An upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria will bring together the realms of high fashion and high art. Celebrating the extraordinary work of Dutch designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists will showcase some of the luxury fashion house's most iconic haute couture pieces, as it celebrates one of the most remarkable partnerships in the world of modern fashion. Running from October 21 through to February 26, 2017, the world-first exhibition has been developed by the NGV in partnership with Viktor&Rolf, under the curatorship of international guest curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot. In addition to the more than 35 original items, the exhibition will also feature the duo's upcoming work Dolls, a collection of antique dolls dressed in some of the pair's most memorable designs. "We are extremely excited to be working in collaboration with the National Gallery of Victoria on this exhibition and highlighting the craftsmanship involved in creating our wearable art," said Horsting and Snoeren in a joint statement. "It is an honour for us to bring our designs to the Southern Hemisphere." Collaborating for the first time in 1992, Horsting and Snoeren have long been renowned for their boundary pushing designs and experimental runway shows. Perhaps their most memorable showing was in 2003, when they teamed up with actress Tilda Swinton (of course) along with an army of Tilda lookalikes for their One Woman Show autumn/winter collection. Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Artists opens at NGV International on October 21 this year. Tickets are on sale now at ngv.vic.gov.au/viktorrolf.
Launching something new takes a lot of gumption — not to mention legwork. Everyone's got ideas — you've probably got a few scribbled down on a napkin somewhere. But it takes a particular kind of drive and perseverance (and a bunch of cash) to turn lofty concepts into an actual, physical Thing. For this year's REMIX Sydney conference (June 2-3), Concrete Playground will be digging into the idea of launching something new, focusing on the businesses we couldn't write fast enough about — with a special curated session on 'How Long Does It Take to Become an Overnight Success?' We'll be digging into Australian success stories, brave folks who started something new. What's it like to open a soda factory in Sydney? How do you launch a brand new wine festival — on an island? We took five with three leading Sydney innovators, who'll be sitting on our REMIX panel: Kristen Francis, festival founder and director of the insanely popular Wine Island (winner of CP's Best New Event of 2015), Michael Chiem, co-founder of Sydney soda company PS Soda and its just-opened CBD factory/bar PS40 (Sydney's first of its kind), and Georgia van Tiel and Carla McMillan, co-founders of citywide gym class pass Bodypass (winner of CP's Best New Product of 2015). How did they come up with something new in this day and age? How did they get it off the ground? Take notes. [caption id="attachment_572830" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Wine Island.[/caption] Why/how did you come up with the idea for your business? Kristen: I'd been producing events for about ten years for clients, as well as my own music festival Legs 11, but as I get older I want to concentrate more on my own productions and not die wondering. The concept for Wine Island simply came about during my morning walks around Rushcutters Bay. I always noticed the pretty little island of Clark and wondered why nothing ever happened there so I started my research and two years later, it became a reality. Logistically, it's the worst idea ever, but being a bit of a dreamer… It's the best. Michael: The idea for our business actually stemmed from past experiences Thor (my business partner) had experienced in New York. He had consulted for a soda brand to be launched in Europe developing flavours and had such good feedback he decided to further expand the concept and move to Sydney to launch it here, as Sydney has such amazingly diverse produce and native ingredients. We both met in Sydney at Bulletin Place and worked so well together the relationship grew organically from there, Thor wanted to make a soda factory, I wanted to open a bar and forming them together would allow us to work sustainably reducing waste by working nose to tail across bar and soda and maximising productivity and exposure. Georgia: I was living in NYC at the time (18 months ago) and Carla reached out to me to tell me about a genius idea she had. Carla has always been a yogi and didn't really find that she liked spending all her time in one studio. Carla was often at three to four different studios in a week and often spending hundreds of dollars each week. I also, as an avid fitness fan, felt like I was one of those people that loved trying out different studios and different classes. We both love the idea of people having more fun and variety in they workouts and making sure they keep the boredom at bay (the number one killer of all fitness regimes!). At the time, there were about ten different models, similar to Bodypass, setting up in the US and I thought it would be a good idea for Carla to head over to NYC, do some research with me and see if there was a market for this sort of thing in Australia. After about two months, we thought there was a space and we felt like we had a model that would work really well in Australia. I headed back from NYC in November 2014 and we literally have not stopped since. I think we just surpassed our 2000th class! [caption id="attachment_572854" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The PS Crew (Michael's on the left).[/caption] What made your idea different from everything else out there? How did you make it stand out? Michael: The concept of a tradesman making his own tools is no new concept. For many years baristas have been roasting coffee, sommeliers making wine and beer guys making beer. It's all been done before, except for bartenders making soda (well at least to the extent we are making it). The idea stands out more as the soda factory side of our business is integrated into our little cocktail bar and we are very transparent about it all. We also take a culinary approach, not using any essences or artificial flavours. Everything is done in house, by hand, using natural and local produce. Georgia: We are not a studio, we are not instructors, we are a membership that gives ultimate flexibility, huge amounts of variety and a great opportunity to meet new people and socialise. Having a workout buddy really helps to keep your fitness goals in check and keep you going back for more, even when the sun isn't up yet or the rain is pelting down. One of our other big standouts, I believe, is that we have given Bodypass a personality. Carla and I are both fit gals but at the same time we love to enjoy life and all it has to offer. We both believe in balance and doing something because it's fun, not because you have to or you should. Bodypass is a lifestyle that Carla and I are all about and we wanted to share that with other people. Kristen: Firstly, it hadn't been done before (I guess no one else wanted to give themselves a heart attack) and secondly, we treat our festival like a mini-holiday on your doorstep with very limited numbers per session — which everyone appreciated. It's like you're experiencing the full holiday package which includes transport and welcome drinks, then a relaxing and luxurious island escape full of wine and food. We know there are quite a few wine festivals around Sydney nowadays so we also wanted to promote unique wines in a unique setting. [caption id="attachment_572881" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bodypass (Carla on the left, Georgia on the right).[/caption] What problems did you run into while planning/building, if any? How'd you manage them? Georgia: Growing. Like any startup, funding played a huge role. Our business is a tech business and building anything like this was always going to cost a lot of money. Starting Bodypass was a balancing act between meeting new studios and signing them up and trying to get Bodypass in front of possible investors. Carla and I had a good partnership as she was more client/studio facing and I was able to work on the business set-up. This enabled us to grow and also catch the eye of Fairfax Media. Michael: So many! We should write a book on all our mistakes as a guide on what not to do when opening a business haha! Always staying positive even at the hardest moments is necessary. You can't let it get you down for too long. We were lucky enough to have a really good team behind us who were very supportive, from our designer, Thor's wife Livia from Ultra Violet, to our planner, certifier, handyman Seamus from Sea Studios, who built all the furniture. It was difficult but the end result we are thrilled by. Kristen: Well firstly, it was no, no, no from the National Parks. However, I've never been so persistent with an idea so I kept on calling until I finally got through to the person who said yes, yes, yes — it paid! Producing an event on an island is a logistical and eye-wateringly expensive exercise, so it was extremely important to be organised and try not to leave much room for error. But you know, Mother Nature has her own plans, and whilst the first festival session on Friday morning was a sparkling paradise of an image, the evening session was anything but. We pulled all the bars in so people could get under the huts and others were tucked away in caves sipping their Savs. Luckily everyone got into the spirit and there were a lot of dancing ponchos making the most of it. [caption id="attachment_572833" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Wine Island.[/caption] What was opening day/launch day like and how did you celebrate? Kristen: As mentioned above, the first day was both sides of the coin. As the second session of the first day was so wet, we sat on the ferry soaking, exhausted and celebration was a hot shower. Boring, but true. Georgia: Carla bought an amazing bottle of champagne around February, when Fairfax starting talking to us and it finally looked like we would have some financial investment. We planned on drinking that when we signed with Farifax but when you have sometimes four classes a day, having a hangover was not an option. We did however have a lot of fun when we launched to the public in June 2015. Let's just say a few classes were cancelled the following day. Michael: Opening day was a small mole hill (goal). Opening the door is great but it only begins our long journey of constantly trying to provide the best drinks we possibly can, whilst having shit tonnes of fun. We have so many goals now to tick off including bottling our final product and future collaborations and events to focus on — we're always looking forward. You can catch Kristen Francis, Michael Chiem, Georgia van Tiel and Carla McMillan speaking at REMIX Sydney from June 2-3 at Sydney Town Hall, at Concrete Playground's special curated session on 'How Long Does It Take to Become an Overnight Success?'. More info right here.
Come the end of next year, you won't need to hit the beach to catch a few waves. A site near Tullamarine, around 23 kilometres outside the Melbourne CBD, is set to become the location of Australia's first ever urban surf park. Owned and operated by Perth company Wave Park Group, Urbnsurf Melbourne will boast a 320 metre long pool and employ Wavegarden technology to generate man-made waves between 0.6 and 1.9 metres high. The facility will cater to both experienced surfers and beginners, while LED lagoon lighting will ensure visitors can keep surfing after dark. Wavegarden technology is currently utilised at the Surf Snowdonia wave park in Wales, while another park is set to open in Austin, Texas later this year. In addition to the wave pool, Urbnsurf will include a licensed cafe, a surf shop, board and wetsuit rental services, surf classes, playgrounds, a rock climbing wall, skate ramps and a mountain bike course. Wave Park Group founder Andrew Ross told The Age that the park would eliminate typical marine hazards that come with surfing on the ocean, and described the facility as a kind of "driving range for surfers." Entry prices are yet to be confirmed, although Ross estimated a one-hour session would cost between $20 and $50 depending on the season. Urbnsurf Melbourne is currently slated to open in late 2017. To stay up to date, visit their website or check them out on Facebook. Via The Age. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
You probably think that James Bond hails from Scotland. But that's where you'd be wrong. As a matter of fact, the world's greatest secret agent actually grew up in rural NSW. Forget about Connery, Brosnan and Craig. To the people of Goulburn, the name Bond is synonymous with hometown hero George Lazenby — and now they're hosting a festival in his honour. Kicking off today and stretching on into the weekend, Spyfest Goulburn is a festival dedicated to the world of international espionage, running September 25-26. There'll be parades, parties and a city-wide game of I Spy, capped off by an appearance by Lazenby himself, who grew up in Goulburn before shooting to (short-lived) stardom as the second man to portray the world's most famous big screen spy. Event organisers will host several free screenings of Lazenby's sole Bond adventure, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, over the course of the weekend. Other events include a Secret Agents Gala Dinner featuring the music of the great Shirley Bassey, and a Shagadelic Disco inspired by MI6's other international man of mystery. Naturally, costumes are highly encouraged. Several local businesses will also be getting into the spirit of the festival by temporarily changing their names, including one chemist who has gone with the inspired new moniker 'Licensed to Pill'. We're pretty sure 007 would approve of the pun — at least Roger Moore would. For more information about Spyfest Goulburn, visit the festival website. Via ABC News.
One of you is about to experience the luck of the Irish. Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to channel a little 'Sine Metu' and travel to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. Explore Irish history (all the way back to the Celtics and Vikings) in the National Museum, pay a visit to Dublin Zoo, or take a road trip out into the insanely beautiful Irish countryside. Recommended holiday read: James Joyce. Heck, you might just want to join a traditional music session in the pub — where no one will snigger at your mad tin whistle skills. Or take yourself on a foodie tour of the city — inhaling flaky Irish pork sausage rolls, warming Irish coffees, local cheddar-stuffed blaa rolls, Irish sea salt ice cream, and everything (everything) with hearty soda bread. Of course, Dublin's a Mecca for whiskey lovers. You'll be taken on a VIP tour of the historic Old Jameson Distillery, a must-do for any self-respecting whiskey diehard. And of course, there'll be tastings. Share this around to your crew and get everyone to enter — throw every possible chance in the hat and hope the sprites are kind. Entries are now closed. Stay tuned to your inbox, winners are announced Friday 17th June, 2016. Image: Giuseppe Milo.
