Icy poles and booze — they're the two staples of a long, hot Aussie summer. Back in October, we told you that the two had finally come together as one. Now, those Calippo-style Champagne icy poles we've all been hankering for since are finally on sale in Australia. The genius creation from POPS, a UK brand that has been keeping folks stylishly cool since 2014, have started popping up around Melbourne. Head to online alcohol delivery service tipple.com.au to order one of four flavours: the Champagne pop (called The Classic) contains half a glass of Champers (wahee!), while the Bellini blends hibiscus flowers, blood orange juice, peach Schnapps, and half a glass of Prosecco. Plus, there are a couple of all-ages products too, which see the alcohol swapped out for real fruit combinations (apple and elderflower, plus strawberry and mint). The timing couldn't be better, with the frozen delights arriving in our eskies just in time to be eaten in front of the fan (or, y'know, in the sun) this summer. As part of the Melbourne-first launch, they'll also be available at Arbory Bar and Eatery — and showering festival attendees with lickable icy alcohol goodness, including at The Pleasure Garden, Let Them Eat Cake and the Inverloch Sound of Summer. The POPS website also teases POPScycle bikes, so keep your eyes peeled. When POPS launched its first frozen Champagne treat, supermodels like Kate Moss and Bella Hadid were apparently quick to jump on board, if that's something to sway you. No word yet if you'll be able to buy a box for the freezer, but let's hope. For more information about POPS in Australia, visit wearepops.com. By Libby Curran and Sarah Ward. Via Food Mag.
We've all been told to enjoy the little things in life, whether it's the first coffee of the day, a gorgeous sunset gleaming over the river or just spending time with someone you love. That's great, tried-and-trusted, always relevant and reliable advice — but sometimes we all want to splash out and enjoy a bit of lavishness as well. One of the best ways to add some luxury to your day is also one of the simplest: the good ol' long lunch. What's more indulgent than ignoring work for a few hours, making time for yourself and your crew and sipping a few cocktails? Summer is the perfect time for it, too, given that the sun is beaming down, those drinks are extra refreshing and no one is in a hurry in Brisbane's sweltering heat. To help make your next midday meal particularly special, we've teamed up with the world's finest French vodka Grey Goose to pick six top spots to head to — and six beverages to enjoy while you're there.
Spring has almost sprung and we couldn't be happier as we're about to see the return of some of Australias most vibrant flower festivals. This year's events will make you feel like you're frolicking in Dutch tulip fields or wandering through the cherry blossom-filled streets of Japan (with plenty of photo opportunities along the way). If the millions of flowers on display aren't enough, there are also food and wine festivals, loads of local markets and a bunch of music events to keep you interested. So, round up your friends, grab your camera and make the trip to these best flower festivals happening across Australia in 2019.
Floral bursts of sunshine are blooming all across a farm in the Scenic Rim, and they're ready for you to wander through, take plenty of snaps and pick till your heart's content. We're talking about sunflowers, of course — the undeniably cheeriest of all flowers — which are currently on offer just under 90 minutes drive from Brisbane. Exactly what a visit to Kalbar Sunflower Farm entails is rather obvious. Prepare to get frolicking — and picking — among 80,000 flowers. You'll need to pay $2 per sunflower on top of your $12.64 entry ticket, but you can nab as many as you like. You'll also want to wear boots, and bring your own secateurs or scissors — and a bucket to take your flowers home in. You'll be on a farm, so be careful to look out for bees in the field as well. Other than that, you'll have some eye-catching Instagram photos and a bunch of golden flowers in no time. Kalbar Sunflower Farm is opening to the public across three weekends: Saturday, October 23–Sunday, October 24, Saturday, October 30–Sunday, October 31 and Saturday, November 6–Sunday, November 7. Two sessions run daily, from 8.30am–12.30pm and 12.30–4.30pm. And, if you'd like to do more than nab golden-hued flowers, look at them, walk among them and take photos of them, yoga sessions, car rides with grazing platters and picnic boxes are all on offer for an extra cost.
No one really looks forward to the middle of the week — but this week, you just might. Wandering Cooks, Calibre Craft Beer Trading Co., and a heap of their friends want you to wind down your Wednesday with great brews and food. Now that's what we call a hump day with style. If it's beer you're after, you'll find folks from Feral Brewing Co., Ekim Brewing Co., Boatrocker Brewery, Red Hill Brewery, BrewCult and Cavalier Brewing all hanging around, ready for a few beverages and yarns. And if you've worked up quite a hunger after a day at work, For The Pickles and Juan More Taco have your dinner sorted. Yep, it's a good ol' fashioned block party, which may be little more than an excuse to hang out, chat, eat and drink; however you won't hear us complaining. Entry to the event is free, which is how you make something great even better. Just remember to bring some cash for whatever you want to put in your stomach.
Fancy a French Riviera-style summer, but can't afford the trip to Europe? Pretend you're on the other side of the world while just journeying up the coast thanks to The Cabana Club, the Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort's new Sunday session. It has only been a few short months since the hotel launched The Cabanas, which offer pristine shelters and decadent menus, aiming to make visitors think they've been whisked far, far away. While they're only available to those staying at the resort, The Cabana Club is an open-for-everyone affair. Just bring your chic-dressed self, your mates and your eagerness for a fun end to the weekend. Kicking off on November 26, and running from 2pm to 6pm each week, The Cabana Club will feature DJs spinning relaxed tunes, plus a bar serving beverages to get you in a chilled-out mood. Alas, you won't get access to the pool while you're there — so factor in some beach time if you want a swim. Entry is free and bookings aren't required, but places are limited.
Last-minute shopping, over-indulging at celebratory shindigs and pretending not to be annoyed about receiving another pair of socks: they're all a part of every Christmas. For kids and adults alike, so is many a seasonal-themed film. If it has Santa or Christmas in the title, it's optimal viewing at this time of year. The folks at South Bank certainly think so, and are putting together their yearly Christmas Cinema Series to add movie merriment to the precinct's seasonal festivities. But these free films are never just for families. Any yuletide movie held under Brisbane's starry skies and by the water at South Bank's Cultural Forecourt at this summery time of the season is perfect for, well, everyone. Pack a picnic and enjoy a flick every night from Friday, December 14–Sunday, December 22. On the movie lineup: Elf, A Christmas Carol, The Holiday, Love Actually, The Grinch and more. Attending is free, with the films kicking off at 7pm. From 4pm, there'll also be live music, as well as food trucks serving up bites to eat.
If you're contemplating a trip to the Top End this year, May's the time to do it. For ten delicious days, Taste of Kakadu will take over the heritage-listed Kakadu National Park with cook-ups, safari camps, masterclasses, bush tucker tours and more. The festival is an immersive celebration of the traditional food, culture and customs of the region — and is marking the national park's 40th anniversary this year. First up, the festival will give you plenty of opportunities to up-skill. There are stacks of workshops, from cooking with celebrity chef Mark Olive, bush tucker walks with Indigenous rangers and traditional basket weaving (all free) to x-ray art painting and bush dyeing (both $5). And, you'll need to keep up your energy, so don't miss the mammoth cook-ups, including a family cooking camp ($10) with students from Jabiru Area School, a riverside stone banquet ($20–40) soundtracked by live storytellers and canapes and cocktails inspired by local ingredients on the Cooinda Airstrip, paired with stories of Aboriginal nighttime mythology ($106). You can also get on the water on an incredible Yellow Water cruise ($125), which involves snacking on canapes made with native ingredients and looking out for saltwater crocodiles. Taste of Kakadu will take place from Friday, May 10 to Sunday, May 19 in Kakadu National Park. You can check out the rest of the program over here.
Aussie summers are made for adventures — and those adventures are even better with a four-legged mate by your side. Whether they're a chill cafe companion, an excitable beach sprinter or a happy homebody, they deserve to look and feel just as good as you do when the mercury starts to climb. And that's where Petstock, the blue one, comes in. The pet megastore's new range for cats and dogs has been designed with the warmer months firmly in mind, combining comfort, practicality and style. You'll find breezy shirts in bright prints, eye-catching bandanas, jaunty bucket hats and even mini backpacks for pets who like to keep their treats or toys close at paw. Whether you're dressing them up for a visit to your favourite pet-friendly pub or heading off on their daily constitutional, these summer accessories will make an everyday outing feel more like a catwalk — or a dogwalk, as the case may be. But there's more to the range than just turning heads, with a heap of practical gear to keep pets calm and happy when the heat is on. There are cooling mats and splash-proof toys to keep them chilled when the temperature soars, scratchers and interactive toys that'll keep indoor cats entertained while you soak up the air con, and adventure-ready walking gear with sturdy clips, lightweight leads and comfy harnesses in a range of fun prints that can handle whatever the day throws at you. Put it all together and you've got everything you need to keep tails wagging and whiskers twitching all summer long — just be prepared for a few extra pats from strangers along the way. For more info on Petstock's summer range, head to the brand's website.
The newest Australian TV show to hit streamers is Stan Original Sunny Nights, and the series is equal parts bizarre and relatable. It follows siblings Vicki and Martin Marvin, played by Hollywood comedians D'Arcy Carden and Will Forte, as they attempt to start a spray-tan business in Australia. After getting into some precarious situations, the duo find themselves in hot water with members of the Sydney criminal underground, fighting to stay alive. It's an outrageous setup, and the show also includes an exploding crocodile, an ex-NRL thug for hire and evil blackmail schemes. It seems far-fetched at first glance, yet audiences continue to be drawn to the crime-comedy genre in droves. Australian shows He Had It Coming, Good Cop/Bad Cop and Population 11 were all released recently, showing the genre is holding firm. [caption id="attachment_1051421" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lisa Tomasetti[/caption] Principal Psychologist Carly Dober from Enriching Lives Psychology says that the crime setting is so far removed from our everyday lives that it piques interest. "For many of us, this is a world we will only be spectators of and there is a fascination with how the criminal underworld operates. Without ever having to step into the dangerous world of crime, we can see some fictional depictions that keep us hooked," Dober tells Concrete Playground. "Escapism isn't a bad thing, it can be helpful to be distracted sometimes from day-to-day stressors. Plus, it's culturally relevant and keeps us with things to talk about with people." In the same way, watching comedy can tickle parts of your brain that make you feel good, which is why audiences seek out lighthearted content to unwind. "Comedy and things we find to be humorous lights up the pleasure centres of the brain. Like sex, or delicious food, laughing at something we find funny makes us feel good and creates a rush of endorphins," Dober adds. "It can also be a mood lifter and provide an adaptive coping strategy to dealing with stress." [caption id="attachment_1051422" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lisa Tomasetti[/caption] Family is at the heart of Sunny Nights, with the Marvin siblings bickering throughout. Vicki has confidence in droves and tends not to consider other people's feelings, while Martin is slightly pathetic and has a tendency to let people walk all over him. Their main criminal nemesis, Mony (Rachel House), is also driven by her love for her brother Kash (Miritana Hughes). In the same way that audiences are drawn to the crime and comedy genre, there's also something satisfying about watching a dysfunctional familial relationship play out on screen. Dober says family dynamics can be a "winning recipe", because it creates a sense of relatability — even when placed into a strange setting like the criminal underground. "Everyone has a family — irrespective of whether they are in contact with them or not. There are so many stories that resonate, and given that many are off kilter, this provides relatability to viewers," Dober explains. [caption id="attachment_1047812" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Lisa Tomasetti[/caption] "Viewers do compare their own families to what they see on screen, [whether that's in] positive, negative [or] neutral ways. We might see an example of a family that we would like to one day have, or notice how often our family bickers with one another while watching an absurdist [or] dramatic on-screen family." Considering many Australians have had a busy festive season — whether that's with a dysfunctional family or not — it's nice to have the option to watch the drama on-screen instead of in our own lives. The full season of Sunny Nights is now available to stream on Stan, if you're looking for your next escape from reality. Stream the Stan Original 'Sunny Nights' now, only on Stan By Rachel Choy
Boards and decks and paints and cuts — and live tunes and arcade games too. That's what's on offer when Winn Lane's finest and their surrounding establishments come together in the place that may as well be the area's spiritual home: The Zoo. Yes, the Valley's resident writers, painters, artists, skaters, barbers, gamers, rockers and more are joining forces to turn All As One into quite the shindig on March 18, with everyone invited. It's the kind of gathering that's all about celebrating everyone as a whole, rather than spruiking individual talents, aka the type of thing that doesn't really happen all that often. As for specifics, expect a skate demo from Parliament Skate Shop, wall-to-wall live painting by The Culprit Club with help from Ironlak Art and Design Brisbane and Bench Espresso, a to-be-revealed roster of live music presented by The Zoo, haircuts by Babylon Falls Barbershop & Studio and arcade entertainment from Frankie's Arcade. Sounds busy in the best possible way, doesn't it?
The highly-anticipated line-up for the colossal Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has just emerged, and this year the Californian festival will feature one identical line-up playing twice on consecutive weekends in mid-April. On Friday April 13 & 20, indie rock duo The Black Keys will headline the shows after successfully selling out Madison Square Garden in a matter of minutes. Also performing will be staple house favourites Afrojack and Swedish House Mafia, while rap fans will be treated to a set from Kendrick Lamar, the West Coast's most prized up-and-comer. Concrete Playground was able to chat recently with Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, who will also take the stage on the first day. On Saturday April 14 & 21, rock giants Radiohead grab the coveted headline spot, while hipster favourites Bon Iver and Feist tail closely behind. Electronic fans will be pleased with the addition of production wizards Flying Lotus and SBTRKT, two acts who are pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music with great creativity. The older demographic of festivalheads can dust off their studded leather jackets for a set from seventies punk legends the Buzzcocks. The final dates on Sunday April 15 & 22 will be headlined by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, and who better to close off this Californian festival than the duo who placed the state on the hip-hop map throughout the nineties and beyond. However, the real music shockwave this week was the reformation of At The Drive-In, who's relentless post-hardcore sound still goes unmatched. Instrumental hip-hop heads will also want to see the legendary DJ Shadow and lightning hands of AraabMUZIK, the self-proclaimed "MVP of the MPC." Gotye will fly the Australian flag as the only artist making the trip from Down Under for the 2012 instalment. You can check out the complete line-up here, but you might want to read it over at least four times, because there's an avalanche of artists to get through. This is a dream festival for most music fans, and a credit to organisers for gathering such a ecclectic range of sounds. If you have some spare coin and free time on your hands, there won't be many other options better than this. Head over to California for a weekend that will go down as one of the all-time greats.
