You don't have to fall down a rabbit hole or stumble across a secret garden to find Vaquero Dining — but you do need to do the next best thing. Just look for The Albion Butchery on Sandgate Road, walk past an array of displayed, cured meat (and maybe think about taking some home to eat), and then prepare for a stashed-away restaurant and bar to materialise. That's the first fun part. Obviously, the second stems from everything you'll consume while you're there. If devouring Spanish-influenced dishes, and drinking wine and cocktails in cosy yet chic decor — complete a back-lit bar, intimate dining room and airy al fresco area — sounds like your kind of thing, then Vaquero Dining is the place for you. Food-wise, that includes sliced-to-order, meat-stacked charcuterie boards, marinated olives, kingfish ceviche and plenty of options cooked up in the charcoal oven — and a tasty meringue blackberry sorbet. And as for beverages, expect to choose from more than 70 wines, some great house cocktails and all the classics, such as old faves like old fashioneds and negronis.
Our modern obsession with packing into cities means that increasingly massive skyscrapers are inevitable. After all, if we don’t head upwards, well, there’s only so much land. One of the problems with skyscrapers, though, is that their behemoth shadows seriously shorten the day of their surroundings. Even a spacious, sunny city like Sydney can feel cold and dark when you’re wedged between towers (just look at the long shadow Barangaroo's casino is expected to cast). Now imagine how gloomy things can get in densely populated metropolises like London and New York — if you've visited, you'll know how gloomy things can get in the financial districts. But a London-based architecture company by the name of NBBJ has come up with a solution: the 'No Shadow Tower'. The concept involves two twisting skyscrapers, to be built side-by-side, which redirect sunlight to the area around their base — right where dreary shadows are usually found lurking. The idea was developed with London’s North Greenwich in mind, at the request of New London Architecture, and was first published in New London Quarterly. "The algorithm design for the tower is based on the law of reflection," the design team told Dezeen. "Our facade has varying angles of panels that distribute light over a certain area at multiple times during the day." The algorithm works by recording the sunlight's angle every single day for an entire year. With this information, the team can predict how light will play on the building at various points during the day, and then construct the skyscraper’s facade to reflect it accordingly. The use of individual panels allows reflection on a pane-by-pane basis; creating circles of light, rather than a single, extremely hot area. NBBJ was motivated by its passion for the public and their environment-determined happiness. "One of [our] principle concerns is public space and the ways the public use and interact with these spaces," the designers explained. "The No Shadow Tower places public space at the heart of the project, along with human interaction and the impact of skyscrapers at street level... The research that we have undertaken could be applied in many locations in the world, each time creating a different form that would relate to its specific context and solar conditions." Where do we sign up? Via Dezeen. Images: NBBJ.
Break out the cheese, Wallace & Gromit fans, then put on the right trousers and prepare for what's bound to be a very grand day out indeed. As part of the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image has announced a massive exhibition dedicated to everyone's favourite stop-motion-animated, dairy-loving inventor and his kindly claymation canine pal, as well as the broader Aardman world they hail from. Taking over ACMI from June 29 to October 29, 2017, Wallace & Gromit and friends: The magic of Aardman will showcase more than 350 items, spanning original artworks, sketches, storyboards, hand-made sets and set pieces, character studies, puppets and more. Specific items such as the flying machine from Chicken Run and the five-metre tall ship from The Pirates! Band of Misfits will also feature. In short, if it's related to the Oscar, BAFTA and all-round award-winning animation studio's beloved were-rabbit chasers, escaping chooks and swashbucklers — and their other flicks such as Flushed Away, Arthur Christmas and Shaun the Sheep — you'll find it here. Of course, ACMI being ACMI, you can expect to see bits and pieces of Aardman's shorts, television work, advertisements, music videos and movies too, though an accompanying big screen lineup hasn't yet been announced. And the timing really couldn't be better. While their highly anticipated next effort Early Man won't release in cinemas until 2018, the exhibition will include concept drawings from the Stone Age versus Bronze Age caper, which will feature the voices of Eddie Redmayne and Tom Hiddleston. Curated by Art Ludique-Le Musée, Paris, where the exhibition premiered in 2015, Wallace & Gromit and friends also marks more than four decades of Aardman goodness — and its Melbourne run will coincide with the 40th anniversary of the first Aardman short, 1977's Animated Conversations: Down and Out, in fact. With Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art opening its doors to a Marvel showcase in 2017, next year sure is shaping up to be a mighty fine time for pop culture-filled galleries — and for travelling around the country to peek behind the scenes of your favourite screen content, perhaps? Wallace & Gromit and friends: The magic of Aardman exhibits at ACMI from June 29 to October 29, 2017. Tickets go on sale from Monday, November 21, 2016. Visit the ACMI website for further details. Images: Aardman.
It may not have been the best decade for brick and mortar bookstores, but at least the ones that are left are still kicking major goals. This past Tuesday night saw some of the biggest wigs in publishing convene at the London Book Fair to award a slew of prizes, including the gong for International Bookstore of the Year. The winner? Melbourne's very own Readings Carlton. The Lygon Street institution beat out finalists from Italy, China and Estonia to claim the prestigious award, which aims to highlight "the absolutely vital role bookshops play worldwide in not only promoting new titles but also advising readers on the many excellent books already published but yet to be discovered." In giving the award, the judges commended Readings for "its community outreach, support of Australian authors and its help for non-profit organisations working on literacy incentives." "We're delighted and extremely honoured to receive this award. It's a reflection of the quality of Australian independent bookshops," said Readings Managing Director Mark Rubbo. The news was also greeted with a wave of positivity on social media, with many bookworms offering their heartfelt congratulations via Facebook. Readings is located at 309 Lygon Street, Carlton. They also have stores in Hawthorn, Malvern, St Kilda and the State Library. Via The Sydney Morning Herald.
Wild fermentation wines have been around for as long as the hills on which they're grown, but lately the resurgence of the movement has been gaining a lot of momentum. Questions abound as to the nature of these beverages, from how its production differs from traditional methods, to how the taste of these vinos compare to the drops that we're more accustomed to. So, in the interest of immersing oneself in the experience, crack a bottle and have a read — your wine education has begun. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT ACTUALLY IS IT? Wild fermentation wines are the result of winemakers removing most of the artificial processes involved in producing a bottle. The whole idea is to let the natural processes of winemaking take over, to interfere with the fermentation process as little as possible. In winemaking, grapes are pulped into a sugary juice, then yeast is added to the juice which eats up all the sugar and creates waste products of carbon dioxide and alcohol until you're left with a finished wine. In wild fermentation winemaking this process is dramatically altered. Rather than adding a yeast known to produce a certain flavour, the yeasts and bacteria that naturally present on the grapes (aka microflora), are tasked with the fermentation. By letting nature do its thing the wine ends up with a more complicated flavour profile. WHAT DOES IT TASTE LIKE? Wild fermentation wines are often more complex, textural and layered. Making it involves a longer fermentation process than your standard bottle, which gives the wine a softer taste. The different types of microflora present on the grapes all add their own bit of flavour. Standard wines have yeast added to them, which creates a specific flavour when fermented. Because you're leaving the flavour up to nature, what you end up with is unique from vintage to vintage. The Stoneleigh winemakers in New Zealand's Marlborough country use the naturally occurring elements in their vineyards to produce wild fermentation wines with as little intervention as possible. The grapes used for the Wild Valley range are grown using 'sunstones' — stones derived from the ancient river bed the winery sits on. The stones soak up all the sunlight during the day, and keep ripening the grapes at night. Once the grapes are picked, the process is to sit back and let the microflora do the work. The grapes can be picked earlier, and they deliver a flavour profile that is unique to each vintage. Sulphites are often added to wine produced in this way, to maintain its freshness and keep it crisp from bottling to delivery. WHO IS MAKING IT? Wild fermentation winemaking methods have been used for millennia in Europe and they're still incredibly common in places like France, Italy, and Austria. The process is still fairly new here. With a move by wine drinkers towards a more organic approach — and the rise in popularity of minimal intervention, organic and orange wines — more and more winemakers are taking on the minimalist approach. Stoneleigh have been using nature in their winemaking since the foundation of the winery, so the next natural step was taking on wild fermentation wines for their premium range. WHAT DO I EAT WITH IT? Experiment a little (like the winemakers) and try to nail that perfectly balanced combo. Pairing wine with food is a subjective matter, despite the rules we've been told for decades. You don't have to pair red wine with red meat, or white wines with white meat. A good rule of thumb is to just eat and drink what you like and then look for something to balance the palate. As long as the goal is to keep it balanced, the world is your oyster with pairing food to wild fermentation wines. Wild fermentation wines are a little richer on the flavour profile, so will generally pair well with food that is a little more subtle. Good cheese always matches good wine. A nice brie will do well with the intense flavours of a wild fermented Pinot Noir for example, because it supports the flavours in the wine rather than competing for dominance in the taste party. Jamie Marfell, Stoneleigh's head winemaker, recommends pairing a minimal Sauvignon Blanc with a salad that has some more tropical elements. Something with a healthy dose of citrus or vinegar, like a top-notch papaya salad that will cut through the more rounded palate of the wine. Try some Wild Valley wild fermentation wine at the Stoneleigh Hotel, a sandstone house in Chippendale overrun by nature. It's at 48 Kensington Street, Chippendale from November 11 until December 11.
One of Broadway's hottest and most prohibitively priced tickets of the last five years, The Book of Mormon, is set to get an Australian staging. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the announcement today on his Facebook page, saying "I'm thrilled we're bringing the most successful piece of theatre in the world today to Victoria." The musical will make its Australian premiere at Melbourne's Princess Theatre in early 2017. Written by South Park and Team America's notoriously puerile creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, together with Robert Lopez of genius grown-up muppet show Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon is probably one of the most lauded comedies ever to have centred on the Church of Latter Day Saints, African missions, AIDS, bum jokes and super ironic racism. If it wasn't so smart and so funny, few would forgive it. But since it is, The Book of Morman has picked up nine Tonys, four Olivier Awards and a Grammy since it debuted in 2011, and has been called "one of the most joyously acidic bundles Broadway has unwrapped in years". Directed by Parker with choreographer Casey Nicholaw, the show will have a new local cast. Parker has commented on the team's enthusiasm for the Australian production and then made a Tasmania joke: "We can't wait to get started. Everyone says we should look to Tassie for casting so that's where we're going first." If you've been among the throngs to see the musical in New York, Chicago or London, then you'll be plenty excited that your Melbourne friends will now get the chance to go learn all the idiosyncratic details of Mormonism, meet war criminal General Butt-Fucking Naked and know the true meaning of the hakuna matata-like saying 'Hasa Diga Eebowai'. And because this is the most exciting piece of musical theatre news since Matilda, the waitlist for tickets has already opened. Sign up at the Book of Mormon website for priority ticketing information. Whether the show will tour outside of Melbourne is yet to be confirmed. In the meantime, get in the mood by watching this clip of Girls star and original Mormon cast member Andrew Rannells singing the ballad of religious faith 'I Believe' at the Tony Awards. UPDATE MONDAY, DECEMBER 7: Priority tickets for The Book of Mormon are now on sale via Ticketmaster. GO.
People who live in Sydney's beachy suburb Manly have always thought they had it all. It 'all' used to be the surf, the sand, the pub, an 18-minute alcohol-serving fast ferry into the city and a home within walking distance to all these things. But things are changing in the suburb on the other side of the bridge from the CBD — and it's giving locals even fewer reasons to leave the Manly bubble. And more reasons for visitors like you to see what it's like inside. Reason one: the food. It's not just wharf-based spots like Hugo's, Manly Wine and Wharf Bar anymore. Sydney hospitality giant Merivale has opened a second Queen Chow outpost, 4 Pines brewery now has an all-day eatery and the iconic waterside Manly Pavilion has finally reopened. There's also Chica Bonita and its newer Japanese joint, plus The Boathouse set up shop at Shelley Beach in 2015, bringing a whole bar dedicated to charcuterie and cheese (!!) and even a cafe dealing in fermented foods. Reason two is not a new one — it's the water. The surf isn't as life-threatening as Bondi, and Shelley Beach is prime for snorkelling on a clear day. If you want to explore past the Esplanade (and you do), there's plenty of kilometres for you to walk and even a few hidden coves to discover. Travelling to Sydney soon? Book a flight with Qantas and set out for this suburb by the sea packed with a burgeoning food and bar scene, plenty of scenic walks and, of course, lots of beach — ocean-side, bay-side and tucked away shores. FRIDAY NIGHT: DINNER AT SUNSET SABI Most destinations that aren't bed are a bit tough to get to on a Friday night, but not Manly. If you're based near Circular Quay and you could be there before you can even finish a beer. The fast ferry only takes a very precise 18 minutes, and it has a bar on board. For accommodation, there are plenty of Airbnb options, but if you want to stay right across from the beach, the Novotel Manly Pacific is your best bet. While watching the sun go down over the beach is highly recommended, stray away from the beachfront to Pittwater Road for a sunset of a different kind. At Sunset Sabi, food is done in an izakaya style, but it sure ain't tradition. Ingredients like jalapeños, bacon, parmesan and kettle chips (the chilli kind) all make their way into sushi rolls and other bite-sized morsels. Make sure you try the teeth-glueing caramel miso popcorn, the deep fried rice balls and the sweet heat roll with spicy tuna, cucumber, green beans and avocado inside, and tuna, white onion, shallots, chilli roe with sabi'q sauce on the outside. Book in advance to ensure you get a seat — this place is busy. SATURDAY MORNING: BREAKFAST BOWLS AND A BIG WALK Healthy eating seems to be synonymous with beachside suburbs, but this ain't Bondi — well, not yet anyway. Manly does have its own little health hub though, with Pure Wholefoods, Ora and Bare Naked Bowls. A contender for the best breakfast bowls in Sydney, this hole-in-the-wall cafe does seven different acai bowls, along with oats, porridge and smoothies. Best to get there early as the post-yoga crowd fill it out quite quickly — or get it takeaway, get a coffee from Barefoot around the corner and eat it by the beach. After you've finished breakfast, pull your walking shoes on and join up with the Manly Scenic Walkway and head in the direction of North Head. The track will take you past Spring Cove, uphill to the North Head sanctuary, right out to the killer views at Fairfax Lookouts and back down the other side of the head to Shelley Beach (see map). All up, it's about nine kilometres. You might want to wear your bathers for a post-walk dip. [caption id="attachment_557644" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Boathouse[/caption] MIDDAY: LUNCH AT THE BOATHOUSE Every challenge must have its reward and after that hefty, hilly walk, your reward is this: lunch at The Boathouse. Securing the absolutely kickass location with frontage at pedestrian-only Shelley Beach, The Boathouse has really outdone itself. You can head in salty and sandy or recently showered in your crisp white linens — it doesn't matter here. Order seafood, perhaps in the form of the tuna crackers, the trout board (with sliced trout and trout pate) or the decadent seafood platter. The hectic 'order at the counter and find a table' system still stands, so come with both patience and an appetite. It's worth it. [caption id="attachment_560528" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manly Kayak Centre[/caption] AFTERNOON: KAYAK TO STORE BEACH Manly Beach is great for a surfing lesson (see Sunday's activities) or a quick dip, but it's pretty busy and generally feels a bit hectic. So we suggest going somewhere a bit more secluded for the afternoon. Store Beach on Manly's North Head is accessible only by water, meaning its visitors are restricted to boat owners, stand-up paddleboarders and kayaks. Rent a kayak from Manly Kayak Centre at Manly Wharf, take in a few tips and paddle around the head to the small beach. It only takes about 30 minutes, and it's well worth it for this little patch of paradise. EVENING: BEER, WINE AND CHEESE Brewery 4 Pines was named after the pine trees that line Manly beach. And you'll be able to get a good look at 'em from the 4 Pines Brewpub, which sits just across the road from the beach on the East Esplanade. Here you can try a pint of the pale ale or stout, or give them all a go with a tasting rack. When you're feeling peckish, wander over to Cured, which sits in one of Manly's little laneways off the main mall (which, we're warning, you should probably avoid on a Saturday night). This small bar ticks all the small bar boxes with its triple threat offering of cheese, charcuterie and wine. They've got 18 meats — most of which come from a farm up at Byron Bay — and ten cheeses, which include an epic triple cream brie, a tasty blue and some seriously milky burrata. They'll also help you out with some chicken liver pate, an Aperol Spritz if you're so inclined, or some local beers from Dad & Dave's Brewing. Buy a bottle and settle in. SUNDAY MORNING: BREAKFAST AT ORA You've ticked breakfast bowls off your list, and at Ora you can cross off fermented foods as well. Ora has a long mission statement — of which is literally written on the walls — but here's the short of it: all the ingredients are organic, healthy and locally grown. Much of the menu is good for your gut too; the fermented oatmeal with carrots and spices may just be the thing to settle your wine-addled stomach. The breakfast plate is much more satisfying though, with eggs fried in ghee, mushroom, greens, avo, sauerkraut and the seedy 'sai' bread. Naturally, Ora serves kombucha, as well as turmeric lattes (and normal lattes as well) and — for the really committed — cups of bone broth for $6. [caption id="attachment_561211" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Manly Surf School[/caption] MIDDAY: JOIN A SURFING LESSON On one of our best beaches to learn how to surf at, it would be remiss for you to spend a weekend in Manly without catching a wave. Book a lesson with the guys at Manly Surf School — they'll get you kitted out with a wetsuit and a board, and then take you out for two hours on the waves. Their groups are small, the instructors are literal pros, and they're very patient with even the most unpromising of surfing students. Lessons run for two hours and cost $70. Book in advance and hope for some sweet surf. Or, head along to the Australian Open of Surfing from February 27 to March 6 to watch instead. AFTERNOON: LUNCH AT THE HERRING ROOM There's just something about swimming in the ocean that inspires a tummy to rumble, and after two hours in the surf, it's probable that yours will be absolutely roaring for something to eat. If you can manage to shower without wasting away with that empty stomach, know that lunch is going to be worth it at The Herring Room. Set in a renovated surf shop on a quiet part of Pittwater Road, it's away from all the hubbub of Manly's main drag and is an absolute delight. The space is cosy, bright and feels somewhat like a friend's home, making it perfect for Sunday lunch. Order a bottle of sparkling (or bring your own for $6 corkage per person) and tuck in. The salt and pepper squid is a must if you're dining post-surf, and the scallops with cauliflower puree and pancetta are top notch. Cut into the squid ink ravioli and watch it ooze with egg yolk, then eat it up with the crabmeat, salmon roe and lemon-thyme beurre blanc it's served with. The service here is excellent, and it's the ultimate way to wind down your weekend in Manly. Ready to get away and experience Sydney? Book with Qantas for great fares to Sydney and NSW until 24 September. Terms and conditions apply.