Cold and dark and gloomy, winters in Hobart aren't exactly the most attractive proposition. Or at least they weren't until the birth of Dark Mofo. Presented by the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), for the past few years this immersive arts festival has disturbed and dazzled locals and mainlanders alike with a mix of music, performances, installations, light and sound works, and art that simply defies categorisation. And from the looks of things, 2017 will be no exception. Dark Mofo's 2017 lineup is an expectedly weird and wondrous beast, featuring all manner of artists from around Tasmania, Australia and the world. Creative director Leigh Carmichael has called the program their "most ambitious yet", while pointing to a number of works — including iy_project 136.1 Hz, a large-scale laser work by the UK's Chris Levine, and Siren Song, a city-wide audio piece involving a range of female artists — as highlights sure to keep "the audience, the organisers, and some of the authorities enthralled." [caption id="attachment_616924" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Carmichael also draws attention to 150.Action, from Austrian artist Hermann Nitsch. The dark, disturbing performance piece involves an orchestra and around 500 litres of blood, and is sure to be one of the standouts of the final weekend. "This work will be extremely confronting and challenging, but we would encourage our audience to embrace the opportunity to witness the intensity of the ritual, in this one-off exclusive performance, unlikely to ever happen in Australia again," said Carmichael. Then there's Crossing, a 200-kilometre pilgrimage down the Midlands Highway, which will take participants on a pilgrimage to six different churches over six consecutive nights. They'll experience a mix of light, sound and video art along with organ and theremin performances from Melbourne's Miles Brown. [caption id="attachment_616925" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Image: Antony Crook. Courtesy of the artist and Dark Mofo.[/caption] Of course it should go without saying that this is just the tip of the iceberg. This year's enormous music lineup features the likes of Scottish art-rock legends Mogwai, indigenous hip-hop act A.B. Original, and Norwegian black metal pioneers Ulver in concert with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. There'll also be an industrial-scale transcendental rave at Hobart City Hall presented by the Red Bull Music Academy. MONA, meanwhile, will use Dark Mofo as a platform to unveil its latest exhibition, The Museum of Everything, described by its curators as "an astonishing assortment of artworks from the world's first and only wandering institution for the untrained, unintentional, undiscovered and unclassifiable artists of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries." The exhibition will have its grand opening on the first Saturday of the festival, and will be on display at MONA until early April 2018. Then there are the Dark Mofo staples. The annual Winter Feast will once again feed all comers, while Dark Mofo Films will feature a selection of big screen curios new and old. And who'd want to miss the annual Nude Solstice Swim, a communal dip in the ocean at sunrise the day after the longest night of the year? Just remember, winter in Hobart can be pretty bloody cold. Dark Mofo runs from June 8-21. For more information and tickets visit .darkmofo.net.au. Top image: MONA/Rémi Chauvin, 2014. Courtesy MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
Some of Australia's best bar teams will go head-to-head to nab mad bragging rights, an epic photo shoot and a huge trip to Glasgow this winter, with the announcement of the 12 finalists for Auchentoshan's national Distilled Different competition. Each bar team was invited to conjure up a unique new cocktail incorporating Auchentoshan American Oak for the competition, with entries open since April 2016. Why'd they all do it? Oh, just a cheeky chance at winning a casual a trip to Glasgow, home of Auchentoshan — the only triple distilled Scottish single malt whisky in the world. Triple distilled, people. Before the winner is crowned, all 12 bar teams will find their talented faces featured in a national exhibition, Dare to be Distilled Different, with their submitted cocktail entry. So who's in the top 12? AUCHENTOSHAN DISTILLED DIFFERENT 2016 AUSTRALIAN FINALISTS: Della Hyde (NSW) Donny's Bar (NSW) Stitch Bar (NSW) Doris and Beryl's Bridge Club and Tea House (NSW) Ramblin' Rascal Tavern (NSW) Eau de Vie Sydney (NSW) Kittyhawk (NSW) Highlander Bar (VIC) 1806 (VIC) The Gresham (QLD) Mr Goodbar (SA) Dominion League (WA) Here's a little sneak peek at the concotions that made the cut: Flight of Fancy // Auchentoshan American Oak, Fortified Sour Grapefruit, Honeyed Walnut Syrup, Salted Apricot and Goats Cheese Bitters, Orange Blossom Egg White // #DistilledDifferentAU A photo posted by Kittyhawk (@kittyhawksyd) on Jul 19, 2016 at 11:25pm PDT • The Shake & Bake • 🍰 Auchentoshan American Oak, Cacao, spiced berry patisserie syrup & lemon. This bad boy goes live tomorrow at Della Hyde. See you at the bar 👌🏼 #distilleddifferentau #auchentoshan #americanoak #dellahyde #cocktails #darlinghurst #theexchange #liquiddessert #stopit A photo posted by Lachlan Sturrock (@lachysturrock) on Jul 20, 2016 at 12:22am PDT Late night creations! Our #hot #whisky #cocktail the #OakenToastan is perfect for this freezing #winter night in #melbourne! Made with #auchentoshan #americanoak! #distilleddifferentau A photo posted by Highlander (@highlanderbar) on Jul 12, 2016 at 7:35am PDT The team's been hard at work preparing our new cocktail list, and we're almost ready to let the cat out of the bag. Here's a little teaser for you to get your tastebuds ready: #Auchentoshan American Oak, Pineau Charente, honeycomb & rose vermouth with tannic acid and walnut. #DistilledDifferentAU #whisky #cocktails #darlinghurst #drinkporn A photo posted by Eau De Vie Sydney (@eaudeviebar) on Jul 19, 2016 at 11:34pm PDT Our Gordon Hunter created for the national Auchentoshan competition..! #DistilledDifferentAU #cocktails #cocktailporn #drinks #bar #auchentoshan @theauchentoshan #whiskey #picoftheday #instagood #honey #good #manly #AU @the_blend #mixology #donnysbar #manly A photo posted by Donny's Bar & Restaurant (@donnysbar) on Jul 11, 2016 at 8:16pm PDT Introducing the swing low(land) 🍸Auchentoshan American oak, fig and allspice syrup with pear. Our entry into the Auchentoshan distill different cocktail competition. #distilleddifferentau #auchentoshan #mrgoodbar #agoodplacetosin A photo posted by Kate O'Donnell (@kateivyo) on Jun 30, 2016 at 7:31am PDT
We all love tea. But we all don't want to carry it around with us in a dinky travel mug or the thermos-equivalent of a velour tracksuit. Enter ChaBottle, the bottle making tea a pleasure to port. Australian company Life of Cha is pretty new on the scene, but their ChaBottle is already making waves on Instagram. The bottle is specially designed to allow anyone to brew loose leaf tea anywhere and not cramp their style in the process. It's not just for tea, either; the 2-in-1 infuser lets you brew coffee and fruit infusions as well. You can also forget about burning your hands, thanks to the double glass walls of the bottle. It's a great example of simple yet functional design. If you couldn't already tell, Life of Cha is passionate about tea and the #tealife. Founder Natalie Choprasert was inspired to set up Life of Cha after being disappointed by the teas available in the market. The goal of the company is to "bring excitement and innovation to the industry by creating new ways to enjoy tea" while not losing sight of what's "simple, healthy and great tasting", according to Natalie. A perfect example is Crystal: their natural blue tea made from pandan, lemongrass and butterfly pea that turns from blue to purple when lemon is added. Its high antioxidant levels are linked with all sorts of health benefits, such as improved circulation to the eyes and healthy hair. Not only that, we've also heard that it tastes like fruit loops. Sign us up now. Now here's a girl who knows how to enjoy her afternoon!! @megand3veg is chilling at the park with her 2 x #chabottles ??? Filled with #spiced tea, coconut and almond milk with a dash of raw honey. The other filled with iced water, fresh mint and lime!! Voilà!! Perfection ? What's in your chabottle today?? #monday #freshstart #winter #sydney #drinks A photo posted by Life of Cha (@life.of.cha) on Aug 16, 2015 at 11:02pm PDT Another tea of note is Up; each tea leaf is hand rolled into little pearls and infused with jasmine. It's a favourite of Natalie's, who describes it as "the champagne of all green teas". The array of products available in their online store isn't limited to tea though. There's the stylish ChaBottle and the soon-to-be-released ChaPot. We've all been guilty of letting tea brew for a lot longer than necessary, and this is why we need the ChaPot. "[It] allows you to lift the tea infuser back into the lid to prevent over brewing," says Natalie. The ChaPot will be available in mid/late September 2015. If that wasn't enough work on their plates, they've also started dabbling in tea-infused cocktails like sangria with the Hydrate Sparkler Syrup (a hibiscus flower tea). There's a lot of wellbeing products on the market these days, but Life of Cha's is helping to deliver the message that living healthy doesn't have to be hard. It can be as simple as enjoying a cup of tea that tastes great, does you good and turns purple while you watch. Find out more and shop for Life of Cha products at their website.
Practitioners and supporters of the arts danced in protest in capital cities all over Australia today, in response to cuts to the Australia Council, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body. During the 2015-16 budget announcement, made on May 12, the Government revealed that $104.7 million will taken away from the Council and sent to a new ‘National Programme for Excellence in the Arts’, to be directed by George Brandis and the Ministry for the Arts. Last night, the Australia Council revealed how it will cope with this financial decimation. And the arts community is reeling. For a start, the June grant round isn’t going ahead. So if you’ve been working on an application, you can stick it in a drawer and keep your fingers crossed for September. Second up, the six-year funding program, which supports medium-sized organisations with continuous funding at the rate of $75,000+ per year, is suspended. It was a brilliant initiative, developed in conversation with the arts sector, which simplified the grant application process by removing piles of red tape. And if you’re an emerging, independent or community-minded artist, your opportunities are now much narrower. Three of the Australia Council’s most important programs in these areas – ArtStart, Creative Communities Partnerships Initiative and Artists in Residence – are all kaput. At the Sydney Writers' Festival today, author Tegan Bennett Daylight encouraged audiences to “think about” this reduction in “arm’s length” funding. On introducing Helen Garner, Daylight read a dedication in Garner’s 1992 novel Cosmo Cosmolino, which thanks the Australia Council for providing her with the funding and time to think and write. More than 7,000 individuals have signed a petition, indicating their opposition to "the dramatic funding cuts to the arts announced in the recent federal budget, including shifting more than $100 million away from The Australia Council", as well as their opinion that "individual arts ministers should not be the exclusive arbiter of artistic expression". Signees include Thomas Keneally, Christos Tsiolkas and J.M. Coetzee. Meanwhile, Circus Oz has expressed its concern in a media statement. As a member of the Major Performing Arts Group, made up of 28 companies, Circus Oz is not in line to lose funding. However, the statement communicated the group's solidarity with, and dependence on, those that will suffer. “Circuz Oz is an active member of the vibrant, yet delicate arts ecosystem. Changes to any part of this ecology can have dramatic affects on all artists creating work for the audiences of Australia. We know, for example, that the success of Circus Oz is built on the incredibly vibrant work of all the individual artists, independent, small and medium companies that are eligible for the funding that has been moved.” Concerned? Sign the Australians for Artistic Freedom petition. Vaguely related art image from the wonderful Underbelly Arts.
Man the glitter cannons, crank the human-sized hamster wheels and blast the oversized wind machines; SBS has just announced it's developing a version of the Eurovision Song Contest for the Asia Pacific region. Yep. HOLY. CRAP. Announced today, the Australian broadcaster has signed an exclusive option with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the owners of Eurovision, to establish an Asian version of the contest. And guess who's up for hosting? AUSTRALIA. Really. According to SBS, the inaugural event would be hosted by Australia in 2017 (next year, my giddy aunt) and would then travel to other countries in the Asia Pacific. Like the Eurovision Song Contest proper, the Asia Pacific event would allow countries to showcase their songwriting and performing talent. Think about it, from J-Pop to K-Pop to Bollywood, this is perfect territory for Eurovision. "As the official broadcaster of Eurovision for over 30 years, SBS is pleased to explore the opportunity to bring an event of this calibre more closely to our shores, strengthening the multicultural ties in our region," said SBS managing director Michael Ebeid. "Asia Pacific has a spectacular music culture and the perfect next step to extend the Eurovision brand, bringing its hugely popular appeal beyond Australian audiences and to the wider region." Capitalising on the undeniable global success, crazy, crazy production values and epic scale of Eurovision, this brand new (and insanely close-to-home) event would bringing together up to 20 countries from the Asia Pacific region to compete in one live annual grand final. SBS and Blink TV will spend the next few months talking to potential sponsors, commercial partners and regional broadcasters to bring the event to life by 2017. With the potential to attract an estimated one billion viewers across the Asia Pacific region, we're pretty sure these'll be positive chats. No pressure, Dami Im. Image: Thomas Hanses (EBU).
Don't let the sporadic showers fool you — summer is most definitely on it's way. It's time to pull your beachwear out from the depths of your cupboard, dust off your tatty straw hat and prepare for three months of good food, good music and stunning sunshine. We love summer afternoons, and we've partnered with Heineken 3 so you can get the most out of them. We've spoken to a few of our favourite chefs, musicians and artists, to get their insights on creating the perfect balmy afternoon. For this particular adventure, we've teamed up with Brendan Cato of The Farmed Table fame and Matt Branagan and Chester Garcia of Work-Shop to bring you a masterclass on how to bust out a bonza barbecue in just under an hour. Brendan created The Farmed Table, those secret dinners that started off in a tiny café and now pack out warehouses. He's all about fresh, organic, sustainable eating. Matt and Chester founded Work-Shop, a place where you can learn to do absolutely anything. They're a good team. Use these tips and tricks for a speedy but delicious barbecue spread that isn't just the same old steak, snags and salad combo. They'll help you stand proudly as queen or king of the grill this summer. BULK UP YOUR DRY STORE It would be perfectly acceptable to assume that the tricky bits for grilling up a storm are those that require actual cooking, but Brendan assures us that this is not the case. This part is actually extremely easy — just begin with the very best produce that you can get, and stock up your pantry with good quality dry store ingredients. A few herbs, a curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice are the key to making everything taste on-point, according to our chef for the day. Giving yourself the best base of flavour is key to a delicious barbecue no matter how much time you have. DON'T MUCK AROUND, START WITH HIGH QUALITY FRESH PRODUCE As is part of Brendan's Farmed Table ethos, buying good, fresh, organic produce gives you the perfect building blocks for your summer shindig. There's definitely no shortage of vendors around your house, from market stalls to tiny independent grocers around the corner, so it should be pretty cruisy to track down solid ingredients. We started off with leeks, cauliflower and eggplants all just tossed on the grill and taken off shortly after because, as Brendan tells us, "you don't have to do as much if you start with something good". Rather than mucking about trying to add flavour to a sad carrot, get yourself some good organic veg to begin with. LOW MAINTENANCE MEAT MEANS LESS NEED FOR FANCY MARINADES Rather than some pretty generic cuts of meat you'd normally find at a barbecue (the regular porterhouse steaks and snags, for example), Brendan decided to cook up a huge chunk of flank steak. Seasoned with the staples of salt, pepper and olive oil, that bad boy just went straight on top of the grill. It's less maintenance than paying attention to individual steaks, and more impressive when it's sliced and served. Having a good quality cut means you won't have to muck around with fancy marinades — the flavour will speak for itself. Cooking your meat, according to Brendan, all depends on each individual cut. With cuts like flank, eating it rare isn't going to be as tasty as it is with other cuts because it's naturally more chewy. If you're doing chicken, cook it skin-side down first to render the fat, then let it rest once it's almost cooked through. Get to know your meats, and save yourself some time at the grill (but always let your meat rest — no shortcuts there). FANCY FOOD IS SURPRISINGLY EASY TO PULL OFF Matt tells me that one of the reasons he started Work-Shop was because "people need to get more creative", and the same is definitely true at the barbecue. Just like with the flank steak, try a new cut of meat and pair it with a Heineken 3. Grill your veggies, instead of boiling them. For a sneaky dessert that's not a pavlova, how about halved peaches, grilled, served with amaretti, mint and mascarpone? It's literally a matter of cutting a peach in half, grilling it, and enjoying the resulting deliciousness. Even if you don't have Brendan plating skills, it's hard to go wrong throwing nicely hued things on a plate. Always be unique, guys. Enjoy your summer afternoons with the new low-carb Heineken 3 — we're helping you make the most of them. Images: Michael Wickham.
What starts with a slice of New Zealand comedy, ends with one of this year's Sundance hits, and will screen no fewer than 326 films from 65 countries across its 12-day 65th-anniversary run? That'd be this year's Sydney Film Festival, which takes place from June 6 to 17 across the city — and, 28 days before the big event (yes, we're counting), has just revealed its huge 2018 lineup. SFF had already announced that The Breaker Upperers would kick off this year's program, getting the event into gear with plenty of laughs. It'll also finish up proceedings with humour thanks to closing night film Hearts Beat Loud, which stars Nick Offerman as a record store-owning dad spending time with his budding musician daughter (Kiersey Clemons) before she heads off to college. Apart from the glitzy bookend events, SFF's biggest news this year stems from its annual competition, which is now in its 11th year. Twelve films will compete for the $60,000 Sydney Film Prize, with six of them boasting female directors. At a time when women's roles in the film industry have finally become a significant topic of conversation, that's a welcome statistic. With that in mind, highlights range from Sundance grand jury prize winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Berlinale hit Daughter of Mine, to Leave No Trace from Winter's Bone director Debra Granik and bewitching Bali-shot effort The Seen and Unseen. Other notable competition entries include world premiering Australian drama Jirga, about an Aussie solider returning to Afghanistan; Berlinale standouts such as Aga, Transit and The Heiresses; documentary Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. about, well, M.I.A; and Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman, the true tale of an African-American cop who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan, which comes to Sydney straight from Cannes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8oYYg75Qvg While SFF usually adds a number of straight-from-Cannes flicks to the lineup in the days before opening night, the existing program already includes a few films that are making their debuts in France. 3 Faces, the latest feature from iconic Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Tehran Taxi) is one of them, as is as Japanese animation Mirai, from me Wolf Children filmmaker Mamoru Hosoda. Also jumping from the Croisette to Sydney is the 188-minute-long The Wild Pear Tree, the follow-up to 2014 Palme d'Or winner Winter Sleep by Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan. And, then there's Rafiki, the first-ever Kenyan film screened at Cannes — and a movie that's been banned in its homeland due to its lesbian love story. Elsewhere, You Were Never Really Here stars Joaquin Phoenix in his 2017 Cannes best actor-winning role, as directed by We Need to Talk About Kevin's Lynne Ramsay — and Phoenix also puts in a vastly different but equally excellent performance in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, where he plays real-life cartoonist John Callahan. Or, catch the Jon Hamm-starring espionage flick Beirut, new doco Whitney about the ill-fated pop queen, online thriller Searching, Lav Diaz's four-hour rock-opera Season of the Devil, or what's certain to be the dottiest and brightest film in the whole lineup: Kusama — Infinity, the documentary about Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE-ycxu_-Oo Plus, Aussie talent will shine in the likes of Juliet, Naked, the Nick Hornby adaptation featuring Rose Byrne opposite Ethan Hawke and Chris O'Dowd; Upgrade, the John Wick-esque effort from Recovery star turned Saw writer and Insidious filmmaker Leigh Whannell (who'll also be in town to chat about the film); and murder thriller Piercing with Mia Wasikowska. Still on the local front, SFF will screen Australian biker effort 1%, featuring Ryan Corr and Matt Nable; the Melbourne-shot father-son drama West of Sunshine; and the Shane Jacobson-starring black comedy Brothers' Nest. Soda Jerk's Aussie movie mashup Terror Nullius is an absolute must-see, while the festival's documentary competition once again boasts a range of local factual efforts — such as the previously announced ode to boy band fans everywhere, I Used to be Normal: A Boyband Fangirl Story. Throw in SFF's Aki Kaurismäki retrospective, a spotlight on Italian films, two episodes of the Mark Strong-starring TV series Deep State, and an exploration of the intersection of art and cinema, and the 2018 Sydney Film Festival is shaping up to be a jam-packed affair. Also part of the program are returning strands like the horror-focused Freak Me Out, Sounds on Screen which highlights movies about music, a virtual reality showcase at the festival hub, Screenability's platform for screen practitioners with a disability, and a ten-movie exploration of female filmmakers from Europe. And, of course, the fest already dropped a huge bunch of titles last month. The 2018 Sydney Film Festival will run from June 6 to 17. To peruse the full program and to buy tickets, head to the festival website.
