Seven Reasons to Leave the House This Weekend

Caitlin Park

Electronic whiz kids don't come more stylin' than Sydney's multitalented Caitlin Park. With her 2011 debut album Milk Annual applauded Australia-wide and the 2012 Qantas Spirit Of The Youth Award under her belt, Park inked a deal with Create/Control in February this year (home to fellow Aussies Oliver Tank, Feelings, Go Violets and internationals Parquet Courts and Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros). Marking the team-up with the release of her second album The Sleeper, the smoky-voiced Sydneysider will bring her brand new tunes to The Hive on Saturday, August 2. Disarmingly catchy singles like 'Lemonade' are sure to get this all-ages gig significantly toe-tappin'.

Saturday at The Hive. More info here.

Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing 2014

Recognised nationwide, the Marie Ellis OAM Prize for Drawing is a significant event on the Brisbane arts calendar. Hundreds of entries are submitted for consideration, showcasing the amount of depth and imagination within our artistic community. Now in its fifth year, the prize exhibition will be one of the best yet. The 2014 exhibition is directed by Holly Riding (founder of Nancy Zine) and Peter Breen, and will run until the 18th of August. The opening night festivities will include the announcement of the winner and a vote for the People’s Choice Award. This is an important night for many, and everyone is encouraged to attend to support all the selected artists and to witness Brisbane art history in the making.

Saturday and Sunday (until August 18) at Jugglers Art Space. More info here.

Devil's Knot

It’s the movie that was always going to be made, the re-enacted version of one of the most heartbreaking small-town murder mysteries and biggest miscarriages of justice the United States has seen. It’s also the movie that never should have been made, for the devastating true tale as told in four documentaries now — the Paradise Lost trilogy, and West of Memphis — can’t be embellished, fictionalised or bested. Yet exist Devil’s Knot does, a cinematic facsimile of the originals, albeit with an ample dose of star power. Though the potency of the facts remains, the sensationalist and the sentimental combine in an attempt to craft a cautionary case of tragedy crippling a community not just in its initial appearance but in the way it is then handled.

Saturday and Sunday, various cinemas in Brisbane. More info and our review here.

Jungle Love Festival Launch

The Jungle Love Festival is a brand new music and arts festival, set to take place in November at the picturesque Moogerah Dam. Details are still being kept hush-hush at the moment, but anticipation is building steadily. To further stoke the fires of expectation, the team behind the festival are hosting a launch party at new West End venue, The Motor Room. There will be live art from Brisbane art collective, Lost Movements, a performance by Leanna Donovan aka Pent Upglamour and musical performances by Desmond Cheese (pictured) and HRBRT. Also, Stone and Wood Brewing will be on tap and the Bun Mobile will be parked right outside. Also, Trainspotters will be hosting the launch-party after party, so you can get all your pent up partying out in one night.

Saturday at The Motor Room. More info here.

New Farm Cinemas

Everything old is new again at the New Farm Cinemas, the iconic Brisbane venue formerly known as the Village Twin finally reopening its doors. On August 1, the revamped theatre will welcome the public into its retro-styled confines for the first time since 2003. Boutique in style but big in impact, stage one of the renovated venue sees two screens entice cinephiles with a lineup of new and recent blockbusters — Guardians of the Galaxy, Lucy and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes among them. Patrons will enjoy state-of-the-art digital projection equipment and an Australian-first audio system as they sit in either all-new cinema seating or beanbags.

Saturday and Sunday (and so forth) at New Farm Cinemas. Head behind the scenes over here.

Claire Stening: Shutter Light

Grab a paintbrush, find something pretty, pick a surface, add a little texture, finish it off with some shadow, and you’ve got yourself a still life. While these types of paintings tend to shoot straight as far as execution, Brisbane artist Claire Stening adds a unique tranquility to her depiction of everyday objects. Stening has exhibited extensively throughout Australia, was the finalist in the Portia Geech Memorial Award 2010 and was invited to show with the Salon Des Refuses from 2008 to 2010. Now, you can see her calming and creative work in the flesh at Edwina Corlette Gallery till August 16.

Saturday and Sunday (until August 16) at Edwina Corlette Gallery. More info here.

A Healthy Nosh Mission

Not so long ago, going on a health kick meant shutting yourself off from the world, rejecting all dinner invitations and telling yourself you could never eat out again. Not anymore it seems. Brisbane restaurant meal options now include organic, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, raw — the list goes on. To think we can still remember a time when white rice was considered good for you and only coeliacs had to worry about gluten. Mindful eaters and health fanatics should find much to celebrate in our list of the top ten healthy eating spots in Brisbane. There may even be a little something for everyone else.

All weekend long, make it a healthy one. Our top ten is over here.