Since late March, Australians haven't been permitted to leave the country. For much of the past few months, we haven't been allowed to travel much further than our own homes, either. But, while one of those situations won't be changing anytime soon — other than the possible implementation of a travel bubble with New Zealand — the other is starting to ease in many Aussie states and territories. Despite the political rhetoric of recent months, opening Australia back up to Australian residents isn't as easy as it sounds. Indeed, with Victoria's COVID-19 case numbers increasing drastically in late June and early July, resulting in the reimplementation of stay-at-home requirements for all of metropolitan Melbourne for at least six weeks, relaxing interstate borders is proving particularly complex. Just where you can travel to depends on where you normally live and where you'd like to head — and if you're wondering what it means for your next road trip or local holiday, we've broken down the current restrictions for you state by state. Details in this article are correct as at Friday, July 17, and will be updated as new information is announced. [caption id="attachment_775040" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Port Stephens by Destination NSW[/caption] NEW SOUTH WALES Throughout Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic to-date, New South Wales was one of only two states that didn't impose any border restrictions upon domestic travellers — until now. Due to the rising case numbers in Victoria, NSW has closed the border between the two states for the first time in more than 100 years (the last time was in 1919 during the Spanish Flu). Effective since midnight on Tuesday, July 7, NSW has only closed its border with Victoria. Its borders remain open with all other Australian states and territories. Victorians wishing to enter NSW must apply for a border permit to travel from Victoria to NSW. To obtain a permit — which is valid for 14 days — you need to fall into a number of set categories, such as cross-border residents, students or those employed to provide critical services. Also, permits are not available to Victorian residents who are prevented from travelling due to public health restrictions, which means everyone living in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire. Even with a permit, anyone who has been in Victoria in the 14 days before entering NSW will need to self-isolate for 14 days. You can do so at home — and the quarantine requirements apply not only to Victorians, but to NSW residents returning home. [caption id="attachment_751687" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lean Timms for Visit Canberra[/caption] AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY In the Australian Capital Territory, the border has also been closed to anyone travelling to the ACT from Victoria — unless you have an exemption. The closure came into effect at the same time as NSW's similar border restrictions. ACT residents can return home from Victoria, and must quarantine for 14 days; however, for everyone else, exemptions only apply in select circumstances: visiting a immediate family member who is critically ill or in palliative care, undertaking essential services work, attending a funeral of an immediate family member, providing urgent care to an immediate family member, receiving urgent medical care, and if you've left Victoria by air after transiting from another jurisdiction, but you did not leave the airport. The ACT does not have any restrictions in place for travellers from other Australian states and territories. VICTORIA Like NSW, Victorian has not closed its borders throughout Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic to-date. And, while other states and territories are closing off from Victoria, the state's borders are actually still open. That said, leaders of Australia's other states and territories have strongly advised that no one should be travelling to Victoria at present — and if you do, you may be required to quarantine on return to your home state. For Victorians looking to venture interstate, you aren't just restricted by the rules of whichever state or territory you'd like to travel to, but — if you live in metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire — by Victoria's public health restrictions. As part of the reintroduced stay-at-home limits in place from 11.59pm on Wednesday, July 8, Victorians in these areas are only allowed to leave home for one of four reasons: for work or school (if you can't do this from home), for care or care giving, for daily exercise or for food and other essentials. Going on a holiday anywhere — locally, regionally in Victoria or interstate — is definitely not permitted. [caption id="attachment_743607" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Whitehaven Beach by Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] QUEENSLAND From Friday, July 10, after much debate and discussion over the past few months, Queensland officially reopened its borders to interstate visitors from all states and territories — except Victoria, which is considered a COVID-19 hotspot. On Tuesday, July 14, the state added the Campbelltown City and Liverpool City local government areas in New South Wales to its hotspot list, too, which means anyone who has been in Victoria or those two NSW areas in the past 14 days cannot enter Queensland. People visiting from South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory and other parts of NSW need to complete a border declaration form to obtain a Queensland border declaration pass. On it, you need to certify that you haven't travelled to Victoria or the aforementioned NSW spots in past 14 days — and the government has advised it'll be checking these statements, and that making a false statement will be an offence. And, you will need to agree to get tested for COVID-19 if you develop any symptoms within 14 days of arriving in Queensland. With the Queensland border closing back in March, the state has had a permit in place for some time for those wishing to cross the border; however previous permits issued before noon on Friday, July 3 are now invalid. Instead, everyone wanting to enter the state must apply for the aforementioned Queensland border declaration pass. If you have been in Victoria or the Campbelltown City and Liverpool City local government areas in New South Wales in the past 14 days, the state government advises that you should not come to Queensland. In general, you are not allowed to access or quarantine in the state, and you will be turned away at the border. Whether you live in the above areas or have visited them in the last fortnight, you'll only be allowed into Queensland if you receive an exemption "for essential specialist workers, as well as for health, legal or compassionate grounds", but Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk advises that "very few exemptions will be granted". If you do receive an exemption, you will be required to go into forced quarantine for 14 days, in a hotel, at your own expense. Queenslanders returning from Victoria, or the Campbelltown City and Liverpool City local government areas, will still be able to come home, but will also be required to go into forced quarantine for 14 days, in a hotel, at your own expense. [caption id="attachment_743719" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism WA[/caption] WESTERN AUSTRALIA At the height of Western Australia's COVID-19 restrictions, WA not only implemented a statewide border lockdown with the rest of the country, but internal travel restrictions within the state, barring travel from region to region. The latter have now largely been lifted for WA residents, who can mostly travel freely within the state — other than entering remote Aboriginal regions. Western Australia's statewide border lockdown is still in effect, however, with residents of all other states and territories banned from entering WA unless they fall into an exemption category, apply for a G2G Pass and, if approved, then self-isolate for 14 days. WA's roadmap to ease COVID-19 restrictions is currently in phase four — and, while removing the state's hard border was originally under consideration for phase six, which doesn't yet have a date, that plan was scrapped due to the situation in Victoria. At present, WA advises that "when an indicative date [for ending the border lockdown] is set in the future, it will be contingent on locally acquired infection rates in the eastern states. The WA hard border will only be removed when the WA Chief Health Officer is confident the spread of infection is controlled in the eastern states". [caption id="attachment_679107" align="alignnone" width="1920"] SATC[/caption] SOUTH AUSTRALIA After initially announcing in mid-June that it'd allow travellers from all interstate locations back in from Monday, July 20, South Australia has amended its plans in response to the situation in Victoria. As of midnight on Wednesday, July 8, it implemented a hard border with Victoria — only allowing Victorian residents to enter SA if they fall into the "essential traveller" category and agree to quarantine for 14 days. SA residents returning home from Victoria are still be permitted to enter the state, but also need to self-isolate for 14 days. Travel to SA from four Australian states and territories — Queensland, the Northern Territory, Tasmania and Western Australia — is already unrestricted and doesn't require a period of quarantine, although all visitors must receive pre-approval by completing the online Cross Border Travel Registration form. Travel to SA from New South Wales and the ACT is currently permitted, but only if travellers quarantine for a mandatory 14 days of self-isolation. All visitors must receive pre-approval by completing the online Cross Border Travel Registration form, too. [caption id="attachment_722075" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Thalia Haven for Tourism Tasmania.[/caption] TASMANIA All non-essential visitors to Tasmania are already required to quarantine for 14 days at a Tasmanian government accommodation facility — and, before travel, to complete a Tasmanian Arrivals Form. Exemptions are available on compassionate or medical grounds. Tasmania has not advised when these restrictions will come to an end. New rules also came into effect from 12am, Thursday, July 9, for people travelling from Victoria. A hard border has been implemented, and "any visitors who have spent time in Victoria in the 14 days prior to travel are not permitted to travel to Tasmania. If visitors come from Victoria to Tasmania, they will be turned back". Exemptions apply for essential travellers and for compassionate reasons. Tasmanian residents who have spent time in Victoria in the 14 days prior returning to the state will also be required to quarantine in government-provided accommodation for 14 days, too. [caption id="attachment_769946" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Australia[/caption] NORTHERN TERRITORY In mid-June, the Northern Territory announced that it would end all mandatory quarantine arrangements for travellers from interstate from Friday, July 17; however, as has proven the case in other states, the NT has adapted its plans in response to the situation in Victoria and some areas of NSW. Anyone travelling to the territory from an identified COVID-19 hotspot — if you live in one, or have been to or travelled through one in the past 14 days — must still undertake 14 days mandatory supervised quarantine at your own cost. All Australians from other states, and other areas in NSW, can visit without going into mandatory quarantine for 14 days. All travellers must complete a pre-arrival border crossing application form up to 72 hours before you arrive, regardless of where you're visiting from. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Great Barrier Reef by Tourism and Events Queensland
The underworld beckons: in 2025, hit musical Hadestown is set to take to the stage for the first time in Australia. Initially premiering as an indie theatre piece in 2006 in Vermont, then reaching off-Broadway in 2016 and Broadway in 2019, the show from musician and playwright Anaïs Mitchell plunges into the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice. Audiences at Theatre Royal Sydney can see the production give the ancient Greek myth a new spin from February. The Harbour City is hosting the Aussie debut season of the musical that spent 2019 and 2020 collecting accolades after accolades. From 14 Tony nominations, it won eight awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. At the Grammys, it took home Best Musical Theatre Album. If you're new to the show – which has been seen by more than three-million people and streamed over 350-million times — two love stories get Hadestown's narrative burning. Orpheus and Eurydice share the spotlight with King Hades and Persephone, as Mitchell accompanies their intertwined affairs with a soundtrack of New Orleans-inspired jazz and American folk. The production's Sydney season kicks off on Monday, February 10, 2025. Images: Hadestown Original London Cast.
Writer-director Sarah Polley's follow-up to the much-loved drama Away From Her, Take This Waltz follows the story of a freelance writer Margot (Michelle Williams) as she meets a rickshaw driver from Toronto, Daniel (Luke Kirby). Margot shares with him an uncontrollable sexual chemistry, and when they realise they live just across the street from each other, the bombshell is dropped: Margot is happily married to sweetheart husband Lou (Seth Rogen), a gentle and caring cookbook writer. Margot finds herself in a complex and conflicting situation, not knowing whether her comfortable routine with her husband, whom she still loves, is enough in the face of the fiery desire of her alluring neighbour. She finds herself frequently trying to bump into the young man and testing the limits of her resolve by having late night pool dips and sipping margaritas with him, yet not actually acting on the attraction. Far from being a shallow display of trivial conflicting desires, the movie poignantly illustrates the internal dilemma of whether familiarity and comfort will suffice when they come up against the temptation of exotic sex, romance and art. Williams gives a heartwarming and evocative performance, making audiences sympathise and identify with her plight. Similarly moving displays from Rogen and Kirby work to make this film a heartwarming and complex production, which is a must-see for romantics and cynics alike. Concrete Playground has five double passes to giveaway. To go in the running to win tickets to Take This Waltz, make sure you're subscribed to Concrete Playground then email your name and postal address to us at hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Ian Fleming's James Bond feasted on more than vodka martinis. Photographer Henry Hargreaves, the brains behind the No Seconds photography series (in which he recreated and photographed the last meals of famous death row criminals like Ted Bundy), is back with another series of snapped meals — this time from the literary adventures of 007, dubbed Dying to Eat. While the James Bond films like to focus more on cocktails, explosions, car chases and Daniel Craig walking slowly and triumphantly out of the surf, author Ian Fleming spent a great deal of time articulating the dinners, breakfasts and midnight snacks of Bond. But he didn't do this just to create some form of James Bond cookbook. It was a form of escapism for a postwar audience. "Ian Fleming wrote for the 1950s Englishman, whose everyday experience of the world was coloured by the devastating consequences of war," says Hargreaves. "The ‘50s post-war man could read Fleming’s Bond books and dream not only of adventure and villains in far-off lands, but of an exciting lifestyle of fast cars, beautiful women, finely tailored clothes, and exotic gourmet meals from around the world. Sadly these meals were missing from the cinematic adaptations." Dying to Eat is a collaboration between art director/food stylist Charlotte Omnes and Hargreaves, alongside graphic designer Will Vink, in which one scene from every Fleming title has been recreated detail for detail. Hargreaves' grandfather actually served with Fleming during the war and consulted on some of the tailoring details of the Bond books, so it's a project surprisingly close to home. From the eggs benedict of The Man with the Golden Gun to the spaghetti bolognaise of Thunderball and silver dishes of crab claws in Goldfinger, it's a visual essay into the 'exotic' meals only available at the time to a worldly, travelling human — one who stayed everywhere from a Swiss hotel room to a Miami beach club. But you'll notice there's a few Bond-like elements in the frame; a cufflink, a woman's purse, a ----. Hargreaves describes each meal as "more than just a detail contained within a sentence. It’s a story unto itself." “The trouble always is,” [Bond] explained to Vesper, "not how to get enough caviar, but how to get enough toast with it." Images: Henry Hargreaves.
Just another Grill’d in the city, you might think. You're wrong. Grill’d located in the CBD's fresh faced Wintergarden offers more than its suburban counterparts. This Grill'd combines the two joys of burger eating and post-work drinking with both an extensive burger menu and drinks list. Upon entrance you are confronted with an interesting chandelier made out of shiny silver spatulas - an homage to burger flipping. The atmosphere is fun and bustling, and the perfect place for Friday afternoon drinks. You have the choice of sitting in a booth, outdoors or at the bar at the back. The bar serves local beers such as Burleigh Brewing and Little Creatures, Stone & Wood and Matilda Bay Dirty Granny cider (all around $8 for a stubby). For wine lovers we recommend the Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris ($ 9 glass or $38 bottle) or the St Hallett Shiraz ($7 glass or $32 bottle). If you're just after some nibbles, this Grill'd serves delicious bites such as the Moroccan Lamb Meatballs and Chicken Satay Meatballs ($3 each).
It seems those wind turbines you've spied from atop the ridge at Meredith Music Festival could soon have a few new buddies. Victoria's latest wind farm project is one step closer to reality, with the mammoth Golden Plains Wind Farm being granted planning approval by the Victorian Government over the weekend. The decision follows a hefty environmental impacts assessment carried out last year and advice from an expert planning panel, with the project now headed to the federal government for final approval. If given the go-ahead, the $1.5 billion wind farm would cover a huge 17,000 hectares of land, about 60 kilometres northwest of Geelong. It's expected to produce almost 3000 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, or enough to power more than 400,000 homes. To put that in perspective, the project is expected to provide between 8–10 percent of Victoria's energy, according to The Guardian, with greenhouse savings of almost 3.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. One of the farmlands expected to gain wind turbines is the one that hosts the Meredith and Golden Plains Music Festival. But festivalgoers need fret not, with a government spokesperson telling the SMH that is was unlikely the project will have any impact on the festivals. [caption id="attachment_704549" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wind turbines on the horizon at Golden Plains by Steve Benn.[/caption] The Golden Plains Wind Farm, which, if approved, is slated for completion by 2023, would join a stack of other Victorian clean energy projects already under way in places like Moorabool, Lal Lal, Bulgana, Murra Warra and Stockyard Hill. It all comes as the government increases Victoria's Renewable Energy Target to 50 percent by 2030. In 2017, wind farms supplied 5.7 percent of Australia's overall electricity, according to the Clean Energy Council. While Victoria is currently home to the nation's largest wind farm, in Macarthur, SA has the most, but Queensland and NSW are also investing in renewable technology — as of December last year, Queensland had 27 wind and solar farm projects under construction and NSW had 23. If the Golden Plains Wind Farm is approved by the federal government, it is slated for completion by 2023. For more information about the project, head to w-wind.com.au/golden-plains-wind-farm.