Keeping your coffee at a drinkable temperature — in between keeping your boss off your back, doing chores and checking Facebook — can be a challenge. One minute, the stuff's suitably hot, straight out of the office coffee machine or your barista's hands; the next, it's a lukewarm milky soup. You're not the the only person in the world who experiences this problem. That's why Ember, which describes itself as a "design-led temperature control brand", has come up with a mug that keeps your beverage at the optimum temperature (70 degrees celsius) from first sip to last. Simply called the Ember Ceramic Mug, the vessel achieves this morning miracle via a convection current. Within the mug are elements with the power to both heat and cool. When hot liquid rises to the top, it is cooled until it starts to fall, causing warmer liquid to then rise and be cooled in turn. Once the tech was worked out, Ember joined forces with Ammunition, a design company based in San Francisco, to make sure the result looked good. Together, they came up with a classic-looking white mug — the only visibly techy thing about it is a small LED light. A charging coaster and an app are included. The latter allows you set the temperature remotely, preset temperatures for various drinks and swap between celsius and fahrenheit. At the moment Ember isn't shipping to Australia, although we have seen a few floating around on eBay.
Who says cosplay is just for conventions? Not Brisbane Powerhouse and Supanova, that’s for sure. For everyone who has wanted to break out their favourite pop culture costume on the biggest night of the year, the city’s coolest riverside venue and the country’s number one fan event combine to throw a different kind of New Year’s Eve party. A cosplay prom is the clear centerpiece, swapping fancy frocks for fun outfits inspired by TV, film, game, anime and comics. There’s plenty more to the geek celebration, however. Expect live music, DJs, trivia, retro arcade games, and film screenings in what everyone can only hope is the first of many such end-of-year gatherings.
Fellow mama-lovers, if you've let the annual celebration of maternity known as Mother's Day (Sunday, May 8 btw) slip your mind this year, we're here to help out. There are scores of ways to acknowledge just how incredible your mother (or grandmother or aunt) is with some good old-fashioned spoiling, but if you've yet to find a gift, it's really time to get looking. Whether your mum is the type to want dinner, flowers, or to spend a week in a camper van — we've got you covered. These personal Mother's Day gifts will have your beloved mum thinking you've been planning for weeks, so now you only have to worry about what your siblings are doing. [caption id="attachment_852109" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo courtesy of Camplify.[/caption] IF SHE'S PARTIAL TO A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ADVENTURE Think your outdoorsy-type mum may be looking for an escape? Gift your mum a voucher to spend some time traveling in one of Camplify's stylish camper vans. Perfect for a sustainable adventure, help your mum go on the much-deserved road trip she's been missing over the last two years. Whether your mum is looking to spend more time with you — or to drive as far away from you as possible — Camplify's gift vouchers are a unique and thoughtful gift for the adventurous mum. If road tripping is not quite your mum's speed, you can still gift her an unforgettable experience with Red Balloon's 20% off sale on gift vouchers this Mother's Day. Whether you think she wants a massage, a cooking class, or to jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet — take advantage of this sale to give your mum a memorable experience. And, if all else fails, take your outdoorsy mum on a hike. Whether you live in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne or anywhere else, check out some of our guides for the best hikes in your city to spend some quality time with nature and your mum. [caption id="attachment_852107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo: Cocktail Porter's Bubblegum Fizz cocktail kit.[/caption] IF SHE LOVES HER FOOD (AND DRINKS) You can get definitely get more creative than a reservation at your mum's favourite restaurant (which, don't get us wrong, is still a great gift idea). Being a mum is hard work. If you think she may just want to relax at home and have a drink, check out Cocktail Porter's at-home drink-making kits. Delivered to her door, these boxes contain everything that she needs to make a variety of cocktails. Sydneysiders can even pick up their kits from Cocktail Porter's warehouse as soon as two days after ordering for the true eleventh-hour gift. If the weather is nice, take your mum on a picnic. Pick a park or beach, stop by her favourite local cafe for some sandwiches, and sit down at a picnic table for some quality time with your mum. Sydneysiders looking for a true luxurious outdoor eating experience can spoil their mum with the Catering Project's Mother's Day Picnic hamper — which includes everything you need from a picnic blanket to locally-sourced gourmet produce, mains, and sweets. [caption id="attachment_763458" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo: Clay Sydney[/caption] IF SHE'S THE CREATIVE ONE IN THE FAMILY Check out Champainting for a paint-and-sip painting class this Mother's Day weekend. With locations in Melbourne and Sydney, Champainting offers classes where you can paint with your mum on Mother's Day, or any day after. The two of you can learn to paint just about anything: from Disney characters to Monet-style water lilies to each other in a Picasso-inspired style — which is almost guaranteed to make the artistic (or hilariously not-so-artistic) mum laugh. If you and your mum live in different cities, or you're just looking to stretch a different creative muscle, check out Class Bento. With classes offered online as well as in person, you and your mum can learn her dream skill. Whether she wants to learn glass blowing, resin art or dumpling making, she will likely enjoy it even more if you do it together. You can also look around at studios in your city like Clay Sydney, which offers both in-person and at home pottery-making classes. AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS... You can't go wrong with classic. Whether you're far away from your mum this Mother's Day or just down the street, sending her flowers is a foolproof way to make your mum feel your love. Check out Fig and Bloom or Lvly for bouquets available for delivery on Mother's Day in cities across Australia, or look to a local florist in your mum's hometown. Regardless of where you get it, a bouquet on your mother's doorstep on Sunday is likely to make her day. That is, as long as you also remember to call.
History meets artistry at Megan Cope’s latest exhibition at the Spiro Grace Art Rooms. Twice Removed is the closer look at the history of Australia’s first settlers, indigenous Aboriginals and their constant battles for survival. By examining Military and Parish maps of South-East Queensland, such integral and irreplaceable records are brought to the creative spheres, to be seen in a new light by fresh eyes. These records display the way in which these Aborigines were displaced, moved around by natural forces, and, as a result, the lengths they went to to protect themselves and ensure their futures. This is not the first of Megan’s works to identify with native colonisation; her practices often investigate identity, environment and mapping techniques. Come along to see a rare collection of works and the stories they so finely illustrate. The history of our nation, particularly its original inhabitants, makes for a wondrous adventure, let alone an ideal showcase of art.
Everyone that's ever bought a piece of furniture knows the usual IKEA experience. You block out as much time as possible, wander through its cavernous halls, dream about everything you'd like to do to your house or apartment, spend too long filling a bag or trolley, then go home with plenty of new things to find places for (and a hefty wishlist for next time). But the Swedish retailer has been shaking up that routine in 2022, courtesy of a few new initiatives — including its just-announced Australian-first Sustainable Living Shops. Already this year, IKEA has started an online marketplace for ex-display, pre-loved and discontinued products in Australia, and also launched its first Australian Plan and Order Point location in Melbourne — a concept store at Highpoint Shopping Centre where you can chat to someone one-on-one about kitchen makeovers and wardrobe organisation, then order right there. The Sustainable Living Shops will take you back to the brand's usual locations, though, offering a store-within-a-store setup that's all about helping customers make eco-friendly choices. Inside, shoppers will find products to assist with reducing your climate footprint at home — so things that'll aid you in using less energy and creating less waste. LED lightbulbs that last 25,000 hours, energy-saving light control systems, rechargeable batteries, blinds that trap heat, cooling pads, mattress protectors that help control the temperature while you sleep: they're all on the shelves here. So are energy-efficient induction cooktops, home solar systems and water-saving showerheads. IKEA clearly wants to do the environment a solid, and do its part to help its customers to — and it's positioning the new sections as a cost-of-living boost, too. Plenty of the products in the Sustainable Living Shops are designed to bring about savings, like not having to buy lightbulbs as often, or batteries, or run heating and cooling systems. In total, the brand is setting up ten locations within its existing stores, with IKEA's Rhodes, Marsden Park, Canberra, Springvale and Perth sites already home to their own Sustainable Living Shops. Next comes Adelaide by December 4, then Tempe by December 18 and Logan by December 25. Then, Richmond will join the list sometime in January 2023, followed by North Lakes in April 2023. IKEA's Sustainable Living Shops have started to open around Australia, including at the chain's Rhodes, Marsden Park, Canberra, Springvale and Perth stores already, with further sites to come by April 2023. Keep an eye on the IKEA website for further details.
If you’ve been feeling like a helpless bystander in the global food crisis, you can now take action — simply by, well, doing a wee. Problem is, it’ll only count if you do it in Amsterdam — and in public. A Netherlands’ utilities company by the name of Waternet has set up a bunch of pee-collecting urinals in the Dutch capital. Their plan is to send the fluid to a recovery plant, where the all-important phosphorus will be filtered out and transformed into struvite fertiliser. From there, it’ll be transported to farms and flower gardens. Fertiliser without phosphorous is kind of like coffee without caffeine — lacking the crucial kick. Even though phosphorus is, in and of itself, a renewable resource, modern agricultural access to it depends largely on phosphate rock reserves. Given that they’ve taken millions of years to form, they’re very much finite. But the good news is that, according to several studies, one individual’s urine delivers sufficient nutrients to grow food for themselves, as well as meet 50-100 percent of the dietary needs of another person. In that sense, Waternet is merely tapping into the biological processes that have kept us alive for thousands of years. And we thought our pop-up pissoirs were the hottest tourist attraction since the Opera House. Via Springwise.
Never picked up a snowboard or snapped on a pair of skis? No problem. Not only are there ample opportunities to upskill on the slopes — there's so much more to Thredbo than snow sports. Welcome to the après-ski lifestyle: fine wine, fondue, fireplaces and some next-level snowfields fashion. This winter is your chance to go all out with luxurious champagne lunches, outdoor dance parties, live music, mountaintop feasts and fireworks lighting up the night sky. Whether you want to jump into the jam-packed events calendar or wind down by the fire at a cosy bar with a schnapps in hand, you're about to discover why Thredbo is an award-winning winter experience. THE FASHION Forget being swaddled in shapeless, dull puffer jackets and uninspiring colour palettes. Thredbo is all about the 80s snowfield chic. We're talking stylish fluoro detail, faux fur, and a killer headband and flashy goggle combo that'll have you looking sharp on the mountain and at the bar. Need some inspo? When it comes to vintage winter gear, it's go hard or go home. So crack out the snowflake sweaters and furry headbands and get ready to put your best boot forward. THE PARTIES Congratulations, you now have a wardrobe fit for the First Base First Base's A Vintage Après Ski Soirée — the wildest party you'll find in Thredbo this winter. If you think a night of dancing, DJs and Canadian Club will help to cut through winter's bite, make First Base your number one party priority. July 23 will see Stace Cadet take pride of place; August 20 brings the ever-fabulous Poof Doof to the chilly locale; and attendees on September 3 are in for a surprise headliner. Heineken is joining forces with Thredbo to transform Alpine Bar into the outdoor live music space of dreams with Heineken Saturday. Set Mo will be bringing their groove-heavy dance tracks on June 11; while the August 6 session will be a tribute to the electronic mastery of Daft Punk courtesy of Discovery, the duo dedicated to the One More Time virtuosos. And, if that mega offering still has you wanting more, White Claw Weekend is bringing KLP to increase the heat in the snow town. Seltzers and a DJ set from an industry heavyweight after a morning on our glorious slopes? The makings of an epic Saturday. If you only hit up parties for the food (we get it), take the Alpine Gondola up to Merritts Mountain House for its Bavarian-inspired winter feast. The Kareela Hutte Supper Club is a genteel affair where you can watch the Saturday night fireworks with a champagne and canapé in hand. Or, if you're after something a bit more low-key, see what's on at some of the smaller local venues, such as the regular trivia night at T-Bar. THE MUSIC Can't make it to one of the parties? Don't worry, you won't miss out on Thredbo's music scene. Venues around the village have loads of live gigs throughout the busy winter months. Swing by Merritts Mountain House for regular DJ sets or head over to the Schuss Bar to catch live bands performing. The Lounge Bar at First Base is the perfect spot to kick back with a drink by the fire and take in a solo set. Make sure you keep an ear out for more local gig announcements closer to the snow season — chances are there'll be something that grabs you. THE FOOD You might not think of Thredbo as a foodie destination, but that's about to change. Apart from its top-notch restaurants and delightful ski-side kiosks, Thredbo is laying on a spread of delicious events this winter. First up, the GH Mumm Long Lunch will return with luxurious alpine fare and the finest bubbles. On Wednesday evenings from July 13–September 7, you can ride on the Snowcat to Kareela Hutte for a night of premium wining and dining overlooking the picturesque snowy village. Craving a foodie experience, but can't wait to hit the slopes? Head up the mountain for a Sunrise Session. Nothing will beat a delicious breakfast and mimosa on the mountain before jumping on your skis or snowboard in the first rays of light. THE DRINKS Whether you're chasing a fine wine by the fire or hankering for mountaintop steins of beer, Thredbo has an ideal venue for your preferred tipple. Eagles Nest — the highest restaurant and bar in Australia — offers beer, wine and cocktails with an unparalleled view. Love a bev but can't loathe getting in and out of your gear? Head to ski-in, ski-out venue Kareela Hutte for your vino break. Down in Thredbo village, the Après Bar at The Denman boasts a brilliant range of spirits and liqueurs and a team of cocktail experts ready to shake up your perfect winter drink. For an enviable wine list, hit up Cascades Restaurant, Sante or grab a bottle at Thredbo Cellars. Or, take a trip out of town to the Wildbrumby distillery for locally produced schnapps, vodka and gin at the cellar door. THE VILLAGE Whether you stay in a cabin, chalet, apartment or the Alpine Hotel itself for your winter wonderland, you'll soon discover that Thredbo is more than a resort — it's got that community vibe. Be sure to visit the village bakery, the aptly named Local Pub to tie one on, and then go full alpine indulgence with fondue at Candlelight Restaurant and a rejuvenating session at Tineke Edwards Massage Therapy after a big day on the slopes (or in the lounge bar). For a touch of arts and culture, you can check out JK Gallery and Mountain Shop for original artworks, sculptures and homewares. THE STORIES Whatever winter adventure you choose, you'll have plenty of stories to tell. Whether you travel with the whole crew, the family, or make new friends along the way, you can sit back at the end of the day and regale them with tales of your successes and slip ups on the slopes. Did you catch the fireworks? The ice sculptures? Which roaring alpine fireplace is, in fact, the most cosy? Soon, you'll have all the intel on secret spots to share with your crew that are sure to keep you heading back, year after year. Keen to check out Thredbo's après ski scene for yourself? For more information and to plan your snow trip, visit the website.