If you're heading to New Zealand's Christchurch region for a short holiday, you can't leave without going bungy jumping. There are plenty of opportunities to get your adrenaline going, so why not live on the wild side of life? Experience breathtaking views of the Southern Alps, beautiful coastal vistas and lush green forest while you get reacquainted with the thrill-seeking side of yourself. If you're into the kind of fun that leaves your stomach in knots, then this guide will not disappoint. The adrenaline-junkie kiwis seem to know a thing or two about going on an adventure. TACKLE THE RAPIDS IN HANMER SPRINGS Drive for 90 minutes to Hanmer Springs and book yourself in for a white water rafting adventure. You'll find yourself situated within a stunning mountain range, with pink marble land formations heading all the way down the Waiau River canyon. The rapids are Grade 2 in Hanmer Springs, so expect medium-size rapids and low drops with waves less than a metre high. After all the twists, turns and drops you can still get your fair share of serenity — Hanmer Springs is known for its beautiful blue water and stunning scenery. Don't forget to pack something to swim in, there's no doubt you're going to want to relax with a swim at the Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools after a day out on the rapids. Even adrenaline junkies need some time to chill out. GO JET BOATING IN WAIMAKARIRI GORGE The Waimakariri River, translating to 'cold water' in Māori, is the home of jet boating in Christchurch, with canyons, gorges, rock faces and native forest lining an adventure trail through the water. You can choose between a 30- or 60-minute jet boating adventure in the beautiful blue water — expect 360-degree spins, hairpin turns and a high-speed ride that'll get your heart racing. The Waimakariri river is 90 minutes from Christchurch, but Alpine Jet organises transfers that pick you up from the city and drop you back when the day is done. Because there are so many beautiful rivers in the Christchurch region, there are many places to go jet boating. Another option is at Hanmer Springs. Once you've tested the strength of your stomach there'll be plenty of opportunities to sit back and take in the fresh air in both locations — catch a glimpse of the snow-capped Southern Alps if you're lucky. BUNGY JUMP AMID STUNNING SCENERY You're heading to New Zealand, which means you're going to want to throw yourself from a tall structure connected to an elastic cord — this is the home of bungy jumping after all. Why not let yourself free fall from a bridge for 35 metres towards a surging river to get the blood pumping and the bones jumping? It's an adrenaline rush like no other and one that you're bound to get addicted to. The idyllic Hanmer Springs Bungy, 90 minutes from Christchurch, is the perfect spot for first timers who may need to distract themselves with stunning scenery before taking a leap of faith. MOUNTAIN BIKE THE EDGE OF THE CITY The Christchurch region's beautiful scenery and stunning mountains make it an ideal destination for avid mountain bikers. There are many cycling tracks to discover, but the Port Hills is one of Christchurch's best kept secrets and one of our favourites. With its dramatic landscape of tussock grasslands and rugged mountain terrain, it's easy to see why. Ten different trails in this area each have their own unique highlights — and they're perfect for both new and experienced riders. The new Christchurch Adventure Park is another mountain biking option. The huge trails inside range in difficulty — from beginner courses to those designed for experts only. If you're new to mountain biking and want to learn some skills in a safe environment, head here. It's the biggest mountain biking path in the Southern Hemisphere — you won't be short on space. FLY THROUGH THE ADRENALIN FOREST If you consider yourself to be a little bit of a George of the Jungle, here's your chance to prove yourself in the tree tops. A 20-minute drive from Christchurch is the Adrenalin Forest, a two-kilometre aerial obstacle course set in the beautiful Spencer Park. We can't promise you'll have the opportunity to hang from vines, but there's more than enough to keep you challenged with over 100 activities and six courses to sink your teeth into. If you're a real adrenaline junkie, tackle the high-wire course. It's not quite walking between the twin towers Man On Wire-style, but you're sure to get up to 20 metres into the forest canopy — that's at least two or three stories off the ground and more than enough to get you shaking in your boots.
What, you haven't just spent two weeks watching movies in the snow with celebrities? Sadly, us neither. But just because we can't all head to a film festival in Utah and hang out with Robert Redford, doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the main attractions — or at least hope that we can in the near future. Since the one-time on-screen Sundance Kid first started his celebration of movies in 1978, the festival has given many of your favourite filmmakers and films their big breaks. Steven Soderbergh’s Sex, Lies and Videotape, Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, and Darren Aronofsky’s Pi all debuted there, as did Clerks, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Napoleon Dynamite, Moon, What We Do in the Shadows and Animal Kingdom. Like Paul Thomas Anderson or Wes Anderson? They worked their way through Sundance’s short film section. Last year, three big hits of the festival went on to bigger things, including the AACTA Award for Best Film and likely Oscars later this month. We’re talking about The Babadook, Boyhood and Whiplash, all of which premiered at Sundance 2014. The Babadook has wowed critics around the world, and just days ago shared Australia’s top film prize, also winning best director for Jennifer Kent in her own right. At the upcoming Academy Awards, Boyhood director Richard Linklater and supporting actress Patricia Arquette top the odds for their respective fields, as does the film in the best picture category. Whiplash’s JK Simmons is expected to take out the best supporting actor award for playing the jazz drumming teacher that frightened us all. Without a crystal ball, we don't if this year’s crop of Sundance features will have the same success, but we do know this: there are plenty of movies from the festival’s 2015 slate that we want to see. Some are guaranteed, thanks to local distribution. More than a couple will pop up at the Sydney and Melbourne film festivals mid-year. Others might earn a DVD, VOD or streaming release. A rare few — ’71, It Follows, and White God — have already screened at Aussie fests. Regardless, we’ve selected ten we hope Australian audiences get the chance to watch, and named some more we’ll also be looking out for. MISTRESS AMERICA If any film was guaranteed to make our list, it is this one — and with good reason. Who didn’t love the combination of writer/director Noah Baumbach and writer/actress Greta Gerwig in the delightful Frances Ha, their version of a quarter-life crisis comedy filtered through a black-and-white homage to French New Wave? And who doesn’t want to see them do it all again, this time jumping back to the troubles of college years with Lola Kirke, sister of Girls’ Jemima Kirke? The answer to both those questions is no one. If you’re not convinced, the synopsis promises cat-stealing. What more could you want? Also watch out for: Greta Gerwig also features in Eden, Mia Hansen-Løve’s journey through the French house music scene of the early 1990s and beyond. THE END OF THE TOUR One of the most talked about films of the festival sees Jason Segel leave How I Met Your Mother long behind to turn into acclaimed author David Foster Wallace. In 1996 after the publication of his groundbreaking novel Infinite Jest, Wallace agreed to be interviewed for five days by Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, who is played here by Jesse Eisenberg. Following on from Sundance hits Smashed and The Spectacular Now, director James Ponsoldt delves into the story that was never published in the magazine, but did fuel Lipsky’s memoir after Wallace’s suicide. The movie itself is earning considerable acclaim, as are the two central performances. Also watch out for: Taking out the dramatic category double of Grand Jury Prize and Audience Award that Whiplash achieved last year, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is a teen cancer comedy hopefully worlds away from The Fault in Our Stars. DOPE Dope tells you that it is great in its title — and if the buzz coming out of the festival is accurate, such bragging should be believed. That’s not just because of the retro ‘90s vibe that sees a high school geek sport a high-top fade and wear Cross-Colours, nor because of the DIY punk meets YouTube aesthetic. What excites is that this underdog coming-of-age film is being called the ultimate teen movie for '90s kids, as well as earning comparisons to greats gone by. Most of the young actors won’t be familiar, not that it matters, but you will spot The Grand Budapest Hotel’s lobby boy Tony Revolori among the cast. Also watch out for: Seoul Searching, a 1980s-set Korean teen comedy that pays homage to the films of John Hughes, and The Diary of a Teenage Girl, set in the counterculture haze of the 1970s. KNOCK KNOCK It’s okay, Keanu fans: you’re finally cool again. It's about time! John Wick readjusted the way everyone now thinks of the man beloved as Ted, Neo and Johnny Utah, and Knock Knock keeps him in the same dark, violent territory. The film shares a few storyline similarities with Reeves’ most recent hit, as a happy life unravels once again after strangers come calling; however, here director Eli Roth is in the driver’s seat. It might not be quite like the filmmaker’s unsettling Hostel or his recent cannibalism homage The Green Inferno, but expect to feel disturbed during this psychological horror effort. Also watch out for: Two ten-year-olds take a police vehicle for a joyride in Cop Car, but have Kevin Bacon to contend with. THE WOLFPACK No, this isn’t about the gang of annoying guys in The Hangover movies — and thank goodness for that. In The Wolfpack, six brothers grow up in the confines of a New York City apartment, watching movies and re-enacting them with elaborate props and costumes. Film is their teacher, friend and window to the outside world, in a scenario that would probably be hilarious if it wasn’t real. Yes, Crystal Moselle’s effort is a documentary, winning the field’s Grand Jury Prize, in fact. Given extraordinary access into the family's lives and their home movies, she tells the tale of children literally raised by the movies. Also watch out for: Canada’s Guy Maddin pays homage to the lost movies of the silent era in The Forbidden Room, with the off-kilter assistance of Mathieu Amalric, Charlotte Rampling and Udo Kier. SLOW WEST Michael Fassbender plays a mysterious stranger. Australia’s Kodi Smit-McPhee is a 17-year-old Scottish aristocrat. They meet on the untamed American frontier towards the end of the 19th century as the latter tries to find his lost love, and the former helps him traverse his troubles. Shot in New Zealand by first-time filmmaker John Maclean, Slow West delves into a genre too little seen these days, the western, and impressed Sundance attendees in the process. Not that you need any more cause for excitement, but did we also mention that it won the Grand Jury Prize in the World Cinema – Dramatic category? Also watch out for: Another film hailing from New Zealand, Turbo Kid sounds a bit like BMX Bandits meets Tank Girl meets every ‘80s synth-scored sci-fi flick, and that can only be a very good thing. KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK Some can remember where they were when they heard the news of Kurt Cobain's death. Others discovered Nirvana’s grungy tunes afterward. Either way, the story of the singer has entranced several generations for multiple decades, and shows no signs of fading. Brett Morgen, the filmmaker behind the also excellent The Kid Stays in the Picture, delves into the man rather than the music after spending eight years — yes, you read that correctly — sifting through private journals, recordings and home movies. This isn’t the usual rock star biography, but something much more intimate and revelatory. Also watch out for: Another personal effort that challenges expectations, fictional transgender sex-trade film Tangerine was shot almost entirely on an iPhone. DIGGING FOR FIRE Mumblecore maestro Joe Swanberg has been knocking it out of the park of late, as anyone who saw Drinking Buddies and Happy Christmas knows. Could he be three for three in his adventure into more mainstream fare? With Digging for Fire, starring and co-written by New Girl’s Jake Johnson, it certainly sounds like it. The film tells of a husband and wife on separate adventures over an unusual weekend. Rosemarie DeWitt, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Jennie Slate, Melanie Lynskey, Sam Rockwell, Chris Messina, Ron Livingston, Mike Birbiglia and Orlando Bloom also pop up, in a cast any movie wishes it had. Also watch out for: Reviews have been mixed for Results, but fans of Andrew Bujalski’s Computer Chess will be keen to see his next film, starring Cobie Smulders and Guy Pearce. THE WITCH The Witch is yet another award winner, this time recognised in the dramatic category for its direction by debut filmmaker Robert Eggers. In horror movies, New England is perhaps best known for its association with the 1692 trials in Salem, Massachusetts; however, colonial farm life generations prior is the focus, as recreated in painstaking detail in the name of historical realism. Given the setting and the title, superstition plays a large part in proceedings, but the usual account of the occult this ain't. Anxieties, myths, inherent malevolent traits and sources of hidden menace come to the fore, helped by a creeping camera and ominous score. Also watch out for: Similarly steeped in its sense of place, Last Days in the Desert lets Ewan McGregor play both Jesus and the devil. SLEEPING WITH OTHER PEOPLE A sex addicts' meeting morphs into one of the age-old movie dilemmas: can platonic friendship exist between men and women? In Sleeping with Other People, Alison Brie and Jason Sudeikis are college lovers who reconnect to put the question to the test, but while it may sound a bit like When Harry Met Sally, this isn't your standard rom-com. Writer/director Leslye Headland’s Bachelorette was divisive a few years back, but whether you loved it or not, the premise and roster of talent here is certain to pique your interest. Adam Scott, Amanda Peet, Natasha Lyonne and The League’s Jason Mantzoukas also feature. Also watch out for: In The Overnight, Adam Scott fools around with Taylor Schilling and Jason Schwartzman in another adult-oriented sex comedy.
You can't help but conjure up images of the romanticised '60s Woodstock era while listening to Richard In Your Mind. Putting forward a Beatles-ish pop sound swathed with psychedelic and krautrock rythyms, the Sydney five-piece released their fourth album, Ponderosa in August last year via Rice Is Nice, the local record label boasting a host of Sydney talent such as Donny Benet and SPOD. Now they're celebrating the release of the album on vinyl, with the 'Give Me a High Five' east coast tour. RIYM's tunes are a fun and light-hearted affair, exploring overarching themes of things like nature, exploration and escapism — no doubt influenced by the band's hours spent in the Blue Mountains, where they recorded the tracks. It might not be the 1960s anymore, but these guys are definitely making sure the crazy psychedelia still lives on. Supported by Baskervillain + Shady Bliss. And if you haven't seen the video for latest single 'Hammered in the Daytime', do yourself a favour and click the tab above. It's the family TV show we truly wish existed. https://youtube.com/watch?v=kMyxjFAyLMU
Charismatic little brother to Gerard's Bistro, Gerard's Bar is no stranger to pairing crisp, tasty brews with seasonal nosh. Hidden behind its sibling in the James Street precinct, Gerard's Bar is home to insanely talented Brisbane chef Ben Williamson, curating quite the culinary experience from the charcuterie cabinet to the magnificent kitchen. Say, how would you like to experience a one-off Gerard's menu, exploring fresh winter produce with some of Australia's favourite craft beers? For an opportunity to experience Williamson's produce first hand, James Squire and Concrete Playground are creating a special Winter Banquet at Gerard's Bistro on Monday, August 8, and we're giving a group of lucky people a seat at the table. You'll sit down to a five-course meal custom-made by Ben, each dish paired with a specific James Squire tipple, and hear from Ben and James Squire brand ambassadors on the night. If you're not already sending this to all your mates to enter, check out the Summer Banquet we held this year in Sydney. We teamed up with chef Richie Dolan from CHISWICK for one heck of a feast in February. To go in the running to win tickets for you and a friend, ENTER HERE. Entries close at midnight Wednesday, July 27.
