You put up the money. You helped stomp the grapes. Well, even if you didn't, the people-powered winemakers at Noisy Ritual are inviting you to put a cork in 2017 — literally. Members of the Brunswick East-based urban winery have produced five batches of homemade vino which they're now about to bottle. And they're using it as an excuse to throw a party. Cracking open their casks on the afternoon of Sunday, November 19 in their bar and cellar door, the Noisy Ritual Bottling Party will be your very first chance to try the 2017 vintage – straight from the bottle you helped pour it into. In addition to the wine, there'll be $5 tinnies from 2–3pm, food by Raph's Boogie BBQ and music from The Leafblowers and Expat Lima.
Last time Hunx & His Punx were here — back in 2012 — they charmed many an Antipodean heart with their penchant for getting (nearly) naked, offers to autograph genitalia and expletive-rich expressions of self-desire. In short, they delivered nothing less than what you’d expect of San Francisco’s maddest and baddest bubblegum punk band. So it’s only natural that we’ve invited them back. And this time, they’re bringing Shannon and the Clams in their suitcases. On Friday, March 14, tickets go on sale for a five-date April tour that will see the two bands smashing genres in Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane and Perth. Since their previous visit, Hunx & His Punx have been busy blending ‘80s hardcore and ‘90s grrrl sounds to create nasty yet catchy tunes for their new album Street Punk, which was released in 2013 via Hardly Art. Meanwhile, co-tourers Shannon and the Clams have lately been spending time playing SXSW sideshows and Psych Fest and hitting the road via Burgerama tours. They mash ‘60s girl group sounds with West Coast garage rock, delivering “doo woppers, bomp stompers, punk rippers, country clippers and psych-o trippers”. Trying say that really quickly five times in a row. Here are the dates: THU 17 APR – Copacabana, MELBOURNE. Tickets via Oztix. SAT 19 APR - Oxford Art Factory, SYDNEY. Tickets via OAF. SUN 20 APR – Farmer and the Owl Laneway Party, WOLLONGONG. Tickets via the Farmer and the Owl. TUE 22 APR - The Zoo, BRISBANE. Tickets via the Zoo. THU 24 APR - The Rosemount, PERTH. Tickets via the Rosemount. Tickets go on sale on Friday, 14 March. Tickets via Oztix.
Hollywood director James Cameron has successfully completed a solo mini-submarine dive in a vertical ‘torpedo’ of his own design. For the past seven years, Cameron, who is better known for creating the epic blockbusters Avatar and Titanic, has been working in secret with a team in Australia to design and build a 12-tonne, 12 metre-long sub called ‘Deepsea Challenger’. The National Geographic Society, who sponsored the expedition, reported Cameron’s record-breaking descent to the deepest point in the ocean - over 10 kilometres down into the Mariana Trench, southwest of the Pacific island Guam. He returned to the surface after less than three hours under water. The director has been fascinated by oceanography since he was young, and he undertook 33 deep-sea dives to the wreck of the Titanic during the making of his 1997 film. Cameron planned to film what he could see during his solo dive to later share with the world in 3D. In preparation for the expedition, Cameron had researched submersible technology to find the best possible way to explore the seabed, and had practiced yoga in order to endure the mission in the one-person vessel. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and US navy captain Don Welsh are the only two other men to have reached the same depth, in the same place, in 1960. Their visibility was poor due to the amount of sand kicked from the ocean floor.
Cold nights got you down? Couldn't think of anything worse than taking off your ugg boots and heading outside into the chill? What if we told you there was a winter night market happening every Wednesday from now until August 27. Tempted? You should be, your beloved uggs don't even match up to the snuggliness of this hub of merriment. Queen Vic Markets are at it again with their Wednesday night markets. Following the success of last year's season, the winter market is proving to be just as popular as its summer cousin. Kicking off at 5pm every Wednesday, Luna1878 offers up toasty food, warm drinks, silent disco, a sheesha lounge, market stalls, cabaret, roaming performers and enough lively music enough to make you forget it was ever winter in the first place. There'll be open fires going and mulled wine a-flowing, so you can't pull the "it's too cold" excuse. Hidden from the wind within the Queen Victoria Market sheds, Luna1878 is the perfect post-work wind down and mid-week reminder that winter really isn't all that bad. https://youtube.com/watch?v=uEJile-LKoY
There's no shortage of highlights along Tassie's eastern shores, with Freycinet National Park's Wineglass Bay an alluring attraction. However, just a short drive up the coast, the charming community of Bicheno awaits, renowned for its scenic natural landmarks and vibrant culinary scene. Returning on Saturday, November 15, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is where visitors can experience the community's mouthwatering bites and sips in one spot. Featuring 30 stallholders showcasing Tasmania's finest flavours and makers, expect a coastal celebration of stellar seafood, local wine and live music. The lineup for the 2025 edition is soon to be revealed, but previous instalments have included a who's who of local epicureans. Think award-winning drinks from Bicheno Beer Co., Maclean Bay Wines and Ironhouse Tasmania, alongside non-stop gourmet cuisine from Formosa Bites, Salsa Sol and Fried & Loaded. Set against a picturesque seascape, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is also stacked with live music and entertainment. Throughout the day, local bands and singer-songwriters will take to the stage. Meanwhile, roving buskers also provide an easy-breezy soundtrack for visitors dining on the freshest east coast produce.
