While it's still up and running — the Kangaroo Point favourite will close in April 2025 — add One Fish Two Fish to the list of Brisbane eateries that know how to celebrate an occasion. So, with Valentine's Day upon us for this year, it's serving up a feast to match. Already have plans on Friday, February 14? Hate loving love on such a commercialised date? The fish 'n' chippery is putting on its special meal across five days, from Wednesday, February 12–Sunday, February 16. On the menu: a four-course spread featuring Moreton Bay bugs. The only dish that doesn't include them is dessert, where strawberry and vanilla cheesecake is on the menu. Before that, you'll start with a Moreton Bay bug cocktail, which pairs the obvious with nashi pear, kohlrabi, shallots, soft herbs and avocado mousse. Then, it's time for grilled Moreton Bay bugs that've been basted with herb and garlic butter, then topped with crispy pancetta and paprika oil — plus Moreton Bay bug ravioli, alongside shellfish bisque. Heading along costs $95 per person, with sittings at 6.30pm Wednesday–Thursday and Saturday–Sunday, 12.30pm Friday–Sunday, and both 5.30pm and 7.30pm on Friday.
Maybe you like licking an ice cream cone while you stroll along the river. Perhaps a trip to the movies isn't complete without a scoop or two beforehand or afterwards. Or, you could just be keen on any and every excuse to get your gelato fix. Whichever fits, Rosé Gelateria will have you covered when it opens at Portside Wharf. The Hamilton precinct is undergoing quite a few changes at the moment, announcing late in 2022 that a $20-million makeover is in the works. Also on the way: Fosh, a seafood restaurant from the restaurateur behind Opa Bar + Mezze, Massimo Restaurant, Yamas Greek + Drink and George's Paragon; and the Gold Coast's Rise Bakery launching its first Brisbane venue. Rosé Gelateria is making the same leap as the latter, in fact, heading to the River City after setting up stores in Sanctuary Cove and Main Beach. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Rosé Gelateria (@rose.gelateria) Brisbanites will have a new boutique dessert go-to come June, with an exact opening date yet to be revealed. Yes, it'll be winter, but it's never too cold for gelato in the Queensland capital (as our obsession with the Ekka's strawberry sundaes each August shows). This ice cream spot will be located next to Dendy Cinemas, handily, and span across 56 square metres of indoor seating space, as well as an al fresco seating area. As for the fitout, it's going chic and elegant, with help from Lowry Group as the venue's builders. Rosé Gelateria is known for its rose gelato made with rosewater and topped with rose petals, but also does Biscoff gelato — using the biscuit spread, also caramel — among its 20-flavour signature lineup. The Portside shop will feature vegan and dairy-free options, too, and rotate through four limited-edition flavours each month. If you have a pet that likes frosty treats, and always tries to get a lick of yours, Rosé Gelateria will offer pet-friendly gelato as well. Husband-and-wife team Bronson Tucker and Diana Prinz came up with their range after a visit to Italy. "All our gelato flavours are inspired by a trip my wife and I took to the homeland of gelato, Florence in Italy, which is where we were taught the authentic way of crafting gelato by a local teacher," advises Bronson. That said, Rosé Gelateria doesn't just keep things cold and creamy. It'll also be serving up macarons and cookies, plus juices and milkshakes. Joining forces with Paradox Coffee Roasters, it'll be brewing a specialty coffee blend called Paper Moon, too — and expect to taste black cherry and plum with your caffeine hit. "We have poured our passion and love for gelato into the creation of Rosé Gelateria, and it's clear from the support we have received that others can feel and taste that appreciation as well," said Prinz. "We aren't your everyday gelato store. As a boutique provider, we put considerable thought into every detail, flavour and the overall experience we offer, with our customers at the forefront of each choice. Our vision for Rosé Gelateria has been to create truly beautiful spaces for friends, families and people to connect while enjoying our artisanal range of gelatos and treats. We are delighted to continue bringing this vision to life at Portside Wharf." Find Rosé Gelateria at Portside Wharf, 39 Hercules Street, Hamilton, from sometime in June 2023 — we'll update you with an exact launch date when one is announced.
Across two seasons in 2016 and 2018, Fleabag was the only dramedy that mattered. If you weren't watching Phoebe Waller-Bridge's smash hit, you were hearing all about it from everyone you knew. If you were watching it, you were then rewatching it — and, of course, telling all of your friends. But before it was a hit TV series, Fleabag was a one-woman theatre show. That history behind Phoebe Waller-Bridge's award-winning series isn't new news, of course. As the television version of Fleabag kept picking up accolades — a BAFTA for Best Female Performance in a Comedy for its writer/creator/star; Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series; Best Actress and Best Television Series Golden Globes; and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series among them — that past was well-known. But if you haven't seen the OG stage production, a recorded version of that stunning performance is coming back to the big screen in Brisbane. The story remains the same, charting an incredibly relatable tale of trying to balance work, life, love and the like. When it was playing theatres from 2013–2019 after premiering at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fleabag was just as applauded. And, as plenty of hit UK productions are, it was filmed by NT Live, then beamed into cinemas. It's that recording that's heading to picture palaces again from July 13, complete with Waller-Bridge stepping through the story of Fleabag's titular character. Captured at London's Wyndham's Theatre, it initially started doing the rounds for filmgoers in 2019. Indeed, that debut silver-screen stint broke box-office records. If you're unfamiliar with the TV show, let alone the theatre production before it, Fleabag's existence is perhaps best described as chaotic. Friends, family, job interviews, keeping a guinea pig-themed cafe afloat — they're just the beginning. The idea behind it came at one of Waller-Bridge's pal's storytelling nights, as a challenge to create a character for a ten-minute slot. Images: Matt Humphrey.
Enjoying a Cantonese meal with cracking river views at Stanley, the Howard Smith Wharves restaurant that pairs the two in fine style, is an all-year-round treat. That said, stopping by to celebrate Lunar New Year is obviously a must. And, to mark the Year of the Snake, Head Chef Louis Tikram is adding special dishes to the menu. The sample menu includes mixed seafood and black truffle dumplings, giant Skull Island king prawns, an XO dish pairing the ocean's finest with crispy noodles, whole Queensland coral trout done Chongqing-style, Shandong chicken, five-spice roast duck, wagyu striploin in kung pao sauce, and truffle and spanner crab egg fried rice with caviar. Whatever ends up on offer, your tastebuds won't be disappointed based on how delicious Stanley's regular spread always proves. The LNY specials will be available alongside the usual a la carte and banquet offerings, too, so you can enjoy the best of both worlds — as long as you make a date between Wednesday, January 29–Sunday, February 2, with seatings for lunch and dinner. At 6.30pm and 8.30pm each evening, there'll also be lion dances. And before or afterwards, you can extend the fun upstairs at the new Stan's Lounge bar.
In an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19 across Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced an indefinite ban on non-essential organised gatherings of more than 500 people from Monday, March 16. The decision was made this afternoon at a meeting of Council of Australian Governments, which is made up of the PM and state and territory First Ministers, on the recommendation of Australia's Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy. Schools, universities, public transport and airports will not be impacted by the ban, but the government is recommending Australians reconsider all non-essential overseas travel, regardless of their age, health or destination. Large sporting games, concerts and food festivals will all be impacted by the ban and it's possible venues with a capacity of over 500 people will, despite not falling under the banner of 'organised events', also decide to close. We'll let you know if and when these are announced. While the ban does not come into place until Monday, many large-scale events across the country have taken precautionary measures and already cancelled or postponed, including Melbourne's Meatstock, Parramasala in Sydney's west and Brisbane's Paniyiri Greek Festival. Australia's ban follows a similar one introduced in New York yesterday, as well as the closure of large swathes of cinemas in China, Iran, South Korea, Japan, Italy and France, and theme parks in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo. We've also seen the cancellation of Texan music and film festival South by Southwest and postponement of Coachella. More locally, Tasmania's Dark Mofo and the Grand Prix in Melbourne have both been cancelled. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced early this week that COVID-19 is a pandemic. As at 11am on Friday, March 13, Australia has 156 cases confirmed cases of COVID-19. 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.
The restaurant bar is a curious beast. In recent times, it's gone from being something of an afterthought — at best, a prelude to the main event — to a considered part of the experience in many a restaurant. At its best, a restaurant bar is a destination in its own right. To shine the light on these spots, we've lined up some of the best restaurant bars in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for when you want to elevate your next night on the town. Round up your crew, get the booze flowing and your night is set.
Given the moment Asian street food is currently having in Australia, Westfield Garden City's new 8 Street food precinct could not have arrived at a more opportune time. The indoor food court, inspired by the hawker-style street markets found across Asia, houses 13 different food vendors. The fit out demonstrates an admirable commitment to concept. Wooden facades mimic East Asian architecture, specially imported tables and chairs lend consistency to the space, a beaten up old bicycle (plucked directly from the streets of China, we’re told) leans against a support pillar. The attention to detail is such that even the rubbish bins look like mini pagodas. It is certainly a surprise to find such an establishment inside a Westfield shopping centre and indeed, 8 Street is the first precinct of its kind. Though it's difficult to feel completely transported, the hustle and bustle (the place was crammed on our Thursday night visit) helps the atmosphere along, as of course does the food. The exuberant and eclectic (and affordable) Asian culinary culture of nearby Sunnybank is an easy point of comparison. In fact, if you frequent Sunnybank you will recognise the names of some of 8 Street’s stall holders. BBQ by Burlington carves up a selection of Chinese BBQ meats, but the roast duck pancake (house-made pancake filled with roasted duck, cucumber, spring onion, peanut and hoisin sauce) is just about an unbeatable eat and run meal at just $7.90. A close second would be any of the gua bao (Asian style burgers) from Grill n Bao, also priced at $7.90. For those who like to keep their hands and clothing clean while eating, Noodle 8 serves up tasty Malaysian noodles, including the Special Singapore fried rice noodle at $10.90 – far less messy than the aforementioned options. If you’re keen for some Japanese, head to Teppanyaki Lovers or Okonomi House; if you'd rather Korean, try Madtongsan; Taste Gallery specialises in Shanghai dumplings; Asian wonton soup is served at WON TON TON; skewered meats and vegetables get the BBQ treatment at Crazy Wings. BUN Vietnamese has a fairly extensive menu and Congee Master and Rice Town each offer a surprising number of topping variations. Sit back with a beer in one of two dedicated beer gardens (or grab one from a cart going past — just $5!), or grab a bubble tea from Gong Cha. 8 Street presents an unlikely food experience with pretty fine far — much more than just a novel convenience.
Getting into festive mood because it's the middle of the year and why not? Prefer to do your shopping for the big day months in advance? Hate leaving your Christmas preparations until the last minute (or anywhere near then)? Then pencil one of the year's must-attend Christmas in July markets into your calendar, because the Milton Markets are getting merry in the middle of the year. This seasonal shindig takes place from 4–9pm on Saturday, July 31. And sure, you've been to markets before — but this is the first time that Milton Markets have celebrated Christmas in July. If its regular end-of-year festive event is any guide, there's plenty to get excited about. Here, you'll eat and shop, and lap up music and entertainment while you're there. You can also enjoy everything from gourmet food to artisan wares, with more than 150 stalls on offer. Tuck into bites right there, or take them home for later. Enjoy the lighting and decorations, because it wouldn't be this midyear occasion without them. Plus, there'll be a pop-up bar onsite in case you need a break from the browsing and buying — or an extra excuse to feel merry. Entry costs $2 at the gate.
Artist Emma Darrouzet has spent many years honing her artistic skills, culminating in her latest exhibition 'Have you Tried Meditating?' which will be on display at Studio on Brunswick from Friday, February 23, to Wednesday, March 6. Each vibrant piece explores the mind when it gets offered unsolicited advice (relatable), with the intent to satirise but also provoke introspection. As Darrouzet puts it: "Hopefully people will reconsider telling a friend they should try green tea to cure their depression." All pieces are available to purchase and a 20% discount is available on the weekend of Saturday, February 24 to Sunday, February 25. 'Have you Tried Meditating' runs from Friday, February 23 to Wednesday, March 6 at Studio on Brunswick. For more information or to browse artworks visit the website.