Away from the spotlight that shines so brightly on the hospitality scene in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, pubs in Adelaide have been left to develop their own identity, quietly amassing a swathe of excellent venues that cater for all manner of nights out. Whether in the heart of the metropolis, or a weekend retreat away from the city, the drink-slingers in and around the southern capital have carefully curated their approaches to drinking, dining and generally letting loose. Together with our mates at Hahn Brewers, we've come up with a guide to the pubs of Adelaide. Whether you're after a beer garden, a party, a drink by the water or a trivia night, we've got you covered. FOR A BEER GARDEN: ALMA TAVERN, NORWOOD There's a whole load on offer at the Alma Tavern, but the jewel in the crown for the Norwood venue is their spectacular beer garden. Set just below ground level, the outdoor area is peppered with comfy tables and chairs, lined with cushioned booths and adorned with festoon lighting and a few trees bringing a slice of the outdoors to the indoors. Just like the cultural identity of Australia, the Alma's menu includes influences from all around the world (get some orange and clove duck legs in your life). Grab a beer and sit out in the sunshine at the Alma — it's a foolproof beer garden option. FOR AN EVENT: THE JADE MONKEY, ADELAIDE The Jade has been around in one form or another for the last thirteen years, but its current home is at St Paul's Rectory in the heart of the city. It has always been a hub of local live music and a great place for a beer, but now it also hosts a wide array of events. Stop by on a sunny afternoon and you might find a music festival is going on. If not, there could be a pop-up cinema, a vinyl sale or a songwriting class. If whatever event is on at the time doesn't take your fancy, you can settle back in the garden with a beer for the afternoon and enjoy the peaceful surrounds. FOR TRIVIA: THE EDINBURGH CASTLE, ADELAIDE The Edinburgh Castle has become locally famous for its themed trivia nights. Many are television-based, with previous trivia topics being Friends, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Seinfeld, The Simpsons and Breaking Bad. Trivia nights happen inside the venue, but you should stick around afterwards (or you could come a little early) and grab a beer in the Castle's huge beer garden. Food options are classic pub grub and there's a huge $10 section on the menu. FOR A PARTY: PALAIS HOTEL, SEMAPHORE It's all well and good to head to a venue for a cheeky brew and a delicious feed. It's nice to soak in a good view and relax with some chilled beats. But, at the end of a hard week, or any other occasion you might fancy, sometimes you've just got to get dressed up and get down. The Palais Hotel is perfectly set up for mad parties, with multiple bars, an extensive drinks list and plenty of space by the beach. DJs play almost every night at the Palais, and their Australia Day and New Year's Eve parties are legendary. FOR A BEER BY THE WATER: RAMSGATE HOTEL, HENLEY BEACH Australians harbour a deep love for the ocean. We also love a good drink, so the ultimate combo is when the two meet in absolute glory — the beachside pub. The Ramsgate Hotel is a great pub simply because of its relaxed atmosphere and its proximity to the beautiful Henley Beach. When you're done visiting the churches and vineyards that populate Adelaide, there aren't many better things to do than enjoy a cold beer while watching the sun go down at the Ramsgate. FOR A ROAD TRIP: VICTORY HOTEL, SELLICKS HILL When the crushing hubbub of metropolitan mayhem becomes a little too much, there's nothing like escaping to the country for a quick recharge. If that's your go, the Victory Hotel have got you covered. The B&B sits atop Sellicks Hill and has magnificent views over Sellicks Beach and even into a bit of wine country. The menu is top-notch, but it's the wine cellar that truly takes the cake. Pair that with a couple of beers, a good feed and some darling cottages available for guests, and it's clear that an escape to the Victory is a real winner. FOR A BRITISH FEED: FOX & FIRKIN, TEA TREE GULLY Pubs, as we know them in this country, are largely thanks to the great British tradition of sinking ales and demolishing deliciously rich and filling combinations of meat, veg and carbs. Perfect. A decent British menu, however, can be a bit hard to come by, so places that keep the tradition alive are hidden gems to be revered. Fox & Firkin is a little out of town, but the food is definitely worth the trip. The menu includes British classics like Welsh rarebit or the beef and Guinness pie (complete with mushy peas), while also maintaining Aussie pub classics like burgers, seafood platters and the schnitzels that betray the hidden Germanic roots of the British Isles. FOR THE GAME: ARKABA, FULLARTON The Arkaba Hotel provides a great experience if you're into sport. It's the home of Sportys Bar and Arena, one of the premier sporting bars in town. The local Sportys takes their sport seriously, setting up the entire bar as an homage to spectating physical activity. There are plenty of TVs, tonnes of room and the bar is fitted out with all the knick knacks and wood panelling that is the stuff of man cave dreams. If you're after AFL, football or a good sport like rugby, Sportys has got it all. Sign up to Hahn Brewers and settle down with a drink this weekend. Top image: Ramsgate Hotel.
Cat cafes around the country are in for some adorable competition, with a new animal-themed eatery set to open in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Rabbit-lovers David Johnson and Helen Hu are currently asking for donations for what they hope will becomes Australia's first ever bunny cafe. Frankly, if the words 'bunny' and 'cafe' aren't enough to make you donate on the spot, then we just don't know that there's anything we can do for you. The couple, who previously owned and operated a handmade accessories shop in Olinda, are currently looking for $20,000 to secure a location in or around Fitzroy. Anyone who wants to see this happen can donate via the cafe's website. Alternatively, you can check out their Facebook page, where they've been auctioning off rabbit-themed merchandise including rings and mugs, and posting many, many, painfully cute bunny videos such as this one. No news yet on what food the cafe will be serving, although they have unveiled a coffee menu with beverages named after the beloved pets of generous donors, including the 'Flopsy' Cappuccino, the 'Ruffles' Hot Chocolate and the 'Bunzor' Espresso. (Bunzor? Seriously?) As for their fluffy tenants, they'll come courtesy of Victoria's first and only no-kill rabbit shelter, the Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage – and unlike many cat cafes, the plan is to make all the animals in the cafe available for adoption. To make a donation to Bunny Cafe Melbourne, visit their website at www.bunnycafemelbourne.com.au Via The Northsider. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
It's time to air out the tent and throw those novelty gumboots in your backpack, Bluesfest is here for another music-filled Easter long weekend. While The Black Keys, Ben Howard and Lenny Kravitz are no longer heading to Byron this year, Bluesfesters can placate their blues (ugh) with Alabama Shakes, Jurassic 5, the Zac Brown Band, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Sticky Fingers, Boy and Bear, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Paolo Nutini, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Angus and Julia Stone, Steve Smyth, The Black Keys' replacement British India and more. There’s more of an emphasis than usual on young blood and recent charttoppers this year. That said, the legendary George Clinton with his Parliament/Funkadelic will be delivering an ample dose of '70s psychedelic, roller-skating-worthy funk and Paul Kelly (who seems perpetually both classic and contemporary) will be serving up some Merri Soul Sessions, in the star-studded company of Dan Sultan, Kira Puru and Vika and Linda Bull. Then there’s Train, Xavier Rudd and the United Nations, Trombone Shorty and New Orleans Avenue, Rebelution, Soja, The Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Beth Hart, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, Mariachi El Bronx, G. Love and Special Sauce, Pokey Lafarge, Band of Skulls and Rockwiz Live. The only difficult news in all of this is that ticket prices have crept up (you can’t say you weren’t warned!). BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2015 LINEUP: The Black Keys Angus & Julia Stone Boy & Bear Sticky Fingers Frank Yamma Delta Rae Wagons Skipping Girl Vinegar Marlon Williams & The Yarra Benders Kristy Lee Genevieve Chadwick Dewayne Everettsmith The Bella Reunion Luluc James T. Matt Andersen Shaun Kirk Eddie Boyd & The Phatapillars Hozier The Waterboys Switchfoot Hunter Hayes Fly My Pretties Music Maker Presents Super Chikan And Vasti Jackson Diesel Jeff Lang Phil Wiggins & Dom Turner Watussi (Final Performances) Nikki Hill The Rumjacks Lenny Kravitz The Gipsy Kings (feat. Nicolas Reyes & Tonino Baliardo) Rodrigo Y Gabriela Jurassic 5 (Now also performing on Thursday night) John Mayall Keb Mo Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin with the Guilty Ones JJ Grey & Mofro Tony Joe White Jon Cleary Trevor Hal Serena Ryder Jake Shimabukuro Music Maker Foundation (feat. Cool John Ferguson, Little Freddie King, Alabama Slim, George Stancell) Michael Franti's Soulshine Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals Paolo Nutini David Gray Ben Howard Counting Crows Jimmy Cliff Mavis Staples Gary Clark Jr Dispatch Ruthie Foster The Beat Keziah Jones Playing For Change The Black Keys Zac Brown Band Alabama Shakes Train Michael Franti & Spearhead George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic Paul Kelly Presents The Merri Soul Sessions feat Dan Sultan, Kira Puru, & Vika And Linda Bull Xavier Rudd and The United Nations Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue Rebelution Soja The Chris Robinson Brotherhood Beth Hart Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls Mariachi El Bronx G. Love & Special Sauce Pokey Lafarge Band Of Skulls Rockwiz Live Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires Augie March Donavon Frankenreiter Melbourne Ska Orchestra Justin Townes Earle Declan Kelly Presents Diesel n’Dub (Featuring Emma Donovan, Alex Lloyd, Pat Powell, Radical Son, Tony Hughes) Ash Grunwald Blue King Brown The Beautiful Girls Steve Smyth Karl S. Williams British India Bluesfest 2015 will run April 2 – 6 2015 at Tyagarah Tea Tree Farm, Byron Bay. More details and ticket info here. Image: Bluesfest.
If there's one place in New South Wales — well, besides Sydney — that's embraced the state's newly liberated small bar culture, it's Wollongong. Like that of the harbour city, The Gong's night life used to be all about rowdy pubs and dance clubs. Now, we're not saying there's anything wrong with that — sometimes, there's no better way to end a working week than sinking a few and tutting like you're Taylor Swift in utter anonymity — but, like the great Latin writer Publilius Syrus quipped: "The most delightful pleasures cloy without variety". And during the past decade Wollongong, which you'll find just a 90-minute drive south of Sydney, has diversified. In the city's easily walkable centre, you'll stumble across a bluesy whiskey den, a laneway warehouse plastered with street art, a pocket-sized wine bar with a giant-sized wine list, a hatted hideaway serving French degustations and a waterfront pub championing microbrews. And that's just the start of it. Beyond the streetscape, there are beaches, mountains and woodlands galore. In one weekend, you can ride a horse through rainforest, picnic by a waterfall, cruise clifftops on the back of a Harley, loop de loop in a WW2 biplane and, needless to say, take your pick of beaches to swim at. Speaking of which, Wollongong's sandy coastline gives you two options, north and south of Flagstaff Point. On one side, there's the calm, swimmer-friendly North Beach, while on the other is the wild, 3.1-kilometre long City Beach. For more, skip town to visit the string of seaside villages that make up the outer northern suburbs, watched over by the spectacular, 400-metre high, sandstone Illawarra Escarpment. Here's your guide to eating, drinking and adventuring your way through a Wollongong sleepover. [caption id="attachment_569010" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Sage Hotel via Wotif[/caption] STAY To wake up just a stumble away from a swim, check into the Sage. Once known as the Chifley and taken over by Silver Needle Hotels in 2015, this four star, 11-storey, 168 room hotel is across the road from City Beach. For fantasy novel-inspiring panoramas of a morning mist-enshrouded Mount Keira, ask for a north facing balcony room or suite. Wherever you are, you'll get invigorating ocean breezes, a super comfy bed, a 40-inch tele and cosy armchairs. When the surf's too rough for a dip, plunge into the spacious lap pool. Buffet brekkie — served on the hotel's Five Islands Terrace — comes with dazzling ocean views, while downstairs at Cold Water Creek Restaurant and Bar, you can slip into a red-cushioned booth anytime and build your own burger. [caption id="attachment_569278" align="alignnone" width="1280"] South Coast Bike Hire[/caption] DO To make zipping around town a cinch, rent a bicycle from South Coast Bike Hire, who'll deliver the bike to your doorstep. Stick to scooting from one bar to another or, if you're keen to counter your excesses with a workout, conquer the waterfront cycleway, which runs between Port Kembla and Thirroul, where you can cool off in a 1930s ocean pool, grab a coffee at Gidget's, browse local art or take a surfing lesson with Illawarra Surf Academy. All in all, Wollongong has 42 kilometres of shared paths. For more scenery (at a much faster speed) take a High Adrenaline Ride and Fly Tour. Just Cruisin' Tours' Steve Melchior will roll up at your hotel, pop you on the back of his Harley and lead you on a twisting, turning, coast-hugging journey along Grand Pacific Drive, which runs as far north as the Royal National Park. Hold on when you hit Sea Cliff Bridge, a dizzying series of curves suspended 665 metres above the ocean, backdropped by sheer cliffs. If you're travelling with a mate, book the Boom Trike. [caption id="attachment_569088" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Southern Biplanes[/caption] Afterwards — or perhaps before — Steve will transport you to Southern Biplane Adventures, where you'll jump aboard a fire truck-red biplane known as Lilly Warra. She's a bonafide World War Two veteran, built in 1943 to perform military aerobatics. Your pilot will strap you into the open-air cockpit and take you soaring hundreds of metres above the Illawarra coastline. Just how gnarly things get is up to you; settle in for a straightforward right-way-up joy flight or order as many tricks as you can handle, from a wingover (a steep climb followed by a sideways fall) to a loop de loop (a 360-degree, upside down turn). To see the Lilly Warra — and hundreds of other stunt planes — in action, head to Wollongong on the weekend of April 30 for the annual Wings Over Illawarra Air Show. And, for a journey through Australia's aviation history, swing by the nearby Historical Aircraft Restoration Society Museum, where you can sit in the cockpit of a Vietnam War fighter jet. [caption id="attachment_569102" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Otford Farm[/caption] Done with the adrenaline pumping? Make tracks to Otford Farm to explore at a gentler pace. This Lords of the Rings-esque property is home to 40 or so horses, who spend most of their time roaming freely across its 300 acres, but will cheerfully take you for a ride if you ask nicely. The three-hour Bald Hill Adventure trail ride is a magical journey through dense rainforest, alongside babbling creeks and across open woodlands. You'll stop at the hang gliding mecca of Bald Hill Lookout and the pretty Kellys Falls Picnic Area on the way. Short on time or not ready to commit to 180 minutes on horseback? Book a one- or two-hour stroll instead. [caption id="attachment_569091" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Caveau[/caption] EAT UK-born Peter Sheppard was just a kid when he decided to become a chef. Some years later, after training at Sydney's Banc, he moved to Wollongong, where he opened Caveau in 2004. In 2005, his French-inspired creations earned a Good Food and Travel Guide Chef Hat — and they've won one every single year since then. Any day of the week, plonk down on a turquoise polka dot chair in one of the hushed, dark dining rooms and work your way through a seven-course degustation. Like the furniture, the plates are splashed with bright colours, from brilliant purple baby beets to bright red heirloom tomatoes to vibrant warrigal greens. Sheppard sources local, organic produce and pursues a nose-to-tail philosophy, ensuring nothing is wasted. Vegetarians can expect to be treated with equal respect as carnivores; the meat-free degustation is not just an afterthought, but a masterpiece in itself. For a more casual chow down in an epic setting, there's Three Chimneys. Hidden down an alleyway and covered in street art, it's a former warehouse turned hospitality kingdom, incorporating not only a restaurant and bar, but also a coffee roastery, bakery and live music venue. Flop onto a corner couch and keep to yourself, get loud at a communal table or hit the dancefloor. The share plate menu is made up of tasty, tasty morsels in generous portions, from 12-hour braised lamb sliders to crumbed camembert with cranberry sauce. [caption id="attachment_569139" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Diggies[/caption] Several cafes serve up high quality breakfasts and lunches. To start your morning right — that is, overlooking North Beach — reserve a spot at Diggies. Local brothers Stan and Aaron Crinis have been feeding ravenous surfers in this airy, heritage-listed, former cottage for more than a decade. Dig into brioche toast with strawberry compote and mascarpone cheese or sweet corn fritters with a poached egg, sour cream, smoked salmon and a rocket and zucchini salad, and you'll be ready for anything the day throws at you. [caption id="attachment_569133" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Humber[/caption] At Humber, a three-level, triangular cafe-bar in an 80-year-old building, slide onto a jade banquette and tuck into a plate of slow-baked ocean trout with eggs, or a dish called Mushroom Thyme, which features five types of local mushies. At least 50 percent of all produce comes from within a 100-kilometre radius. On the third floor, there's a lovely, laidback rooftop bar serving cocktails and tapas by evening. Throughout April, the eatery will hold Humberfest, which will see a slew of special events, from yoga lessons to mixology classes to movie nights, come to life. [caption id="attachment_569143" align="alignnone" width="1280"] lee and me[/caption] Just down the road in an 1890s terrace house, you'll find lee and me, recognisable from the bicycle in the window. There's a cafe downstairs and a retail space called THE STORE upstairs. So, you can contemplate buying fresh flowers and cool furniture, in between nibbling away on a shredded chicken sub with pickled carrot, or a roast lamb toastie with baba ghanoush, onion jam and Gruyère. Owners Benny and Naomi Hudson have a second outpost in the form of laneway burger joint His Boy Elroy, which turns classics into fun new inventions. The Heisenburg-er, for example, is packed with southern fried chicken, iceberg lettuce, hot sauce and a secret blue sauce. Take the Grand Pacific Drive back to Sydney to stop in at Thirroul (we recommend Postmans Quarter in an old 19th century building that used to house a bank) and/or one of the most spectacularly-located pubs in Australia, The Scarborough Hotel. Passing by on a clear day? Bags a table on the top floor terrace, order a seafood plate and a bottle of sparkling, and don't make any plans to go anywhere else until sundown. Should you miss out on the terrace, a table in the vast, grassy beer garden is a happy second prize — and there are Pacific Island-style thatched huts for groups. [caption id="attachment_569136" align="alignnone" width="1280"] The Throsby[/caption] DRINK For a pre-dinner wine or a quiet chat, slip into The Throsby, a 50-seater bar that's been keeping locals hydrated since December 2014. Owners Erick Zevallos and Maddie Sullivan have taken care of every detail, from the Scandi-style high stools to the hanging plants to the 53 variety-strong wine list showcasing small winemakers from all over the world. Later on, venture to dimly-lit Howlin' Wolf to sample the ever-changing 100+ whisky collection — and if you visit on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night, you'll be able to kick back to live music. [caption id="attachment_569137" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Illawarra Brewing Co.[/caption] Meanwhile, you'll get a view with your brew with a view at The Illawarra Brewery, just opposite City Beach (and not far from the Sage Hotel). Claim an outdoor seat and work your way through a tasting paddle, which covers a handful of offerings from the Illawarra Brewing Company brewhouse. In-house bistro Smoking Barrels dishes up a stack of exceptionally moreish American-style creations, including a salt and chilli-fried soft shell crab burger and sticky barbecue hot wings with smoked mayo. If you're wondering why the meat's so full of flavour, it's all slow-cooked in their custom made, Texan-style smoker. To find out more about the brewhouse, drop by its headquarters in North Wollongong, where you'll meet brewer Dave McGrath, watch the brewing process in motion and taste to your heart's content. Walking in, you'll notice a basketball hoop — manage three slam dunks and you'll be taking home a free growler, filled with your beer of choice. The Chuck Norris is very, very hard to go past. [caption id="attachment_569280" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Jonathan Mueller via Flickr[/caption] LET'S DO THIS; GIVE ME THE DETAILS Wollongong is about 90 minutes south of Sydney. You can drive or take the South Coast Line train from Sydney's Central Station to Wollongong Station. Jasmine travelled as a guest of Destination NSW. Top image: Maksym Kozlenko via Wikimedia Commons.