Just an hour or two from Brisbane, you can find a myriad of natural delights spread throughout world-class national parks. From granite boulders and mountain ranges to tranquil rainforests and gushing waterfalls, there's guaranteed to be something for everyone — including when you're trying to make the most of Queensland's hardly frosty winter weather. One-day walks are a great way to maximise how often you get outdoors, especially when busy schedules get in the way of full weekend getaways. They're also perfect for getting a little nature therapy into your week, without having to carry all that pesky camping gear. It's amazing where a few hours of hiking can get you — volcano-forged mountain summits and prehistoric rainforests are just the start. So pick one of the below hikes, pack a backpack and head on an daytripper's adventure. [caption id="attachment_726975" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Glass House Mountains National Park by Ming Nom Chong for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] MOUNT BEERWAH SUMMIT, GLASS HOUSE MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK Mount Beerwah is the Goldilocks mountain of the Glass House range, a famed series of mountains located one hour north of Brisbane. It's a step up from Mount Ngungun, but less intense than Mount Tibrogargan. The hike to the summit takes three-to-four hours return and requires decent rock scrambling skills. After the initial climb, you'll be ogling Beerwah's distinctive 'organ pipes' — a series of massive granite columns, right before the summit. Enjoy the panoramic vistas from the top, and see if you can pick out Mount Coonowrin's distinctive peak. Check the forecast and turn back at the first sign of bad weather — it's dangerous when wet. [caption id="attachment_726974" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Purling Brook Falls by Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] PURLING BROOK FALLS CIRCUIT AND WARRINGA POOL, SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK Purling Brook Falls is Springbrook's most popular walk, located around 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. Shortly after starting the grade three circuit (four kilometres, two hours), you'll glimpse Gold Coast and Purling Brook Valley from the top of the cliffs. The vegetation gradually changes to cool rainforest before you branch off at the base of the falls for Warringa Pool — which will add another (optional) two kilometres to your trek. Walk through the piccabeen palms to this emerald oasis in the heart of the rainforest. After you've had a dip, head back to the base of the falls and continue the circuit as you gently wind back up to drier eucalypt forests. Unless you need the extra steps, be sure to take the circuit clockwise to save yourself from walking up 265 stairs. [caption id="attachment_726971" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Twin Falls Circuit by Matthew Taylor Thomas for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] TWIN FALLS CIRCUIT, SPRINGBROOK NATIONAL PARK Waterfalls galore await you on the Twin Falls Circuit, which you'll find 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. The Twin Falls are so close to the Purling Brook Falls (above) that you should consider doubling up for the ultimate one-day adventure. The grade three track (four kilometres return, two hours) passes Tamarramai Falls before snaking behind Twin Falls, which feeds into a delightful watering hole. It then continues past Tallanbana and Blackfellow falls. One of the highlights of this walk — aside from the endless waterfalls — is the sheer variety of vegetation you hike through, including several types of rainforest as well as montane heaths and open brush box forest. KONDALILLA FALLS CIRCUIT, KONDALILLA NATIONAL PARK Head north from Brisbane for just over 100 kilometres, deep into the Blackall Range, for a day hike that combines top-notch swimming holes with a picturesque waterfall. From the Kondalilli Falls car park, continue down to the bridge and turn right. This class three track (four kilometres, two hours) passes a rock pool at the top of the falls early on. This is a great walk for summer, when you can whittle away the hours swimming and enjoying the valley views. Continue to the base of Kondalilla Falls — which fittingly means 'rushing water' in the local Aboriginal language — before making your way back. [caption id="attachment_726969" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lamington National Park by Jason Charles Hill for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] DAVES CREEK CIRCUIT, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK Daves Creek Circuit (12 kilometres, four hours) is one of the most botanically diverse tracks in Lamington, located 100 kilometres south of Brisbane. This class four track gets you the most plant bang for your buck per kilometre. As you hike, notice how the vegetation around you rapidly changes — you'll walk through every kind of rainforest, as well as eucalypt and heathland. The track is scattered with lilies, orchids, banksia, wattles, ferns and casuarina, plus a bloom of wildflowers in late winter and spring. There are also two grand lookouts: the first over Woggunba Valley, and the second over Numinbah Valley. See if you can hear the distinctive sounds of the Albert's lyrebird as you hike. Note: Lamington National Park has some closures and alerts to watch out for. For all of the latest updates, head to the Queensland Government Parks and Forests website. [caption id="attachment_726970" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Morans Falls Lookout by Jason Charles Hill for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] MORANS FALLS TRACK, LAMINGTON NATIONAL PARK Morans Falls is a popular day hike through sweeping valley vistas from the top of Morans Falls and beyond. The site is also located in Lamington, 110 kilometres south of Brisbane, in the Green Mountains section. This is a family-friendly grade four track (4.4 kilometres, 1.5 hours) through the largest undisturbed area of subtropical rainforest in southeast Queensland. The valley views from the top of Morans Falls are a delight, but the views of the falls themselves from further down are a close second. Lamington also has an epic multi-day hike, if you'd like to stretch it out across a couple of days. Note: Lamington National Park has some closures and alerts to watch out for. For all of the latest updates, head to the Queensland Government Parks and Forests website. [caption id="attachment_709179" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scenic Rim[/caption] MOUNT CORDEAUX AND BARE ROCK, MAIN RANGE NATIONAL PARK Mount Cordeaux juts out of the perimeter of the Scenic Rim, a 116 kilometre drive southwest of Brisbane. The one-day walk up to the peak of Mount Cordeaux and out to Bare Rock (around 12 kilometres combined) is the best way to admire the Scenic Rim's crescent of impressive ranges and valleys. First, you'll step back in time to walk through the same ancient rainforests that covered the Gondwanan supercontinent more than 180 million years ago. After that, you'll soak up the expansive views of the mountainous ranges from the Mount Cordeaux Summit and then from Bare Rock, which is truly one of the best views in southeast Queensland. In spring, giant spear lilies bloom, with their five-metre long flowering stalks adorned with red flowers. [caption id="attachment_547440" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Lower Portals[/caption] LOWER PORTALS TRACK, MOUNT BARNEY NATIONAL PARK Mount Barney is the pinnacle of bushwalking in southeast Queensland, located 130 kilometres southwest of Brisbane. The arduous summit hike is for hardcore hikers, but the range of different walks on offer means that Barney should be on everyone's list. The Lower Portals hike (7.4 kilometres, three hours) is a great way to experience this incredible mountain without all that pesky elevation. The track ends at a swimming hole within a rocky gorge, so be sure to bring your swimmers along if the weather's right. See if you can spot the delightful orange starbursts of the extremely rare Mount Barney bush pea on your walk. This class four track has a tendency to heat up, so head out between April and September. [caption id="attachment_726968" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Girraween National Park by Ben Nott for Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] THE SPHINX AND TURTLE ROCK, GIRRAWEEN NATIONAL PARK Girraween is a spectacular and remote national park, with unusual granite boulders speckled across its landscape. Its name is just as beautiful — it means "place of flowers" in the local Aboriginal language. While it's located just over three hours' drive (260 kilometres) southwest of Brisbane, the walk to Sphinx and Turtle Rock (7.4 kilometres, four hours) is well worth it. The Sphinx is so named because of its massive boulder, which seems to balance impossibly on another. Then there's the gargantuan granite 'turtle shell' rock to see. Come in spring for seas of yellow wattle. Top image: Mount Barney National Park, Tourism and Events Queensland.
Talk about bloomin' great events: in autumn in the Scenic Rim, golden petals await at the Kalbar Sunflower Festival. For three days each year, a southeast Queensland farm opens its gates to the public for a weekend filled with yellow hues, florals as far as the eye can see, a sunflower maze and other activities celebrating its chosen plant. In 2025, you'll want to make sure that you're free to head along across Friday, May 2–Sunday, May 4. Located just over an hour outside of Brisbane, the Kalbar Sunflowers farm couldn't be more vibrant when it hosts its fest. It's no wonder that the event has become a much-loved and hugely popular autumn mainstay, with 12,000-plus people attending annually. Tickets are a hot commodity, with 2025's going on sale at the end of March. While the complete program for this year won't drop until Saturday, March 1, those lucky enough to score entry will spy sunflowers all around them at the Jenner family farm no matter what's on the full itinerary. In its early years, more than 200,000 blooms reached up to the sky, which is a hefty number. In 2023, over one million sunflowers were planted across 24 acres — and the same number will bloom in 2025. All of those golden petals also help the fest play host to a highlight to get lost in, literally: the popular sunflower maze. Picking sunflowers is on the agenda, too, costing $2 per stem. As happened in 2024, taking florals home with you will support a supremely worthy cause. To pay tribute to her husband Russell, who battled oesophageal cancer for 18 months and passed away in July 2023, the event's organiser Jenny Jenner is donating the proceeds from flower sales to The Mater Foundation and the Ipswich Hospital Foundation. Attendees can also look forward to the event's first animal petting zoo, a Devonshire tea marquee, the return of the fest's special-event lunches and gala dinner, food trucks serving up other bites, sunflower-themed market stalls and the sensory garden. Two murals will be painted, with the proceeds for taking part in making art going to community organisations. Past years have also featured yoga sessions among the sea of gold, art classes amid the blooms, making flower crowns, helicopter rides over the fields, sound-healing meditation classes among the petals and photo sessions, of course. Fingers crossed that they'll all be back. The Kalbar Sunflower Festival came about after Russell and Jenny changed direction during Queensland's ongoing drought conditions. Previously, they farmed lucerne but, with water levels low, they opted to switch to a crop that doesn't require as much H2O. And, with all those sunflowers then looking rather striking, the couple wanted to let everyone else enjoy their golden petals. The Kalbar Sunflower Festival 2025 takes place from Friday, May 2–Sunday, May 4 at Kalbar in Queensland's Scenic Rim. For further information, plus tickets from March, head to the event's website.
It doesn't snow in Brisbane. Sometimes, if it gets cold enough, the skies can whiten around the Granite Belt; however, that isn't Brissie. For eight days in Fortitude Valley, however, you will be able to surround yourself with the best thing that winter has to offer without leaving the city — and there'll be 50 tonnes of the stuff, in fact. Yes, all that snow will be real. You'll find it at The Prince Consort as part of the venue's returning Snow Week, and it'll be falling from the sky from Tuesday, June 27–Tuesday, July 4. The Wickham Street spot is turning into a winter wonderland, because it's that time of year. And, it's hosting a heap of snow-themed festivities to help you make the most of the event. Fancy a round of Snow (Drag) Queen Bingo? Have an ugly sweater you'd like to bust out at a party dedicated to terrible woollen wares? Fancy pretending you're at a ski resort? They're all options throughout the week. So is attending a shindig dedicated to Canada, to celebrate Canada Day — poutine included. Also on offer: nooks to get cosy in, live tunes and DJs, and special food menus to suit the occasion. Rugging up is recommended, obviously.
Rohan Anderson is a man of his word. Though the terms “sustainability”, “ethics” and “green living” are slung about a lot these days, they are values that few people fully live by. But just a month ago, Anderson threw himself out of the cannon and into the unthinkable: he quit his job and started living off the land. “I was working part-time as a graphic designer,” he says. “I would go to an office under the fluorescent light and stare at the computer screen and do the work and put up with all the internal politics of the workplace. And none of it....none of it felt real. None of it made any sense at all. It was so unnatural and so unhuman.” He also, this month, launched a cook book called Whole Larder Love, based on his blog which chronicles his quest for semi-self-sufficiency in rural Victoria. Four years ago Anderson was feeding his kids frozen chicken nuggets. He now purchases “only really basic stuff: flour, sugar, salt, yeast, milk, deodorant, toothpaste. What we’ve eliminated from our shopping trolley is the cardboard packaged food, frozen food, fresh food that’s out of season and meat from supermarkets.” Anderson’s grimy-nailed, bloody-shirted, sweaty-palmed account of hunting, gathering and harvesting is miles away from the sanitised green consumerism spruiked by celebrity chefs from the safety of their stainless steel kitchens. Though the book contains epicurean delights like Rabbit with Mustard Sauce, he flatly rejects the term “foodie”. “My grandfather is from Barcelona. Imagine if you went up to him and said, ‘because you eat beautiful Spanish tapas, you’re a gourmet, you’re artisan because you love good food’. No, that’s just food. That’s just normal food. I definitely want to distance myself from being the wanker foodie that loves a bit of foam on the plate. I don’t eat out at restaurants. It’s not the reality of what food should be. Food shouldn’t be overcomplicated. Otherwise, you distance the notion of accessibility and being clever with basic ingredients.” Food for Anderson is not just a source of fuel or even gastronomical enjoyment, but a political and an environmental concern. “I hate calling Whole Larder Love a cookbook,” he says. “It obviously is a cookbook, but there’s more of a subversive intention there. I really do want to promote the idea of people going back to the old ways of growing their own food. It will dramatically reduce our reliance on supermarkets. Most people know that there are big lorries that drive all this food around and food is actually air- and ship-freighted from other countries. That takes a lot of finite resources. I don’t think that system can last much longer. We’re now in a system of food production where we’re relying on a pretty massive machine that one day could fall over. I have gone back to embracing my animalness, which means taking care of all my food with my hands as all other animals do in the natural world. I’m going back to the good life, and I grow my food and I hunt.” “The real philosophy behind it is that I want to show people that it is possible in 2012 and to marry old techniques and state of the art communication technology. Today I’ve just shovelled a trailer load of manure from Ballarat to go on the pumpkin patch. And the pumpkins will grow all summer, they'll be cured, and we'll have about forty pumpkins for winter for the six of us. Then this afternoon I’m going to go out and chuck two trailer loads of timber for firewood for preparation for next winter. Then I will sit there on my MacBook Air and write up a blogpost.” It’s a mindset loaded with idealism and a book that motivates people to pick up alternative ways of thinking, and more importantly, doing. “My lifestyle is not for everybody. But I will continue to communicate it. The best thing is when people send me photos of what they’ve harvested on the weekend, how they’ve been inspired, how they’ve bought some chooks and built a chook-house. I love that the blog has had an effect on some people.” As a result of his interactions with readers, Anderson reckons more people are bulking at the artificial delineations between the built and natural worlds. “I was in Chippendale a couple of weeks ago - they have worm farms and vegie gardens on the nature strips.” Along with growing your own produce, he says engaging with these kinds of community gardens and farmers’ markets are pragmatic ways to break down what he sees as “the boxed-in areas of nature” that typify unhealthy, unsustainable city life. And he insists that his hunting and gathering lifestyle doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing: city-dwellers can do it too. “People who even just have a balcony, a rooftop, a backyard - where-ever you are in the Western world - can grow food. In the big cities in Italy - Rome, Florence and Milan - the nonnas that live there have so many vegies growing on their verandahs. It’s like an oasis on your verandah, as opposed to your typical Aussie gas barbeque, a couple of dead ornamental plants and maybe somebody’s bike. These gardens in Italy were just full. It was so inspirational to see what could be done in very tight spaces. Someone had pumpkins on a verandah - they were massive and this person had trained these pumpkins to go vertical, diagonal, anyway in any space possible. That was a beautiful thing to see, that even in the cities, they want to grow and smell and feel fresh food. That’s such a beautiful thing.” Photos courtesy of Rohan Anderson.
The combination of Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos is one of 21st-century cinema's best, and long may it continue beyond The Favourite, Poor Things and now Kinds of Kindness. The mix of the two-time Oscar-winner, the Greek filmmaker, plus Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley in the last two of those movies has also been working out swimmingly. There's another winning blend in Kinds of Kindness, though, and one deserving of earning the third Lanthimos lead in as many features an Oscar: the writer/director and Jesse Plemons, who has already collected the 2024 Cannes Best Actor award for his trio of roles in this black-comedy triptych. He gives not one, not two, but three exceptional performances. First he plays an employee who loses his boss' faith, then a husband whose wife is lost, then a disciple trying to find a woman with an extraordinary ability. Sweet dreams are made of this, as the Eurythmics' thumping 1983 hit tells Kinds of Kindness' viewers when it blasts through the movie at full blare from the get-go. There's little that's delectable for the film's characters, or kind for that matter, but Lanthimos back at his darkest, spikiest, and most sinister and cynical — back among the vibes of Dogtooth, Alps, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer — is indeed a delicious reverie. As Annie Lennox sings about anthemically, this is a picture about desire. It's equally about everyone looking for something that fulfils those yearnings and stirrings. Using and abusing, wanting to be used and abused, holding and keeping your head up in this cycle of pleasure and pain: so also goes the words of one of the best dance-floor fillers of the past four decades, and now so goes the feature that makes its sentiments a filmic reality as well. Plemons (Civil War), Stone (Cruella), Qualley (Drive-Away Dolls), Dafoe (Asteroid City), Hong Chau (The Menu), Joe Alwyn (Stars at Noon), Mamoudou Athie (The Burial): they're Lanthimos' troupe in the three tales of his ninth movie. Joining them is Poor Things' Yorgos Stefanakos as RMF, who is driving the car pumping out "who am I to disagree?" and "I travel the world and the seven seas" when the anthology's opening chapter commences. The repertory cast is stunning, on paper and on the screen. So is the filmmaker's knowing playfulness in enlisting them, with some of the most-famous faces who routinely represent humanity — that's acting, after all — toying with being humane's utter absence. Sometimes they're demanding that each other commits murder. Sometimes they're getting cannibalistic. Sometimes they're lopping off their own body parts. Often they're fixated to the point of delusion. La Chimera is already taken as the name of an excellent and unique auteur-helmed 2024 cinema release in Australia, skewing figurative, but the three-headed creature of Greek myth that originated a term for illusions feels like the spirit animal for Kinds of Kindness in more ways than one. Among actual critters, dogs and cats feature here, more reminders of domesticity taken down startling paths. Neither are crucial to the debut chapter, but that's still the narrative's route, as Plemons' Robert, a salaryman with a spacious home, doting wife (Chau) and slick business job, has the facade of his comfortable existence shattered. His employer and sometimes-lover Raymond (Dafoe) dictates his every move, plotting out instructions on daily handwritten cards. Wardrobe choices, what to eat, who he married, when to have sex: everything is covered. After ten years of willing and eager compliance, Robert then refuses a task, then suspects that optician's assistant Rita (Stone) also has the same control-and-subjugation arrangement. Making Plemons and Stone competitors will pop up again, but next they're husband and wife in the movie's second instalment. He's police officer Daniel, she's marine researcher Liz, and he's distraught about her going missing at sea until she's rescued against everyone else's expectations. Is the woman now sharing his home really his spouse, though? And what lengths will he push her to to test his fears? In the last of Kinds of Kindness' trilogy of tales, Dafoe's Omi and Chau's Aka steer a cult that's looking for a healer who fits an exacting list of criteria. Doing the searching on their behalf, and being rewarded with sex, plus drinking water purified with their gurus' tears, are Plemons' Andrew and Stone's Emily. In this section as in each before it — and across Lanthimos' entire filmography — how brutal, domineering, selfish and cruel people can be is firmly in focus, as are the beliefs that we cling to to pretend that's not the case. These notions were all a part of The Favourite and Poor Things, of course, as scripted by The Great's Tony McNamara, yet the mood gets stormier when Lanthimos works with his Dogtooth, Alps, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer screenwriter Efthimis Filippou. Gone are the whimsy and empowerment that also colours Poor Things, for instance. Still, his work with Filippou remains grounded in heightening everyday traits and patterns, however dystopian or nightmarish they get. Watching this duo's collaborations always means recognising the impulses that spring from the mix of water and flesh that comprise humans, as well as witnessing those relatable urges and compulsions being gleefully and cannily taken to extremes. Adding to a resume that continues the opposite trajectory to people en masse in Lanthimos and Filippou's view — that'd be getting better and better — Plemons is impossible to peer away from as Robert, Daniel and Andrew alike. Each is an everyman plagued by a need for purpose and belonging, and quickly willing to get vicious to grasp it. But amid the meticulous imagery that always characterises a Lanthimos film, with cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Old Oak) a master in emphasising new views and angles on what'd be typical sights in other hands, Plemons isn't playing the same character over and over again. As his hair gets shorter chapter by chapter, the Killers of the Flower Moon, Love & Death and The Power of the Dog actor does far more than make his lost, lonely, searching, awkward and angry Kinds of Kindness figures thematic clones or even siblings. That said, there's a three-sides-of-the-same-coin statement to the picture overall: people are unkind, then people are unkind, then people are unkind once more. The specifics of their personalities and circumstances change. What they're desiring shifts as well. Kinds of unkindness remains the end fresult. As Hunter Schafer (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) rounds out the ensemble, just in one segment, Stone has the same gig as Plemons, and is equally committed. She's in terrain, aka unpacking the savagery that flows through humans like blood, that she's also tapped into in her recent small-screen appearances in The Curse and Fantasmas, 2023's best new TV show and 2024's best in the same field so far. She's on message for Lanthimos, then, even when he's not her director. With him, Stone summed up the Greek Weird Wave great's prevailing perspective on life best when she was earning her second Best Actress Oscar for Poor Things as Bella Baxter: "I have adventured it and found nothing but sugar and violence".