There are neither aliens nor gods to be found in the latest instalment of the seemingly unstoppable Marvel movie franchise. Instead, this is an 'enemy within' offering, and it's very much the better for it. Captain America (Chris Evans) is the Avenger in question this time round, and for a movie about the perils of extra-governmental espionage and unregulated oversight, there could be no more suitable a hero than that unfailingly honest idealist Captain Rogers. In The Winter Soldier, Cap finds himself contemplating a life beyond the military, only to be drawn deep back inside the shadowy organisation S.H.I.E.L.D following an assassination attempt on his boss, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). With the story's many twists and turns, it's risky to disclose much more, but at its heart this is a film about trust, betrayal and (inevitably) good ole-fashioned right and wrong. Fitting, then, that his holiness the pope of '70s plot-based paranoia, Robert Redford, makes an appearance as S.H.I.E.L.D's chairman Alexander Pierce. It's difficult in any film not to get excited whenever Redford embarks upon one of his trademark disquisitions on the state of democracy, freedom or peace, and in The Winter Soldier you get the full-blown triple play. Joining him in the mix are S.H.I.E.L.D regulars Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Agent Hill (Cobie Smulders), as well as the instantly appealing newcomer 'Falcon' (Anthony Mackie). Inevitably, a superhero movie with a budget as big as its leading man's pecs is going to feature the periodic sensory onslaught of explosions, car chases, plane chases and carplane chases to keep the blockbuster fans satiated. The highlights in The Winter Soldier, however, are the smaller-scale, human melees, because let's be honest — Cap's superpowers aren't all that super ("Fitter than the average man, more honest than Abe Lincoln, Chris Evans is...the Truthy Runner"). As a result, his action sequences require more imagination on the part of the writers than they might for, say, Iron Man, and where the team most often delivers is in all the creative ways Cap uses his iconic shield, both in defence and on offence. Not quite as witty as Whedon's Avengers yet more engaging than Thor 2, Captain America: The Winter Soldier offers a darker and more thoughtful superhero story than most, if not all, of its Marvel predecessors. https://youtube.com/watch?v=7SlILk2WMTI
Instagram-obsessed iPhoneographers can now turn their collection of photographs into posters, thanks to a clever new website. London-based online retailer, Firebox, allows Instagram app users to create wall-sized prints of their photo library. All you have to do is click the 'Buy' button on the Firebox website, then add your Instagram username to retrieve photos from your account. Each poster is a fixed 61cm wide, but you can add as many rows of photos as you like, so there is no need to worry about choosing just a few snapshots. When your poster reaches 1.5 metres long, Firebox will shrink your pictures to fit and you can then choose between a white or black background. Firebox are not the only ones who have other ideas for Instagram. Photo sharing app, Prinstagram, let’s you make posters from 50-400 photos, as well as mini prints, stickers and mini books. If you prefer having your photos printed rather than just leaving them in digital format on your laptop, then this is a quirky and colourful way to do it. [via Mashable]
If you find yourself in the mood for some world-class pizza this week and you happen to be in Melbourne, you won't have to travel very far at all to get it. Simply head to 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar in South Yarra, where you'll experience the Best Pizzeria in the Asia Pacific, as decided by the experts for this year's 50 Top Pizza awards. The Victorian spot took out the prestigious title earlier this week at an awards ceremony in Bangkok, where the annual international pizzeria guide named its top 50 picks for the Asia Pacific region. The awards judge venues not just on the merit of their slices, but on each pizzeria as a whole, rating the food, drinks, service and overall ambiance. Running for the last five years, the 50 Top Pizza awards are chosen by around 1000 experts across the globe, who visit the pizzerias anonymously to judge and rank their offerings. 150 pizzeria 'inspectors' took on the task for the Asia and Oceania area specifically. With this new regional crown, 48h now scores an entry in the worldwide ranking, the 50 Top Pizza World 2022 competition, which will be announced in Naples on September 7. Of course, the southside pizzeria is no stranger to international praise, having claimed the title of Best Pizzeria In Oceania in last year's 50 Top Pizza awards. The chain's pizzas themselves, which are on offer at its Elsternwick and Spotswood venues as well, have also nabbed a stack of awards, including being crowned #1 Pizza in Australia at the Pizza World Championships in 2019. A handful of other Aussie venues were also named in this year's Asia Pacific top 50, including Sydney's Al Taglio (14), Bella Brutta (25), Gigi Pizzeria (27), Lucio Pizzeria (43) and Via Napoli (49); fellow Melburnians A25 (35), SPQR (37), Mozzarella Bar (39) and La Svolta (40); and Adelaide's Etica Pizza (42). Find 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar at 373 Malvern Road, South Yarra; 15 Gordon Street, Elsternwick; and Grazeland, Spotswood. For the full 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific awards list, jump over to the website. Craving a slice, Melburnians? Check out our top picks for pizza in Melbourne.