Tickled is, to put it mildly, pretty bloody weird. Brilliant and fascinating, sure, but also bloody weird. Directed by New Zealand journalist David Farrier along with fellow first-time filmmaker Dylan Reeve, the documentary purports to be about a strange and some would say rather homoerotic subculture that the pair discovered after stumbling across an online ad — an ad offering to fly young, fit men out to Los Angeles where they would be tied down and tickled on camera. In truth, however, the tickling is merely the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, Farrier and Reeve had barely started their investigation when they began receiving threatening emails from Jane O'Brien Media, the company responsible for the ads. Before long, the filmmakers found themselves neck deep in a story of bullying, intimidation, sexual fetishes and a search for the truth — one that is still very much ongoing, despite the film being out in theatres as we speak. Prior to the documentary's release, we sat down with Farrier at the Melbourne International Film Festival, where we spoke about everything from his first run-in with Jane O'Brien media, to being sued for defamation, to the moment when the film's villain crashed a Q&A screening in LA. Like we said… bloody weird. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOBXuCYB4jQ WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY "All I've done for the last ten years are these two minute whacky subculture stories, and I just thought this would be one of those," says Farrier, when we ask about the origins of the project. "But that response I got back was so strange. I just remember being so blown away by it. And it happened very quickly. Within the first week I was getting legal threats." The threats weren't just legal, but personal too, attacking Farrier for being gay and even going after Reeves' wife and children. "I got quite upset," admits Farrier. "It was really stressful. It's hard to get across how non-stop all those emails were. It was unrelenting." Of course, the irony is that, had the company not reacted so viciously, Farrier would have probably dropped the whole thing. "If they'd responded like normal humans, there would have been no documentary. Even if they'd just said, 'We're a bit busy,' I probably would have just moved on to something else," he says. The other tipping point was when the pair found upwards of 50 websites featuring videos of former tickling competitors, complete with their names and personal information. "It was just a really clear example of doxing, where you suddenly had people's cell phone numbers and addresses, and all their tickling videos, mixed in with a whole bunch of lies about them," says Farrier. "Once Dylan found those domain names, that [existed] purely to bully people, we thought that a film was what we could use to expose this." A QUESTION OF ETHICS One of the challenges of making Tickled was the fact that many of its subjects — the people who worked for O'Brien, if she even existed — didn't want to be filmed. "When you're making a film about people who don't want a film made about them, there's going to be ethical questions," says Farrier. "If someone says, 'We don't want to be on camera, we don't want to give you an interview,' then of course you have to [ask], 'Okay, is there no film? Or do you proceed on and record them anyway?" Watching the film, you get the distinct sense that Farrier wanted to give his subjects a taste of their own medicine — that after exploiting and publicly humiliating so many people, it was high time sometime turned the camera on them. Ultimately, Farrier stands by the decisions he and Reeve made, saying that they were conscious of "the bigger picture, of what we wanted to expose," adding that he feels "very comfortable about the direction we took things." When asked to speculate on the motivations of the person who (the film purports) sits at the centre of the conspiracy, Farrier smiles before offering a carefully worded response. "I've already been sued twice for defamation, so I can't talk on my opinion on any of the characters in the film," he says. "I'd like to. I've got a lot of theories." THE STORY CONTINUES As strange as the content of documentary may seem, what's happened since the release has arguably been even stranger. Not only have the filmmakers been sued, but a website has appeared — www.tickledmovie.info — that aims to discredit the film. But the most surprising moment came at a screening in Los Angeles back in June, when two of the major players from Jane O'Brien media showed up unannounced and got into a heated discussion with Reeve. The film's US distributor posted footage of the confrontation on Facebook and, like everything else in this story, it is absolutely bizarre. "It's publicity for us, to the level where people think we've hired actors to do it," says Farrier. "I don't know. We're dealing with people who aren't fully grounded in reality, and who don't fully understand how the online world works… I genuinely don't think they were expecting us to have cameras there, but I'm sorry, you can live stream from your cell phone." Fittingly, Tickled is very much a film about that online world, and how it has become a breeding ground for harassment. "I think people respond to the film because we're super aware of online bullying at the moment," says Farrier. "It's always existed, but it seems to have reached a kind of extreme, whether it's Gamergate or this hate campaign against females because they're in a Ghostbusters film. We're at this peak level of harassment, and I think this is just another crazy reminder of that." Tickled is in cinemas now. Read our full review here.
The glitz! The glamour! The millionaires patting each other on the back! Yes dear friends, the Academy Awards are getting closer by the day. This year's nominations range from big, populist blockbusters to itsy bitsy indie films, once again celebrating the very best that Hollywood has to offer. As long as what it has to offer was...y'know...white. The #OscarsSoWhite problem has become one of a number of talking points in the wake of the recent nominations, along with the dodgy shut-out of critical darling Carol and the hype around Leonardo DiCaprio. He's finally going to win you guys! While a few of the nominees, including Room and Steve Jobs, are yet to reach our shores, we've otherwise managed to see just about everything in contention. And after running them all through our Oscar predicting super computer, here's how we think Hollywood's night of nights is going to pan out. BEST PICTURE The Nominees The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room, Spotlight. What Will Win This is going to be a close one. Although it won't be released in Australia until the end of January, journalism drama Spotlight was thought to be leading the race, until The Revenant swooped in and nabbed the top prize at the Golden Globes. And with the most nominations out of this year's Oscar contenders, we reckon momentum is only going to build. The Revenant by a nose. What Should Win Putting aside our national bias, it's pretty obvious that Mad Max: Fury Road should take home the big banana. It's thrilling, inventive and phenomenally made, and was a hit with critics and audiences alike. Not only that, but the film's strong feminist overtones and kickass female characters are exactly the kind of thing that Hollywood needs to reward. The Snubs The biggest snub of the bunch is undoubtedly Carol. Todd Haynes' lesbian romance set in 1950s New York has been rightfully adored by critics, and its surprising omission here is seen as a sign by many that Oscar voters still aren't ready to embrace queer stories. So much for liberal Hollywood. It's also disappointing not to see Creed or Straight Outta Compton nominated, as two of the best reviewed and most popular films of the year about people of colour. Hell, even a Star Wars nom would have been something. BEST DIRECTOR The Nominees Lenny Abrahamson (Room), Alejandro G. Inarritu (The Revenant), Tom McCarthy (Spotlight), Adam McKay (The Big Short), George Miller (Mad Max: Fury Road). Who Will Win This race will likely come down to George Miller for Mad Max and Alejandro G. Inarritu for The Revenant. Both men made ambitious, visually spectacular films, something the Academy increasingly tends to reward. The fact that Inarritu won last year for Birdman might make some voters want to look elsewhere, but we're still tipping him to go back-to-back. Who Should Win George Miller. He's a veteran of the industry, and unlike Inarritu, there's more to his movie that just style for the sake of style. Here's hoping George can become the first Australian ever to win Best Director. Celebratory Mad Max screening at our place if he does! The Snubs Most people assumed Ridley Scott would get a nomination for his rock solid work on The Martian. Todd Haynes for Carol is likewise a very disappointing omission, as is Ryan Coogler for Creed. The fact that the category is entirely male is more a condemnation of the wider film industry than it is of Oscar voters... although it's certainly depressing none the less. BEST ACTRESS The Nominees Cate Blanchett (Carol), Brie Larson (Room), Jennifer Lawrence (Joy), Charlotte Rampling (45 Years), Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn). Who Will Win While Cate Blanchett seemed like an early favourite for her sublime work in Carol, the scales appear to be tipping in favour of Brie Larson in Room. She's coming fresh off a win at the Golden Globes, and the film obviously resonated with Academy voters given its unexpected nomination for Best Director as well as Best Picture. Who Should Win The good thing about this category is that there really is no bad option. For our money Blanchett is still the strongest contender, but we'd be just as happy seeing it go to any one of them. The Snubs There's a strong argument that both Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara should be here, for their work in The Danish Girl and Carol, but their respective studios successfully campaigned to have them nominated for Best Supporting Actress instead. And let's face it, it just wouldn't be the Oscars without a little bit of category fraud. BEST ACTOR The Nominees Bryan Cranston (Trumbo), Matt Damon (The Martian), Leonardo DiCaprio (The Revenant), Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs), Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl). Who Will Win Leonardo DiCaprio, although it would be kind of funny if he didn't. His turn in The Revenant is far from his best work, but it's exactly the kind of big, committed performance that the Academy tends to favour. Subtlety be damned! Honestly, the field is pretty weak this year. Michael Fassbender is reportedly great in Steve Jobs, but the buzz around the film is basically non-existent. Who Should Win Honestly, anyone aside from Eddie Redmayne for his insipid work in the regressive, cliché-riddled transgender weepie The Danish Girl. How anyone thinks that's a good performance is just totally beyond us. Just give it to Leo. Think of how happy it'll make him. The Snubs Steve Jobs isn't out in Australia until February, but it's hard to imagine Fassbender gives a better performance as the Apple co-founder than he does as Macbeth in Justin Kurzel's phenomenal Shakespeare adaptation. Michael B. Jordan is terrific in Creed, and there's been a lot of good said about Will Smith in the NFL medical drama Concussion as well. BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS The Nominees Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight), Rooney Mara (Carol), Rachel McAdams (Spotlight), Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl), Kate Winslet (Steve Jobs). Who Will Win Putting aside the dodgy Oscar politics that sees Mara and Vikander nominated in the wrong category, we suspect this award will go to the actress from Carol. That said, it's entirely conceivable that Vikander or Winslet could swoop in for the steal. Who Should Win Rooney Mara is wonderful in Carol, and a very deserving recipient. If you're looking for something a little bolder, we'd go with Jennifer Jason Leigh, who steals The Hateful Eight from her seven male co-stars. The Snubs It was always a long shot, but we'd have been thrilled to see transgender actress Mya Taylor score a nomination for her remarkable turn in Sean Baker's Tangerine. The other disappointing omission is Kristen Stewart. You may scoff, but her work in Clouds of Sils Maria is a total revelation. BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR The Nominees Christian Bale (The Big Short), Tom Hardy (The Revenant), Mark Ruffalo (Spotlight), Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Sylvester Stallone (Creed). Who Will Win Unless The Revenant makes a clean sweep and thus the award goes to Tom Hardy, we expect to see this trophy in the hands of Sylvester Stallone. Everybody in Hollywood loves him, and he's genuinely terrific in Creed. Besides, his acceptance speech at the Golden Globes was absolutely adorable. Who wouldn't want to see more of that? Who Should Win Seriously, did you see that acceptance speech!? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs3aqt4O4ng The Snubs The most notable absence is Idris Elba, who was widely expected to be nominated for his chilling turn in Netflix's Beasts of No Nation. Are you noticing a theme here? It's also a little surprising that Michael Keaton missed out for his work in Spotlight, and we'd have loved to see Benicio Del Toro, for Sicario, and Michael Shannon, for 99 Homes, make the cut as well. BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY The Nominees Bridge of Spies, Ex Machina, Inside Out, Spotlight, Straight Outta Compton. What Will Win Spotlight seems like an easy pick here. The story, about a newspaper investigation into sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, is just the right mix of worthy and compelling, plus the screenplay categories are often the place where the Academy gives its consolation prize to the film that missed out on Best Picture. What Should Win As much as we liked Spotlight, for us this award deserves to go to the folks behind Inside Out. Once again, Pixar have demonstrated that children's films don't need to talk down to their intended audience, and that it's possible to craft jokes that both kids and adults will enjoy. Inside Out is one of the funniest films of the year, while at the same time dealing with concepts of grief and loss with a level of maturity that puts most grownup movies to shame. We also really liked Ex Machina, but this should go to Pixar, not close. The Snubs Although it's divided critics and may be too controversial for some, Quentin Tarantino's savage, racially-charged western The Hateful Eight deserved to at least get a nomination. We'd have loved to see absurdist black comedy The Lobster get some attention too, but honestly that was never particularly likely. BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY The Nominees The Big Short, Brooklyn, Carol, The Martian, Room. What Will Win Adam McKay's financial crisis comedy The Big Short is the frontrunner in this category. It's smart, funny and has just the right amount of righteous indignation, which Oscar voters tend to love. The Martian and Room also seem like reasonable possibilities. What Should Win The more we think about it, the more we like The Martian in this category. It's funny, it's thrilling, it's wonderfully optimistic, and in an age of increasing anti-intellectualism, it actually makes science seem cool. The Snubs Aaron Sorkin seemed like a lock for his work on Steve Jobs, but as mentioned above the movie just didn't seem to resonate with viewers. We'll also give one final plug to Macbeth, for stripping Shakespeare down to its raw, grim essentials. The winners of the 88th Academy Awards will be revealed on February 28.
Chef Matt Stone wants to you to make a bar out of your own backyard. Really. Melbourne's young gun head chef of Victoria's Oakridge winery, Stone made his industry name as head chef of Joost Bakker's Greenhouse, Silo and Brothl, then as the culinary brains behind IconPark's Sydney pop-up Stanley Street Merchants and a MasterChef regular. At his core, Stone's a stickler for ethical and sustainable cooking, so he's just released his first cookbook The Natural Cook to help fuel some of that philosophy in everyday Aussie kitchens. The (extremely well photographed) cookbook's brimming with recipes meant to make you rethink food, bring you back to basics, try traditional techniques, adopt new sustainable cooking habits and make the best of the bounty of native ingredients Australia's got going on (one of the most sustainable ways Australians can cook). Of course, the book champions Stone's infamous 'zero-waste' philosophy, whether you're making yoghurt, pickling things or making a Bloody Mary. We've taken a couple of recipes out of of Stone's book, to show you how easy it is to incorporate native Australian ingredients into your everyday — well, into your cocktails in particular. Here's a little humdinger of a recipe for a Bloody Mary using native Australian spices — a truly homegrown breakfast of champions. Once you've crafted this gem, try making Stone's ant-rimmed Aussie South Side too (recipe over here). NATIVE SPICED BLOODY MARY "For a fresh kick, you can also add finely chopped veggies such as tomato, cucumber, celery and chilli. Hangover be gone!" INGREDIENTS Serves one ice 3 dried bush tomatoes 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) vodka 15 ml (½ fl oz) lemon juice 6 dashes of Worcestershire sauce 5 dashes of Tabasco sauce (or other hot sauce) 2 large pinches of ground pepperberry, plus extra to garnish 2 large pinches of Australian Seven Spice (recipe below) (see page 211), plus extra to garnish 1 pinch of pink salt, plus extra to garnish 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) tomato juice celery stalk or cucumber slice, to garnish Fill a serving glass with ice and let it stand. Muddle the bush tomatoes, and any other vegetables you feel like, in your cocktail shaker. Add all the other ingredients except the garnishes to the shaker and fill with ice. Slowly 'roll' your shaker end over end to mix and chill the ingredients without frothing things. Taste-test with a straw and add additional Tabasco if you'd like it spicier. Discard the ice from the serving glass and replace with fresh ice. Single-strain the liquid into the serving glass. Add the celery stalk or cucumber slice and finish with a pinch of salt, pepperberry and Australian seven spice. Note: Online bush food specialists offer a variety of Aussie fruits, herbs and spices, including bush tomatoes and pepperberries. HOW TO MAKE MATT STONE'S AUSTRALIAN SEVEN SPICE This is my version of Chinese five spice and it's perfect on barbecued meats, vegetables and fried bugs. If you don't feel like eating bugs with your beer then perhaps try it rubbed into barbecued chicken wings or slow-cooked beef ribs. The individual spices can vary due to season, availability and personal taste, so think of this as a rough guide. Use double the amount of mountain pepper if you like your spice mixes hot. 1 tablespoon ground bush tomato 1 tablespoon ground lemon myrtle 1 tablespoon ground wattleseed 1 tablespoon ground pepper leaf 1½ tablespoons ground mountain pepperberries 2 teaspoons ground aniseed myrtle 1 tablespoon ground mangrove myrtle Note: While most of the Australian ingredients used in this book can be substituted with something non-native, this is the one recipe I urge you to stick to (otherwise it will become 'mostly Australian seven spice'). Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container or jar. Recipe and image from The Natural Cook by Matt Stone (Murdoch Books). Photography by Mark Roper RRP $39.99 available now in all good bookstores and online.