The sun is shining, the palm trees are gently swaying, and there's a laid-back vibe in the air; you must be in Brisbane. As well as almost able to guarantee holiday-like weather every day of the year, the Queensland capital offers locals and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely yet luxurious weekend. Think taking your pick of gourmet sausages or hash browns for breakfast at a brand new cafe dedicated to both, shopping for vintage threads at the city's only curated boutique market, or eating all the cheese your stomach can handle. Book a room at the Pullman Brisbane and make the hotel's King George Square digs your launching pad. Spend a whirlwind 48 hours eating, drinking, strolling and generally being merry, particularly if you follow our itinerary. [caption id="attachment_587777" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Morning After. Image: @____morningafter via Instagram.[/caption] SATURDAY A Saturday in Brisbane should be spent treating your tastebuds and your eyes to the best the city has to offer. That starts with the most important meal of the day, though don't feel like you need to rush to West End for an early morning bite, because breakfast at Morning After is available all day long. With a name like that, this eatery clearly knows that everyone kicks into gear at their own pace. Have a serving of brekkie carbonara and wander down Vulture and Boundary streets for your next adventure. [caption id="attachment_587791" align="alignnone" width="1280"] GOMA. Image: @qagoma via Instagram.[/caption] To be specific, keep moseying along until you reach the Gallery of Modern Art. For ten years now, the gleaming building on the banks of the river has showered Brisbane with the kind of exhibitions art lovers dream about. There will be something great on regardless of when you're in town (in 2015 and 2016 alone, GOMA has hosted shows focused on photographer Cindy Sherman, filmmaker David Lynch and the best contemporary pieces from the Asia-Pacific, for example). And if you somehow have a few hours to spare, be sure to check out the Australian Cinematheque within the building for a classy afternoon at the movies. [caption id="attachment_587781" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Fromage the Cow. Image: @vintage_lil via Instagram.[/caption] Next, prepare to make friends with Brisbane's water-based transport, the City Cats. Head down the river to Milton, then make a beeline by foot to Fromage the Cow on Park Road. Since this licensed fromagerie opened its doors it has become an indulgent favourite, serving up everything from twice-baked cheese souffle to croque monsieur and cheese toasties. We recommend opting for a flight, which will pair three slices of dairy goodness with three of your chosen type of beverage. [caption id="attachment_587783" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Cobbler. Image: @cobblerwestend via Instagram.[/caption] So, that's the cheese and wine section of day done and dusted. Now, it's on to the whisky and cocktail part of proceedings. You'll find plenty of both at Cobbler back in West End, and yes, you can travel part of the way by City Cat again if you want another chance to soak up the Brisbane river air. Once you arrive on site, even if you generally like your spirits untainted by mixers, we're going to strenuously suggest that you try a cocktail. Why? Well, Cobbler's menus are something special, with both Die Hard and Top Gun-inspired tipples served up in recent times. Working your way through their cocktail list is how you turn a few quiet drinks into an evening to remember. If you're in Brisbane on the right weekend you can stop by Test Kitchen, a fortnightly five-course degustation that takes place at Thomson's Reserve and lets you taste dishes before they go on the menu. [caption id="attachment_587785" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Food trucks at Metre Market. Image: @metremarket via Instagram.[/caption] SUNDAY Start your Sunday with sausages and hash browns. Skip the fast food brekkie though; at Annerley's Snag & Brown in the inner-south, you're going to want to take things slowly. Pick from chorizo, pork chipolatas, chicken, spinach and pine nut, and semi-dried tomato, thyme and polenta bangers, plus classic, sweet potato, and tomato and feta hash browns. There's other food available, but here, it's all there in the name. You'll need all the sustenance you can get for your next stopover: the Metre Market. Every public space around town might turn into a stall-based shopping spot come Sunday morning, but this is the only boutique, clothing-focused venture that's so selective about the vintage wares on display, you'll instantly walk out with a new wardrobe. Alas, Metre Market is an every now and then kind of deal, so we also have a list of alternatives. Secondhand fiends should head to Suitcase Rummage's regular pop-up events at Brisbane Square and Brisbane Powerhouse, while those with designer tastes can give their wallet a workout at South Bank's monthly Young Designer's Market. After a busy morning browsing, buying and wondering what you can realistically fit in your suitcase, there's only one thing to do. Treat yourself to some swoon-worthy sweet stuff (and no, we're not talking about Doughnut Time, though eating one of their epic pastries is something every visitor to Brisbane should do too). Instead, head to New Farm Confectionery for some salted caramel lollipops, chocolate raspberry bark, passionfruit sherbet and more. [caption id="attachment_587796" align="alignnone" width="1280"] New Farm Confectionary. Image: @nfconfectionary via Instagram.[/caption] So, you've feasted, shopped and had something sugary; now it's time for dinner in a heritage-listed building that once housed a medicine dispensary. Yes, really. The food menu at The Apo is a rotating affair, but we're sure one of the seasonal dishes on offer (such as Lebanese tacos with spiced goat and frozen Arabic coffee dessert martinis at the time of writing) will take your fancy. You'll want to grab an Apo Old Fashioned while you're eating, but save some room for a nightcap at Barbara around the corner. They're known for their cocktails and for being a classy late-night hangout everyday of the week – that's how you should bring an ace two days in Brisbane to a perfect end. [caption id="attachment_588386" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Apo. Image: @theapo_ via Instagram.[/caption] Pullman Hotels make a great base to explore Brisbane for a weekend.
Now that the Olympics are over and done with, the real sporting contests can begin. Next week, more than 300 competitors will descend upon a small, abandoned town in Italy. Their purpose? To decide beyond all doubt the greatest hide-and-seek player in the world. The epic contest will take place on September 3-4 in Consonno at the foot of the Alps. Once known as the 'Land of Toys', the village is home to an old amusement park, but was abandoned after a landslide in the mid-'70s cut off the only access road. If you can think of a better place for a massive game of hide-and-seek, we'd certainly like to hear it. This year will see 64 five-person teams complete for gold and glory. One of the members of last year's winning team told Quartz that the two-day tournament was "pretty competitive", and that "each team had their tactics." Just don't expect his team to share theirs, because "obviously we will never disclose them." Sounds like a wise move, especially since a Japanese university professor began lobbying the Olympic committee to include hide-and-seek at the Tokyo Games in 2020. Although to be honest, as Olympic sports go, this probably wouldn't make for particularly good TV viewing. Image: Marcello Brivio.
Suffice it to say, it's been an exciting few days in the world of Australian politics. And by exciting, we mean depressingly familiar. Although the recent Liberal Party leadership spill did manage to spark some truly excellent memes, its primary function seems to have been to drive home just how shambolic things in Canberra have become. It's also a flat-out terrible turn of events for the federal Opposition, who you have to imagine will have a harder time taking back the leadership from a prime minster whose foot isn't permanently lodged in his own mouth. The good news is that Labor does appear to have finally cottoned on to the fact that in order win to the vote, you do need to occasionally take a position. As such, opposition MP and Shadow Minister for the Arts Mark Dreyfus has publicly pledged that, if elected, Labor will reverse the current government's $105 million worth of cuts to the Australia Council for the Arts. Speaking to The Australian last week, Dreyfus said that the raid on the Australia Council's funding, overseen by Federal Arts Minister George Brandis, was "a disaster for the arts" — an opinion that he shares with large swathes of the nation's artistic community, who have been protesting the cuts since they were announced back in May. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance today released a statement describing Labor's decision as "good news" and have promised to continue their campaigning in the lead-up to the next election. That being said, Brandis may have more pressing concerns than a potential Labor challenge in 2016. According to The Daily Review, a number of artists and arts groups are planning to gather outside Malcolm Turnbull's Sydney electorate office at 2pm today, where they will petition the shiny new PM to sack his much-maligned Arts Minister and take over the portfolio himself. "We think Malcolm Turnbull would make a terrific arts minister," executive director of the National Association for the Visual Arts Tamara Winikoff told TDR. "If the PM actually took on the arts portfolio, in one fell swoop this action could profoundly change the way Australians value the arts and culture." If nothing else, it really can't feel good to be George Brandis right now. It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for him. Almost.
When news broke last month that Dominos had invented a $30,000 delivery robot, we thought we'd reached the apex of pizza-related technology. Turns out we couldn't have been more wrong. In a development that threatens to shatter the very fabric of existence, a pizzeria in Williamsburg, Brooklyn has invented...a pizza box. No, not a pizza box. A pizza box. A pizza box. Made from pizza. Behold. Introducing The PIZZA BOX PIZZA! A pizza box made entirely out of pizza! No waste, 100% pizza and 100% delicious. pic.twitter.com/2KxxndlK4Z — Vinnie's Pizzeria (@vinniesbrooklyn) April 27, 2016 Rendering all other modes of food transport and storage obsolete, this glorious edible container is the brainchild of Vinnie's Pizzeria owner Sean Berthiaume, who might actually be Thomas Edison reincarnated as a guy who really, really likes pizza. Having previously caught our attention after photos of his pizza with pizza topping went viral online, Berthiaume came up with this new creation while trying to think of ways to reduce waste. "I thought 'what if you can make something that you can eat every part of,'" he told NBC 4 New York. The pizzeria is still working out the finer points of delivery – for the time being, anyone who orders one will have it delivered to them wrapped in foil. A pizza delivered in a pizza box will run New Yorkers up a bill of around $40. Unfortunately we suspect that even if they did deliver internationally, both the box and its contents might go a bit stale in the time it takes to get to Australia. Via NBC. Header image via Dollar Photo Club.
What would you do if you were a little less freaked out by consequences? Would you talk to more new people, fear a bit less, dance a little more like FKA Twigs, quit your desk job and dedicate yourself to the hobby or interest you've always wanted to turn into a career? Some sparkling young Australians are already flinging their inhibitions into a ziplock bag and seizing this little ol' life with both hands. Concrete Playground has teamed up with the Jameson crew to give you a sneak peek into the lives of bold characters who took a big chance on themselves. They've gone out on a limb and rewritten their path, encapsulating 'Sine Metu', the Jameson family motto which translates to 'without fear' — getting outside your comfort zone and trying something new. After all, we only get one shot at this. Take notes. Every kid fills their schoolbooks with sketches, but few actually consider turning their doodling into a career. In fact, Sydney-based illustrator Barry Patenaude certainly didn't think that his squiggles and scribbles could take him into the hectic freelance world of illustrating for big brands — even Concrete Playground (thanks Barry) — let alone illustrating his highly popular series Beers in the Sun. Instead, he followed the same path most of us do, progressing from high school to university, studying architecture and drafting, and then getting an office job. But sometimes, our true passions just can't be ignored; in fact, that's what embracing the 'Sine Metu' mindset is all about. WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU TOILETS TO DRAW, DRAW THEM WELL There's a reason most job choices — the ones that stem from a couple of years at uni, then lead to the 9-to-5 grind — are considered sensible choices. They're the kind of careers that provide security, as well as a clear plan for the future. If you'd met Barry when he was a child, he wouldn't have mentioned being an illustrator. "I did draw a lot," he says. "I did art at school, but I never really thought illustration could be a career path." There's such a thing as being too sensible, however — and if you ever find yourself using your artistic talents to sketch toilets, you might just come to this realisation. After pursuing all the practical options, Barry worked in an architecture office, designing buildings and delving into the ever-fascinating task of drawing toilets. That he found it a bit monotonous is stating the obvious. But, breaking away from the path you're already on is easier said than done, of course. And sometimes you need to experience all the boring stuff to shatter that mindset and discover what you really want to do. As Barry explains, "I finished school and was like, 'So the path is: you study, you get a job and then you work.' That's the mindset I had for ages, but over time it just didn't appeal to me. I didn't want to be an office jockey." SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO SKIP TOWN FOR AN INTERNSHIP Like many big life decisions, it was a change of scene — and a change of city — that helped alter Barry's perceptions about just what his chosen profession should be. He had spent a few years travelling overseas and enjoying working holidays, but it was the move from Brisbane to Sydney that proved the true catalyst, or at least got the ball rolling. Not that that's actually what he was thinking about when he headed interstate with his girlfriend so that she could secure an internship. Sometimes, though, you just have to go where the moment takes you. As Barry started calling New South Wales home, "that's when I started drawing a lot more in my spare time," he advises, "and it was something I didn't realise that I had missed until I started doing it again". Illustrating became the thing he did on the side for a few years, leading to an art show in 2011, as well as paid freelance opportunities. Then, three years ago, his regular job switched from full to part time. It's the kind of news most employees dread, but he took it as an opportunity and royally bit the bullet. "I wouldn't have thought that I'd be in this position six years ago when I moved here, but it has worked out for the best I think," he says. "Like a lot of people, I was questioning what I was doing with my life. Now, I do have a path and I like where it is going, and it is definitely better than drawing toilets." ILLUSTRATE, INSTAGRAM, THEN LET THE BUSINESS COME TO YOU Today, Barry's decision to give illustrating a proper go might seem-like a no-brainer, but trying to make a living doing what you love is tricky, particularly when that involves a creative field, cultivating a gig-based resume, and never knowing what's going to come next. While his artwork is now featured on everything from bar walls to websites, getting to this stage wasn't an easy — or quick — process. Starting with a safety net — his part-time drafting job — certainly helped. So did just going for it; as Barry puts it, "you don't really have anything to lose. I mean, apart from your finances." He doesn't shy away from just how tough making his mark has been, but he also recognises the importance of self-belief and perseverance. "The first year was super hard. I was so poor. I just kept at it, and that's what I'm doing now — keeping at it. But it's definitely an evolution and a slow process. You've just got to have patience, and believe in your work, and let people realise that it's good." Take the project he has probably become best known for, Beers in the Sun. It actually started as a hobby and a way to unwind — and the fact that it combined two of his biggest passions certainly made it plenty of fun. It seems that people quite like pictures of their favourite beverages, with a flock of Instagram followers leading to media attention, more interest in his illustrations, gigs with booze brands, and yes, a few free brews to drink as well. When it comes to what will help kick your career into gear, "you just never know," says Barry. Want to experience a little bit of 'Sine Metu' yourself? Thanks to Jameson and The Rewriters, one extremely fortunate Concrete Playground reader (and their even more fortunate mate) will get the chance to 'fear less' and go on a big ol' adventure to Ireland. In addition to two return flights departing from your choice of Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this epic giveaway comes with five night's accommodation and $500 spending money you can use to paint the Emerald Isle red. ENTER HERE. For more about how 'Sine Metu' influenced John Jameson's journey visit Jameson's website. Images: Andy Fraser.
