Over the past five years, Runcorn's Genkotsu Ramen has served up plenty of bowls of its eponymous dish — and Brisbanites have slurped them all up willingly and happily. But we're guessing that, come Wednesday, March 11, the southside eatery will prove even more popular than it usually does. Slinging $5 bowls of ramen will do that. To celebrate half a decade of being in the noodle soup business, Genkotsu Ramen is doing $5 ramen for one whole day. You'll need to order the original ramen; however you'll have a choice of shio, shoyu, miso and gyokai — so you just need to decide whether your tastebuds are feeling salty, or are hankering for soy, miso or fish. You'll also need to eat in, as this special isn't available for takeaway orders. It all kicks off at 11.30am, so you can head by for a cheap lunch or a cheap dinner. Expect to have plenty of company, of course. Images: Genkotsu Ramen.
Recognised nationwide, the Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing is a significant event on the Brisbane arts calendar. Hundreds of entries are submitted for consideration, showcasing the amount of depth and imagination within our artistic community. Now in its fifth year, the prize exhibition will be one of the best yet. Marie Corella Ellis OAM was an important figure in the creation of Jugglers Art Space (one of Brisbane’s most loved arts hubs), as she resided in the Brunswick Street address, where Jugglers is now situated, for more than 60 years. The 2014 exhibition is directed by Holly Riding (founder of Nancy Zine) and Peter Breen, and will run until the 18th of August. The opening night festivities will include the announcement of the winner and a vote for the People’s Choice Award. This is an important night for many, and everyone is encouraged to attend to support all the selected artists and to witness Brisbane art history in the making. The exhibited artists are as follows: Jeremy Eden, Greer Townshend, David McLeod, Sean Hutton, Anna Bishop, Geoffrey Vagg, Luke Brook, Caity Reynolds, Jude Roberts, Aaron Butt, Lauren Edmonds, Cherie Durant, Bernadette Buscacci, Noel Miller, Tim Fitzpatrick, Birgit Jordan, Erin Kennedy, Tracey Choyce, Kathryn McGovern, Zoe Porter, Xiao Deng, Michelle Roberts, Mattaas Jakku, Lily Halton, Craig McKenzie.
Every week over at its Gasworks store, Salt Meats Cheese serves up all-you-can-eat pizza. Yes, it's as delicious as it sounds. If you're a vegan and you've been holding back, the eatery has you covered too. SMC mightn't ditch animal products as often, but when it does, it's something special. Next occurring on Tuesday, December 18, SMC's bottomless vegan pizza feast is back once more — and again, it includes unlimited vegan pasta as well. All you need to do is book a table in advance, with sittings available from 5pm. The pizza and pasta free-for-all will set you back a highly affordable $20, and while you'll also have to buy a drink, you can choose from both boozy and non-alcoholic options. For an extra $5, you can also opt for all-you-can-eat gluten-free vegan pizza as well. Finding decent slices that cater to dietary requirements is hard enough, let alone devouring as many as you feel like in one sitting, so expect this to be popular. Updated December 17.
World-class sports and international teams returning to Australia? It's a post-pandemic dream come true for rugby union fans. For the first time since 2016, the England rugby union team will be back on Australian soil to face off with the Wallabies in a three-test series. And, the second test in the series will be battled out at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium this July. At 7:55pm on Saturday, July 9, the old rivals will go head-to-head for a moment in sporting history that rugby union fans won't want to miss. The Wallabies have been waiting for this moment for half a decade, and are set to give their rival a test series they won't forget. Want to see the whole series? You can catch game one at Optus Stadium in Perth on Saturday, July 2 and the third and final game at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Saturday, July 16. For more information and to book tickets, visit the website.
Hot weather? Check. A hankering for an icy alcoholic beverage? Check. Knowing that tennis is going to be on televisions everywhere? Check again. Welcome to January in Brisbane, where watching folks hit balls around a court comes second only to complaining about the heat. No wonder we're all so thirsty. And, no wonder that the Treasury Casino has whipped up the perfect pop-up bar for the occasion, aka their Treasury Summer Nights Courtyard Pop-Up. Three things are on the agenda: watching and playing the sport in question (and other games), listening to live music, and enjoying a frosty drink. It's the kind of summer hangout you wouldn't expect in the heart of the CBD, as well as a great place to knock back a few froses and Cooper's brews on a heap of chill out lounges. Head along on Friday evenings in January from 5pm, with a special Thursday event happening on Australia Day.
Everyone knows someone who can't wait to throw a party, and will use any occasion and excuse they can to do so. Queensland Museum is that pal in venue form, regularly putting on after-hours shindigs for its exhibitions — and also dedicating a night to after-dark festivities during World Science Festival Brisbane 2024. On Friday, March 22, running from 6.30pm, the South Bank spot will welcome in Brisbanites to see baby turtles, peer at Lego dinosaurs, listen to DJ-spun tunes and more — all with drinks. QM's usual After Dark sessions are normally huge, but Social Science levels up the fun and activities for the city's annual science fest. And, your $60 ticket also includes entry to Jurassic World by Brickman. Attendees can also catch a runway display featuring upcycled wearable art from Claudia Williams donned by the House of Alexander — and then witness drag and science join forces at The Drag (S)experiment with Dr Naomi Koh Belic and Lee Constable. Phoebe Paradise is doing live painting, Dead Puppet Society is hosting a workshop on laser-cut insect pinning, and Dr Norman Swan and Tegan Taylor are recording podcast What's That Rash? live. The list goes on, complete with DJ Spock and Neesha Alexander on the decks.
Photographers and wannabe photographers, listen up. The Sartorialist, Cobrasnake and Streetpeeper have nothing on Henri Cartier-Bresson. He was in before photographer pseudonyms and blogs were hip, becoming famous for his portraits as well as photographs during his travels to Mexico, Indonesia, Europe, China, Japan, the United States and the Middle East, photographing pivotal eras in history such as post-war Soviet Union. He was in before Leica’s were a hipster must-have, exclusively using a Leica 35mm rangefinder wrapped in black tape (to make it less conspicuous in public). He took thousands of portraits and documented thousands of moments in time before passing away in 2004 – prior to his passing he curated Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Man, The Image and The World with his friend Robert Delpire, to be exhibited at the Bibliothèque nationale de France Paris. It’s travelled the oceans to QAG, where it will be exhibited for three months. To see the images that created a movement in street photography and inspired today’s greats, head to the Cultural Centre.
Because you're reading this, we know you're not someone who would receive a pet for Christmas, only to decide it wasn't for you. We know you're one of the good folks. You're probably hoping that you do receive a loveable animal as a gift, even if you already have one — or several — that you adore. We understand your yearning, and so does RSPCA Queensland. In trying to find permanent homes for dogs, cats, puppies and kittens surrendered into their care from all over the state, they're bringing all those cuddly creatures to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 9am–2pm on Saturday, January 18 for their sixth annual pop-up adoption event. Entry is via gold coin donation, and includes demonstrations, entertainment, food and activities, as well as RSPCA stalls and information. And then there's the hundreds of animals waiting for your affection — and for you to take them home with you. Hundreds of critters find homes each year, in case you're wondering. Although you can't put a price on the happiness that a new four-legged friend will bring, those wanting to adopt an older cat or dog can do so for a cheaper price — $150 for a meowing cutie, and $250 for a barking bestie. If you've got your heart set on loving your new family member from an early age, kittens ($245) and puppies ($499) aged under four months will also be looking for human companions. There'll also be guinea pigs for $40. There's more to pet adoption than overdosing on cuteness, of course, with making the commitment to care for an animal serious business. For further information, read RSPCA Queensland's FAQs. And, while you can take a pet home with you, you can't bring your existing furry pal.
If there's one thing Brisbanites like, it's watching Studio Ghibli films in a cinema. In fact, over the last few years, a whole heap of cinemas around town have hosted their own celebrates dedicated to the Japanese animation house. The Elizabeth Picture Theatre joined in earlier this year, and it was such a hit that the venue is brought the film festival back for a second season — and now it's continuing for a third. Screening twice a week throughout September until the beginning of November — on Thursday evenings at 6.30pm and Sunday afternoons at 4pm, to be specific — fans can expect more of Studio Ghibli's gorgeous features to get a run. Yes, you should make like a moving castle to see Howl's Moving Castle this time, and to feel like you've been transported somewhere magical across the rest of the program. Catch My Neighbours the Yamadas, The Cat Returns, Tales from Earthsea and Arrietty — plus Ponyo, Porco Rosso and The Wind Rises too. If you've missed these films in their limited cinema runs or fest appearances in the past, consider this your chance to catch up. At only $12 per session, you'll be positively spirited away. Updated July 17.