It's that time of year where you should probably start getting your New Year's Eve plans in order. To help you out, Beyond the Valley has just announced the lineup for their celebrated four-day festival in Lardner, Victoria and it's pretty.bloody.good. Just two years old, the Victorian festival is fresh on the New Year's circuit, starting out in 2014. Despite this, they've managed to secure a rather colossal lineup featuring Hudson Mohawke, Phantogram and ZHU among plenty of others. The lineup has some solid Australian flavours, including festival favourites Sticky Fingers, Safia, Dune Rats and Alex Lahey, who absolutely killed it when she opened up Splendour in the Grass last month. We think DZ Deathrays summed it up nicely with this post: Enough chat, here's what you're after. BEYOND THE VALLEY 2016 LINEUP: Alex Lahey Bag Raiders Bakermat Chance The Rapper Dena Amy DUNE RATS DZ Deathrays Eats Everything Emma Louise Giraffage GoldLink Harts Hermitude Highasakite Hot Chip Hudson Mohawke Japanese Wallpaper Jarryd James Jme Kllo Kölsch Ladyhawke Lastlings LUNICE Montaigne Motez MSTRKRFT Oliver Huntemann Paces Pachanga Boys Hippie Dance Phantogram Running Touch Ryan Hemsworth Safia Skream Slumberjack Sonny Fodera Sticky Fingers Thundamentals TOKiMONSTA Total Giovanni Vera Blue Wafia What So Not ZHU Tickets go on sale Thursday, August 11 at 9am from beyondthevalley.com. Images: Beyond the Valley.
Ivan Sen and Aaron Pedersen have become one of the great double acts of Australian cinema. The former is a writer, director, producer, cinematographer and composer who first burst onto the scene with his debut feature Beneath Clouds, while the latter has lit up the nation's big and small screens in everything from influential crime television series Wildside to expressive Indigenous dance film Spear. Together they're the driving force behind two of the best local releases in the last four years, as well as the reason that their central character of Jay Swan is fast becoming one of the nation's enduring screen heroes. First, they collaborated on the sun-drenched western 'noir' Mystery Road. And now they're back to serve up the second chapter that is Goldstone. Like its predecessor, this companion piece explores the efforts of Pedersen's Indigenous detective as he investigates unseemly dealings in the remote reaches of the Aussie outback. But Goldstone doesn't just offer up another Swan-centric story (as pleasing as that concept is). No, once again, it not only navigates the country's distinctive landscape, but also provides a politically-charged examination of the complex state of the nation's race relations in the process. With the feature currently screening in Australian cinemas, Ivan and Aaron sat down with Concrete Playground to discuss the conflicts of their protagonist, the process of making movies in the middle of nowhere and what comes next for the duo. ON TELLING POLITICALLY CHARGED STORIES WITHIN GENRE CONFINES Ivan: "It's all inbuilt into the fabric of the character. He's a character who's a political character. He's an Indigenous police officer, and those two words together immediately creates a conflict within him — and there's a conflict on each side of him. Not many people trust a black cop from the Aboriginal perspective, and he's looked at with suspicion from the white side as well. They see him as a tool for them to liaise with the community, whereas he's actually there in the centre trying to help this community and keep people from being locked up. So he's just got all these political, social aspects inbuilt. And I think that's why when you place that into a genre arena, automatically you're going to have a genre effort that's going to have political subtext that's inbuilt from the beginning." ON RETURNING TO THE CHARACTER OF JAY SWAN Ivan: [Looking at Aaron] "He wanted a job." Aaron: "Yeah, I wanted a job. Nah, look, I was very inspired by the first one. I thought it was saying a lot of things. I thought he [Jay Swan] walked quite strong in the world. And as Ivan says, he's just a good man doing the right things — and I liked that. It was a simple profile of the man, but it was such a beautiful in-depth conversation he was having about the type of person you should be in the world. So I just said 'let's do it again, brother', because it seemed like people had gravitated towards him in a lot of ways. And throughout the whole journey of Mystery Road, not one person questioned the colour of his skin — they just thought 'good on you, you're doing the right thing'. And that for me was a win — and a coup — because you're trying to paint strong, male Indigenous images that are pertinent to helping this country, rather than being looked down at as a lesser kind of a person. So I just wanted to bring him back. I thought he had an audience, and he had people there who loved him, and people wanted to see him again — there was a bit of a hunger there. And I wanted to work with Ivan again, which not a lot of actors get the chance to do. So, it was a great chance to work with him again. And Ivan's note was: 'well, we just fuck it up a bit. We reshape it. We make it more jagged — and make a different film'. And the truth is, it works — you know? He's a little bit more damaged, but people are with him, so immediately people are emotionally connected, like 'whoa, what's going on here?' So he's already got friends and family in amongst audiences, so it felt like a no-brainer really. Obviously it's a lot of work to do it, whether you ask it or not. Ivan had a couple of other projects he was working on that didn't go the way he thought they might at the time, so it opened the door to write it. He sat down in a small period time — less than a fortnight — and penned the film, and then called me and said 'wrote it, bro'. And I was like 'yes! Here we go!' It's one thing to ask [for a second film], but it takes a lot to [actually] do it. So I asked the question and Ivan did the hard work for it. I'm glad I asked him. I didn't push it too much, but I wanted to see if he thought it was possible. For me, Ivan is heading in a direction that, if I don't catch him and ask him to do it now, then the stratosphere is his world. In years to come, it might be something we revisit later, but it was worth asking now." ON SHOOTING THE FILM IN OUTBACK QUEENSLAND Ivan: "To us, it's nowhere. Middleton's a pub, right? There's three people who live there. To us, it's just land. There's nothing there — there's no services. There's nothing that you need to look after a crew and house them and all that stuff. And we had to actually build the sets as well as our accommodation. To shoot a film out there, full-time, for under $3 million is unbelievable. It feels like a much bigger film than what it is. It's a couple of hundred grand more than my first film in 2002. And to look at it, it's quite an epic film." Aaron: "And we worked every day, really." Ivan: "Me doing five jobs helps the budget — I don't get the money for that, by the way." ON TRYING TO MAKE GOLDSTONE BOTH MORE POLITICAL AND MORE ACCESSIBLE THAN MYSTERY ROAD Ivan: "It's another stepping stone to a wider audience...and that's partly why I wanted it to be a two-hander. So Alex Russell [who plays Goldstone's only permanent cop], his character is white, with a country background, and people connect with him. As they do Jacki Weaver, as they do to David Wenham. So that was all conscious, you know. And you've got [Indigenous actors] Tommy Lewis and David Gulpilil on the other side. And Cheng Pei-pei. It's inviting the audience in to see different perspectives. I was joking out on location that it's like a trifle. You've got your favourite piece of the trifle — whether it is the cake or the jelly or the custard — and you go for your favourite bit. But at the same time you're going to taste the custard and the cake as well." Aaron: "I like trifle." Ivan: "It was a very consciously-made trifle." ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A THIRD FILM Aaron: "I've already planted that one, too. But it's true. What happens in our careers — whether my career or Ivan's — is unbeknown, but I know Ivan is a great creator of his own destiny too. So the question is asked for that reason — but where's the window for it? That's really all it is, because I know maybe he'd love to revisit it or even just look at it, but where's the window for it? I asked the question a lot earlier in the piece. We had the discussion in the Middleton pub during the shooting of this one and talked about it in bits and pieces over the whole shoot. So, the seed has been planted and there's a little bit of watering going on, but it's just a matter of where the window is." Ivan: "I had an idea, actually, about two years or a year and a half ago about a story — and after talking to Aaron out on location I realised that that story could be the basis of another. I mean, that story could've involved Aaron and just a totally different character, but we could see how [this story and Jay Swan] could interconnect...And the whole thing would be quite radical. And very different to the other two films as well. And extremely political." Aaron: "Extremely political. It's outrageous." Ivan: "It'll blow the walls out. But in saying that, it's extremely accessible at the same time because of that. Because that outrageousness is also what's attractive at the same time." Aaron: "Yeah, totally. Look, there's a lot of unanswered questions still, as there was in the first. And the first and second complement each other in a lot of ways, and they're separate, too. It's just about the time it takes place. In the three years since Ivan and I did the last one, our worlds have shifted — personally and privately — and that happens with the characters too. And they can shift quite enormously, and there can be quite the chasm between them. I always say this: look at the last image of Mystery Road and the first image of Goldstone. There's this chasm. You go 'hang on, have I missed a film here? What the hell happened? That's not the same person'. But it is. There's great beauty in how people make that connection, too. So, whatever that is, the leap that we're talking about won't feel ridiculous — it'll feel like life has taken place, and things have happened. And that's exciting too, because the excitement of shooting this film was the fact that it's the same character, but it was like you stepped onto another planet." Goldstone is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
Foodies, pay attention, because have we got news for you. Chef Rene Redzepi, the man behind Noma and its super expensive, impossible to get into Sydney Harbour spinoff, is organising a day-long symposium featuring some of the biggest names in food. Set to take place at the Sydney Opera House on Sunday, April 3, MAD SYD: Tomorrow's Meals will welcome a number of world renowned chefs and culinary professionals for "a day of talks and ideas exploring the future of food". Confirmed speakers include Redzepi, David Chang (Momofuku), Kylie Kwong (Billy Kwong) and Massimo Bottura (Italy's Osteria Francescana), as well as food activist Chido Govera and social researcher Rebecca Huntley. MAD is heading down under! On April 3rd we will present our first large scale public event at the Sydney Opera House - visit madfeed.co for more info #MADSYD A photo posted by MAD (@themadfeed) on Feb 5, 2016 at 9:40am PST Founded by Redzepi, MAD (the Danish word for 'food') is a non-profit organisation that, according to their website, "works to expand knowledge of food to make every meal a better meal; not just at restaurants, but every meal cooked and served". They've hosted similar symposiums in Copenhagen since 2011, but this is the first time they've held one outside of the Danish capital — and the first one that will be open to the public. "Back when we started MAD in 2011, we found ourselves on a field, in heavy rain, in a tiny circus tent that ultimately collapsed during lunch,” says Redzepi. “MAD has been on an incredible journey since then, but the culmination of our long relationship with Sydney and Australia taking place in one of the world’s most iconic spaces is the greatest privilege. We cannot wait to share this day with everyone - friends and family, old and new." Anyone interested can register for pre-sale tickets through the Sydney Opera House website, and tickets will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Monday, February 22. We can only hope they don't sell out as fast as bookings to Noma Australia did. MAD SYD is happening on Sunday, April 3 — one day after the last service of Noma Australia. Register for tickets here, and keep your eyes on MAD's Facebook and Instagram for additional info. Updated: Monday, February 9. Image: Daniel Boud
It's absolutely true and absolutely about time. There's an official Hello Kitty diner coming to Sydney. Yep, it's not quite another kitten cafe, but we'll take it. Whether the establishment will be pop-up or permanent, the crew haven't revealed much at all yet, with a single Instagram post saying: The diner's Facebook page indicates the diner's cuisine will be primarily American, with hot dogs and burgers flagged; so it looks like it won't be the Hello Kitty yum cha style Hong Kong can look forward to at the world's first official Hello Kitty restaurant. This isn't the first Hello Kitty establishment for Australia — Sanrio's first licensed Australian Hello Kitty Cafe is in Adelaide, selling simply adorable cakes and baked goods. If you can't wait a few months until the Sydney diner reveals an opening date, just book a trip on the Hello Kitty airplane, regularly running from Paris to Taipei in all its Kitty glory. Watch this space for more info as it comes out, we're sure there's going to be adorable images of Hello Kitty-shaped burgs coming your way soon. Image: Hello Kitty pancake by Ellie, Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi. Not part of the upcoming menu but adorable anyway.
When you picture a summer cocktail, you'll often picture a big, colourful jug filled to the brim with summer fruit and citrus. But more often than not, this grand idea doesn't become a reality. It's hot in summer. Who can be bothered to devote time to complex cocktails? You want something simple — something light and refreshing, in a cold glass with condensation rolling down the sides. At Grey Goose's Boulangerie Bleue waterside mansion party this summer, one of the summery drinks served was the Le Grand Fizz — a refreshing combination of vodka with soda water, elderflower liqueur and lime. We asked Grey Goose's lively global ambassador Joe McCanta to show us how to make this variation on the classic vodka soda combination we know and love — so we can whip it up the next time a cocktail craving strikes us on a summer afternoon. It's simple to make. Just pop some ice into a glass, then add vodka and sweetness (in the form of St Germain elderflower liqueur). Top the drink with two wedges of fresh lime, and stir with freshly opened, fizzy soda water. The result is an easy, refreshing cocktail with citrus and floral flavours. If you've never used elderflower in a cocktail before, St Germain has a bouquet of soft, sherbet lemon notes, with pear and passionfruit. It's a floral liqueur that easily spices up a simple drink. Follow Joe, and learn to recreate the Le Grand Fizz for yourself this summer. LE GRAND FIZZ 45ml Grey Goose Vodka 20ml St Germain Elderflower Liqueur 3 lime wedges 3 wedges of fresh lime chilled soda water Build in an oversized cabernet wine glass with lots of ice. Add Grey Goose Vodka and St Germain. Squeeze two of the fresh lime wedges into the drink and discard. Top with chilled soda water. Stir and garnish with fresh lime wedge. Grey Goose Vodka's 'discover' function will tell you what cocktail you're perfectly suited for — answer four simple questions and start stirring. Dive into the luxury that your city has to offer — check out our Luxe Guide to Sydney and Melbourne. Food, spas, glamorous hotels and extraordinary experiences are waiting. Image: Steve Woodburn.
If your main quibble with dumplings is that they're gone in a brief slurpy chomp, this New York restaurant's giant xiao long bao is the big ass dump you've been waiting for. Obviously, xiao long bao dumplings (or 'XLB dump dumps') are the best kind of dumplings (wo)mankind has yet imagined. Pot stickers are great, gyoza are fantastic and steamed dump dumps are just fine but really there's no better feeling than sucking down a brothy pocket of XLB. East Village newcomer Drunken Dumpling recognises this and has supersized the XLB to monstrous proportions. The XL XLB (right on) is the size of a bamboo steamer (a god damn bamboo steamer) and served with a straw (a straw!) to suck up all the delicious broth. They've got mathematics-professor-turned-dumpling-expert Qihui Guan at the helm of the XL XLB project, to ensure the physics of the bulbous dumplings are all up to code, so don't try this one at home. Via Gothamist. Image: Josh Brusin.
Bedroom producers are the self-publishers of the music world, DIY crusaders making music on their own steam and striving to be the next Flume, Grimes or James Blake. It's a pervasive assumption that home production is a stop-gap for struggling musicians before they manage to get themselves into a professional studio. In practice, electronic music in particular lends itself beautifully to MacGyvered production methods, not just as a way to keep costs down but for the gritty imperfections that come innately from making music in a home studio. For Melbourne's phreshest electronic duo Kllo (Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul), recording in their own home bungalow was as DIY as it gets. "We used a doona as the vocal booth," laughs Chloe, explaining that DIY production helps to soften the polished and artificial sheen that stigmatises so much electronic music. "We want a homely, organic sound, so we use analogue synths and home-made sounds like beating pots and pans. We didn't want it to be too clean." Kllo are having one hell of a year. They've got two singles under their collective belt, both well received, just nailed their appearance at Splendour in the Grass (for the second time), DJed at the official Splendour pre-party, and played a killer party set at Concrete Playground and Sonos's Beach Break with Good Manners labelmate Banoffee. This August, they'll be releasing their album Well Worn and touring nationally. They're proving exactly what a couple of DIY musos with drive can do when they put their minds to it. We sat down with Kllo to mine some of their best working-from-home advice. EVEN BEDROOM PRODUCERS DON'T SLEEP WHERE THEY WORK The first thing any work-from-homer will tell you is that you should never work in bed (and not just because you will get crumbies in the sheets). In fact, this was Simon's first suggestion and a tested truism. "You've gotta separate your living and working space. It's so important, even if you've only got one room to work out of, just draw a line down it," he suggests. "I've worked out of bedrooms for a long time and when it kind of all bleeds together, it becomes unhealthy. It's nice to shut the door at the end of the day and feel like you've left work". Separating work and play is universally acknowledged as a crucial part of not completely losing your mind while working from home. To this end, Kllo work out of two spaces, the bungalow (a room off Simon's house in the 'burbs) and a studio in the CBD. "The energies are different," says Simon. "It's good to be able to walk through the city and come [to the studio] and maintain that high-paced energy. Whereas at the bungalow, it's really isolated, we can work a whole day without talking to anyone but ourselves… you can really get into your own head." TREAT YOUR CREATIVE JOB LIKE A REAL JOB Like so many things in life, a big part of a creative career is turning up. Not turning up at the clurb but physically (and mentally) turning up to your work space and grinding away even when there's no-one but yourself to report to. Throw the sporadic nature of creativity into play and the isolation of working from home and you've got yourself a bit of a quagmire. "Sometimes you can be so disciplined, but then you go to make music in your scheduled time and nothing happens," says Simon. "You can't prepare for when blocks come on." "Times like those are when it's good to do other things and then come back to it," Chloe adds. IF YOU HAVE TO PROCRASTINATE, DO IT WITH A SIT-DOWN MEAL "When we're having a mental block, we eat. We congregate in the kitchen, kettle on, lots of food and coffees. Or treats if we're really down," Chloe says "Then we try to fill ourselves with a lot of carbs and then sugar." "We tend to just have full meals," Simon adds. "A lot of breakfast foods." "We'll have a sit down meal of eggs, avocado, toast," says Chloe. "I also like a Kit Kat Chunky, Sim got me into them. I love that first bite, when it's all chocolate — so good. I've got to stop talking about this, I want one now." MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR SPACE On screen, crispy, white, Tumblr-esque minimalism is king, but in real life it's unnatural, not to mention impractical. This rings especially true for electronic musicians. "Some studios are just so sterile, a vacuum for sound and creativity," says Simon. "I think being comfortable is more important, to make sure you're comfortable and not being put off by anything." Kllo's studio in the CBD is a collaborative space where they're currently working on their album. It's a busy space, littered with knick knacks, beer cans sprouting fluffy cacti, slick high-tech gadgetry including Sonos's smart speaker system, oddments of furniture, shelves clustered with figurines and piles of gear, hedged with endless bundles of cords. In the well-walked studio space of pre-tour musicians, in the midst of promoting an upcoming album, there's no room for impractical minimalism. "But plants are good. Plants are helpful, they bring some life amongst all the metal," Chloe says. "And for us, it's important to play a lot of music at home and in the studio to get inspired and feel at home. You've gotta have a good sound system set up, for sure." DON'T BE AFRAID TO DREAM A LITTLE BIGGER What does Kllo's ideal studio look like? "I reckon it's all wood, with a nice spa," Chloe says. "Big windows and a lot of forest around it." Simon's on board with the window game. "For me it's definitely big windows and when you look out of the window there's a huge garden but then it's actually somewhere really central," he says. And an in-house chef? "Oh, of course. That would be our main thing," Chloe says "if there was an in-house chef I'd just ask him to make me cocktails all day." "I think I'd like a private Coles or Safeway downstairs too," Simon adds. We couldn't agree more. And now for a little music. Here's what Kllo are listening to right now, crank it up. Want to have studio-level sound in your own home? We're teaming up with Sonos to giveaway one of their coveted PLAY:1 speakers, valued at $299. ENTER HERE. Images: Jam on Your Collar, Alexandra Anderson.