Forget finding a golden ticket — while scoring a free pass to a chocolate factory was everyone's fantasy as a kid (and, let's face it, is still a fantasy now), there are other ways to indulge your Wonka dreams. Cakes as far as the eye can see, classes on how to make them and a dedicated sweet zone aren't just things that floated through your head while you were asleep. They're real, and they're part of the returning International Cake Show at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2025. From Friday, April 11–Sunday, April 13, the South Brisbane venue becomes the sweetest place in the city, so prepare your tastebuds and stomach accordingly. The three-day show will feature a mixing bowl worth of live cake-making and decorating sessions, how-to demonstrations, hands-on classes and more — as well as hosting the Australasian Cake Oscars, the tastiest awards you're ever likely to come across. [caption id="attachment_893571" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Trina Thomson, Sweet Ruby Artisan Cakes[/caption] Other highlights include stalls and shops, which'll help you bake up a storm at home, and plenty of tasty fare to devour. Basically, when you're not learning how to make sweet treats, you'll be eating them. Oh, and you'll be looking at them, too — and not just your regular old desserts. This year's event will feature extreme cakers, giant sugar creations and a corporate pastry buffet challenge, too.
For the first time in history, Sydney Film Festival's Official Competition and the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or have been won by the same film: Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. The final feature to screen as part of this year's SFF competition — and the recipient of rapturous audience applause after its first session in the State Theatre — the twisty family thriller took out 2019's $60,000 prize. Visiting Sydney for the second time in three years, after presenting Okja as the festival's closing night film back in 2017, Bong was on hand to receive the award. "This festival is really amazing, especially the audience… really special and extraordinary," the South Korean filmmaker said in his response to the accolade. "This is the most meaningful prize for me — in this beautiful city and beautiful theatre, and one of the most beautiful audiences in the world." A dark, devious, devastatingly smart and deceptively hilarious movie about two South Korean families — one struggling to get by, the other living in the lap of luxury — Parasite couldn't be a more deserving winner. From its slippery narrative that plays with several genres, to its exceptional performances from a cast led by Bong regular Song Kang-ho (The Host, Snowpiercer), to its scathing statement on class and its exquisite and astute production design, this tense, urgent and constantly surprising piece of cinema is one of the best films of the year so far. Also, as Bong told the Sydney audience, it was inspired by the time the director spotted a smudge on his pants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk Selected by a jury consisting of Australian producer John Maynard (Jirga), Australian director Ana Kokkinos (Head On), Brazilian actor and filmmaker Wagner Moura (Marighella), New Zealand director Gaylene Preston (My Year with Helen), and Indian artist and filmmaker Ritu Sarin (The Sweet Requiem), Parasite emerged victorious in a hotly contested field — competing against Berlinale Golden Bear winner Synonyms, Oscar nominee Never Look Away, Pedro Almodovar's sumptuous Pain and Glory, the Tilda Swinton-starring The Souvenir, gentle New Zealand drama Bellbird and the Australian duo of Judy & Punch and Hearts and Bones, among others. It joins an impressive list of previous SFF prizewinners, including The Heiresses (2018), On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtLKQ09ikBg Also receiving a gong at SFF's closing night was She Who Must Be Loved, a documentary about pioneering Indigenous figure Alfreda Glynn, which took out the Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary (a $10,000 prize). It's slated to hit NITV on Sunday, July 14 at 8.30pm. Short film All These Creatures also nabbed the Dendy Live Action Short Award and the Rouben Mamoulian Award for Best Director, while fellow shorts Sohrab and Rustum and Ties That Bind picked up the Yoram Gross Animation Award and the Event Cinemas Australian Short Screenplay Award, respectively. The 2019 Sydney Film Festival ran from June 5–16. If you missed Parasite at the festival, you'll be able to catch it at Australian cinemas from Thursday, June 27.
Ever wondered why so many Sunday sessions involve going all out? When you know that the nine-to-five grind is almost upon you for another week — yes, again — indulging in plenty of food and drinks just seems to come naturally. And, that's exactly what's on the menu at Comuna Cantina's new end-of-weekend option. We hope you like margaritas and tacos. We hope you love them, in fact. You'll find a heap of them on offer here, during two-hour sittings from 12pm each week. That's when you'll tuck into bottomless margs and as many tacos as you can eat — all for $85 per person. On the food menu: corn chips and guacamole, a chips tasting board, and both cauliflower and chicken bites upon arrival, plus all the coconut fish, halloumi, grilled chicken and pulled pork tacos you can handle. When it comes to margs, there's classic, coconut, watermelon and spicy versions on offer, plus a small range of wines and beers. Comuna Cantina is hosting the bottomless Sunday sessions every week until the end of August at both its CBD and Everton Park locations. And if you'd like to tap your toes as you drink, there'll be live DJs and percussionists as well. Updated August 11.
Brisbanites, your recycling routine is about to change, and, as well as being great for the planet, it's good for your wallet. Come Thursday, November 1, Queensland's Containers for Change refund scheme will come into effect, letting you exchange your used containers for a ten-cent refund per eligible vessel. Announced last year, it's the state's latest effort in the war on waste, after phasing out single-use plastic bags on July 1. And while similar schemes exist in most of the country — in South Australia, the Northern Territory, New South Wales and the ACT, with SA's dating back four decades — it's a case of better late than never. Apparently almost three billion beverage containers have been used by Queenslanders this year alone, so here's everything that you need to know. HOW DOES IT WORK? While we've all become accustomed to popping our empty drink containers into our yellow-topped wheelie bins, Containers for Change wants you to break that habit. From Thursday, November 1, you'll be able to take your beverage containers to one of Queensland's 230 refund sites instead (more on where they are below). The container refund scheme (CRS) does include a few rules, however. Queenslanders are asked to remove the lids from their containers before taking them to a collection site, and to make sure they don't contain sand or dirt, paint, petrol, noxious substances. You don't need to rinse them, but they do need to be empty. The CRS is also only open to containers purchased within Queensland. WHAT CAN YOU RECYCLE? Most aluminium, glass, plastic, steel and liquid paperboard beverage containers that range between 150ml and three litres in size can be recycled. To be eligible, they need to display the refund mark — many of them already will, but the ones that don't have until December 1, 2019 to add it. That said, there are some exceptions. You can't get a refund on any containers that held plain milk, or concentrated or undiluted cordial or syrup. The CRS also won't accept glass wine or pure spirits bottles of any size, or containers over one litre that held flavoured milk, pure fruit or vegetable juice or cask water. These containers can still be recycled through kerbside collection. And if you accidentally (or purposefully) place CRS-eligble containers in your wheelie bin, the kerbside operator and/or local council will be able to collect the ten-cent refund. WHERE DO YOU NEED TO TAKE YOUR EMPTY CONTAINERS? Container Exchange, the organisation managing the CRS, has set up 230 refund sites across the state. They include over-the-counter depots, drop-off sites (where you can leave already bagged and tagged containers), reverse vending machines that collect your containers and spit out refunds, and mobile and pop-up refund points. In Brisbane, the spread of sites spans the entire city, including depots located in West End, Geebung, Seventeen Mile Rocks, Salisbury, Tingalpa, Creastmead, Yerongpilly, Banyo, St Lucia, Darra, Samford Valley and Kedron. HOW WILL YOU GET PAID? To receive the ten-cent-per-container refund, you have several options. Some sites offer cash, but for those that process the payment via EFT, you'll need to sign up for a scheme account. You can also opt to not only do the environment a solid, but someone in need as well. The CRS allows you to donate your refund to a community group, not-for-profit or school, either at the collection point, or by taking your containers to a drop-off site run by a registered group or charity. Queensland's drink container refund scheme comes into effect on Thursday, November 1. For more information, visit the Containers for Change website.
UPDATE, October 26, 2022: The Good Nurse released in select cinemas Down Under on October 20, and streams via Netflix from October 26. It isn't called CULLEN — Monster: The Charles Cullen Story. It doesn't chart the murders of a serial killer who's already a household name. And, it doesn't unfurl over multiple episodes. Still, Netflix-distributed true-crime film The Good Nurse covers homicides, and the person behind them, that are every bit as grim and horrendous as the events dramatised in DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Such based-on-reality tales that face such evil are always nightmare fodder, but this Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore)- and Jessica Chastain (The Forgiven)-starring one, as brought to the screen by Danish filmmaker Tobias Lindholm (A War, A Hijacking), taps into a particularly terrifying realm. The culprit clearly isn't the good nurse of the movie's moniker, but he is a nurse, working in intensive care units no less — and for anyone who has needed to put their trust in the health system or may in the future (aka all of us), his acts are gut-wrenchingly chilling. Hospitals are meant to be places that heal, even in America's cash-driven setup where free medical care for all isn't considered a basic right and a societal must. Hospitals are meant to care for the unwell and injured, as are the doctors, nurses and other staff who race through their halls. There is one such person in The Good Nurse, Amy Loughren, who Chastain plays based on a real person. In 2003, in New Jersey, she's weathering her own struggles: she's a single mother to two young girls, she suffers from cardiomyopathy to the point of needing a heart transplant, and she can't tell her job about her health condition because she needs to remain employed for four more months to qualify for insurance to treat it. Then enters Cullen (Redmayne), the newcomer on Loughren's night shifts, a veteran of nine past hospitals, an instant friend who offers to help her cope with her potentially lethal ailment and also the reason that their patients start dying suddenly. There's no spoiler alert needed about The Good Nurse's grisly deeds or the person responsible. Cullen's name hasn't been changed in Krysty Wilson-Cairns' (Last Night in Soho, 1917) script, which adapts Charles Graeber's 2013 non-fiction book The Good Nurse: A True Story of Medicine, Madness, and Murder, and Loughren's similarly remains the same. The Good Nurse also opens with the quietly disquieting Cullen retreating as someone in a different hospital years earlier goes into convulsions — standing back motionless, he tries to appear anxious but instead looks like a creepy blank canvas. Accordingly, that he's the cause of much of the movie's horrors is a given from the outset, but that's only one of Lindholm and Wilson-Cairns' angles. As aided by centring Loughren's plight, The Good Nurse is also a film about institutional failings and coverups with very real consequences. Indeed, as set to an eerie score by Biosphere (Burma Storybook), there's a procedural feel to Lindholm's first feature in America; that he helmed episodes of Mindhunter beforehand doesn't come as a surprise. There are cops, too, in the form of detectives Baldwin (Nnamdi Asomugha, Sylvie's Love) and Braun (Noah Emmerich, Dark Winds), who are brought in seven weeks after a patient's passing just after Cullen arrives. But nurse-turned-administrator Linda Garran (Fear the Walking Dead), who summons the police, is hardly forthcoming — about the almost-two-month delay or with information overall. It isn't in the hospital's interests to be upfront, which is why and how Cullen has kept moving from healthcare facility to healthcare facility, and notching up a body count at each by spiking IV bags with fatal doses of insulin and other medications. No hospital wants to be seen to be at fault, and won't warn fellow institutions, either. Long before figures are splashed across the screen — the significant number of victims admitted to, and the far more vast tally authorities suspect Cullen has killed — The Good Nurse is distressing. Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes (A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood) lights the movie like a horror flick, using darkness and shadows for a story filled with them, but there's more than just an icy tone and mood at play in that choice. Crucially absent is the vision of slick, gleaming medical setups seen in hospital-focused TV dramas and comedies, and in illness weepies, because nothing is softened or soothed here. Even if Cullen hadn't crossed her path, Loughren's own relationship with the health industry is disturbing enough. Doting on her patients with a dream of a nurturing disposition, she truly fits the film's title — and yet her own life depends upon her grinning and bearing her own sickness so that she doesn't lose her job, otherwise she won't be able to afford the treatment necessary for her own survival. Fresh from winning an Oscar for The Eyes of Tammy Faye after two prior nominations, and having a busy year with The 355, The Forgiven and Armageddon Time already in or bound for cinemas — and with TV show George & Tammy also soon to drop — Chastain is restrained but commanding as a woman in an excruciating situation several times over. Frequently, and with Lipes peering close to her face, she conveys The Good Nurse's engrained dismay and shock purely in her gaze. That expression is loaded with commitment and concern as well, in a performance that's always the movie's weathervane. Fellow past Academy Award recipient Redmayne is nowhere near as subtle, proving both forceful in Cullen's ordinary mannerisms and later histrionics; a frequent trait of his work in general, it mostly fits given his current part is needling from the get-go. In far different territory than the last feature boasting his involvement — that'd be Danish day-drinking dramedy Another Round, which he co-wrote — Lindholm lets unease drip from Redmayne as Cullen, rather than have it astonish. He isn't interested in endeavouring to explain the why of it all, either, accepting that something this awful can happen because it has, and serving up no attempt at finding motivations for Cullen's actions. Instead, he lays bare the human toll, including moments with two men whose existences are ripped apart thanks to trips with loved ones to the wrong hospital at the wrong time. Taking cues from the likes of Spotlight, Lindholm also exposes the system that enables such atrocities. Of course, swap nurses for doctors and viewers of Dr Death will feel like they're in familiar terrain, although that also helps make The Good Nurse more upsetting — knowing there are other true tales like this can only heighten the discomfort.