artists across regional NSW," commented NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin. "This new facility housed on this famous landscape will pave the way for the Bundanon Trust's revered $43 million collection to be housed and presented for all visitors to enjoy." Images: Kerstin Thompson Architects.
Back in 1990, a Christmas movie took an eight-year-old kid, left him stranded at home for the holidays, threw in some bumbling crooks and delivered quite the festive gift. For the almost three decades since Home Alone first graced cinema screens, it has become an end-of-year mainstay — up there with eating junk food and watching rubbish, no doubt making Kevin McAllister proud. In Liverpool come the end of this year, it's also going to provide the inspiration for the themed, pop-up watering hole that someone really had to make a reality at some point. At the Home Alone Christmas Bar, three things will be on the menu: celebrating the classic Macaulay Culkin-starring flick, getting into the festive spirit and alcohol. Prepare to say "keep the change, ya filthy animal" if you're in the vicinity of the city's Cains Brewery Village, with the space featuring all of the Christmas trimmings — trees, tunes, decorations, a sequence of decked-out lounge rooms and Sinatra's crooning — plus themed cocktails. Whether you'll be required to outwit the bartenders to get a drink, avoid various traps or make sure the clocks are set to the right time is yet to be revealed, along with the opening date; however the folks running the show are also behind the well-received Ghetto Golf bar, so expect more than just a heap of toys thrown across the entryway. Via Metro.
There hasn't been much to get excited about during the pandemic, but seeing fantastic film festivals jump online and offer their usually city-limited programs to Australians everywhere is definitely a rare silver lining in these difficult times. One such fest doing just that is the Sydney Underground Film Festival, which went completely virtual in 2020 and is repeating the feat in 2021. As Sydney's go-to event for all flicks weird, wonderful, out-there and anarchic, SUFF will keep doing what it's been doing well for 15 years now — but by beaming an impressive heap of movies into homes around the country. From Thursday, September 9–Sunday, September 26, cinephiles looking for something other than the usual streaming options can binge their way through the fest's 30 features and documentaries. If you like your strange and surreal movies in bite-sized servings, there'll also be nine short film programs featuring more than 100 titles. From the full-length selection, highlights include opening night's road trip comedy Sweetie, You Won't Believe It from Kazakhstan-based director Yernar Nurgaliyev; documentary Alien on Stage, about a group of UK bus drivers who decided to create their own amateur stage production based on Ridley Scott's famous sci-fi/horror classic; and Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, which explores X-Ray Spex frontwoman Poly Styrene's story from her daughter's viewpoint. Other standouts span Cannon Arm and the Arcade Quest, which follows an attempt to become the first in the world to play an arcade machine from the early 80s for 100 hours in a row; absurdist Japanese comedy Wonderful Paradise, as based around an eviction street party in the Tokyo suburbs; and coming-of-age comedy-thriller First Date. Or, there's Fanny: The Right To Rock, about the first all-woman band to release an album with a major record label; Ukranian effort Stranger, which sees people start to disappear from bodies of water; and Lorelai, starring familiar faces Pablo Schreiber and Jena Malone in thoughtful drama about working class life in America. SUFF will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Miss Osbourne, which stars the inimitable Udo Kier and isn't your usual take on the famous tale — because, just like attending ace film fests, celebrating big cinematic milestones is also something you can do at home.
In yet another major carbon-reduction move, London has just seen the completion of the world’s biggest solar bridge. The development follows plans to heat homes with the Underground and recycle sewer waste via a ‘fat plant’. Blackfriars Bridge has been covered with 4,400 photovoltaic panels, comprising 6,000 square metres. These will harness energy to power 50 percent of Blackfriars Station's needs, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 511 tonnes annually. That's equal to about 89,000 average trips in a car. In addition, the entire station has been revamped, acquiring four extra platforms and two new entrances, one providing access to South Bank and the other to New Bridge Street on the river's north side. The development is part of the US$10.7 billion Thameslink Programme, the goal of which is to increase the frequency and capacity of London's north-south railway line. "Our work at Blackfriars demonstrates two key benefits of solar," said Frans van den Heuvel, CEO of Solarcentury, the company that delivered the project. "First, it can be integrated into the architecture to create a stunning addition to London's skyline. Second, it can be integrated into the most complex of engineering projects; in this case being built above a construction site, over a rail track over a river. We are confident that future major infrastructure projects can and will benefit from solar.” The bridge was officially launched on January 22, 2014, with a massive hot beverage giveaway featuring Britain's biggest tea cup. Via gizmag.