It's happening, you guys — we've arrived. We're living in the golden era of music festivals. In the same week as Meredith, Beyond the Valley and MoVement Sydney have revealed their jam-packed programs, Lost Paradise has just released their 2016 lineup for the three-day New Year's festival. We've been dealt such a glut of quality acts it's definitely going to spoil us. But resolutions can wait. In an effort to make you NYE not the shittiest, most over-hyped night of the year, LP are bringing you a slam dunk of a headliners Sticky Fingers, Flight Facilities, Gang of Youths and Fat Freddy's Drop to ring in a most auspicious 2017. The rest of the lineup is equally impressive, a great mix of local and imported talent. This is Lost Paradise's third year and while that's quite young in festival years, they keep proving they mean business. Their ethos extends past music too and the festival — held in Glenworth Valley (just an hour north of Sydney) — is built around a mix of art, yoga, performance and food. Because there's nothing like a little yoga to dust off a festival hangover. Anyway, we know what we're here for. Check it out. LOST PARADISE 2016 LINEUP Gang of Youths Hot Chip (DJ Set) Hudson Mohawke Eats Everything Big Scary Kölsch (DJ Set) Skream Harts Montaigne, Mark Pritchard Methyl Ethel Motez Lunice Doorly Bad//Dreems Heidi Optimo Young Franco Leon Vynehall Dro Carey The Belligerents Ocean Alley Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda No Zu KLLO Set Mo Luke Million Mossy Mosquito Coast Human Movement Goodwill Wild Honey Lost Paradise will take place from December 29-31 in Glenworth Valley, NSW. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 16 through their website.
"It's one of those things where you keep pinching yourself," says director David F. Sandberg, the brains behind new 'be afraid of the dark' horror movie Lights Out. Given the whirlwind couple of years the Swedish filmmaker has experienced, his reaction is completely understandable. Back in 2013, he was an aspiring director with a love of making scary flicks and a dream to hit the big time, just like plenty of others. And then he had a great idea, made a short that took off, and his phone started ringing. Also called Lights Out, that two-and-a-half-minute effort managed to turn everyone's childhood fears of something sinister lurking in the darkness into the kind of creepy fare most horror features can't master. And one of the calls it sparked came from producer Lawrence Grey, who happened to know Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, and Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan — and the rest, as they say is history. Actually, the end result is an effective and unnerving movie that looks as spooky as it sounds, and sets actresses Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello against a shadowy figure that only appears when it's not so bright in a particular spot. With the film currently screening in Australian cinemas, we chatted with Sandberg about coming up with an attention-grabbing premise, fielding the calls that made his dreams come true, and working with one of the modern greats of the genre. ON TURNING A FEAR OF THE DARK INTO A HORROR MOVIE "It came from this thing I'm sure many people have experienced, where you turn the lights off at night and you think you sort of see something there in the shadows — and you have to turn it back on to check. And Lotta [Losten, Sandberg's wife, and the producer and star of the 2013 Lights Out short] and I had this idea: what if there actually was something there every time you turned off the lights? "We made the short for an online horror competition. We had been trying to get money to make shorts in Sweden but had been unsuccessful, so we figured let's just make them on our own — we don't need a lot of money, I have a camera and Lotta is an actress, so we can do it by ourselves. So we just had to come up with the scariest thing we could do in our apartment with just one actor, and that seemed like the perfect idea." ON GOING VIRAL — THEN GETTING CALLS FROM HOLLYWOOD "It just suddenly — after we had uploaded it to YouTube, a couple of months after that — just became this viral sensation and started getting millions of views. And all of a sudden all these people in Hollywood wanted to talk to us. And it was just insane that a two-and-a-half minute short can get so much attention, you know? "I had to make a spreadsheet with everyone I talked to and what was said last just to keep track of it all. And one of the first producers who got in touch was Lawrence Grey, and it just seemed like he knew what he was talking about — and he was very passionate about making this into a feature. So I went along with him, basically. "He knew James Wan because they had been talking about maybe doing something together. So he sent the short to James, and he had already seen it online actually and thought it was a really cool short — but he didn't know if there was enough there for a feature. So, I wrote like a treatment of what I wanted the story and the characters to be that Lawrence sent to James, and that got him on board and to maybe see that, okay, maybe this could be a feature after all." ON FINDING A FEATURE-LENGTH STORY FROM A 2.5-MINUTE SHORT "There isn't a lot of story in the short really. It is just a concept — and that was very freeing when it came time to make it into a feature because it meant that all we had to do was stay true to that concept. We didn't have a story that we had to stay true to. "Lotta and I have made movies, and we've made them really short so there hasn't been time for real stories or characters with backstories and all that. So it was like finally we could explore that aspect and really create characters that you care for — which I think is really important in a horror movie, because if you don't care about what happens to the characters, you probably won't get scared." ON WORKING WITH JAMES WAN "I was honoured that he wanted to come on board as a producer because he is like the modern horror master. And he has all these ideas and all this experience. He's created I don't know how many franchises now. And he has kind of a similar story in that he came from another country and made a short that was turned into a feature in Hollywood. "He was telling me, 'Just have fun with it, because it's a crazy business.' I tried my best, but since it was my first feature I was very stressed out, because like, this is my shot, I'd better not stuff this up, this is my one shot at Hollywood. But yeah, he was great to have as a mentor." ON HOW TO MAKE SURE 'LIGHTS OUT' MEANS LIGHTS OUT "It was very important for me that we had true darkness, because in a lot of Hollywood movies, you just have a lot of blue light and that's supposed to represent darkness — but you still see everything. So it was really important to have pitch-black darkness where any kind of evil could hide. And that took some convincing of everyone to make that happen. And also, to play with, to just have certain light sources like Martin [played by actor Gabriel Bateman] with the candle or Teresa [Palmer] with the UV light down in the basement, and to not light it apart from those lights. And again, that was a bit of an issue. "That was something that James Wan helped out with because, when I told sort of the camera crew that I wanted to have the scene lit by just candle light, they were like, 'No, no, you've gotta light the movie.' But then when we were shooting that scene, James Wan came by the set, and he was like, 'Hey, you know you should shoot that scene with just the candlelight.' And everyone's like, 'Yeah, great idea James, lets do that.' And I was like 'Oh, okay.'" ON LIVING THE DREAM (STARRING ANNABELLE) "I mean, this has all happened so fast that I still haven't really processed everything that has happened because I've only been in this country [the US] for a year and a half — and I'm already in the middle of directing my second movie [the James Wan-produced Annabelle 2, the sequel to the 2014 spin-off from The Conjuring]. I'm not really sure what's going to happen afterwards, but I'm just happy for everything that's happened so far. It's awesome. It's what I've always dreamed that I want to do. And I mean, just doing stuff like this, these interviews, just because I made a two-and-a-half minute short — it's insane. I mean, my life goal was to direct a Hollywood feature, and I've actually achieved that, which is pretty amazing." Lights Out is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
What is it? Can I sit on it? Do I put my coffee on it? Mindbending origami furniture that confuses us all is by no means a new idea, but this designer has put a stunning modern spin on a tried and true design tactic. UAE-based designer Aljoud Lootah has created a brand new furniture collection called the 'Oru Series', which both fascinates and terrifies us with its perplexing angularity. But yes, you can put your books, coffee and butt on all of them. Designed for Dubai's Design Days 2015 event, Lootah's series debuted this just week. Taking cues from the ancient Japanese art of paper folding, the bite-sized 'Oru' series is made up of a chair, table lamp, mirror and cabinet; all created from copper, felt and the glorious, glorious badassery that is teak wood. "The name 'Oru' originates from the Japanese words 'to fold', and the idea behind the designs is to show that folding a flat, two-dimensional sheet can create aesthetically appealing functional three-dimensional forms," says Lootah on her website. "The products, with their faceted design looking like complex folds but with sophisticated simplicity, are a modern interpretation of an ancient form of art." Oru collection Oru cabinet Oru lamp Oru chair Oru mirror Via Design Boom. Images: Aljoud Lootah.
With a steady string of new live venues opening across the east coast lately, seeing doors opening – rather than closing – has happily become the status quo. Alas, every now and then some bad news reminds us of the opposite extreme that we’d much rather forget. And when it comes to bad news, this could be right up there. The Music is reporting that the company behind The Hi-Fi has been placed into external administration over a dispute with a major creditor. Unable to resolve their differences with The Hi-Fi Group, the creditor has taken over running the business while a new buyer is sought. All three Australian venues have been affected, meaning Brisbane’s West End mainstay, Melbourne’s Swanston Street spot and Sydney’s recently revamped former Forum Theatre location as well. It was due to almost two decades of success in Melbourne that the company branched out into Brisbane in 2009, with Sydney following in 2012. All signs point to the venue remaining open and running — for now. "It's business as usual, see you at the gig," said a post on the venue's Facebook page. Shows are slated from now until June – including The Smith Street Band, Sticky Fingers, Seth Sentry, DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, and the only just announced debut album tour by Courtney Barnett, depending on the city, so current ticket holders should be taken care of. As for what happens after then: watch this space. Via The Music.
It's a match made in heaven: Brisbane's often sunny, just-as-often sweltering climate, and a smorgasbord of succulent seafood. More than a few places deliver when it comes to feasting on the ocean's bounty, though one type of crustacean has been woefully underrepresented. We're talking about crabs. Enter St. James Crabhouse & Kitchen, aka the city's first place to really champion everyone's favourite clawed sea critters. No prizes for guessing what this upcoming addition to Kangaroo Point's Baildon Street will serve when they open for lunch, dinner and drinks at the end of February. Whether you like crabs of the blue swimmer, spanner or Alaskan king variety, you'll find them here. You'll also find them slathered in Singapore chilli, covered in Cajun spices and butter, and bagged in lemon and champagne reduction. Yum. Those heading to a crab shack in search of something other than seafood won't be disappointed either. Keeping with the American trend that has overtaken the city, St. James will also be offering up 12-hour sous vide pork ribs and beef short ribs among its extended menu. Oh, and burgers too, because when it comes to slapping a piece of meat between two pieces of bread, Brisbane really can't get enough. Our advice: it's time to get cracking. Find St. James Crabhouse & Kitchen at Shop 5/22 Baildon Street, Kangaroo Point, from the end of February. Check out their Facebook page for more information. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
It's not just a case of the show needing to go on for the folks at the Moulin Rouge. It must, and it is. 17 years after the big-screen release of Baz Luhrmann's smash-hit movie musical, the story of doomed lovers Christian and Satine has made its way to the stage in an expectedly spectacular fashion — and now it's headed to Broadway. The lavish adaptation premiered in Boston in July, and will bow on Broadway bow from June 28, 2019. If you're planning a New York visit next year, the official opening night will take place on July 25, 2019. Moulin Rouge! the Musical follows the tale film fans fell in love with, as well as the music, with the addition of new pop tracks that have hit the airwaves in the nearly two decades since the movie's original release. It's directed by two-time Tony nominee Alex Timbers — who also has a Golden Globe to his name for co-created TV series Mozart in the Jungle — with music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by his frequent collaborator Justin Levine. Aaron Tveit (TV's Gossip Girl; stage productions of Wicked, Rent and Catch Me If You Can) will continue in the role of Christian, as played by Ewan McGregor in the movie, while Tony-winner Karen Olivo (the revival of West Side Story, In the Heights, Hamilton) keeps stepping into Nicole Kidman's shoes as Satine. "I first encountered Alex Timbers through the remarkable and inventive production of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the brilliance of Here Lies Love," said Luhrmann in a statement when the state adaptation was first announced in 2016. "I immediately recognised the young director's creative spirit and felt we shared similar sensibilities and instincts." Continuing the show's list of talent, writing duties fell upon acclaimed playwright and screenwriter John Logan, whose resume includes Skyfall, Spectre and Alien: Covenant as well as the Tony Award-winning play Red. "It's immensely gratifying to know that a new wave of artists will be leading Moulin Rouge! into its rightful theatrical realm," said Luhrmann. Tickets for the Broadway run go on sale at 10am on Monday, December 3 (US time), and you can sign up for updates now. If a trip to NY isn't on your agenda any time soon, fingers crossed that the production will make its way down under. Come what may, and all that. Image: Moulin Rouge the Musical/Matthew Murphy.
When is a trip to the barber more than just a trip to the barber? When you can watch television and play a game of pool while you wait. Or you can simply sit around on the couch and chat, if that's what you'd prefer. Brisbane's latest hairdresser isn't just somewhere to get your haircut — it's a full blown hangout spot too. Meet The Gentlemen's Club Barber Shop, a place you'll want to visit for more than getting your locks chopped. Those after a trim will find a line of comfy barber chairs just waiting for patrons to settle into. Guys keen for a close shave can brave the straight razor — and in the future, other services such as massages will also be made available. And ladies, don't be put off by the name; it might look and sound like a male-centric establishment, but women are more than welcome. In short, the new addition to the Fortitude Valley stretch of Ann Street combines an old school experience with modern creature comforts. Although to be fair, it's not the first in a fresh wave of cutting (geddit?) establishments. Earlier in 2015, ladies-only outfit Barber Girl began offering a relaxed and affordable alternative to the usual salons. Point is, when it comes to taking care of your tresses in Brisbane, one thing is for certain: if you're finding your visits to the hairdressers a little on the unexciting side, you're going to the wrong place. Find The Gentlemen's Club Barber Shop at 11/915 Ann St, Fortitude Valley, or visit their website or Facebook page for more information. Image via Dollar Photo Club.
Portraits aren’t all regal furs and awkward “Oh, didn’t see you there,” poses. They can be weird, abstract, figurative, unrecognisable, or downright adorable. That last one sums up French-born Sydney artist Bruno Jean Grasswill's portrait of Australian actor and The Castle legend Michael Caton, winner of the 2015 Packing Room Prize and one of the finalists for the Archibald Prize, announced today. One of 47 artworks picked as Archie finalists in the Art Gallery of New South Wales' annual Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes, Grasswill's portrait of Caton took home a Packing Room cash prize of $1500, judged by the gallery staff who receive, unpack and hang the entries. There's no jousting sticks in sight, but we're pretty sure this one's going to go straight to a lucky gallery's pool room. Caton apparently congratulated the AGNSW packing room staff “on their excellent taste in art.” What a boss. After 832 Archibald, 653 Wynne and 518 Sulman entries, this year, these 47 Archibald finalists are the top tier of artists trying to make us wake up and pay attention (whether for great or WTF reasons) to Australia’s big ol’ faces. It's not an easy task; capturing a realistic, unrelentingly vulnerable likeness of your own reflection, someone you’ve just met or one of your oldest buds takes a fair few stories, maybe a few beers and a willingness to tackle the intimidating notion of thinking up something new after decades of Archie winners. There's a few standouts for us this year, which you can see when the exhibition opens to the public on July 18. There's this striking portrait of Australian fashion designer Jenny Kee by Carla Fletcher: This pretty damn impressive self portrait of Australian artist and political activist Richard Bell: Adam Alcorn's sharply figurative portrait of Sydney award-winning writer, comedian, podcaster and radio host Alice Fraser: Julian Meagher's candy-coloured portrait of Daniel Johns: And Stewart MacFarlane's got Corey Bernadi holding some kind of whip? The Archibald Prize exhibition opens to the public at the AGNSW on Saturday, July 18. To view all the Archibald, Sulman and Wynne finalists, head over here. Images: Archibald Prize, AGNSW.