After revealing the first four titles from this year's program back in mid-September, the Brisbane International Film Festival has just unveiled its entire 103-film 2021 lineup. Brissie cinephiles, get ready to spend 11 days in the city's cinemas watching everything from Edgar Wright's latest, an Oscar Isaac-starring gambling drama and this year's Berlinale Golden Bear winner, through to flicks based on Twitter threads, new works from acclaimed directors and Nicolas Cage's latest OTT effort (yes, another one). Those aforementioned highlights include Last Night in Soho, which sees Shaun of the Dead filmmaker Wright embrace psychological thrills; The Card Counter, starring not only Isaac but Tiffany Haddish (Girls Trip); and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, owner of the best movie title you're likely to see anytime soon. And, it also covers Zola, the wild drama based on that viral 148-tweet thread; Vortex, the latest film from Love's Gaspar Noe; Memoria, which sees Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Cemetery of Splendour) team up with Tilda Swinton for his English-language debut (and for BIFF's closing night slot) — and Prisoners of the Ghostland, where Cage joins forces with inimitable Japanese director Sion Sono (Why Don't You Play in Hell?, Tokyo Tribe). In total 81 features and 22 shorts are on the revamped BIFF's bill, screening at New Farm Cinemas, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Reading Newmarket, Dendy Coorparoo, Palace James Street and GOMA's Australian Cinémathèque between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. Still sticking with numbers, that includes four world premieres and 26 Australian premieres among the feature lineup — and, across both full-length and short films, 150 sessions in total. Other must-sees: the already-announced The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, with the Leah Purcell-starring and -directed film kicking off this year's festival; Petite Maman, the eagerly anticipated new film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma; and The Worst Person in the World, the Norwegian comedy-drama that picked the Best Actress prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. From the just-revealed newcomers to the lineup, Australian documentary River, Hugo Weaving and Tilda Cobham-Hervey-starring Aussie thriller Lone Wolf, and eagerly awaited drama Bergman Island from Mia Hansen-Løve (Things to Come) all sit alongside Andrea Arnold's (American Honey) documentary Cow, Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's Japanese duo of Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy, and sublime German fantasy-drama Undine. Plus, Viggo Mortensen jumps both behind and in front of the lens with Falling, Alicia Vikander leads immigration drama Blue Bayou, Wyrmwood: Apocalypse serves up an Aussie horror sequel and the original version of The Witches is getting a retro screening. And, if you didn't see them during the Melbourne International Film Festival's online-only 2021 event, Sisters with Transistors, The Girl and the Spider and Witches of the Orient are also in BIFF's program. So is stellar Aussie doco Strong Female Lead, if you haven't watched it online. BIFF 2021 marks the fest's latest iteration, after the festival has gone through more than a few changes over the years. The event was unceremoniously cancelled after its 2013 fest in favour of the short-lived Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, then revived by Palace Cinemas in 2017, and then run by the Gallery of Modern Art from 2018–20. Now, it sits under Film Fantastic, who also organise the Gold Coast Film Festival, with the organisation winning a three-year tender for the 2021–23 festivals. The 2021 Brisbane International Film Festival runs between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. For further information, or to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
The 2020s are an age of many things, but an underrated symbol of this decade is the age of convenience. Not only can our phones keep us entertained but they can also keep our pantries stocked and bellies full. Apps like DoorDash put even more convenience in our hands — and not just by being able to order from the local Dominos without having to interact with another human being. Depending on your nearby providers, you can order almost any essential item straight to your door, so below we've highlighted some of the lesser-known items you might one day need delivered. With bonuses for new users, plus a daily specials series (running until Saturday, March 23) for beloved vendors — think $5 burritos and buy-one-get-one subs. There's no reason not to give DoorDash a whirl. [caption id="attachment_943284" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Sarinya Pinngam via iStock[/caption] Fresh fruit and veggies We all dread forgetting the groceries, leaving it to the last minute when it's easier to hang on the couch binging a sitcom. Gone are the days of being forced to wear outside clothes and head to the shops. Nowadays, if you live within range of a participating grocer, you can simply press a few buttons, and a dasher will drop everything you need for a fruit bowl or salad right outside. Best for: fixing a healthy feed at the last minute. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943285" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dennis Van Hoef via iStock[/caption] Meat and poultry Picture this: Friday night, you've had a long day at work rushing to hit a few end-of-week deadlines, friends are coming over for dinner, and you've got a barbecue for the ages planned. The grill's preheated and it's time to grab a steak and some chicken drumsticks out of the fridge — but they're two days past their best and smell like a bin. Fret not. The supermarket rule applies here too. Pick a replacement cut from a grocer; if it's available, a dasher can drop it at your door. Best for: replacing off meat when you've got a horde of carnivores coming over. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943280" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Jacob Lund via iStock[/caption] Beer, wine and spirits If there's a house party, dinner party or grownup birthday party coming up and your bar cart's looking a little empty, sure enough, DoorDash can come to the rescue if you have participating merchants nearby. With deliveries available from BWS, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, Porter's Liquor and a range of independent bottle shops, you needn't worry about running out for drinks. From a ritzy champagne to a cold four-pack of premixed cocktails, the dashers will get your drinks to your door. Note: you will need to show ID upon receipt of the liquid goods. Best for: a last-minute addition for a party when you realise you've inadvertently emptied the home bar. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943286" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Vladans via iStock[/caption] Over-the-counter medicine If you're sick as a dog, feeling wiped out and legitimately cannot (and should not) leave the house, you can wait for your roommate or S/O to get a minute to get something for you and suffer a while longer, or open DoorDash. You'll find actual pharmacies here, and while they can't fill a prescription, they can send your choice of over-the-counter meds on their way to help beat any bug. Best for: when you're fighting a bug with no strength to leave home. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943281" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Dmytro Skrypnykov via iStock[/caption] Batteries and chargers You may take your phone with you everywhere you go, but do you bring a charger? You don't want to be caught amiss if your battery runs flat. Similarly, finding out you're out of actual batteries tends to happen when you need one most. Don't panic because if you've still got even 1% left on your charge, open up DoorDash and summon a fresh pack of power on its way to you ASAP, whether it's a wall plug or a AAA, you'll find one here. Best for: replacing the charger you forgot to pack. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943287" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Hung Chung Chih via iStock[/caption] Toiletries and hygiene products Running out of essential bathroom or hygiene items can be a disaster, especially in critical moments. Say you're in need of a fresh can of deodorant for a date; you're glued to the loo but didn't realise you were down to the scraps of your TP supply. Nightmare. With the participating grocers on DoorDash, everything from Lynx Africa bodywash to menstruation products are just a press of a button away. Best for: an emergency refill of the bathroom cabinet. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943283" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Frantic00 via iStock[/caption] Fresh flowers Nothing can heal the wounds of a bad day like a bit of romance at home. Say you want to surprise a special someone or simply pep up your home decor if it feels a bit short on colour and life, flowers can help you out. If there's a participating florist within range, a dasher can collect a fine bouquet and ferry it to your door in a flash. Particularly useful if you've forgotten a key birthday or anniversary and need an emergency surprise. Best for: a romantic surprise that won't require a drive. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943294" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Drazenzigic via iStock[/caption] Desserts and confectionary Anyone can tell you that a little sweet treat to break up the working day is essential. Feeling overwhelmed from a big day of studying? Little treat. Back-to-back deadlines at work? A little treat will help. If you're within range of a bakery, convenience store, or anywhere with a dessert menu, the power of a little treat is within your grasp on DoorDash. Best for: curing a mid-afternoon slump. DoorDash it now [caption id="attachment_943282" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Liudmila Chernetska via iStock[/caption] Hot (or iced) coffee and tea A tea or coffee can really work wonders to fix a bad day or poor mood. It's science! If you fancy a cuppa tea order some of your favourite blends from a nearby grocer, or get a fresh round of espresso coffee delivered from a nearby cafe with DoorDash. Best for: an emergency pick me up at work or home when you're too busy to self-brew. DoorDash it now Delivery gifting It's easy to order anything for yourself, follow your wants and needs, and order from local businesses accordingly. However, you might not have considered the possibility of ordering something for someone else. DoorDash offers a gifting service on the app. You just put in the recipient's address and tick the gifting option at the bottom, fill in an order, and then add a personalised message. Add the recipient's phone number to the order and send them the gift link to tell them it's coming. Easy. Best for: an easy gift for a special someone. DoorDash it now Download the DoorDash app for free on the Apple Store or Google Play to find out what's nearby. For more information, visit the website.
Beer and yoga. An unlikely combination, but one that's gone gangbusters across the world. And after a few trials of the concept — including a class at Sydney's Wayward Brewing — Australia looks set to see the trend come out in full force with the launch of BierYoga. Having held weekly sessions across Berlin over the past 12 months, BierYoga has launched an Australian tour, announcing a string of dates for their beer-focused yoga classes in Melbourne and Sydney. Each hour-long session will see punters getting bendy while knocking back brews, with beer-drinking incorporated into each classic yoga pose. Think sun salutations and reverse warriors, interspersed with sips of your favourite ale. BierYoga's team of qualified yoga instructors (and, we're sure, seasoned beer drinkers) will get you loose, limber, and having fun — whether you're a total yoga novice, or a well-practiced pro. Each session's priced at a budget-friendly $10 — just bring a towel or yoga mat and you're good to go. You'll need to buy a beer at the bar separately. Classes are happening throughout January and February at the locations below. And while it's just in Melbourne and Sydney for now, we're betting this bizarre beery combo will catch on in other cities real soon. SYDNEY January 20, 6.30pm — The Sheaf, Double Bay January 22, 2pm — The Sheaf, Double Bay MELBOURNE January 26, 12pm (Australia Day Special) — Speakeasy Kitchen Bar, South Yarra February 8, 6pm — The Village, St Kilda Road February 15, 6pm — The Village, St Kilda Road February 22, 6pm — The Village, St Kilda Road
The year was 1992. Aladdin, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Batman Returns, Lethal Weapon 3 and A Few Good Men ruled the international box office. Slipping into a habit and sliding in next on the list, becoming the sixth-biggest hit of the year: Sister Act. The film about singing nuns spawned a sequel, with word of a third movie floating around for years since — and, as everything from Mean Girls and Muriel's Wedding to Groundhog Day and Beetlejuice has also done, it inspired a stage musical as well. The theatre take on the Whoopi Goldberg (The Color Purple)-led film franchise debuted in California in 2006, then hit West End in 2009 and Broadway in 2011. Now, it's finally Australia's turn — including in Brisbane. Sister Act will make its Aussie premiere at Sydney's Capitol Theatre to see out winter, then make a date with the Regent Theatre in Melbourne from November, and has then locked in a stint at QPAC in the River City after that from February 2025. [caption id="attachment_939236" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sister Act UK & Ireland Touring Production 2023-24, Mark Senior.[/caption] The first movie was filled with songs like 'Rescue Me', 'My Guy' and 'I Will Follow Him', ensuring that its soundtrack was a smash, too, so the film was always primed to tread the boards. The Sister Act musical features original tunes, with Alan Menken (The Little Mermaid) doing the honours. Among the show's rewards so far: five Tony Award nominations and six Olivier Award nominations. "It is a joyous thing to produce a musical that has never been seen in Australia before and I feel very blessed to be bringing Sister Act to our shores," said producer John Frost when he initially announced the Sydney and Melbourne seasons. "It's a brilliant, must-see show that will lift audiences up and I know Australians will get into the habit of seeing again and again." [caption id="attachment_956082" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benny Capp[/caption] Story-wise, the production follows Deloris, who witnesses a murder and has to go into protective custody. Her hideout: a convent. It's there that the nightclub singer finds a struggling choir, which she begins to help. For the Australian run, Casey Donovan (& Juliet) is leading the cast, while Genevieve Lemon (Billy Elliot) co-stars as Mother Superior. The Brisbane season doesn't yet have exact dates, but you can sign up for the ticket waitlist online. Sister Act Australian Tour 2024: From Tuesday, August 3, 2024 — Capitol Theatre, Sydney From Sunday, November 3, 2024 — Regent Theatre, Melbourne From February 2025 — QPAC, Brisbane Sister Act will hit the stage in Brisbane from February 2025. For further information and tickets, head to the show's website. Top image: Sister Act UK & Ireland Touring Production 2023-24, Mark Senior.