Get the bacon and whisky ready, and start making your own canoe — Nick Offerman is coming to Australia in mid-2019. After last venturing to our shores in 2016, the Parks and Recreation star is headed back for with his all new All Rise show. Yes, Ron effing Swanson will be in the country again from June 2–21. All Rise sees Offerman do what he does best, other than star in beloved sitcoms and whip up items in his woodshop. Here, here'll be comedically contemplating life in a show that's described as "an evening of deliberative talking and light dance". If you've just started thinking about drunk Ron Swanson letting loose, that's understandable; however expect plenty of witty, reflective chatter as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrLZgP-OR6s It's been a big few years for the actor and comedian, with Offerman popping up in everything from Fargo, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Curb Your Enthusiasm to The Founder, Hearts Beat Loud and the forthcoming The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part since Parks and Rec ended. If you're a dedicated fan of not only Offerman, but his wife Megan Mullally, you might've noticed that his tour of Australia coincides with hers. With her band Nancy and Beth, Mullally is hitting up a spate of venues across the country between June 6–19, typically within days of Offerman's stops in each city. ALL RISE DATES June 2 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide June 5 — Crown Theatre, Perth June 8 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne June 12 — Canberra Theatre, Canberra June 14 — Wrest Point Casino, Hobart June 18 — State Theatre, Sydney June 21 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane Tickets go on sale at 2pm on Thursday, February 7, via Live Nation.
Sun, surf and sand aren't the only things the beach has to offer. If you're Courtney Norris, founder of new Newstead co-working hub The Cove, it might also inspire a new business idea. Running past the Sunshine Coast's Little Cove while training for a half-marathon, the word and its meaning stuck in her head. As did the drive to create a hub for Brisbane entrepreneurs and small businesses. The Cove's seaside inspiration doesn't mean working in beach-like surroundings (sorry), but members will find a relaxed space designed to foster collaboration and creativity. And while that might all sound like a standard co-work space spiel — it comes with the usual inclusions like collective and dedicated desks, offices, break-out areas and a communal kitchen — it also has a few ace additions sparked by Norris's time touring similar sites in Europe and Asia. As well as an event space hosting cocktail functions and masterclasses, The Cove boasts its own curated mentoring program, holds wellness sessions, offers a business concierge and provides access to an electric BMW i3 vehicle. Since opening its doors in September, it has formed partnerships with Institute of Modern Art and The Design Conference, held rooftop public exercise classes at Eleven Rooftop Bar and started planning an entrepreneurship retreat for this coming September/October. Norris says the aim is "to create a work environment that is welcoming, warm and modern — taking inspiration from a well-executed boutique hotel or private members club, where every detail has been thought through from the best in high-end finishes, custom-designed furniture, high speed wifi throughout, custom lighting and excellent customer service." The Cove also features a coastal-inspired aesthetic, created by Norris and Brisbane's Collectivus interior team with assistance from local and national designers. Membership options include premium office suites, collaborative desks for teams and dedicated desks in an open-plan environment. Find The Cove at 59 Doggett Street, Newstead. For further details, head to covecowork.com.au/cove.
In concurrence with the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, The National Gallery of Australia, in partnership with Wesfarmers Arts, is hosting its 3rd National Indigenous Art Triennial. This major exhibition, titled Defying Empire, will run from May 26 through September 10 and brings together both established and emerging Indigenous artists from across Australia in a showcase that focuses on themes of identity, racism, displacement and country. Among the 30 participating artists are Brenda L. Croft, whose art looks at themes of home, Fiona Foley, who focuses on race relations, Tony Albert, who examines war and its aftermath and Brook Andrew, who explores themes of ancestry. Other artists delve into heavy issues of nuclear testing, sovereignty and the stolen generations, using a mix of media from canvas painting, video and photography to weaving, sculpture, metalwork and glasswork. The exhibition reinforces the significance of Indigenous art in Australia's cultural identity and the ongoing struggle for equality. Image: Daniel Boyd by Nikki To, Megan Cope by Pat Scala/Fairfax Media.
Can you feel a tingling in your toes as your feet start to defrost? That’s the feeling of winter slipping away (or maybe you’ve been sitting cross-legged for too long) and with its demise comes the return of the 20th season of Australia's beloved Moonlight Cinema. Ahhh balmy nights on the grass, we have missed you. Heralding the coming of the warmer months, Moonlight Cinema is a summertime tradition and they always nail the balance between new releases and cult classics. While the film program is yet to be announced, the team have revealed they're bringing back one of their favourite, adorably novelty events. Moonlight Cinema fully understand that while your pooch may not be able to recite Mean Girls the way you want him to, you still want to bring him to the flicks with you. Now you can! The puntastically-named Doggie Nights is a night you can bring pooch along (ideally dressed as Regina George). Nosh-wise, Moonlight Cinema will again let you BYO movie snacks and drinks, but the unorganised can also chow down on a plethora of US style food trucks — the perfect, messy treat made for reclining on bean beds. Bean beds, doggies and snack trucks, is there anything better? This season includes screens in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, running through December to March. Get your pens out and jot down these dates. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2016 DATES: Sydney: Dec 3 – Mar 27 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park). Adelaide: Dec 3 – Feb 14 (Botanic Park) Brisbane: Dec 16 – Mar 6 (New Farm Park at Brisbane Powerhouse) Melbourne: Dec 3 –Mar 27 (Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens) Perth: Dec 5 – Mar 27 (Kings Park and Botanic Garden) The Moonlight Cinema kicks off on December 3. For more information and bookings here.
You may have heard that Chinese artist and political commentator Ai Weiwei's work will be hitting Australia for the huge blockbuster summer exhibition Andy Warhol Ai Weiwei at the National Gallery of Victoria in December. But in a bizarre twist, the artist's work and freedom of speech is being threatened by none other than Lego, the Danish toy company that has brought delight to kids dads everywhere for generations. In a move that shocks nobody who’s ever stood barefoot on a tiny plastic brick, Lego have revealed themselves to be pretty damned villainous. Weiwei announced via Instagram on Saturday that Lego refused his studio’s order for bulk bricks on the grounds that Lego “cannot approve the use of Legos for political works”. The order was going to be used to build a room-sized installation of portraits of Australian activists who fight for human rights and free speech. Weiwei sardonically adds that Britain is opening a Legoland in Shanghai as a direct result of the special political relationship between the UK and China, which most definitely falls under the category of 'political works'. In September Lego refused Ai Weiwei Studio's request for a bulk order of Legos to create artwork to be shown at the National Gallery of Victoria as "they cannot approve the use of Legos for political works." On Oct 21, a British firm formally announced that it will open a new Legoland in Shanghai as one of the many deals of the U.K.-China "Golden Era." A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 23, 2015 at 6:04am PDT As expected, the resultant internet furore has been A+. One plucky Twitter user @dgatterdam astutely reused an Ai Weiwei quote “Everything is art. Everything is politics.” to generate debate while others proceeded to give in to their baser instincts and gave the (in some cases literal) middle finger to Lego. @aiww Uh oh, no one tell @LEGO_Group I used my Legos to make a political statement! #legosforweiwei pic.twitter.com/euOyW86xrP — Mila Johns (@milaficent) October 25, 2015 Both approaches worked in spreading the word however and it wasn’t long before the good people of the internet were offering up their own Legos for Weiwei's use instead. Weiwei made a statement yesterday that his studio will be collecting donated Lego in different cities to create the exhibition anyway (suck it, Lego, may you walk on a sea of thousands of your jagged blocks for eternity). He also said that he would be changing his exhibition piece to reflect the events and defend (more fervently) the tenants of free speech. In September 2015 Lego refused to sell Ai Weiwei Studio a bulk order of Lego bricks for Ai's artworks to be exhibited at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne on the basis of the works' "political" nature. Ai posted this notice on his Instagram on Friday, October 23rd. Lego's position triggered a torrent of outrage on social media against this assault on creativity and freedom of expression. Numerous supporters offered to donate Lego to Ai. In response to Lego's refusal and the overwhelming public response, Ai Weiwei has now decided to make a new work to defend freedom of speech and "political art". Ai Weiwei Studio will announce the project description and Lego collection points in different cities. This is the first phase of the coming projects. A photo posted by Ai Weiwei (@aiww) on Oct 25, 2015 at 10:37am PDT So how can you stick it to Lego and send your own blocks to the cause? We expect the Weiwei studio to announce collection points in the coming weeks and we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, follow Weiwei's tweets, check the studio website and collect up all your old Lego pieces because soon enough they’ll be going down in history. Via New York Times/NPR. UPDATE OCTOBER 28, 2015: National Gallery of Victoria has been announced as the first international Lego collection point for the Ai Weiwei project. The artist today confirmed that the NGV will become the first Lego collection spot outside of Beijing. From Thursday, October 29, a car will be placed in the NGV sculpture garden in Melbourne as a repository for the Lego blocks. Donors are encouraged to bring in their Lego blocks and drop them through the sunroof of the vehicle.
After a successful 2013 collaboration between Dion Lee and angel-voiced Sarah Blasko on the killer show De Novo, the Sydney Dance Company is once again bringing to the stage a fusion of music, choreography and high fashion. This year the talent comes from costume designer Toni Maticevski and soprano Katie Noonan, who will weave their magic around a trio of dances by Rafael Bonachela, appropriately titled Triptych. Maticevski is better known for his red-carpet gowns than anything, but he’s turned his considerable talent towards interpreting the mood and music of the three pieces of choreography, and his designs range from pale nude chiffon twists for Simple Symphony to black and mesh for the “darker, sexier and more suggestive” mood in Les Illuminations. Rafael’s world premiere work, Variation 10, will feature the entire ensemble of the Sydney Dance Company swathed in shades of grey and silver, sheer ruffles, frayed edges and outlined cut-outs. Maticevski describes the look as “distressed ballerina”. It’s not the first time Maticevski has collaborated with the Sydney Dance Company. He crafted the costumes for the premiere 2013 season of Les Illuminations, which has been reimagined for the 2015 season. The images above are some sneaky shots of the as-yet-unfinished products in action. Triptych plays at the Roslyn Packer Theatre from September 25 – October 10. Book tickets via the Roslyn Packer Theatre website.
Fans of Marcel Duchamp are in for a serious treat, with the Art Gallery of New South Wales named as the sole Australian stop for a huge exhibition celebrating the acclaimed artist's life and work. Kicking off in Tokyo on October 2, to mark the 50th anniversary of the artist's death, it's set to be the most comprehensive Duchamp exhibition to ever hit the Asia-Pacific region. The Essential Duchamp will open in Sydney in April 2019, showcasing an impressive 150 works and related documentary materials from throughout the art legend's 60-year career. It'll offer a rare glimpse at Duchamp's seriously fascinating life and a body of work that's considered one of the 20th century's most artistically influential. Some pieces, like Chocolate Grinder (No 2) from 1914 and 1910's Portrait of Dr. Dumouchel, have never before been seen in this part of the world. The exhibition's on loan from, and organised by the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which boasts the definitive collection of Duchamp artwork. Director Dr Michael Brand said the Art Gallery of NSW's excited to be part of this important collaboration. "The Philadelphia Museum of Art is an encyclopedic museum of the highest order with a grand tradition of both research and innovative exhibitions," he explained. "The Gallery is delighted to introduce to Australian audiences for the first time, the full creative accomplishment of this maverick artist who changed the way we look at art." The Essential Duchamp will be on show at the Art Gallery of NSW from April 2019 to August 2019. For more info, visit the AGNSW website. Image: Gary Stevens via Wikimedia Commons.
Returning to the Tyagarah Tea Farm over the Easter long weekend, Bluesfest is set to gumboot-stomp its well-worn spot in the Australian festival game as one of the tightest productions on the calendar. This year's lineup has generated more buzz than usual, landing one of the most awaited Australian returns of the last year — Kendrick Lamar. Alongside the multi-Grammy-winning artist and The Blacker the Berry maestro comes Bluesfest's usual, eclectic, heavily star-studded lineup. 'The Voice' is coming. Not the Delta kind, the only kind. Living legend and eternal 'Sexbomb' Tom Jones sits at the top of the bill, alongside The National, D'Angelo, Modest Mouse, City and Colour, Eagles Of Death Metal, UB40, Haitus Kaiyote, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and more. Things are going to get real Byron when The Wailers perform all four of Bob Marley's albums Exodus, Survival, Uprising and Legend in their entirety. Memories will be flooding (along with Bluesfest, if it rains again) with the appearance of Jackson Browne, alongside the The Decemberists. Returning Bluesfester Steve Earle is back with The Dukes, and we'll be front and centre for The 'Original' Blues Brothers Band. Add to this some of the best festival food in the game? You've got yourself a humdinger of a muddy, muddy weekend. BLUESFEST 2016 LINEUP: In alphabetical order... Allen Stone Archie Roach Ash Grunwald Backsliders Blackberry Smoke Blind Boy Paxton Chain City And Colour Cold War Kids Con Brio Digging Roots Dustin Thomas D'Angelo And The Vanguard Eagles Of Death Metal East Journey Elle King Emdee Emma Donovan & The Putbacks Eugene Hideaway Bridges Fantastic Negrito Frazey Ford Grace Potter Graham Nash Harts Hiatus Kaiyote Houndmouth Hussy Hicks Irish Mythen Janiva Magness Jason Isbell Jeff Martin (The Tea Party) Joe Bonamassa – Bluesfest exclusive Kaleo Kamasi Washington Kendrick Lamar Kim Churchill Lord Huron Lucky Peterson Lukas Nelson & The Promise Of The Real Marshall Okell Melissa Etheridge Mike Love Modest Mouse Mojo Juju Nahko and Medicine For The People Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Pierce Brothers Playing For Change Band Raw Earth. Rhiannon Giddens Richard Clapton Russell Morris Sahara Beck Shakey Graves Songhoy Blues St. Paul & The Broken Bones Steve Earle and The Dukes Steve Smyth Sturgill Simpson Tedeschi Trucks Band Tex Perkins & The Ape The Blind Boys Of Alabama The Bros. Landreth The Cat Empire The Decemberists The Mastersons The Mick Fleetwood Band The National – Bluesfest exclusive The Selecter The Wailers The Word The "Original" Blues Brothers Band Tom Jones Tweedy UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell, Astro & Mickey Virtue – Bluesfest exclusive Vintage Trouble Wards Xpress + more Bluesfest runs Thursday, March 24 – Monday, March 28 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. Tickets from Byron Bay Bluesfest. Image: Andy Fraser.
It's time to make the pilgrimage to the Supernatural Amphitheatre once again, Golden Plains has opened the ballot for 2017. Taking place over a long weekend under a full moon, Meredith's other beloved festival returns for March 11-13, 2017. And they've announced on heck of a legend to top the bill: Neil Finn. As always, the lineup will appear on one stage in the Supernatural Amphitheatre, fronted by one of history's greatest songwriters. Crowded House legend Neil Finn will play a special career-spanning set under the full moon. It's been seven years since Finn played The Sup', so this should be pretty special. The full lineup will drop soon. Meanwhile, Golden Plains is set to be the same festival you know and love — no dickheads, no need to hide your goon sacks, no commercial sponsors — but with a new sound system, new campaground, new foods and kids under 12 can attend the festival free. The ballot for GPXI is open now until 10pm on Monday, October 17. Visit www.goldenplains.com.au for details.