New South Wales' Three Blue Ducks is crossing state borders and laying down roots along the Brisbane River. The eatery has just been announced as the signature restaurant at the soon-to-launch W Brisbane this April. Set in the luxury hotel, the design will hone in on Queensland's laidback vibe and complement the brand's paddock-to-plate ethos by featuring earthy tones, hanging greenery and the use of raw materials. The restaurant is part of the lush new Brisbane Quarter development, which is slated to include an office tower, apartments and two levels of retail. Famed chefs Darren Robertson, Andy Allen and Mark LaBrooy will be serving up their signature menu of sustainably and ethically sourced eats all day, with the seasonal menu featuring local produce from both Queensland and northern New South Wales. The kitchen features a woodfired oven, a rotisserie and charcoal pit, along with a cold seafood section with Moreton Bay bugs, spanner crab and oysters on offer. Many of the venue's much loved dishes will also make an appearance, including the coal-roasted lamb with parsnip puree, burnt shallots and fresh peas; the crab scramble with green mango, bean shoot salad, house-made Sriracha and cashews; and the corn fritters with guacamole, fermented cabbage, herb salad, labneh and poached eggs. For drinks, they're slinging original cocktails, local craft beers and top-notch coffees, just like they do down south. "When approached by W Hotel to embark on a Three Blue Ducks venture in Brisbane, it was important to us to ensure that we shared the same values and sustainable business practices," says the brand's co-owner, Jeff Bennett. "Although our current venues greatly differ in aesthetic, our philosophy and ethos remain very much the same and we can't wait to work alongside W Brisbane with views over the Brisbane River." W Brisbane is set to open at 81 North Quay, Brisbane on March 15, with Three Blue Ducks opening in April. For more info on the hotel, visit the website.
When Stuart and Lucy Martin started their own brewery back in 2017, they took inspiration from an easy source: Stuart's experience as a former commercial pilot. In fact, the idea for Archer Brewing popped into Stuart's brain during a flight from Melbourne to Sydney, and their beer-making outfit takes its name from Archer planes, the first type of aircraft he ever piloted. So, setting up a new brewpub in an old World War II hangar is the natural next step. Back when Archer first took off, it made Archer's Bunker in Spring Hill its home base, nestling into the space beneath The International Hotel in Spring Hill — and even requiring beer lovers to enter via the Archer Brewing fridge, which doubled as a door. But with that spot in Archer's past itineraries since 2019, the brewery has touched down in Wilston instead. On Newmarket Road, Brisbanites will now find a 200-person beer bar in the abode that Lifeline used to call home. Archer Brewing's new location isn't the first watering hole in an old WWII-era hangar in Brisbane, but it's obviously a case of the perfect business settling into the perfect surroundings. To keep the aviation theme going, the bar itself is made from the last-ever Ansett 727 plane to be flown. If you're fond of aviation yourself, that's definitely something to say cheers to — and over. Stuart and Lucy have brought over their portrait of their border collie to oversee the brewpub, and the space's design highlights its original use. But, as well as the focus on flying, it's the range of easy-drinking beers made using Australian ingredients that'll tempt patrons through the door. Archer Brewing pumps out yeasty beverages of the mid-strength lager, pilsner, pale ale, IPA and rice lager variety, as overseen by head brewer Chris Fletcher (ex-2 Brothers Brewing). Plus, cider fans can sip a new apple number made from Stanthorpe produce. The full booze lineup also spans rotating guest taps as well as an all-Aussie wine, spirit and cocktail range. In addition to drinking your way through Archer's tipples, Brisbanites making the trip to Wilston will soon be able to snack on a food lineup that's still being finalised. At present, an array of food trucks are popping by to fill the gap.
Perhaps Peter Pan was onto something. The famous literary character didn't want to grow up — and, once you've become an adult, it's hard not to agree with him. Alas, flying through the air and cavorting with pirates isn't a reality for anyone, well, real, but it's easy to pretend otherwise. Brisbane boasts a hefty array of activities that'll unleash your inner kidult, bouncing around, taking a few boozy swings and playing giant board games included. HIT A FEW BALLS AT HOLEY MOLEY Brisbane's mini-golf bar sure happened upon one hell of an appropriate name. Just try not to exclaim "Holey moley!" several times while you're there. It's impossible, unless you're a big ol' boring grown-up. You heard us. Putting your way around a former church — and through courses that glow in the dark, are filled with creepy clowns, take a swing at Twister and feature a nine-iron throne the entire Stark and Lannister clans would be envious of — will incite that reaction. Cap it all off with a drink at the Caddyshack Bar, where Long Island Iced Tees and Happy Gilmoreo cocktails await. MASH BUTTONS AT NETHERWORLD It's a simple idea, but a good one. Whenever you come across an arcade or pinball game in a bar, lumped into a corner somewhere, it's always popular — so why not fill an entire pub full of them? Turning a space that has housed plenty of seedy watering holes into a gaming mecca, Netherworld doesn't just want you to pump tokens into machines, with video game consoles and board games on offer too. If you're after the same retro fun without the booze, head to Morningside's 1Up instead. TAKE MARIO KART INTO REAL LIFE AT SLIDEWAYS Think Mario Kart's Rainbow Road is hard? It is — but, so is sliding around a real-life multi-coloured space at Slideways. Don't worry, it's also fun as well, courtesy of a 425-metre, two-level indoor track, complete with a bridge, tunnel and loop of the carpark. It's the best kind of car-related activity Eagle Farm has to offer. No, getting stuck in traffic on Kingsford Smith Drive doesn't count. JUMP AROUND AT SKYZONE Is there anything as simplistically enjoyable as jumping up and down? There's a reason countless musicians instruct you to do so. Skyzone at Macgregor will help you bounce until your heart's content — on huge trampolines, between huge trampolines, off of walls, into pits of foam, while shooting hoops and while dodging balls. And when you're done hopping around, you can also take in a game of laser tag in a massive three-storey arena. Indoor rock climbing is also in the works, making Skyzone a one-stop kidulting bonanza. GET ZAPPY AT LASERFORCE Speaking of running around wielding flashing pretend weapons, Laserforce is a Brisbane mainstay. Most folks would have ventured to the Woolloongabba centre as a kid — if you didn't hold a birthday party there, you went to someone else's. Still running after 29 years (yep, that'll make you feel old), it still offers all of the fun you knew and loved, plus a few new attractions. Walk through a glowing portal into the time vortex, pretend you're in an action movie as you crawl under laser beams, or just run, hide and blast away. GET YOUR SKATES ON AT STAFFORD SKATE CENTRE Another place that time seems to have forgotten, but you shouldn't. Stepping inside Stafford Skate Centre will make you feel like you've gone back to the '80s; if the decor doesn't do the trick, then the soundtrack will. But, that's all okay. Rolling onto the rink, clutching the wall trying not to fall over or imagining that you're in Whip It are all timeless activities. If you'd prefer to bust out your best Blades of Glory impression, you can get icy instead at Iceworld at Acacia Ridge and Boondall. PAINT AND SIP WINE AT CORK AND CHROMA Lurking inside all of us is an artist waiting to emerge and smash out a masterpiece worthy of GOMA. For some of us, however, that creative side needs a bit of encouragement. That's where painting with a glass of Pinot in your hand comes in, with Cork and Chroma taking an activity you mightn't have dabbled in since high school and adding alcohol to the mix. You bring the bottle, they'll provide all of the necessary art supplies. Themed evenings include everything from pineapples, surf shacks and Brisbane itself to Frida Kahlo, Vincent van Gogh and Ziggy Stardust. GET SLEUTHING AT ESCAPE HUNT Six rooms. Three games. Only one way to work your way through each — or is there? Puzzling over mysteries and plotting your escape from a locked space is what's on offer at the aptly named Escape Hunt. Can you discover who killed a jockey, find explosives at Government House or locate stolen jewellery? Of course you can! Round up your best pals and find out (and, likely learn plenty about your friends' problem-solving skills, too). In a nice touch, each of the experiences is Brisbane-themed. GET SOME BOARD GAME ACTION Good news, fans of rolling dice, moving counters and shuffling cards — if that's your idea of a kidulting great time, this is the town for it. As well as the aforementioned Netherworld, Brisbane has plenty of places just waiting to make your board game-playing dreams come true. Here's five to start with, and Paddington also has a dedicated space, Club Sosay. Or, head to Woolly Mammoth to not only get your giant-size jenga on. [caption id="attachment_623917" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Riverlife, Kevin O'Matta.[/caption] HIT THE WATER AT RIVERLIFE You can't miss the massive body of water snaking its way through Brisbane, and nor should you. Sure, the powers that be keep building bridges and tunnels to bypass it, however, thanks to Kangaroo Point's Riverlife, it's a great place for some splashy fun. In fact, with the city lacking in water parks since Amazons was torn down back in 2001, it's one of the only places offering something other than just taking a dip. Hire a kayak for an evening paddle, or give standup paddleboarding a try, all with killer views of the CBD.
Whether you're heading to the cinema with friends or curling up on the couch with your significant other, a night watching movies remains a fantastic source of entertainment, enjoyment and escapism. Sitting in the dark, switching your mind away from your regular worries and slipping into another world — if you're catching the right flick, few things can top it. Cinema-wise, 2019 has thrown up plenty of films that tick all of the above boxes — and now we're just past the halfway mark, it's time to look back. Maybe you missed one of this year's hits when it was in theatres. Perhaps it's still showing and you haven't made it yet. Or, there could be a few gems that just slipped your attention. Of course, there's always the ace movies you saw, loved and want to see again. Whichever category fits, here's 12 films from 2019 that you you need to catch up on. Head to the cinema and grab a choc top or organise your streaming queue and cook up some popcorn, as we've sorted out your viewing for the near future. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoxKy3d7Wno EIGHTH GRADE What our critic said: As effective as every narrative beat, probing shot and well-deployed blast of Enya (yes, Enya) proves, writer/director Bo Burnham's savviest move is also his most straightforward. Actually casting a teenager in a movie about a teenager is much more rare than it should be, and Eighth Grade wouldn't be the success it is without Golden Globe nominee Fisher as its star. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XhsuT0xctI FREE SOLO What our critic said: As well as chronicling an awe-inspiring story, every frame of Free Solo offers a palpable, visceral reminder of life's enormous risks and immense rewards — and to the filmmakers' credit, you're all but certain to feel the impact in your constantly sweaty palms. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8qbq6Z6HYk IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK What our critic said: Black lives devastated by discrimination, young lovers braving seemingly insurmountable obstacles: both tales have played out across countless pages and screens before, although not as they do so here. There's a bewitching alchemy to the combination of James Baldwin's words and Barry Jenkins' direction — never shying away from the despairing truth of the situation, but never wallowing in inescapable bleakness either. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68 VOX LUX What our critic said: In Vox Lux, the difficulties and complexities of success slash savagely and hack furiously, with Brady Corbet writing and directing a blunt yet brilliant onslaught of a movie. As he did in The Childhood of a Leader, the actor-turned-filmmaker relentlessly charts the ascension of an influential fictional figure who owes their rise to struggle and trauma. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcKinfILGDk DESTROYER What our critic said: Conflicted cop Erin Bell could walk alongside any of noir's dogged investigators and hold her own. Stepping into the character's shoes, Nicole Kidman could do the same among any of the genre's best stars. Destroyer lives and breathes through its complicated protagonist and phenomenal lead performance, with each putting on a stunning show. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bavqDA_3vIo US What our critic said: Us is a creeper in multiple senses of the word. It's disquieting from the outset (even more so when it spends its opening credits staring at caged rabbits), but Jordan Peele knows how to let that unease fester and grow. While the 'master of suspense' label was bestowed decades ago, the comedian-turned-filmmaker is just as devastating at cultivating distress as Hitchcock or any other iconic horror or thriller director. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eI9UYcEwUYA BURNING What our critic said: A ruminative mystery, a fine-tuned character study and an intricately observed examination of human relationships all at once, one of the joys of Burning is its wholesale aversion to simplicity. Here, as in reality, nothing is straightforward. Indeed, Lee Chang-dong takes life's enigmas and puzzles, thrusts them into view and forces the audience to ponder along with him. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA6hldpSTF8 AVENGERS: ENDGAME What our critic said: There's very little that's simple about this picture, marking as it does the extraordinary culmination of several dozen intricate and intertwined story arcs that extend all the way back to 2008... Where Infinity War was all bombast, Endgame offers reserve. Where Infinity War wrought intergalactic devastation and destruction, Endgame delivers intimacy and an examination of grief, loss and very private regret. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQ5X75F1YJw LONG SHOT What our critic said: After a five-year stretch that's included Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde and Tully, Long Shot is the latest example of its star's chameleonic talents — a political rom-com that's as irreverent (and often inappropriate) as you'd expect of a flick that also features Seth Rogen, and genuinely heartfelt and hilarious as well. Charlize Theron, romantic-comedy standout? You'd better believe it. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BULB0aX4lA JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 — PARABELLUM What our critic said: Cinematic beauty comes in many forms, and the John Wick franchise perfects one of them. The term 'balletic' couldn't better describe the series' hypnotic action sequences, with its array of frenetic fights and carnage-dripping set pieces all meticulously choreographed like complex dance routines. In fact, when ballerinas actually pirouette across the screen in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, they seem bland in comparison. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZeIHrx7Oyc HIGH LIFE What our critic said: While shooting into the stratosphere to ponder what it all means has become a genre of its own, High Life proudly stands in its own space boots. Perhaps that's why both the film and Robert Pattinson seem like such a perfect fit, and why the final product both soars high and burrows deep: you won't catch either meekly treading where everyone else has before. Read our full review. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_0KJAzyUJc PARASITE What our critic said: Parasite proves exceptional in every single frame and detail that it flicks onto the screen... Internationally renowned and beloved as the auteur behind The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja, Bong Joon-ho has crafted a bleak, twisty blend of black tragi-comedy, pulsating thrills and socially relevant horror — a movie that's such a phenomenal example of all that cinema can and should be that you'll want to high-five the filmmaker after watching it. Read our full review.
Whenever an exciting tour announcement arrives, it usually heralds two pieces of good news. Firstly, someone ace is coming our way. Secondly, they probably have something new — an album or a book — to spruik. That's firmly the case with the latest revelation for 2023: David Sedaris' next Australia tour. This time, the author, comedian and NPR humorist has just dropped New York Times best seller Happy-Go-Lucky, and he's heading to Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to talk about it. Known for his snappy wit, as well as his discerning and astute ability to observe life's moments — both trivial and extraordinary — in both an observational and unique way, Sedaris is making his sixth trip Down Under to chat about the book, which focuses on the pandemic. If you haven't seen Sedaris live before, his shows are part of the reason that he's built up such a following. Onstage, he regularly weaves in new and unpublished material, too, so — and the satirist will throw it over to the crowd for a Q&A as well, and sign copies of his book. Sedaris is celebrated for his constant This American Life appearances, must-read pieces in The New Yorker and his past unputdownable books such as Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls and Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). If you've been searching for a supportive environment to use the phrase "how very droll," this is it. His live evenings always sell out quickly — all of his Aussie tours have so far — so you'll want to jump on tickets ASAP when they go on sale on Wednesday, August 3. [caption id="attachment_862851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS 2023 TOUR DATES: Wednesday, February 1 — Theatre Royal, Hobart Friday, February 3 — Regal Theatre, Perth Saturday, February 4 — Adelaide Festival Centre Sunday, February 5 — Canberra Theatre Centre Monday, February 6–Tuesday, February 7 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Wednesday, February 8 — Brisbane Powerhouse Thursday, February 9 — Sydney Opera House David Sedaris tours Australia in February 2023. For more information, or to sign up for ticket pre-sales — which start on Tuesday, August 2, with general sales from 9am on Wednesday, August 3 — head to the tour website. Image: Anne Fishbein.
Move over South Bank — Brisbane is about to get a brand new riverside drinking, dining and leisure go-to. First announced a couple of years back, the Howard Smith Wharves Development looks set to become the city's new water-adjacent hangout. And while it doesn't open until late 2018, the 3.4-hectare precinct has revealed the first restaurants and bars that'll be enticing locals when it launches. Four spots have been announced for the revamped area beneath the Story Bridge, spanning everything from Greek eats and Hong Kong-inspired Chinese cuisine to a Japanese-style haunt and an octagonal bar. As well as securing the hottest new address in town, they all stem from a list of well-known names in the Australian culinary and hospitality game, including The Apollo and Cho Cho San's Jonathan Barthelmess, The Gresham's Andrew Baturo and Bare Bones Society's Kym Machin, and Toko's Matt Yazbek. Sydney chef and restaurateur Barthelmess will oversee the Greek offering, of course, promising "something really special, and with a local twist as always". As for locals Baturo and Machin, they're joining forces on a two-level, 180-seat venture serving up its own kind of Asian fusion, with interior design by Anna Spiro. She'll also be lending a hand at the eight-sided, 200-metre-square joint that is the Overwater Bar. As the name suggests, it'll have quite the view — plus Champagne all day round and a decked garden lounge. Boasting waterside outdoor dining as well, Yazbek's Toko will make the leap from Sydney and Melbourne to Brisbane as a combined restaurant, bar and event space. They'll all join the previously revealed new 164 room, five-star Art Series Hotel, the city's second, plus four other restaurants, a craft brewery, a 1500-square metre exhibition area and entertainment stages. The heritage-listed site — which was originally constructed in the 30s and has lain largely abandoned since the 60s — will also devote more than 80 percent of its area to public space, while hosting food and culture festivals from 2019. For more information about the Howard Smith Wharves Development, visit the website.