It seems unsurprising that African Americans vote en masse for Obama and it has been well-established that women vote en masse for Obama. Much more surprising however is that 30 Rock and Game of Thrones fans also vote en masse for Obama. If this infographic is anything to go by it seems that our TV habits can be a useful barometer for understanding our voting patterns. Compiled by Engage, this fascinating graphic was created through an analysis of what TV shows and political pages voters 'like' on Facebook. Apparently, this data not only demonstrates the correlation between political preference and TV habits but also which TV fans are the most politically active and aware. While the overt (and dare I say tiresome) idealism of Aaron Sorkin's The Newsroom and The West Wing (often dubbed "The Left Wing") seemed likely to produce hordes of Democrat devotees, interestingly it is Star Trek fans who are next in line as the most likely to turn up to vote come the Presidential election later this month. For the Republican camp, unfortunately Romney's frequent declarations of love for Modern Family aren't likely to swing many voters as the show's pro-gay marriage stance and ethnically diverse families appear to resonate much more strongly with more left-leaning voters. If this infographic whetted your appetite for bizarre political statistics then check out the graph below to see what your internet usage says about your politics.
Following weeks of controversy around Bluesfest's decision to book Sticky Fingers for its 2023 edition, the festival has decided to remove the band from its lineup. The announcement comes after both King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and Sampa the Great withdrew from this year's event following the band's addition. Five weeks out from the festival, which is scheduled to arrive at North Byron Parklands across the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest has released reluctant a statement announcing that Sticky Fingers will not be performing — while also defending the controversial band. "Bluesfest cannot, sadly, continue to support Sticky Fingers by having them play our 2023 edition, and we apologise to those artists, sponsors and any others we involved in this matter through our mistaken belief that forgiveness and redemption are the rock on which our society is built," the statement reads. "The narrative that they continue to deserve to be cancelled, as well as anyone who publicly supports them, is difficult to accept, wherein a portion of society and media passes eternal judgment toward those, in this case, a diagnosed mentally ill person whom we feel doesn't deserve the continued public scrutiny he's being given." [caption id="attachment_876098" align="alignnone" width="1920"] King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Jason Galea[/caption] In the two weeks following Bluesfest's sixth artist announcement for 2023, which featured Sticky Fingers, the festival experienced acts dropping out. When King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard cancelled their appearance, it cited Bluesfest's decision to book content that conflicts with their values. "As a band and as human beings, we stand against misogyny, racism, transphobia and violence," King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's statement reads. "Surprised and saddened to see Bluesfest commit to presenting content that is in complete opposition to these values." The removal of Sticky Fingers is the fourth confirmed lineup change since Monday, February 20, after The Soul Rebels featuring GZA, Talib Kweli and Big Freedia were also removed from the lineup due to a separate disagreement with the festival's founder Peter Noble. Dylan Frost, Sticky Fingers' frontman, has been the subject of serious allegations which include physically threatening First Nations singer Thelma Plum and harassing a transgender woman at a Sydney pub. Frost and bassist Paddy Cornwall were also caught in an alleged brawl with each other in 2019 which saw Cornwall charged with affray. "We will now move on, put this behind us and continue to plan and present our best-ever edition of Bluesfest... proudly," continues the statement from Bluesfest, before linking to a lengthy article from The Weekend Australian about the band. The festival will continue without Sticky Fingers, The Soul Rebels, King Giz and Sampa the Great from Thursday, April 6 until Monday, April 10 with headliners including Gang of Youths, Paolo Nutini, Tash Sultana, Bonnie Raitt, The Doobie Brothers and Beck. [caption id="attachment_867504" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kurt Petersen[/caption] Bluesfest 2023 will run from Thursday, April 6–Monday, April 10 at Byron Events Farm, Tyagarah. For the most up-to-date lineup, head to the Bluesfest website. Top image: Lachlan Douglas.