You probably already know about New York's reputation for top-quality digs, so you'll be pleased to learn these high standards extend well beyond the city limits. If you're considering venturing upstate — which you absolutely should be — idyllic retreats abound. Not only will the New York holiday of your dreams have the fabulous accommodation to match, but you'll also have direct access to some of the state's underrated gems: its charming small-town communities and boundless outdoor and cultural adventures. We've teamed up with New York State to present some of the most stellar accommodation throughout the state. From scenic summer camps to beachfront escapes, here are our picks to make your next New York adventure even more special. [caption id="attachment_851092" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brooke O'Neil - Courtesy of Franklin County[/caption] WHITE PINE CAMP, PAUL SMITHS If it's good enough for a president then it's good enough for you. Set in Paul Smiths, in the heart of the Adirondacks region, White Pine Camp is the former holiday home of President Calvin Coolidge. Nowadays, it's a year-round getaway that places you right in nature's beauty. You'll have 13 stately cabins and cottages to choose from, each featuring handcrafted furnishings, stone fireplaces and stunning views. This provincial wonderland is one of the region's 'Great Camps' — a label reserved for the remarkable lakeside homes built by wealthy 19th-century families. There are endless activities to experience during your stay. You can enjoy boating, hiking, fishing and bowling. Then, when you're ready to unwind, head to the camp's Japanese tea house for a cocktail. [caption id="attachment_851090" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Visit Buffalo Niagara, Kim Smith,[/caption] THE MANSION ON DELAWARE AVENUE, BUFFALO Buffalo is one of the most captivating cities in the United States. From the recently restored 19th- and early 20th-century architectural gems and picturesque gardens to the thriving entertainment and nightlife scenes, there are many things that make the city well worth a visit. Located in the heart of the city, The Mansion on Delaware offers an up-close glimpse of the aforementioned 19th-century grandeur. The elegance of the property is undeniable from the moment you step inside, with 15-foot ceilings and handcrafted details that ooze class. You can live out all your upper-class fantasies here, too. To complement the venue's grand allure, a team of "new-fashioned butlers" are waiting at your beck and call, whether you need the ideal restaurant reservation, day-trip suggestions or even a personal driver to whisk you to a nearby landmark. [caption id="attachment_844998" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Phillip Ennis, Courtesy of Oheka Castle[/caption] OHEKA CASTLE, HUNTINGTON Oheka Castle is believed to have inspired The Great Gatsby, so booking a stay in this sprawling mansion ensures you get the chance to live out your Roaring Twenties fantasies. Here, at the highest point of Long Island, luxury is the name of the game, with a selection of sophisticated suites offering opulent decor alongside views stretching across the pristine grounds. Downstairs, the OHK Bar and Restaurant is open for brunch, lunch and dinner, and has a distinctly European atmosphere. You're also welcome to explore the gardens, order an in-room massage, hit the gym or even attend a daily tour of this storied mansion. [caption id="attachment_851095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Dutchess Tourism[/caption] THE ROUNDHOUSE, BEACON The charming town of Beacon makes for the ideal artsy escape, as this former industrial hub has evolved into a cultural destination over the last 20 years. The Roundhouse embodies this rejuvenation perfectly. The historic mill was transformed into a boutique hotel and restaurant in 2010, but many of the property's refined architectural details were preserved. The Roundhouse is perched on the edge of the fast-flowing Fishkill Creek, offering views of the adjacent Beacon Falls. This easy-on-the-eye spot has 51 guestrooms decked out with mid-century decor. Meanwhile, the acclaimed restaurant showcases goods from local farms, wineries and distilleries. [caption id="attachment_844992" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NYSDED, Darren McGee[/caption] MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE, NEW PALTZ Mohonk Mountain House is another majestic stay that'll see you surrounded by the Hudson Valley's incredible scenery. This early 20th-century estate is based on the edge of Lake Mohonk and is surrounded by 40,000 acres of forest. You won't be left looking for ways to fill your time either. First of all, there are some 85 miles of hiking trails to explore. You can also go kayaking and fly fishing on the lake that sits next to the estate, or make the most of the estate's award-winning spa and top-notch recreational facilities, including tennis courts, an indoor pool, a golf course and more. Mohonk Mountain House is also known for its farm-to-table cuisine, which is served throughout its many venues. [caption id="attachment_851104" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Greene County Tourism & Film Office[/caption] EASTWIND HOTEL AND BAR, WINDHAM When your main priority is reconnecting with nature, eco-conscious glamping in the rugged countryside is bound to fit the bill. Eastwind Hotel and Bar, overlooking the Catskill Mountains, is a fantastic choice. The property's A-frame glamping tents and cabins will level up your outdoor encounters with their Scandinavian-style architecture and amenities. Here, you don't need to forgo the creature comforts during your stay — even the basic offering comes with wifi, lush robes and private bathrooms. Opting for an upgraded hut, meanwhile, will score you a cosy lounge area, writing nook, outdoor fire pit and shower, and a private deck to appreciate the views. Throw in a visit to the hotel's trendy cocktail bar and a sweat sesh in the wood-barrelled sauna, and this out-of-town haunt won't disappoint. THE LAKE HOUSE ON CANANDAIGUA, CANANDAIGUA The Finger Lakes is one of upstate New York's top destinations, known for its picturesque lakes, wineries and top-class recreational facilities. Sound like your sort of place? The Lake House on Canandaigua is where you should stay. Modern yet flourished with old-world charm, this peaceful location is the perfect place to base yourself when exploring the surrounding landscapes. Alongside the 125 picture-perfect rooms, dining is a clear focus at the hotel. The Sand Bar offers a laidback atmosphere and colourful cocktails overlooking the water, while Rose Tavern levels up the class with rustic decor and hearth-cooked cuisine. For activities, there's a fully kitted day spa, ice skating in winter, morning meditation sessions and much more. STARLITE MOTEL, KERHONKSON The Starlite Motel is a 1960s motor lodge that has been lovingly restored to its former glory through modern updates and fashionable touches, ranging from a kitschy pink exterior and retro tiling to vintage appliances that instantly transport you to a bygone age. When you're not exploring the many nearby hiking, biking and climbing locations, you're invited to make the most of an outdoor pool and communal firepits. There's also a lo-fi canteen serving local drinks and snacks, while a selection of barbecue grills means you can whip up your own feast beneath the stars. [caption id="attachment_851100" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Courtesy of Ulster County Tourism/Film[/caption] WOODSTOCK WAY HOTEL, WOODSTOCK Inspired by the music and counterculture that made its namesake community so famous, Woodstock Way Hotel invites guests to experience this history through rustic-chic architecture and enchanting gardens. The rooms, suites and cottages are adorned with vintage decor and artwork, so expect to feel immersed in the lush outdoors through balconies and private gardens. Although there's no on-site restaurant, the communal area offers snacks and drinks. You're also just a quick walk from the centre of town, meaning you can experience Woodstock's wealth of stylish restaurants, bars and fashion boutiques with ease. To start planning your trip to New York State, head to iloveny.com. Also, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best food and drink stops, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures and day trips from NYC. Top image: Courtesy of Oheka Castle
You might have thought King George Square looked pretty fine during the day and maybe a tad finer at night, but it's at twilight City Hall really shows off its colours. And what better backdrop when you're shopping the evening away — especially when the King George is filled with some of Brisbane's best designers and makers. The regular Brisbane Twilight Market shows off a sizeable array of stalls — more than 80, in fact — all staffed by some pretty nifty and talented local artists. Returning for 2020, the event will host an eclectic selection of items, so prepare to browse and buy. You'll be perusing everything from handmade clothing, accessories and leather goods to paper goods, homewares, art and ceramics (and more). This market is all about sound, smell and sales — so live music will provide a soundtrack to the evening, and expect to be hit with that spring flowerbed smell that always lingers when there's a soap stall around. Food stalls are also on the agenda, with 2020's slate of markets held on Friday, August 28, Friday, September 25 and Friday, October 30. Each event runs from 4–9pm, so take along some cash and stock up on all things crafty. [caption id="attachment_753580" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council[/caption] Top image: BrisStyle.
Many of Australia's annual cinema showcases focus on one particular country; however, that definitely isn't the Jewish International Film Festival's remit. Surveying the past year in movies with ties to Jewish culture, it fills its program with flicks from around the globe — in 2022, when it returns to Brisbane cinemas, with a lineup of 31 feature films, 25 documentaries, six short films and even episodes from episodes a TV series, in fact. That selection will hit New Farm Cinemas Thursday, March 10–Sunday, March 20 and, and it clearly isn't short on highlights. That obviously includes its bookending titles, with the event opening with Simone Veil: A Woman of the Century and paying tribute to the French feminist icon, then closing with period melodrama Beauty Queen of Jerusalem from Israel. Other standouts and must-sees include The Painted Bird, as based on Jerzy Kosinski's novel and featuring Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgård among the cast; the Cannes-premiering A Radiant Girl, which steps back to the Occupation in Paris in World War II; and Haute Couture, which dives into French fashion. Or, there's also Tiger Within, about an unlikely friendship between a Holocaust survivor and a teenage runaway; the Billy Crystal and Tiffany Haddish-starring Here Today; documentary Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song, focusing on the singer-songwriter and that immensely popular song; and fellow doco Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful, which turns the lens on the prolific German Austrian photographer.
Victoria's Hot Chocolate Festival is back again this August. And, like last year, it's also bringing the decadence to you. Whether you're a Melburnian who can't make it to one of the three venues outside of town, or you're located elsewhere and you really love hot chocolate, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie, the Great Ocean Road Chocolaterie in Bellbrae and the Mornington Peninsula Chocolaterie are churning out at-home kits filled with creative hot choccie flavours. Like this year's physical fest, there's a wild range of flavours — and whichever you choose, you'll receive couverture flavour-infused melts, a giant marshmallow and interactive elements to add to your choice of hot milk at home. Wondering which inventive flavours will tempt your tastebuds? The 2022 lineup is as OTT and indulgent as ever — and as tasty. Kicking things off: the Top Gun, which comes with red, white and blue marshmallow, as well as a jam-filled donut and dark choc moustache. Keeping things movie-themed, there's also a Hocus Pocus hot choc as well. Or, you can pick from salted caramel pretzel, honeycomb macadamia kronut, Iced Vovo and Milky Way hot chocolates — and vegan caramel surprise as well. The kits are available to order throughout August, and there's a flat-rate shipping fee of $15 to anywhere in Australia.
Choosing a birthday gift for your food-loving friends is easy. You just wine and dine them, meaning you both get to enjoy the spoils of dining out. But when it comes to the holiday season (AKA silly season), our calendars are already filled with parties, lunches, drinks and every other type of social occasion — and this year is tipped to be busier than most. So, what do you get them? After a year of being relatively housebound (or, at least, state-bound), it's time to up the ante by treating them to a full blown food-fuelled travel adventure. There's more to fancy big-city fine diners, after all. Dig a little deeper and you'll discover Australia's exceptional culinary offerings from country to coast. In partnership with Tourism Australia, we've rounded up ten gift-worthy dining (and wining) experiences to rock a food-lover's world, including everything from guided bush tucker tastings to sky-high feasts. You can bet they won't be forgetting these next-level presents in a hurry.
What'll start with fireworks, end with kazoos and fill Brisbane with live tunes for three spring weeks in-between? The 2023 Brisbane Festival. Ahead of its full lineup announcement in early July, the annual September arts and culture fest is beginning to unveil details of its always jam-packed program — including a just-dropped early glimpse at some of the acts on its music bill. Brisbane Festival has named a heap of local, national and international talents that'll grace River City venues, focusing on The Tivoli in Bowen Hills, Woolloongabba's revamped The Princess Theatre and South Bank's QPAC, and spanning a variety of genres. Paul Kelly, Gretta Ray, Groove Terminator with the Soweto Gospel Choir and a tribute to rock's Laurel Canyon era: they're all on the way, in what's set to be a very busy start to spring. Whenever Kelly stands behind the microphone, it's an occasion. At Brisbane Festival, he'll be drawing from recent compilation releases Time, Rivers and Rain, and Drinking — with the latter including favourites such as 'To Her Door' and 'Every Fucking City' — at The Princess Theatre. Ray will bring her characteristically warm and emotional set to The Tiv, while that ode to Laurel Canyon is also headed to Woolloongabba, featuring Husky, Dan Kelly, Charm of Finches, Hannah Cameron, Steve Grady and Dan Challis. And, The Princess will welcome in Busby Marou; Soweto Gospel Choir's new concert Hope, a celebration of the music of protest and freedom; and a History of House session that sees Soweto Gospel Choir team up with Groove Terminator to commemorate dance music through the decades. Over at QPAC, another collaboration is among the highlights, with Birds of Tokyo joining forces with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. QSO will also welcome composer and conductor Guy Noble to step through his favourite melodies, and the orchestra's new conductor Umberto Clerici will continue its Mahler cycle, this time with Mahler's Sixth Symphony 'Tragic'. Or, there's Camerata Cinematheque, which sees Camerata create live orchestra scores for new specially commissioned short films by Oscar-nominated Brisbane-born filmmaker Anthony Lucas — plus the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra playing Benjamin Britten's 'War Requiem' with special guests. Brisbane Festival 2023 runs from Friday, September 1–Saturday, September 23 at venues all around Brisbane. Tickets for this run of music events go on sale on Friday, June 2. Brisbane Festival's full program will be released in early July — for more information in the interim, head to the fest's website.
In a week that already gave our nostalgic hearts hope for a reunion of The Nanny, here comes an even better piece of news: Daria, your favourite late 90s realist gal, will be finding her way back to our screens thanks to MTV. Big mood. The news comes as part of MTV's announcement that it's launching a new production unit, MTV Studios, which'll be working on a number of reboots. As well as Daria, other past TV hits getting the revival treatment include Aeon Flux and The Real World. The new outfit will also work on several new reality shows, but it's probably safe to say cult fave Daria is the one to get fans most excited. Feminist icon Daria Morgendorffer blessed our screens with smarts, satire, sardonicism and being a general slacker from 1997 to 2002, with the show revolving around her acerbic cynicism and its disconnect with the teenage girl world she lived in. And, even though it's been nearly two decades since the show went off the air — running for 65 episodes, plus the pilot, two specials, and made-for-television films Is It Fall Yet? and Is It College Yet? — she is very far from forgotten if yearly Halloween costumes are anything to go by. Melburnians certainly haven't been letting the character slip from their memories, with not one but two parties dedicated to the series taking place in 2017. The new reboot will be called Daria & Jodie, and it'll follow your gal and her friend Jodie — another character from the original series, and one of Daria's classmates at Lawndale High School — as they "take on the world with their signature satirical voice while deconstructing popular culture, social classes, gender and race", according to MTV. Written by Grace Edwards (Inside Amy Schumer, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), you can probably rest assured that this is one reboot that won't ruin the original (we're looking at you, Charmed — although, to be fair, that new witchy series won't air until later this year). Stay tuned for premiere date information, and start kicking about in those old black Doc Martens again to celebrate. Via Variety.
If you've been counting down the days until you see Deadpool, Captain America and Blade's next stints on the big screen, you'll now be counting for longer: as part of a post-SAG-AFTRA strike shakeup, Marvel has pushed back some of its upcoming cinema release dates. And, by doing so, the comic-book company has created a rare situation: only one Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is set to hit cinemas in 2024 as a result. Earlier in 2023, when Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige told Entertainment Weekly that the MCU might slow down its pace, neither the writers' nor the actors' strikes had happened. Now, those words are proving true for four upcoming films. Deadpool 3, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and Blade will all release later than planned, with experiencing the latest in a series of shifts back. This year has seen Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Marvels hit the silver screen. In 2024, the next date with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds, Spirited) — and with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman, The Son) as well — will now happen on Thursday, July 25 Down Under instead of Thursday, May 2. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts were both slated for releases in 2024, too, but will now arrive in 2025 instead, moving from Thursday, July 25, 2024 to Thursday, February, 13, 2025 and Thursday, December 19, 2024 to Thursday, July 24, 2025, respectively. The same year, Blade will now drop on Thursday, November 6 instead of Thursday, February, 13. Obviously, while writers and actors have been striking for improved working conditions across 2023, none of Marvel's movies were being made, so these delays aren't surprising. Deadpool 3 will see both Deadpool and Wolverine enter the MCU, while Captain America: Brave New World focuses on Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) with the cape and shield. Thunderbolts will be all about the Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan, Dumb Money), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen, Breaking Point), John Walker (Wyatt Russell, Under the Banner of Heaven), Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus, You Hurt My Feelings), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh, Oppenheimer), Red Guardian (David Harbour, Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story) and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko, Extraction II) — and the return of Blade stars Moonlight and Green Book Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Nothing else has shifted so far, which means that yet another Fantastic Four film — with no cast revealed as yet — is due on Thursday, May 1, 2025, in a year that has four MCU flicks set to drop. After that, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are due to follow on Thursday, April 30, 2026 and Thursday, May 6, 2027 — if they aren't also delayed in general, due to the domestic violence allegations against Jonathon Majors (Loki) or even as a result of recasting. So, yes, all these MCU movies are still happening, but not as quickly. We've said it before and we'll say it again: maybe this far in, more breaks from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will make the heart grow fonder, especially if you've been feeling more than a bit of MCU fatigue. For more information about Marvel's upcoming slate of films and TV shows, head to the company's website. Images: Disney.