How many times is the word "cheers" uttered in Brisbane on a Sunday morning? Too many to count, probably. Come the last day of the weekend, everyone around town rolls out of bed to clink glasses at bottomless brunches — and sip what's in that glassware, obviously. Finding where to spend such a Sunday morning isn't difficult given the hefty lineup of boozy mid-morning meals on offer; however, if you like vodka spritzes, Vici Italian's new brunch should tempt your tastebuds. Every Sunday from 11am from Sunday, September 11, the South Bank spot is pouring three hours of Grey Goose cocktails over antipasto platters. You'll pay $70 per person the spread, which includes three kinds of Grey Goose Essences Spritz: a strawberry and lemongrass version, a white peach and rosemary option, and a watermelon and basil variety. You can also tuck into passionfruit martinis, too, and they'll all keep coming during your three-hour window. Now, you just need to gather the gang — and pick between an 11am, 11.30am or 12pm kickoff. You do just need a minimum of two, though, so it's also a Sunday-morning date option.
No one could ever accuse Paddington's Cakes & Shit of not knowing how to have a laugh. The Brisbane bakery's wares are whipped up with a sense of humour among the key ingredients, as you'd expect of somewhere making cakes in the shape of penises, butts and boobs, and also 'bag of dicks' cookies. So, of course the Given Terrace spot approaches Valentine's Day in the same irreverent fashion. New in 2024: expanding its February 14 range to include anti-Valentine's goodies for when you just want to tuck into a slice topped with the words "fuck love". "Last year, the message from our anti-lovers was clear: 'what about me, it isn't fair, etc'," said the Cakes & Shit team about the genesis of its new baked treats. As well as the black heart cake with glitter cherries and that aforementioned phrase nixing all things romantic, you can also order a cake that looks like any other white-iced version from the outside, then oozes raspberry coulis when you cut into it — like you're stabbing a heart. The anti-Valentine's black mini heart cake gets straight to the point, adorned simply with "nope". You can opt for a large cookie shaped like a broken heart, too, and personalise your message. Plus, the bakery's curse cookies have gotten the down-with-love treatment, with "happy extortion day" among the most SFW phrases available. Parks and Recreation fans, "Happy Galentine's Day" is another. Can't choose between cake and cookies? There's also a gift pack with both. If you fall in the happily swooning camp this year, the Valentine's Day selection filled with pink-hued bites with sunnier — but still funny — messages are also on offer. Curse cookies, mini candy heart cakes with "sex?" and "eat me" on top, large cookies to personalise with a warmer and saucier statement: they're among your picks. The heart-shaped macarons, cream-cheese filled red velvet crack cookies, truffle boxes and cupcake packs let you pick a card to go with them, to tell your plus one "I just fucking love you", "let's get naked" and "10/10 would bang again", among other choices. And if this seems like a hefty range of options, it's Cakes & Shit's biggest February 14 selection yet. For the first time, the bakery is doing deliveries on the day itself, to Brisbane metro and CBD areas — of the Valentine's Day and anti-Valentine's goodies. Find Cakes & Shit at 233b Given Terrace, Paddington, open 8am–4pm Monday–Thursday and 8am–6pm Friday — or head to the bakery's website.
Some things change, others stay the same: that's the Yonder Festival story for 2022. This year's event is making a big move, with the three-day music, arts and camping fest relocating from the Sunshine Coast to the Scenic Rim. The usual jam-packed lineup? That's well and truly accounted for as normal, though — and the Yonder team has just dropped all the details. Get ready to catch everyone from Kenta Hayashi, Haiku Hands and Miles Brown to Yirinda, Girl and Girl and Tjaka between Thursday, November 24–Saturday, November 26, taking over four stages among luscious greenery. "Welcoming eclectic and diverse acts for the fourth Yonder after making it through unique challenges in previous years is a valuable celebration from significant artists coming together in an immersive and surreal environment," said Festival Director Lincoln Savage, announcing the lineup. "Yonder is built on a balance of all art forms and focuses on artists who are starting to break out. We encourage people to attend Yonder not because of the artists they know, but those they don't — we hope Yonder provides an eclectic experience for people to discover their new favourite acts," he continued. Expect a varied roster of acts to hit the Spiegeltent and Hill Stage, including of Full Flower Moon Band, Safety Club, Life on Earth and Accomplice Collective as well. Dance space Yonderland will feature DJs aplenty, such as Bad Taste House Collective, David Versace, Theyphex Twins, Echo and Bounce, and Jen-E — and the ambient stage The Space Between Notes will be dedicated to two-hour-long sets by Mekema, Imitation Therapy, HHAARRPP and more. Roving and onstage performances will come courtesy of The Cassettes Flash Mob, Highline Australia and Manko the Macaw, turning just walking around the fest into a show. Also, artists as Tori-Jay Mordey, Scott Nagy, Krimsone, Aurora Campbell and Gus Eagleton will paint murals throughout the fest, turning every space into a canvas. Fancy putting your own talents to work? There'll be a paper wildflower-making workshop, plus meditation sessions. Keen to browse and buy? There'll be artisan market stalls. Food-wise, expect boutique stalls, with a focus on local businesses. Wunderbar, the fest's licensed bar, will also be pouring homegrown wares — including cocktails and beers supplied by Felons Brewing Co. If you're new to Yonder, it first started in the Mary Valley on the Sunshine Coast, and is known for its laidback atmosphere, hefty lineup of stellar tunes and performances, camping in scenic surrounds, and swims (including water aerobics) — this time in the Albert River. Also a drawcard: being able to BYO alcohol. Those drinks do need to be in plastic containers, and you can also only show up with a reasonable amount of booze. YONDER 2022 LINEUP: MUSIC: Accomplice Collective Bad Taste House Collective Become a Moth Big Dead Blue Screen of Death Boom Boom Bean Selecta Buttercats Chocolate Strings Das Druid David Versace Deceased Estates Deejay Local Support Dentallplan Dorian Echo and Bounce Echowave Eren Fascinator Fatshaudi felix.dance Full Flower Moon Band Girl and Girl Gute Zeit Gal HHAARRPP Haiku Hands Imitation Therapy Jamison Jazz House Jen-E Jungaji Kalopsia Kenta Hayashi Kitch Life on Earth Lithe Lord Fascinator Lucy Francesca Dron Mekema Miles Brown Mumbles Nigel Stephens Phil Smart takeover Platonic Sex Ralfalpha Safety Club SAMMM. Sellma Soul Sleeping SMXG Sonny O'Brien Spirit Lights Stocks Strictly Disco Swiss Mountain Transport Systems Taylah J Theyphex Twins Tjaka The Abstract Human Radio Timothy Fairless Trace Decay TULLIO Update Prayer Yirinda VISUAL ART: Artdosis Aurora Campbell Esquidy Gus Eagleton JB Diz Brown Jordache Kat Han Krimsone Naycha Raw Ink Reuben Zachary Scott Nagy Taneal Theresa Tori-Jay Mordey Trashbinn Art Zaide PERFORMANCE: The Buttery Cowboys UQ Taiko Zen Zen Zo Theatre of Thunder iLiminal Butoh The Cassettes The Feather Collector Highline Australia Manko the Macaw Wild Lotus Project Wild Lotus Project Tez & Tezza VOiiiD Collective Filthy Aliens Yonder Festival runs from Thursday, November 24–Saturday, November 26 in the Scenic Rim, Queensland. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival website. Images: Ned Martin / Mellumae / Cinderpixx / Mika.