Acai has to be one of the most mysterious of all the much-hyped superfood clan. What's all the fuss? Where did these things even come from? Why are all your friends ditching coffee to go out for 'a bowl'? In an effort to get answers to these Very Important Questions, we've gone to the masters. Ben Day and Sam Carson are the owners of Redlands' first ever organic superfood bar. Though each one of them cuts a pretty impressive physique, they don't have protein shakes to thank for their healthy glow. These two muscular men rely on a much more natural source — they call themselves the Acai Brothers. So, what is Acai? Acai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a Brazilian superfood originating in the Amazon rainforest; an antioxidant-packed berry which can be consumed in various forms, but which according to the current trend is most frequently turned into an aesthetically pleasing and highly refreshing dish known as a 'bowl'. In this form, the acai is blended with ice and other clean ingredients to become the base layer of the dish, and is presented in a similar way to a dessert. Just search #acaibowl on Instagram and you'll get the gist (and a fairly strong craving to boot). Who eats acai? Nutrition is often seen as a woman's game, but thankfully that's gradually changing and the Acai Brothers are actively helping to break down that stereotype for their fellow blokes; they're two macho men, passionate about putting the right things into their bodies for continued good health, and even more passionate about practicing what they preach. "How about we open male minds a little bit?" says Sam. He says guys are slowing getting weened off their protein shakes and coming around. But it's not just gym junkies who should get on board. "Right now we've got a specific target market of gym-goers, business people, naturopaths, mums and little kids, but there's a big market of people who have no idea that eating healthily can be cheap, quick and highly beneficial," says Sam. "One of our main goals is to tap into that school market and educate young people about the benefits of eating superfoods ... It’s going to take time, like any movement." It's more than a fashion trend Taking this superfood to the next level means better educating young people. Ben and Sam are trying to cut through the hype and get kids to understand the actual benefits. Their long-term aim is to prove that eating superfoods is more than a passing fashion; it's a dietary choice. "Acai is tremendously beneficial to gut health, it assists the absorption of nutrients and aids the removal of fatty acids," says Sam. This little berry is spectacularly high in antioxidants and vitamins (packed with three times that of blueberries). It improves your immune system and helps prevent common ailments like colds and flu; when taken to the extreme and coupled with supergreens, acai can be a total powerhouse. It gives you energy and improves your mental focus. That's better than some superficial Insta-post. There are a bunch of ways to eat it Brisbane is currently the only location within Australia that boasts acai specialist cafes, so residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to beautifully-presented bowls. Kiss the Berry, Coco Bliss and Raw PawPaw are among the many vendors. But according to the boys, acai is also an easy product to introduce into your diet at home. Australian company Amazonia provides three options for acai consumption: frozen puree (for use in bowls and smoothies), freeze-dried powder (a great ingredient when you're making a batch of bliss balls) and freeze-dried capsules (the pop-in-your-mouth-and-go option). One quick trip to your local health food shop, or a few clicks online, and you're set. According to Ben, if you have a blender it couldn't be easier to put together a tasty bowl yourself. "No matter what you put on top, it tastes great. A guy recently requested avocado on his bowl, which was something different! We've got thousands of recipe ideas that we'll explore over time. We try to present something that looks incredibly appealing, bright and vibrant." First-timers can expect the texture of sorbet (it should never be runny, nor too thick), purple in colour, with a slightly tart, berry flavour. Toppings can include all manner of deliciousness: fruit, muesli, buckini, coconut, cacao, yoghurt or coyo, seeds, nuts and just about anything raw or dehydrated you can get your hands on. You can even add edible essential oils if you're feeling particularly brave and creative. For Sam, the ideal bowl consists of banana, kiwifruit and strawberry. For Ben, it's all about lemon, shredded coconut, goji berries, cacao nibs and gluten-free buckini which forms a great crumb. It's perfect for summer Sam and Ben opened their new superfood bar at just the right time; summer is here and we're all in need of something refreshing. Their drive to educate people about the advantages of acai is also timely, as our city's hunger for all things healthy is at an all-time high. Thankfully this is starting to catch on with guys too. The Acai Brothers claim they've seen a noticeable shift in the balance between male and female customers. It could be that their dude-led acai love is encouraging others to try something new. When all is said and done, it doesn't seem to matter how we consume it; the point is that we should all inject some acai into our diets. So go, explore, experiment and enjoy all the amazing-ness of the Amazon's finest fruit. And, if you happen to visit the Acai Brothers in the Redlands, tuck into a Raw Lemon bowl. It'll seriously rock your world. The Acai Brothers Superfood Bar is located at 683 Old Cleveland Road East, Wellington Point. Images courtesy of Rosie Greenaway, Amazonia, Breno Peck and eliduke and readandrewrite via photopin cc.