From themed Friday drinks to dedicated rooftop parties to a host of top eateries, Brisbane's love affair with all things Japanese is still going strong — and, thanks to the latest event to join the fun, shows no signs of slowing down. For one night only, King Street's Sushi & Nori will make you think you're on the streets of Tokyo. Or, make your tastebuds think that, at least. Food, food and more food is the main attraction from 6pm on March 22, so get excited if Japanese street cuisine gets your stomach rumbling. Grilled salmon nigiri, piles of gyoza, modern kaiseki, and oh-so-much sushi and Japanese salad will be on offer for three hours, with the fun not only taking over the eatery itself, but spilling outside as well. Sushi & Nori's Matsuri Markets will also feature traditional Japanese attire, decorations and more, treating all of your senses to the next best thing to a holiday. A word of warning: if you have trouble resisting the urge to book cheap flights as it is, this isn't going to help.
Never forget that the first American version of Godzilla thwarted the titular behemoth by using "an internet". That's the ridiculously awful 1998 film's legacy (well, that and fruitlessly trying to follow in Jurassic Park's footsteps more than its own Japanese predecessors). Deploying the same logic, Reddit should probably be the saviour in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It isn't, but that might've proven more interesting. Continuing the new US-made series that began with 2014's Godzilla and will link up with Kong: Skull Island once next year's Godzilla vs Kong comes around, this 'MonsterVerse' sequel actually does take a few cues from its late-90s American counterpart — more than any movie should, and not to its benefit. Some come through in the story, including a routine finale in a sporting arena. Others are evident at the human level, corralling yet another array of dull, feuding characters scrambling all over the place. But the main similarity is something that all US Godzilla reboots have struggled with: not knowing what to do with its hulking star. It's unsurprisingly strange to watch people quaking in the famous kaiju's shadow, whether in awe, fear or both, while the film they're in focuses on their reactions instead of the towering figure. King of the Monsters ups the creature factor considerably, giving Godzilla friends (Mothra), frenemies (Rodan) and foes (King Ghidorah) amongst a 17-strong cohort of havoc-wreaking 'titans'. At a narrative level, it doesn't just lean into the idea that more of these giant, city-levelling critters exist — it makes that very notion its premise. Alas, the film prefers to explain that supersized lizards, insects, pterodactyls, mammoths and three-headed dragons are frightening via clunky dialogue and pained faces, rather than offer much monster-on-monster action. Taking over from Godzilla's Gareth Edwards, writer-director Michael Dougherty has a background in horror thanks to Trick 'r' Treat and Krampus, but misappropriates one of that genre's key elements. Watching scared folks react to mysterious bumps and jumps in the night works a treat, all thanks to the powers of suggestion and imagination, however the same isn't true when your whole movie screams "Aaaaaaah! Fucking huge monsters! And so many of them!" Five years after Godzilla emerged from the earth's depths to battle a massive unidentified terrestrial organism, humans are basically yelling the aforementioned line. The government wants to know how many titans exist so that it can exterminate them. Shadowy outfit Monarch, led by scientists Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins), plead that people and Godzilla can live together, and that maybe good ol' Zilly could even save us all. Also working for Monarch in a Chinese facility, paleobiologist Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) appears to feel the same way, creating a bioacoustics system that can communicate with the creatures. When she's kidnapped, along with her technological breakthrough and her teenage daughter Madison (Millie Bobby Brown), another group enters the fray. Overseen by British soldier turned eco-terrorist Alan Jonah (Charles Dance, because every movie has to feature someone from Game of Thrones), their aim is to let all of the titans loose, watch as they do their worst and hope that the ravaged planet is reborn in the aftermath. Thanos would be proud. Also popping up is Emma's kaiju-hating ex-husband Mark (Kyle Chandler), who once worked at Monarch, has a bone to pick with Godzilla and loves yelling about it while trying to rescue his daughter. And so everyone fights over what to do, with the shouting getting louder as Jonah keeps awakening more and more titans. Human noise isn't what anyone wants from King of the Monsters, though. And if someone does want to watch people squabble in the face of literally existence-shattering critters, the last live-action Japanese Godzilla, 2016's Shin Godzilla, delivered just that in a smart, thoughtful and engaging way. Here, the paper-thin, consistently cliched story doesn't justify so much chatter. Indeed, it feels as if it's been written to slot in beside the big beasty battles, then hurriedly padded out and over-extended when those massive monster melees didn't turn out as planned. Godzilla and Ghidorah do go head-to-head, more than once. Mothra and Rodan get to flap their wings, and brief clips of other creatures are glimpsed as well. King of the Monsters doesn't completely shy away from its prehistoric giants, but they're never the main attraction — or even much of an attraction at all. There's welcome reverence and respect directed Godzilla's way, however the movie barely acknowledges the character's metaphorical significance, preferring to show its love via a few impressive wide shots instead. And while simply pairing it with its fellow iconic figures in the same picture is inherently exciting, King of the Monsters essentially rests there. When it comes to the film's frays, they arrive packaged in dim, dark, Game of Thrones-esque lighting, blighted by ugly special effects and hardly serving up a spectacle. In fact, the battles feel rushed, busy, and never as fun and lively as you'd expect given the whole titan-versus-titan situation. Hollywood is never going to admit that it just doesn't quite get Godzilla, but perhaps it should. Or, maybe it should stop trying to style American Godzilla flicks after whatever else happens to be popular recently — Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is a clear influence on King of the Monsters, as is the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it isn't a coincidence that the film taps Stranger Things' Brown for her big-screen debut. 65 years after the enormous lizard-style gargantuan made its initial appearance in the first Japanese Godzilla, it deserves better than by-the-numbers franchise-extending entries. The kaiju genre deserves better too, but at least it has Guillermo del Toro's great Pacific Rim. The fact that King of the Monsters delivers its most thrilling aspect in its credits — the sounds of the original, exceptional, still rousing Godzilla theme, not the obligatory post-reel stinger — screams louder than the movie's humans, and than Godzilla's own roars as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW3xYYJ6NoE
Ever fancied tucking into a po'boy and a pizza at the same restaurant? It's the stuff random food cravings are made of, and it's now a reality. Just follow your tastebuds to Creole Soul Kitchen, Brisbane's first Creole-Italian establishment. Based on a similar place run by owners Marc Lewis and Leena Monson in Vail, Colorado, Creole Soul Kitchen brings a spicy blend of Louisiana and Italian-style delights to Boundary Street in Spring Hill. Think sub-like sandwiches with fried oyster, soft shell crab or roast beef, and doughy bases topped with everything from meatballs to crocodile sausages. Waffle fries, gumbo and salad also feature on the menu, and in the coming weeks, you'll be able to build your own pasta dish — you can pick your choice of sauce, filling and pasta — too. Whichever kind of meal you're after, you'd best schedule your feasting for weekday lunch, because that's when you'll find the eatery's doors open at present. Dinnertime munching is on its way though, as is a selection of wines and beers on tap to complement its current bottled booze offerings.
For 38 years, the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) has been recognising — and celebrating — First Nations artists. It's the longest-running and most prestigious awards of its kind in the country, highlighting the enormous and diverse talent of Indigenous artists from across the nation. In short, it's a big deal — and now, for non-Darwin dwellers, it's become even easier to catch the exhibition, thanks to Telstra NATSIAA's interactive virtual gallery. On Friday, August 6, seven First Nations artists were announced as the winners for 2021. The awards ceremony was an online-only affair presented by journalist and proud Warlpiri woman Rachael Hocking. She announced the winners across seven categories, with each awarded artist sharing stories of culture, creation, connection, healing and Country through their art. Telstra has proudly sponsored NATSIAA for 30 years, making it one of the most enduring arts partnerships in the country. To celebrate this year's NATSIAA-winning artists — and Telstra's partnership — we're taking a deep dive into the seven artists' practices. Check out their stories — and their winning artworks — below. Then, see all 65 finalists' works via the virtual exhibition, and vote for your favourite online in the Telstra People's Choice Award. [caption id="attachment_821374" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Timo Hogan, 'Lake Baker' (2020). Courtesy of the artist and Spinifex Arts Project Aboriginal Corporation.[/caption] TIMO HOGAN, Lake Baker (2020) Winner of the Telstra Art Award 2021 — prize $50,000 Pitjantjatjara man Timo Hogan took home the top gong: the major Telstra NATSIAA prize. Represented by not-for-profit, Aboriginal-owned art collective Spinifex Arts Project, Hogan paints his Country and its stories. His painting, titled Lake Baker (2020), depicts the site of Pukunkura (AKA Lake Baker), a salt lake located between traditional Spinifex Lands and Warburton in Western Australia. The artwork tells of the Tjukurpa — the dreaming, law and stories of Aṉangu culture, when Aṉangu ancestors took the form of people, animals and plants who, as they traversed the land, formed the landscapes. For the Pitjantjatjara people, the land is an inseparable part of their identity. Today, Lake Baker remains an important, strictly men's site. In the work, this is shown through the Wati Kutjara Tjukurpa (Two Men Creation Line) as the two watch carefully as Wanampi (Water Serpent) departs his home and wraps his way around the lake's edge. Having grown up with stories of life in the Spinifex Lands and, later, visiting the lake with his father, Neville Niypula McArthur, Hogan paints it — and the cultural significance it holds — with authority. The site of Pukunkura now holds a strong paternal connection for the artist. Hogan says: "My father took me to Lake Baker, all around, rockhole and all. I know all these places...Millmillpa (dangerously sacred)."* Unlike the usually colourful works produced by Spinifex Arts Project artists, Lake Baker echoes those of lauded First Nations artist and Kukatja/Wangkajunga man Rover Thomas. It is a restrained, powerful — and deeply personal — work. *'Spinifex People Spinifex Lands', p.123, exhibition catalogue, ReDot Fine Art Gallery in collaboration with Spinifex Arts Project, July 28, 2018. [caption id="attachment_821380" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Bugai Whyoulter, 'Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25)' (2021). Courtesy of the artist and Martumili Artists.[/caption] BUGAI WHYOULTER, Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) (2021) Winner of the Telstra General Painting Award — prize $5000 Kartujarra woman Buguai Whyoulter is from one of the last generations of Martu people to leave the desert. She grew up living a nomadic lifestyle — travelling from the Karlamilyi (Rudall River) region and along the midsection of the Canning Stock Route — through which she developed a deep knowledge of Martu Country. She eventually relocated to Kunawarritji Aboriginal community, located in the Pilbara region on the Canning Stock Route, where she resides today. It was here that she was first taught to paint in 2007. Whyoulter credits senior artists N Wompi and N Nungabar as central to her artistic development. She has since become an important artist in her own right and is considered one of the most established Martumili Artists. She's also no stranger to the Telstra NATSIAA, either, having had works selected as a finalist in the 2019, 2018 and 2013 awards. The site of Wantili, a large round jurnu (soak) and linyji (claypan) near Well 25 on the Canning Stock Route, is a focus in much of Whyoulter's work. It is a significant site to the artist as it is close to her birthplace and she is a senior Custodian of the lands that surround it. Her work in this year's Telstra NATSIAA is titled Wantili (Warntili, Canning Stock Route Well 25) (2021), for which she was awarded the Telstra General Painting Award. The work has Whyoulter's signature delicate brushwork and is demonstrative of her intrinsic knowledge of and connection to her land. [caption id="attachment_821384" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dhambit Munuŋgurr, 'Bees at Gäṉgän' (2021). Courtesy of the artist and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.[/caption] DHAMBIT MUNUŊGURR, Bees at Gäṉgän (2021) Winner of the Telstra Bark Painting Award — prize $5000 For a Yolŋu artist, Dhambit Munuŋgurr is unconventional. Blue pervades her recent works, a hue you won't often find in traditional Yolŋu art. This is because it's customary for Yolŋu artists to use natural materials, including ochre pigments, to paint Country and the stories it holds. So, while she uses the traditional material of stringy bark (with its fibrous texture showing through the paint), her art is unique by virtue of using acrylic paint. In 2005, Munuŋgurr was granted special permission to use acrylic after an accident left her in a wheelchair and she found it difficult to manoeuvre ochre. She was the first artist to use blue at Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka, the long-established art centre in the northeast Arnhem Land community of Yirrkala. According to the National Gallery of Victoria, when asked why she loves blue, the artist replied: "because the earth is blue, the sky is blue and the sea is blue". The Yolŋu art custom Munuŋgurr does still follow is using art to reflect an artist's clan and Country. Her striking work Bees at Gäṉgän (2021) won this year's Telstra Bark Painting Award and is teeming with ancestral references. It depicts the sacred bees at Gäṉgän nesting in ironwood trees, watched over by black cockatoos and olive pythons. It is a visual representation of a conversation she had with her grandfather when she was a child. [caption id="attachment_821379" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ms M Wirrpanda, 'Untitled' (2021). Courtesy of the artist's family and Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka Centre.[/caption] MS M WIRRPANDA, Untitled (2021) Winner of the Telstra Works on Paper Award — prize $5000 Ms M Wirrpanda was also a Yolŋu artist at Buku-Larrŋgay Mulka, and a respected leader of the Dhuḏi-Djapu clan of Dhuruputjpi in Arnhem Land. Her earlier career was spent painting Dhuḏi-Djapu miny'tji (sacred designs) that depict her land by following the traditional Yolŋu practice of using natural pigments on bark, ḻarrakitj (memorial poles) and yiḏaki (didjeridus). In 2012, she began documenting the lesser-known plant species she ate as a child through her art as a way to educate younger generations. It was these later works that helped Wirrpanda develop her own visual stamp. Her Telstra Works on Paper Award-winning work Untitled (2021) is emblematic of her unique style and visual language and depicts the act of collecting shellfish in the mangroves. Her choice of medium — fibre-tipped pen on paper — eschews tradition, but the subject matter maintains the Yolŋu belief of art as an expression of connection to family, Country and to Wangarr (the period of ancestral creativity). [caption id="attachment_821387" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hubert Pareroultja and Mervyn Rubuntja 'Through the veil of time' (2021). Courtesy of the artists and Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre.[/caption] HUBERT PAREROULTJA AND MERVYN RUBUNTJA, Through the veil of time (2021) Winner of the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award (sponsored by Telstra) — prize $5000 Western Arrernte-Luritja man Hubert Pareroultja and Central and Western Arrernte man Mervyn Rubuntja are prolific artists at Iltja Ntjarra Art Centre. Both are known for their vibrant, surrealist landscapes. Notably, Pareroultja took home last year's Wynne Prize for Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges, NT), while Rubuntja has been a Telstra NATSIAA finalist in recent years. Now, the pair have collaborated on Through the veil of time (2021), which was awarded the Wandjuk Marika 3D Memorial Award as part of this year's Telstra NATSIAA. Tjoritja stretches 161 kilometres west of Alice Springs and holds great cultural significance for the Arrernte people. In the art world, Tjortija was made famous by renowned artist A Namatjira. Now, Pareroultja and Rubuntja have reimagined the sacred site through their immersive, large-scale installation. The work is both commanding, due to its size, and fragile thanks to the delicate layers of watercolour on silk screen mesh. It signifies the site's importance and powerful cultural ties, and depicts an ancient landscape sculpted over time. For visitors heading to the exhibition IRL at Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory (MAGNT), it allows you to walk within the layers of Tjorita, as if passing through time. [caption id="attachment_821385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kyra Mancktelow, 'Moongalba 11' (2021). Courtesy of the artist and N.Smith Gallery.