In January 2023, the Elton John farewell tour to apparently end all Elton John farewell tours will return to Australia and New Zealand, playing its last round of shows Down Under before the singer says farewell to live concerts. Haven't nabbed a ticket? Can't go? Went last time he came our way, in what was then meant to be John's goodbye gigs? Whichever fits — or if you are heading along to see the music star next year — you can always stream his final-ever North American performance live on Monday, November 21. Make plans to knock off early: Disney+ is livestreaming the concert at 2pm AEST / 3pm AEST / 5pm New Zealand time. The show has been badged Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium, and will run for a hefty three hours, complete with Dua Lipa, Kiki Dee and Brandi Carlile as guests. Yes, that means that John and Lipa's hit single 'Cold Heart' is guaranteed to get a spin, as is 'Simple Things' by John and Carlile — both of which featured on John's 2021 album The Lockdown Sessions. And, yes, you can expect to hear John and Dee's 'Don't Go Breaking My Heart' from 1976, with the concert's lineup of guests showcasing John's enormous longevity and range. Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium forms part of the musician's global Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, which has been taking him around the world since September 2018, and spans more than 300 concerts across five continents. In Australasia, his first stops here during the tour saw over 705,000 tickets sold to gigs across a three-month period that spanned 34 Australian and six New Zealand dates from November 2019. During the livestreamed performance, fans can expect to feel the love through all of his hits, including 'Rocket Man', 'Tiny Dancer' 'Bennie and the Jets', 'Crocodile Rock', 'I'm Still Standing' and 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' — even though it's happening on a Monday Down Under. John's tour also features never-before-seen images and videos show from his 50-year career — well, never seen before the tour — which are displayed throughout each gig. And, on Disney+, the Dodger Stadium concert will be paired with Countdown to Elton Live, a special featuring John's famous friends wishing him well, and also including interviews with John and David Furnish. When the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour does indeed come to an end, John will retire from touring after five decades on the road. If that all sounds rather massive, that's the star's career in a nutshell. He's played more than 4000 shows across in his time, sold more than 300 million records worldwide and holds the record for the biggest-selling single of all time thanks to the 1997 version of 'Candle in the Wind'. The singer has clearly enjoyed a huge past few years, too, with his life story hitting the big screen in biopic Rocketman. Check out the trailer for Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium below: Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium will stream via Disney+ at 2pm AEST / 3pm AEST / 5pm New Zealand time on Monday, November 21. Images: Ben Gibson.
Maybe you've experienced the gothic charm of QT Sydney. Perhaps you've enjoyed slumbering at the site of a former cinema at QT Melbourne. At QT Gold Coast, you could've slept in rooftop cabins. At QT Newcastle, you might've bunked down in a clock tower. QT Queenstown comes with alpine views, while QT Auckland heroes the harbour. They're just some of the hotel chain's experiences in Australia and New Zealand, the two countries that it operates in so far — until it launches in Asia in September. Meet QT Singapore, QT Hotels & Resorts' first hotel beyond Down Under, which will open its doors from Monday, September 16, 2024. When it starts welcoming in quests, you'll be able to check into one of 134 rooms in the city-state's Eastern Extension Telegraph building, which dates back to 1927. You'll also be in a prime position: right next to the Lau Pa Sat hawker centre. Behind the striking facade, which is staying the same, the building has undergone a complete interior revamp to deck it out in QT's aesthetic. The brand's look varies from hotel to hotel, but always stands out from other places to stay. Interior designer Nic Graham is doing the honours, with reflecting the city-state's climate and evolution — and the building's location and heritage — the main aim of his approach to the site's decor. Holidaymakers can also expect a signature bar and grill, plus rooftop bar Rooftop by QT, which will sit alongside a sky-high pool for sips and splashes with a view. If you're keen on having a shindig on your getaway, private dining will also be on offer. "We're excited by the liveliness QT will bring to Singapore's diverse tourism landscape and ever-evolving metropolis later this year," said EVT Hotels & Resorts Group General Manager Callum Kennedy. "QT Singapore will be championed by QT's luxurious playful personality, from design to signature service and exciting collaborations, bringing the QT energy and vibrancy guests love from the world to be discovered by locals and travellers in southeast Asia." Leading on the charge on the ground will be QT Singapore General Manager Doron Whaite, a veteran of QT Perth and QT Sydney, who comes fresh from a stint at QT Auckland. Find QT Singapore at 35 Robinson Road, Singapore, from Monday, September 16, 2024 — and head to the hotel's website for further details.
Remember when we used to bemoan the fates of so many young women growing up with Bella from Twilight as a hero? Now we know the same generation has had Katniss Everdeen, and the kids are all right. Plus, those of us well on the 'A' side of 'YA' want in on the flamboyant, ultra-capitalist dystopia and its inadvertent girl revolutionary. Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games is a really developed universe, and the story only gets more compelling with Catching Fire, which in film is a 2 hour 25 minute whirlwind. After the gameplay-based formula of the first instalment, it was hard to figure out where the sequels would go — another fight-to-the-death Battle Royale would be repetitive, but if we don't spend any time in an arena, the premise of the trilogy would look pretty disposable. Suffice to say, Catching Fire has it covered. After the act of subversion Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) pulled off on live TV at the end of The Hunger Games, agitation is spreading in the poorer districts of Panem, and the despotic President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and the ruling elite of the Capitol will do anything to quell it. Snow manipulates Katniss into placating the proletariat via a tightly controlled publicity tour — and if she fails, he has a plan B. Following the strategy of his sly new head gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman. Just bear with the name), Snow calls for a special-occasion Hunger Games, for which all the competing tributes are drawn from past victors. This throws our old favourites — Katniss, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), Effie (Elizabeth Banks), Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) — back together, while also introducing a new field of characters fierce in combat and charisma. Just try not to love matter-of-fact badass Johanna (Jena Malone) and sleazy Finnick (Sam Claflin), an arrogant prepster who nonetheless piggybacks his elderly mentor, Mags (Lynn Cohen), about the place. It's all on Katniss to survive, again — while protecting Peeta, her family and her distant love Gale (Liam Hemsworth). This time, she also has to slot in her obligations to all of humankind. Collins' story gives the film excellent bones. The allegories — to reality TV, consumer society and good old fashioned class struggle — sit very near the surface, but that doesn't dull their impact; it's a thrill to see such politics in a dazzling mainstream package. Several key moments of protest are nimbly handled, such that they provoke real empathy and reflection. Director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) and his team have not dropped the ball. There's no Disneyfication; Catching Fire has a distinct look and sustained dark, gritty mood. The Capitol is made to look both glamorous and repulsive, and comedy is inserted with precision; every time Stanley Tucci does a weird laugh, we do a weird laugh, and Malone kills it in the space of an elevator ride. Of course, The Hunger Games' ultimate weapon is Jennifer Lawrence, and Catching Fire lets her unleash her Jennifer Lawrenciest self, pulling some unpretty faces, cracking a few jokes and being brazenly down-to-earth in the face of Panem-wide 'Girl on Fire' hysteria. We'll follow her into any showdown — including when the final Hunger Games arrives split in two parts, in 2014 and 2015. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MkvUNfySGQU
Ikea have posted an interactive app on YouTube which takes all your personal information from Facebook, should you allow it to, to create a personalised 3D mock-up of your new bedroom kitted out entirely in durable and inexpensive Swedish design. Starting off like an everyday advertisement for Ikea, the video gets taken over by the app which accesses information about your life and tailors it to the smallest details, including photos from your Facebook albums hanging in the picture frames. As a nice touch they build the walls out of your wall posts, before they paint them over in solid colour and a solemn British voice accounces that the products are the definitive ones which will help you go 'happy to bed.' The app is part of Ikea's UK campaign, but it's open to anybody with a Facebook account, and is designed specifically to reflect the person's personality, lifestyle and interests. Now, having recently invested in a new bed, bedside table and bookshelf from Ikea, I was particularly intrigued to find out whether it would all match up with the predictive magic of the internet. But, sadly no. They chucked in the bed I decided against, rather than the one I bought, a narrow desk which doesn't account for the amount of junk I frequently have lying around, and they framed pictures which are nearly all of me pulling my 'I am unhappy about being photographed face.' And they forgot a bookshelf, which comprises a full wall of my room at the moment. But my complaining aside, if you always wanted confirmation that your chest of drawers were perfectly aligned to your personality, you now have an easy way to find out. https://youtube.com/watch?v=hQYe7OMoJNA [Via PSFK]
In news that'll come as little surprise to any Melburnian, given Melbourne's status as Australia's coffee heartland (and the predilection for complete coffee snobbery, too) — a barista from the Victorian capital has taken out top honours at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. For the second year in a row, Axil Coffee Roasters has nabbed the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2023. Melbourne barista Jack Simpson beat out scores of other Aussie hopefuls in the annual competition. His winning caffinated offering consisted of an espresso, a milk-based coffee and his own coffee-based signature drink — a concoction featuring fermented raspberries, cold vacuum bergamot tea and clarified milk. [caption id="attachment_888451" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil coffee, James Butler[/caption] "I wanted my routine to reflect the constantly evolving nature of the coffee world and the need for baristas to always be thinking creatively in order to keep up with trends in tastes and technology," Simpson says. The newly crowned coffee king will now go on to represent Australia at the World Barista Championship, held in Athens this year between June 22–24. Last year, Melbourne's Anthony Douglas of Axil Coffee Roasters did Melbourne's notoriously coffee-obsessed city proud, taking out the title of Australia's National Barista Champion for 2022 at the Australian Specialty Coffee Association (ASCA) National Coffee Championships. Douglas went on to nab first place at the World Barista Championship in 2022. [caption id="attachment_888453" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Axil, Melbourne Central[/caption] Axil has a swag of cafe locations across Melbourne — find your local by jumping onto the website.
Life is one long list of shindigs. We pop a cork on New Year’s Eve, don a tinsel wig for Mardi Gras, throw confetti all over our houses to warm them properly; each a shining story to embellish and revel in down the track. Immortalising these chapters of celebration in the visual equivalent of being blasted in the face with a confetti cannon, Sydney designers Romance Was Born have launched their very first exhibition, Reflected Glory, teaming up with kinetic sculptor and installation artist Rebecca Baumann. Launching in time for Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week Australia, Reflected Glory sees designers Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales veer off the runway and make a temporary, kaleidoscopic home within the industrial walls of Carriageworks. Rather than staring out the window and sobbing all over the past, RWB and Baumann seize the party blowers and celebrate the milestones that make our lives that extra bit spesh. Life, Death, It’s One Big RSVP Each piece in the collection represents a unique celebration, rite of passage or circled calendar date, from Mardi Gras to white weddings to that unavoidable final soiree, the wake. A sherbet-paletted, butterfly-beaded sweet sixteenth descends Baumann’s candy-coloured staircase, a Picnic at Hanging Rock-meets-Christina Ricci in Casper wedding dress hovers in a fairy floss pink haze, while a slowly revolving, truly magnificent mirrorball of a silver jacket triggers hazy New Year’s Eve memories. There's a metaphoric reflectiveness to the garments, as well as literal. “[I] really like the idea of reflecting back on the past,” says Sales. “The way we celebrate different milestones and the memory that can bring back.” Sales likened the process to a big night out, forgotten the morning after but slowly and (for the most part) fondly pieced back together over time. Sales points to one of the most striking pieces in the collection, an ode to Mardi Gras, a reflective hootenanny of a party dress. Shingled with the same multicoloured plastic making up Baumann’s kaleidoscopic disco floor nearby, the piece is fringed by a shaggy, shiny rainbow skirt that looks suspiciously like… wigs? “Yeah, tinsel wigs,” he triumphantly confirms. “And that’s New Year’s Eve, so it’s meant to be like a mirror ball. This is a house party, with the curtains and that t-shirt I was wearing the first time I met Anna at a house party.” The pair met at said house party in 2005 while students at East Sydney Technical College. Plunkett and Sales have since gained an international reputation for their unmistakable RWB swag. The T-shirt in question sports a nautical Madonna, a sentimental relic found in the back of Sales’ wardrobe now emblazoned with the pair’s thematic, tightly packed sequins. Plunkett sees the garment as a perfect representation of the pair’s fused ideology, “We embellished the garment in clear sequins and now this piece embodies the creative spirit between the both of us,” she says. Fashion, Meet Art. Art, Fashion. Regularly blurring distinctions between fashion and art, Sales and Plunkett are no strangers to the spoils of influence and collaboration. Before paying tribute to legendary Marvel Comics artist Jack Kirby in their hugely popular Summer 2012 collection, Berserkergang, Plunkett and Sales celebrated the treasured memories of a small-town Australian childhood with Archibald Prize winner Del Kathryn Barton, employing her exclusive digital ‘eye’ and ‘magic’ prints for their Spring/Summer ‘06/07 collection Regional Australia. It was in their Summer 2014 collection, Mushroom Magic, that the pair used a print from Rebecca Baumann’s work ‘Improvised Smoke Devise’. Scales and Plunkett met up with Baumann after the show and checked out some snaps of her installation works. Carriageworks had already commissioned RWB to create a work for their 2014 artistic program, timing the launch for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia, thus the perfect opportunity to let their palettes blend. Reflected Glory is a fusion of Baumann’s celebratory installation style and RWB’s whimsical experimentation with detail. Where an RWB embellished T-shirt starts, Baumann’s signature gold tinsel ends, her 2010 work ‘Untitled Cascade’, playfully making a cameo in an epic train to the ‘House Party’ piece. Baumann’s popping candy-like projections set a prom-night stage for RWB’s sparkling moments of nostalgia, a fusion RWB embraced within their designs. “It’s very collaborative, like, super organic. Elements just kind of fell into place and we went with it,” says Plunkett. “[It’s fun] to use an artist’s influence, like, directly influencing our prints. We’ve reinterpreted her artwork too, so it’s a lot more interactive.” Every print in the exhibition comes from the Reflected Glory ready to wear collection, to be unleashed down the track. If there weren’t enough actual sequins sewed meticulously into each sleeve and bodice, the prints are magnified, saturated fields of photographic sequins. Each print was shot in direct sunlight for “maximum reflection” as Sales puts it. Leave The Models Out Of This Models have been left at the Carriageworks door for this exhibition. Working with mannequins instead of models, you’re working with a few advantages — the pieces aren’t bound by human restrictions like walking ability, plus mannequins don’t have homes to go to. In Reflected Glory viewers aren’t bound by their runwayside seats; instead, they are able to wander through the space and let the mirrorball motors unveil every last garment inch. Plunkett says working in an exhibition space as opposed to sending pieces down a runway can be a welcome change. “It’s kind of refreshing. It’s fun to be able to explore clothing but spatially, with light and through texture and kinetics.” But Sales and Plunkett insist the design process would be the same, models or not. “In the beginning I thought we wouldn’t design dresses so much — it would be more like objects with bigger shapes, more sculptural. But I feel like that’s not really who we are,” says Sales. “We’re designers not artists, we’re not trying to make sculpture.” A kinetic sculptor by trade, Baumann was a perfect partner in the duo’s quest to keep things moving. Baumann’s kaleidoscopic projections, bold geometric installations and carefully aimed lighting give each handsewn sequin, elaborate ruffled collar and tinsel-woven bodice its own glinting moment. “We didn’t just want to put mannequins in amongst some art and call that the exhibition,” says Sales, backed up by Plunkett. “We’re really interested in it not being a static thing,” she says. “The whole idea of suspending the garments with mannequins … We really wanted to be able to interact with the space, light and the eye.” Don't Design For The Industry With mirrorball outfits, oversized white sequins and embellished Madonna T-shirts supported by '80s love songs and candy store lighting, RWB definitely don’t create to please the fashion crowd. Both Sales and Plunkett see the shortcomings of an industry that can often suck the fun out of an essentially playful medium. “I guess we kind of have a bit of a sense of humour with what we do,” says Sales. “We don’t try and get too serious with fashion and I think, for me, fashion’s not about that. Fashion’s about expressing yourself and being fun and having fun with who you are and trying to communicate who you are to people.” “In a way, it feels like we’ve kind of gone back to our roots a bit more, working together, hand-sewing the garments together, draping it on the dummy and stitching it together,” he says. “It’s a bit more organic.” “I hope that people do take away that it is as uplifting as our usual runway show,” says Plunkett, pausing for a moment to consider the crowd attending. “Hopefully, but the fashion crowd can be very critical… Actually, bring it on.” Reflected Glory runs April 9 to May 11 at Carriageworks. Images by Zan Wembley and Lindsay Smith.