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE People have orgasms every day, but for decades spent closing her eyes and thinking of England in a sexually perfunctory marriage, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande's lead character wasn't among them. Forget la petite mort, the French term for climaxing; Nancy Stokes' (Emma Thompson, Cruella) big wrestling match with mortality, the one we all undertake, has long been devoid of erotic pleasure. Moments that feel like a little death? Unheard of. That's where this wonderfully candid, intimate, generous and joyous sex comedy starts, although not literally. Flashbacks to Nancy enduring getting it over with beneath her now-deceased spouse, missionary style, aren't Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde (Animals) or British comedian-turned-screenwriter Katy Brand's (Glued) concern. Instead, their film begins with the religious education teacher waiting in a hotel room, about to take the biggest gamble of her life: meeting the eponymous sex worker (Daryl McCormack, Peaky Blinders). For anyone well-versed in Thompson's prolific on-screen history, and of Brand's work before the camera as well, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande inspires an easy wish: if only Nancy had a different job. Back in 2010, the pair co-starred in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, a title that'd also fit their latest collaboration if its protagonist cared for kids rather than taught them. Jokes aside, the instantly charming Leo is used to hearing that sentiment about his own professional choices. Indeed, Nancy expresses it during their pre- and post-coital discussions, enquiring about the events that might've led him to his career. "Maybe you're an orphan!" she says. "Perhaps you grew up in care, and you've got very low self-esteem," she offers. "You could have been trafficked against your will — you can't tell just by looking at somebody!" she continues. There are plenty of "if only" thoughts and feelings pulsating through Good Luck to You, Leo Grande, a film where its namesake's tongue couldn't be more important — yes, in that way, and also because talk is as crucial as sex here. If only Nancy hadn't spent half of her existence in a pleasure-free marriage. If only a lifetime of being middle class and socially conservative, and of internalising Britain's stereotypical 'keep calm and carry on' mentality, hadn't left her adrift from her desires. If only being a woman in her mid-50s wasn't seen as a libidinous void by society at large, a mindset that's as much a part of Nancy as the wrinkles and ageing body parts she can barely look at in the mirror. If only prioritising her sensual needs wasn't virtually taboo, too, especially in her mind — even after, two years since being widowed, she's booked an expensive rendezvous with Leo. Good Luck to You, Leo Grande unpacks those if onlys — not the Nanny McPhee one, obviously, but the idea that Nancy's life is immovably stuck in the same rut it has always been. As played by Thompson at the height of her acting powers, at her absolute splintery, finicky yet vulnerable best even with Last Christmas, Years and Years, Late Night and The Children Act on her recent resume, she's nervous, anxious, uncertain and always on the cusp of cancelling, including once Leo strolls into the room, beams his easy magnetism her way and starts talking about what she wants like it's the most natural thing in the world. Slipping into the sheets and knowing what excites you is the most natural thing in the world, of course, but not to Nancy. As her four appointments with Leo progress, she comes up with a lineup of carnal acts she'd like to experience — and she may as well be reading from her grocery list. But getting her to shed her inhibitions is as much his focus as shedding her clothes, and the twentysomething won't let Nancy keep getting in the way of herself. Read our full review. CRIMES OF THE FUTURE It takes a brave filmmaker to see cancer and climate change, and think of art, evolution and eroticism in a possible future. It takes a bold director to have a character proclaim that "surgery is the new sex", too. David Cronenberg has always been that kind of visionary, even before doing all of the above in his sublime latest release — and having the Scanners, Videodrome and The Fly helmer back on his body-horror bent for the first time in more than two decades is exactly the wild and weird dream that cinephiles want it to be. The Canadian auteur makes his first movie at all since 2014's Maps to the Stars, in fact, and this tale of pleasure and pain is as Cronenbergian as anything can be. He borrows Crimes of the Future's title from his second-ever feature dating back 50-plus years, brings all of his corporeal fascinations to the fore, and moulds a viscerally and cerebrally mesmerising film that it feels like he's always been working towards. Long live the new flesh, again. Long live the old Cronenberg as well. In this portrait of a potential time to come, the human body has undergone two significant changes. Three, perhaps, as glimpsed in a disquieting opening where an eight-year-old called Brecken (debutant Sotiris Siozos) snacks on a plastic bin, and is then murdered by his mother Djuna (Lihi Kornowski, Ballistic). That incident isn't unimportant, but Crimes of the Future has other departures from today's status quo to carve into — and they're equally absorbing. Physical agony has disappeared, creating a trade in "desktop surgery" as performance art. Also, a condition dubbed Accelerated Evolution Syndrome causes some folks, such as artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen, Thirteen Lives), to grow abnormal organs. These tumours are removed and tattooed in avant-garde shows by his doctor/lover Caprice (Léa Seydoux, No Time to Die), then catalogued by the National Organ Register's Wippit (Don McKellar, reteaming with Cronenberg after eXistenZ) and Timlin (Kristen Stewart, Spencer). When Crimes of the Future stages one of Saul and Caprice's gigs, it drips not with blood but spectacle and seduction. Indeed, it's no wonder that a curious Timlin utters that catchy observation about medical slicing and intimate arousal shortly afterwards. Alluring, eerie, grotesque and enthralling — and the epitome of the feature's sparse yet entrancing look and mood in the process — it's a powerhouse of a scene, with a self-autopsy pod at its centre. Saul lies still, Caprice uses an eXistenZ-esque fleshy video-game controller to get the contraption cutting, and an enraptured audience hang on every incision. Saul and Caprice do, too, although their visibly aroused reactions have nothing on their time later in the suite alone. (Cronenberg does love eschewing traditional ideas about what titillates; see also: his 1996 film Crash, about characters excited by car crashes. It's a clear precursor to this, and the movie that purred so that 2021 Palme d'Or winner Titane, by filmmaker Julia Ducournau, could rev.) Crimes of the Future's scalpel-equipped coffin is just one of Saul and Caprice's Lifeform Ware gadgets; if eXistenZ, Naked Lunch and Dead Ringers procreated, these are the devices the three flicks would spawn. HR Giger could've conjured them up as well, and thinking of the biomechanical artist's contribution to Alien, which saw him share an Oscar for visual effects, is as natural as feeling spellbound and perturbed by Cronenberg's movie in unison. This is a grimy world where a bed covered with skin and tentacles floats in Saul's home, calibrated to cater to his "designer cancer"-riddled body's needs as it slumbers — and where a chair that looks like a skeleton reassembled as furniture contorts Saul as he's eating, something he is having increasing trouble with otherwise. In other words, it's a world where the old flesh isn't doing what it always has, new flesh is sprouting in a changing and devastated reality, and technology fills in the gaps as it is always designed to. Read our full review. BOSCH & ROCKIT Remember the name Rasmus King. Based on 2022's slate of Australian films and television shows, that shouldn't be hard. The Byron Bay-born newcomer hadn't graced a screen, large or small, before this year — and now he has no fewer than four projects pushing him into the spotlight before 2023 arrives. Most, including surfing TV drama Barons, capitalise upon the fact that he's a pro on the waves IRL. Two, 6 Festivals and the upcoming sci-fi featurette What If The Future Never Happened?, get his long blonde locks whipping through the Australian music scene. The latter is based on Daniel Johns' teenage years, actually, and has King playing that pivotal part. If he's half as impressive in the role as he is in father-son drama Bosch & Rockit, Silverchair fans will have plenty to look to forward to. When writer/director Tyler Atkins opens his debut feature, it's in the late 90s, along Australia's east coast, and with King as eager surfer Rockit — son to weed farmer Bosch (Luke Hemsworth, Westworld). Sometimes, the titular pair hit the surf together, which sees Rockit's eyes light up; however, Bosch is usually happy tending to his illicit business, making questionable decisions, and coping with splitting from his son's mother Elizabeth (Leeanna Walsman, Eden) with the help of other women. Then a couple of unfortunate twists of fate upend Rockit's existence, all stemming from his father. Begrudgingly, Bosch is pushed into stepping outside his drug-growing comfort zone by an old friend-turned-cop (Michael Sheasby, The Nightingale) and his corrupt partner (Martin Sacks, Buckley's Chance). When a bushfire sweeps through the region shortly afterwards, he's forced to go on the run to stay alive. Bosch & Rockit approaches Bosch's absconding from Rockit's perspective, adopting the line that the former gives his boy: that they're going to Byron for an extended holiday. Atkins doesn't feed the same idea to its audience, but ensures that viewers understand why a bright-eyed teenager would take his dad at his word — not just because he doesn't know what Bosch does for a living, which he doesn't; or he's naïve, which he is; but also because he's eager to hang onto his biggest dream. There's sorrow in King's spirited performance, with Rockit more affected by his parents' split, bullying at school and the isolation that comes with finding solace in the sea, usually alone, than Bosch has the shrewdness to spot. There's earnestness as well, because what struggling kid who's desperate for the kind of love that genuine attention signifies, as Rockit visibly is, won't blindly believe whatever fantasy their dad or mum sells them for as long as possible? King does a magnetic job of conveying Rockit's inner turmoil, and expressing his uncertainty, too. There's an effortlessness to his portrayal, whether Rockit is lapping up Bosch's presence like a plant swaying towards the sunlight, listlessly left to his own devices when his dad decides he'd rather chase Byron local Deb (Isabel Lucas, That's Not Me), or finding a kindred spirit in Ash (Savannah La Rain, Surviving Summer), another restless and yearning teen vacationing under less-than-ideal circumstances and feeling like she's alone in the world. Avoiding formulaic plotting isn't Bosch & Rockit's strong suit, however, as the film makes plain at every turn. That's evident in both of its namesakes' trajectories, for starters — with Bosch a small-time crim falling afoul of the wrong people, with help from bad luck, then trying to start anew; and Rockit an innocent kid stuck with subpar parents, forced to grow up faster than he should, but hanging onto whatever he can. Read our full review. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26; June 2, June 9, June 16, June 23 and June 30; and July 7, July 14, July 21 and July 28, and August 4 and August 11. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Petite Maman, The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Firestarter, Operation Mincemeat, To Chiara, This Much I Know to Be True, The Innocents, Top Gun: Maverick, The Bob's Burgers Movie, Ablaze, Hatching, Mothering Sunday, Jurassic World Dominion, A Hero, Benediction, Lightyear, Men, Elvis, Lost Illusions, Nude Tuesday, Ali & Ava, Thor: Love and Thunder, Compartment No. 6, Sundown, The Gray Man, The Phantom of the Open, The Black Phone, Where the Crawdads Sing, Official Competition, The Forgiven, Full Time, Murder Party, Bullet Train, Nope, The Princess and 6 Festivals.
Roll up, roll up to Cirque du Soleil's big top, with the acclaimed circus company heading back to Brisbane with its newest show. Called KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities, this acrobatic extravaganza steps inside a fantasy world in the latter half of the 19th century. If you think that normal Cirque du Soleil performances test your perception of reality, then you won't be disappointed — not quite believing your eyes, using your imagination and peering beyond the expected is part of the story. Specifically, KURIOS delves into the tale of the Seeker, who happens to be in possession of a larger-than-life curio cabinet, and also happens to think a hidden world is lurking inside. After world premiering in Montreal back in 2014, the production has been touring the globe since, and now it's setting up shop at Northshore Hamilton from Friday, January 10, 2020. The show marks Cirque du Soleil's 35th since it was formed in 1984, and features 47 artists from 17 countries. Basically, prepare to stare and drop your jaw as gymnasts, acrobats, contortionists, puppeteers, yo-yo wizards, clowns, actors and musicians do their thing. Performances will take place on Tuesdays–Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4.30pm and 8pm, and Sundays at 1.30pm and 5.00pm, with the season running through until Sunday, February 9. Tickets for shows until January 26 are on sale now, with tickets for performances between January 29–February 9 going on sale on Monday, August 26 at 10am. Images: D-CORD Costumes: Philippe Guillotel © 2018 Cirque du Soleil Updated August 26.