[/caption] KYRA MANCKTELOW, Moongalba 11 (2021) Winner of the Telstra Emerging Artist Award — prize $5000 As a Quandamooka woman with links to Mardigan of Cunnamulla and Vanuatu — and living in Logan, just south of Brisbane — Mancktelow's heritage is central to her practice. Her go-to method is printmaking, through which she explores her cultural history, traditions and identity. Represented by N.Smith Gallery, the artist just had her first major solo exhibition, Unsilenced, at Logan Art Gallery in June–July of this year. The show was an examination of the Blackbirding slave trade of South Sea Islanders in the 1860s, when tens of thousands of Pacific Islanders were taken to work on Queensland plantations, as well as a look at the ancestral ties that still hold. On her artist profile, she says: "The abiding theme of my art practices is bringing forth the untold histories of Australia, allowing for a greater recognition of the truth." A similar look at Australia's troubled pasts underpins her Telstra NATSIAA-winning artwork, Moongalba 11 (2021). The haunting etching depicts children's uniforms to signify Australia's assimilation regimes whereby children were forced to leave their culture, heritage and families behind. Specifically, her work depicts the uniforms worn by children under a strict missionary regime in Moongalba, which were made from Tarleton — a fabric traditionally used to remove coloured ink from an etching plate. With this, Moongalba 11 symbolises these uniforms as a means to scratch away colour. [caption id="attachment_821390" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pedro Wonaeamirri, 'Jilarti, Live performance of Jilarti' (brolga song), 'Pimirtiki' (feather head piece), 'Imeuja' (false beard), 'Tokwayinga' (feather ball), 'Tjimirrikamarka' (fighting stick) and 'Tunga' (folded bark bag) (2021). Courtesy of the artist and Jilamara Arts & Crafts Association.[/caption] PEDRO WONAEAMIRRI, Live performance of Jilarti (brolga song), Pimirtiki (feather head piece), Imeuja (false beard), Tokwayinga (feather ball), Tjimirrikamarka (fighting stick), Tunga (folded bark bag) (2021) Winner of the Telstra Multimedia Award — prize $5000 Melville Island-born artist Pedro Wonaeamirri was commissioned for the 2020 Biennale of Sydney. He has also had works on display at galleries around the country as well as overseas institutions such as the British Museum (UK), Commonwealth Institute (UK) and Kaplan & Levi Collection (USA). And, he has been a finalist in eight Telstra NATSIAAs. So it comes as no surprise that his collection of multimedia works — Jilarti, Live Performance of Jilarti (brolga song), Pimirtiki (feather head piece), Imeuja (false beard), Tokwayinga (feather ball), Tjimirrikamarka (fighting stick), Tunga (folded bark bag) (2021) — took home an award this time around. A member of the Jilamara Arts and Crafts Association since 1991, Wonaeamirri works within the strong Tiwi practice of pwoja (body designs) using a kayimwagakimi (traditional Tiwi painting comb) to continue and celebrate Tiwi tradition. He also works across many mediums, including natural ochres on paper, linen and bark, print-making and carving, using Tiwi palette of red, yellow, white and black, which are made from natural ochre collected on Country. His 2021 Telstra NATSIAA submission is a celebration of his people. Telstra is committed to supporting Australia's arts communities and has proudly sponsored NATSIAA for 30 years. Take a look at the virtual gallery and vote for your favourite artwork in the 2021 Telstra People's Choice Award via the website. For more information on the awards, check out our event. Top image: Timo Hogan, courtesy of the artist, Spinifex Arts Project Aboriginal Corporation and MAGNT.
It's the frostiest of Australia's annual film festivals for two reasons — the time of year it arrives, and the region it showcases — and it's back for 2022 with another round of recent and retro flicks. That'd be the Scandinavian Film Festival, which naturally hits cinemas around the country each winter. Well, winter Down Under, that is. This year's fest will play 19 titles, primarily hailing from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, with the program touring the nation between Tuesday, July 12–Wednesday, August 10. That gives film buffs in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane and Byron Bay around a month — three weeks in some places — to get their Nordic movie fix, whether you're keen on a historical epic or a dive into Scandi cinema history. Yes, blasts from the pasts are a feature of the 2022 lineup — starting with opening night's Margrete — Queen of the North. Starring Trine Dyrholm (The Commune) and directed by Charlotte Sieling (Lovecraft Country, Homeland), the historical drama is set in 1402, and hones in on Denmark's Queen Margrete, who oversaw the Kalmar Union that brought together Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Also peering backwards: the Scandi Screen Sirens selection, which celebrates leading ladies from times gone by — all in classics. So, you'll catch Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, Greta Garbo in Queen Christina and Britt Ekland in The Wicker Man. There's also two Liv Ullmann films: The Serpent's Egg, directed by iconic Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman; plus The New Land, the 1972 gem in the festival's closing night slot. Elsewhere, the program includes Dyrholm again in A Matter of Trust, which heads to Australia straight from premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival; Finnish effort The Woodcutter's Story, which played the 2022 Cannes Film Festival Critics' Week; and The Emigrants, a new adaptation of Vilhelm Moberg's novels. The latter first hit the screen in 1971, in a film of the same name — to which the aforementioned The New Land was a sequel. From a selection of 19 flicks all up, there's also the Danish boarding school-set Pretty Young Thing, which will have its world premiere at the fest; psychological drama Quake from Iceland; Berlinale Crystal Bear Award-winner Comedy Queen, about a 13-year-old girl who wants to be a stand-up comedian; and documentary Nordic by Nature, which was filmed in the Faroe Islands, including in its seafood industry, and also covers two-star Michelin restaurant KOKS. And if Scandinavian talent has you thinking of Game of Thrones' Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, he's accounted for A Taste of Hunger from Denmark. It's about the quest for a Michelin star, actually, with the drama following a couple determined to get one for their restaurant. SCANDINAVIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2022 DATES: July 12–August 7: Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney July 13–August 7: Palace Electric, Canberra July 14–August 7: The Astor Theatre, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Westgarth, The Kino, Palace Balwyn and Pentridge Cinema, Melbourne July 19–August 10: Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide July 20–August 10: Palace Raine Square Cinemas, Luna Leederville and Luna on SX, Perth July 20–August 10: Palace Barracks and Palace James Street, Brisbane July 22–August 10: Palace Byron Bay, Byron Bay The Scandinavian Film Festival tours Australia from Tuesday, July 12–Wednesday, August 10. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
First in Sydney, then in Melbourne and now in Brisbane, the biggest show in musical theatre this century has finally been sharing its Tony-winning take on 18th-century American politics with Australian audiences. Since 2021, being in the room where it happens hasn't required a trip to the US — but you will need to be in Brisbane in March to be in the room where Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda himself will be in attendance in-person for a Hamilton fan event. For the first time during the blockbuster musical's Australian time — and likely the only time, given that the show will leave the country for a New Zealand run when it finishes its Sunshine State season at QPAC's Lyric Theatre on Sunday, April 23 — Miranda is heading Down Under. The exact date hasn't been revealed, but he'll hit the River City to meet the local company of the production, and also to take part in that event for Hamilton obsessives. [caption id="attachment_773737" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] "I have been waiting such a long time to come to Australia and I can't wait to be with the company down under in-person for the first time," Miranda said, announcing his visit. "I have heard such great things from friends and fans in Australia, it is going to be fantastic to be able to meet them and watch them perform." Just like exactly when in March Miranda will be in Brisbane, where the fan event will happen and what it will entail — and how folks will be able to attend — is yet to be revealed, with further details to come. Still, Brisbanites and Australians keen on a trip to the Queensland capital won't want to throw away the shot to see the man who made the game-changing, award-winning, rightly raved-about Hamilton what it is "Australian fans have been so patient waiting for Lin-Manuel Miranda's visit to Australia and we have something very special in store for them when he gets here," added Australian Hamilton producer Michael Cassel AM. [caption id="attachment_774807" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.[/caption] The Broadway hit's Aussie production features a cast that currently includes Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, Martha Berhane as Eliza Hamilton, Callan Purcell as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Matu Ngaropo as George Washington, and Victory Ndukwe as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Sami Afuni plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, Wern Mak does double duty as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Elandrah Eramiha plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, and Brent Hill steps into King George III's robes. Haven't become a Hamilton obsessive yet? Not quite sure why it has been the most-talked about theatre show of the past six years? The critically acclaimed hip hop musical, for which Miranda wrote the music, lyrics and the book, is about the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, as well as inclusion and politics in current-day America. In addition to its swag of Tony Awards — 11 in fact, which includes Best Musical — it has nabbed a Grammy Award and even a Pulitzer Prize. Until now, Brisbanites eager to see the show had to be content with trips south or watching the filmed version of its Broadway production, which started streaming via Disney+ in 2020 (and yes, it's as phenomenal as you've heard). And yes, the $10 ticket lottery has also hit the River City, offering Hamilton tickets for less than the cost of lunch. [caption id="attachment_870525" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Australian production of Hamilton by Daniel Boud[/caption] Hamilton's Brisbane season runs until Sunday, April 23 at QPAC's Lyric Theatre, South Bank, with tickets available via the musical's website. Details of Lin-Manuel Miranda's fan event are yet to be announced — we'll update you when more information comes to hand. Top image: Hamilton filmed version courtesy Disney+.
Take two charming actors, then couple them up for a feature-length volley of fast-paced banter: that's the screwball rom-com formula. Place this pleasing pair in a scenic but challenging setting — one that'll highlight their individual strengths, see them turn seeming weaknesses into new skills, and will obviously bring them closer together — and that's exactly how plenty of action-adventure movies have unfurled. Sending the always personable and likeable Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt to the Amazon, Jungle Cruise stitches together these two well-established formulas. It traverses its cinematic rapids in the slipstream of 80s fare like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Romancing the Stone (and their respective sequels), and even rollicks along in the footsteps of The Mummy franchise of the late 90s and early 00s (a series which actually gave Johnson his first big-screen roles). But, as anyone with even a passing knowledge of Disney's theme parks knows, Jungle Cruise also falls from the attraction-to-film mould that the Mouse House clearly loves. Pirates of the Caribbean is an overt influence, right down to the way that some of this new flick's villains look, and thrusting all these blatant templates to the fore — and together — doesn't quite result in movie magic. Directed by Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter's Jaume Collet-Serra, who makes a workmanlike but hardly memorable jump from unleashing Liam Neeson's special set of skills, Jungle Cruise wants to whisk viewers off on a spirited ride. That's the experiential aim of most theme park-based films: these flicks want audiences to feel like they've stepped inside the attraction from their cinema seat. Before the movie's title card graces the screen, two sequences endeavour to set this tone. They're jovial, boisterous and bouncy, entertaining enough but blunt, and filled with slapstick hijinks and forceful gags. These scenes establish not just Jungle Cruise's mood, but its overall approach — one that, despite the unshakeable appeal of its stars, is primarily interested in the mechanics of hitting its chosen notes. This feature has been in the works since 2004, after initially being green-lit following the first Pirates movie's success, after all. It plays like a creaky relic, in fact, and not just in its nods as far back as 1951's The African Queen. Thanks to its predictable, straightforward yet also needlessly over-plotted narrative, it feels like writers Michael Green (Murder on the Orient Express), Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Focus) have been sitting on their box-ticking script for almost two decades, too. Those first two sequences set things up story-wise, of course. It's 1916, and Dr Lily Houghton (Blunt, A Quiet Place Part II) sneaks into an all-male science society to look for a treasured arrowhead from the Amazon. She's tasked her fussy brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall, Good Omens) with deflecting the organisation's members by telling them her theories about a fabled South American tree, called the Tears of the Moon, that can cure any illness or break any curse. The men are dismissive, but she knows they will be. She's there to steal the trinket so it can lead her to the mythical plant, all while Prince Joachim of Germany (Jesse Plemons, Judas and the Black Messiah) tries to get his hands on it as well. When Lily comes out on top, the Houghtons are off to Brazil to hit the river, but they'll need a captain to guide their watery jaunt. In his introductory scene, the roguish Frank Wolff (Johnson, Jumanji: The Next Level) is spied conducting tourist trips down the Amazon, every step choreographed like an amusement park ride, and with his own pun-heavy showman patter narrating the journey. He's corny, and he has a jaguar in on the act, too. Accordingly, there are zero surprises when Lily enlists his services reluctantly and after some subterfuge on his side, or when he keeps trying to trick her into giving up her quest. Also part of the plot, and also explained before that first title card: Spanish conquistador Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez, The Undoing) and his men, who found the Tears of the Moon almost 400 years ago, tried to take its secrets for themselves, but were cursed by the tree's Indigenous protectors for their treachery. They're the foes that look like cartoonish Pirates knockoffs, to the point of distraction — and they're rendered with so much CGI that any actors could be playing them. That's a recurring trait here, even in a movie that's biggest strength is its two immensely well-known, well-established and well-liked leads. Johnson and Blunt are as delightful as they can be in a feature that isn't big on character development or depth, but the fact that Lily's most-stressed attribute is her era-inappropriate penchant for wearing pants speaks volumes about how the plucky character is seen as a symbol, rather than a person. Comedian Whitehall trades in his usual posh schtick, with MacGregor's status as Disney's first openly gay character largely appearing an afterthought. Plemons is simply saddled with a bad accent — because there's a century-old attitude towards making fun of such things on display — and Paul Giamatti's (Gunpowder Milkshake) involvement as Frank's business rival is just as sketchy. Movies can follow a formula, stick to the obvious beats and still be engaging. Jungle Cruise seems unwilling to take any risks, though, and feels not just designed by committee, but by a corporation. It'll have kids clamouring to hop on the theme park ride, and it thankfully has a tad more personality than just a film-length ad — in other words, it doesn't just scream "hey, we own this and you should like this!" like Space Jam: A New Legacy — but, coming back to its two main stars, it feels like a missed opportunity. Taking a river jaunt with this charismatic and capable pair shouldn't be a clunky, by-the-numbers affair. When yet another pointless complication splutters up, and then another and another, it shouldn't feel like a drag, either. Jungle Cruise's sunny cinematography looks a treat, however, as you'd hope of a movie that uses Hawaii as a stand-in for South America. Swooping and frequently moving camerawork makes this a visually boisterous flick, too. But, like every theme park ride, the film's modest pleasures fade oh-so-quickly afterwards. Jungle Cruise is screening in Brisbane cinemas from Thursday, July 29, and will be available to view via Disney+'s Premium Access from Friday, July 30.