Sometimes, you need to take a break from your city, to get out and soak up the sun somewhere new. The sun-plenty city of Sydney is the perfect destination, it's bursting with beaches where you can ride the waves, catch some rays and let your worries dissipate. But you don't want to get stuck visiting the same old tourist traps, beaches with screaming kids, expensive eats and way too many people. Instead, an excellent option is to visit one of Sydney's incredible harbour beaches. Usually far more serene and less populated, with excellent views and (sometimes) more parking, these coves are Sydney's hidden havens. To help you out, we've partnered with Qantas and curated a list of the best harbour beaches in Sydney. Perfect for a date, a picnic or even some topless baking. Get away from everything loud and crowded, relax, and make the most of your Sydney escape. [caption id="attachment_598328" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] CAMP COVE The parking at the easternmost edge of the Eastern Suburbs can be a bit of a drag on a hot day, but if you pray to your parking angel you'll find somewhere eventually. It's worth the frustration, as this laid-back beach is big enough to have a social vibe (there always seems to be a lot of good-looking people here) and the lack of waves means you can bob in the water and still chat to a friend. There's a little kiosk selling snacks and sorbet in coconut shells, too. If you're brave (and skilled) you can do the big jump off the rock on the right like a bona fide Sydneysider. [caption id="attachment_598329" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] LITTLE CONGWONG BEACH If you want to beach like a real local, head to this pretty place in Botany Bay for a spot of 'clothing-optional' sunbaking. It's usually pretty quiet so you can avoid any potentially awkward encounters. If the thought of getting your togs off makes you blanch, just next door is Congwong Beach, where you won't be the odd one out if you're a strictly clothes-on type of person. [caption id="attachment_598331" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] BALMORAL BEACH You've probably heard of Manly, given the chance any Sydneysider will proudly talk about the beach. You may not have heard of Manly's little sister, Balmoral. Smaller and more romantic, it has a lovely sleepy vibe despite it's popularity. Have a long lunch at the famed Sydney institution Public Dining Room and float it off in the cooler hours of the afternoon. MILK BEACH This sandy cove is hidden behind Strickland House in Vaucluse — one of Sydney's fanciest suburbs. It's a short, steep walk down the driveway and across the lawn, but the views of Opera House and Harbour Bridge are well worth it. Be sure to snap a few pics and populate your Insta feed to make all your friends back at home super jealous. [caption id="attachment_538469" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] CURRAWONG BEACH If you've made the trip to Sydney, it's worth that little bit of extra effort to get to Currawong beach. It can only be accessed by boat, so jump on the ferry at Palm Beach ('Summer Bay' for you Home and Away fans) and prepare for a phone and internet-free 48 hours. There are no shops so bring food and water with you and stay at one of the cottages for a full-blown Sydney experience. You'll be able to deal with the worst Bondi Road traffic jam with a blissful smile on your return. LADY MARTIN'S BEACH Lady Martin's is the beachside backyard of Sydney's very, very rich — the surrounding suburb, Point Piper, is one of the most expensive places in the world to live. If you want to pretend one of Sydney's millionaires for the day and rub shoulders with Malcolm Turnball and Frank Lowy, then wear your darkest sunglasses and say "dahhling" at the end of every sentence and you'll fit right in on this quiet strip. Entry is via a narrow lane off Wolseley Road that passes by the Royal Prince Edward Yacht Club. [caption id="attachment_598357" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] STORE BEACH If your keen for an outdoor adventure on your mini-holiday, hire a kayak from Manly Kayaks and paddle around to this little beach (it can only be reached by water) for a picnic. Lay back, let the stresses of back home float away, and enjoy this little slice of paradise. If you're lucky, you'll see some fairy penguins. [caption id="attachment_598333" align="alignnone" width="1280"] via Flickr.[/caption] NIELSEN PARK Sydney beaches need not be compared with their foreign counterparts because it's only a slight exaggeration to say we have the best in the world. However, I can't help thinking that Nielsen Park reminds me of the Mediterranean coast. Maybe it's the amazing aqua colour of the water or the stained glass windows of the restaurant. It can get a little noisy with all the kids that are usually there but there is a large, leafy park surrounding the beach which you can escape into to eat your ice cream in peace. DAROOK PARK BEACH If you feel like a spot of solo fishing, try Darook Park Beach in the Shire — you might just catch yourself a flathead. There are onsite toilets and picnic shelters, making it perfect for a day-long escape. Once you've finished at the beach, drop into the sun-drenched hotspot Henrys Cronulla and enjoy a tipple with the Sydney locals. [caption id="attachment_570643" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Danny Butler.[/caption] LITTLE SIRIUS COVE A small stretch of sand surrounded by bushland, this beach has a unique feature — dogs are allowed. So if you're missing your pupper from back home, head down (after grabbing a coffee at Bacino Bar) and spend the day among some new four-legged friends. Pack some snags to cook on the BBQs provided and bask in Sydney's unparalleled beachside beauty. Ready to get away and experience Sydney? Book with Qantas for great fares to Sydney and NSW until 24 September. Terms and conditions apply. Top image: Eddie Milfort.
2023 is proving an eventful year for Brisbane's oldest-surviving CBD pub. In February, it was announced that The Victory Hotel was closing its doors, with ALH Hotels deciding not to renew its lease on the 168-year-old Edward Street venue. But now it's up, trading and pouring beers again — since mid-March, under new management and with big plans in its future. Athena Group has inked a long-term lease on the site with owners Precision Group, and also revealed that it's giving the trusty spot a revamp. The Vic is heritage-listed thanks to its hefty history — it was first constructed in 1855, initially known as the Prince of Wales, and is a prime example of 19th-century corner hotels — and the facade will remain. But an interior makeover is in the works. Right now, the inner-city hangout is still doing what it has long done: serving brews, tunes and food. You'll hear live tunes in the beer garden from Thursday across the weekend, while Wednesdays are all about karaoke. And for a bite, there's classic pub fare — think: wings, steaks, lasagne, nachos, fish 'n' chips, burgers, schnitzels, salt and pepper calamari, and truffle mushroom arancini. The redevelopment's budget will hit the multimillions, and a development application is expected to be lodged in 2024 after design and planning work has been finalised in conjunction with the Brisbane City Council. Beyond that, however, no specifics in terms of cost or exactly what'll be done to the site have been unveiled. The Vic is no stranger to facelifts, though. This'll be one of many in its lifetime, including during the 1880s, 1920s–30s — when the venue's name was changed to the moniker Brisbane knows today — and then the 1950s as well. The beer garden area scored a makeover in the 1980s, with an awning added in 1995 and more changes to the outdoor space in the 2000s. [caption id="attachment_894552" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Victory Hotel beer garden in 2009 via Wikimedia Commons.[/caption] Top image: Kgbo via Wikimedia Commons.
Looking for a little bit of renovation inspiration? In that case, you've come to the right place. Bestowed this week by a jury of respected Australian architects and designers, the House Awards celebrate the latest innovations in contemporary architecture. Reckon if we all pooled our money we could buy one of these? The top prize, Australian House of the Year, went to a wood-paneled apartment in Darling Point, Sydney – the very same apartment that took home the Premier Award for Australian Interior Design at the Australian Interior Design Awards just last month. It also won the House Awards' gong for Best Apartment or Unit, with the jury commending the "refined and surprising design" that contrasted "floating American oak and painted white steel joinery." The awards for Best New House Over and Under 200m² went to houses in NSW and Queensland, respectively, while a property on the banks of Melbourne's Yarra won prizes for Sustainability and Best Outdoor Design. Check out the full list of House Award winners, below. AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR – Darling Point Apartment by Chenchow Little NEW HOUSE UNDER 200m² – Naranga Avenue House by James Russel Architect NEW HOUSE OVER 200m² – Deepwater by Tobias Partners HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION UNDER 200m² – Baffle House by Claire Cousins Architects HOUSE ALTERATION AND ADDITION OVER 200m² – Project Zero by BVN APARTMENT OR UNIT – Darling Point Apartment by Chenchow Little OUTDOOR – Fairfield House by Kennedy Nolan HOUSE IN A HERITAGE CONTEXT – Bayside Fire Station by Owen Architecture SUSTAINABILITY – Fairfield House by Kennedy Nolan EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE – Rob Kennon Architects
Kraków makes for an enriching stopover if you're travelling through Europe on an extended trip. Though the city carries a notoriously sombre history, Kraków is an endlessly charming and friendly place to visit with plenty to discover. On the long list of eye-opening sights, expect castles and churches in the medieval Old Town, lush parks and bike paths, as well as Oskar Schindler's famous Enamel Factory and the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. There's no shame in following the well-worn tourist route — but when your feet are weary, the crowd fatigue starts to set in or you simply wish to do as the Cracovians do, consult this list of less obvious activities in Kraków. In partnership with Topdeck, here's the instalment of our Less Obvious city guides. Episode four: Kraków. SAMPLE LOCAL FOOD TRUCKS IN THE JEWISH QUARTERS Venture south of the Old Town and you will wander into Kraków's historic Jewish Quarters. Once an independent town, Kazimeirz is a bustling and bohemian neighbourhood packed with synagogues, bars, cafés, food trucks and street art. Sample some of the local food truck delicacies, like polish fries or pierogi (a type of Polish dumpling) and take yourself on a street art tour. In between cobbled laneways and quaint courtyards, the area has an eye-catching range of murals, some of which commemorate the displaced Jewish community and former inhabitants. HIDE FROM THE CROWDS AT MASSOLIT BOOKS & CAFÉ On the outskirts of the Old Town you will come across Massolit Books & Café, a cosy place to whittle away an afternoon. This English language bookstore is stocked with an impressive range of literature. Although they specialise in Eastern and Central European literature, you'll find everything from classic and contemporary fiction through to politics, poetry and philosophy. They also host events such as literary readings, lectures and political discussions (though these are mainly in Polish). Settle down with some baked goods and a cup of coffee and enjoy hiding from the crowds for a little while. [caption id="attachment_595236" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Pierogi (polish dumplings).[/caption] DEVOUR HOME-STYLE POLISH CUISINE IN THE CITY'S MILK BARS Poland's milk bars are an easy way to avoid tourist traps. These unique and unassuming cafés were established as early as 1897, but became popular as government-subsidised worker's canteens in the Communist era. Typically, the menu is short and simple, consisting of pierogi (those Polish dumplings again), omelettes, goulash and potato pancakes. It's deliciously hearty, authentic and affordable Polish fare. Some old fashioned milk bars have recently been revitalised, such as Milkbar Tomasza in the Old Town which has a more modern touch. On the other hand, Bar Mleczny in Nowa Huta hasn't changed since the '70s. TRAVEL BACK IN TIME TO NOWA HUTA For an alternative spin on the city, take the tram out to Nowa Huta in Eastern Kraków. Funded by the Soviet Union and built in the architectural style of socialist realism post WWII, the area was envisaged as a utopian testament to the humble proletariat. It was also the site of many protests and solidarity movements during the dying days of Communism. These days, you can find historical remnants, such as the Ludowy (People's) Theatre and the Arka Pana church. It's an interesting place to visit — just a short tram ride from Kraków's city centre, but what feels like a completely different place. GET CULTURED AT BUNKIER SZTUKI While the monumental Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) is probably the cultural kingpin of Kraków, Bunkier Sztuki offers something slightly different. Burrowed in the lush gardens encasing the Old Town, this cutting-edge institution is fringed with a little café and publishing house. With a focus on innovative multimedia, the gallery spans three levels and features emerging and lesser-known artists, mainly from Poland and Eastern Europe. QUENCH YOUR THIRST AT HOUSE OF BEER While Poland is more famous for vodka than beer, House of Beer is a fun and relaxing place to sample a hefty range of brews, particularly after traipsing up and down cobbled streets. Many of the drafts come from small to medium-sized breweries across Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Ukraine. The knowledgeable staff will give you some pointers and knock together a tasting paddle. You can also curl your mitts around a mulled wine in winter. HANG OUT WITH HIPSTERS AT FORUM PRZESTRZENIE The Brutalist silhouette of the Forum Przestrzenie looms large over the Vistula River. Once a major drawcard, the Communist-era hotel has fallen into disrepair. However, it has been repurposed as a vibrant hub of cultural activity – there are a cluster of clubs, workshops, bars and art galleries surrounding it. As there's plenty of space for diversity and reinvention, it's always changing. Grab a beer and a deck chair by the river at dusk, and then explore some of the nightclubs once you're acquainted with the area. EAT ZAPIEKANKA IN KAZIMEIRZ This historic round building nestled in the heart of Kazimeirz (in Old Town) contains a number of food stalls. Built in 1900, Okraglak in Plac Nowy is a popular market square where many of the vendors sell zapiekanka, a Polish-style snack featuring your choice of topping on half a baguette. It's insanely cheap and filling, making for a satisfying stomach-liner before sampling some of Kraków's nearby nightlife. The locals have their personal preferences; however Endzior seems to be a firm favourite. ADMIRE AWARD-WINNING DESIGN AT THE MALOPOLSKA GARDEN OF ART This recent addition to Kraków's cultural landscape is renowned for its innovative architecture. Boasting a multifunctional space, the structure is sleek and skeletal – casting sharp, geometrical shadows across the street. Out the front you will see a garden with a scattering of benches and a maple tree in the middle. There's a theatre, library and exhibition centre to explore once you're inside, and plenty of festivals and events are hosted here, so you'll always have somewhere to go if you come across a spare moment on your Kraków adventure. Visit Europe (including Kraków) with a Topdeck trip and make 2017 a year to remember. Book early (that means now) and save up to $999.
It's the yearly exhibition that leaves us with jaws on the floor; the 59th annual World Press Photo exhibition is coming to Australia for another year. Beating 97,912 submissions by 5692 photographers from 131 countries, Denmark's Mads Nissen took out the top spot for 2014 Photo of the Year for his intimate, poignant portrait of Jon and Alex, a gay couple in conservative St Petersburg, Russia. After almost six decades of beautiful and devastating photojournalism, the WPP contest continues to be one of the world's most important platforms for art, journalism and humanising the headlines. The World Press Photo exhibition can be seen at Sydney’s State Library of NSW, May 23 - June 21; WA Museum in Perth, July 4 - 26; and Brisbane Powerhouse, August 8 - 30. Before the exhibition makes its way to Australia, take a look through some of the landmark images that caught the eye of the WPP judges; from an orphaned rhino in Kenya to Lionel Messi at Brazil's World Cup, Istanbul's anti-government protests to a young Kamilaroi girl in Moree, New South Wales. With many of the photographs documenting the more saddening news headlines, they're often not easy images to look at, but it's the work of these photojournalists that wakes up an otherwise ignorant world. Jon and Alex (St Petersburg, Russia) — Mads Nissen 2014 Photo of the Year and First Prize Contemporary Issues, Singles "Jon and Alex, a gay couple, share an intimate moment at Alex’s home, a small apartment in St Petersburg, Russia. Life for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people is becoming increasingly difficult in Russia. Sexual minorities face legal and social discrimination, harassment, and even violent hate-crime attacks from conservative religious and nationalistic groups." Istanbul Protest (Istanbul, Turkey) — Bülent Kiliç First Prize Spot News, Singles "A young girl was wounded during clashes between riot police and protestors after the funeral of Berkin Elvan, a 15-year-old boy who died from injuries suffered during anti-government protests. Riot police fired tear gas and water cannons at protestors in the capital Ankara, while in Istanbul, crowds shouting anti-government slogans lit a huge fire as they made their way to a cemetery for the boy’s burial." Laurinda (Moree, New South Wales, Australia) — Raphaela Rosella First Prize Portraits, Singles "Laurinda, a young Kamilaroi girl, plays with her dress as she waits for the bus that will take her to Sunday school. Many disadvantaged communities in Australia face entrenched poverty, racism, trans-generational trauma, violence, addiction, and a range of other barriers to health and wellbeing." Monkey Training for a Circus (Suzhou, Anhui Province, China) — Yongzhi Chu First Prize Nature, Singles "A rhesus macaque cowers as its trainer approaches, while training for a circus act, in Suzhou, eastern China. Performing animals in circuses and zoos are enormously popular in China. After years of pressure from animal-welfare groups, the Chinese government has banned animal circuses, and implemented regulations to stop abuse at state-owned zoos, but many trainers say they have not heard of the ban, nor have any intention of stopping. Authorities in Suzhou, which with its 300 troupes is known as the hometown of circus in China, have announced plans for developing alternative circus entertainment, without performing animals." The Final Game (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) — Bao Tailiang First Prize Sports, Singles "Argentina player Lionel Messi faces the World Cup trophy during the final ceremony at Maracana Stadium. His team lost to Germany 1-0, after a goal by Mario Götze in extra time." Mindsuckers (Santa Barbara, California, USA) — Anand Varma First Prize Nature, Stories "When a male sheep crab (Loxorhynchus grandis) is infected by Heterosaccus californicus, a parasitic barnacle, it stops developing fighting claws, and its abdomen widens, providing a womb for the barnacle to fill with its brood pouch. Nurtured by the crab, the eggs hatch. Thousands of baby barnacles disperse to infect anew. Many parasites not only feed off their hosts, but appear to manipulate the host’s behavior in a way that is advantageous to the parasite’s life cycle." The Beckham Catch (East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA) — Al Bello Second Prize Sports, Singles "Odell Beckham (#13) of the New York Giants makes a one-handed touchdown catch in the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium." Blue Sky Days (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA) — Tomas van Houtryve Third Prize Contemporary Issues, Stories "People exercising in central Philadelphia. Drone operators may consider such ‘signature behaviors’ as evidence of the existence of a training camp. Since 2002, the United States has used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones) to collect intelligence and carry out airstrikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. The aircraft are guided via satellite by distant operators. The attacks have resulted in a large number of fatalities, including hundreds of civilians. The photographer bought a small drone, fitted it with a camera, and flew it in the US over the sorts of gatherings that have become habitual targets for airstrikes abroad—weddings, funerals, groups of people praying or exercising. He also used it to photograph settings in which drones are used to less lethal effect, such as oil fields, prisons, and the US-Mexico border." Orphaned Rhino (Kenya) — Ami Vitale Second Prize Nature, Singles "A group of young Samburu warriors touch a black rhino for the first time in their lives, at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, in northern Kenya. Black rhinos are almost extinct in Kenya. This young calf had been orphaned when poachers killed its mother, and was hand-raised at Lewa. Most people in Kenya never get the opportunity to see the wildlife living around them, especially at such close quarters. Attention is often given to the effect of poaching on wildlife, but there is little focus on indigenous communities, who are on the frontline in the clash between poachers and armed game wardens. Birthday Chocolate (Baroncea, Moldova) — Åsa Sjöström Second Prize Daily Life, Singles "Igor whispers into his friend Renat’s ear, at school in northern Moldova. It is Igor’s birthday, and his grandmother has given him chocolate to hand out to his classmates. Moldova is Europe’s poorest country. In the past ten years, one third of the working population has gone abroad in search of better-paying jobs. Children often find themselves looked after by elderly relatives, or left in orphanage boarding schools. Igor has a twin brother. They do not know their father and their mother died soon after leaving to work in Russia, when they were two years old." Cadets (Koninklijke Militaire Academie (Royal Military Academy, Breda, the Netherlands) — Paolo Verzone Third Prize Portraits, Stories "Portraits of cadets in some of Europe’s most prestigious military academies." Rescue Operation (Mediterranean Sea, Italy) — Massimo Sestini Second Prize General News, Single "Refugees crowd on board a boat some 25 kilometers from the Libyan coast, prior to being rescued by an Italian naval frigate working as part of Operation Mare Nostrum (OMN). The search-and-rescue operation was put in place by the Italian government, in response to the drowning of hundreds of migrants off the island of Lampedusa at the end of 2013. The numbers of people risking their lives to cross the Mediterranean Sea rose sharply in 2014, as a result of conflicts or persecution in Syria, the Horn of Africa, and other sub-Saharan countries. OMN involved the Italian Red Cross, Save the Children, and other NGOs in an effort not only to rescue lives, but to provide medical help, counseling, and cultural support. Naval officers were also empowered to arrest human traffickers and seize their ships. In its one year of operation, OMN brought 330 smugglers to justice, and saved more than 150,000 people, at least a quarter of which were refugees from Syria. The operation was disbanded in October, and replaced by Triton, an operation conducted by the EU border agency Frontex, focusing more on surveillance than rescue." The Bull Market (Niuniuba, Sichuan, China) — Cai Sheng Xiang First Prize Daily Life, Singles "Yi villagers hold a cattle market in a forest outside the town of Niuniuba, near Liangshan, in Sichuan. The Yi ethnic minority live largely by agriculture, livestock herding and hunting. There are around 7.5 million Yi in China, concentrated principally in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces." The 59th annual World Press Photo exhibition can be seen at Sydney's State Library of NSW, May 23 - June 21; Perth's WA Museum, July 4 - 26; and Brisbane Powerhouse, August 8 - 30. Check out all the 2015 winners and runners up here.