Usually when Cirque du Soleil hits cities around the world, it has audiences rolling up to its big top to see stunning acrobatic feats. But with the Montreal-based circus company's latest show, which also marks a pioneering display for the organisation, viewers will be hitting up arenas instead — because CRYSTAL takes place on ice. Cirque du Soleil's first-ever ice show, CRYSTAL still features all the trapeze, juggling, aerial acrobatics and more that fans have seen and loved across the company's past 41 productions — seven traditional circus acts, in fact, including banquine and hand balancing — but then adds a frosty surface rather than its usual stage setup. And, it includes figure skating and extreme skating into the spectacle as well, two disciplines that've never been featured in a Cirque du Soleil production before now. Even better: CRYSTAL will make its debut Down Under in 2023, kicking off in — when else? — winter. Brisbanites, get ready for frosty wonders from Friday, July 21–Sunday, July 30 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. This'll mark Cirque du Soleil's first visit since KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities in 2019 and 2020, although that production's run was interrupted by the pandemic. Also part of CRYSTAL, and another Cirque du Soleil first: remastered pop songs, including Beyoncé's 'Halo', U2's 'Beautiful Day', Nina Simone's 'Sinnerman' and Sia's 'Chandelier', in the company's only touring show so far to use such tracks. CRYSTAL has been doing the rounds worldwide since 2017, with more than 1.8-million people in 115 cities in 12 countries checking it out over the past five years. The all-ages show takes its name from the production's protagonist, who acts as the audience's guide as she follows her destiny to become herself.
Darlinghurst's Forbes and Burton is under fire after the cafe's owner denied a Brazilian-born Australian man a barista job, telling him his customers wouldn't want their "coffee made by black people," according to the Daily Mail. Yep, WHAT. Although Nilson Dos Santos is an Australian citizen and has worked as a barista in Australia for nine years, the owner (who would only give the Daily Mail his name as 'Steven'), told the 39-year-old he "only wanted locals" for the job. A recent migrant from Shanghai, Steven is taking some furious heat for his hypocritical and outrageously racist actions. "There are a lot of white customers at the cafe and I think the clients here want local people, not African people," Steven said after this weekend's events. "We need to offer good service at this cafe and I think the coffee culture is more about white people." He keeps going. "I prefer the barista to be local, not from Italy or other countries ... In some people's opinions African people can’t make good coffee." Dos Santos saw the ad on Gumtree and rang Steven on Saturday, telling the owner he was from Brazil on the phone. When Dos Santos arrived at the cafe the next day for his interview, Steven pulled an incredibly racist (and geographically ignorant) switch. "When I came to the cafe for the interview today, he looked at me and looked surprised. He didn’t like what he saw," Dos Santos said. "We sat down and he said, 'But you’re black?' I said yes and he told me, 'But my customers are white. I don’t think they’d like to have their coffee made by black people. That’s not part of the coffee culture. You’re African.' I said to him, 'I’m sorry.' But he said I was not able to do the job because I am black." Dos Santos kept a cool head for someone who's just been point-blank discriminated against. "I thought to myself, what do I do? I wanted to punch him but I thought that if I reacted badly, that wouldn’t be the right thing either. But I thought that if I just left and closed the door, he’ll do that over and over again to everybody else that comes. So I felt I had to do something, to show him that he needs to learn his lessons and that's not the way to treat people." According to DM, Dos Santos stood up and addressed the Darlinghurst cafe, informing customers why he'd missed out on the job and asked if they'd have any problem having a coffee made by a black man. In a moment of pure high-fivery, many customers ditched the cafe in a walk-out, a bunch hit up Facebook and a staff member quit right then and there. Forbes and Burton are truly taking a hit on Facebook, with reams of angry posters shaking fists at owner Steven and calling for a boycott (although some are being outright racist in return about Steven's Chinese heritage, not cool): "I have never experienced anything like that in Australia," Dos Santos said. "I love it here, I am free here, that’s why I chose to stay. I’ve always felt welcomed and accepted. For me, it was never a problem that I am black until today." According to the Daily Mail, Steven needs to run Forbes and Burton for two years to nab his Australian visa. Good luck with that. Via Daily Mail.
As COVID-19 continues to spread around the globe, travel is in no one's immediate plans — and the airline industry is responding accordingly. In Australia, that means a huge drop in the number of available flights, both overseas and within Australia, with Qantas announcing that it's grounding aircraft and slashing services for the foreseeable future. In a statement, the 100-year-old Aussie airline revealed that it will cut flights from the end of March until the end of May, at least. International flights will be cut by around 90 percent, while domestic flights will fall by approximately 60 percent. Both moves come in response to Australia's current containment and quarantine measures, including the requirement that all international arrivals into the country must self-isolate for 14 days — and, unsurprisingly, the steeply dropping demand for air travel both internationally and domestically. In total, around 150 aircraft will be taken out of service across both the Qantas and Jetstar brands. At present, the company will also stick to its previously announced reductions from late May to mid-September — with capacity cut by 25 percent by using smaller aircraft and reducing the frequency of flights — although that could obviously drop further depending on how the coronavirus situation develops in the next two months. While Qantas hasn't revealed exactly which routes will be affected by the huge 90-percent cut, it's sensible to assume that all of them will. Big changes already announced and operational include postponing the launch of the new Brisbane–Chicago route, sending all Sydney flights to London via Perth rather than Singapore (which, yes, means experiencing that whopping 17-hour non-stop trip from Perth–London), and completely suspending all flights from Sydney–Shanghai and Melbourne–Bangkok. Given the extent of COVID-19's impact, all other airlines are obviously in a comparable situation. While Virgin Australia hasn't updated its plans since March 13, it too has begun reducing services — by six percent overall, including by eight percent internationally. Worldwide, the scenario is the same. Air New Zealand is reducing its capacity by 85 percent overall, and its trips across the Tasman to Australia by 80 percent. Airlines in America, Britain, Europe, Asia and, well, basically everywhere are taking similar measures — as is to be expected as countries everywhere begin to close their borders. For more information about Qantas and Jetstar's reductions, visit the company's website. For further details about Virgin Australia's plans, visit its website. 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.
It's no secret that women in the music industry have a tough time, and sometimes it feels like all we talk about is rampant sexism, female underrepresentation and, well, men. But not today. Nope, today is International Women's Day and you'd be damned to take that away from us. And to help out with the whole amplifying women's voices thing, triple j is dedicating an entire day to the ladies. But this isn't some kind of Richard Mercer Love Songs and Dedications situation. Rather, triple j will bring Girls to the Front and hand over all the programming and content to Australia's biggest boss ladies of music. All day. Can you think of anything more angelic? Running the day will be the radio station's female presenters. You'll have Linda Marigliano on Breakfast, followed by Zan Rowe on Mornings, Gemma Pike at Lunch, Veronica will be joined by Gen Fricker on Drive, and KLP will do her thing on Good Nights. Plus, there'll be a special edition of The Racket hosted by High Tension's Karina Utomo. The music will also be an all-lady affair, with Tkay Maidza, Alpine, Sampa The Great, Tired Lion, Sarah Blasko, Lauren from Chvrches, Little Simz and more sharing their favourite and most inspiring female artists and music. The magic will be carried out on the airwaves over at triple j Unearthed and Double J as well. On Unearthed, garage punk legendary ladies LAZERTITS will play some of their local female faves, while over on Double J Myf Warhurst will speak with Natalie Prass and Ibeyi before music journalist Jessica Hopper programs two epic hours of female music-makers. So turn off Spotify this arvo and listen to some kickass local lady talent — and remind yourself that the music industry isn't just run by dudes. You can get involved by using the #GirlsToTheFront hastag.
If you're bored of holidays spent idling by a pool, sunbaking on a beach and ambling in a park, step up your holidays with these next-level adventures. With Intrepid Travel, we have selected six adventures that will take you to the planet's most extreme corners, from Antarctica's pristine icy beauty to the Himalayas' rugged peaks. Whether you seek the roar of cascading water or the silent majesty of remote landscapes, prepare to be immersed in experiences that redefine the meaning of epic. Antarctica There's nowhere on the planet quite like the extreme icy desert that is the unspoiled Antarctic wilderness. Spy penguins, whales and seals (oh my), snowshoe to the best viewpoints and learn from the talented expedition team. Start your adventure at the world's southernmost city, Ushuaia, Argentina, before boarding a vessel to the ends of the earth. Cross the infamous and unpredictable Drake Passage — it can be calm as a lake or rough and turbulent. Experience the temperature falling as you reach the Antarctic Peninsula. Daily excursions will take you to Anvers Island, Deception Island and the South Shetland Islands. Explore the icy wilderness, with backdrops of towering icebergs, impressive glaciers, imposing snow-capped peaks, and waters dotted with ice flats. Mt Everest If bushwalking and hiking are your usual weekend activities, take your excursions up a notch (or 50) with a trek to the highest peak on our planet. Tick the mighty Mt Everest off your bucket list with an expedition to Base Camp. This trip of a lifetime to Mt Everest Base Camp will take you past unfathomably high peaks, stunning alpine lakes, icy glacial plains, unforgettable vistas and to the limits of your strength. Hiking the mighty Himalayas is no walk in the park. This trip includes 12 days of hiking for up to eight hours a day, reaching altitudes of over 5000 metres. Are you up for the challenge? Iceland What's more extreme than a hike to the highest mountain? How about an island created by volcanic eruptions? Iceland is a geographical marvel — but there's more to this island than ice (and Björk). This Nordic island nation is defined by its dramatic landscape of actively rumbling volcanos, scenic fjords, natural hot springs, gushing geysers, massive glaciers and gigantic waterfalls. Iceland is frequented by volcano-loving tourists who love to take a dip in the famous Blue Lagoon, gasp at the giant Skogafoss and Detifoss waterfalls and spy the aurora borealis as they circumvent this North Atlantic island. Madagascar Madagascar isn't just a lush jungle island overloaded with cartoon characters who like to move it, move it. This lush island nation has white sand beaches, steamy, humid jungles and numerous lemur species. Connect with nature as you travel down bumpy roads bordered by baobab trees and explore the national parks, reserves and lush rainforests. This adventure isn't for those who love to watch wildlife from the comforts of sleek bedsheets and spa baths. This is for wildlife lovers who want to get up close and personal with local animals in the rainforest. Scotland Embarking to the Orkney Islands promises a captivating adventure through untamed landscapes and rugged beauty. Located off the tip of Scotland in the North Sea, these islands boast an otherworldly charm, where ancient history collides with the raw forces of nature. The Orkneys are a haven for wildlife enthusiasts, offering a sanctuary for diverse bird species, seals, and other marine life. As you traverse the untamed terrain, be prepared to witness dramatic sandstone cliffs, windswept beaches and ancient Neolithic sites, all contributing to the untamed allure of the archipelago. From the mysterious standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar to the ancient village of Skara Brae, the Orkneys tell a story of a wild, resilient landscape shaped by natural forces and its inhabitants' resilient spirit. Central Asia Kyrgyzstan's rugged mountainous terrain, including the formidable Tian Shan range, beckons adrenaline seekers with challenging trekking opportunities and high-altitude landscapes. Uzbekistan captivates with its ancient mosaic-tiled ancient cities and arid deserts. Explore both on the trip to these contrasting landscapes, encountering nomadic traditions in Kyrgyz yurt camps and exploring Uzbekistan's historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara. Witness where the past meets the present, offering an unforgettable journey for those seeking a blend of adventure and history. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
UPDATE: JUNE 28, 2018 — A second Melbourne show has been added on Tuesday, August 14. Tickets are on sale now. When Bob Dylan last toured Australia, it was billed as a 'once in a lifetime' experience. And, for all those who went, it was. It's just that now fans will be get the opportunity to have another such experience, because the legendary tambourine man will return to Australia for a national tour this August. This tour will be less exhaustive than his 2014 effort, with Dylan set to do seven shows — one in each of the usual capital city stops (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide), as well as one-offs in Newcastle and Wollongong. He will draw on his incredible 60-year career — which spans 36 studio albums and countless hits — for the shows, so you better start praying to the music gods that your favourite makes it onto the setlist. Dylan may be 76 years old, but he has certainly showed no signs of slowing down as he approaches 80. In 2016 he was awareded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and, just this year, he oddly released his own whisky. But still, it could be the last chance you get to see this living legend perform live. His last tour sold out, so you better have your fingers ready when tickets go on sale next week. BOB DYLAN 2018 TOUR DATES Wednesday, August 8 — Perth Arena, Perth Saturday, August 11 — Botanic Park, Adelaide Monday, August 13 and Tuesday, August 14 — Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne Saturday, August 18 — ICC Sydney, Sydney Monday, August 20 — WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong Wednesday, August 22 — Entertainment Centre, Newcastle Friday, August 24 — Entertainment Centre, Brisbane Bob Dylan will tour Australia in August 2018. Tickets are on sale now here.