Dark Mofo, as the Tasmanian winter solstice festival's name might suggest, has a penchant for that which is usually relegated to the shadows. This is now more true than ever with the announcement that Ulver, one of Norway's premier black metal bands, making the crossing to indulge our dark habits come June. Kritstoffer Rygg, lead vocalist of the self proclaimed "pack of Vikings", has called their addition on the line up "a trip extraordinaire and no doubt a once in a lifetime opportunity for Ulver". They'll take the stage at the Odeon Theatre in Hobart on June 15. Ulver are known in their native Norway, and around the world, for their experimental take on an often misunderstood genre. Since their formation in 1993, the group has pushed the boundaries in their music, blending elements of electronica, industrial, and symphonic sonics to create a unique sound. Their 2016 album, ATGCLVLSSCAP, experiments with driving rhythms and binding guitar riffs echoing on the tracks, creating an album that builds a mood rather than simply telling a story. This kind of experimentation makes them the perfect fit for a festival about the darker side of things. Last year's Dark Mofo festival featured the Hymns to the Dead event, which boasted a lineup of international death and black metal bands. The event, which took place a week before the winter solstice, a day that celebrates rebirth cycles, mythologies and mysticism in many ancient cultures, and Ulver's announcement on the 2017 program looks to similarly pull the audience into a hypnotic that promotes a deeper exploration of the more sinister side of our existence. Dark Mofo, taking place between June 8 and June 21 in Hobart, is not only a celebration of art, music, and all things aesthetically pleasing. The festival explores themes of mythology and nature, darkness and light, death and renewal, and takes its audience on a trip that delves into the deeper mysteries of our world. Including Ulver on the bill adds a certain dark, ethereal element to the program. Image: Ingrid Aas.
A dystopian favourite reaching its end, one of the best TV shows of the past few years, the greatest small-screen effort in this very galaxy, more chestbursting horror, Glen Powell: they're all coming to your streaming queue in 2025. As the new year approaches, the networks and platforms responsible for your television viewing are dropping sneak peeks at what's in store. Following HBO's teaser trailer, now arrives Disney+'s version. Add season six of The Handmaid's Tale, season four of The Bear, season two of Andor, new Alien TV series Alien: Earth and the Powell-starring Chad Powers to your must-see list, as they're all on the way. So are Daredevil: Born Again and Ironheart, both from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Andor isn't the only Star Wars series highlighted, thanks to the Jude Law (Peter Pan & Wendy)-led Skeleton Crew. Elsewhere, season two of Percy Jackson and the Olympians gets a look in as well — and there's more where it and all of the above shows came from. As is always the case with trailers that are about a channel or streaming service's entire upcoming slate rather than one specific show, nothing receives the indepth treatment in the just-dropped trailer — but The Handmaid's Tale still gets plenty of attention. Season six is the last season of the Elisabeth Moss (The Veil)-led series based on Margaret Atwood's book, but the author's The Testaments is next set to make the leap from the page to the screen. The Bear also features prominently. Disney+ and Hulu said "yes chef!" to the fourth season before season three even aired, and gives Jamie Lee Curtis (Borderlands) one of the key lines of the clip: "sometimes your work family is closer to you than your family family," she tells Ayo Edebiri's (Inside Out 2) Sydney. With Chad Powers, audiences get a glimpse at a series that enlists Powell as a quarterback who takes on a new persona — the titular character — to play for a struggling team. And in Alien: Earth, the sci-fi/horror saga started in 1979 by Ridley Scott's (Gladiator II) iconic film heads to our own pale blue dot, with Noah Hawley leading the charge behind the scenes after also doing the same on the Fargo TV series. Andor has debut new footage ahead of its return in April 2025, while release dates for everything else — release windows, even — are yet to be revealed. Also featured in the trailer: clips from season two of Goosebumps: The Vanishing, as well as the new Paradise and Good American Family. The first stars Sterling K Brown (American Fiction) and James Marsden (Unfrosted), while the second is led by Ellen Pompeo (Grey's Anatomy). Check out Disney+'s 2025 trailer below: The shows highlighted in Disney+ and Hulu's new trailer will arrive in 2025. We'll update you with more details when they're announced.
There are no prizes for guessing what's on Sushi Room's menu. Now open at The Calile Hotel, its focus right there in its name. But this James Street restaurant promises to level up your sushi experience — as the hotel's fellow tenants Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster have with Greek feeds, cuts of beef and bivalve molluscs. Sushi Room hails from the same crew as Hellenika and SK Steak & Oyster, aka STK Group, which is branching out into Japanese fine dining. Its focus is on simple ingredients, sophisticated dishes and traditional preparation, all while still turning the act of making its meals into an experience, and also giving the whole process its own spin along the way. You'll certainly soak in the luxe vibe, retro-inspired decor and theatrical presentation, with the central 9.3-metre solid Japanese hinoki timber counter — which sits upon black limestone — drawing the eye. Architects Richards & Spence have taken cues from 1960s neo-futurist designs, and hero texture in a big way. Here, a shallow dome also hovers above the main 60-seater dining room, and natural stone, timber, paper and Japanese Kuriēto ceramics all feature, as does a combination of booth, bar and table seating. That impressive look and atmosphere is matched by a menu that spans seafood aplenty under Japanese-trained Head Chef Shimpei Raikuni. Yes, sushi and sashimi are obviously the stars of the show, and Sushi Room serves up caviar Toro Toro sushi rolls, moriawase and lobster tempura, and oysters sourced daily. Grilled yakimono dishes are also on offer, plus omakase and enkai options if you'd prefer the chef to choose or just like the ease of a set menu. Patrons can sip sake pairings that span from light to rich flavours, plus cocktails made with shiso, yuzu and wasabi — and whisky and international wines. And if you're keen on gathering seven of your nearest and dearest for a particularly special meal, the private dining room on the mezzanine level seats eight, is surrounded by red curtains, and comes with its own bar as well. Appears in: The Best Restaurants in Brisbane
Finding somewhere to eat and drink in Brisbane isn't hard, with this city of ours overflowing with restaurants, bars, cafes, breweries, distilleries and even its own inner-city winery. But choosing where to head isn't always as straightforward. Maybe you're just indecisive in general, perhaps you feel spoiled for choice or you could simply want to sample everywhere you can. Enter Kiff & Culture, the new local company that's doing tours through Brissie's food and drink scene. Book in for one of its sessions, and you'll be taken out for a five-course banquet at Southside, with the option of either adding drinks or a wine pairing. Next, you'll hit up Brisbane's City Winery for a guided wine-tasting session. Then, you'll choose between a third stop at Stone and Wood or Granddad Jack's at Albion — for a tasting paddle of ales, lagers and pilot batches at the former, or for gin at the latter. If you live within 50 kilometres of the Brisbane CBD, you'll also get picked up beforehand — and, with collection at around 11–11.30am, lunch at midday and drop off between 5–5.30pm, you'll really be making a day of it. Tickets cost between $195–199, depending on whether you opt for Stone and Wood or Granddad Jack's; however, that covers everything on the itinerary. Friends Drew Campbell and Alex Baker, who went to school together, are behind Kiff & Culture. The pair already ran food and wine tours out of Byron Bay, the Tweed Hinterland and Tamborine Mountain, but launched into Brisbane in late August. "Over the past few years Brisbane's food and drink scene has grown into an exciting array of new experiences with a passion for local produce," explains Campbell. "With domestic borders closing for the foreseeable future, we're providing the opportunity for locals to explore some of the best venues in the city with the luxury of door-to-door service." As of late September, Kiff & Culture has made the leap to the Gold Coast as well — and, if you're a Brisbanite who lives within 30 kilometres of the CBD, you can still be collected from home, driven around the Goldie for the day, and then brought back. If that sounds like your idea of an ace day out, you'll start with a five-course banquet at Rick Shores (with an optional drinks package), then move on to beer-tasting at Balter Brewery, and then hit up Granddad Jack's OG Gold Coast venue to sample pilot batches of the distillery's boutique gins. Kiff & Culture's tours run from Thursday–Sunday weekly. For more information, or to book, head to the company's website.
Melbourne street artist Rone has completed his latest and most industrious work to date, a nine-storey portrait in Melbourne’s CBD. Sitting at 35 metres high and 23.5 metres wide, the gargantuan face of Byron Bay model Teresa Oman looms from the external wall of 80 Collins Street. Based on a photograph Rone had taken of "one of the most re-blogged models in the world" according to Nylon, the work sports the title, L’inconnue de la rue (unknown girl in the street). The colossal mural, commissioned by wall owner QIC Global Real Estate, took seven days to create, with Rone working for ten hours a day from a cherry picker until the wall was complete. "It took a lot longer than expected and was no doubt the most challenging project I had ever taken on," said the Melburnian muralist on his website. "This is one of those walls you dream of. When it was offered I took it with a grain of salt as not to get my hopes up, as there has been a few things like this talked about in the past that just never happened." Long celebrated Melbourne-wide for his signature style of tightly cropped, magnified portraits of glamorous female faces on crumbling walls, Rone’s work has expanded from local lanes to interstate spots in Adelaide and Sydney to the streets of Berlin, Port Vila, Queenstown and Miami. Rone will now return to London, where his first UK solo exhibition Wallflower at Stolen Space Gallery opens April 10. Images by Ben Wesley and Tony Owczarek. via Lost At E Minor.
When New South Wales last experienced a COVID-19 cluster, Queensland shut its borders — first to select hotspots, then to Greater Sydney, then to all of NSW. Accordingly, with Sydney's northern beaches cluster continuing to grow, it should come as no surprise that the Sunshine State is closing down again to folks from the Greater Sydney area. As announced today, Sunday, December 20, by Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, that means that anyone who has been in the Greater Sydney area since Friday, December 11 will not be permitted to enter the Sunshine State — with the border closure coming into effect at 1am on Monday, December 21. All Greater Sydney local government areas will be declared a hotspot, with the new ban covering the areas that are either currently under NSW restrictions or will come under them from 11.59pm tonight. The northern beaches area has already been declared a hotspot by Queensland, with the border closing to folks from the area at 1am, Sunday, December 20. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1340529700238606342 The general advice: if you've travelled to those areas, don't plan on going to Queensland. Anyone who falls into the above categories will not be allowed to access or quarantine in the state, and will be turned away at the border — whether you live in the hotspot areas or have visited them in the specified period. You'll only be permitted into Queensland if you receive an exemption as part of the reintroduced Queensland Border Declaration Pass system. And, if you do receive an exemption, you will be required to go into forced quarantine for 14 days, in a hotel, at your own expense. A 14-day forced quarantine period will also apply to Queensland residents returning home from Greater Sydney — in a hotel and at your own expense, too. But, Queenslanders will have an extra day to come back. If you arrive back before 1am on Tuesday, December 22, you won't have to go into hotel quarantine, and can instead do your fortnight of self-isolation at home. From Tuesday morning, however, you'll be in the same situation as anyone else allowed to enter the Sunshine State from the Greater Sydney area. The move comes as NSW recorded 30 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, December 19. Border checkpoints are being re-established, and anyone coming to Queensland from NSW — even from outside of Greater Sydney — now requires a Queensland Border Declaration Pass. That requirement came into effect at 1am, Sunday, December 20. Queenslanders are also urged to get tested if they experience any COVID-19 symptoms, and to maintain social distancing and hygiene measures. From 1am on Monday, December 21, anyone who has visited the Greater Sydney since Friday, December 11 will not be allowed to enter Queensland unless they are a returning resident or are entering for one a few essential reasons. For more information, head to the Queensland Government website.
I find it very pleasing to see the Brisbane City Council is embracing the diverse celebrations of different faiths at this time of year! As the Christmas tree stands tall and bright in King George Square, Reddacliff Place will become home to the giant Menorah, in recognition of the Jewish celebration of Chanukah. Chanukah is known as the festival of lights, and it observed for eight days and eight nights, and commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BC. Suffice to say this is a significant time in the Jewish calendar, and the celebration in Reddacliff place will commemorate this. Traditional Chanukah food such as latkes and donuts will be served and there will be live music, rides, and games for the children. Most exciting though is that the giant Menorah will be lit by Lord Mayor Graham Quirk, from great heights in a cherry picker, and this will be followed by a spectacular fireworks display!
Suzanne Collins is entering the arena again. She's also stepping back into Panem and The Hunger Games' past, and into the tale of a well-known character from her initial three books in the dystopian franchise. After first going down the prequel route with 2020's The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the author has announced that Sunrise on the Reaping is on its way. The fifth novel in the series will arrive in 2025. This news isn't just about a fresh opportunity to explore all things The Hunger Games on the page, however. It took three years for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes to become a movie, but Sunrise on the Reaping will hit the big screen just a year after the book makes its way shelves. So, also mark 2026 in your diary — because the odds of spending more time in The Hunger Games' world are definitely in your favour thanks to the saga's sixth flick. As a novel, Sunrise on the Reaping has a Tuesday, March 18, 2025 release date, including Down Under. As a film, it'll get flickering in picture palaces on Friday, November 20, 2026 in the US — which will likely mean Thursday, November 19, 2026 in Australia and New Zealand. Both versions will tell a tale set around the Second Quarter Quell, presumably pushing Haymitch Abernathy to the fore as he won those games — the 50th, which took place 24 years before Abernathy met Katniss Everdeen in the first The Hunger Games book. Sunrise on the Reaping's narrative will start on the morning of the reaping for the 50th Hunger Games. "With Sunrise on the Reaping, I was inspired by David Hume's idea of implicit submission and, in his words, 'the easiness with which the many are governed by the few'," said Collins in a statement announcing the new novel in the franchise that she started with the initial 2008–10 trilogy. "The story also lent itself to a deeper dive into the use of propaganda and the power of those who control the narrative. The question 'real or not real?' seems more pressing to me every day." In 2012–15 movies The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part I and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part II, Woody Harrelson (Suncoast) played Haymitch. There's no word yet who'll slip into the character's shoes in his younger years in the Sunrise on the Reaping film, which has been named The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. It's also far too early for any other casting details, or news on who'll be directing the flick that's following The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes to the screen. That movie gave Coriolanus Snow an origin story, charting his life before he became President of Panem and kept having encounters with Katniss, when he was an 18-year-old Capitol resident tasked with mentoring District 12's female tribute. Set 64 years prior to the first The Hunger Games, it enlisted Tom Blyth (Billy the Kid) to do his best to become a young Donald Sutherland (Lawmen: Bass Reeves), with Rachel Zegler (Shazam! Fury of the Gods), Peter Dinklage (Unfrosted), Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City), Viola Davis (Air) and Hunter Schafer (Euphoria) co-starring. There's obviously no trailer yet for trailer for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, but you can check out the trailer for all of the past Hunger Games movies below: Sunrise on the Reaping will hit bookstores on Tuesday, March 18, 2025 and The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping will reach cinemas on Friday, November 20, 2026 in the US — which will likely mean Thursday, November 19, 2026 Down Under. We'll update you with more details when they're announced. Images: Murray Close.
If you've been enjoying someone else's Netflix subscription to get your Stranger Things, Squid Game and Wednesday fix, or work your way through its hefty slate of movies, the streaming platform has been promising bad news for a few years now: ending password sharing, so users can no longer login by borrowing a pal or family member's login details. The feature is being trialled in Chile, Peru and Costa Rica, and is officially on its way to the rest of the world by the end of March. And, if you're wondering how it might work, the service has revealed the details. At present, Netflix's help centre outlines its current rules around sharing the platform with someone who doesn't live with you, noting that "people who do not live in your household will need to use their own account to watch Netflix". Right now, in most places in the world, if a device outside of your home signs in, you might be asked to verify it — but you won't be charged if the service thinks that you are sharing your password. In a change to the help centre that went up temporarily — and, reportedly accidentally — details of Netflix's procedures when the password-sharing crackdown comes into effect were listed. Still archived via The WayBack Machine, the changes first state that users will need to log into Netflix via the app or website on your device when it's connected to the wifi at your primary location, and to do so for at least once every 31 days. That'll make Netflix see whatever you're watching the service on as a "trusted device", so you can use it even when you're away from home. The help centre also noted that "devices that are not part of your primary location may be blocked from watching Netflix", but still says that Netflix won't automatically charge you for share your account with someone who doesn't live with you. That said, the new password-sharing block is being called "paid sharing" by Netflix in a letter to shareholders, so that's in the works. The platform has also recently unveiled an ad-supported subscription package, too. "Today's widespread account sharing (to 100 million-plus households) undermines our long-term ability to invest in and improve Netflix, as well as build our business," the company states in that shareholder letter, which is dated January 19, 2023. "While our terms of use limit use of Netflix to a household, we recognise this is a change for members who share their account more broadly. So we've worked hard to build additional new features that improve the Netflix experience, including the ability for members to review which devices are using their account and to transfer a profile to a new account. As we roll out paid sharing, members in many countries will also have the option to pay extra if they want to share Netflix with people they don't live with." Of course, logging into your Netflix account from a network outside of your wifi doesn't automatically mean you're sharing your password. You might be travelling and still want to get your streaming fix. "If you are away from your primary location for an extended period of time, your device may be blocked from watching Netflix," the Help Centre says. The workaround for this will frustratingly require requesting a temporary access code — one that also annoyingly also only works for seven days. Given that Netflix has taken down these rule changes from its help centre in most markets, these processes might be tinkered with before they are rolled out to the rest of the world. As per The Guardian, the service advised that "for a brief time yesterday, a help centre article containing information that is only applicable to Chile, Costa Rica and Peru, went live in other countries. We have since updated it". Netflix's password-sharing block is set to come into effect worldwide sometime before the end of March — we'll update you when more details are announced.