Brisbane theatre, musical and fairytale fans, one of your wishes is about to come true — and yes, it involves a fairy godmother. Finally coming to Australia in 2022 after the pandemic delayed its planned 2021 run, Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musical version of Cinderella is heading our way. Get ready for glass slippers and pumpkin carriages to take over the town, with the show dancing its way into QPAC's Lyric Theatre from Friday, August 5. First premiering in New York in 2013, this version of the adored fairy tale features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a couple of the best-known names in musical theatre history. The pair actually wrote their songs for a 1957 television production, which starred a pre-Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music Julie Andrews. (If you've seen the 1997 TV movie with Brandy and Whitney Houston — which remade that original small-screen flick — then you've already seen a version based on Rodgers and Hammerstein's original efforts.) Now, the Broadway production is making the jump Down Under. Don't expect the exact same story you're used to, though — as you read as a kid, and saw in Disney's classic animated film and its live-action remake. Here, Cinderella is a contemporary figure, but living in a fairytale setting. While she's still transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, the tale has been given a firmly modern spin. Shubshri Kandiah (Aladdin, Fangirls) will play Ella, Ainsley Melham (Merrily We Roll Along, Aladdin) has been cast Prince Topher and Silvie Paladino (Mamma Mia!, Les Misérables) will sparkle as Marie, the Fairy Godmother. Also set to feature in the Australian production: Tina Bursill (Doctor Doctor, Wentworth) as Madame, Ella's stepmother, as well as Todd McKenney (The Boy From Oz, Shrek) as Sebastian, the Lord Chancellor. The cast will be working with a production penned by playwright Douglas Carter Beane (Xanadu, Sister Act) based on Hammerstein's work — which was, of course, adapted from the fairy tale about a young woman dreaming of a better life. The Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards and won one, for Best Costume Design. In the US, Carly Rae Jepsen played Ella for a stint, while The Nanny's Fran Drescher also took on the role of Madame, Ella's stepmother, for a period. Top image: Jeff Busby.
For this year's Vivid Sydney Dinner on Saturday, June 3, the Ivy Ballroom will transform into nature's playhouse, with each of the evening's experiences revolving around the central theme of 'rewilding'. Food, art, light installations and live music will celebrate nature in all its glory with a focus on all things Australiana. Food will be the centre piece of this Vivid Sydney event — led by Merivale Executive Chef Ben Greeno and renowned chef and author Danielle Alvarez (formerly of Fred's). They've joined forces to create a one-off menu that champions NSW's local and seasonal produce, pairing each course with a fantastic local wine. And as this is Vivid Sydney, expect immersive light installations interacting throughout the space all night long, creating a proper feast for the senses. [caption id="attachment_897981" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Food and drink at the Vivid Sydney 2022 Dinner hosted at ivy Precinct, Sydney CBD.[/caption] Then comes the star-studded musical numbers. Eddie Perfect will play host (and perform a few tunes) throughout the Vivid Sydney Dinner, and be joined on stage by a series of performers. You'll see alt-pop singer Montaigne, African fusion artist Julian Belbachir and beloved vocal powerhouse Christine Anu belt out some of their most popular hits to a room of your fellow lovers of music, food and art. To keep the party going, Australia's 'First Lady of House' Kate Monroe will jump on the decks for a bespoke Vivid Sydney set. It's going to be a big night. And if last year's Vivid Sydney Dinner is anything to go by, it will likely sell out well in advance. To book an entire 10-person table or a just few seats on the shared tables, head to the Vivid Sydney website.
Not every city gets its own book filled with love stories from locals that's penned by one of its best-known and beloved authors and journalists. Thanks to Trent Dalton's Love Stories, however, Brisbane boasts exactly that. It was back in 2021 that the Boy Swallows Universe scribe spent two months on the corner of Adelaide and Albert streets in Brisbane's CBD, Olivetti typewriter in hand, asking folks walking by for their romantic tales. His question: "can you please tell me a love story?". Those yarns came to the page via his 2022 Indie Book Awards Book of the Year-winner, and they're also hitting the stage during Brisbane Festival 2024 thanks to a theatre production of the same name. Dalton's writing career is filled with affection for Brisbane — as evidenced, of course, in Boy Swallows Universe on the page, stage and screen — and he isn't done showing it while collecting tender tales from his fellow Brisbanites. Also for Brisbane Festival, he's asking for love stories again. [caption id="attachment_969254" align="alignnone" width="1920"] David Kelly[/caption] Dalton is Museum of Brisbane's next artist in residence, and there's two parts to it, both of which want you to share your tales. From Friday, August 30–Sunday, September 29, 2024, Write Your Heart Out is taking over the Brisbane City Hall site, getting visitors to add their love letters across the month. Dalton is still busting out his Olivetti, too, popping up in King George Square taking place from 12–2pm on Friday, September 6 with fellow writers to take down love stories from passersby. Taking tales from the public will also serve as a part of a mentoring session, with Dalton imparting advice on interviewing skills to the group of emerging writers that'll be assisting in an intensive workshop. Dalton and the Write Your Heart Out residency is looking for all kinds of love stories, whether about first loves, loves that got away, long-running loves or anything in-between. If you're keen to pen your own rather than tell it to Dalton and his team directly, you'll be able to sit down and write at MoB. [caption id="attachment_969257" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Andie Dittman[/caption] Top images: Andie Dittman.
Picture this for your next Sunday afternoon: watching a theatrically dressed performer make bird call noises, and play music on a saw. Sounds a bit odd, yes? That’s only if you haven’t seen Christine Johnston perform. This incredibly talented performer, who is also a Kransky Sister, is bringing her unique brand of music to GoMA this Sunday. Performing alongside her will be Gareth Skinner, again with his very different but very beautiful style of cello music. Entry to this performance is free with your ticket purchase to the Surrealism exhibition, thus you really will have the surrealist experience - with the whacky art on the walls and the unique artist making birdcall noises. Christine will perform in the character of big haired Madame Lark, she will explore the chatter and warbles of the different birds she learnt of as a child who had chooks in the backyard and a penchant for bushwalking. Enjoy a journey into the rainforest, the seaside, the wild Australian bush and the farm as Christine takes on the personas of these feathered creatures. You will soon forget you are in a landmark gallery and presume you have been transported amongst the trees… heavenly.
Queensland is home to 349 different species of butterflies — and until Sunday, July 7, 2024, you can see most of them at Queensland Museum. The fluttering insects aren't alone at South Bank. Their company? An exhibition featuring more than 1700 specimens of creepy crawlies. Drawn from the venue's extension collection, this showcase is all about appreciating beetles, moths, ants, flies, mosquitos, cicadas, crickets, mantids, wasps, bees and more in a new light. You'll be bugged in the best kind of way while exploring Insect Agency, which is free, brand new and developed by QM, and running in tandem with the Entomological Society of Queensland's centenary celebrations. The exhibition is split into themes, covering insect bodies, the fact that there's more insects on earth than any other type of creature and special abilities specific to insects. Expect to learn plenty of interesting tidbits while you peer at insects great and small. Did you know that Australia is home to almost 500 species of dung beetles? Or that there's a Dracula ant that can snap its jaw shut at 320 kilometres per hour? You do now. From December, you can pair these minibeasts with dinosaurs, albeit of the Lego variety, all thanks to Jurassic World by Brickman — although that part requires a paid ticket. Images: Papilio ulysses (Ulysses butterfly), Megachile macularis (a leafcutter bee) and Onthophagus dandalu (dung beetle), Queensland Museum.
For some of Australia's major film festivals, this year hasn't turned out quite as they'd hoped. Sydney Film Festival was forced to postpone its event until November due to Sydney's lockdown, while the Melbourne International Film Festival had to ditch its in-cinema plans and run as a solely online fest for the second year running. But when the end of October rolls around, the Brisbane International Film Festival will be hoping to roll out its red carpet — and to screen a sizeable lineup of movies to Brisbanites on the city's big screens. This year's BIFF is set to take over New Farm Cinemas, The Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Reading Newmarket, Dendy Coorparoo, Palace James Street and GOMA's Australian Cinémathèque, all between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. And, the 11-day event will launch with one of the best Australian films of the year, with the Leah Purcell-starring and -directed The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson kicking off this year's festival. The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson was initially meant to do the same honours at MIFF, until that fest jumped online. Now, it leads a BIFF program that's also just announced three of its other big highlights. So, as well as looking forward to the Aussie drama — which sees Purcell continue to interrogate Henry Lawson's iconic story after previously bringing her version to the stage and page — Brisbane cinephiles will be able to see The Worst Person in the World, the Norwegian comedy-drama that picked the Best Actress prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and Compartment Number 6, a Russian flick about strangers meeting on a train that nabbed two awards at Cannes. And, there's also Petite Maman, the eagerly anticipated new film from Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma. The rest of the fest's lineup will be announced on Friday, October 1, and will mark the first program under BIFF's new setup. The festival has been through more than a few iterations over the years, after it was unceremoniously cancelled after its 2013 fest in favour of the short-lived Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival, then revived by Palace Cinemas in 2017, and then run by the Gallery of Modern Art from 2018–20. Now, it sits under Film Fantastic, who also organise the Gold Coast Film Festival, with the organisation winning a three-year tender for the 2021–23 events. Under Film Fantastic CEO Josh Martin and BIFF Program Manager Sasha Close, BIFF 2021 will screen a range of both Queensland and Australian premieres, and a lineup that Close says "has been carefully curated by the programming team and is diverse, fresh and entertaining." The 2021 Brisbane International Film Festival will run between Thursday, October 21–Sunday, October 31. Check out the event's just-announced titles by heading to the festival website — and we'll bring you details of its full program on Friday, October 1.