While Reykjavik is praised for its "ability to make the most of an inhospitable climate", Auckland for its "unbelievably friendly folk", Budapest for "music... not just concerts, but in the streets, on the radio, and in cafés," and "wonderful pubs filled with laughter", Sydney has taken out the top spot as the friendliest city in the world. Run as a Reader’s Choice award by Condé Nast Traveler and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. “Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place’s ‘friendliness’," according to CN. Sydney's been praised for its people skills, regardless of what you might see on George Street any day of the week. "Such friendly people," enthused one voting reader. "So much so that after we met an Australian woman on our flight there, she offered to pick us up at our hotel and spent a whole day showing us her favourite parts of the city." Sydney earned snaps for the Bridgeclimb, the Cruise Like a Local Sydney Harbour boat tour, and Bonza Bike Tours got a big ol' high five as "a great way to see some of the lesser-known sights." Overall, readers found simply "nothing to not like" in Sydney, although importantly, all mentioned experiences are tourist-focused. Last year's friendliest winners were tied: Melbourne and Auckland. Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin, who just narrowly missed out on the top spot this year. Of course, Sydney was supremely modest about it. Ha! IN YOUR FACE @dubcitycouncil!! We're the friendliest city in the world! http://t.co/T1WgOPUVu7 via @CNTraveler pic.twitter.com/9rIafVZ59o — City of Sydney (@cityofsydney) August 18, 2015 Australia and New Zealand have done pretty nicely on worldwide city rankings of late — the Great Barrier Reef nabbed #2 on Lonely Planet's Ultimate Travelist and Melbourne ranked #1 Most Liveable City on the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) liveability survey. So Sydney's apparently the friendliest, Melbourne's the most liveable, what do you reckon? CONDE NAST'S 2015 FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Reykjavik, Iceland 9. Auckland, New Zealand 8. Budapest, Hungary 7. Kyoto, Japan 6. Edinburgh, Scotland 5. Bruges, Belgium 4. Kraków, Poland 3. Queenstown, New Zealand 2. Dublin, Ireland 1. Sydney, Australia But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut for another year. Up high. Cannes was dissed for being expensive and "bloated simply by the prestige of its famed film festival," while Jakarta was called "dirty and congested," despite gaining praise for its food.” Moscow got a bad wrap for "dour, unfriendly people" and "deplorable traffic", while Nairobi was flagged as "dangerous and volatile". But Caracas, Venezuela took out the top unfriendly spot as a place of "rampant crime, a scarcity of basic necessities, and a poor quality of life." CONDE NAST'S 2015 UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD: 10. Cannes, France 9. Jakarta, Indonesia 8. Moscow, Russia 7. Cairo, Egypt 6. New Delhi, India 5. Nairobi, Kenya 4. Guatemala City, Guatemala 3. Guangzhou, China 2. Casablanca, Morocco 1. Caracas, Venezuela Via Condé Nast Traveler. Image: Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and here in Brisbane, we know what is up. This place is a city of breakfast eaters. It's not necessarily that we're early risers, but we appreciate the idea of a never-ending morning with cafes that offer all-day breakfast and let you order pancakes at 3pm. But among all the breakfasts the city has to offer, there are those must-eats, those unusual offerings, those places with house-made hollandaise and homegrown herbs. What we want on Brisbane's breakfast scene is true imagination, and so here are our bucket-list morning eats in Brisbane. SMOKED PAPRIKA, BARDON New kid on the block Smoked Paprika has already made a mark in our hearts with its hearty lamb sausage. But it's the vegetarian dish that has us raving. Kale, pumpkin, caramelised onion, Danish feta and poached eggs are served atop zucchini fritters with a béarnaise sauce and pistachio dukkah sprinkle. You'll also be happy to know it'll only set you back $14.80. The rest of Smoked Paprika's menu is also reasonably priced and equally impressive. 85 MISKIN ST, TOOWONG Let's kick this off with a doozy. Breakfast degustation. Yep, start your morning with four delicious courses from Brett's gastronomy kitchen to keep you energised through the day. Here, you don't have to make that tough decision between savoury and sweet. The whole thing comes in at $40, you can add matching drinks for an extra $15. CAMPOS COFFEE, FORTITUDE VALLEY Wander by delivery trucks and down the laneway, past the warehouse business end to where the cafe lies. Naturally, the coffee is excellent — but how does the food measure up? Well, I would harp on about the incredible brioche French toast with espresso panna cotta, caramelised banana and seasonal fruit, but the creative and mean geniuses at Campos like to change the menu every month. Fear not, it's always good. Nestle in the laneway, sip the cup of life and enjoy a hearty breakfast. PABLO, NEW FARM Their menu changes with the season, but whatever Pablo's first-meal-of-the-day selection happens to be, your tastebuds are going to love it. Picking their brioche French toast or breakfast chilli is never a bad choice — nor is their take on crushed avo, currently served with grilled haloumi and charred corn. Also keep an eye on the daily specials board for their famed Croque Madame. That's how eggs, cheese and bread are meant to be served — until 2.30pm daily, too. GERTRUDE & MABEL, DUTTON PARK Step inside the dainty and fresh Gertrude & Mabel. Fairly new to Dutton Park, this shabby chic cafe has brought all the right bits of the past to the present. Dine on silverware with embroidered napkins and sip tea from fine bone China teacups. The menu is short but sweet, and if a brioche jaffle doesn't have your name all over it, we recommend the pork sausage and pea smash. Served on a slice of thick cut ciabatta, it's served with goat's cheese, basil and lemon aioli. ARTIE & MAI, ALBION Ordering a dish with hollandaise is a real risk in today's society. Cafes are still charging $17 and serving a Benny with bottled sauce — just when you thought it was safe. Artie & Mai thankfully know better, and we guarantee you this place serves up one of the best eggs Benedicts in Brisbane, with the real deal poured on top. The spring onion hash cakes are out-of-this-world good too. LITTLE LOCO CAFE, NEW FARM Little Loco has flipped Raw Pawpaw Cafe on its head with an all-new menu and even healthier twist. With beautiful presentation and balanced flavours, it has so far proven a winner multiple times in our books. If you haven't already, get your mitts around the lemon ricotta pancakes with maple syrup and fresh figs. THE ROASTERY CAFE, SOUTH BRISBANE For those wanting the simple done well, The Roastery Cafe is a good bet. The breakfast burrito is huge, stuffed with pulled pork, bacon, avocado, a fried egg and lettuce, and topped with a red onion and tomato salsa. Good luck finishing it. Equally important, the coffee is great — you don't call a cafe 'the roastery' for nothing. You can see the bean roasting in action. SOURCED GROCER, NEWSTEAD Part cafe, part (you guessed it) grocer, this is a place to order breakfast and a soy latte, pick up flowers and black bean egg-free pasta, and perch on the steps. Seating is creative here, and the less chair you have, the more New Farm native you are. You wouldn't be a gourmet grocer-cafe without a gourmet menu to match. Sourced do nothing by halves, so let the cabbage pancakes with perfectly poached eggs and crispy fried Brussels sprouts blow your mind too. By Daniela Sunde-Brown with Sarah Ward. Top image: French toast at Campos Coffee. View all Brisbane Cafes.
Nearly 400 films reached cinemas in this part of the world in 2017. That's not going to change in 2018. Whether you're the kind of cinephile that heads to the movies several times a week or you'd rather save your big-screen viewing for the flicks you're most excited for, the result is the same: you're spoiled for choice. Indeed, whether you've worked through all of last year's great movies or you're still playing catch-up on some you might've missed, a new annual calendar means a whole new batch of must-sees. In the twelve months ahead, that includes the usual onslaught of sequels, remakes and ongoing sagas, plus plenty of movies that have been winning awards — including recent Golden Globes recipients The Shape of Water and Lady Bird. And then there's these, our ten picks for 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89OP78l9oF0 ANNIHILATION No longer one of the sci-fi big-screen highlights of 2018, the second film from Ex Machina writer/director Alex Garland is heading straight to Netflix in this neck of the woods. And while it's incredibly disappointing that audiences won't get to see this journey through an environmental disaster zone in a cinema as it was meant to be seen, it still looks like it'll be a thrilling, unnerving, immersive treat no matter how you watch it. Based on the novel of the same name, the movie follows a biologist, Lena (Natalie Portman), who goes searching for answers when her soldier husband (Oscar Isaac) returns injured from his own jaunt. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez and Thor: Ragnarok scene-stealer Tessa Thompson also feature, and we're guessing Isaac probably won't tear up the dance floor in this. On Netflix in early March. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhZ56rcWwRQ A WRINKLE IN TIME After giving quite the inspirational Golden Globes speech, everyone's talking about Oprah. Expect it to continue come March. She mightn't take acting roles all that frequently, but playing a celestial being in the long-awaited adaptation of 1962 science fantasy novel A Wrinkle in Time seems the perfect part. As directed by Selma's Ava DuVernay, and also featuring Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, Andre Holland, Zach Galifianakis and Aussie Levi Miller, the film focuses on Meg Murry (Storm Reid), who has to save her astrophysicist father (Chris Pine) from a distant galaxy. Sure, there's another Star Wars movie out this year — but notch this one up as a different type of space story. In cinemas March 22. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt__kig8PVU ISLE OF DOGS Wes Anderson making a stop-motion animated movie about a dystopian future where dogs have been quarantined on their own Japanese island? Shut up and take everyone's money. Four years after The Grand Budapest Hotel, the American filmmaker is back with what might be his cutest flick yet — and given how gorgeous his general aesthetic is, including his previous animated effort Fantastic Mr. Fox, that's saying something. A high-profile roster of Anderson regulars and other famous names voice canines and humans alike, such as Greta Gerwig, Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand. And as for Isle of Dogs' story, it centres on a boy who makes his way to the island in search of his beloved pet pooch. We can already hear you saying awwwwwwwwwwwww. In cinemas April 19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLjLbl4G1wA OCEAN'S 8 Most franchises, as the chapters roll on, aim for bigger and better. Don't mistake Ocean's 8 smaller number for doing the opposite. This all-female heist flick doesn't need 11, 12 or 13 folks to pull off the ultimate job: at the Met Gala. Leading the formidable gang of law-breaking ladies is Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, while Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Sarah Paulson, Mindy Kaling, Helena Bonham Carter and none other than Rihanna are also among the cast. And, given the setting, expect more than a few high-profile cameos. Given the gender-swapped premise, expect an entertaining new instalment in the series as well, as directed by The Hunger Games' Gary Ross. In cinemas June 28. [caption id="attachment_653695" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Juno Temple in Vinyl[/caption] UNSANE Steven Soderberg mightn't be sitting in the director's chair for the latest Ocean's effort, but the ever-prolific filmmaker has something else up his sleeves. For part of last year, it was his iPhone — which the Logan Lucky and The Knick director used to shoot his latest flick, a mind-bending psychological horror flick. Called Unsane, it's unsurprisingly set in a mental institution, though that's probably the last part of the movie that'll play to your expectations. As for everything else, it was filmed in secret so much is clouded in mystery, although The Crown's Claire Foy and Vinyl's Juno Temple star, and the narrative revolves around a patient forced to face her greatest fear. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_529773" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Rachel Weisz in Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster[/caption] THE FAVOURITE If Yorgos Lanthimos knows just how to press your buttons — and if The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer managed to do exactly that — then pencil his 2018 release into your diary. With The Favourite, the acclaimed Greek filmmaker appears to be in new territory, though you can bet his biographical drama about Anne, Queen of Britain won't be the usual monarchy-focused effort. Joining him in this exploration of the 17th- and 18th-century sovereign are The Lobster's Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman, plus Emma Stone and Nicholas Hoult. With Lanthimos proving a director that's continually fascinated with the transactional nature of our society, setting his sights on royalty seems an absolutely natural fit. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_629012" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Robert Pattinson in Good Time[/caption] HIGH LIFE 2018 is shaping up to be a great year for sci-fi fans. Case in point: High Life. It's not what you'd expect from almost everyone involved — other than Robert Pattinson, who has well and truly been filling his post-Twilight resume with interesting and downright excellent choices. He's among a group of criminals sent towards a black hole, all as part of a quest to find an alternative energy source. And, he's starring alongside French great Juliette Binoche, A Cure for Wellness' Mia Goth and Outkast's Andre Benjamin, under the direction of iconic filmmaker Claire Denis (35 Shots of Rum, Bastards, Let the Sunshine In), who is making her first English-language feature. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_653679" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Suspiria (1977)[/caption] SUSPIRIA Horror remakes aren't always met with excitement, particularly when a classic of the genre gets the second go-around. Suspiria, however, shouldn't earn your caution — thanks to Call Me By Your Name's Luca Guadagnino sitting at the helm. The original is the darkest dance-related movie you're likely to see, as well as a wonder of Italian giallo cinema, delving into the sinister secrets behind a prestigious dance academy. Living up to it is quite the task, but the I Am Love and A Bigger Splash director has been on a very impressive streak of late. On-screen, Dakota Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz and Tilda Swinton are among the stars sashaying (and screaming) their way through the end result. Release date TBC. PSYCHOKINESIS There's no shortage of superhero films due on our screens this year, including Black Panther, Venom, Aquaman, a couple of X-Men-related efforts, Daredevil 2 and more. Yes, the list goes on. And yet, a Korean black comedy about a man who discovers he has superpowers might be the one to beat. Seeing something other than the fiftieth instalment in a cinematic universe is always welcome, and director Yeon Sang-ho already turned his take on one busy genre — zombies — into an engaging thrill ride courtesy of Train to Busan. Fingers crossed Psychokinesis make the big screen on our shores, but if not, look for it to stream on Netflix. Release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_653694" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] The Happytime Murders concept art[/caption] THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS There aren't enough movies about puppet private detectives. Really, there isn't. This adult-centric film comes with quite the pedigree, however, with Bill Henson — son of The Muppets puppeteer Jim Henson — in the director's chair. A comedy and a thriller all in one, it's set in a world where people and puppets live (and kill) side-by-side. Only one can hunt down a serial murderer targeting the cast of a famous '80s TV show, and that'd be ex-cop Phil Phillips (Bill Barretta). Amongst the mountains of felt, Melissa McCarthy stars as his ex-partner, Maya Rudolph as his secretary, Elizabeth Banks as a former flame and Joel McHale as an FBI agent. Release date TBC.
New cinemas might keep opening around Brisbane, but the city's latest film venture isn't your usual picture palace — it's a pop-up taking retro movie screenings to different venues around town. Launching on Saturday, June 9, FilmHouse will host its first session — a screening of iconic documentary Grey Gardens — at East Brisbane's Mowbraytown Hall. Future events will take place at similar spots throughout the inner city and surrounding suburbs, particularly focusing on the types of places you wouldn't normally expect to see a movie. "The places we're looking at, they're locations that you wouldn't necessarily turn into a cinema," explains Portia Hunt, who created FilmHouse with local projectionist Michael Brooks. Drawing upon their time working in Brisbane cinemas — Hunt has a background at Palace and New Farm Cinemas, while Brooks' vast experience also includes Brisbane's CineRetro Society, as well as working with Brisbane's various cinemas and film festivals — the duo is eager to add to the variety of film events happening around the city. That includes expanding the cinema-going experience beyond simply sitting down to view a movie, courtesy of themed events and parties. "We want people to go watch a film and enjoy the film, but we want to create a party atmosphere as well — with post- and pre-film events," remarks Hunt. FilmHouse plans to use a different venue for each screening, with sessions initially held every few months as Hunt and Brooks works towards a regular monthly lineup. They're keen to build their program around their audience, and welcome feedback about what they should be offering. "With this first screening, we'll hopefully get a sense of what kind of audience we have, what kinds of events we'll be able to create, and get an idea of what people want," says Hunt. Still, movie-wise, viewers can expect a range of things, including rare flicks and possibly sessions using 35mm prints. "Our programming is going to be full of variety," Hunt advises. "We want to screen much-loved cult classics, film noir, Australian and foreign films, and more mainstream content, such as those family-friendly crowd-pleasers — but, more importantly, we want to screen films that don't get screened too often." The first FilmHouse screening takes place at 6.30pm on Saturday, June 9 at Mowbraytown Hall, 26 Mowbray Terrace, East Brisbane. For more information — and to keep an eye out for future screenings — head to the FilmHouse Facebook page.