Not all that long ago, the idea of getting cosy on your couch, clicking a few buttons, and having thousands of films and television shows at your fingertips seemed like something out of science fiction. Now, it's just an ordinary night — whether you're virtually gathering the gang to text along, cuddling up to your significant other or shutting the world out for some much needed me-time. Of course, given the wealth of options to choose from, there's nothing ordinary about making a date with your chosen streaming platform. The question isn't "should I watch something?" — it's "what on earth should I choose?". Hundreds of titles are added to Australia's online viewing services each and every month, all vying for a spot on your must-see list. And, so you don't spend 45 minutes scrolling and then being too tired to actually commit to anything, we're here to help. We've spent plenty of couch time watching our way through this month's latest batch — and, from the latest and greatest through to old and recent favourites, here are our picks for your streaming queue from April's haul. Brand-New Stuff You Can Watch From Start to Finish Now Ripley Boasting The Night Of's Steven Zaillian as its sole writer and director — joining a list of credits that includes penning Martin Scorsese's Gangs of New York and The Irishman, and also winning an Oscar for Schindler's List — the latest exquisite jump into the Ripley realm doesn't splash around black-and-white hues as a mere stylistic preference. In this new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 book, the setting is still coastal Italy at its most picturesque, and therefore a place that most would want to revel in visually; Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr Ripley's director a quarter-century back, did so with an intoxicating glow. For Zaillian, however, stripping away the warm rays and beaches and hair, blue seas and skies, and tanned skin as well, ensures that all that glitters is never gold or even just golden in tone as he spends time with Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers). There's never even a glint of a hint of a travelogue aesthetic, with viewers confronted with the starkness of Tom's choices and actions — he is a conman and worse, after all — plus the shadows that he persists in lurking in and the impossibility of ever grasping everything that he desires in full colour. On the page and on the screen both before and now, the overarching story remains the same, though, in this new definitive take on the character. It's the early 60s rather than the late 50s in Ripley, but Tom is in New York, running fake debt-collection schemes and clinging to the edges of high-society circles, when he's made a proposal that he was never going to refuse. Herbert Greenleaf (filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan, who has also acted in his own three features You Can Count on Me, Margaret and Manchester by the Sea) enlists him to sail to Europe to reunite with a friend, the shipping magnate's son Dickie (Johnny Flynn, One Life). As a paid gig, Tom is to convince the business heir to finally return home. But Dickie has no intention of giving up his Mediterranean leisure as he lackadaisically pursues painting — and more passionately spends his time with girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Dakota Fanning, The Equalizer 3) — to join the family business. Ripley streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Fallout A young woman sheltered in the most literal sense there is, living her entire life in one of the subterranean facilities where humanity endeavours to start anew. A TV and movie star famed for his roles in westerns, then entertaining kids, then still alive but irradiated 219 years after the nuclear destruction of Los Angeles. An aspiring soldier who has never known anything but a devastated world, clinging to hopes of progression through the military. All three walk into the wasteland in Fallout, the live-action adaptation of the gaming series that first arrived in 1997. All three cross paths in an attempt to do all that anyone can in a post-apocalyptic hellscape: survive. So goes this leap into a world that's had millions mashing buttons through not only the OG game, but also three released sequels — a fourth is on the way — plus seven spinoffs. Even with Westworld' Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy as executive producers, giving Fallout the flesh-and-blood treatment is a massive and ambitious task. But where 2023 had The Last of Us, 2024 now has this; both are big-name dystopian titles that earned legions of devotees through gaming, and both are excellent in gripping and immersive fashion at making the move to television. Fallout's vision of one of the bleakest potential futures splits its focus between Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell, Yellowjackets), who has no concept of how humanity can exist on the surface when the show kicks off; Cooper Howard aka bounty hunter The Ghoul (Walton Goggins, I'm a Virgo), the screen gunslinger who saw the bombs fall and now wields weapons IRL; and Maximus (Aaron Moten, Emancipation), a trainee for the Brotherhood of Steel, which is committed to restoring order by throwing around its might (and using robotic armour). The show's lead casting is gleaming, to the point that imagining anyone but this trio of actors as Lucy, Howard-slash-The Ghoul and Maximus is impossible. Where else has Walton's resume, with its jumps between law-and-order efforts, westerns traditional and neo, and comedy — see: The Shield, Justified, Sons of Anarchy, The Hateful Eight, Vice Principals and The Righteous Gemstones, as a mere few examples — been leading than here? (And, next, also season three of The White Lotus.) Fallout streams via Prime Video. Read our full review, and our interview with Walton Goggins, Ella Purnell and Aaron Moten. Heartbreak High When Heartbreak High returned in 2022, the Sydney-set series benefited from a pivotal fact: years pass, trends come and go, but teen awkwardness and chaos is eternal. In its second season, Netflix's revival of the 1994–99 Australian favourite embraces the same idea. It's a new term at Hartley High, one that'll culminate in the Year 11 formal. Amerie (Ayesha Madon, Love Me) might be certain that she can change — doing so is her entire platform for running for school captain — but waiting for adulthood to start never stops being a whirlwind. Proving as easy to binge as its predecessor, Heartbreak High's eight new episodes reassemble the bulk of the gang that audiences were initially introduced to two years ago. Moving forward is everyone's planned path — en route to that dance, which gives the new batch of instalments its flashforward opening. The evening brings fire, literally. Among the regular crew, a few faces are missing in the aftermath. The show then rewinds to two months earlier, to old worries resurfacing, new faces making an appearance and, giving the season a whodunnit spin as well, to a mystery figure taunting and publicly shaming Amerie. The latter begins their reign of terror with a dead animal; Bird Psycho is soon the unknown culprit's nickname. Leaders, creepers, slipping between the sheets: that's Heartbreak High's second streaming go-around in a nutshell. The battle to rule the school is a three-person race, pitting Amerie against Sasha (Gemma Chua-Tran, Mustangs FC) and Spider (Bryn Chapman Parish, Mr Inbetween) — one as progressive as Hartley, which already earns that label heartily, can get; the other season one's poster boy for jerkiness, toxicity and entitlement. Heightening the electoral showdown is a curriculum clash, with the SLT class introduced by Jojo Obah (Chika Ikogwe, The Tourist) last term as a mandatory response to the grade's behaviour questioned by Head of PE Timothy Voss (Angus Sampson, Bump). A new faculty member for the show, he's anti-everything that he deems a threat to traditional notions of masculinity. In Spider, Ant (Brodie Townsend, Significant Others) and others, he quickly has followers. Their name, even adorning t-shirts: CUMLORDS. Heartbreak High streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Such Brave Girls If Such Brave Girls seems close to reality, that's because it is. In the A24 co-produced series — which joins the cult-favourite entertainment company's TV slate alongside other standouts such as Beef, Irma Vep, Mo and The Curse over the past two years — sisters Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson both star and take inspiration from their lives and personalities. Making their TV acting debuts together, the pair also play siblings. Josie (Sadler) and Billie (Davidson), their on-screen surrogates, are navigating life's lows not only when the show's six-part first season begins, but as it goes on. The entire setup was sparked by a phone conversation between the duo IRL, when one had attempted to take her life twice and the other was £20,000 in debt. For most, a sitcom wouldn't come next; however, laughing at and lampooning themselves, and seeing the absurdity as well, is part of Such Brave Girls' cathartic purpose for its driving forces. If you've ever thought "what else can you do?" when finding yourself inexplicably chuckling at your own misfortune, that's this series — this sharp, unsparing, candid, complex and darkly comedic series — from start to finish. Creating the three-time BAFTA-nominated show, writing it and leading, Sadler plays Josie as a bundle of nerves and uncertainty. The character is in her twenties, struggling with her mental health and aspiring to be an artist, but is largely working her way through a never-ending gap year. Davidson's Billie is the eternally optimistic opposite — albeit really only about the fact that Nicky (Sam Buchanan, Back to Black), the guy that she's hooking up with, will eventually stop cheating on her, fall in love and whisk her away to Manchester to open a vodka bar bearing her name. Both girls live at home with their mother Deb (Louise Brealey, Lockwood & Co), who also sees a relationship as the solution to her problems, setting her sights on the iPad-addicted Dev (Paul Bazely, Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves) a decade after Josie and Billie's father went out for teabags and never came home. With actor-slash-director Simon Bird behind the lens — alongside first-timer Marco Alessi on one episode — if Such Brave Girls seems like it belongs in the same acerbically comedic realm as The Inbetweeners and Everyone Else Burns, there's a reason for that, too. Such Brave Girls streams via Stan. Read our full review. Baby Reindeer A person walking into a bar. The words "sent from my iPhone". A comedian pouring their experiences into a one-performer play. A twisty true-crime tale making the leap to the screen. All four either feature in, inspired or describe Baby Reindeer. All four are inescapably familiar, too, but the same can't be said about this seven-part Netflix series. Written by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, and also based on his real-life experiences, this is a bleak, brave, revelatory, devastating and unforgettable psychological thriller. It does indeed begin with someone stepping inside a pub — and while Gadd plays a comedian on-screen as well, don't go waiting for a punchline. When Martha (Jessica Gunning, The Outlaws) enters The Heart in Camden, London in 2015, Donny Dunn (Gadd, Wedding Season) is behind the counter. "I felt sorry for her. That's the first feeling I felt," the latter explains via voiceover. Perched awkwardly on a stool at the bar, Martha is whimpering to herself. She says that she can't afford to buy a drink, even a cup of tea. Donny takes pity, offering her one for free — and her face instantly lights up. That's the fateful moment, one of sorrow met with kindness, that ignites Baby Reindeer's narrative and changes Donny's life. After that warm beverage, The Heart instantly has a new regular. Sipping Diet Cokes from then on (still on the house), Martha is full of stories about all of the high-profile people that she knows and her high-flying lawyer job. But despite insisting that she's constantly busy, she's also always at the bar when Donny is at work, sticking around for his whole shifts. She chats incessantly about herself, folks that he doesn't know and while directing compliments Donny's way. He's in his twenties, she's in her early forties — and he can see that she's smitten, letting her flirt. He notices her laugh. He likes the attention, not to mention getting his ego stroked. While he doesn't reciprocate her feelings, he's friendly. She isn't just an infatuated fantasist, however; she's chillingly obsessed to an unstable degree. She finds his email address, then starts messaging him non-stop when she's not nattering at his workplace. (IRL, Gadd received more than 40,000 emails.) Baby Reindeer streams via Netflix. Read our full review. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV One of the most difficult episodes of documentary television to watch in 2024 hails from five-part series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. It's also essential to see. In its third chapter, this dive into the reality behind Nickelodeon's live-action children's TV success from the late-90s onwards gives the microphone to Drake Bell, who unravels his experiences while first working on The Amanda Show (led by Amanda Bynes, Easy A) and then on Drake & Josh (co-starring Josh Peck, Oppenheimer) — specifically his interactions with dialogue coach Brian Peck, who became immersed in Bell's life to a disturbing degree and was convicted in 2004 of sexually assaulting him. The case wasn't a major scandal at the time, incredulously. Even with Bell's name withheld because he was a minor, it was the second instance of a Nickelodeon staff member being arrested for such horrendous crimes in mere months, and yet widespread media coverage and public awareness didn't follow. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV marks the first time that Bell talks about it publicly. Witnessing him speak through the details is as harrowing as it is heartbreaking. Originally releasing as four episodes, then adding a fifth hosted by journalist Soledad O'Brien to reflect upon the revelations covered, this docuseries has much that's distressing in its sights — much of it under television producer Dan Schneider. From sketch series All That onwards, he was a Nickelodeon bigwig; Kenan & Kel, Zoey 101, iCarly and Sam & Cat are also among the shows on his resume. Former child actors such as Giovonnie Samuels, Bryan Hearne, Alexa Nikolas, Katrina Johnson, Kyle Sullivan, Raquel Lee and Leon Frierson talk about the pressures on set, and the inappropriate jokes that they didn't realise were inappropriate jokes worked into their material. Ex-The Amanda Show writers Christy Stratton (Freeridge) and Jenny Kilgen step through the misogynistic environment among the creatives; that they were forced to split a salary between them but do the same amount of work as their male colleagues is only the beginning. Parents, including Bell's father Joe, share their unsurprisingly upset perspectives. Bynes' post-Nickelodeon fortunes also get the spotlight. Clips and behind-the-scenes footage are weaved in throughout, too, and looking at any of the network's shows from the era the same way again is impossible. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV streams via Binge. Scoop What did it take to get one of the most important interviews with a member of the royal family that has ever aired on British television (and most important interviews in general)? That's Scoop's question — and not only do director Philip Martin (The Crown) and screenwriters Peter Moffat (61st Street) and Geoff Bussetil (The English Game) ask it while adapting Sam McAlister's 2022 book Scoops, but their compelling journalism thriller answers it in detail. The bulk of the feature is set in 2019, spending its time among the BBC staff at news and current affairs show Newsnight as they first try to lock in and then attempt to execute a chat with Prince Andrew. The end result, aka the program's 'Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal' episode, will go down in history; even if you didn't see it then or haven't since, everyone knows of that discussion and its ramifications. Getting it to the screen was the result of hard work, dedication and smarts on the parts of booker and producer McAllister, host Emily Maitlis and editor Esme Wren — and a tale that deserves to be just as well known. Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie) plays McAllister as whip-smart, fiercely determined and indefatigable when she's chasing a story, but undervalued at her job, so much so that her colleagues regularly accuse her of wasting time following up the wrong guests instead of simply complying with their requests. She's certain that a class clash isn't helping — and just as confident that she knows what she's doing, including when she begins corresponding with the Duke of York's (Rufus Sewell, Kaleidoscope) private secretary Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes, Orphan Black: Echoes) about getting him on-camera to discuss his connection to Jeffrey Epstein. She needs backup from both Maitlis (Gillian Anderson, Sex Education) and Wren (Romola Garai, One Life), as well as the entire team's support, in bringing the chat to fruition. Just like the IRL interview itself, this polished how-it-happened procedural is riveting viewing as it slides into its genre alongside Spotlight and She Said. Scoop streams via Netflix. New and Returning Shows to Check Out Week by Week Sugar Colin Farrell's recent hot streak continues. After a busy few years that've seen him earn Oscar and BAFTA nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin, collect a Gotham Awards nod for After Yang, steal scenes so heartily in The Batman that TV spinoff The Penguin is on the way and pick up the Satellite Awards' attention for The North Water, Sugar now joins his resume. The Irish actor's television credits are still few — and, until his True Detective stint in 2015, far between — but it's easy to see what appealed to him about leading this mystery series. From the moment that the Los Angeles-set noir effort begins — in Tokyo, in fact — it drips with intrigue. Farrell's John Sugar, the show's namesake, is a suave private detective who takes a big Hollywood case against his handler Ruby's (Kirby, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off) recommendation. He's soon plunged into shadowy City of Angels chaos, bringing The Big Sleep, Chinatown, LA Confidential and Under the Silver Lake to mind, and loving movie history beyond sharing the same genre as said flicks. Softly spoken, always crispy dressed, understandably cynical and frequently behind the wheel of a blue vintage convertible, Sugar, the PI, is a film fan. The series bakes that love and its own links to cinema history into its very being through spliced-in clips and references elsewhere — and also foregrounds the idea that illusions, aka what Tinseltown so eagerly sells via its celluloid dreams, are inescapable in its narrative in the process. Twists come, not just including a brilliant move that reframes everything that comes before, but as Sugar endeavours to track down Olivia Siegel (Sydney Chandler, Don't Worry Darling). She's the granddaughter of worried legendary film producer Jonathan (James Cromwell, Succession); daughter of less-concerned (and less-renowned) fellow producer Bernie (Dennis Boutsikaris, Better Call Saul); half-sister of former child star David (Nate Corddry, Barry), who is on the comeback trail; and ex-step daughter of pioneering rocker Melanie (Amy Ryan, Beau Is Afraid). Trying to find her inspires heated opposition. Also sparked: an excellently cast series that splashes its affection of film noir and LA movies gone by across its frames, but is never afraid to be its own thing. Sugar streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Sympathizer Fresh from winning an Oscar for getting antagonistic in times gone by as United States Atomic Energy Commission chair Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr gets antagonistic in times gone by again in The Sympathizer — as a CIA handler, a university professor, a politician and a Francis Ford Coppola-esque filmmaker on an Apocalypse Now-style movie, for starters. In another addition to his post-Marvel resume that emphasises how great it is to see him stepping into the shoes of someone other than Tony Stark, he takes on multiple roles in this espionage-meets-Vietnam War drama, which adapts Viet Thanh Nguyen's 2016 Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. But Downey Jr is never the show's lead, which instead goes to Australian Hoa Xuande (Last King of the Cross). The latter plays the Captain, who works for South Vietnamese secret police in Saigon before the city's fall, and is also a spy for the North Vietnamese communist forces. It's his memories, as typed out at a reeducation camp, that guide the seven-part miniseries' narrative — jumping back and forth in time, as recollections do, including to his escape to America. As the Captain relays the details of his mission and attempts to work both sides, The Sympathizer isn't just flitting between flashbacks as a structural tactic. The act of remembering is as much a focus as the varied contents of the Captain's memories — to the point that rewinding to add more context to a scene that's just been shown, or noting that he didn't specifically witness something but feels as if he can fill in the gap, also forms the storytelling approach. Perspective and influence are high among the show's concerns, too, as the Captain navigates the sway of many colonial faces (making Downey Jr's multiple roles a powerful and revealing touch) both in Vietnam and in the US. Behind it all off-screen is a filmmaker with a history of probing the tales that we tell ourselves and get others believing, as seen in stone-cold revenge-thriller classic Oldboy, 2022's best film Decision to Leave and 2018 miniseries The Little Drummer Girl: the inimitable Park Chan-wook. He co-created The Sympathizer for the screen with Don McKellar (Blindness) and it always bears is imprint, whether or not he's directing episodes — he helms three — with his piercing style, or getting help from Fernando Meirelles (who has been busy with this and Sugar) and Marc Munden (The Third Day). The Sympathizer streams via Binge. Loot Across ten extremely amusing initial episodes in 2022, Loot had a message: billionaires shouldn't exist. So declared the show's resident cashed-up character, with Molly Wells (Maya Rudolph, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem) receiving $87 billion in her divorce from tech guru John Novak (Adam Scott, Madame Web), then spending most of the sitcom's first season working out what to do with it (and also how to handle her newly single life in general). That she had a foundation to her name was virtually news to her. So was much about everything beyond the ultra-rich. And, she was hardly equipped for being on her own. But Loot's debut run came to an entertaining end with the big statement that it was always uttering not so quietly anyway. So what happens next, after one of the richest people in the world decides to give away all of her money? Cue season two of this ace workplace-set comedy. Created by former Parks and Recreation writers Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard, in their second Rudolph-starring delight — 2018's Forever was the first — Loot splices together three popular on-screen realms as it loosely draws parallels with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his philanthropist ex-wife MacKenzie Scott. At her charity, as Molly's staff become the kind of friends that feel like family while doing their jobs, shows such as 30 Rock and Superstore (which Hubbard also has on his resume) score an obvious sibling. As its protagonist endeavours to do good, be better and discover what makes a meaningful life, The Good Place (which Yang also wrote for) and Forever get company. And in enjoying its eat-the-rich mode as well, it sits alongside Succession and The White Lotus, albeit while being far sillier. Loot streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. The Big Door Prize If there was a Morpho machine IRL rather than just in The Big Door Prize, and it dispensed cards that described the potential of TV shows instead of people, this is what it might spit out about the series that it's in: "comforting". For a mystery-tinged dramedy filled with people trying to work out who they are and truly want to be after an arcade game-esque console appears in their small town, this page-to-screen show has always proven both cathartic and relatable viewing. Its timing, dropping season one in 2023 as the pandemic-inspired great reset was well and truly in full swing, is a key factor. Last year as well as now — with season two currently upon us — this is a series that speaks to the yearning to face existential questions that couldn't be more familiar in a world where COVID-19 sparked a wave of similar "who am I?" musings on a global scale. The difference for the residents of Deerfield in this second spin: their journey no longer simply involves pieces of cardboard that claim to know where the bearer should be expending their energy, but also spans new animated videos that transform their inner thoughts and hopes into 32-bit clips. When the Morpho first made its presence known, high-school teacher Dusty (Chris O'Dowd, Slumberland) was cynical. Now he's taking the same route as everyone else in his community — including his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis, The Upshaws) and daughter Trina (Djouliet Amara, Fitting In) — by letting it steer his decisions. But whether he's making moves that'll impact his marriage, or his restaurant-owning best friend Giorgio (Josh Segarra, The Other Two) is leaping into a new relationship with Cass' best friend Nat (Mary Holland, The Afterparty), or other townsfolk are holding the Morpho up as a source of wisdom, easy happiness rarely follows. Season two of this David West Read (Schitt's Creek)-developed series still treats its magical machine as a puzzle for characters and viewers to attempt to solve, but it also digs deeper into the quest for answers that we all undertake while knowing deep down that there's no such thing as a straightforward meaning of life. As well as being extremely well-cast and thoughtful, it's no wonder that The Big Door Prize keeps feeling like staring in a mirror — and constantly intriguing as well. The Big Door Prize streams via Apple TV+. Read our full review. An Excellent Recent Film You Might've Missed Showing Up Kelly Reichardt and Michelle Williams are one of cinema's all-time great pairings. After 2008's Wendy and Lucy, 2010's Meek's Cutoff and 2016's Certain Women, all divine, add Showing Up to the reasons that their collaborations are an event. Again, writer/director Reichardt hones in on characters who wouldn't grace the screen otherwise, and on lives that rarely do the same. With her trademark empathy, patience and space, she spends time with people and problems that couldn't be more relatable as well. Her first picture since 2019's stunning First Cow, which didn't feature Williams, also feels drawn from the filmmaker's reality. She isn't a sculptor in Portland working an administration job at an arts and crafts college while struggling to find the time to create intricate ceramic figurines, but she is one of America's finest auteurs in an industry that so scarcely values the intricacy and artistry of her work. No one needs to have stood exactly in Showing Up's protagonist's shoes, or in Reichardt's, to understand that tussle — or the fight for the always-elusive right balance between passion and a paycheque, all while everyday chaos, family drama and the minutiae of just existing also throws up roadblocks. Showing Up couldn't have a better title. For Lizzy (Wiliams, The Fabelmans), who spends the nine-to-five grind at her alma mater with her mother (Maryann Plunkett, Manifest) as her boss, everything she does — or needs or wants to — is about doing exactly what the movie's moniker says. That doesn't mean that she's thrilled about it. She definitely isn't happy about her frenemy, neighobour and landlord Jo (Hong Chau, Asteroid City), who won't fix her hot water, couldn't be more oblivious to anyone else's problems and soon has her helping play nurse to an injured pidgeon. Reichardt spins the film's narrative around Lizzy's preparations for a one-night-only exhibition, including trying to carve out the hours needed to finish her clay pieces amid her job, the bird, advocating for a liveable home, professional envy and concerns for her alienated brother (John Magaro, Past Lives). The care and detail that goes into Lizzy's figurines is mirrored in Reichardt's own efforts, in another thoughtful and resonant masterpiece that does what all of the filmmaker's masterpieces do: says everything even when nothing is being uttered, proves a wonder of observation, boasts a pitch-perfect cast and isn't easily forgotten. Showing Up streams via Netflix. Need a few more streaming recommendations? Check out our picks from January, February and March this year, and also from January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December 2023. You can also check out our running list of standout must-stream shows from last year as well — and our best 15 new shows of 2023, 15 newcomers you might've missed, top 15 returning shows of the year, 15 best films, 15 top movies you likely didn't see, 15 best straight-to-streaming flicks and 30 movies worth catching up on over the summer.