Breaking down a classic tale best known as an opera, rebuilding it as a lovers-on-the-run drama set across the US–Mexico border and making every moment burst with emotion, Benjamin Millepied's Carmen is a movie that moves. While its director is a feature debutant, his background as a dancer and choreographer — he did both on Black Swan, the latter on Vox Lux as well, then designed the latest Dune films' sandwalk — perhaps means that the former New York City Ballet principal and Paris Opera Ballet Director of Dance was fated to helm rhythmic, fluid and rousing cinema. His loose take on Georges Bizet's singing-driven show and Prosper Mérimée's novella before it, plus Alexander Pushkin's poem The Gypsies that the first is thought to be based on, is evocative and sensual. It's sumptuous and a swirl of feelings, too, as aided in no small part by its penchant for dance. And, it pirouettes with swoon-inducing strength with help from its stunningly cast leads: Scream queen and In the Heights star Melissa Barrera, plus Normal People breakout and Aftersun Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal. When Mescal earned the world's attention in streaming's initial Sally Rooney adaptation, he had viewers dreaming of fleeing somewhere — Ireland or anywhere — with him. Carmen's namesake (Barrera) absconds first, then has PTSD-afflicted Marine Aidan (Mescal) join her attempt to escape to Los Angeles. Carmen runs after her mother Zilah (flamenco dancer Marina Tamayo) greets the cartel with thunderous footwork, but can't stave off their violence. Aidan enters the story once Carmen is smuggled stateside, where he's a reluctant volunteer border guard in Texas alongside the trigger-happy Mike (Benedict Hardie, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson). As the picture's central pair soon hurtle towards California, to Zilah's lifelong friend Masilda's (Rossy de Palma, Parallel Mothers) bar, they try to fly to whatever safety and security they can find. That may be fleeting, however, and might also be in each other's arms. Mérimée's 1845 work told of blistering passion, as did Bizet's 1875 aria-filled version that's become the first Carmen that usually springs to mind. Indeed, ardour and intensity are among this tale's key traits no matter what format it's in — see also: iconic French filmmaker's 1983 effort First Name: Carmen; the Beyoncé-starring, 2001-released Carmen: A Hip Hopera; and everything prior and since. Millepied, who co-wrote the script with Alexander Dinelaris (an Oscar-winner for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)) and Loïc Barrere (President Alphonse), doesn't buck the trend. Heat and energy beat through his iteration as kinetically as Zilah's heartbeat-mimicking opening number, with the same burning that blazes in Barrera's eyes and as swelteringly as the movie's desert setting (Australia, specifically Broken Hill, standing in for the other side of the world when the film was shot in early 2021 while the pandemic was still wreaking havoc with international borders). Millepied isn't afraid to be bold with Carmen, clearly. Neither are his collaborators on- and off-screen. Barrera, Mescal and de Palma anchor the former — which also includes Elsa Pataky (Interceptor), Tara Morice (who came to fame with Baz Luhrmann's Strictly Ballroom three decades back) and rapper The DOC (Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty) — with such force that to witness them swish through the feature is to feel like you're in their shoes. Barrera and Mescal's chemistry simmers, pivotally. Together and apart alike, each convincingly unpacks the woes and worries paving their characters' struggles in their physicality as much as their words. Enlisting Pedro Almodóvar favourite de Palma is a spectacular coup, of course, and one that makes the La Sombra Poderosa nightclub stretches glimmer and glide with extra zest and potency. This Carmen doesn't just move — it transports, all while pulsating with emotions usually belted out with gusto in song. The movie's destination: the yearning that pushes Carmen and Aidan's flights towards different lives, the sorrow and desperation that refuses to remain buried in their hearts, the determination to fight and the lusty whirlwind that is their time together. Milliped knows how to immerse his audience in these sensations via his frames, which are so strikingly lensed by Jörg Widmer — a cinematographer with past credits that couldn't better sum up the look and tone of Carmen. Back in 2011, Widmer held the same role on Wim Wenders' big-screen Pina Bausch ode Pina. In 2019, he aided Terrence Malick's A Hidden Life in appearing as visually lyrical as the Badlands and The Tree of Life director's work gets. Carmen is that enamoured with the expressive nature of dance, and with imagery as its own haunting form of poetry. That Carmen means ode and poem in Latin is even verbally mentioned within the feature's dialogue. To peer at, Carmen is arresting, too, with its backdrop more than a minor reason. The arid expanse that's long made Broken Hill a popular filming destination has previously graced Wake in Fright, Mad Max II, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Mission: Impossible II, yet demands fresh eyes as Barrera and Mescal twirl over it with longing. In one particularly stirring scene, the duo cavort and embrace, their bodies as feverish as the golden hues evident in both the soil and sky. Carmen and Aidan come together in a desolate existence, finding — even making — what rays they can, but their romance is as jagged as the rocky, scrubby stretch around them. That Mescal's steps can't quite match Barrera's also feels all the more apt given the locale; it's visibly imperfect, so is his dancing and, of course, Carmen and Aidan's intertwined thrust for a new destiny earns that exact description. Similarly vivid touches: seeing Carmen's characters unleash such telling body language against such a still background, and the film's rich costumes gleaming against the ochre earth. The camera spies it all, yet never just lingers and passively observes. Rather, the cinematography flows — never more than in that sashaying against the dirt, plus a glowing fairground interlude that plays like a dream, in Masilda's clu,b and also a late boxing sequence that's as throbbing as anything on a makeshift or genuine dance floor. Singing is still a part of this Carmen, spiritedly and affectingly so, but this is a drama with carefully placed songs worked into the narrative rather than a traditional musical. To be more accurate, it's a drama with dance and sometimes lyrics, with the grandly ambitious and layered score by Nicholas Britell (Succession) getting intoxicatingly stormy to match the sea of movement that keeps washing through like waves.
Balance is a collection of new and conceptual pieces by Brisbane artist Andy Harwood. Working in the deep and dynamic world of geometric abstraction, his latest show explores shape, size, position and the properties of space via a series of gritty, eye-brow raising pieces. Harwood has exhibited his work in Australia and abroad, venturing as far as London and Berlin. Indeed, he's had nine solo exhibitions, been a part of over a dozen group shows and co-founded Brisbane art galleries Love Love Studio and S&M Studio. Favouring clean cut lines and the purposefully imperfect use of shape, Harwood's work has become synonymous with famous names such as Duchamp, Kandinsky, Malevish and Rothko. His mathematically determined, colour drenched compositions focus on the relationships of forms and how they interact with one another. Balance will exhibit at The Hold Artspace from the July 15 to 18, with opening night on July 17 at 6pm.
After the year that's been, we could all use a few little wins right now. And the next edition of Click Frenzy's online shopping bonanza is happy to provide. Kicking off from 7pm (AEDT) this Tuesday, November 10, Click Frenzy's Main Event is chock full of bargains to help ease the pain that 2020 has supplied so far. Running for 53 hours, the sale is set to feature over 4000 deals and specials from more than 800 local and international brands. Those looking to indulge in some much-needed retail therapy can do so snapping up eye-popping bargains on products from favourites like Big W, Dyson, Myer, Target and stacks more. A suite of 'Go Wild' deals could see you scooping up Apple Airpods Pro for a measly $4, a nifty new airfryer for the low price of just $1, a GHD straightener for $4 or a $9 Samsung TV. Elsewhere, nab new activewear with 65 percent off 2XU, refresh your summer wardrobe with 70 percent off Gorman, fill up your cellar with 70 percent off wine, score 60 percent off bedding from Sheridan and find more bargains courtesy of Bose, Priceline, T2 and Spotlight. What's more, you could even hook up with some new wheels, with the sale event featuring hard-to-beat deals from your mates at Volkswagen and Subaru.