You didn't do any cooking last night, did you? You had plans to meal prep for the week, but instead you went to the pub and ate chips and now you're sitting at your desk, broke and hungry, wondering what you can get for lunch for under $10 today. Well, my unorganised friend, you're in luck. If you work/live near a Roll'd, you can wander in there and get yourself a free rice bowl. Yep, free. And you don't even have to be one of the first people into the shop — you just have to fill out this form. The while-stocks-last giveaway is in celebration of the chain's sixth birthday, and is happening at all Queensland Roll'd stores today, excluding the one at the airport. There are five stores in Brisbane, including Post Office Square, Queens Plaza and Chermside.
Here's one of Sydney Film Festival's many annual delights: for Australian cinema obsessives who can't make it to Cannes, which is most, it's a cure for movie FOMO. Plenty of the titles that wow audiences in France each year head Down Under the next month. For 2025, here's a few, all playing between Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15: Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) in heist-thriller mode in filmmaker Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) 70s-set The Mastermind; It Was Just an Accident, the latest feature from acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (No Bears), who is also the subject of one of SFF's 2025 retrospectives; and Dangerous Animals, hailing from Australian helmer Sean Byrne (The Loved Ones, The Devil's Candy) and telling a tale of a shark-obsessed serial killer on the Gold Coast. Musing on its eponymous author as only filmmaker Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro) can, Orwell: 2+2=5 is also taking the Cannes-to-Sydney route. So is coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo; Mirrors No 3, which sees German director Christian Petzold reteam with his Transit, Undine and Afire star Paula Beer; Nigeria's My Father's Shadow, the first-ever movie from the country to be selected to play on the Croisette; The Secret Agent, led by Wagner Moura (Dope Thief) for filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (a Sydney Film Festival Prize-winner for Aquarius); and Vie Privée with Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country). Some of these titles are vying for this year's SFF prize, in the competition's 17th year — where opening night's Together, a new body-horror by Australian filmmaker Michael Shanks (The Wizards of Aus) starring Alison Brie (Apples Never Fall) and Dave Franco (Love Lies Bleeding) is also in contention. Will DJ Ahmet, a Sundance-winner after collecting its World Cinema — Dramatic Audience Award, emerge victorious? Or will that honour go to 2025 Berlinale Grand Jury Prize-winner The Blue Trail? They're also in the running. What features Tom Hiddleston's (Loki) newest performance, with The Life of Chuck directed by The Fall of the House of Usher's Mike Flanagan and based on a Stephen King novella? What also boasts Jacob Elordi (Oh, Canada), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Twisters) and Will Poulter (Warfare) in queer romance On Swift Horses, plus Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley) — alongside Carey Mulligan (Spaceman) in music-fuelled comedy The Ballad of Wallis Island, the Dylan O'Brien (Saturday Night)-led Twinless and Pike River with Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) getting its world premiere? This year's Sydney Film Festival. Which event is adding to its screening venues in 2025 in a spectacular way by showing films at Sydney Opera House, too? And which fest has 201 movies from 70 countries on its lineup, with 17 world premieres, six international premieres and 137 Australian premieres among them? The answer is still the same. Other 2025 highlights include Berlin's Golden Bear-winner Dreams (Sex Love); Aussie effort Death of an Undertaker, the directorial debut of actor Christian Byers (Bump), who uses an IRL Leichhardt funeral parlour as his setting; Dreams, with Jessica Chastain (Mothers' Instinct) reuniting with her Memory helmer Michel Franco; satire Kontinental '25, from Do Not Expect Too Much From the End of the World and Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn's Radu Jude; and What Does That Nature Say to You, the latest from South Korea's prolific Hong Sang-soo (In Our Day). Or, there's the near-future Tokyo-set Happyend, the Luca Guadagnino (Queer)-produced Nineteen, Tibetan-language anthology State of Statelessness (the first ever, in fact), Naomi Watts (Feud) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) in page-to-screen dramedy The Friend, Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar collaborator Kahlil Joseph's BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, and Vicky Krieps (The Dead Don't Hurt) and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) tackling grief and possession in Went Up the Hill. Among the standouts on the festival's documentary slate, Jennifer Peedom (River) turns her focus to the quest to make the world's deepest cave dive by Thai cave rescue hero Dr Richard Harris in Deeper, 20 Days in Mariupol's Mstyslav Chernov works bodycam footage from the Ukrainian frontline into 2000 Metres to Andriivka and All I Had Was Nothingness features unused material from iconic Holocaust documentary Shoah 40 years on. Plus, Floodland is focused on Lismore, Journey Home, David Gulpilil charts the iconic actor's journey to be laid to rest, Prime Minister shines a spotlight on Jacinda Ardern and trying to open a Tokyo restaurant is at the heart of Tokito: The 540-Day Journey of a Culinary Maverick. Fans of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, take note: it's up for discussion in Chain Reactions from Alexandre O Philippe (Lynch/Oz). If you miss the video-store era, Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) understands, and has made Videoheaven about it — a film essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips. A New Leaf, The Heartbreak Kid, Mikey and Nicky and Ishtar director Elaine May earns SFF's second 2025 retrospective, while the fest's lineup of restored classics includes the Aussie likes of Muriel's Wedding, Somersault and Mullet, plus Angel's Egg from Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii. For viewers of all ages, the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is also on the program. Barry Keoghan's (Bird) new Irish thriller Bring Them Down; the Australian premiere of homegrown animation Lesbian Space Princess; music documentaries One to One: John & Yoko and Marlon Williams: Ngā Ao e Rua — Two Worlds; Tilda Swinton (The Room Next Door)- and Michael Shannon (The Bikeriders)-starring post-apocalyptic musical The End; intimacy coordinators getting the doco treatment; Ellis Park, about Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds collaborator, Dirty Three founder and frequent film-score composer Warren Ellis: they're on the lineup, too. So is the one-film movie marathon that is 14-hour picture Exergue — on documenta 14, which is set inside the 2017 edition of the documenta art exhibition in Germany and Greece.
BIGSOUND is the gold star on Brisbane’s music calendar. Bands far and wide land in Fortitude Valley so you can spend two glorious evenings skipping between your favourite bars and music venues, seeing as many sets as your festival shoes will allow. To help you kick start your BIGSOUND experience, we’re sharing our picks of the line up – follow our suggestions, and you’ll have yourself one very sweet little timetable. DAY ONE Patrick James Patrick James has been a busy lad of late. Besides supporting Josh Pyke on tour and releasing a stellar EP, Patrick has been perfecting the art of the heart-breaking harmony. In a rare, and possibility time-limited opportunity, he will be performing in the intimate Ric’s Bar, assumedly acoustic, and definitely moving. In fact, if you’re a fan of Josh Pyke, do yourself a favour and introduce your ears to this man that is making waves. BLOODS Their recently released debut EP ‘Golden Fangs’ is receiving big love, and so Bloods are sure to be bringing their best to BIGSOUND. They’re your pick for a big attitude, high energy set, perhaps serving as a not-so-subtle reminder to those with sensitive eardrums to pack the plugs; in other words, what live music is all about. Noise, erratic dancing, long-haired head bangs, contagious garage rock sounds are sure to fill Electric Playground. Be prepared. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Besides being one of the best-named bands on the bill, King Gizzard will weave their psych magic upon your eardrums. Their ultra-cool blend of spaghetti western and heavy rock stylings will be a nice reprieve after the last busy-busy set, and introduce you to a new dimension of sound. Those who are acquainted with The Giz will know to appropriately warn newcomers of what’s in store; this set is sure to be the gallant sounds of triumph. Robert Forster Mr Forster is one of the heavyweights of this year’s BIGSOUND. Having established himself as one of Australia’s finest music craftsmen by way of esteemed locals The Go-Betweens, he has showed no signs of fading from the industry or from influence. Besides touring and writing for his solo career, Robert has been collaborating and assisting other BIGSOUND buds with their own releases. Rumour has it that his collaborations might even reach so far as Fortitude Valley stages. Hint: you won’t have to travel as far as Tangalooma to see it. Our lips are sealed! Rainy Day Women They have the dreamscapes of Fleetwood Mac, the catchy vibes of The Kooks, and they’re trekking all the way from WA to be here. This favoured foursome have a new delightful EP out this year, full of the groovers and swayers they’ve become known for, but your ears will be amongst the first to hear them. They’ve got the hazy sounds down pat, and Coniston Lane is sure to be abuzz throughout their keenly anticipated set. Their own strand of ultra-cruisy tunes is sure to be the ending to your day one that you’re pining for… besides hunting down muso delegates. They’re everywhere. DAY TWO The Delta Riggs Melbourne ruffians The Delta Riggs are back in town surge you onto your feet for big night number two. They’ll be sure to let loose in The Zoo, where the stage is high, and so is the temperature. Arrive early to secure your spot at the front of the stage, and then hold on tight as the audience swirls around you. The music of the Riggs is that which you cannot stand still for. Be sure to wear your dancing shoes to see these crazy cats. Yukon Blonde You’ll have time to catch your breath, grab a cold beverage, and re-secure your place at the front of the stage, because you ain’t going nowhere. Yukon Blonde are next at The Zoo. These Vancouver-based gents are not just Tiger Talk, they’re all action. In keeping with those classic rock vibes, Yukon Blonde are so infectiously happy and life-affirming, their gorgeous voices will be worth the wait. This is a set in which you will make joyous friends and feel free to skip around in harmonious circles… or, keep holding on to that barrier. You’ve got the golden spot, remember. Jackie Onassis The Rev is where you will find the party trumpets and your concentrated dose of hip hop for BIGSOUND. Jackie Onassis are another of the most hotly anticipated acts of the conference, and will inevitably up the ante on your life-loving musical buzz. The Trouble With Templeton It’s been a big year for Thomas Calder and co so it comes as no surprise that they would be a part of this industry event. Their dynamic and transfixing EP will be a treat for live ears, and their performances are always sublime. To see them in a larger venue such as Oh Hello will give their sound a bit of room to stretch its legs – not to be missed. Jonti The end of your BIGSOUND blast should be cherished, and what better send off to the musical good times than with dreamy Jonti. You might find that his ethereal tracks are best listened to with closed eyes and open hearts; you won’t be disappointed. Take a deep breath, reflect on the nights past and immerse yourself in the haze of sound bound to envelope you. You deserve it.