It was true 20 years ago and it's still true today: if you're going to take a bright, bold and utterly outlandish trip into a futuristic vision of space, you really want to take it with Luc Besson. Two decades after the French filmmaker rode a multi-pass to sci-fi space opera infamy with The Fifth Element, he's back doing what he does best. And while Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets can't quite match its cult classic predecessor, it has a vivid, energetic and involving time trying to do so. This isn't just a case of same director, same tricks, however. While there's much that looks and feels familiar about this account of intergalactic cops on an interstellar adventure, Besson is adapting one of his strongest sources of inspiration rather than simply reliving past glories. That'd be '60s French-Belgian comic Valérian et Laureline, which the writer-director first discovered as a kid, and which clearly left an imprint on his aesthetic. It also reportedly influenced the original Star Wars, though George Lucas' flicks didn't feature Rihanna as an enslaved blue blob who shape-shifts while singing and pole-dancing. More's the pity. As great as a film about the scene-stealing pop star would be, she's not the main point of focus. Instead, the decidedly human Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his partner-in-crime Laureline (Cara Delevingne) take centre stage. He's laid-back (but still law-abiding), while she's a feistily determined risk-taker. It's the 28th century, and they're enjoying a simulated stint at the beach while they hurtle towards their next mission. But Valerian's virtual sun and sand is interrupted by a vision of a similarly scenic planet in peril. When the duo is charged with recovering a highly coveted converter that can replicate any substance en masse, they discover the link between Valerian's dream, the task at hand, and the fact that colossal space station Alpha — a meeting place for all of the galaxy's inhabitants — is under threat from unknown enemies. With Clive Owen's megalomaniacal military chief, Ethan Hawke's slimy pimp, and a vast array of extra-terrestrial lifeforms all part of the action — to say nothing of inter-dimensional shopping, psychic jellyfish, genocide, government conspiracies and repeated marriage proposals — any description of Valerian's plot is going to sound over-the-top. And for the most part, that's how it plays out on screen. That said, just as this is a story about breaking the rules in the name of peace, love and understanding, Besson shows that he too is willing to break with convention behind the camera. "Style over substance" is the usual cry when a film pairs eye-popping visuals with a scant or silly plot. But Besson wears the label like a badge of honour, gleefully demonstrating that a barely convincing narrative and nearly two hours of sci-fi spectacle can still entertain. Of course, that's often the space opera's lot. Dune, John Carter, Jupiter Ascending — they've all been there and done that in engaging (albeit divisive) fashion. It's also a genre of film that's often more concerned with appearance and atmosphere than performance, though DeHaan does a great early '90s Keanu impression (whether knowingly or not), and Delevingne proves a beguiling presence, constantly rolling her eyes. Ultimately, they're like the people you meet on holiday. You won't mind spending time with them, but you're more interested in just taking in the sights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wbN9fPU_u0
All-you-can-eat chicken is a concept everyone can get behind, and man a poultry lover has since KaiKai Chicken opened its doors in St Lucia. Free chicken is just as great an idea, if not even better, and that's what the Hawken Drive joint is serving up come September 5. While they've been doing their chicken buffet thing for a month or so, KaiKai is just now adding unlimited pork ribs to the mix, and so that's reason enough to celebrate. Because the new option involves as much chook as you can handle as well, they're giving away three-piece packs with chips. Expect succulent morsels available in three flavours. Before you can say "winner winner free chicken dinner (or lunch)", you have to chuck them a Facebook like, then turn up between 1pm and 3pm or 6pm and 8pm on the day. Given that Brisbane is a mere a giant drumstick statue away from declaring fried chook the city's favourite food, expect plenty of company in this quest for a clucking great meal.
How do you find a single missing person in a country of over a billion? That's the terrifying dilemma faced by a desperate father, after his 12-year-old son goes missing. A sobering portrait of a pandemic concern in poverty-affected India, Richie Mehta's film works thanks to his unexaggerated approach to the subject matter. There's not a hint of melodrama here, and the tale is all the more compelling for it. For a film set half a world away, Siddharth hits very close to home. The film takes its title from the name of the missing boy, who in the opening scene we see being loaded onto a bus by his father, Mahendra (Rajesh Tailang). Siddharth is on his way to Ludhiana, hundreds of kilometres away, where he's due to start work in a trolley factory. Child labour is illegal in India, but commonplace nevertheless. And for the family of four, no longer able to survive on Mahendra's meagre wages as a street corner zipper repairman, the second source of income will be crucial. When Siddharth fails to return to Delhi for the Diwali festival a month later, the assumption is that he simply couldn't secure passage home. But as time passes without any word, Mahendra and his wife, Suman (Tannishtha Chatterjee), grow increasingly concerned. When they finally call the owner of the factory, he tells them that the boy ran away more than a fortnight ago. Unable to believe Siddharth wouldn't simply return home, the fear then becomes that he has been kidnapped. Based on a first person anecdote Mehta — a Canadian filmmaker of Indian descent — heard while travelling in Delhi, the story examines multiple social issues facing India. Recent statistics show that nearly 40,000 children disappear in the country each year, many of them sold into slavery or prostitution or forced out onto the streets to beg. Indeed, the problem is so endemic, so normalised, that at one point someone suggests that Mahendra simply have another child. Such callous pragmatism extends to the police force and child protection agencies, overworked and undermanned as they are. But so too does it extend to Mahendra himself, who is soon confronted with the financial cost of continuing the search for his son. It costs him a month's savings just to pay for a train ticket to Mumbai. Suman blames him for sending Siddharth away, and it's easy to agree with her. But then again, did he even have a choice? The grim economic reality of the family's situation is the stark spotlight under which Mehta's film unfolds, and ultimately makes it that much more confronting. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wNMDwpMrxmQ
We all know that exercise is good for us. We all know it keeps us fit and healthy, and is an essential part of living a long and happy life. Still, we all also need help in the motivation department sometimes — when the couch is just too comfy, or when you'd rather be relaxing rather than sweating, for example. How about cats? If anything can get you active, bending and stretching with adorable kitties should be able to do the trick. You'll bust out your best downward dog, and they'll show off their best cat pose (sleeping on your yoga mat, most likely). The latest feline fitness frenzy takes place at 9am on December 3 at Annerley's Lucky Cat Cafe, with Yoga with Cats part of their regular class series. Whether you're an experienced yoga buff or a cat lover looking for some four-legged workout friends, everyone is welcome — but bookings are essential, as this purrfect exercise session is sure to be popular.
Haunted house films tend to follow an obvious formula: things go bump in the night, people get scared, and an escalating array of supernatural hijinks ensue. If you've seen one, you probably feel like you've seen them all — and The Conjuring 2 isn't going to change that. Thankfully, it isn't going to make horror fans abandon building-based scares either. Given that the latest movie — based on the exploits of real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren — is a sequel, a certain amount of predictability is to be expected. Still, knowing how the follow-up to 2013 surprise hit The Conjuring will play out doesn't render its creaking floors, slamming doors and ghostly visions any less effective. Both frights and fun can be found as an English family attempts to break free from a malicious force, with the former largely springing from sudden noises and ghastly faces, and the latter resulting from the screams they inspire. Six years after Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine (Vera Farming) helped the Perrons through the events of the first film — and a year after the Amityville case that still remains their biggest claim to fame — the Hodgsons of Enfield need their expertise. Trying to raise four children alone, single mother Peggy (Frances O'Connor) is already doing it tough before spooky occurrences start targeting her 12-year-old daughter Janet (Madison Wolfe). When the Warrens are called in, they're not just asked to assist; they're also tasked with determining whether the otherworldly infestation is real. Of course, relishing the chilling ordeal inflicted upon the bewildered Hodgson clan is the film's primary focus, rather than exploring the hoax side of the story or even spending too much time with the evangelical exorcist and psychic assessing the situation. And as easily foreseeable as the jumps and jolts that follow prove, they're also teeming with tension thanks to the film's other significant presence: director James Wan. After kicking off the Saw and Insidious franchises, Wan did the same for The Conjuring, investing what could've been a routine horror movie with the right amount of vintage thrills and visual flair. Returning to the series after an action-packed stint at the helm of Fast and Furious 7, he does the same again, even if lightning doesn't exactly strike twice. Whether you've heard of the Enfield poltergeist before or you've simply seen The Exorcist, there's no escaping the been-there, seen-that status of The Conjuring 2. Thankfully, Wan's fondness for letting the camera prowl around the house in question, and his precise sense of timing when it comes to both the unexpected and the lingering, ensures that familiarity doesn't breed contempt. Instead, it's the length of the film, and the raft of repetitive scenes that help pad it out to 133 minutes, that may end up stretching your patience. Accordingly, the Hodgsons aren't the only ones fated to think that everything goes on too long — and the last thing horror viewers want is to feel bored and anxious at the same time. Luckily, when the movie works, it really works, a versatile performance by Wolfe at the centre of the sinister proceedings included.
We bet you've at least got one Jamie Oliver cookbook in your cupboard — and, with all this home time lately, you've probably nailed most of the recipes. So, you'll need some new material. Thankfully, the affable UK chef is using his time at home to bring you a new cooking series: Keep Cooking and Carry On. How very British. The series covers everything from eggless chocolate cake to homemade bread, cauliflower mac 'n' cheese, dumplings and carbonara. Each is relatively quick and super-simple to make. It's heartwarming cooking, which is perfect as the weather's getting colder — plus aren't all need a little comfort right now? Keep Cooking and Carry On features the cooking whiz whipping up dishes in his home kitchen, offering up a bunch of handy tips and tricks along the way. While it airs on UK television, clips are also posted on the culinary legend's Facebook page. And, if you'd rather skip the preamble, you can access all the recipes in the series here. https://www.facebook.com/jamieoliver/videos/2623850727724925/
If you're making the rounds of a trio of superhero- and supervillain-themed bars, do you need a change of outfits Superman-style for each one? Should you conjure up an alter ego to bust out, at least? Start pondering those questions, Brisbanites, because Fortitude Valley's 1st Edition will soon have two sidekicks: the aptly named Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy. As 1st Edition has since 2021, the newcomers will also make California Lane their base, giving this patch of Brisbane its own comic book-themed quarter. Both will sling cocktails and lean into the theming as heartily as a caped crusader does vanquishing world-threatening foes, but they'll each have their own niche. Again hailing from Marc Grey and Chef Steve Maiden, Harley Quinn is the next of the gang to open, welcoming in patrons from Friday, May 24. It'll operate as a bar by night and a cafe by day, with the latter starting trade on Saturday, June 1. When the sun is out, expect tea, coffee, toasties, savoury platters, apple pie muffins and homemade curry pies. When evening hits, the cocktail list named The Multiverse will kick in. While all three bars belong in the same superhero-loving stable, each will pour its own specific signature beverages if you need motivation for a California Lane bar crawl. At Harley Quinn, expect to sip the venue's namesake cocktail, which is made from gun, rosé prosecco and lemon fairy floss. Fittingly, there's also a Puddin spritz, which features vodka, a grapefruit blend, prosecco, rosemary and soda. You'll also choose from a range that also spans Doctor Doom, Mysterio, Infinity Stones, The Riddler and Doctor Strange concoctions at Harley Quinn, so you won't just be thinking about a character played by Margot Robbie (Barbie) in Suicide Squad, Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) and The Suicide Squad — and that Lady Gaga (House of Gucci) is taking on in the upcoming Joker: Folie à Deux. Or, there's the Kryptonite!, which includes a lightbulb, plus the lemon- and curd-featuring Flash Meringue. "Harley Quinn promises daytime casual vibes, and an evening filled with handcrafted creations, grazing options and conversation, and we're thrilled to bring this dynamic concept to Fortitude Valley to further enhance the fun but serious cocktail culture we continue to cultivate. It's a small bar, but packs a cheeky punch," says Grey. Poison Ivy, which is being dubbed a 'villain bar', will open Saturday, June 1, splashing around green aplenty (of course) in the space that was previously home to Viva La Cali. And yes, laneway parties will be on the bill when both Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are up and running. Find Harley Quinn Bar in California Lane at Shop G4, 22 McLachlan Street, Fortitude Valley from Friday, May 24, 2024 — operating its bar from 5.30–9pm Thursday and Sunday, and 5.30pm–late Friday–Saturday from its opening date, and also its cafe from 11am–4pm Tuesday–Sunday from Saturday, June 1. Head to the venue's website for further details.