Since opening in 2006, the Eleanor Schonell Bridge has been known as Brisbane's 'green bridge'. That moniker has nothing to do with its colour. Instead, it reflects the fact that, spanning the river to connect Dutton Park and St Lucia's University of Queensland, the roadway is only open to buses, bicycles and pedestrians — but, soon, it won't be the only bridge worthy of the nickname. First announced earlier this year, and now moving to the community consultation stage, Brisbane City Council is planning to build five new green bridges. They don't have exciting names just yet, but their locations have been revealed. One will connect Kangaroo Point to the CBD, while West End will be home to two, linking to Toowong from Orleigh Park and to St Lucia from the end of Boundary Street. Yet another will span Albion and Newstead at Breakfast Creek, and, well downriver, the last will reach from Bellbowrie to Wacol. The proposed bridges won't use exactly the same model as Eleanor Schonell Bridge, however. Running from Scott Street over to Alice Street in the city, the Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge will be for cyclists and folks walking on two feet only, as will the bridge over Breakfast Creek at the Kingsford Smith Drive Riverwalk. The remaining three bridges all will cater for walkers, bikes and public transport. [caption id="attachment_750033" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Brisbane City Council[/caption] A preliminary business case has also been put together for the Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge, forecasting that the structure could carry up to 5300 trips per weekday — and reduce bus trips by 300, as well as car journeys by 230, each day. While just when you'll be able to start strolling across it, or the other bridges, hasn't been revealed, you can have your say on the proposed structures. Either head online before Friday, December 6, or attend a community information session between Thursday, November 14 and Tuesday, December 3. And yes, Brissie already has a few other bridges that are solely dedicated to bikes and pedestrians, including the Goodwill Bridge and the Kurilpa Bridge in the CBD. We sure do love our bridges. The new Neville Bonner Bridge is also currently in the works, connecting South Bank with the Queen's Wharf development, while Indooroopilly has the Jack Pesch Bridge (which runs parallel to the famed Walter Taylor Bridge, aka the bridge with apartments built into it). For more information about Brisbane City Council's five new proposed green bridges, or to provide your feedback, visit the BCC website. Top image: A render of the Kangaroo Point Pedestrian Bridge.
The always-popular Hearts of Gold series is back for its 10th showcase at Bleeding Heart. Head along to the Ann Street venue to see the works of local artisans, including Ali Bezer, Sophie Bottomley, Mitchell Donaldson, Liana Evans, Maya Walker and Taya Lindner. In keeping with Hearts of Gold tradition, all of the profits made from the opening night celebrations will be donated to the worthwhile charity, Givit. It is an online match making service with a twist, pairing those in need with individual charities, who provide needed items by way of volunteer delivery persons. Bleeding Heart will aim to buy a selection of required items, plus a cash donation, so attendees will be assisting in a commendable cause. The exhibition itself runs from September 10th to the 16th, and is supported by Wise Foundation and Little Creatures Brewing.
Things are looking buoyant in southeast Queensland this spring, at least where art and leisure is concerned. A boat decked out with giant inflatable installations has been floating down the river during Brisbane Festival, a giant inflatable humanoid is peering over Portside, inflatable flowers have popped up in West End, and a multi-sensory inflatable playground has set up shop until the end of the season. Also, for two weekends, the world's largest inflatable theme park for adults is making a Brisbane comeback. Yes, the word 'inflatable' has been used a lot so far. It also applies to the next big, interactive and free installation that's set to make an appearance, this time at HOTA, Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast. Get ready to meet Lost Dogs Disco, the adorably named new project from Melbourne-based art studio ENESS — aka the folks behind Sky Castle and Airship Orchestra, which've been part of the aforementioned Brisbane Festival program during September. As its moniker suggests, dogs are involved in this towering inflatable work. Sixteen large-scale dog characters feature, with some measuring up to 4.6-metres tall. They'll be set up on the forecourt of HOTA's Outdoor Stage, and audiences will be able to not only walk among them, but play with them. And if you're wondering what that entails, each of the individually named dog characters will light up as you get near them thanks to proximity sensors and LED lights. They'll also unleash a soundscape that includes howls, barks and growls, as well as electronic music. If that makes your eyes light up in delight, Lost Dogs Disco forms part of HOTA's Wonder program from Friday, October 29–Sunday, November 7. You'll be able to frolic with these giant puppers from 10am–7pm Monday–Saturday and 7am–7pm on Sundays, all with the Surfers Paradise skyline as a backdrop.
Books! Pretty much all known knowledge on pages, with words, in your hands. But do we ever really stop to wonder where books come from - if anywhere at all. Firstly, we need to establish, books don’t come from Kindles, and they don’t come from those freewheeling, hippy libraries. Books – the ones you can’t zoom in on, screenshot or charge - come from bookstores, and we owe bookstores that tribute we give to all things great in society today: their very own day. The 11th of August is National Bookshop Day - the day to celebrate the preservation of human art, literature and text. All around Australia, booksellers will be throwing up their arms in a day of celebration of all things written. More locally, Avid Reader is holding a ‘twitterature’ competition, for those who can best sum up a book in a twitter post. They’ll also be hosting Instagram competitions, face-painting, blind date with a book, and throwing around prizes like there’s no tomorrow. Venture out of the house and celebrate National Bookstore day - it only happens once a year and in supporting it you'll ensure bookstores exist for the rest of the year. Hopefully. If you can't make it to Avid Reader, check to see if you are closer to one of our other favourite bookstores!
Inspired by the life experiences of writer/performer Waiata Telfer, an indigenous, mixed race woman with an intense cultural connection to her family despite feeling deeply disconnected, Song-The Story Of A Girl, A Bird & A Teapot sees its central character travel on with her trusteed teapot, itself a symbol of lost traditions and rituals, always pushed forward by the calls of an unseen, but ever-present, bird. Directed by Sue Rider Song will ignite your senses and passions as it entertains, enthrals and baffles you.
The world reigning Queen of Burlesque is coming to Brisbane with many treats by way of historical satires in an unmissable, joyous romp. Herstory is a fun, skilled and sexy hour; from Marie Antoinette and Lady Diana, to Marlene Dietrich and the Virgin Queen, Imogen Kelly revels in her iconic storytelling. Dance, aerials, magic, interactive projections, puppetry and short films will provide a night’s worth of ravishing entertainment. Imogen is an Australian who has made a name for herself through striptease identified performance. She took out her international title at the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas in 2012, which is but one of her many accomplishments. She is a trail blazer in her art and a world renowned comedian, performance artist and character actor. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see her in her element in a show that she has taken to the world.
February in Brisbane is all about celebrating Asian culture, with the annual BrisAsia Festival brimming with dumpling festivals, tea parties and more. Fancy getting into the fest's vibe while supporting Brisbane's Asian Australian comedians? And, thanks to their comic stylings, giving your stomach muscles a laugh-heavy workout? That's where the fest's BrisAsia Stands Up nights come in. A heap of local talents who are handy with a joke, or several, are taking to the stage for big evenings of giggles. On Friday, February 2, Jo Gowda is MCing, with Sandeep Totlani, Michael Cho, Josh Coutinho, MJ Wong, Mikee Joaquin and Nan Chen picking up the microphone. Then, on Friday, February 16, Cho swaps to MC duties, with Gowda, Ting Lim, Ashwin Segkar, Daniel Holt, Jai Selva and Jason Wong among the night's entertainment. The place to get chuckling: Fortitude Valley's Big Fork Theatre, which you'll find on St Paul's Terrace. Tickets cost $22.20 for a 90-minute set, which is a small price to pay not only in general, but when you'll go home with a batch of new favourite comedians on your list. Snapping up your seat quickly is recommended, because 2023's event sold out.
QUT and Bodysnatchers Theatre Company have worked together to produce a stunning play, written by Mark Rogers as part of The Brisbane Festival. The 70 minute performance focuses on the human side of natural disasters and war zones. The overarching theme of the piece is the inevitability of change. Soothsayers does not shy away from the horrors of war and natural disaster, rather it shows the incredible capacity of humanity to deal with these major challenges. This provocative piece will ask the audience to contemplate the consequences of fear and human action in these disastrous situations. This year, The Brisbane Festival is showcasing some of our states best theatre productions. As the festival is only held once a year, be sure to catch this compelling and thought-provoking production at the Brisbane Powerhouse. Concession and adult tickets are available starting at $15.