Bickering and bantering. Battling all over space. Blasting retro tunes. That's Guardians of the Galaxy's holy trinity, no matter where its ragtag crew happens to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Since 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, Peter Quill aka Star-Lord (Chris Pratt, The Super Mario Bros Movie) and his pals have offered the MCU something shinier than the gold-hued Adam Warlock (Will Poulter, Dopesick): a reprieve from the ever-sprawling franchise's standard self-seriousness. Friends but really family, because Vin Diesel is involved, this superhero team got gleefully goofy in their initial big-screen outing, 2017 sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and 2022's straight-to-streaming The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. They've popped up elsewhere across the comic-book film saga plying a sense of silliness, too. Welcomely, even when they're slipping into Avengers and Thor flicks, they've always felt like their own distinctive group surfing their own humorous but heartfelt wavelength, a power that isn't generally shared across Marvel's output. Arriving to close out the Guardians' standalone trilogy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 zooms into the movie series' fifth phase with a difference: it's still a quippy comedy, but it's as much a drama and a tragedy as well. Like most on-screen GotG storylines, it's also heist caper — and as plenty of caped-crusader flicks are, within the MCU or not, it's an origin story. The more that a James Gunn-written and -directed Guardians film gets cosy within the usual Marvel template, however, the more that his branch of Marvel's pop-culture behemoth embraces its own personality. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 couldn't cling tighter to its needle drops, of course, which leap to the 90s and 00s this time and hit with all the subtlety of a Zune player being thrown at the audience. It also stuffs out its duration and over-packs its plot. But, the obligatory post-credits sting aside, this farewell to part of the MCU always feels like a zippy, self-contained Guardians of the Galaxy movie — including when it's also a touching dive into Rocket's (Bradley Cooper, Nightmare Alley) history — rather than a placeholder for more and more future franchise instalments. That said, thanks to past MCU chapters, this third Guardians effort begins with Rocket feeling alone in the world, and Quill drunk and despondent. (The soundtrack: an acoustic version of Radiohead's 'Creep'.) The latter's beloved Gamora (Zoe Saldaña, Avatar: The Way of Water) is no longer the same woman he shared a galaxy-saving life with — instead, she's an alternate version who can't recall their romance — and he isn't coping. Demigod Warlock scorching his way through the Guardians' floating home of Knowhere snaps him into action, though, when their flying interloper tries to raccoon-nap Rocket. Only tracking down the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji, Peacemaker) will save the gang's gravely injured furry friend, which means a face-off with the megalomaniac inventor who made the genetically engineered critter and is militant in his quest to create a utopia. As Quill and fellow Guardians OGs Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista, Knock at the Cabin) and Groot (Diesel, Fast and Furious 9) go a-rescuing — with the icier Gamora along for the ride for a payday, plus later crew additions Mantis (Pom Klementieff, Thunder Force), Nebula (Karen Gillan, Dual), Kraglin (Sean Gunn, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) and Cosmo the Spacedog (Maria Bakalova, Bodies Bodies Bodies) doing their bits in various ways — it's impossible not to see art imitating life in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. A universe-creating overlord who is obsessed with dominance and perfection, and also intellectual property rights, being challenged by a thick-as-thieves troupe who'd rather be happy and scrappy? Yes, this is the movie that Gunn has whipped up for his brief trip back to Marvel following a controversy-sparked visit to the DC Extended Universe to direct The Suicide Squad and TV's Peacemaker, and before getting installed as that rival realm's new co-head honcho. Just as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn't ever scream "all that matters is setting up the next movies!", which is a relief after that's all Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania did, Gunn doesn't ever lay his real-life parallels on too thickly. He's busier ensuring that the Guardians' tussle with their all-controlling foe is as irreverent as it is emotional — bringing up those family bonds like Groot should be cracking a Corona, too — while pinballing between settings and setpieces. The gang's lively time on a base crafted out of organic matter is an eye-catchingly squidgy and fleshy standout; from the tactile production and costume design through to supporting parts by Gunn's The Suicide Squad star Daniela Melchior and his Slither lead Nathan Fillion, it's delightfully executed. And yet, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is at its best when it's jetting backwards to when a young Rocket was dreaming of being more than a mad scientist's test subject — of being more than the GotG version of Frankenstein's monster, that is. Spending a fair chunk of the film's hefty 150-minute running time in origin mode could've proven mere padding. Instead, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's present, it's the fight scenes that just keep coming that play that way. So does the Drax-and-Mantis double act after the movie's midway point, even with Bautista and Klementieff still firing in their comfortable comic pairing. When he's just a kit in a cage, having Rocket form a band of misfit toys with otter Lylla (Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me), walrus Teefs (Asim Chaudhry, What's Love Got to Do with It?) and rabbit Floor (Mikaela Hoover, The Suicide Squad) could've been too saccharine as well, but these unflinchingly bleak, earnest and empathetic flashbacks brim with soul and heart. The GotG flicks have always been about finding somewhere to belong and someone to belong with, after all, with this swansong thoughtfully explores how and why that need to connect is so deeply wired in through pain and trauma. A Guardians film that beams brightest when there's only one Guardian in focus — and not the 70s- and 80s-worshipping, Patrick Swayze name-dropping Quill? Perhaps that's why the trilogy is coming to an end. At their core, Rocket's Vol. 3 storyline and Quill's Vol. 2's daddy issues have more than a little in common, but shifting the GotG series' attention past the team's biggest Footloose fan is refreshing almost a decade in. (And while Pratt fits this big-name franchise better than Jurassic World, basically playing Burt Macklin: Space Protector, Cooper's excellent voice work makes him Vol. 3's MVP.) Knowing when something's time has come is a hard lesson to learn, of course. Among Gunn's many trademarks overseeing playful entries with a distinctive personality in an oft-formulaic broader saga, swinging big with difficult emotions, choices and realisations has always ranked up there with jokey patter and as anarchic a vibe as the MCU would let him get away with. Naturally, he signs off from Guardians in that exact fashion — and with a picture that relishes being its own thing, bloat, repetitive gags, well-worn dynamics, over-used music and all, over ticking franchise boxes.
If your idea of a stellar Sunday includes a Cantonese banquet and cracking river views, then Howard Smith Wharves go-to Stanley has you covered. One of the precinct's top spots, it's now in the yum cha game every weekend, serving up everything from XO seafood dumplings and crispy prawn rolls to spicy chicken feet and barbecue char siu puffs. Stanley's Yum Cha and Champagne Sundays take place on Sundays, obviously, with sittings between 11.30am–3pm. For $58 per person, you'll also tuck into prawn har gow, scallop siu mai, duck and mushroom dumplings and more. Plus, for those feeling particularly indulgent, there's a $137 option, too, which includes two hours of bottomless champagne. And, you can pick and choose other add-ons for an extra cost, should you be hankering for peking duck pancakes, steamed coral trout or five-spice roast duck.
That soothing feeling that sweeps over you when you spy a cute canine, spend too much time watching internet cat videos or even just spot a picture of a newborn animal — that's the feeling at the heart of these out-of-the-ordinary wellness sessions. Sure, you've been to kitten yoga and puppy pilates, and they're both great. But we're guessing that you mightn't have tried meditating with baby goats or getting mindful with soft, cuddly lambs. After launching in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast a few years back, Karmably's cuddly classes are now a regular fixture. During them, you'll attempt to find inner bliss while surrounded by rescued baby farm animals. In short, it's the best way to de-stress when life's got your goat. After all, who can remain overwhelmed, exhausted or annoyed when they're sharing their chill-out session with actual goats? Back for 2023, Karmably's Goat Yoga classes focus on relaxation techniques. Those heading along can expect three parts to the session: mindful stretching, meditation and snuggling the four-legged participants. If you're wondering where the concept came from, it was inspired by organiser Berenice Tan's own experiences trying to find something other than the usual mindfulness classes within Australia. Tan began to research animal therapy and, after learning of the benefits (and realising that everyone loves cute critters), her sessions with goats, lambs and even piglets were born. The bliss goes both ways, too — with Karmably not only helping humans to relax in a fun manner, but also assisting animals in need. Tan works with sanctuaries, rescue centres, and organisations such as Harmony Hooves Healing Hearts and ABC Animal Farm. They both raise baby creatures who have either been rejected by their mothers or lost their mums in other ways, and hand-rear them until they can be adopted out as pets to families who live on suitable properties. The 2023 Brisbane sessions take place on Saturdays — on January 14, March 11, May 13, July 15, September 9 and November 11 — at The Station Brisbane in Fortitude Valley, with session times at 8.30am, 10am and 11.30am. Tickets usually get snapped up fast, so you'll want to book yours ASAP.
If you can't choose between spending your spare time hitting up a music festival or enjoying a Sunshine State getaway, then Queensland Music Trails likely became your favourite event when it first held a trial run back in 2021. This statewide festival turns heading to see live music into a massive road trip, with different legs sprawling through different parts of the state — and it's back in 2023. The fest's big return this year was announced back in 2022, which was already excellent news. Now, event organisers are getting to the even better stuff, aka lineup details. Among the talent: Lime Cordiale, CW Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, Hatchie, Emma Donovan & The Putbacks and Sycco. Queensland Music Trails' bill covers trails in the outback, Scenic Rim and southern Queensland, including stops everywhere from St George and Charleville to Canungra and Jimbour. Each route varies in length — with the outback trail running for nine days from Thursday, April 13–Friday, April 21; Scenic Rim's for three days across Friday, April 28–Sunday, April 30; and the southern leg for three days from Friday, May 5–Sunday, May 7. [caption id="attachment_857800" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] Keen on heading to Queensland's west? Then you can choose between Hussy Hicks, Karl S Williams and Jem Cassar-Daley at Oasis Afternoon in St George — or Emma Donavan & the Putbacks and Alice Skye at the Outback River Lights Festival in Cunnamulla. There's also C.W. Stoneking & His Primitive Horn Orchestra, Everybody NOW! and The Pacific Belles at The Big Base Party in Charleville; Harry James Angus and The Barleyshakes Duo at The Sundowner in Tambo; and a whole on-the-road series of gigs with The Barleyshakes Duo, too. The Scenic Rim trail welcomes back The Long Sunset for a second year, hitting up Canungra on Saturday, April 29 with Lime Cordiale, Hatchie, Sycco and Tia Gostelow. And, on the southern trail, there's the also-returning Opera at Jimbour for three days, featuring talent from Opera Queensland, Ensemble Q and the Griffith University Conservatorium of Music Orchestra. [caption id="attachment_857797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption]
The shock of unkempt hair, the Irish brogue, the misanthropic attitude: there's no mistaking Dylan Moran for anyone else. It was true in beloved British sitcom Black Books, when his on-screen alter ego abhorred mornings, ate coasters and claimed that his oven could cook anything (even belts). And it's definitely true of the comedian's acerbically hilarious live shows. Moran is no stranger to Australia, but if you haven't guffawed at his bleak wit live, he's coming back to Brisbane — to the QPAC Concert Hall, in fact — in 2023 to give you another chance. As always, expect the kind of deadpan gags, wine-soaked insights and blisteringly sharp one-liners that've kept him in the spotlight since 1996, when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Edinburgh Fringe's Perrier Award. On Thursday, May 4–Saturday, May 6, Moran will roll out his latest show We Got This, bringing his grumpily lyrical musings on love, politics, misery and the everyday absurdities of life to the River City. This marks his first full standup show since 2019's Dr Cosmos, which also came our way — and was available to stream earlier in the pandemic, too. Given this tour's title, it's hardly surprising that Moran will be reflecting upon these chaotic times. That might sound like a standard comedy gig these days, but nothing about Moran's comedy is ever standard.
If you're looking for laughs, there's no wrong way to dive into a comedy festival program. Already splitting your sides just thinking about the big-name headliners? Keen on new comic discoveries? Like late-night giggles? They're all options. And, at the 2023 Brisbane Comedy Festival, so is celebrating both cultural and comedic diversity during one hilarious afternoon at the fest's Multicultural Comedy Gala. In Brisbane Powerhouse's Powerhouse Theatre from 4pm on Saturday, May 13, five supremely funny folks will make all the jokes they can — well, as many as they can fit into a gala set. On the bill: He Huang, Andy Saunders, Khaled Khalafalla, Neel Kolhatkar and Fiona O'Loughlin. That roster of talent means a lineup that spans everything from recent national RAW Comedy finalists to veterans. John Safran is also part of the fun, taking on hosting duties — aka adding his comedic stylings between the night's other stars.