When Sauron lurks, no good can come. If you've ever read or seen anything Lord of the Rings-related, you'll know how true this statement keeps proving again and again. It sits at the heart of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, too, aka the prequel series that started jumping into Middle-earth's history back in 2022 — and it's accurate again in the full trailer for the show's upcoming second season. Prime Video already dropped a teaser trailer for season two, and announced that it'll take the elves, dwarves, orcs, wizards and harfoots to your streaming queue again from Thursday, August 29, 2024. Now arrives a full sneak peek at what's to come. Contentious jewellery, talking and walking trees, giant spiders, Sauron's chaos: they're all covered. Set in the fantasy realm conjured by up JRR Tolkien — as The Hobbit movie adaptations and OG live-action Lord of the Rings films were — and telling a tale in Middle-earth's Second Age, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power boasts familiar names among its key figures. In season one, a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark, Saint Maud) had a mission to hunt the enemy, after her brother gave his life doing the same. She saw fighting for fate and destiny as the work as something greater. A young Elrond (Robert Aramayo, The King's Man) was part of that journey, and the big bad who needed staving off was indeed Sauron (Charlie Vickers, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart). With the show charting how the rings were forged, Sauron's rise and the impact across Middle-earth, season two brings the latter back after he was cast out by Galadriel. So, it's a battle between good and ascending evil, then, as the Dark Lord keeps pushing his shadowy influence — and sporting a different appearance. Also, more rings will be created. Prince Durin IV (Owain Arthur , Coffee Wars), Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova, Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities) and Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards, Under the Vines) are among the returning characters on the Prime Video hit, which was unsurprisingly huge when season one debut, attracting more than 100-million viewers. The platform first announced the show back in 2017, then gave it the official go-ahead in mid-2018 — so if it feels like this series has been hovering around for several ages even though it only has one season so far, that's why. If you're a little rusty on your LOTR lore, the Second Age lasted for 3441 years, and saw the initial emergence and fall of Sauron, as well as a spate of wars over the coveted rings. Elves feature prominently, and there's plenty to cover, even if Tolkien's works didn't spend that much time on the period — largely outlining the main events in an appendix to the popular trilogy. The Rings of Power remains separate to the big-screen Lord of the Rings revival that was first announced in 2023 and now has new movie Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum in the works. If you're a LoTR fan, there's no such thing as too much for this franchise, though — like breakfast for hobbits. Check out the full trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two below: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season two will be available to stream via Prime Video from Thursday, August 29, 2024. Read our review of season one.
Hamilton may have wrapped up its debut Australian season after stints in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — including a trip by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself to the latter — and its New Zealand run as well, but musical-theatre fans can stream the smash-hit show's Broadway production whenever they like. Even better: you can now croon the stage sensation's tunes with Miranda, Daveed Diggs (Snowpiercer) and the OG cast, in a way, thanks to Disney+'s just-arrived sing-along version. This is your chance to make your very own home the room where it happens, and to take a shot at the Miranda-penned lyrics that every Hamilton fan has stuck in their head on repeat. Whether you're keen to give 'The Room Where It Happens', 'My Shot', 'Burn', 'History Has Its Eyes on You' or 'Helpless' a spin, you can, all while watching the acclaimed performance. In the words of another of the show's big tunes, we expect that you'll be back, too, singing along to Hamilton more than once. Since premiering on Broadway in 2015, winning 11 Tony Awards and nabbing the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Miranda's musical has become a pop culture phenomenon. As a result, it was always going to make the leap to the screen in some shape or form, which it did in 2020 — albeit via a filmed version of the stage production rather than a traditional theatre-to-film adaptation. Now, three years later, that recording comes with lyrics, ready for everyone that's young, scrappy and hungry to give it a go. Indeed, the vibrant, whip-smart and immediately dazzling tale of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton first hit Disney+ on Friday, July 3, 2020 — and now the sing-along version has followed at around the same time, dropping back on Friday, June 30, 2023. If you haven't been lucky enough to catch the popular all-singing, all-dancing production onstage, this "live capture" version is the next best thing. Shot at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in 2016, the recording features the show's original Broadway performers, including Miranda (His Dark Materials) in the eponymous role. Also seen on-screen: Daveed Diggs (The Little Mermaid) as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Leslie Odom Jr (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) as Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson (And Just Like That...) as George Washington, Jonathan Groff (Knock at the Cabin) as King George III, Anthony Ramos (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts) as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, Renee Elise Goldsberry (Girls5eva) as Angelica Schuyler and Phillipa Soo (Shining Girls) as Eliza Hamilton. The story, for those who aren't intimately acquainted with US revolutionary history, chronicles the Caribbean-born "bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman" from his arrival in New York in the early 1770s. As the musical's informative opening number explains, Alexander Hamilton will go on to become "the ten-dollar Founding Father without a father", with the production charting how he "got a lot farther by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter and by being a self-starter". It's a tale that, unlike those of US Presidents Washington and Jefferson, you mightn't have heard before — which is one of the themes that the musical addresses. Just who is charged with recalling and immortalising the past, and who is remembered in the process, is a significant factor in shaping a nation's vision of itself. Check out a trailer for Disney+'s Hamilton sing-along below: Hamilton Sing-Along is available to stream via Disney+. Images: Hamilton filmed version courtesy of Disney+.
If a swag of stars made up to look like cats hasn't already scared you today, then a good ol' dose of creepy clown horror just might. Bringing the second part of Stephen King's bestselling book to the screen, IT: Chapter Two returns to the exploits of maniacal clown Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), as well as the gang of kids he's rather fond of terrorising. This time, however, all those teens have grown up. We've already seen the adult Losers Club in the first trailer for the unnerving sequel, which dropped back in May. Now, with San Diego Comic-Con currently in full swing, it's time for a second glimpse. While the initial IT's Sophia Lillis, Jaeden Martell, Finn Wolfhard and company all make an appearance as the younger versions of the characters, circa 1988-89, the likes of Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy and Bill Hader step into their shoes 27 years later. Yes, they're still being forced to put up with Pennywise's chaotic antics, including his love of sewers, his obsession with balloons and his usual white-faced, flame-haired get-up. Of course, the frightening villain has a few fresh tricks up his sleeve, as this sneak peek at a few of IT: Chapter Two's set pieces shows. It seems like every film features a hall-of-mirrors scene these days, including John Wick: Chapter Two and Us, but the concept is decidedly more terrifying when Pennywise is involved. And, while Stranger Things' third season just spent a fair amount of time at a carnival, again, IT: Chapter Two ups the ante by trotting out its unhinged clown. All of the jumps, bumps and bloody carnage takes place in King's usual setting of Derry, Maine once again, with the Losers Club all heading home to face the nightmare they thought they'd escaped. And, behind-the-scenes, original director Andy Muschietti (Mama) is back — so if you liked what he did the first time around, get ready for a second nerve-rattling serving. Watch the new trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhJ5P7Up3jA IT: Chapter Two releases in Australian cinemas on September 5, 2019.
Australia's most prestigious portrait award is around the corner, and its finalists have just been announced. Every year, speculation about who will be awarded the coveted prize and, more often than not, the Archibald winner itself, causes much-heated debate. From 2018's five-time Archibald finalist Yvette Coppersmith's first win to Tony Costa's win with his painting of fellow artist Lindy Lee — the first portrait of an Asian Australian to pick up the prize — it's hard a win to pick. All that's really assured is that it'll be a portrait of a person by an Australian. Held at the Art Gallery of NSW every year, the Archibald runs in conjunction with the Wynne and Sulman Prizes — recognising the best landscape painting of Australian scenery, or figure sculpture and the best subject painting, genre painting or mural project, respectively. This year, because of a certain pandemic, the Archibald was postponed and is running from September 2020 to January 2021. As usual, it's sure to be popular, but instead of pushing through crowds to see the prized portraits, you'll have a bit of space thanks to reduced capacities and timed tickets. And you'll have some exceptional artworks to feast your eyes upon, too. Famed Sydney street artist Scott Marsh's portrait of musician Adam Briggs has made the cut, as have a haunting painting of comedian Magda Szubanski and a Star Trek-esque oil work of NSW Minister for Environment and Energy Matt Kean. Wongutha-Yamatji artist Meyne Wyatt has also taken out the coveted 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize, chosen by the packing room team, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to win any Archibald award in the competition's 99-year history. As there are so many outstanding portraits this year (as there are every year), it's impossible to know which of the 55 is going to take home the $100,000 prize. Regardless, here are some of our favourites — and some we think may have a good chance of winning. [caption id="attachment_783644" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Meyne Wyatt, 'Meyne', copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling[/caption] MEYNE WYATT — MEYNE Actor and artist Meyne Wyatt became the first Indigenous Australian in Archibald history to win any of the competition's awards when he won the 2020 Archibald Packing Room Prize. The history-making self-portrait is a realistic acrylic painting and, in fact, Wyatt's first painting in over ten years. The Wongutha-Yamatji man and first-time Archibald entrant has no formal art training, but gets some handy tips from his mum Sue Wyatt who was herself an Archibald finalist in 2003. If the portrait above, and Wyatt's signature raised eyebrow, look familiar, it's likely you've seen him in the likes of The Sapphires, Redfern Now and Neighbours. [caption id="attachment_783639" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scott Marsh, 'Salute of gentle frustration'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Felicity Jenkins[/caption] SCOTT MARSH — SALUTE OF GENTLE FRUSTRATION Artist Scott Marsh's portraits aren't a rare site on the streets of Sydney (see: Egg Boy, Mike Baird and Kanye Loves Kanye) but they are a rare site on the walls of the AGNSW. The first-time finalist has joined the ranks of the country's art elite with his seventh submission to the Archibald Prize: a portrait of Indigenous Australian rapper Adam Briggs. The portrait is entitled Salute of gentle frustration, which Marsh says references "the deep fatigue of generations of Aboriginal people demanding equality against a backdrop of political rhetoric and inaction". [caption id="attachment_783691" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaylene Whiskey, 'Dolly visits Indulkana'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] KAYLENE WHISKEY — DOLLY VISITS INDULKANA Self-taught artist Kaylene Whiskey listens to the music of famed American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton while she paints. It's an effective technique, it seems, with Whiskey already cleaned up the Sulman Prize in 2018 and the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award for general painting in 2019. Now, Whiskey is one of 55 finalists selected for the Archibald Prize with a self-portrait in which Dolly visits her home in the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. In the painting, Dolly holds a bejewelled guitar and the pair is surrounded by clocks, cameras, superwomen, galahs and a flying nun. [caption id="attachment_783632" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Angus McDonald, 'Behrouz Boochani'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] ANGUS MCDONALD — BEHROUZ BOOCHANI This year, after more than six years in an Australian offshore detention centre, celebrated Kurdish Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani was granted asylum in New Zealand. Sydney artist Angus McDonald first made contact with Boochani when he was making a documentary, called Manus, about the Manus Island detention centre, but was not allowed onto the island to meet him. So, when Boochani landed in NZ, McDonald decided to fly there and paint him instead. The oil portrait sees Boochani looking directly at the viewer, which McDonald says portrays Boochani as a "a strong, confident and peaceful man who survived a brutal ordeal and is now free". [caption id="attachment_783692" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yuri Shimmyo, 'Carnation, lily, Yuri, rose'. Copyright the artist. Photo: AGNSW, Mim Stirling.[/caption] YURI SHIMMYO — CARNATION, LILY, YURI, ROSE Japan-born, Sydney-based artist Yuri Shimmyo's inspiration for her self-portrait came from a 19th-century painting by John Singer Sargent called Carnation, lily, lily, rose. While Sargent's painting features two girls playing in a garden, Shimmyo's features herself — Yuri means 'lily' in Japanese — covered in lilies, surrounded by a wallpaper of roses. As for the carnations, if you look to the left of the oil portrait, you'll red-and-blue tins of Carnation milk. The winning portraits and finalists will be on display at Sydney's Art Gallery of NSW from Saturday, September 26 to Sunday, January 10. If you do't agree with the judges, you can cast your own vote for People's Choice before Sunday, December 13. ARCHIBALD PRIZE 2020 DATES Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney — September 26–January 10 Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre, NSW — January 22–March 7 Cairns Art Gallery, Qld — March 19–May 2 Griffith Regional Art Galley, NSW — May 14–June 27 Broken Hill Regional Art Galley, NSW — July 9–August 22 Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, NSW — September 3–October 17 Penrith Regional Gallery, NSW — October 29–December 5 If you can't make it to any of the above dates, you can check out the award winners and finalists of the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes on the Art Gallery of NSW website.