Puppies underwater. That's all you really need to know. But if you're looking for some more context, photographer Seth Casteel is actually one of the world's biggest catches — the man teaches puppies to swim. Teaches. Puppies. To swim. According to Mashable, Casteel has taught over 1500 dogs to paddle their way to glorious swimming success, building up their doggy confidence so they can impress the canine babes in their teen years. Shooting the lessons for his just-released and made-for-everyone-ever's coffee table book Underwater Puppies. Casteel has been doing this for a while; his first book Underwater Dogs followed the same vein. Not since these outrageously excellent photographs of dogs captured mid-shakedown have we squealed with such unfettered delight. Just look at this dude: https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZNVrU9w34 So here you go, the ultimate scrollworthy medicine for an average Thursday. ACK. Ruger Corey Rolley Pringles and Pick Me Reason Popsicle Monty Ava Ginger Iggy Via Mashable. Images: Seth Casteel.
Hitting the ski slopes this season? If you're quick, you can be among the first to book a stay in the just-opened Numbananga Lodge — a self-contained, ski-in ski-out snow lodge in Smiggin Holes, with easy access to all the fun of Perisher. With room to sleep six, this cosy, newly renovated pad could be an ideal base for that group snow trip you've been planning. Just keep in mind that you'll need a cool $1500 per night (during peak season) to book it — which works out to $250 each, if you can find five friends. The lodge is perched only a five-minute drive from Perisher Valley, though many will be tempted to take the scenic route: travelling by skis right from the front door, or on the nearby Link T-Bar. The lodge is available to hire out year round, and summertime at Numbananga has plenty of drawcards of its own, boasting primo views and endless opportunities for fishing, bike riding and bush walking in the nearby Kosciuszko National Park. It also costs significantly less to hire out in the off-season, dropping to as little as $350 a night. Owned and operated by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the nature-based accomodation is a pretty rare gem, as the only publicly available, free-standing, self-contained lodge in the area. Book your Numbananga Lodge stay via the National Parks NSW website.
Seven years ago Dustin Hoffman, himself a former chemist, issued a stinging rebuke of the increasingly 'dumb' science fiction movies making their way onto our screens. Laziness was at the heart of his complaint, as he accused writers of opting for meaningless techno-babble instead of taking the time to invent intelligent solutions to their characters' scientific problems. Hoffman even went so far as to help sponsor the Science and Entertainment Exchange in order to promote films deemed to respect scientific principles and debunk those which are unrealistic. It wasn't that sci-fi movies couldn't have action in them, he explained, they just needed to ensure the sci remained the prevalent part. Arrival, the new film by Sicario and Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve, is a movie of which Hoffman would be proud. Beginning conventionally in the vein of an Independence Day or The Day The Earth Stood Still, the film opens with the sudden arrival of twelve mysterious alien spaceships in various locations around the world. Yet rather than launch an attack, they sit curiously idle, as the humans debate their origin and intent. Rather than focusing on action, Arrival instead veers much more towards the themes of Sphere (which starred Hoffman) or Contact, in that the world's scientists, rather than its soldiers, form the core team around which the story revolves. Fronting the US team are Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams), America's foremost linguistics expert, and Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a theoretical physicist. Their goal is singular, yet phenomenally complex: figure out how to communicate with the aliens and convey one simple, critical question: "what is your purpose here on earth?" What follows is a fascinating study in language, history and non-verbal communication, where variables and complexities in even the most rudimentary grammatical expressions become seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Add to that the paranoia of military and CIA liaisons (Forest Whitaker and Michael Stuhlbarg, respectively) whose focus rarely extends beyond fears of an invasion, along with the vicissitudes of international diplomacy wherein sharing and cooperation are considered hallmarks of weakness, and you find in Arrival an intensely engaging, cerebral and often gripping sci-fi thriller. Based on the cult novella "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, Arrival blends sumptuous cinematography with weighty abstractions that, for the most part, land with an assured touch. Glimpses into Louise's personal life raise questions about time and our linear perception of it, and only rarely does the script indulge in the kind of corny musings traditionally found in freshman philosophy essays. Adams's performance is the clear standout, around which her supporting cast plays it with impressive reserve. The score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, meanwhile, shifts effortlessly between beautiful and bombastic. Intelligent and restrained, Arrival is a welcome addition to the sci-fi canon that wows you with its brains rather than simply its special effects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g
Printhie Wines, run by brothers Ed and Dave Swift, has also taken its cellar door experience into the online realm, cracking the top off a new weekly virtual wine tasting series. The Molong-based winemakers are hitting screens from 4pm AEST every Friday, to help you wind down and kick-start the weekend in style. Or at least, in some good, wine-loving company. Via Facebook, the guys will guide viewers through a double tasting each week, showcasing a range of drops from their own label and answering plenty of audience questions along the way. To get you in the zone, Printhie is currently slinging a virtual tasting pack via its online store, starring six of the wines featured across the next few weeks' live streams. Get one delivered to your door so you can taste along with the guys and discuss your favourites as the camera rolls.
18 artists. Many photographs. A plethora of topics. One exhibition. That's Over the Fence: Contemporary Indigenous Photography from the Corrigan Collection in a nutshell. Of course, nothing about the latest show to grace UQ Art Museum's walls is quite that simple. Named after one particular image by Destiny Deacon, Over the Fence examines the Indigenous Australian experience once picture at a time. Each photo isn't just a record of a particular moment in time, but a way of expressing contentious issues such as identity, representation, racism, religious influence and the exploitation of land. Vernon Ah Kee, Bindi Cole and Tracey Moffatt feature among the array of artists that explore complex concepts through the camera. And, if you're wondering what the Corrigan Collection is, that's actually the least complicated part of the exhibition, with every artwork on display sourced from the private collection of art patron and philanthropist Patrick Corrigan. Image: Destiny Deacon, Over the Fence 2000 (from the series 'Sad & Bad'), Lambda print from Polaroid original, ed. 13/15, 80.0 x 100.0 cm, Corrigan Collection. Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.
Live music and big festivals might be back after a pandemic-enforced hiatus, and in a huge way, but that doesn't mean that the days of cancellations are over. After already hosting fests in Newcastle and Brisbane earlier this year, This That has scrapped its plans to return for a second round of 2022 events in spring. The festival announced its October and November lineup back in June, with Earl Sweatshirt and Flight Facilities leading the bill — and What So Not joining them in Brissie only, The Presets in NSW, plus Vera Blue, Winston Surfshirt, DMA's, Chillinit, Skeggs, Hockey Dad, Jesswar and more on the full roster across both locations. But now none of the above will take to the stage, with This That focusing on coming back in October and November 2023 instead. As posted to the event's website and social media channels, organisers said that "it's with huge disappointment that we must announce This That's October and November 2022 festivals won't be going ahead at Sandstone Point (QLD) and Newcastle (NSW)". "This is due to a combination of issues, including the current level of market saturation resulting in supply chain issues and labour shortages, difficult economic conditions including ballooning insurance premiums and infrastructure costs, and the forecast of ongoing extreme weather patterns — so many factors that have the potential to lessen the experience we want to always deliver," the statement continued. "We were really looking forward to backing up our two huge events from earlier this year where it was so great to party with everyone back in February and March. For now, the team feels the smartest thing is to take a rest and be fresh and ready for This That again in November 2023." View this post on Instagram A post shared by THIS THAT (@thisxxthat) This That was scheduled to return to the Sandstone Point Hotel in Queensland on Saturday, October 29, then make its way to Newcastle on Saturday, November 5. Instead, you can lock new 2023 dates in your diary: Saturday, October 28 in the Sunshine State and Saturday, November 4 in NSW. There's no word yet who'll lead the bill next year, obviously, but watch this space. And if you had tickets for this spring's now-shuttered events, you'll be hearing from Oztix, and will receive your refund automatically within seven to 15 business days. THIS THAT OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2023 DATES: Saturday, October 28: Sandstone Point Hotel, Sandstone Point, Queensland Saturday, November 4: Newcastle, New South Wales This That will no longer take place in October and November 2022, and will instead return to Sandstone Point and Newcastle at the same time in 2023. Tickets for the 2022 events will be refunded automatically — for more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Mitch Lowe / Jordan Munns.
Our city is constantly changing and evolving, with sky-high stands being erected, new high-frequency trains being built and even plans for billion-dollar precincts being thrown around. And amongst all these big infrastructure changes, small, carefully designed spaces popping up. In Bowen Hills alone, a European-style market — complete with a personal shopper service — and a permanent food truck park have arrived; while the Valley has scored a new resort-style hotel with an all-day bar and an acclaimed restaurant. These are the spaces that are really catching our attention, the ones that are quietly evolving the community — through innovation and sustainability — and are accessible to you. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Brisbane to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new spaces were nominated for Best New Space in Concrete Playground's Best of 2018 Awards.