In Australia, January means warmth, more warmth and heading to the movies to watch Oscar contenders to escape it. In Park City, Utah, it means snow, a celebration of cinema started by none other than Robert Redford, and the first big international film festival of the year. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival has just played its slate of 2017 flicks — or, as we like to look at it, the titles that will hopefully be heating up Aussie big screens in the near future. Last year, number one on our Sundance wish list was Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Thankfully, that turned out to be pretty majestical. Plenty of our other 2016 picks have shown up at local festivals around the place too, such as Werner Herzog talking about the internet in Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World; singing Polish mermaids in The Lure; and Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern and Michelle Williams at their best in Certain Women. And, speaking of Williams, her Oscar-nominated performance in Manchester by the Sea from last year's choices is about to open in Australian cinemas. Enough looking backwards, though — 2017's lineup delivers a massive new list of movies to get in front of your eyeballs. First, the good news: from Sundance's latest batch, plenty are already coming our way. To name a few, they include US Dramatic competition winner I Don't Feel At Home in This World Anymore, which will drop on Netflix worldwide in February; Berlin Syndrome, the third feature from Australian Somersault and Lore director Cate Shortland, which is already slated for an April cinema release; and all-female horror anthology XX, which Monster Fest is championing. Plus, Netflix strikes again with documentary Casting JonBenet from Aussie filmmaker Kitty Green, environmental doco and audience award favourite Chasing Coral, and anorexia drama To the Bone by former Buffy writer turned UnREAL showrunner Marti Noxon. As for the rest? Here's the ten we're crossing our fingers and toes to see in our local cinemas (and a few others as well). CALL ME BY YOUR NAME Most actors wouldn't want to walk in the footsteps of the inimitable Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes, but that's just what Armie Hammer does in the film that became the talk of the fest, Call Me By Your Name. Set in 1983, the queer coming-of-age drama is the latest effort from Italian I Am Love and A Bigger Splash director Luca Guadagnino, which virtually guarantees how good its summery images will look. Bound to be more powerful than that, though, is the underlying tale of desire, as well as the accompanying performances. Also watch out for: Mudbound, which delves into the stories of two families in America's south post-World War II with an all-star cast of Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Mary J. Blige, Garrett Hedlund, Jonathan Banks and Jason Mitchell. THE BIG SICK If you've watched Silicon Valley or Portlandia (or caught 2016 flicks Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates or Central Intelligence), you'll recognise Kumail Nanjiani — though his list of credits runs much longer than that. In fact, with his wife Emily V. Gordon, he has added feature film screenwriter to his resume with The Big Sick, and turned their own culture-clash dating story into an amusing and insightful film in the process. Michael Showalter of Wet Hot American Summer fame directs, with the pair re-teaming after Nanjiani featured in his last ace movie, My Name is Doris. Also watch out for: Aubrey Plaza in everything, always — or, specifically, in Ingrid Goes West. Here, her titular character befriends an Instagram lifestyle guru played by Elizabeth Olsen, because that's a thing. Next-generation actors O'Shea Jackson Jr. (who played his dad, Ice Cube, in Straight Outta Compton) and Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt) also star. LANDLINE There have been plenty of comedies about pregnancy, but when Obvious Child took on the topic back in 2014, it showed the world what a frank, funny, empathetic and earnest look at unexpectedly discovering you're expecting could turn out — and helped show just how great a talent Jenny Slate is in the process. Three years later, the actress reunites with writer/director Gillian Robespierre for a trip to the '90s. Yes, it's set at a time when people chatted on the phones that you couldn't take with you, and it makes for a darkly amusing effort that's certain to bring the same honesty and hilarity to exploring family troubles. Also watch out for: Jenny Slate again, this time in The Polka King opposite Jack Black. They play husband and wife, with the former scamming his way to a polka music empire. Jason Schwartzman and Australia's own Jacki Weaver are among the cast. BEACH RATS Pay attention to the name Eliza Hittman. She received the US Dramatic comp's best director prize, and if her sophomore feature is anything like her moody, evocative debut It Felt Like Love, she's a certain talent to watch. In Beach Rats, the filmmaker charts the efforts of Brooklyn teen Frankie to brighten up a thoroughly unhappy summer — and explore his own wants and needs — when he simultaneously starts hooking up with guys at a