Packing well for holidays is one of the vastly underrated artforms of our time. Knowing exactly what to bring and what to spend your dimes on before the actual trip takes a long-practiced, realistic ability to predict the weather, activities and highly Instagrammable moments of your future vacation. But not everyone's got the coin to drop on exxy designer threads before they land. So we've taken it upon ourselves to pack your suitcase with affordable goods, whether you're headed for a riotous camping adventure to your chosen annual music festival, hitting art galleries and destination restaurants on a cultural endeavour, or opting for the classic ol' beach holiday. Best bit? It's all from the one place — ASOS. And because they know some of the world's most keen travellers are penny-pinching students, they're offering a 20 percent discount just for students from Wednesday, February 23. THE MUSIC FESTIVAL CAMPING WEEKEND You've loaded up your rental (or pa-rental) car with tents, tarps and tinnies. You've pored over the festival timetable and listened up to the lineup. You're in full-on camping festival mode, and the trick here is to pack light, but pack smart. You've got to toe the line between statement pieces and everyday essentials — you'll need both for this adventure. Word to the wise? Leave the exxy cocktail dresses and dress shirts at home, but remember to bring pieces that make you happy; you'll be in them all day in the hot sun, pouring rain and occasional mud-slips. And bring more undies than you think you'll need. WOMENS ESSENTIALS Reclaimed Vintage Pull Over Hooded Festival Jacket $95 Cheap Monday Denim Short Dungarees $99 Pimkie Wellie Boot $34 MENS ESSENTIALS Nike Court T-Shirt 739479-100 $51 ASOS Check Shirt in Viscose With Long Sleeves $53 ASOS 5 Panel Cap In Black Canvas With Contrast Patch $26 THE ARTY CULTURE ADVENTURE Whether you're scooting between galleries, tasting All The Wine or sauntering through some serious shopping districts, culture adventures can be the trickiest for packing light. You'll want to bring every last pair of kickass shoes in your closet. You'll have plans to debut every new outfit you've recently impulse bought. But here's the thing, you're carrying your wardrobe with you. So choose a couple of pieces you can wear day-to-night and one pair of all-purpose, super fly shoes. That way you can throw more dosh on new pieces on your holiday shopping sprees. WOMENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Oversize T-Shirt Dress With Curved Hem $47 Glamorous Bell Sleeve Smock Dress With Festival Embroidery $51 ASOS OTTAWA Heels $74 MENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Super Longline Long Sleeve T-Shirt With Hooded Drape Neck $38 Reclaimed Vintage Drapey Duster Jacket $138 River Island Chukka Boots In Brown Faux Leather $95 THE CLASSIC BEACH HOLIDAY Towel, sunnies, bathers, sunscreen, book, beer. So begins the checklist for the age old beach holiday, the classic retreat for city slickers. This vacation's the easiest to pack light for, but that doesn't mean you have scrimp on style. Invest in a few new beachy staples and you'll be staging your own magazine shoots on your next ocean-bound road trip. Just remember to slip, slop, slap, wrap etc. WOMENS ESSENTIALS South Beach Mix and Match Wrap Cut Out Bikini Top $30 ASOS Stripe Rope Belted Beach Shirt Dress $60 ASOS Strappy Maxi Dress $38 MENS ESSENTIALS ASOS Mid Length Swim Shorts With Turtle Print $38 Base London Tiberius Leather Sandals $74 River Island Round Sunglasses In Silver $43
“People are realising that they’ve become pretty disconnected from their food — where it comes from, who grows it and what goes into it,” says Indira Naidoo. “And that’s why a lot of people are growing their own. They’re learning to grow organically, without pesticides, and discovering the taste is so much better because the food is grown fresh and picked as you need it, without storage or refrigeration or transportation.” Since transforming her inner-city balcony into a fresh feast, Indira has been promoting Australia's urban farming revolution. In her new book, The Edible City, she visits some of the nation’s most productive community gardens, including a rooftop retreat for Sydney's homeless, a bush-tucker patch connecting Indigenous school students with their heritage and a worm farm helping a Melbourne restaurant to reduce food waste. In the process, Indira gives readers inspiration and tips for starting their own projects, as well as 40 urban garden recipes. The Edible City follows her popular growers guide for beginners, The Edible Balcony. “More and more, our cities are becoming about concrete and steel,” she says. “There aren’t too many green spaces around. So starting a community garden is a beautiful way to connect with nature. And it’s also a place where you can make social connections. With iPhones, and travelling in cars, we are really isolated from our communities and disconnected from our neighbours. But gardens allow us to work towards something together.” Indira shared with us five of her top tips for starting an urban garden — be it your own project or a community venture. YOU’VE GOT TO LEARN HOW TO POT BEFORE YOU LEARN HOW TO FARM “I think the first mistake that new gardeners make is that they can get a bit too enthusiastic. They go to their garden centre or hardware store and pick up lots and lots of seedlings and things – tomatoes and capsicums and chillis – and head back and plant a lot of stuff. And it gets overwhelming and a bit out of control. So, I recommend starting small. “Start with some woody herbs, like oregano, rosemary and thyme. They’re hardy. They don’t need as much water and they can take higher heat or higher cold. Then move onto soft-leafed, green herbs, like basil and parsley, and then lettuce. After that, try tomatoes and fruit, and then root vegetables.” FIND THE RIGHT SPACE — AND SIZE DOESN’T MATTER “The key thing is to find the right space to grow in. Make sure that it gets at least six to seven hours of sunlight per day. Vegetables love sunlight. You need a water source as well, whether that’s a watering can or hose. “If you don’t have much space, grow in pots and choose plants that you eat a lot of. I eat plenty of salads and greens and herbs. So, on my window sill, I have one long, thin, pot that fits nicely, and sits on a little tray, so it catches the water. I put all my lettuces in and just give them a bit of water every morning. It’s so easy. I pick the outer leaves and the plant keeps growing, so one can last me three or four months. It’s perfect. If you have more space, for a bigger pot on the ground, put in a tomato seedling – a cherry variety. They’re fun and delicious. Nothing tastes better than a home-grown tomato.” ONLY GROW WHAT YOU HAVE TIME FOR – AND STAY REGULAR “Think about how much time you have. I set aside about ten minutes a day for my plants. I’ve got about thirty pots and they keep me busy enough. Don’t put in too many if you don’t have much time. “Once you start planting, make sure you do things systematically. A garden needs regular attention. You can’t just look after things on a Wednesday and then ignore them for two weeks. You don’t need a lot of time, but you do have to be noticing changes daily or every second day, doing some watering, doing some weeding and checking for bugs or pests. It’s about putting in a little care over a period of time.” PROMOTE PLANT HEALTH TO KEEP THE BUGS AT BAY “Plants are just like humans. When you get run down, that’s when you get sick. So, if you keep your plants healthy – if you feed them well, make sure they’re in nutritious soil, fertilise them every two weeks – they’re less likely to get a bug problem. “I like using organic sprays, like Neem. They don’t harm the environment, so you still have good bugs in your pots, but they do put off an odour that moths and butterflies don’t like, so they don’t lay their eggs. And I also do a lot of companion planting. Bugs don’t like the smell of marigolds, so I put them around my basil. Sage and rosemary are good like that, too. “But you can always get bug problems, even if you’re the best gardener in the world. Insects are amazing colonisers and they find a way to get into everything. So, don’t get too despondent. I just say to myself, ‘Oh well I’m giving food to other creatures on the planet.’” GET THE TIMING RIGHT “As I explain in [Edible Balcony and Edible City], most vegetables are season-sensitive, so there’s only a few you could plant all through the year without any problem. It’s important to look at the seed packet or the little label on the seedling. “The beginning of spring is a really good time for planting across most of Australia. It’s perfect for greens, tomatoes, capsicum, chilli, eggplant ... You can put your seeds or seedlings directly into your beds or pots. I’ve a got a sunny windowsill, where I have a seed-growing tray, with a seed-growing mix which is lighter and sandier than normal potting mix. So I just pop in a few seeds and wait for them to germinate.” Tour Europe's urban gardens with Indira Naidoo in 2016 In 2016, Indira will travel to Europe to visit urban gardens in four cities – London, Amsterdam, Vienna and Berlin. And you’re invited. “It’s a way to show people that there are cities (unlike in Australia, sadly), where urban growing is taken very seriously. As the UN says, 20 percent of our food now comes from urban farms around the world, and there are lots of spaces we don’t think of that work – like underground tunnels for growing mushrooms and aquaponics systems. It’s just extraordinary, all the ways that we can grow food in cities, close to where we live.” Indira's book, The Edible City, is out now through Penguin Books.
One of the first recorded reports of the Negroni came from Orson Welles in 1947. While working in Rome, he wrote, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." Sixty years later, bartenders and home cocktail enthusiasts are still perfecting the Negroni. And after so long, people get confident. And creative. And they make ridiculous things that we want to inhale with vacuum force. Here are five awesome takes on the Negroni, most of which aren't actually Negronis but have all the right ingredients — gin, Campari and vermouth. Bottoms up. THE GRUMPY NEGRONI Sydney's Grumpy Donuts are getting in on the Negroni Week action, with a special edition doughnut version. 'The Grumpy Negroni' is covered in a freshly squeezed orange and gin glaze, and filled with a Campari spiked creme patissiere. This doughnut creation will be available via the Hey You app on Wednesday, June 8. Orders will open at 10am. The doughnuts will be available in boxes of four, for $20 including delivery within the CBD only — World Square to Circular Quay, including Barangaroo, while stocks last. Grumpy Donuts will be donating $2 per doughnut (or $8 per box) to the Sydney Dogs and Cats Home, the only not-for-profit pound in Sydney. Legends. NEGRONI BREWNUT Sydney's Brewtown Newtown is getting in the spirit of Negroni Week this year with their own Negroni Brewnut. This croissant-doughnut hybrid comes coated in a blood orange sugar, topped with a lightly bitter Negroni cream, and finished with blood orange meringue, Campari gelée (gel) and dehydrated citrus. It'll be available to smoosh into your face for $6 for the length of Negroni Week exclusively at Brewtown. [caption id="attachment_573609" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Butter & Scotch.[/caption] NEGRONI PIE You can have your Negroni and eat it too with this adorable dessert version of the cocktail. Brooklyn bakery Butter & Scotch has created the ultimate boozy after-dinner adventure. According to B&S, the pie has "bittersweet custard infused with orange zest and a hefty pour of botanical gin, sweet vermouth, and Campari liqueur, all cradled inside a flaky all-butter crust. Top with a dollop of whipped cream for an unusual, delicious, and boozy treat!" [caption id="attachment_573607" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pear & Ash.[/caption] NEGRONI ICE CREAM SANDWICH New York City's Pearl & Ash has taken our cocktail hero next-level. Chef Richard Kuo is the brains behind this Negroni-inspired ice cream sandwich, a boozy confection involving Campari-infused ice cream, gin and semi-sweet vermouth rosso, smooshed between thin pieces of orange-vanilla cake. [caption id="attachment_572288" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Hawthorn Lounge.[/caption] CHOCOLATE NEGRONI Wellington's Hawthorn Lounge shakes things up, Negroni-wise. Snuggle into a Chesterfield lounge by the fireplace at this cosy little '30s-style speakeasy, and roll the dice on a special edition experiment. Bar wizard Jamie has created a fresh and chocolatey take on the Negroni, with Aperol and Ramazotti taking the place of Campari. It'll set you back $18 and a cheeky airfare. [caption id="attachment_573613" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Craftsman and Wolves.[/caption] NEGRONI MARSHMELLOWS Another way to eat your Negroni! Weeeee! San Fransisco's Craftsman and Wolves is a contemporary patisserie making 'seasonal marshmellows' — and they've done a Negroni version for past Negroni Weeks. Adorable little striped layers of fluffy, sugary handmade glory. Not easily shared. [caption id="attachment_573616" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Humphry Slocombe.[/caption] NEGRONI ICE BLOCKS Freezing your favourite cocktail is the best way to turn your regular dessert cocktail into an actual dessert, which you can pair with an actual cocktail. San Francisco ice cream parlour Humphry Slocombe made these awesome little Negroni Ice Pops for Negroni Week last year. Consider these perpetually in our freezer next summer. Want an actual Negroni? Negroni Week 2016 runs from June 6 – 12. Check out our list of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane's best.
The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through raw visual journalism and storytelling. The organisation was founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their work to an international audience. Since then the contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition and global travelling exhibition. The 61st edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition will touch down in Brisbane next month and will be on display at the Powerhouse from June 30 until July 22. The winners from this year's contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 73,000 photographs by 4548 photographers from 125 countries. The one that took top honours for 2018 is Ronaldo Schemidt's frightening image of José Víctor Salazar Balza who was set alight at a protest in Caracas, Venezuela when the gas tank of a motorbike exploded. This will be on display alongside other finalists, including Adam Ferguson's portrait of a 14-year-old Boko Haram suicide bomber and Patrick Brown's devastating shot of Rohingya refugees after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized. Further categories on show will include contemporary issues, environment, general news, long-term projects, nature, people, sports and spot news. Image: 'Venezuela Crisis' by Ronaldo Schemidt (cropped).
Clare Valley, only a few hours drive from Adelaide, is the gourmet food bowl of Australia. The regions brown, loamy soil produces world-famous drops of Shiraz and even more famous drops of Riesling, not to mention their bonkers local produce. During Gourmet Weekend, Clare Valley comes alive with hundreds of events at local cellar doors, wineries and restaurants that run the gamut from five course sit-downs to Mexican food truck parties with live music. The region has accommodation to suits all budgets, from a family friendly caravan park to kitted out cabins for groups who want to party on a winery all weekend.
Been hankering for one of Pizza Emporium's four-cheese slices since their Stafford store closed its doors in May? So have we. Thankfully, those cravings will soon fulfilled, but in a different suburb. Yep, you'd better start heading to West End to get your pizza fix. Opening in the Glass Factory on Vulture Street on September 9, the new Pizza Emporium will feature all the topping combinations regulars know and love, just in a new setting. And if you're not already acquainted with the former northside mainstay, perusing a few items from their West End menu should get your stomach grumbling. A pesto and goat's cheese starter pizza, Aussie concoction with bacon and egg, prosciutto and fig combo (depending on the season) or 'prawn fiesta' offering, anyone? The new eatery will also boast a liquor license, which means pairing your pizza with a cheeky beverage will now be an option — as well as the perfect way to celebrate having a slice in the store's fresh digs. And if you were wondering what had happened to their previously announced Ashgrove shop, which was rumoured to open in June, here's your answer. A new Pizza Emporium is good news, regardless of where it's located. Find Pizza Emporium at The Glass Factory, 1/57 Vulture Street, West End from September 9. For more information, visit their website and Facebook page.
First it was dog poo. Then it was glitter. Now a new website has once again raised the bar of ridiculous things you can anonymously send your enemies in the mail. Dicks by Mail is the company’s name, and their business model is simple: money comes in and penis-shaped gummy lollies go out. If you can think of a better, more tastily vindictive way to spend $15, then frankly we don’t want to hear it. According to their website, Dicks by Mail is a service for anyone wanting to inspire feelings of "sadness, disappointment and betrayal" in their enemies. Their helpful FAQ suggests a number of possible targets, including co-workers, ex-boyfriends, estranged parents and the Westboro Baptist Church. But really, the possibilities are endless. Each bag of 5oz dicks is accompanied by a note that reads "eat a bag of dicks," just in case the message wasn't already clear. They also recommend sending the dicks to a person's place of work, for maximum embarrassment. "You will remain anonymous and silently chuckle to yourself for years to come as you picture them slowly degrading into a shell of the person they once were," reads a maniacal declaration on Dicks by Mail’s homepage. "Their slow decent into madness will be much tastier than the bag of candy dicks you sent to them." What’s really amazing is that this isn’t even the first dick-sending service on the internet. Ship a Dick has been mailing out giant cardboard cocks for over a year now, although we probably wouldn’t recommend eating them. Now for the bad news: Dicks by Mail is currently only shipping to America and Canada. Still, if the website proves popular (and we have a sneaking suspicion it will) then hopefully they’ll think about expanding. Whether this website is a legitimate enterprise or turns out to be a slapdash moneymaking scheme like ShipYourEnemiesGlitter.com remains to be seen. After being in business for about 24 hours, glitter-brain Mathew Carpenter website had made a cheeky five figures in less than a day, had a cheeky one million visits, 270,000 social media shares and sold over six figures in glitter within an hour. Then he sold it for US$85,000. Crafty bastard. Via Elite Daily.