Most of us will never get to physically step behind the scenes at The Royal Ballet; however, at QPAC until September 9, Brisbanites can do the next best thing. With the company in town performing Woolf Works and The Winter's Tale — two performance works that have never been seen anywhere other than London's Covent Garden —until July 9, Brissie's major performing arts centre is hosting an exhibition dedicated to their choreography and artistry. In the kind of backstage glimpse ballet fans will love, visitors can pirouette through film, archive and visuals from the company's history. Here, three things are thrust into the spotlight: creativity, courage and communication. If you live and breathe ballet, you'll be dancing on air — and if you don't before you visit the free exhibition, you might afterwards. Made on the Body is a collaboration between The Royal Ballet and QPAC, with QPAC Museum's Exhibitions Manager and curator Maria Cleary taking inspiration from The Royal Ballet's Director, Kevin O'Hare. "O'Hare described choreography as 'defining the company', and spoke of the way in which new works bring 'fresh air' to tradition," she commented. "He spoke about The Royal Ballet being synonymous with the highest level of classical ballet, but also being creative – pushing the art form forward but respecting tradition."
iPad max volume just not loud enough? Nonlinear Studio's Amplifiear promises that you'll never struggle to hear movies and music on your iPad again. Surprisingly simple and low-tech in its design, Amplifiear simply clips on to the side of the iPad - no wires or batteries required. The device works to increase volume by reflecting and redirecting the sound from the iPad's back-facing speaker forward. Relying on the basics of physical acoustics, Nonlinear Studio's head designer Evan Clabots designed the Amplifiear out of lightweight, recyclable plastic. It's extremely transportable, and features a tension clip to accommodate all three iPad models. Currently on Kickstarter, the Amplifiear project awaits sufficient funding in order to begin production. It will remain open to donations through May 12.
You'll be walking in an artistic wonderland at Brisbane Powerhouse this November, when the venue's Wonderland festival returns for its fifth run. A bit of an end-of-year frenzy, the annual fest is all about stepping into a carnival. Think circus, cabaret and comedy, plus music and magic. Need more? Try burlesque, dance, theatre, art and a bunch of general parties as well. Running from Thursday, November 22 through until Sunday, December 2, the 2018 program serves up 25 shows across 11 nights, all with a fringe-type vibe. Some take acrobatic feats to new extremes, and others sing odes to Brissie suburbs. They're all best described with three simple words: weird and wonderful.
Maybe you've watched too many American teen movies. Maybe you've always wanted to relive your high school formal. Either way, come April 7 at Barbara, it's prom time. The pocket-sized Valley bar isn't just throwing any old prom-themed shindig, however. They've teamed up with the folks at SWOP Clothing Exchange to really help you step back in time. If you have your own retro threads to wear while you battle it out for prom king or queen over slow dances, that's fine — but dropping by SWOP's West End store to find a recycled outfit really is part of the fun. And, isn't getting ready what most of prom is all about? Well, that and dancing under a disco ball to tunes of the rad and bad variety, all of which you can expect here. There's also the very important matter of the post-party, but with Barbara's prom running from 9pm until 2am, perhaps that won't be necessary.
Describing a dance and a state of uncertainty alike, limbo is one of those always-intriguing words. Many terms boast multiple meanings, but this one skirts two ends of the spectrum — the party-fuelled joy of a parade of people trying to pass under a bar while bending over backwards, and the malaise of being stuck waiting and not knowing. Both require a degree of flexibility, though, to either complete physical feats or weather the fickleness of life (or, in limbo's religious usage, of being caught in an oblivion between heaven and hell). It's no wonder then that British writer/director Ben Sharrock chose the word for his second feature, following 2015's Pikadero. His Limbo lingers in a realm where men are made to contort themselves, biding one's time anticipating a decision is the status quo and feeling like you've been left in a void is inescapable. The fancy footsteps here are of the jumping-through-hoops kind, as Limbo ponders a revelatory question: what happens when refugees are sent to a Scottish island to await the results of their asylum applications? There's zero doubting how telling the movie's moniker is; for Syrian musician Omar (Amir El-Masry, Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker) and his fellow new arrivals to Scotland, there's little to do in this emptiness between the past and the future but wait, sit at the bus stop, check out the children's playground and loiter near the pay phone. That, and navigate the wide range of reactions from the locals, which veer from offensive to thoughtful. Everything about the situation demands that Omar and his companions make all the expected moves, but it also forces them to potter around in purgatory and stomach whatever is thrown at them to do so. In Omar's case, he's made the trip with an actual case — physically, that is, thanks to his prized possession. He's brought his grandfather's oud with him, which he rarely lets slip from his grasp, and so he feels its weight where he goes. It's a canny part of Limbo's script in two ways. Whatever they're fleeing in search of a better life, every refugee has a case to be welcomed into safer lands that they carry around with them, but Sharrock manifests the idea in a tangible sense. With Omar's musical dreams, which the beloved oud also represents, in limbo as well, the ever-present instrument additionally acts as a constant reminder of the sacrifices that asylum seekers make in leaving their homes, even when there's no other option, and the costs they pay when they're met with less-than-open arms, then left waiting for their new existence to begin. Just as the term limbo means so much, so does that oud — and so does the feature it's in. A film can be heartbreaking, tender, insightful and amusing all at once, and Limbo is indeed all of those things. It's both dreamlike and lived-in, too, a blend that suits its title and story — and also the mental and emotional state shared by Omar and his other asylum seekers as they eke out their hope and resilience day after unchanging day, all while roaming and roving around an island that may as well be another world. The Scottish landscape around them looks like it could grace a postcard, and Sharrock has cinematographer Nick Cooke (Make Up) box it into an almost-square frame to make it resemble vacation snaps. That choice of 1.33:1 aspect ratio also confines the movie's characters in another fashion, of course, offering a blatant visual flipside to the holiday-perfect splendour; being trapped anywhere is bleak, even if it appears picturesque. Omar has company in his misery: in the run-down house he's installed into, Afghani Farhad (Vikash Bhai, Hanna) is more optimistic, while Abedi (Kwabena Ansah, Enterprice) from Ghana and Wasef (Ola Orebiyi, Cherry) from Nigeria wait the wait with them. The biggest events in their routines come via talks by Helga (Sidse Babett Knudsen, The Translators) and Boris (Kenneth Collard, Fanny Lye Deliver'd), government officials, about appropriate behaviour and 'cultural awareness' in the fresh lives they haven't get been given permission to start. If hell is other people, as Jean-Paul Sartre coined, limbo is being told what to do by other people while lacking the means and opportunity to do it. A film can be both heavy and light simultaneously as well, which is another of Limbo's strengths, with every dose of biting truth counterbalanced by a wry streak. Sharrock sees both seriousness and levity in his narrative, his characters and their plights, and recognises the nightmarish and the beautiful in tandem. Obviously, the latter especially applies to the feature's aforementioned haunting cinematography, which lenses a place that keeps Omar pals physically in limbo with a probing eye, but it also ruminates on the small delights. Limbo is a film about people first and foremost, and also spies the solace they bring each other — and the catharsis they find when they need to, including when they're so far from home, not really by choice, and endeavour to find themselves a new one. In a movie that's witty and perceptive, affectionate and poignant, and unwavering and clear-eyed, the tonal seesaw that Sharrock rides and perfects is just that: perfection. Trauma, racism and punishment by bureaucracy sit beside friendship, Freddie Mercury obsessions and binge-watching Friends; yes, whether Ross and Rachel were on a break comes up. Limbo's casting is perfection also, because so much hangs upon El-Masry's ability to convey the whirlwind of emotions torturing Omar inside. He's trying to reconcile where he's stuck now with what he's left, and watching him fight that battle — in scenes where he's calling home to talk to his mother especially — epitomises the film at its most moving. That's the movie overall, too, lingering as it is between knowing what's right, best, smart and safe, and wanting what the heart wants when blighted by pain and dreariness. Limbo is a feature about coping with that dance, and it's something to willingly dwell on.