beachside cruising spot and dating a young woman. Also watch out for: After featuring in 2015 flick People Places Things, The Daily Show's Jessica Williams once again joins forces with writer/director Jim Strouse in The Incredible Jessica James, this time taking the lead as an aspiring playwright who forges a new bond to cope with a breakup. I DREAM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE Talk may be the focus of the Mexican-set I Dream in Another Language — getting the two last native speakers of a dying language to speak after a 50-year feud, to be exact — however this thoughtful love story says just as much with images as it does with words. Think deeply-felt cinematic poetry that leans towards the lyrical, patient style of filmmaker favoured by Apichatpong Weerasethakul (the director behind Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives and Cemetery of Splendour). Also watch out for: Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), an engrossing romance that introduces viewers to a world they've probably never thought of and a form of communication they likely haven't heard of — neighbouring prisons in the Dominican Republic and the form of sign language their inmates use to communicate. A GHOST STORY Don't you just love secret films? We're talking about the type that just spring up out of nowhere, made without anyone knowing. A Ghost Story fell into that camp when it first made headlines in November, and the talent involved with the movie makes it all the more exciting. After working together on 2013's Ain't Them Bodies Saints, director Dave Lowery (Pete's Dragon) re-teams with Rooney Mara and likely future best actor Oscar winner Casey Affleck (for Manchester by the Sea) to examine death and grief — and, yes, the spiritual presence you're expecting based on the title. Also watch out for: With Jon Hamm and Tim Robbins among the cast, Marjorie Prime similarly broods over mortality, focusing on the last days of an 86-year-old — spent with a computerised version of her dearly departed hubby. STEP They don't just give any old film a Special Jury Award for inspirational filmmaking, the gong Step took out in Sundance's US Documentary field. Treading the same turf that 2016 festival hit The Fits made its own with such style and skill, the doco follows three high-schoolers trying to chase their step dance team dreams. Expect more than just the usual formula as first-time director Amanda Lipitz peers inside the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, the ladies striving for a better future and the crowd-pleasing journey that results. Also watch out for: Tokyo Idols, which joins the growing ranks of factual efforts trying to understand just what makes Japanese girl bands, pop music, its stars and their fans tick. PATTI CAKE$ Does the road to rhyme-slinging rap success start in New Jersey? And is the rags-to-riches path paved with assistance from a goth-metal muso named Basterd? For the wannabe hip hop artist who calls herself both Killer P and Patti Cake$, it just might be. For Aussie actress Danielle McDonald, the energetic underdog effort that shares Patti's name could also be her stepping stone to broader acclaim — and, for music video director turned first-time feature helmer Geremy Jasper, his as well. Also watch out for: Roxanne Roxanne, a biopic about a big hip hop beef known as the Roxanne wars — aka a series of songs answering the last, with 14-year-old emcee Roxanne Shanté in the middle. Playing Shanté, newcomer Chanté Adams won a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance. AXOLOTL OVERKILL And the prize for best title goes to…actually, German drama Axolotl Overkill won a jury award for cinematography in the World Dramatic comp, but it'd have a fair shot if the other contest was a real thing. The feature debut of writer/director Helene Hegemann is based on her own semi-autobiographical novel, which she wrote when she was 17. Not only does it take the coming-of-age genre into partying and nightlife territory — which, yes, you've seen before — but the stylistic exploration of teen excess promises to traverse contemplative and surreal terrain as well. Also watch out for: A fellow contender in the great name stakes, Don't Swallow My Heart, Alligator Girl! brings professional and non-professional actors together to tell a fairytale-like story of teenage love, colonial oppression and gang struggles in three languages. 78/52 Every film festival has one: a movie that cinephiles just won't be able to contain their excitement about. 78/52 takes the honours at this year's Sundance, with its moniker referring to the number of setups and edits it took to film the most iconic shower scene in cinema history. Alfred Hitchcock and Psycho fans will be in their element as the doco breaks down this famous sequence, and explores just how it changed filmmaking as we know it. And, the likes of Guillermo del Toro, Bret Easton Ellis, Karyn Kusama Eli Roth and Peter Bogdanovich are all on hand to help. Also watch out for: The Nile Hilton Incident, a Cairo-set corrupt cop flick charting an investigation into a murdered singer — and the film that took out the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema Dramatic competition.