Next time you head to Blackbird Bar and Grill, you'd best prepare for the Eagle Street Pier eatery to look a little different. You can breathe a sigh of relief, because their current drinks and steaks offerings aren't changing. Instead, they're taking a great place and making it even bigger and better. Say hello to Blackbird Private Dining and Events, aka the restaurant's expanded setup on the floor below their current digs. Come April 27, their new operations will be in full swing, complete with a dedicated second kitchen run by Lyndon Tyres, the former head chef at Melbourne's Circa, The Prince. Basically, if you're looking for a party, reception or meeting space that can cater for up to 400 people, and boasts riverside views spanning from the Story Bridge to the Kangaroo Point cliffs, then you're in luck. Blackbird 2.0 is now a one-stop shop for all your fine dining needs, whether having a quiet dinner and a few beverages in the main area takes your fancy, or celebrating something special with everyone that you know is in order. Just don't expect to always eat upstairs and hold your functions downstairs, because with more room comes more options. Reversing the spaces for the right event isn't out of the question. Yep, we know where we want to hold our next fancy occasion. Find Blackbird Bar & Grill at 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane, or check out the Blackbird Private Dining & Events website for more information.
It's time to dig the gumboots out of the back of your closet — Splendour in the Grass is returning to North Byron Parklands for another year. In 2023, Splendour celebrates its 21st year. Maybe your 21st birthday was the best night of your life. Or, perhaps you're still planning for the 21st to end all 21sts. Either way, Splendour's big two-one is serving up a massive lineup to celebrate. Lizzo, Flume, Mumford & Sons and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs lead the 2023 edition — the latter of which were slated to headline 2022's Splendour in the Grass lineup, but cancelled in the leadup. Flume's set is an Australian exclusive, celebrating ten years since his self-titled album and coming after his recent Australian tour in late 2022. Mumford & Sons are also doing an Aussie-exclusive gig, after last heading our way in 2019. Music lovers hitting Byron Bay can look forward to Hilltop Hoods, Sam Fender, J Balvin, Slowthai, Little Simz, Idles and Tove Lo as well, plus Arlo Parks, Ball Park Music, 100 Gecs doing another Aussie exclusive, Pnau and King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard — and more. Plus, there's been some late additions to the lineup. Powerhouse Russian punk group Pussy Riot recently joined both the music and Forum programs. Danny Brown, Ocean Alley and Thelma Plum were all added, too, to replace Lewis Capaldi, Slowthai and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Single-day, multi-day and camping tickets are all still available if you want to plan a last-minute trip up to Byron Bay. [caption id="attachment_891057" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Claudia Ciapocha[/caption] SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS 2023 LINEUP Lizzo Flume (Australian exclusive: ten years of Flume) Mumford & Sons (Australian exclusive) Yeah Yeah Yeahs Hilltop Hoods J Balvin Danny Brown (Australian Exclusive) Sam Fender Idles Little Simz Tove Lo 100 Gecs (Australian exclusive) Arlo Parks Ocean Alley Ball Park Music Iann Dior King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard 070 Shake Thelma Plum Pussy Riot Pnau Ruel Loyle Carner Benee Marlon Williams Hooligan Hefs Peach PRC Palace Dune Rats Tkay Maidza Noah Cyrus Skegss Sudan Archives Cub Sport Meg Mac X Club. Claire Rosinkranz Jack River The Smith Street Band Lastlings Jeremy Zucker Young Franco Sly Withers MAY-A The Vanns Telenova Vallis Alps Jamesjamesjames Kaycyy RVG Teenage Dads Balming Tiger Automatic Harvey Sutherland Gali Del Water Gap Royel Otis Shag Rock Big Wett Mia Wray Memphis LK Gold Fang Milku Sumner Forest Claudette Full Flower Moon Band William Crighton Hellcat Speedracer Triple J Unearthed Winners Mix Up DJs: Tseba Crybaby Latifa Tee Foura Caucasianopportunities Luen Mowgli DJ Macaroni Crescendoll Top image: Stephen Booth.
The Australian art industry's most talked about face for 2017 has been revealed, with the announcement of this year's Archibald Prize. This year's winner is Camden artist Mitch Cairns, who painted a stunning portrait of artist (and Cairns' partner) Agatha Gothe-Snape. He'll receive a cheeky cash prize $100,000 and bragging rights for life — and hey, when you've been shortlisted in the Archibald Prize four times already, you're already there. The subject of the portrait, Gothe-Snape is a celebrated artist in her own right, exhibiting at the 20th Biennale of Sydney and recently opening a solo exhibition at Tokyo's Mori Art Museum — a first for an Aussie artist. Her work constantly engages with the way the public engages with contemporary art, how we read it, understand it, and debate it. "In this painting, Agatha is both an active subject and a recalcitrant muse embracing and resisting simultaneously any idea of what it is to be fixed. Ultimately this is what is most attractive about Agatha. She embodies an uncompromising agency whilst having the grace to accept the ready complications inherent within our life as artists," says Cairns. "I composed this portrait with love in the full knowledge of its inevitable and palpable quake." Here's the work in full: South Australia's Betty Kuntiwa Pumani is the winner of the 2017 Wynne Prize with her striking ode to her mother country, and Joan Ross is the winner of the 2017 Sulman Prize for her mixed media work Oh history, you lied to me. See the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prize exhibition, including Mitch Cairns' winning work, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales from July 29 to October 22. More info here.
She's made a living filling your Instagram feed with insane baked creations that wouldn't look out of place in Willy Wonka's factory. Now, high-school teacher turned self-taught dessert queen Katherine Sabbath is taking things to the next level by crowdfunding her very own 3D pop-up cookbook. Titled Katherine Sabbath - Greatest Hits - The Pop Edition, the 80-page hardcover book will feature 40 unique, removable, "kitchen proof" recipe cards, and ten intricate paper pop-ups, which will be created by Sydney paper artist Benja Harney (who we recently got to make us a burger piñata). Sabbath hopes to raise $227,000 by mid-December, enough to publish an initial run of 5000 copies. A pledge of $65 will get you your very own copy of the book, with an expected delivery date of September 2017. The book will have a recommended retail price of $80 once it hits stores. "Home bakers will be able to recreate all of my most well-known cakes and recipes," wrote Sabbath as part of her Kickstarter pitch. "The high-quality recipe cards are designed, for functional, everyday use in the kitchen, whilst the book itself is a beautiful art piece. Every cake featured also comes with its own story, revealing my inspiration behind each creation. A keepsake of dessert inspiration and paper engineering to both admire and display!" For those unfamiliar with her work (your dentist would be proud of you, to be honest), Sabbath rose to fame thanks to her absurd cakes and other sweet creations, and has since worked with the likes of Luke Mangan and Anna Polyviou. For more information, or to chip in a few bucks, check out Sabbath's project on Kickstarter. You can also follow her on Facebook and Instagram for more insane dessert photos. Images: Nikki To.
It happens at every live gig: the band stop singing, but the crowd keep belting out their favourite tune. You've been in the audience. You've wanted to continue screaming your lungs out. In fact, you've wished you could even jump on stage to do so. Well, now you can at The Foundry Karaoke Extravanza. It's the kind of evening of music-focused fun that can only happen when a couple of local artists and a karaoke machine combine. The Good Sports, Max Chillen and the Kerbside Collective, Emerson Snowe and Simi Lacroix will all be showing off their best cover versions from the stacked list of hits, and you can join them. Just check out the event Facebook page, pick your song and email The Foundry in advance to reserve your place — and you'll be showing off your finest rendition of Daryl Braithwaite's 'The Horses' in no time. Image: The Foundry.
UPDATE, January 22, 2021: Get Out is available to stream via Binge, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies, iTunes and Amazon Video. When a movie starts with a character walking nervously along a dark street, we all know what's going to happen next. Decades of horror films have taught us that nothing good can occur here. And, in Get Out, the situation plays out exactly as we've been conditioned to expect. The scared person is abducted by a masked attacker and dragged into a car. Crucially though, the victim isn't an attractive young woman, but rather a black man (Lakeith Stanfield) getting snatched up in the kind of picket-fenced suburbia most white folks could stroll through without fear. If you've ever seen his work with Keegan-Michael Key across the five seasons of their sketch comedy show Key and Peele, writer-director Jordan Peele's fondness for dissecting matters of race won't come as much of a surprise. While his first stint as a filmmaker doesn't feature white zombies refusing to eat people of colour, the underlying idea that African Americans are treated differently still sticks. Here, as in his comedy, he presents a scenario that quickly goes from amusing to uncomfortable to downright unnerving. Following Get Out's sinister opening scene, the film's focus switches to Brooklyn photographer Chris (Daniel Kaluuya), who's about to head to his girlfriend Rose's (Allison Williams) family home in the country. He's meeting her parents for the first time, and he's understandably anxious. When he asks "do they know I'm black?", she assures him that it doesn't matter because her dad would've voted for Obama a third time if he could've. Chris has clearly heard similar sentiments before, and knows it's going to be awkward anyway. "I don't wanna get chased off the lawn with a shotgun," he jokes. After they arrive, Rose's father (Bradley Whitford) keeps dropping "my man" into daggy attempts at conversation. Her mother (Catherine Keener) is polite to Chris, but noticeably stern with their black servants (Betty Gabriel and Marcus Henderson). Then there's Rose's younger brother Jeremy (Caleb Landry Jones) who makes uncomfortable comments about Chris' physique. To say that things don't feel quite right is a horror movie understatement right up there with Rosemary finding her new neighbours a bit odd in Rosemary's Baby. But again, Chris has seen this type of behaviour before. He's not thrilled, but he's not astonished either. Like all sinister storylines, the events that unfold are best discovered with as little prior knowledge as possible. It's not hard to pick up on the cleverly deployed horror tropes as they appear: the isolated location, hitting a deer on the way there, and the vocal warnings from Chris' pal Rod (LilRel Howery) back home. Likewise, you won't be able to miss the way that race keeps seeping into every conversation, shaping the way the movie unfolds. Peele's mastery of his spook-inducing genre is evident from the outset, but it's how he uses his classic setup to subvert the expected cliches and unleash a barrage of scathing social commentary that proves downright genius. What's so great about Get Out is how it defies easy categorisation. It's smart and oh-so-timely in the way that it highlights what it's like to be black in "post-racial" America. It's also genuinely unsettling and tense in an edge-of-your-seat manner, and never stops making viewers question what it is they're seeing. Last but not least, it's frequently hilarious, which given the director's background shouldn't come as a surprise. Add all of that together, and you're gifted one of the most assured, astute, entertaining and intelligent horror movies to creep out cinemas in years.
Get the bacon and whisky ready, and prepare your ears for some high-pitched laughter. They're the only things you can do — other than start making your own canoe, and generally squealing with glee — upon hearing the news that Nick Offerman is coming to Australia this week. Although initially slated to appear with partner in crime Megan Mullally to perform their Summer of 69: No Apostrophe, an unforeseen scheduling conflict has seen the show replaced with Offerman's solo show Full Bush. Mullally is no longer able to tour early next year as she starts a major film production overlapping directly with her Australian dates — but, luckily, Offerman is still able to make it. Just take a moment to let that sink in. Ron effing Swanson will be in the country. Described as a veritable smorgasbord of cautionary tales, tunes, and tips for prosperity, Full Bush looks set to make all your dreams come true: you'll get to sing a tune with Offerman while taking in his natural beefy musk. He'll be up on stage at QPAC on Friday, February 5, and for two shows the following night on Saturday, February 6 (at 8pm and 10.30pm). NICK OFFERMAN: FULL BUSH DATES January 28-29 — State Theatre, Sydney January 30 — Theatre Royal, Hobart January 31 & February 9 — Hamer Hall, Melbourne February 2-3 — Astor Theatre, Perth February 4 — Festival Theatre, Adelaide February 5-6 — QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
Melbourne may have known it had a world-class cocktail spot in Fitzroy’s Black Pearl and now the proof is in, with big-ticket New Yorker, Please Don’t Tell, choosing the Brunswick Street bar as the location for its first-time, Australian pop-up. Please Don’t Tell is perhaps New York’s most famous modern speakeasy — to locate it, you head through the back of an unassuming East Village hot dog joint on St Marks Place, enter a phone booth and buzz your way through — that is, if you’re lucky enough to score a coveted table. Helmed by founder, Jim Meehan, and managed by US World Class Bartender for 2013, Jeff Bell, the bar has been impressing NYC and the world with its exceptional cocktails, for over 8 years. Now, teaming up with World Class, they’ve connected with the boys from The Black Pearl and descended on Brunswick Street for this weekend, ready to show us Melburnians what they’ve got. The pop-up may be 17,000 kilometres away from the real deal, but Bell and Meehan have done their darnedest to make it feel as though you’re stepping into their beloved Please Don’t Tell home. You’ll find the same logoed leather menus, matching banquettes and bar stools, and the odd taxidermy creation gracing the walls. They’ve even teamed up with Chris Terlikar from Bluebonnet BBQ to emulate the New York bar’s hot dog offerings (from its Crif Dogs neighbour), with the popular Spicy Redneck — a bacon-wrapped house dog, topped with slaw, chilli and jalapenos — making a welcome appearance. As for those world-famous cocktail creations, expect to find a menu that honours the originals, with a bit of well-balanced, local flavour thrown in for good measure. The zingy Nichol Buck blends Tanqueray No.10 with Manzanilla sherry, lemon, honey and ginger beer, while the aptly named Australia Libre features our very own Bundaberg rum. “About 60 percent of the menu is New York stuff, then we added some drinks made on Bundaberg,” confirms Bell. “We also had to tweak a few recipes, because some of our ingredients aren’t available here. My suitcase was already 35 kilos… I couldn’t pack much more!” Running three sessions a night, from the August 6-9, tickets to the Please Don’t Tell pop-up sold out astonishingly fast, which, as Bell explains, is exciting in more ways than one. “Australia’s a mysterious place because it’s so far away, but people know there’s a serious food scene here. It’s on the list of places that people talk about. Because of that, you know the people here are going to be well educated on how to eat and drink, so it’s exciting to be here. It’s a really good fit for us.” And while a reciprocal visit may not be in the works just yet, Bell has little doubt about its potential. “The Black Pearl is one of the most famous Australian bars in the USA. If it came to New York, that’d be a big deal for people there,” he enthuses. “I’d love to be involved in facilitating that, it would be very cool.” The sold-out PDT Black Pearl pop-up runs over August 6-9.