Since forming back in 1981, the Beastie Boys have enjoyed quite the career. The New York hip hop outfit has sold more than 50 million records, caused a splash with its music videos and assumedly inspired plenty of folks to dance like robots in Tokyo train stations. In 2012, it also lost one of its three members — Adam "MCA" Yauch — to cancer, then officially disbanded in 2014. The above summary barely scratches the surface, of course; however Apple TV+'s new live documentary is here to fill in the gaps. Based on surviving Beasties Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz's bestselling Beastie Boys Book, it takes audiences through the group's ups and downs — as guided by Mike D and Ad-Rock themselves. If you're wondering exactly what Beastie Boys Story will focus on, the band's 'Paul Revere' sums it up nicely. Clearly, here's a little story that Apple TV+ has to tell about three bad brothers you know so well. And yes, it started way back in history with Ad Rock, MCA and Mike D. As directed by Being John Malkovich and Her filmmaker Spike Jonze — who also helmed the Beasties' iconic 'Sabotage' music video, as well as clips for 'Time for Livin', 'Ricky's Theme', 'Sure Shot', 'Root Down' and 'Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win' — Beastie Boys Story is drawn not only from MCA and Mike D's book, but from the live performances that followed after it hit shelves. After publication, the duo took to the stage to talk fans through their career, in a show directed by Jonze as well. So mixing the performance with archival clips and turning it into a documentary was the clear next step, really. Originally due to premiere at this year's now-cancelled SXSW, Beastie Boys Story will hit Apple TV+ globally on Friday, April 24. As the just-dropped first trailer shows, it's a wild ride — and its filled with killer tunes. Ch-check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCyqR2RXoQU Beastie Boys Story hits Apple TV+ on Friday, April 24+.
Have you ever wondered what happens to beautiful, archaic train stations after the trains that run through them halt for good? Take a look at the some of the most gorgeous abandoned train stations from the around the globe to admire their classic beauty and discover some of the many secrets and stories hidden within their walls. Abkhazia The abandoned railway station in Abkhazia, Russia, is a historical relic of the former Soviet Union. A 185km railway line connected Russia’s North Caucasus Railway with Georgian Railways but was severed in 1992 following the war in Abkhazia. 54km of the railway was repaired in 2008, however, the operation was purely humanitarian and so this stunning structure remains untouched and hauntingly beautiful. Michigan Central Station Depot At the time of its construction in 1913, the Michigan Central Station Depot was the tallest rail station in the world. Located in the Corktown district of Detroit, this now abandoned station survived heavy military use during World War II and was almost closed for good in the '60s after maintenance costs became too high for the decreasing passenger volume. It was reopened in 1975 when Amtrak took over and initiated an enormous renovation program, however, the last train puffed past in 1988. Montzen Gare Montzen-Gare is located on the Eastern borders of Belgium and has become a hotspot for photographers wanting to capture the alluring beauty of its rusting trains, tracks and decaying rooms. The station was built by Russian prisoners of the First World War for the German Army but had to be rebuilt after a heavy bombing in 1944. The station also became available for passenger transport following the war, however it was abandoned for good in 1998. Mapocho Station Now used as an art gallery, the cavernous space of the Mapocho Station in Santiago, Chile was constructed between 1905 and 1912, and was once the heart and soul of Chile’s massive railway network. The grand building had its last train shudder to a stop in 1987, but it was restored to its former charm in the '90s. Today the station serves as the cultural nucleus of the nation with its spacious interior providing the perfect location for exhibitions, performances and many other cultural festivities. Manchester Mayfield Manchester's Mayfield station served as both a passenger and a goods station in its time and, since its demise in 2005, the abandoned space has been been slated for development into a city centre district, a National Express Coach Station or a super campus for civil servants. The space was originally constructed in August 1910 for suburban services and met its tragic end after the roadside building was guttered by a fire. Croix Rouge The unused station of Croix Rouge is an infamous Parisian phantom station, the only one which remains as it was when it was closed. Put into service as a terminus for line 10 in 1923, the station was amongst the non-essential stations closed in 1939 due to the mobilisation of Paris metro employees for the Second World War. The advertisements, seats and even station masters booth can still be seen on the platform. City Hall Subway Stop The City Hall Station in Manhattan was the original southern terminal of the first New York City Subway opened in 1904. The station lies beneath the public area in front of City Hall and was designed to be the showpiece of the new subway. The elegant architecture, coloured glass tiles and brass chandeliers meant that it was considered to be one of the most beautiful subway stations in the system. The passenger service came to a close in 1945. Buffalo Central Terminal A station designed to accommodate up to 3,200 passengers per hour (or 200 trains per day) is sure to be an impressive and eye-catching structure. And the Buffalo Central Terminal certainly doesn’t disappoint. The complex consists of a 17 storey office tower, four storey baggage building, a two storey mail building and the main concourse. It was opened to the public in 1929 and the terminal closed in 1979. Now in the hands of the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation, a huge campaign is being undertaken to preserve and restore the terminal to its former glory. Anhalter Bahnhof The oldest of the abandoned stations in the list is the Anhalter Bahnhof station in Berlin, born in 1841. Starting from humble beginnings, the station developed to become one of Berlin’s biggest and finest, with its trains departing to Prague and Vienna. The station is not without its history as the it was involved in the deportation of about a third of the city’s Jewish population between 1941 and 1945. [Via Flavorwire]
In a world of twitter-inspired books and movies, and everyone buzzing about Google+, the humble text message is often overlooked. The appropriately named British artist Tracey Moberley is doing her best to rectify that. Moberley has released an autobiography, Text-Me-Up!, drawn from the 55,000-plus texts she has ever received. She can even remember the very first one, received during lunch in Manchester in 1999. Many would cringe at the idea of revealing their text history to the public, others might wonder how many pages can be filled with "Where r u?" The book isn't Moberley's only text-message based art. In 2001 she released 2,000 helium balloons with her mobile number and a text attached, inviting responses from complete strangers. Her current project asks people who receive a text message from her to commemorate the event by sticking up a pink plaque, challenging the common view of the text as a purely utilitarian and disposable piece of communication.
Spike Lee. Denzel Washington. They're two of the biggest names in America cinema, and they're back in business together, teaming up for Highest 2 Lowest. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, the latest Lee-directed joint not only sees two icons reunite, but also reimagines the work of another. With their new collaboration, the two Oscar-winners (Lee for BlacKkKLansman's screenplay, Washington for Glory and Training Day) are reinterpreting 1963 crime thriller High and Low from Akira Kurosawa. If you've forgotten where else Lee (American Utopia) and Washington (Gladiator II) have joined forces before, the just-dropped teaser trailer for Highest 2 Lowest offers a reminder, starting by running through their past flicks together: Mo' Better Blues, Malcolm X, He Got Game and Inside Man. "There's more to life than just making money," utters Washington as the film titles flash up on the screen. "There's integrity. There's what you stand for. There's what you actually believe in," he continues. In the New York City-set flick, Washington plays a music mogul who is about to navigate quite the chaos. "Can you handle the mayhem?" Highest 2 Lowest's star also asks in the movie's debut sneak peek, which is set to James Brown's 'The Big Payback'. His character is renowned for having the "best ears in the business", then is saddled with a ransom plot. "Can you handle the money? Can you handle the success? Can you handle the failure? Can you handle the lovers? Can you handle the memes? Can you handle everything that there is in-between?" he also queries. While this is Lee and Washington's fifth time working together in 35 years, it's their first collab in 19 years, since Inside Man released in 2006. It's also Lee's first film at all since 2020, when both feature Da 5 Bloods and concert movie American Utopia released. Washington's Highest 2 Lowest costars include Jeffrey Wright (The Last of Us), Ice Spice and A$AP Rocky (If I Had Legs I'd Kick You). After premiering at Cannes, the movie has a date with US cinemas from Friday, August 22, 2025, but details of a Down Under big-screen release haven't been revealed. Whether or not it hits picture palaces in Australia and New Zealand, viewers will be able to watch Highest 2 Lowest via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025. Check out the first teaser trailer for Highest 2 Lowest below: Highest 2 Lowest opens in US cinemas from Friday, August 22, 2025 and doesn't yet have a Down Under big-screen release date, but screens via Apple TV+ from Friday, September 5, 2025.
When the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television anoints its picks for the best movies and TV shows of 2023, it'll do so in February 2024 on the Gold Coast. The country's night of nights is on the move to southeast Queensland, making its Sunshine State debut; however, a change of location isn't the only big offering. For the first time ever, the organisation is also hosting the AACTA Festival, a celebration of everything that the country puts on screens both silver and small. AACTA's gongs will be given out on two dates, starting with its Industry Awards on Thursday, February 8 and then hosting its usual glittering ceremony on Saturday, February 10. Around those occasions, running from Thursday, February 8–Sunday, February 11 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, AACTA Festival will be filled with talks, screenings and more featuring a swag of impressive names. If Talk to Me creeped its way onto your list of favourite Australian horror movies, directors Michael and Danny Philippou will be at AACTA Festival to dive into it. Warwick Thornton is also on the lineup to discuss The New Boy as part of the fest's 'meet the creators' events, as are the teams behind Limbo, Sweet As, Shayda and The Newsreader. Can't wait to see the Boy Swallows Universe TV series? It'll be out by February, so you'll have it fresh in your mind author Trent Dalton gets talking about it. And if you were a fan of The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart either on the page or screen, Holly Ringland will also be chatting. Indeed, writers are a big focus, including Nick Earls, Lystra Rose, Mathew Condon, Richard Jameson, Tristan Michael Savage and Ben Hobson. Giving the event one of its international highlights, Lessons in Chemistry's Bonnie Garmus is on the bill as well. Also each massive highlights: behind-the-scenes explorations of The Matrix, the stunts of Mad Max: Fury Road and, for some more overseas flavour, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse's animation. Or, enjoy a chat with Wellmania and The Way We Wore's Celeste Barber about her career, then find out more about the upcoming series High Country starting Leah Purcell (Wentworth), Aussie-made Robbie Williams biopic Better Man and the sequel to Mortal Kombat at their own dedicated talks. Before they get their own immersive experience in Brisbane, Bluey and Bingo will be doing a meet and greet — and, including a live-watch party for the AACTAs, a screening of 1906's The Story of the Kelly Gang, trivia, a Play School live event and a chat about music Baz Luhrmann's movies, there's plenty more joining them. In total, over 70 sessions form AACTA Festival, with most free to attend. AACTA nominees will also be taking part, although the details there can't be revealed until after exactly who is vying for a gong is announced on Saturday, December 9. "AACTA Festival is a must-attend event for anyone who lovesAustralian film, television, music, gaming, art and pop culture," said AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella, announcing the lineup. "We are excited to present more than 70 events over four days celebrating the excellence of our industry. From red carpet glamour to workshops and a special kids' lineup, it's an invitation for everyone to step into the magic of storytelling and creativity." AACTA Festival will run from Thursday, February 8–Sunday, February 11 at HOTA, Home of the Arts, 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise Gold Coast. For further details, head to the fest's website. Boy Swallows Universe and Wellmania images courtesy of Netflix.