If you firmly believe that you can never have too much Idris Elba, then you have most of the planet for company. Right now, the Hijack-watching world and streaming service Apple TV+ are also firmly in that camp. After the British actor's high-octane thriller series hit the small screen in 2023 and swiftly hooked viewers, the platform has announced that it will return for a second season. And yes, Elba will be back — although what'll be testing his negotiation skills this time is yet to be revealed. In its first season, Hijack featured the Beast, Three Thousand Years of Longing and Luther talent as Sam Nelson, a veteran negotiator who was on his way home to the UK from Dubai when terrorists took over the flight. Accordingly, it was up to the actor that everyone would like to see as 007 tries to try to get everyone to their destination safely, all in a series that took place in real time. Nelson's onboard tasks switched from relaxing in the air to trying to talk his captors down, let authorities on the ground know what was happening and minimising casualties. If you're not only thinking about Bond but also 24, that's the right wheelhouse. And yes, non-stop tension does go down smoother when Elba is looking calm and collected under pressure, a fact that helped make the series one of Apple TV+ most-popular dramas last year. Created by Criminal's George Kay and Jim Field Smith — with Kay also behind Lupin — Hijack's first season also boasted Elba as an executive producer, a role that he'll retain again when it returns for its second season. Field Smith will again be the show's lead director as well. "I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It's top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high-octane back!" said Elba, announcing the show's renewal. Alongside the show's storyline for its second season, when Hijack will return hasn't yet been announced, and neither have any co-stars that'll feature opposite the series' The Harder They Fall, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad and Thor: Ragnarok alum leading man. Fingers crossed that whatever the scenario, and whoever else features on-screen, another quickly addictive nail-biter results, even if you'd expect that it won't focus on Idris Elba on a plane again. Check out the trailer for Hijack season one below: Hijack streams via Apple TV+ — and season two doesn't yet have a release date. Read our full review of season one.
What begins in Milan, then heads to Puglia and the Italian Alps, plus Naples, Sicily, Tuscany, Florence and Rome, too? An impressive getaway, and also the 2023 Italian Film Festival. What dives into history, includes love and treasures, and also soul-searching journeys, stunning threads, labyrinths and great art? Again, a dream holiday, and also Australia's annual celebration of Italy's best and brightest on the big screen. Running from Wednesday, September 27–Wednesday, October 25 at Palace Barracks and Palace James Street in Brisbane, 2023's IFF will open with The Last Night of Amore, which is where the fest's jaunt to Milan comes in, and one of its thrillers as well. Making its Australian premiere after a successful stint at the Italian box office, writer/director Andrea Di Stefano's (The Informer) police flick stars Pierfrancesco Favino (The Hummingbird) as it tells of an about-to-retire honest cop facing a chaotic, crime-riddled, corruption-fuelled situation. Also among the event's spotlight flicks, Kidnapped sits in the centrepiece slot, recreating the tale of the Vatican's abduction of a young Jewish boy in the 19th century, plus as the scandal that unsurprisingly followed. As part of a focus on actor, filmmaker and screenwriter Massimo Troisi, 1994's The Postman, the talent's two-time Oscar-nominated final film, will close out the fest with a 50s-set whirlwind of love and friendship. There's more where they both came from — more special-presentation and special-event movies, and more of Troisi's work. First, the features getting some extra IFF love. Starring Josh O'Connor (Mothering Sunday) and directed by Alice Rohrwacher (Futura), La Chimera heads to 80s-era Tuscany as a British archaeologist gets caught up in ring selling stolen Italian wares — while Beautiful Boy's Felix van Groeningen shares directing duties with his The Broken Circle Breakdown co-screenwriter Charlotte Vandermeersch on The Eight Mountains, which stars Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden) and Alessandro Borghi (Devils), and won 2022's Cannes Jury Prize. Also, Burning Hearts dives into crime and revenge in black and white, Carravagio's Shadow features Riccardo Scamarcio (John Wick: Chapter 2) as the eponymous painter, and documentary The Genius of Gianni Versace Alive unravels its namesake fashion designer's career. With IFF's Troisi retrospective, viewers can see three more of his films: 1981 comedy I'm Starting From Three, his debut as both a big-screen actor and director; Nothing Left to Do But Cry, where he acts opposite and travels back in time with Roberto Benigni (Pinocchio); and the cinema-adoring Splendour, also featuring the late, great Marcello Mastroianni. And, there's also Mario Martone's (Nostalgia) doco Somebody Down There Likes Me, about his exploration of Troisi's movies. Elsewhere on the bill, Nanni Moretti (Three Floors) directs himself playing a director grappling with today's streaming reality in A Brighter Tomorrow; Strangeness enlists Toni Servillo (The Hand of God) as Literature Nobel Prize-winning playwright Luigi Pirandello; The First Day of My Life also features the prolific actor, this time in the latest effort from Perfect Strangers' helmer Paolo Genovese; and both Like Sheep Among Wolves and Prophets sit among the fest's thrillers. The list goes on, including the family-friendly Supernova and The Properties of Metals, plus comedies Orlando and My Shadow Is Your Shadow. And, there's the music-focused My Soul Summer featuring Italian X Factor-winner Casadilego.