When it came to putting together a live action version of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, director Jon Favreau must've found himself thinking about the bare necessities. We don't just mean the catchy song that helped make the major Disney version such an enduring hit, though the tune does feature again this time around. In trying to bring the story's wilderness setting and talking animals to life, the actor-turned-filmmaker had to consider which aspects were essential. Would it be killer special effects? An all-star voice cast? A fresh new talent to play the film's only human role? Capturing a sense of movie magic? Yes, no doubt they all crossed his mind as he prepared to tackle the tale of man-cub Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), his jungle upbringing and the creatures — wise panther Bagheera (voiced by Ben Kingsley), hypnotic snake Kaa (Scarlett Johansson), honey-loving bear Baloo (Bill Murray), giant primate King Louie (Christopher Walken) and fearsome tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) — he encounters. Indeed, the proof is in the enchanting end product, which blends both the book the animated film people know and love into a photo-realistic, live action package in the best way possible. So just how did the man that partied with Vince Vaughn in Swingers, kickstarted the current superhero cinema craze by directing Iron Man and made everyone crave Cuban sandwiches in Chef approach such an ambitious project? With Favreau in Australia recently to promote The Jungle Book, we took the opportunity to ask him about making talking animals look real, tracking down Bill Murray, getting advice from the kitchen and more. ON ADAPTING (AND PAYING TRIBUTE TO) SUCH A BELOVED STORY "I think you have to capture the spirit of the animated film, but if you're doing it in a photo-real way — which is what we set out to do — making it a G-rated kids movie probably wasn't going to work for us. So we felt that doing a PG-rated movie that skewed a little bit older and appealed more to adults as well as kids was not that big of a leap. We did try to include music and characters and tone, and cast it in a way that felt like it was related to the older film. And it's always tricky as a director when you're trying to balance tone. Because not only were we influenced by the '67 animated Disney film, but we're also influenced by the stories written by Rudyard Kipling that were quite a bit darker and scarier and more adventurous. So we tried to combine those things and pay homage to all the influences." ON CREATING A GRAND CINEMATIC ILLUSION "There was an opportunity here to do something really exciting and fresh and new that would surprise children and adults alike, because we're using technology that has never been used before. And people who see this are very hard-pressed to figure out what's been generated by computers and what's real. And there's very little real at all. It's very hard to wrap your head around it when you see it. I think nowadays, honestly, there's so much competition on television, on the internet, on cable. There's so much good programming and so much good content out there that if you want to ask people to go to the movie theatre and spend their money and sit with 3D glasses on, you'd better give them an experience that they can't get anywhere else. And that was the appeal here. It's like being a magician coming up with a magic trick. You really want to create a grand illusion. There's nothing like the big screen and 3D to do that. So there's a lot of techniques that I combined in a way that really hadn't been done before. I borrowed a lot of the technology from Avatar when it comes to motion capture, and building out the characters and the world. I also studied pretty closely how they did Gravity and how they put those live action characters into this computer-generated environment." ON CREATING 'REAL' ANIMALS (AND TAKING CUES FROM AN AUSTRALIAN TALKING PIG) "So much of the planning is so technical. But at the end of the day, after you plan how the magic trick is done and you figure out what elements you need to deliver to be able to convincingly fool the audience that they're looking at something real, then you have to wind it back and make sure you infuse it with character and emotion — and in some cases music — and make it feel effortless and invisible. Because the real reward here is that you show people a movie that's very tech-heavy, that's completely synthetic, but yet they feel like they're looking at real animals in a real jungle and feeling real emotion for real characters. And that's always tricky. Some movies do it well. Although here, over ten years ago, Babe did a great job with relatively low-tech effects. So it shows that if you have a good filmmaker and a good story, that does half your work for you." ON GETTING HIS DREAM CAST (AND GETTING HOLD OF BILL MURRAY) "This is a dream cast for me — I didn't think I would get them all. I didn't think I would even get access to Bill Murray, who is notoriously difficult to get a hold of. He doesn't have an agent so you can't get to him through the normal channels. So through writing letters and leaving messages and sending artwork I finally got a call back from him, and that was a one of the great victories in this process. I would've had to change the character [of Baloo] if it was someone else." ON HOW WORKING WITH CHEFS PREPARED HIM FOR THE JUNGLE BOOK "I think the best preparation was actually the training I did with the chefs [on Chef]. Because I had to learn how to cook and I worked with the chefs on the film, and they're very good at overseeing other chefs. A big part of their culture is you have a head chef but then there's other chefs who are also very talented and well-trained and want to present a vision. And part of being an executive chef is bringing together all of those talented people and having them work towards the same goal — and overseeing all the artists and overseeing the vision of all these technical people was a big part of The Jungle Book. Two thousand people worked on this movie. And sometimes one person is working on a shot and another person is working on another shot that are going to be right next to each other, but they don't really reference each other's work until it all lays into the film. I had to stand over the whole process and make sure it was all consistent and fits together in an invisible way. Chefs are very good at keeping consistency in their restaurants from dish to dish and from night to night, and watching how they oversaw and inspired and maintained quality control over the process was quite inspiring and informative for what I do as a director." The Jungle Book is currently screening in Australian cinemas. Read our full review.
Two years after it was first announced, Brisbane's inner east is set to welcome its new movie haven. If you live near Coorparoo and love great films, then you might want to mark November 30 in your diary. That's when you can head to the flicks at Dendy's brand new cinema on the corner of Old Cleveland and Cavendish roads. Boasting a three-level entrance as part of the new Coorparoo Square development, the ten-screen site marks the first new Dendy to open in Brisbane since Portside launched in 2006. As well as featuring twice as many cinemas as its sibling across town, it will also play host to the city's first Dendy Premium Lounge — this will be the chain's Gold Class meets arthouse offering, complete with reclining seats and during-movie dining treats. To celebrate its first month of operation, Dendy Coorparoo will also be putting on quite the series of events, including afternoon wine tastings over the weekend of December 1 to 3, and a Star Wars double of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi as December 13 ticks over to December 14. Premiere and previews screenings of the likes of The Florida Project and Pitch Perfect 3 are also on the agenda, plus a sneak peek session of Breathe with high tea. If you're feeling a bit of déjà vu, that's because the Dendy previously had a second location on George Street in the CBD, back before it became the now-dormant Tribal Theatre. The new opening gives Brisbane its second new cinema in two months, coming hot on the heels of The Elizabeth Picture Theatre's launch in October. As for the Coorparoo location, as well as providing that patch of the city's east with its own cinema, it's also part of a development that has been a rather long time coming. More than a decade ago, the spot on the corner of Old Cleveland and Cavendish roads was Myer — in fact, it was the site of Queensland's first Myer store — but other than some short-lived indoor markets, it mostly collected cobwebs until construction started on Coorparoo Square. Three residential towers, a food hall and a retail complex are also part of the precinct. Find Dendy Coorparoo at Coorparoo Square, corner of Old Cleveland and Cavendish roads, Coorparoo, from November 30. Head to the website for further details.
Forget saving up and forking out for a Rocky Mountains Scenic Tour — Brisbane's just created the next best thing. Steam Train Blues is a seven-hour trip that takes passengers from Roma Street to the Glass House Mountains, and throws a hell of a blues bash along the way. This isn't some Rosewood to Ipswich sleeper we're talking here; rather, a stunningly restored steam train. It will be chugging passengers along to the sounds of Brisbane’s best blues musicians — Dick and Lolo, Moondogs Blues, Jimmy Watts, Jimi Davis and Ben Eaton — on the way to the Glass House Mountains and homeward bound. Passengers will be greeted with a drink on arrival, and nibbles and other drinks will be available throughout the journey. It's a roughly 80-minute trip to the Glass House Mountains, and the party doesn't stop there. Guests will stroll a few metres to the Glass House Mountains Tavern and be met with finger food and the award-winning blues sounds of Mojo Webb. The journey kicks off at 2.15pm, and you're promised home at 9.04pm on the dot. Tickets are $137.50, and Go Cards will not be accepted.
Don't believe anyone who tells you that you can't like both arts and sports. Whenever a film or TV awards ceremony rolls around, that's clearly proven wrong. Watching great movies and television shows get the attention they deserve, as well as the talented folks that make them, is the screen entertainment equivalent of a grand final — with the same amount of thrills. At this year's Golden Globes, that included a red carpet filled with black-hued outfits to make an important statement, Oprah Winfrey giving one of the most inspiring and extraordinary speeches you'll ever hear about oppression and the fight for equality, and host Seth Meyers making Kevin Spacey jokes. And that's not to mention Tommy Wiseau living his dreams and taking to the stage, Natalie Portman pointing out that there was not one female nominated for best director and Amy Poehler popping up as well. Plus, whether some of your most anticipated films of 2018 won plenty of shiny ornaments (hello The Shape of Water and Lady Bird) or you're certain the best damn thing on any big or small screen was thoroughly robbed (yes, we're talking about Twin Peaks), we can still watch all of the best and the rest once the ceremonies are over. Indeed, this year's Globes winners have gifted us all with quite the must-watch list of both quality efforts to catch up on, and others coming to screens near us soon. Here's our pick of their picks. Get viewing. BIG SCREEN MUST-SEES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFYWazblaUA& THE SHAPE OF WATER Building his career out of monster movies in multiple guises, Guillermo del Toro has proven himself a master at creature features of the moving and unusual kind — think Hellboy, Pan's Labyrinth, Pacific Rim and even haunted house effort Crimson Peak. Compared to the above, The Shape of Water floats through its own stream of romance and drama, and yet it could've only been made by this year's Golden Globe winner for best director. Here, Sally Hawkins plays a mute woman who works nights cleaning at a top-secret government lab, only to fall for its prized possession: a man-like amphibian. The film won top honours at last year's Venice Film Festival, and it's likely to keep collecting them in the next couple of months. It's that entrancing and wonderful. GLOBES Won: Best Director — Motion Picture (Guillermo del Toro), Best Original Score — Motion Picture (Alexandre Desplat) Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Sally Hawkins), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Octavia Spencer), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Richard Jenkins), Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Guillermo del Toro and Vanessa Taylor) In cinemas January 18. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzgTHyEv5Ng LADY BIRD Greta Gerwig, sitting solo in the director's chair for the first time in her career, didn't even score a nomination in that Golden Globes category. No female filmmakers did. As ridiculous as that is, her film won half of the fields it was nominated in anyway. A clearly personal endeavour for the Frances Ha and Mistress America star, Lady Bird wanders through life in her hometown of Sacramento circa 2002, spinning the exploits of its titular character (Saoirse Ronan) into one of the most relatable coming-of-age flicks to grace the big screen in years. No wonder it took out the gong for best musical or comedy film, and that fantastic Irish talent Ronan (Brooklyn) won best actress in the same category. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (Saoirse Ronan) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Laurie Metcalfe), Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Greta Gerwig) In cinemas February 15. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aZ3r-84EQc THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI If Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri wasn't already an Oscar frontrunner, it is now, winning best drama, best actress in a drama, best supporting actor and best screenplay. They're all well-earned awards for Martin McDonagh's black comedy about a mourning mother doing whatever it takes to motivate her local police force, though none is more deserved than star Frances McDormand's. She's in typical top form spouting McDonagh's typically coarse dialogue; however, the always-fantastic Rockwell shouldn't be underestimated for bringing nuance to a difficult role either. Our only gripe about its Globes success? That the fleet-footed Rockwell didn't dance when he won his statuette. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture — Drama (Frances McDormand), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Sam Rockwell), Best Screenplay — Motion Picture (Martin McDonagh) Nominated: Best Director — Motion Picture (Martin McDonagh), Best Original Score — Motion Picture (Carter Burwell) In cinemas now — read our review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DT41LF22ZA THE DISASTER ARTIST Well, we all know what The Disaster Artist 2 should focus on. James Franco might've won best actor in a musical or comedy for playing Tommy Wiseau, but there wasn't a fan of The Room didn't break into an enormous smile when the real-life man himself took to the stage as well. He might've missed out on another chance to leap up when The Disaster Artist couldn't turn its second nomination — for best musical or comedy flick — into a trophy, but he stole the show as he tried to steal the microphone away from the man who imitated him perfectly. Next stop: the Oscars, hopefully. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy (James Franco) Nominated: Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy In cinemas now — read our review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyjnzhXJlHU IN THE FADE Diane Kruger may be the most famous German-born actress working today, but she hadn't starred in a German-language film until In the Fade. At Cannes last year, she won best actress for her troubles, but at the Golden Globes, it was the movie's time to shine. Under writer/director Fatih Akin's guidance, the best foreign-language feature winner is an exploration of terror, mourning and revenge that — like much of what we're seeing on screens these days — is all-too timely and relevant. It's also on the shortlist for the same field at the Oscars, so expect to keep hearing about it. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Foreign Language Release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DIm1PyBSwc COCO In an industry increasingly ruled by sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, resurrections, cinematic universes and franchises that'll still be going long after we're all dead, it's always a joy to see a studio rewarded for taking a chance. While Pixar was once known for only making original stories — albeit, always about toys, monsters, robots and even feelings having feelings — their love of follow-ups like the terrible Cars 3 changed that. Then came Coco, which isn't the first animated film to play with Mexico's Dîa de los Muertos celebrations, but it is the most gorgeous, engaging and heart-swelling. A great pick for best animated film, it overflows with warmth and authenticity as it charts a 12-year-old boy chasing his music dreams into the Land of the Dead. GLOBES Won: Best Motion Picture — Animated Nominated: Best Original Song — Motion Picture In cinemas now — read our review. FUTURE SMALL SCREEN BINGES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOmwkTrW4OQ THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL Calling all Amy Sherman-Palladino fans. If you loved Gilmore Girls and Bunheads, then you'll follow the American TV writer, director and producer anywhere, including to her latest show The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Winning best comedy TV series, and best actress for star Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) too, it's the best show you probably haven't seen yet about a New York housewife trying out her stand-up comedy chops in the late 1950s. It should come as no surprise that Joan Rivers was one of the inspirations for the series, and that it is equally hilarious, heartfelt and finely observed, with the usual Sherman-Palladino charms in abundance. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series — Musical or Comedy (Rachel Brosnahan) Now streaming on Amazon Prime. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9P34WqoBtQ BIG LITTLE LIES The series everyone was talking about in early 2017 just keeps garnering attention — turning a limited run into a second season, sweeping the Emmys and now doing the same at the Golden Globes. The only nods Big Little Lies didn't turn into victories? When it had two actresses competing against each other in both the lead and supporting actress categories. Winners Nicole Kidman, Laura Dern and Alexander Skarsgård, and nominees Reese Witherspoon and Shailene Woodley all star in this adaptation of Aussie Liane Moriarty's novel, about the mothers of first-graders attending the same school in California's Monterey. With filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallée (Wild, Cafe de Flore) in the director's chair for all seven episodes, it's a deep and complex ride through topics that aren't always thrust into the spotlight. GLOBES Won: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Nicole Kidman), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Alexander Skarsgård), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Laura Dern) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Reese Witherspoon), Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Shailene Woodley) Now streaming on Foxtel Now. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJTonrzXTJs THE HANDMAID'S TALE 2017 couldn't have been been a better time for The Handmaid's Tale to make it to the small screen. If that felt true when it first aired, the series' depiction of the oppression of women in a near-future dystopian society only proved more powerful as events played out in Hollywood as the year went on. The show's topical nature is only one of the its selling points, however, with everything about the adaptation of Margaret Atwood's ahead-of-its-time novel drawing you into an utterly unnerving realm. Standout and best actress in a drama winner Elisabeth Moss is particularly fantastic as Offred, one of the still-fertile women forced into sexual servitude to bear the ruling elite's children, while the series' mastery of mood and tone will give you literal chills. GLOBES Won: Best Television Series — Drama, Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series — Drama (Elisabeth Moss) Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Ann Dowd) Now streaming on SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzwZZjPHv3A FARGO When the idea of turning the Coen brothers' Oscar-winning black comedy Fargo into a television show was floated, fans were understandably skeptical. So specific in its tone, so tied to its directors' sensibilities and so driven by Frances McDormand's ace lead performance, would it work on the small screen? And if an attempt to do just that failed in 1997, why would it succeed now? Those fears were easily quelled by the excellent end result, and the anthology series has continued its stellar run across not one, or two, but three series to date. In the latest, newly minted best actor in a limited series winner Ewan McGregor plays two very different brothers, in another account of greed, crime and stupidity in snowy Minnesota climes. GLOBES Won: Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television (Ewan McGregor) Nominated: Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (David Thewlis) Now streaming on Netflix.