If you've spent the past year with your nose buried in a book, that's about to pay off beyond the everyday joys and thrills of reading. Sydney Writers' Festival returns for 2023 with another hefty catalogue of thought-provoking events — 226 of them, with almost 300 writers and thinkers involved. Every writers' festival converges around an annual theme, with Sydney's focusing on 'Stories for the Future' for its 2023 iteration from Monday, May 22–Sunday, May 28 at various venues around the city — and also beamed digitally. Today's most current Booker Prize-winner, plus three from past years as well, top the lineup: Shehan Karunatilaka, who won in 2022 for The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida; The Luminaries' Eleanor Catton; The Narrow Road to The Deep North's Richard Flanagan and Girl Woman Other's Bernardine Evaristo. Still on highly applauded attendees, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Colson Whitehead — for The Underground Railroad, which was then adapted into a TV series, and for The Nickel Boys — also leads the bill, arriving between Harlem Shuffle's 2021 publication and sequel Crook Manifesto's arrival this July. Among the international names at the Sydney Writers' Festival, the above headliners have ample company. When Trinidad-born UK musician Anthony Joseph isn't talking poetry — he is 2022's TS Eliot Prize for Poetry winner — London restauranteur Asma Khan from Darjeeling Express, and also seen on Chef's Table, will chat about comfort food; Daniel Lavery from Slate, who penned the Dear Prudence column from 2016–21, will run through his best advice; and Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai will introduce her new novel Dust Child. On the local front, get ready for two iconic pairings: former Prime Minister Julia Gillard being interviewed by Indira Naidoo, plus Jurassic Park favourite Sam Neill discussing work, life and writing with his Sweet Country, Dean Spanley, Dirty Deeds and Palm Beach co-star Bryan Brown. Also on the must-attend list: Grace Tame chatting about The Ninth Life of a Diamond Miner: A Memoir, Heartbreak High's Chloé Hayden doing the same with Different, Not Less: A neurodivergent's guide to embracing your true self and finding your happily ever after, and Stan Grant on The Queen Is Dead. Also, on Monday, May 15 before the main festival, Tim Winton will discuss writing the ABC TV documentary Love Letter to Ningaloo. And, if your main relationship with the printed word is through recipe books, the 2023 festival is going all in on the topic for one day at Carriageworks Farmers Market. Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer will talk with Adam Liaw, while fixing the food system and family recipes will also nab chats by culinary talent. Capping off the bill will be foodie gala The Dinner That Changed My Life, with everyone from Nat's What I Reckon and Jennifer Wong to Alice Zaslavsky and Colombo Social's Shaun Christie-David involved. As always, free events are a big part of the program as well, with more than 80 on this year. And, also in the same category, the spread of venues is hefty — including Carriageworks, Town Hall, and 25 suburban venues and libraries across Sydney. [caption id="attachment_893385" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Grace Tame by Kishka Jensen[/caption] Images: Prudence Upton.
It was back in 2021 that the Gold Coast gained another impressive attraction: the largest public gallery outside a capital city in Australia. When HOTA, Home of the Arts opened its new six-level space dedicated to creativity, it became a new hub for southeast Queensland's art lovers — and, in 2023, it's now celebrating two years of lining its walls with stunning artworks. With Pop Masters: Art from the Mugrabi Collection, New York currently on display, showcasing work by iconic artists Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, HOTA is marking its birthday by inviting everyone in. Sure, you've got until Sunday, June 4 to take a gander anyway; however, head by between Saturday, April 29–Sunday, May 14 and a ticket will only cost you $15. Even better: on Monday, May 8, entry is free. That said, expect those tickets to get snapped up ASAP. Either way, you'll need to book online to either enter for nothing or score a discount. Pop Masters pairs the three artists' pieces for a world-first celebration of pop art masters, including featuring 40-plus works never before seen Down Under. The exhibition is wholly drawn from the private collection of prominent art collector Jose Mugrabi, surveying the 60s, 70s and 80s art scene through the output of these legends of the pop art and street art movements. There are more than ten pieces by Warhol, acting as the showcase's introduction, with 1964's Sixteen Jackies and 1982's Cross among them. As for Haring, one of his earliest-ever works from 1979 features alongside others such as Untitled (Dancing Dogs), while the range of Basquiat pieces includes 1981's New York, New York and — fittingly — a Warhol-Basquiat collaboration. Although art by the three icons provides Pop Masters with its huge drawcard, the exhibition also seeks to celebrate the ongoing legacy of pop art alongside its origins. That means that you can peer at pieces by Katherine Bernhardt, Kwesi Botchway, George Condo, Damien Hirst, KAWS, Barbara Kruger, Joel Mesler, Richard Prince, Tom Sachs, Julian Schnabel, Mickalene Thomas and Tom Wesselmann — such as KAWS' 2.8-metre-tall 2018 sculpture What Party, plus Barbara Kruger's If it sees, blind it, from a section of her 2009 installation Between being born and dying in New York's Lever House.
Since late in 2020, if you've been near the South Bank and North Quay stretch of the river – or even just driven along the Riverside Expressway — then you've likely seen Will & Flow. It's the overwater bar that's perched right on top the river on the CBD side, and it's hard to miss. After the floods forced a revamp, it's also been back up and running since mid-2022. You can stop by whenever you like to pair a bite to eat and a few drinks with the venue's view, of course. Or, you can make a visit on a Sunday between 11.30am–6pm. That's when Will & Flow hosts Sundaze sessions — and yes, they're really just an excuse to kick back in a scenic spot over a couple of beverages and a snack. [caption id="attachment_860072" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitch Lowe[/caption] Entry to Sundaze is free, but there's usually specials to tempt your tastebuds. In April, you can enjoy a $50 deal for two that includes a rosé each and an antipasto platter to share, while the May offer swaps in gin with a mixer as the beverage. Whether you go for that option or sip and munch on whatever else you feel like, you'll pay as you go — and you'll also be treated to live tunes. The music lineup changes weekly, but you might find yourself listening to Kirby Lunn Duo, The Fonoti Brothers Duo, Nik Conomos Duo, Parallel Duo by Michael Hickey or Bros of Eustance Road.
Trying to dance like Christopher Walken, pretending you're in Cruel Intentions, being transported back to the late 90s and early 00s: that's all on the agenda when Fatboy Slim, aka Norman Cook, returns Down Under in 2023. Hitting Brisbane on Wednesday, May 3, the British dance music legend will take to the decks to bust out a hefty range of dance floor fillers. His 1998 album You've Come a Long Way, Baby was the club soundtrack to end the 20th century — a staple of every 90s teen's CD collection, too — and responsible for hits like 'Right Here, Right Now', 'The Rockafeller Skank' and 'Praise You'. As for 2000's Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars, it gave the world 'Weapon of Choice' and its iconic Walken-starring (and Spike Jonze-directed) video. You might not be able to dance along the walls when Cook plays the Riverstage, but you'll want to thanks to his big beat sound. Indeed, alongside the Chemical Brothers, The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, The Propellerheads and Crystal Method, he helped bring the style to mainstream fame. Cook has been making music since the 80s, but took on the name Fatboy Slim in the mid-90s, starting with 1996 record Better Living Through Chemistry. His discography also spans 2004 album Palookaville and 2013 single 'Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat'. If you've seen Cook live before, you'll know that this is news to get excited about right about now. His Australian tour marks Cook's return after his 2020 headline shows — pre-pandemic — with his Melbourne gig at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl recorded for an epic live video that's notched up more than 2.4-million views. Top image: Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México via Wikimedia Commons.
Brisbane is filled with must-try places for a bite, but there's still nothing like a home-cooked meal. Alison Roman understands this. The Brooklyn-based food writer and chef may live in New York and have access to its thriving dining scene, but she's a big fan of eating in — and she has viral recipes such as #TheCookies, #ThePasta, #TheStew and #TheDip to prove it. Roman also has two cookbooks currently in bookshops, and possibly on your own shelves: Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes and Nothing Fancy: Unfussy Food for Having People Over. Come April in Australia, Sweet Enough: Desserts for People Who Don't Do Dessert will join them. To launch the latter, and to make her first trip ever Down Under, Roman is hitting our shores to get chatting about home cooking, those internet-famous dishes and why she adores her own kitchen. [caption id="attachment_752523" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott, courtesy of Hardie Grant Books.[/caption] The viral recipe queen and New York Times-bestselling scribe will head to Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday, May 7. In the River City, she'll be talking with Belinda Sweeney, and expect her food newsletter A Newsletter and YouTube series Home Movies to get a mention. She'll also discuss her career and her journey to the dessert-focused Sweet Enough, plus everything from having her own CNN cooking show to releasing her first baking book.
Movie buffs who like to theme their viewing around the relevant time of year — holiday-related, primarily — are always spoiled for choice. Christmas films, spooky flicks at Halloween, Easter-relevant fare: you can build a binge session or several out of all of them. The same applies to Thanksgiving, all courtesy of the US, and The Humans is the latest addition to the November-appropriate list. This A24 release ticks a few clearcut boxes, in fact, including bringing a dysfunctional multi-generation family together to celebrate the date, steeping their get-together in the kind of awkwardness that always stalks relatives, and having big revelations spill over the course of the gathering (the calendar-mandated time for such disclosures, pouring out before the tryptophan kicks in). That said, even with such evident servings of underlying formula, The Humans is far creepier and more haunting than your usual movie about America's turkey-eating time of year. A hefty helping of existential horror will do that. Based on Stephen Karam's Tony-winning 2016 Broadway play — a Pulitzer Prize finalist as well — and adapted and directed for the screen by Karam himself, The Humans is downright unsettling, and for a few reasons. There's the tension zipping back and forth between everyone in attendance, of course — as crucial an ingredient at every Thanksgiving party as food, booze and warm bodies to consume them, at least if films are to be believed. There's also the bleak, claustrophobic, run-down setting, with the movie confined to a New York apartment close to Ground Zero, which aspiring composer Brigid (Beanie Feldstein, Booksmart) and her student boyfriend Richard (Steven Yeun, Nope) have just moved into at significant expense. And, there's the strange sounds emanating from other units, and perhaps this creaking, groaning, two-storey abode itself, which couldn't feel less welcoming. As a result, seasonal cheer is few and far between in this corner of Manhattan, where the Blake family congregates dutifully rather than agreeably or even welcomely. Also making an appearance: parents Deirdre (Only Murders in the Building's Jayne Houdyshell, reprising her Tony-winning part) and Erik (Richard Jenkins, DAHMER — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), Brigid's lawyer older sister Aimee (Amy Schumer, Life & Beth), and their grandmother Momo (June Squibb, Palmer), who has dementia and uses a wheelchair. No one is happy, and everyone seems to have something that needs airing — slowly and reluctantly when it's a matter of importance, but freely and cuttingly when it's a snap judgement directed at others. Watching The Humans, the audience hopes that no one has truly had a Thanksgiving like this, while knowing how well its fraught dynamic hits the mark. Thanks to Richard, film first-timer Karam has a straightforward way to start doling out backstory — a time-honoured function of fresh attendees to on-screen family dos, and not just in movies about Thanksgiving. Erik chats, filling the newcomer in, although the talk between everyone dishes out plenty of handy details. Religious and political affiliations cause strains, as do booze and money. The clash between the big city, where the Blake family daughters now live, and their hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania also informs the discussions. Health woes, relationship struggles, generation clashes, expecting more both from and of each other but getting less: that's the baseline. Brigid stews about not being given enough cash by her parents, and therefore jeopardising her career dreams; Aimee frets about treading water at work, being alone and a medical condition; Deirdre's conservative leanings bristle against her daughters' decisions; and Erik clearly has a secret. As anxious and agitated as the situation is — and as peppered with passive aggression and outbursts alike — there's always another feeling lurking throughout the barely furnished flat. That physical, visible, inescapable emptiness also speaks volumes about Brigid, Richard and their guests, but it's impossible to shake the sensation that this might've been a joyful affair in any other location. The same troubles and attitudes would exist, and the same players, but there's no avoiding how their grim surroundings are amplifying their bickering. When they're being guarded, coy, reserved or reticent (at times, they all fit) about the things they're keeping from each other, the apartment looms large with space and desolation. When they're flinging truths back and forth, it's tight and distressed. Or, is it actually just a regular old and dilapidated place in a crushing rental market, and it's the evening's occupants and their torment that's bringing the unease? For a film so firmly grounded in one location, to the point that the cliche about the setting being a character in the movie applies, The Humans can be slippery. Is Karam's setup as simple as a family squabbling? Is there more, or do we just want there to be more because that quarrelling — and the dancing around it, when that's the Blakes' preferred option — is so discomforting? They're the questions that dwell in the unit, which cinematographer Lol Crawley (Vox Lux) shoots like it's both dispiritingly ordinary and unshakeably otherworldly. Frequently, the film looks on from afar within the space as well, framing Brigid and company through doorways that make everything resemble a show. Sometimes, it hones in on physical minutiae as conversations play out. Are all family get-togethers performances? Do we all cling close out of habit and expectation, but keep ourselves distanced by nattering about the trivial and inconsequential? They're queries that hang heavy in the stilted air, too. As The Humans stretches on, discussions about dreams and nightmares prove revealing. The feature also points out the thin line between both, whether we're slumbering or waking, several times over in its talky frames. No one on-screen really needs reminding; that's where they're caught, even if just emotionally. Across the board, The Humans' performances are similarly anchored and weighty — whatever's going on around the Blakes or isn't, the pervasive dread keeps everyone trapped and festering, and Karam's six key cast members all play their parts accordingly. The effect is compelling, especially when paired with disquieting sound design straight out of a psychological thriller. Let's be honest, isn't that all holiday celebrations with the family anyway?