If you're an Uber One member who's headed to the Australian Open, you're in luck. Complimentary rides to the Rod Laver Arena in snazzy EVs are on the cards — and they'll even drop you home. For the duration of the tournament until Sunday, January 28, Kia is serving up a fleet of 30 brand-new EV9s and EV6s, which are available in the 'Kia Electric' option on your Uber app — assuming that they haven't all been snapped up at the time you're looking, of course. Given that Kia is the major partner of the Australian Open, these same types of EVs will be transporting the players to and from the tournament. So you'll have the chance to experience travelling to the matches like a star of the game, even if you get winded going up the stairs. [caption id="attachment_935839" align="alignnone" width="1920"] annieb via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] How do you snag one of these rides? Simple. When heading to the tennis, just pop 'Rod Laver Arena' as your destination. If you're going home, just pop in your address or anywhere else you feel like heading within a five-kilometre radius. If an EV is available between 9am–7pm, from until Sunday, January 28, you can select it and enjoy the ride on Kia's dime. Here's the fine print: it's capped at $100, and only available if you're an Uber One member and booking within a five-kilometre radius of the arena. Free trip to one of the greatest sporting events on the planet, all in the quiet comfort of a slick EV? That's not a bad start to any day at the tennis. The Australian Open is held at Melbourne Park. It runs from Sunday, January 14 to Sunday, January 28. Top image: Tourism Victoria via Flickr.
Imagine if there was a drug that could make the person you have saved as your iPhone wallpaper fall in love with you. "Gimme gimme," I hear you screaming at your screen. Well sorry, outside of Shrek 2 such thing doesn’t exist. But the latest Queensland Theatre Company’s play, The Effect, shows that maybe, just maybe, the best love drug of all doesn’t come in a little pink capsule. When Connie signs up for a clinical trial for a new, super-duper anti-depressant she meets fellow volunteer Tristan and flirtation ensues; but not in cafes, or studio apartments, or outside Pie Face on Queen Street Mall – rather, in the confines of their clinical trial room, with no contact with the outside world. In time, the chemicals running through their systems tamper with their youthful bodies, igniting canoodling, kissing and all things that make Nicholas Sparks smile. This threatens to throw the whole drug-trial off course, and that’s when the real trouble begins. The Effect is playing at Billie Brown Studio until the 5th of July. Whether you're head over heals in love, or a cynical spinster, you won't be disappointed by the twists and turns of this production. Plus, it's a little reassuring to know that the best way to someone’s heart is to get jacked up on anti-depressants, and lock yourself in a room with them – cue Tom Jones.
Four days, one coastal hotspot, and oh-so-much to see, eat, drink and do: that's your latest excuse to treat yourself to a trip to Byron Bay. Back in July, it was announced that the seaside New South Wales town was getting a brand-new festival that's all about food and culture — and now that event, Caper Byron Bay Our Food and Culture Festival, has announced its program. Firstly, yes, the fest has undergone a name change. Rather than just lapping up all that the region has to offer under its old title Revel, the new moniker now encourages attendees to go a-frolicking. But other than that one switch, the idea is still the same, spanning eating, drinking, checking out art, listening to tunes and being merry in gorgeous surroundings. Taking place between Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13, Caper boasts a hefty culinary component as curated by Chef David Moyle, who has been Chief of Food at Harvest Newrybar since 2020. Highlights include bottomless oysters and bellinis at Balcony Bar & Oyster Co, natural wine-fuelled degustations at Supernatural, distillery tours at Brookie's Gin and a sourdough workshop with Bread Social. Soon-to-open newcomer Bar Heather is doing a five-course dinner with Palisa Anderson, while 100 Mile Table at Stone & Wood is hosting a backyard barbecue — and Treehouse on Belongil is opting for a mix of beats, bubbles and brunch. A farm-to-table feast with The Farm and Three Blue Ducks and The Hut's Spanish fiesta are also on the bill, alongside pop-up yum cha — with the Brunswick Picture House being taken over by Melbourne Chinatown diner ShanDong MaMa on the Saturday and Sunday. Also making the journey, but from Brisbane: Louis Tikaram from Stanley, who'll be part of a cabaret takeover at the same space. Another standout: celebrating embrace Bundjalung Nation's Indigenous culture via a walk on Country tour led by Explore Byron Bay owner and Arakwal woman Delta Kay, then a five-course lunch curated by Karkalla chef and owner Mindy Woods. An 'anti-bad vibes circle' with OneWave Fluro Friday; free exhibitions at Yeah, Nice Gallery, art salon Gallery 7, Gallery 3 and ThomGallery; and horse-riding followed by brunch or lunch at Zephyr Shack are also on the wide-ranging agenda, with more than 30 events filling out the program If you're keen to see where the day takes you in-between the official activities, head to the Caper Village, aka a massive food, beverage, music and art precinct that's set to sprawl across the whole North Byron Hotel in the Byron Arts and Industrial Estate. It'll host live music, DJs and art installations, as well as workshops, panels and talks. Caper Byron Bay Our Food and Culture Festival runs from Thursday, November 10–Sunday, November 13 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney.