If Bad Neighbours 2 was a party instead of a film, it'd be the kind that everyone has been to at least once. You know the type: a fiesta focused not only on reliving past glories, but trying to outdo them. Going bigger mightn't always be better, yet plenty of fun — both expected and not so — can be had along the way. That's the end result here. While never the complete riot it wants to be, this comedy sequel frequently proves as hilarious as its predecessor, and has more than a few surprises up its sleeve. The film picks up two years after 2014's Bad Neighbours. After surviving life next to a fraternity, Mac (Seth Rogen) and Kelly Radner (Rose Byrne) just want to sell their house, move somewhere quiet and hang out with their growing family. While they're embracing adult life, former frat leader Teddy (Zac Efron) is remembering the wild antics of his college heyday a little too fondly. Enter Shelby (Chloë Grace Moretz), Beth (Kiersey Clemons) and Nora (Beanie Feldstein), three freshmen eager to make the most of university life, but who don't like the "super rapey" vibe of keggers, or the rule that sororities aren't allowed to throw their own parties. It's not hard to guess where the movie is going, particularly if you've seen its predecessor. Shelby and her pals move in next door to Mac and Kelly, recruit Teddy as their mentor, and start a fresh round of neighbourly fighting for the right to party. Slapstick and gross-out gags remain in the mix, as does Efron's shirtless torso. Once again, director Nicholas Stoller tries to craft a culture-clash comedy that contemplates age and maturity, and for the most part he hits the mark. Admittedly, it may seem as though Bad Neighbours 2 is simply trying to disguise its plot rehash by switching sexes. But there's more going on here — and we don't just mean nods to Minions, Magic Mike and Jackass. In these post-Broad City times, the idea that girls can be as irresponsible and reckless as guys isn't revolutionary. Yet the fact that the film is willing to acknowledge this – not to mention exploring issues such as consent, sexism and privilege – is certainly worth celebrating. Accordingly, if the struggles of growing older added insight and sweetness to the first film's rampant raucousness, interrogating notions of gender, orientation, identity and equality achieves the same feat in the second instalment. Not every joke lands, and for every scene or line that manages to amusingly rework previous material, just as many seem like a stretch. But even when laughs aren't flowing, the movie is always pushing a refreshing, timely and much-needed perspective. Perhaps that's why Bad Neighbours 2 proves both more interesting and slightly less entertaining overall. The message feels new and vital, even if not a lot else does. And while a sense of familiarity certainly assists returning cast members Rogen, Efron and the scene-stealing Byrne, newcomers Moretz, Clemons and Feldstein are rarely asked to do more than embody the film's impressive, progressive attitude.
You'll never have to fret over your iPhone dying again, thanks to this genius new phone case designed by Jesse Pliner and Lloyd Gladstone. Dubbed the 'JuiceTank', this sleek case effectively conceals the electrical outlet plug within. Press the button on the back of the case, and the outlet prongs pop out. Not only can you rely on JuiceTank to come to the rescue in battery emergencies, but its high-grade polycarbonate cover provides solid phone protection, minus excessive bulk. The case is currently fit for any North American plug and awaiting production funding on kickstarter.com.
Celebrating Brisbane's small businesses and local creatives — giving them a northside home to sell their wares, too — VEND at Virginia wants you to stop by whenever you can to peruse and purchase from the 130-plus stalls and shops based in its space. Sometimes, however, it throws in a little extra incentive. If you can't get enough cakes, doughnuts and ice cream, a day-long dessert market certainly counts. At The Sweet Escape, indulging your sweet tooth over cocktails is on the menu. A heap of stalls and food trucks are popping up to dish up their dessert best — and yes, you can have exactly that for breakfast if you like. After a few weather delays raining on its sugary parade, the market will take place from 8am–4pm on Saturday, April 22. Entry is free, but reserving a spot online in advance is recommended. For kids, there'll be face painting and other activities — and VEND is pet-friendly, so bringing your doggo along is not just allowed but encouraged.
Netherworld's latest movie night poses a dilemma. Will you show your 90s love, chat about Bettys and Baldwins, exclaim "as if?" and remember that Paul Rudd doesn't age? Or, will you wish 00s-era Lindsay Lohan was your best friend, wear pink even though it's not a Wednesday and write in a burn book? Of course, if there's a way to show your affection for both Clueless and Mean Girls, then that's an option — both films are on the bill, after all. One borrows from Jane Austen and made a star out of Alicia Silverstone, the other is based on a self-help book and boasts Tina Fey as a screenwriter, and they're each considered high school movie classics for a reason. They'll also be playing from 7pm on Sunday, May 19, which sounds like a fetch way to end your weekend. Even better — this film double is free, so a cheap blast from the past is on the agenda. Netherworld's games and bar will be open, so bring your wallet for refreshments and a few rounds of pinball in the interval.
Pressing a few buttons and having food magically appear at your door is probably one of our most beloved modern inventions. Nothing beats the feeling of ordering from your favourite restaurant and then being giddy with excitement as you track the order till it arrives on your doorstep. This pleasure is particularly heightened when you're coming off the back of a wild night, and your ability to cook for yourself is a little bit lacking, at best. Park yourself on the couch, get yourself a big glass of water (or a hair-of-the-dog cocktail) and get ready to scroll. No matter how delicate you're feeling, DoorDash has a wide range of comfort food to soothe even the shakiest of spirits.
It's May and Brisbane has gone a little mad with art. Breaking down barriers between artistic styles, this month's exhibitions explore cultural divides, femininity in portraits and even Brisbane's own cultural history. There's a lot to take in, so we've picked out a few of our must-sees for the month, from woodworkers doing their thing to some of the country's weirdest pop art.
Here's the great thing about hosting a major arts festival as soon as spring hits: the weather is delightful, everyone is eager to get out and about, and Brisbane Festival delivers oh-so-much to do. And, while there isn't much that's been normal about 2021, this citywide event is here to deliver a dose of music, art, theatre and culture-filled fun anyway. On this year's agenda: fireworks, obviously, and also everything from spectacular installations and huge sing-alongs to stunning puppetry and plenty of dogs. In other words, don't say that you don't have anything to do between Friday, September 3–Saturday, September 25. And if you're still wondering what to see, hear and experience, here are our ten must-attend highlights.
It has been two years since one of Brisbane's busiest foodie laneways decided to start celebrating its awesomeness — and, for the third time, Fish Lane Festival is back. Come midday on May 12, the stretch of road will enter party mode for ten hours of fun of the eating, drinking, dancing and just generally hanging out kind. Indeed, prepare to make both a day and a night of it. There'll certainly be plenty of spaces tempting you to stay for as long as possible, including including stages of local live music and DJs, and urban artworks from Elizabeth Woods and Kevin Leong. Plus, the Tanqueray Gin Jungle will be serving up exactly what you think, Pimms Caravan will be doing the same, and there'll be beers from Colonial Brewing Co, wines by Innocent Bystander and Brown Brothers, as well as other pop-up cocktail bars. Food-wise, everywhere from The Fox to Billykart to 31 Degrees to Gelato Messina is adding their tasty fare to the spread, and Chu the Phat, Ol' School and Julius Pizzeria as well. Delicious delights on offer include cheeseburger and pork sliders, steamed duck buns, pork brioche, vegan nuggets, fish 'n' chips and last year's huge pasta hit, gnocchi pomodero. For dessert, think s'mores and brownie cookies and specially concocted Messina sundaes. Plus, even with all of the above, entry is free. Updated April 14.
Where you can you relive the music of Twin Peaks and watch Die Hard take place in one of Brisbane's landmarks — and see amusing dystopian sketches inspired by Black Mirror, too? At this year's Wonderland Festival, which promises a treasure trove of inventive fun for pop culture fans, plus plenty more as well. Returning for the fest's sixth year, the Brisbane Powerhouse-hosted event features 28 shows between Thursday, November 21 to Sunday, December 1. Yes, it's going to be a busy nine days. Other highlights include Awesome Ocean Party, which is described as "a magic-realism-cabaret cross birthday party hosted by a woman who believes she is half octopus"; Dwell, which turns the audience into voyeurs peeking into a seedy hotel room; and the latest body-positive offering from Baby Got Back, complete with dancers, comedians, strippers, showgirls, puppeteers and burlesque artists. Adults-only circus shows, a free 1960s swing party and and a tribute to Nina Simone are all also on the bill, because this is an eclectic lineup. So are electrifying vocals and eye-popping acrobatics, all across a huge feast of weird and wonderful theatre, art, music, magic, burlesque, circus, cabaret and comedy.