Relaxing usually means avoiding difficult decisions. Before you chase bliss at The Bathhouse Albion, however, you do need to make some choices. Will a soak help ease your stresses? Would a cold plunge revitalise your senses? Maybe you'd prefer to float away your troubles? Is getting steamy — in a steam room, that is — your path to unwinding? Would you prefer a sauna instead? These are the best types of verdicts to make, of course, because you're plotting out how to level up your self-care. Making them at this relaxation spot in Brisbane's inner north means that you're on your way to forgetting your worries. A European-inspired wellness haven, The Bathhouse Albion is located in Nariel Street as part the Albion Fine Trades precinct. The vibe here is indulgent, opulent and luxurious — all in an architecturally designed space that boasts Hogg & Lamb's fingerprints. Travertine stone is a key element, giving the venue not just a Euro look and feel, but an old-school one as well. Moody lighting and high ceilings also feature. Within the atmospheric bathhouse, patrons can take a dip in both hot and cold pools (the latter gets down to 12 degrees), then get sweaty in traditional and infrared saunas — and in a Finnish sauna with a fireplace. The six-degree ice bath will cool you down. The tiered steam room will heat you back up. If you just want to drift, there's the float room. And, in-between treatments, the relaxation lounge awaits. Turning chasing bliss into a multi-sensory experience, The Bathhouse Albion also features calming fragrances and sounds — and there's no phones allowed, and no alcohol as well. It also has a cap on guest numbers for each session, so you won't have too much company. And yes, there's tea — that bathhouse staple — for sipping, plus cotton towels aplenty. Casual sessions start from $59. At the other end of the pricing scale, those feeling flush, not to mention willing commit a hefty chunk of cash to their relaxation, can opt for the $833-a-month unlimited membership. It gets you unlimited access and priority bathhouse sessions, as well as two monthly guest passes and two float passes.
From icy winds to sudden rain and spells of balmy sunshine, it can be tricky to know how to dress for the unpredictability of Aussie winters. Layering is the key to getting through the colder months — you can still wear your favourite t-shirt or mini dress and add a light trench, puffer jacket or drapey scarf to stay cosy and elevate your look with minimal effort. We've selected some of our top seasonal clothing essentials that should be a part of your capsule wardrobe for many winters to come — provided you look after them properly. Enter the Philips Garment Steamer, which not only eliminates wrinkles on all iron-safe fabrics but also removes odours and kills bacteria so you can extend your wear between washes. The compact handheld steamer is ready in just 30 seconds and can be folded to fit in your bag so you can even bring it with you when you're going straight from work to happy hour. Trench Coat You can't go wrong with a simple trench coat. The versatile jacket has remained a beloved classic for more than a century for good reason. The layering staple is substantial enough to add warmth while still light enough to minimise bulk. Wear it on top of a t-shirt and jeans to add a layer of sophistication to a simple outfit, or style it with a dress and heels for a more elegant look. You can pick up a lightweight option from Kmart for only $35 or invest in a weightier version that'll see you through many winters to come by brands such as & Other Stories ($299), UNIQLO ($199.90), DISSH ($249.99) and Assembly Label ($300). Sweater Dress For those days when it's too cold to even think about what to wear, throw on an effortless sweater dress with a pair of boots to stay snug from day to night. We'd advocate for spending a bit more on a wool or wool blend that'll last for more than one season, like AERE's Merino wool blend dress ($170), which features a chic mock neck and slit, or Seed Heritage's knit dress ($199.95), which has a roomier fit and sits above the knee. Style it with a belt and statement earrings for an elevated look, or dress it down with sneakers for a more casual vibe. Waterproof Boots Stay prepared for bouts of unpredictable weather with a pair of waterproof boots that are comfortable and stylish. Merry People's colourful Bobbi range ($159.95) is crafted with natural rubber and boasts a comfortable neoprene lining and arch support, making it suitable for all-day wear, no matter the weather. The Victorian brand also has gumboots for kids, knee- and calf-length boots, and convenient waterproof clogs that you can slip on when you're hustling out the door. Another option is Human Premium's Jam Boots ($89.95) which are similarly made with lightweight EVA and a neoprene interior. Puffer Jacket Our Aussie winters might not be as cold as other parts of the world but that morning chill can be a brutal challenge, especially when you're trying to find enough motivation to venture out of the house. Combat the nippiness with a puffer jacket that you can easily shrug off as temperatures ease during the day. Throw it on top of your activewear to keep hot girl walks alive during winter or layer it with a sweater for some extra cosiness. There are a range of choices and prices depending on what you're after like this water-resistant jacket for outdoor adventures by The North Face ($550), a lightweight option by UNIQLO for your office commute ($99.90), or statement pieces by Toast Society and AJE ATHLETICA. Blanket Scarf Tie your whole outfit together with an oversized scarf that's basically a blanket you can wear. Not only will it keep you warm but it can be styled in a variety of ways while adding a pop of vibrance and pattern to a muted winter colour palette. The Acne Studios scarf became a coveted winter accessory two years ago but you don't have to drop $500-plus to achieve the same aesthetic. Country Road, Bul and Witchery have colourful alternatives made with alpaca, mohair and wool blends for under $200 while Princess Polly has a polyester version that's only $30. Shop the Philips Handheld Steamer 3000 Series and other products on the website.
Bring back, bring back the BIFF. Thankfully, the time has come again for the best kind of BIFF – the Brisbane International Film Festival. I was exposed to the magic of international film during my last year of uni, but before that I was worried that the content and the context would be skewed because of language differences. How wrong I was! International films are so rewarding and teach you so much about other cultures you may not have been exposed to, not to mention allowing you to have one over all your mainstream movie-loving friends. This year BIFF will be using the Tribal Theatre as a venue for the last time due to its imminent closure, as well as the Palace Cinemas, so there's no escaping the incredible films that are on the program. There are 11 days of local and world cinema as well as retrospectives, experimental work, animation, short films and documentaries, and some have even been screened at the Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals. And if you miss the old school drive-ins that Brisbane had so many of, you're in luck because BIFF have a drive-in movie theatre that is screening movies over 3 nights. Check out the massive and impressive program at the BIFF website, and make personal note of the tonne of movies you'll no doubt be dying to see.
While cats aren't known for being overly affectionate, there are many ways you can show them love. You can have their face plastered across a mask (or a pair of swimmers), channel your inner Picasso and recreate them on a canvas, or just buy them a box — because if there's one thing cats like, it's a plain ol' box. Only one adorable cat can get immortalised in Lego, however. We're not talking about just sticking a few bricks together at home, either. Inspired by International Cat Day, Melbourne's Legoland Discovery Centre will build a life-size replica of one lucky cat. If you're already clearing a spot for your new Lego addition to the family — and wondering how your fluffball will react to their own likeness — you'll need to submit a photo of your cat on the Legoland Discovery Centre's Facebook page, specifically to its competition post between now and 11.59pm on Tuesday, August 25. You'll also need to explain why your russian blue or ragdoll should get the Lego treatment, which shouldn't be hard. Serve up the best answer, and Master Model Builder Kieran Jiwa (yes, that's a real job) will recreate your cat with in tiny plastic bricks. Expect the final product to look a little like this: https://www.facebook.com/LEGOLANDDiscoveryCentreMelbourne/posts/1320438718159066 While the contest terms and conditions don't require entrants to live in Melbourne, the winner will need to head by in person to pick up their prize (restrictions allowing, of course). You'll also need to like the Legoland Discovery Centre's Facebook page to enter, and include your pet's name, age, breed and one crazy fact about them with your submission. If your cat loves swimming, can dance or has learnt to play 'Chopsticks' on the piano, don't keep that detail to yourself. To enter the Lego Cat Competition, visit the Legoland Discovery Centre Facebook page before 11.59pm on Tuesday, August 25.
When you consider the conventional response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, one of impassioned environmental outrage, you almost feel like director Peter Berg accepted his latest film as a dare. "Hey Pete, here's one for ya. You know that Deepwater thing that happened back in 2010? Worst oil disaster in US history? 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico? 11 workers missing and never found. Millions upon millions of marine animals wiped out and a $100 billion company doing everything it could to avoid liability? Yeah, well…make that an uplifting story". Impressively – and to Berg's definite credit – he's done a more than solid job of it. Deepwater Horizon does indeed find its heart by telling the story of the 'roughnecks' who kept the rig running right until it didn't: the engineers, the riggers, the crane operators and the cleaners. BP executives feature too, but you'd better believe they're the bad guys, especially in the eyes of the Deepwater team. Penny-pinching and regulation-bending, the BP/Transocean head honchos (led by John Malkovich) come across like comic book villains, delivering silver-tongued insults and making unyielding demands of their subordinates through toothy, moustachioed grins and deep-south Louisiana drawls. If Deepwater Horizon were a cartoon, Foghorn Leghorn would be the first one cast ("I say, I say, I say, I do protest sir that this here rig be nigh on 43 days past delivery date, yiiiih-ha!!") Squaring up against the suits is a solid ensemble cast of hard-arses and hillbillies from the Transocean team responsible for keeping the Deepwater rig afloat. At the helm, Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, a straight-talking electronics technician, husband (to Kate Hudson) and father who tells his buddies how to fix their cars and his superiors how to fix their floating oil station. Alongside his boss Mr Jimmy (Kurt Russell), Williams has no difficulty in seeing that BP's determination to complete the drilling project and advance to the next site as quickly as possible puts at risk not just the oil reserve but all the crew members responsible for drilling it. Greed and gross negligence, in the film's frustratingly simplistic estimation, explain what happened next. We say frustrating, because in Deepwater Horizon there existed an opportunity to delve deep into the specifics of what precipitated the massive blow-out and subsequent explosion on that fateful evening. Sadly the script, based on the New York Times article "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours", rarely advances beyond repeated mentions of a 'cement bond log test' not being performed. Berg's focus is clear from the beginning: this is a human story centred on a very specific couple of hours from within a much larger tale. But whatever the movie lacks in narrative depth, it does its best to make up for in action. As with any real-world disaster movie, the inevitable cataclysmic conclusion endows it with an inherent suspense. Berg's job is to simply build the pressure until its explosive release can be held no longer – and he's happy to take his time. As in Clint Eastwood's recently released Sully, the film's patience in delivering the heart-thumping disaster moment means its eventual arrival is almost overwhelming, aptly showcasing the horrors endured by those on board, and the heroism of the few whose actions saw so many others survive. An intense and gripping piece of cinema, Deepwater Horizon ultimately resonates more than one might have expected for a film of this type and subject matter, offering at once an earnest tribute to the men who lost their lives and a solid rebuke to those who were responsible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-UPJyEHmM0
One day. Oh-so-much pink — and oh-so-many flowers, too. For another year, Hendra's Poco Posy is dedicating a spring Saturday to the delicate flowers known as peonies. It'll be selling them, you can buy them and, both at the shop and when you get home, everything is going to look mighty rosy. Taking place on Saturday, November 9 in 2024, Peony Market Day will have bunches of bunches on offer. Entry is free and there's no tickets required to head along, unlike in some past years — so just drop by from 8am–12pm, when plenty of petals will await. Prices start at $35 for a bunch, with flowers in both pale pink and mid pink on offer. A note: getting in early is recommended, as the peonies do sell out every year — and there's no pre-purchasing. You'll also be helping to celebrate the store, in a way: 2024 marks a decade of operations for Poco Posy.
Calling all Jurassic Park and Jurassic World fans — for more than six months at Queensland Museum in 2023, life is finding a way to bring you face to face with the largest-known land animal ever. The South Bank site is hosting Dinosaurs of Patagonia, which is filled with fossils from South America spanning 13 dino species. If you're a lover of David Attenborough's Prehistoric Planet, too, you'll be in your element. Even better — within this giant blast from the past, it's time for a night at the museum. It's time for several, actually. You won't find Ben Stiller roaming the halls here; however, QM is pairing its dinosaur exhibition with drinks. Clearly, these after-hours evenings will still feel rather adventurous — and, if you're interested in dinos, as we all are, dazzling as well. Queensland Museum has held these types of events before for past exhibitions, and just in general, with Dinosaurs of Patagonia After Dark taking place from 5.30pm on Saturday, March 18, Friday, May 5, Friday, July 28 and Friday, September 29. At this completely adults-only affair, you'll walk, talk, drink take a tour of the exhibition and party while surrounded by all those prehistoric beasts. There'll be live tunes, too, a palaeontologist answering questions and dinosaur origami to make. Plus, the rest of QM will be open as well, so expect to check out SparkLab and Sciencentre's wonders, and even meet native wombats, crocodiles and birds. A word of warning: these shindigs often sell out, so, you'll want to nab a $40 ticket quickly (and note that that price doesn't include food and drinks).
Walking through stunning lights as far as the eye can see, moseying beneath a canopy of glowing multi-coloured trees, wandering between ribbons of flashing beams, taking the most luminous two-kilometre stroll through nature that you can imagine — you'll be able to do all of this when Lightscape heads to Brisbane for the first time in 2023. Already a hit in Melbourne and Sydney, the after-dark light festival will be taking over the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens from Thursday, August 31–Saturday, October 8, beaming away from 5.45pm each night as part of another dazzling Brisbane event: Brisbane Festival. While the leafy spot is already extremely scenic, and Brisbane's annual citywide cultural festival usually finds a way to make the most of it, saying that Lightscape will be brightening up both is quite the understatement. Prepare to see the garden illuminated by immersive and large-scale installations scattered along that two-kilometre route, including sparkling trees, luminous walkways and bursts of colour that look like fireworks. A big highlight: large-scale works like giant flowers and glowing tunnels, both of which will make you feel like you're being bathed in radiance — and ample neon. Lightscape first hit Australia in 2022 after first taking over gardens across the United Kingdom and the United States. Developed by Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK, it's understandably proven a huge success — and more than two-million people wandered along its glowing trails in a season overseas. Fingers crossed for pop-up food and drink stalls scattered throughout Lightscape in Brisbane — selling, we hope, mulled wine to keep hands warm as winter becomes early spring. Lightscape sits on a Brisbane Festival bill that also includes Kate Miller-Heidke's new musical Bananaland and fellow stage show Tae Tae in the Land of Yaaas!, plus Riverfire to kick things off for the second year in a row, an attempt break the world record for a kazoo orchestra with mass-participation piece 10,000 Kazoos — and Paul Kelly, Gretta Ray, Groove Terminator with the Soweto Gospel Choir and a tribute to rock's Laurel Canyon era on its music lineup. And, there's more to come when the fest unveils its full lineup in early July. Lightscape will light up the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens from Thursday, August 31–Saturday, October 8. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the Brisbane Festival website.