This year, Campari is transforming September into Negroni Month. While the main event takes place from Monday, September 22, to Sunday, September 28, there will be four whole weeks dedicated to the classic Italian cocktail. Made with equal parts Campari (because there's no negroni without Campari), gin, and sweet vermouth, the bitter apéritif is taking centre stage on menus across the city. Fish Lane Arts Precinct, which stretches from South Brisbane to the West End, is dedicating the entire week to creating twists on the much-loved cocktail, and hosting negroni-worshipping events. This includes the Secret Handshake Tour on Saturday, September 27, taking you on a sip and stroll throughout the cultural precinct. Tickets are $95 per person and include negroni-inspired drinks and specials to showcase the Fish Lane bartenders and restaurateurs. It's all for a good cause as this Negroni Month, Imbibe Magazine and Campari are joining forces with Slow Food to foster a more sustainable world of food and beverage. Donations raised by you simply buying drinks during Negroni Month will help to continue Slow Food's mission of defending biological and cultural diversity. Ready to add some Campari kick to your September? Here are the top Brisbane venues to sip your way through this Negroni Month. [caption id="attachment_916758" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Midtown[/caption] Midtown Midtown has quickly become a go-to spot for after-work drinks in Fish Lane Arts Precinct. Despite being known for its martinis, Midtown does a mean negroni. On Wednesday, September 24, the bar will be hosting a long Negroni Week dinner to celebrate the Italian classic. Featuring Tuscan toast, Vitello Tinatto, gnocchi gorgonzola, and even a negroni cheesecake for dessert, each dish will be served with a negroni-based beverage such as the Smoky Negroni and the Negroni Colada. Get in quick, though. This dinner has previously sold out and is booking up fast. If you can't make it to the dinner, Midtown will be keeping the cocktails on the menu for Negroni Week from Monday, September 22, to Sunday, September 28. Buy your tickets for the Negroni Week dinner, here. [caption id="attachment_867581" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Bar Brutus[/caption] Bar Brutus Given the negroni's Italian heritage, Bar Brutus is a must-try during Negroni Month. The aperitivo bar is the kind of venue where one pre-dinner apéritif can quickly turn into two, and the small plates of spuntini are perfect for picking over a bitter negroni. Bar Brutus is hosting a Negroni Pop-Up Bar on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27, so you can enjoy the classic cocktail while people watching in the heart of Town Square. Julius Pizzeria Looking for a hearty meal to pair with your negroni? Julius in South Brisbane is an Italian-style pizzeria serving delicious wood-fired pizza and a number of aperitivo, including, of course, the negroni. Throughout September, Julius will be offering a special negroni menu so you can try a twist on the ruby red cocktail for yourself. [caption id="attachment_867584" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Kiki[/caption] Kiki Located in the centre of Fish Lane Arts Precinct's Town Square, Kiki is a popular local lunch spot that's also known for its cocktails. Open for coffee and bahn mi from 7am, Kiki Kiosk transforms into a bustling cocktail bar once the afternoon strikes. During September, be sure to try a negroni from Kiki's curated Negroni Month menu. [caption id="attachment_867582" align="alignleft" width="1920"] Hello Please[/caption] Hello Please Modern Vietnamese restaurant, Hello Please, is the perfect Friday night dinner pick. With small plates of crispy tofu and prawn toast, and large share plates of pork belly in garlic soy honey, Hello Please will get your appetite (and tastebuds) going. The Asian-Australian restaurant also serves a deliciously bright negroni for your weekend pick-me-up. Keep an eye out during September for Hello Please's curated Negroni Month menu, dedicated to the art of the apéritif. Maker Maker may be a small bar, but it has big flavour ambitions. The bar focuses on unique, seasonal cocktails, making it the perfect venue to add to your Negroni Month list. With just 20 seats and walk-ins only, Maker is an intimate cocktail bar that's sure to put a creative twist on the classic drink. Head to the South Brisbane bar during Negroni Month to peruse the specially curated negroni-inspired menu. Please remember to drinkwise. Lead image: Midtown