Before Daiso popped up in every Brisbane shopping centre, another store was helping locals get their cheap knick-knack fix. If you've ever walked along Brunswick Street — and who hasn't? — then you know which place we're talking about. With shelves filled with plastic toys, bamboo trinkets and all things in between, I Life Factory is an unsung Valley institution, as well as the kind of place where plush souvenir koalas and one-use sunglasses live side by side. And now, it's also the inspiration for The Foundry's latest event. Yep, they're throwing an I Life Factory party. It's about time, to be honest; if ever a Brissie landmark was crying out for some recognition, it's this one. In what promises to be the first of many such celebrations, Caroline, Simi Lacroix, Makeout Creek Death Cult and The Dollar Bill Murrays will be pumping out tunes to mark the occasion, alongside a secret headliner. BYO novelty wallet, waving cat or bunch of fake flowers.
You've got your whole life to spend night's lazing at home, having a quiet one – why not, for once, watch someone else do the exact same thing in a non-creepy way. In the latest intimate performance by QUT graduate and and PhD candidate Belinda Locke , audiences are willingly asked to indulge in a peek behind one woman's closed doors – no strings attached. This already highly credited performance, Maureen O'Hara Spends a Quite Night at Home, is inspired by the 1946 photograph by the same name, taken by Peter Stackpole. Returning home from a glamorous social event, the character of O'Hara unwravels her vulnerabilities exposing the everyday strains and pains of celebrity and femininity. A strikingly beautiful devised performance set to a soundtrack of 1940s big band, jazz and French electro-pop, this solo performance shares the intimacy of O'Hara's private moments, seductive nature and deepest anxieties.
This July, it's time to deck your halls with boughs of whichever greenery you'd like. Yes, we know it's not Christmas yet. Winter in Australia means pretending 'tis the season — but early — and VEND Marketplace is doing just that with a huge Christmas in July Twilight Market. There'll be more than just succulents, cacti and indoor-friendly plants on offer; however, given that the northside spot is home to its own indoor greenhouse — aptly called the Greenhouse, naturally — that's definitely a big drawcard. Between 4–9pm on Saturday, July 16, you'll also be able to get festive at VEND's 100-plus shops, and at the array of pop-up stalls that it's setting up outside. Food trucks will keep your stomach satisfied, and there'll be a pop-up cocktail bar serving boozy beverages, included mulled wine. Hot chocolates and Christmas dinner will be on the menu as well. Also, VEND is also doggo-friendly — should you want to bring your four-legged pal with you for a stint of Christmas in July fun. There's also a competition for dressing the part, with a $100 voucher up for grabs. That's a good enough reason to bust out your jolliest outfit — whether it's a red-and-green number or a festive costume. And yes, getting your Christmas shopping early is also a huge motivator. Just think how smug/good you'll feel come December, when everyone else is rushing about. Images: VEND Marketplace.
By the time that Thursday night rolls around each week, most of us are thinking about escaping the nine-to-five grind. There's still one pesky weekday left to go until the weekend, of course, but sinking underground with a tipple in your hand — and with jazz tunes setting the upbeat but relaxing mood — sure does sound enticing. That's what's on offer at The Walrus Club's Thursday Jazz Club. In the past, the Regatta spot has turned its cosy, dark space into a whisky haven on Thursday evenings, or a shiraz-swilling joint as well. Since late 2022, however, it's now focusing on the tunes instead. The event kicks off at 6pm, and showcases as wide a range of jazz as it can — including traditional jazz, fusion, modern, bebop and gypsy, as well as big band, swing, avant-garde, latin and soul. Looking for something to sip? The Walrus Club boasts a hefty array of 300-plus spirits, including over 100 different rums. Entry is free, and reservations aren't required — and Prohibition-era bar vibes come with the territory.
Biannual art and design markets The Finders Keepers returns for an autumn iteration, bringing shoppers face-to-face with some of the country's most creative designers. This time, it's happening over three bumper days from Friday, May 20 to Sunday, May 22 at Brisbane Showgrounds' Exhibition Building, with general admission tickets starting at just $5. The focus remains, as ever, on helping you discover and connect with the next wave of independent and emerging artisans, with a focus on local designers. Expect to find everything from jewellery, fashion and ceramics to leather goods and body products. Be sure to stop by K-Rae Designs, this edition's recipient of the Brisbane Indigenous Program, to browse a range of lettered stationery, tees, prints and more. When the inevitable shopping-induced hunger strikes, there'll be food trucks and coffee spots on offer. One thing you do need to remember, though, is that the markets are completely cashless, so be sure to bring along your digital (or plastic) payment device to take home a new design or two. The Finders Keepers Autumn/Winter Markets take place on Friday, May 20 (4–9pm), Saturday, May 21 (9am–4pm) and Sunday, May 22 (9am–4pm) at the Exhibition Building, Brisbane Showgrounds. For more info and to check out the full vendor lineup, head to the website.
Ah, gluten. Scourge of coeliacs, this humble wheat protein has been making life difficult for as long as we've been eating sliced bread. But fortunately for all the folks out there with gluten intolerances, VEND Marketplace in Virginia will be a gluten-free zone for two days — again. After a first run back in February, this Gluten-Free Festival returns from 8am–2pm on both Saturday, May 27 and Sunday, May 28. On the menu: mobile food vendors setting up their stalls and rolling in their trucks to sling tasty treats without a single bit of wheat, rye or barley in sight. At the debut fest, SoCal Tacos, The Dagwood Dog Guy, King of the Wings and Big J Woodfired Pizza were among the eateries making an appearance, alongside OMG Donuts, Roll It Ice Cream, Golden Churros and Mama Mac's Macarons — and others. There'll also be a number of stalls selling a variety of gluten-free products to take home, so you can stock your pantry as well. The dog-friendly event will let you take advantage of VEND's usual 130-plus small businesses, too, for a stint of shopping with your gluten-free eats. Entry is free, but reserving a spot online is recommended.
With G20 blocking our streets and sucking all the fun out of the city, there's never been a better time to get out of town. And, though Stranded might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing Stradbroke retreat, if you've got great taste in music, a bit of a tolerance to sunlight, and a quick fiddy to spare, we'd say it's the perfect weekend getaway. Hosted at McLarens Landing on South Stradbroke Island, Stranded is a music festival that throws a heap of great musicians and a flock of music-goers onto an island. It's kind of like Lost, but with more DJs and less disappointing twists. The line up this year includes Kite String Tangle, Golden Features, Tkay Maidza, Taiku Nulight and heaps more. Though running away to an island sounds extreme, it's actually only an hour away from Brisbane. There will be parking, buses and plenty of transport routes. Plus UBER are throwing around some free rides so do your best to get in on that. Other than that just pack your bag for a normal day at the beach. You'll need sunblock, water and disposable cameras aplenty. But, be sure to wear shoes — your feet will thank you for it in the mosh.
If sparkling wine puts some extra fizz into your life, then you'll want to drink your way through this Brisbane event. Across Friday, May 12–Saturday, May 13, the Bubbles Festival is coming to town to celebrate the most effervescent boozy beverages there are. You'll sip, you'll chat, and you'll meet the folks who make and distribute the tipples in question as well. You'll also eat canapes — no one wants to down champagne, prosecco and other sparkling drinks on an empty stomach — while you're sampling and tasting across two hours. At least ten different wines will be on offer, and your $94 ticket also includes a champagne tasting glass to take home with you. The venue: Customs House in the CBD. You can take your pick of three sessions: from 6–8pm on Friday, and at either 12–2pm or 3–5pm on Saturday. If you're feeling like really treating your sparkling-loving self, you can pay an extra $65 for a VIP ticket, which gets you access to a special cuvée tasting before the regular doors open — and two tasting glasses, rather than one.
Brisbane might be buzzing about APT8 — it has taken over the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, after all — however it's not the only showcase of Asia Pacific art in town. It's not the only APT exhibition, either. Some of the highlights of APT7 are still hanging around. Because there's no such thing as too much Asia Pacific art, Indo Pop: Indonesian Art from APT7 is currently doing the rounds of regional galleries. Redcliffe is far enough away from the CBD to count, while still close enough for Brisbanites to head to for a leisurely look at the creative efforts of artists from one of our closest neighbouring countries. The exhibition not only spans everything from painting to stop motion animation, but highlights a group of the region's up-and-comers. It also shines a light on some of Indonesia's artistic, political and social issues. And, it'll keep winding its way around Queensland until September 2017, should you miss this stopover. Image: Tromarame, Indonesia est. 2004/ Wattt?! 2010 / Single-channel stop motion video animation: 5:48 minutes, colour, sound / Purchased 2011. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation / Collection: QAGOMA.
How would you like to be in pictures? Screen Australia and YouTube have teamed up to map the Australian summer, and need your films and footage to do it. You can submit footage of your Aussie summer to the YouTube Map My Summer channel but it must have been filmed since December 1 2010. Inspired by Ridley Scott's Life in a Day project, Screen Australia have selected Dr George Miller, of Mad Max, Babe and Happy Feet fame, and short film maker Amy Gebhardt to create a film that captures the essence of Australian summer from all the public submissions. Gebhardt won the right to work alongside Miller thanks to her film Into the Sun, a dreamy, symbolic expression of our relationship with summer. Given the summer Australia has just had, the finished work could end up being anything from a disaster movie to a Jaws remake. Five contributors whose footage is used in the final film will be invited to attend the Sydney Film Festival premiere in June, where the crowd-sourced film will be screened, so get your summery, sub-three-minute video uploaded by the end of March and be a part of it! https://youtube.com/watch?v=QlIfgRqTB7M
Mosey along Fish Lane, and you'll find everything everything from rib shacks to Vietnamese cuisine-slinging shipping containers. Wander around the corner, and you'll now find fish and chips. While Ol' School mightn't have scored the ultimate South Brisbane street frontage for selling seafood, they're pretty close — and their old-meets-new menu, digs and approach promises to impress. The latest venture from Hello Please's Daniel Ward and Maris Cook, plus design studio Standing By and ex-Pier (Rose Bay) chef Jesse Stevens, Ol' School wants to hark back to retro-style fish and chipperies from days gone by, while adding some modern touches as well. "We're just some guys that want to cook you some really good fish and chips, served up with nice drinks," explains Stevens. Open since the beginning of 2018, that means a menu filled with the ocean's finest, as freshly prepared with old-school flair and served on greaseproof paper, all in a place that offers table service from Tuesday to Sunday. While you'll never just take a number here, takeaway is also available from Friday to Sunday. Food-wise, patrons can tuck into fish, obviously, as well as thick-cut fries served with salt, malt vinegar or lemon; potato scallops; and crusty bread for making-your-own chip butties. Or, they can opt for prawn cocktail rolls, fish tacos and the old favourite that is the fisherman's basket. A selection of salads will be available as sides, while desserts include ice cream sandwiches and lemon tarts. As for beverages, prepare to sip on wine, beer and a range of cocktails. Find Ol' School at 58 Hope Street, South Brisbane, or check out their Facebook page for further details. Images: Rix Ryan Photography.
From November to March each year, the turtle nesting and hatching period kicks into gear along Queensland's coastline. First, the shell-wearing critters lay their eggs. Then, they wait for their young to emerge. If you're a fan of the animals, it's prime turtle-spotting season. Located within the Mon Repos Conservation Park and home to the largest population of nesting marine loggerhead turtles in the South Pacific, the Mon Repos Turtle Centre has long hosted tours during breeding season, letting turtle lovers watch nature in action. When the 2019 period commences, visitors will not only be able to see the sea-dwelling creatures come home to lay their eggs, watch their babies hatch and witness the cute infants make their first journey out to sea — they'll also be able to roam around a revamped facility. Launching in November along with this year's tours, Mon Repos Turtle Centre will unveil its $22 million renovation, with $17 million of that funding provided by the Queensland Government. While it'll get plenty of traffic during peak turtle-viewing season, the aim is to entice visitors all-year-round. To help, the refreshed centre will boast an immersive theatre room that recreates the turtle nesting experience. Attendees will take off their shoes, step onto sand and watch the process, regardless of whether they're heading on a nightly tour or just stopping by in the off-season. Other new additions include a cafe, touch screen TVs and new displays. The revamped facility will also be decked out with new interpretive signage, welcoming visitors to the region by its First Nation tribes — the Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, Tarebilang and Byellee peoples. Find the Mon Repos Turtle Centre at 141 Mon Repos Road, Mon Repos from Saturday, November 9. For further details or to book tickets, visit the centre's website.