Towards the end of Victoria and Abdul, Judi Dench's face fills the frame during an extended speech. For the second time in her career she's playing Queen Victoria in a film about the British monarch's relationship with a servant. Whereas 1997's Mrs Brown saw her bonding with Billy Connolly, this time the 19th century sovereign has forged a strong platonic bond with Indian Muslim clerk Abdul (Ali Fazal), but her son (Eddie Izzard) and staff are none too happy about it. Cue a memorable dressing down delivered by a figure well-aware of her power and responsibilities, as well as the type of scene designed to garner awards nominations. That's Victoria and Abdul in a nutshell. The latest regal flick from The Queen's Stephen Frears, it's the kind of film that knows where its strengths reside, and how viewers are likely to react. That's not to downplay Dench's formidable talents, or her ability to inhabit Queen Victoria's many shades and depths. Indeed, she's the best thing on screen. But there's no ignoring the fact that Frears has plunged the beloved actress into a decidedly average historical drama that isn't always worthy of her talents. Despite taking its inspiration from real life, Victoria and Abdul sticks closely to a familiar culture-clash formula. Typically, one of two things happen when folks from different stations in life meet in a movie. Either they get along nicely, but their connection isn't met with the same fondness by those around them, or, after a rocky start, they're forced to learn from their differences. When Abdul is picked to journey to Britain to present the queen with a ceremonial coin during her Golden Jubilee celebrations, the film seems destined to take the second path. Then he breaks protocol by making eye contact with the monarch, she's intrigued by the good-natured newcomer in her midst, and before long they're facing off against institutionalised racism. While Dench plays Queen Vic with considerable texture and nuance — more than early scenes seem to indicate, in fact — the feature around her doesn't share the same fortune. There's a difference between probing engrained prejudices and just presenting a scenario filled with them, with Victoria and Abdul taking the easier, latter option. Adapting the book of the same name by Shrabani Basu, screenwriter Lee Hall (War Horse) keeps things light and simplistic when it comes to scheming naysayers, cultural disharmony and Abdul himself. Given that the film supposedly sets out to dispel racist stereotypes, the fact that Abdul is portrayed as a jovial, exotic outsider who helps Victoria get her groove back is more than a little bit troubling. Where the film succeeds is as a misty-eyed ode to friendship. As Rose-tinted as much of the lavishly shot movie proves, it thoughtfully and tenderly conveys the effect that having someone to talk to, and to listen back, can have. The rapport between Dench and the spirited Fazal helps, ensuring that Abdul remains an engaging presence, even if he's flimsily written. Their time together mightn't delve deep into the intricacies surrounding their characters, but Victoria and Abdul is at its best when its stars share the screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtC8jNHSxgQ
Situated in a string of shops on the corner of Enoggera Terrace and Waterworks Road is Brisbane's newest health food hotspot, Botanica. Serving wonderfully fresh and original salads for take away only, Botanica's focus is on fast food the healthy way. The glass display cabinet has enticing salads full of flavour and beautiful colours. For my visit I chose to have a small box ($10) filled with three salads. In one corner I had the shredded carrot, flame grapes, parsley, celery root salad with spiced peanut puree; in the middle was the red rice with pumpkin, sweet potato, and spinach; and finally crisp green beans with almond slivers, celery red onion and lime and chili dressing. Taunting me in the front window were plates full of amazing looking sweets. I was told that all of their sweets are gluten-free which is great news for coeliacs. Feeling piggish and deserving of a treat I bought a chocolate cupcake and an individual cinnamon bun cake (both $4). The service was delightful, with every dish being explained to me in detail. Once I returned home I tucked into my salads. All were crunchy and fresh, full of flavour and beautifully dressed (in fine couture). And the best part was that I felt full, but not uncomfortably so, afterwards...with just enough space for a ridiculously awesome gluten free and vegan chocolate cupcake. Who knew that no eggs or wheat could taste so amazing!? The absolute winner of the day though (other than me), was the individual cinnamon bun cake which was indescribable perfection. For delicious, health-focused and convenient food, you must stop by Botanica.
It's always handy when an artwork tells you exactly what to say when you see it — and when you lock eyes on Amanda Parer's What's That, you will indeed exclaim the piece's name. You'll also feel like you're in a sci-fi movie, too, given that you'll be looking up at (and standing beneath) a five-metre-tall inflatable humanoid. What's That's towering figure is actually in a crouching position, but that doesn't make it any less of a sight to behold. Parer has been placing these vivid creations at different spots around the world, and now it's Brisbane's turn from Tuesday, August 31–Sunday, September 26. You'll need to head to Portside Wharf to get a glimpse — and if you're wondering what inspired Parer, she's taken her cues from the 1973 film Fantastic Planet. (If you've seen the movie, you'll know why. If you haven't, consider this some motivation to add it to your must-watch list.) It's a great time to see luminous art and installations around Brissie, given that Parer's botanical-themed Lost is also popping up in West End this September. Courtesy of multidisciplinary studio ENESS, the equally eye-catching Sky Castle and Airship Orchestra are also temporarily making their homes at Northshore Hamilton, just up the road from Portside Wharf. Images: Claudia Baxter.
Sample master and festival veteran Harley Streten, better known by the stage name Flume, has never staged a headline show in his home country. But that will change in April when the 21-year-old embarks on his first ever headline tour. Kicking things off in Sydney at the Hordern Pavilion, a venue that has previously played host to a slew of little-known acts such including Kraftwerk, Coldplay and Queen, Streten will move on to dominate Melbourne’s Festival Hall and Brisbane’s Riverstage before heading west. Soultronica crooner Chet Faker, a sizeable force on the local scene himself who sold out three Melbourne shows and one Oxford Art Factory last year, will be in support for what Streten has dubbed the Infinity Prism Tour. His woozy textures, soaring vocal samples and catchy washes of RnB have won the kid many fans both overseas and on home turf, so have your clicking finger waiting when tickets go on sale Friday, 1 March. And as you're counting down the seconds until 10am, there are enough crazy wall posts on his Facebook page to keep you well entertained.
Brisbane Festival is back for 2024 throughout September — kicking off on Friday, August 30 this year, in fact — and it's returning with a big bang. After moving the sky celebration to the beginning of its annual run in 2022, the citywide arts event is again brightening up the heavens to start things off. Get ready to look up on Saturday, August 31. The fireworks display has now settled into its new slot after a chaotic few years, which saw it scaled back in 2019, then replaced with a light and laser show in 2020 due to the pandemic, and finally returning in 2021. Initially, Riverfire moved dates to shift out of school holidays. No matter when it's held, more than 500,000 people usually attend. If you've been to South Brisbane when it's on — even hours earlier — you will have seen the masses of people to prove how popular it is. Head anywhere with a decent vantage over the river and crowds await. This Brisbane tradition will start its entertainment at 4pm this year, with the fireworks blasting from 7pm. Need a few recommendations? River Terrace at Kangaroo Point is the number-one spot to hit up for the best panoramic view. There's also South Bank, of course, as well as the Kangaroo Point Cliffs, Captain Burke Park and Wilson's Lookout — plus the Riverside Centre and the City Botanic Gardens, too. Even if fireworks aren't usually your thing, you might still be interested in the Riverfire shindigs that always pop up on the night, with bars around town usually throwing plenty of parties with quite the lit-up backdrop.
If DC Studios could live life like it's a Cher song, would it turn back time to erase the DC Extended Universe, setting itself on an entirely different path instead? With new co-head honchos James Gunn and Peter Safran wrapping up the underwhelming franchise — after 2023's films, The Suicide Squad director and producer are replacing the DC Comics on-screen realm with a new movie saga just called the DC Universe — the answer is likely yes. Does DC Studios regret having to release The Flash, which gives the character played by Ezra Miller since 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice his own feature, arrives after their past few years of controversies and legal troubles, and comes with a jumping-backwards focus? It must've been better for the bottom line to let the picture flicker before audiences, rather than ditching it after it was finished as happened with Batgirl; however, the response there about lamenting Barry Allen's latest big-screen stint might also be in the affirmative. As was the case with Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and could also be with the DCEU's upcoming Blue Beetle and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, a feeling of futility buzzes through The Flash. Plenty happens, featuring an array of caped crusaders and more than one version of Barry, and yet all that tights-wearing sound and fury might signify nothing in the scheme of all things DC. Movies have never needed sequels or franchises to gift their existence a spark. Increasingly, the opposite occurs. Instalment after instalment in ever-sprawling cinema universes are dragged down by being exactly that: a series instalment, rather than their own films. And The Flash does frequently try to be its own feature, but it's also firmly tied to being part of a pop-culture behemoth while eagerly worshipping superhero history. The blatant and overdone nostalgia, the already-announced returns and still-surprise cameos, and the now-overused multiverse setup that assists in linking its narrative together — it all rings empty when it proves so disposable, as the dying DCEU is. Living with your choices, and facing the fact that you can't always take back mistakes and fix traumas, does fittingly sit at the heart of The Flash's narrative, though. While the Barry (Miller, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) that audiences have also seen in Suicide Squad, Justice League and Shazam! enters The Flash calling himself "the janitor of the Justice League", answering Alfred's (Jeremy Irons, House of Gucci) calls to clean up Batman's (Ben Affleck, Air) chaos offers a handy distraction from his family situation. Understandably, he's still grief-stricken over his mother's (Maribel Verdú, Raymond & Ray) murder. He's also struggling to prove that his incarcerated father (Ron Livingston, A Million Little Things) wasn't the killer. Cue messing with the space-time continuum, using his super speed to dash backwards to stop his mum from dying — and, as Bruce Wayne warns, cuing the butterfly effect. Back to the Future devotees know what follows when someone tinkers with the past. The Flash director Andy Muschietti (IT, IT: Chapter Two) and screenwriter Christina Hodson (Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)) count on viewers being familiar with the consequences, and with the Michael J Fox-starring 80s classic. Amid navigating various iterations of its protagonist and, as revealed in its trailers, getting Michael Keaton (Morbius) back in the cape and cowl as the Dark Knight three decades after the last Tim Burton-helmed Batman flick — plus finding time for Supergirl (Sasha Calle, The Young and the Restless) — this DCEU entry splashes around its broader pop-culture nods with gusto. Given that was Gunn's tactic in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy movies, right down to also mentioning Kevin Bacon and Footloose, perhaps Barry might have a DCU future after all? Whatever happens, The Flash's riffing on and namechecking other beloved films isn't its best trait. There are multiples of much in this movie, which includes multiple ways to slather on fan service. Virtually retracing Marty McFly's footsteps involves that extra Barry, the younger and more OTT of the two — the one aiding the OG Barry in seeing why people can find him a bit much, in fact. It also inspires the comeback of Superman's Kryptonian foe General Zod (Michael Shannon, George & Tammy), as the events of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ripple through an alternate timeline. Yes, every superhero saga has become a multiverse saga, everywhere and all at once. The Marvel Cinematic Universe keeps leaning in, while the Spider-Verse films embrace the idea in every gorgeously animated frame. Reuniting with a past Batman was always going to play like a Spider-Man: No Way Home wannabe, but The Flash isn't helped by hitting cinemas so soon after Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, aka the current gold standard in multiple everything, spandex-clad saviours in general and franchise fare. It was true when Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland were all webslinging in the one film, and it's true now with Affleck and Keaton being oh-so-serious here: teaming up past and present takes on the same figure in the same feature can smack of refusing to cut ties with history. That's what nostalgia is all about, of course, and it clashes glaringly with what The Flash endeavours to teach its red-suited namesake. As Barry attempts to protect, nurture and heal his inner child — rather literally — the movie advocates for ultimately accepting life's hardships and moving on. Then it has more and more recognisable faces pop up, including some grave-robbing choices using woeful special effects. With its routine fan-baiting multiverse antics, the picture keeps finding additional ways to ring empty. A film that adores all that's gone before, but exists in the waning days of a dissipating saga. A feature with little future path and too much fondness for the past. A reminder that life goes on that epitomises that very fact within the movie business, yet can't live and breathe it within its frames even as its narrative sings that notion's praises. That's The Flash — and it's also a picture made better by Miller's convincing dual turns, especially when they're at their most vulnerable and melancholy, and particularly when they're on-screen twice in the same scene. It benefits from Keaton's subtlety in an appearance that's anything but within the story, and from Muschietti's eagerness to amuse through the flick's strongest action scenes, as seen in quite the baby shower. Pondering playing god and its repercussions, it also owes a debt to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, as almost everything does. Feeling like disparate pieces that don't stitch together to make the best whole isn't what The Flash was aiming for, however, but it's what's been zapped into cinemas.
When the recent spate of jungle-set action-comedies hit the big screen — think: Jungle Cruise and The Lost City over the past few years — they likely didn't have anyone thinking about mini golf. But if you'd like to putt your way through 16 greens that clearly take their cues from such flicks, Tingalpa's The Jungle Adventure Play has the answer. Given the eastside venue's name, applying a leafy theme to its new mini golf course — all 16 holes of it — was always a given. Open since Thursday, January 5, the putt-putt setup includes snakes, vines, caves, ruins and bullet-riddled trucks, all trying to make getting a hole-in-one tricky. That said, given that this is an all-ages activity, there's an easy option for every hole. Putters will find two paths for each — spanning holes both indoors and outside — so you can pick between the simplest way to mini golf glory or challenge yourself. As well as the course, The Jungle Adventure Play has added a licensed bar serving cocktails, slushies, beers on tap and soft drinks — adding to Brisbane's growing list of boozy mini golf spots, such as Holey Moley's three local venues, in the process. The venue also boasts a giant inflatable bag that you can jump onto, climbing walls, high ropes and an indoor ninja course — plus, dating back to early 2022, a 140-metre flying fox track. Called The Hawk, it's the longest electric flying fox in the southern hemisphere. Take a spin before or after picking up a club and you'll be moving at 22 kilometres per hour, all while strapped into a harness eight metres above the ground. It spans both indoors and outside, too, and runs in all weather. And, like the new mini golf course, the flying fox takes inspiration from an impressive source. If you remember the Myer Centre's old dragon coaster, which used to zoom around the CBD shopping complex's top level where the cinemas now sit, then you'll instantly know the experience that The Jungle Adventure Play wants to recreate. Find The Jungle Adventure Play at 31 Proprietary Street, Tingalpa — open 9am–5pm Sunday–Thursday and 9am–8pm Friday–Saturday. Images: Peter Wallis.
Maybe you're always on the hunt for new experiences. Perhaps you can't go past a meal with a view. You could be keen to indulge your adrenaline-junkie side any way that you can. Or, you just might want to see Brisbane from a different perspective. All of the above is on the menu at Vertigo, as is dinner. Sure, a great bite to eat should satisfy your tastebuds and your stomach; however, this one will also get your blood pumping and pulse racing. Initially announced in August and now serving sky-high diners Thursday–Sunday weekly, Vertigo is a brand-new addition to the River City's iconic Brisbane Powerhouse. The twist: it isn't just located on top of the riverside New Farm venue, but hangs off of the site's industrial facade. Forget just living on the edge — this is dining on the edge, and literally. Obviously, the views are spectacular. Given that patrons climb out to their seats while donning a safety harness, then eat four stories (and 17 metres) up, so are the thrills. An Australian-first vertical dining experience, Vertigo's levelled-up dinners welcome in tables of two to peer out over Brisbane. It comes with a big caveat, however, with the restaurant at the mercy of the weather. That'll certainly play a factor over Brissie's stormy summers, but the night's sitting will still go ahead if it's only lightly raining. Once you're seated, Brisbane Powerhouse's Bar Alto downstairs provides Vertigo's food across its eight tables — and each reservation's two-hour sitting — with the two-course menu featuring local ingredients to go with what's certain to become a local attraction. Unsurprisingly, a visit here doesn't come cheap, costing $250 per person. Another caveat: you can't head up if you've been drinking, with everyone breathalysed first and required to return a 0.00-percent blood alcohol reading. That said, while you need to be sober to climb over the edge, a matched glass of wine will be served with dinner. You'll also get a post-descent champagne, beer or soft drink. If you're not fond of heights, this won't be for you. But if you're fine with towering not just atop but over the side of an old power station-turned-arts precinct that dates back to the 1920s — whether you're a Brisbane local or a tourist — you'll be in for quite the unique experience. To make the evening even more dramatic, diners can also choose to come back to earth post-meal via dropline down the facade. Or, if that's too much adventure for you — especially after eating — you can just head back to the ground through the venue. If star chef Luke Mangan achieves his dream of setting up a restaurant on the Story Bridge, too, Brisbane might need to rename itself the Sky-High City. "Vertigo is unlike anything else in the world, it is an unexpected combination of adventure tourism and fine-dining on a heritage site," said Brisbane Powerhouse CEO/Artistic Director Kate Gould when the restaurant was first announced. "Stepping off the roof of Brisbane Powerhouse to take a seat suspended at your table, four stories above the ground, will be the ultimate thrill. Experience silver service dining — albeit one with unbreakable crockery and cutlery attached to the table!" "We are creating a uniquely Brisbane dining experience, at height. You will be on the edge of your seat in the open air before descending via an unforgettable exit," added Riverlife creator and co-founder John Sharpe, with the outdoor tour operator partnering with Powerhouse on the venture. "Vertigo will inspire fear but with the knowledge that safety is the priority of our experienced team of adventure tourism guides." Find Vertigo at Brisbane Powerhouse, 119 Lamington Street, New Farm, Brisbane, operating from 5pm Thursday–Sunday — head to the venue's website for further details and bookings. Images: Markus Ravik.
Treat yo'self to something sweet, help save one of Australia's most beloved animals: that's what's on the menu right now thanks to Lindt. The brand has just launched a limited-edition item that not only looks adorable, but also assists a great cause — with its new koala-shaped chocolates raising funds for the Australian Koala Foundation. Everyone knows Lindt's gold Easter bunnies, so consider this the suitably silver and thoroughly Aussie version, all to support the AKF's work to ensure the Aussie marsupial's survival. Beneath that shimmering foil and its cute red ribbon with a heart-shaped pendant, the 100-gram chocolate is shaped like a koala, obviously. It's hollow inside, but you'll taste notes of both caramel and honey within the milk chocolate itself. For each koala purchased — with the new choccies only available via Lindt's retail stores and its website — the brand is donating $1 to the AKF. And, for every dollar that Lindt donates, AKF is matching it. Those funds are specifically earmarked for the foundation's 'Koala Kiss Project', which is all about finding where the species' fragmented habitat comes close to joining up, then regenerating the landscape to create a koala conservation corridor — with the first stage of the project focusing on developing software and collaborating with scientists to plot out all those 'kiss points' over a 1.5-million-square-kilometres patch between Cairns and Melbourne. "The Lindt koala is more than just chocolate. We want our Lindt koala to raise awareness and educate the community of the important role the Australian Koala Foundation plays in the long-term survival of our beloved native animal," said Lindt Australia CEO Michael Schai. "If we achieve contiguous habitat across the entire stretch of the koala range, then all creatures great and small could traverse through the bush unthreatened. With over 30 years of research behind the Koala Habitat Map, AKF's next grand vision could redirect the fate of the koala," added Deborah Tabart OAM, Chair of Australian Koala Foundation. "Lindt's support will help kickstart those efforts, with an ultimate vision to save the koala with 'kisses' through chocolate." Lindt's chocolate koalas are available to purchase for $6.25 at Lindt stores and via the Lindt website for a limited time.