MIFF might not be here yet, but your year of good films is just beginning. The annual Sphere Peninsula Short Film Festival is set to kick off on the first weekend in February in Rosebud, showcasing the efforts of some of the best filmmakers in the country. Along with film screenings, the three-day program includes workshops and pop-up cinemas — and, of course, the big ol' opening night do. What began as a small event in 2011 is now a mainstay of the Peninsula which brings thousands to Rosebud each year. Twelve films are shortlisted and screened, then judged by a celebrity panel of judges, and there's up to $30k to be won by the brightest sparks. Held on the Village Green in Rosebud near the foreshore, entry to the main event on Saturday, February 4 is free — just BYO rug, follow the crowd and come for some bite-sized film entertainment to go with your bite-sized food truck snacks. They're also holding a ticketed opening night event on the Friday with a screening of Australian film Boys in the Trees and a Sunday afternoon session with Constance on the Edge director Belinda Mason. Image: Yanni Delaportas.
In response to Melbourne's growing northern suburbs COVID-19 cluster, the entire state of Victoria will enter a seven-day lockdown from 11.59pm tonight, Thursday, May 27 until the same time on Thursday, June 3. That means that stage four restrictions will be back in effect, and you'll only be able to leave your house for five reasons — the now-familiar four reasons, and to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Also returning: wearing compulsory face masks whenever you do leave home. Announcing the change today, Thursday, May 27, Acting Victorian Premier James Merlino said that "as we've seen here, and across Australia, this kind of short, sharp action is effective in stopping this thing in its tracks." None of the reinstated rules are new to Melburnians, of course — but it's hoped that bringing them back for the next seven days will help stop the spread of cases linked to the current cluster. Mask-wise, you'll need to break out your fitted face coverings and wear them. Some mask requirements do currently exist — including wearing them in public indoor spaces, which has been back in effect since Tuesday, May 25 — but the requirements are now being beefed up even further. Once midnight hits tonight, the only place where you won't need to pop a mask on is inside your own home. That said, you'll only be able to leave your house for essential work, shopping for things you need, exercise for two hours within five kilometres of your residence, care and caregiving, and to get vaccinated — however, in each and every one of those situations, you'll have to mask up. You'll need to wear face masks both indoors and outside, too, unless you have an exemption. With the present cases linked to both Melbourne and regional Victoria, the mask rules — and the circuit-breaker lockdown— apply statewide for the seven-day period. The Acting Premier will obviously provide further details about what happens next before 11.59pm on Thursday, June 3. If you're now wondering where to grab a fitted mask, we've put together a rundown of local companies making and selling them. For more information about the status of COVID-19 and the current restrictions, head over to the Department of Health and Human Services website.
With its award-winning barrel-aged, bloody shiraz, rare dry, spiced negroni, Christmas and overproof gins, Four Pillars has won plenty of fans — and as of today, one big buyer. If you're keen on creative takes on juniper spirits, you might've snapped up plenty of the brand's coveted tipples, but only beer giant Lion has become the distillery's new partner. It's the first foray into the craft spirit market for the huge beverage company, which is owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings and boasts beer labels such as James Squire, Little Creatures, Furphy, White Rabbit, Hahn, Tooheys, James Boag's and XXXX to its name. Picking up a 50 percent stake in Four Pillars, it's clearly hoping to capitalise upon the gin outfit's growing popularity. According to the Australian Financial Review, the Healesville-based boozemakers are expected to sell half a million bottles this year. The sale comes little more than five years after Four Pillars was established by Stuart Gregor, Cameron Mackenzie and Matt Jones — and Gregor say it's "the start of a really exciting new chapter for our business". It's not the first time the trio has been approached by potential buyers, but when it came to pairing up with Lion, they liked "the fact we will be their first and most important craft spirit brand". Gregor, Mackenzie and Jones will still be running the show, and they'll still keep their existing Yarra Valley digs as their base. But Four Pillars aficionados can look forward to a few changes — including more small batch gin experiments, more attempts to push boundaries, when it comes to both distilling and botanicals, and more collaborations with renowned bartenders, chefs and other creatives. The company will also build a new hospitality and production space next to its current location, which'll give it the capacity to make and bottle more than one million bottles of gin a year. And, in good news for anyone who considers Bloody Shiraz Gin day the best day of the year, a new website that doesn't crash when each new batch goes on sale is also on the cards. If you're wondering, as it has previously, the much-loved variety will go on sale on June 1.
It's only February but already it might be possible to name both the worst film and least funny comedy of the year. Fist Fight, starring Charlie Day and Ice Cube, is a monument to stupidity. Its characters are amongst the thinnest and most derivative ever constructed, its plot is simultaneously ludicrous and entirely dull, and its capacity for comedy exists almost solely as outtakes in the final credits. The film's first-time screenwriters rely exclusively on a three-tiered approach of dick jokes, incessant swearing, and a female teacher's desire to have sex with a minor, forever backed by Day's high-pitched stammering whine. Story wise, Fist Fight takes place on muck up day in a US public school, where the students run riot, the teachers are powerless (or apathetic, or both), and the school board is laying off staff to meet budgetary requirements. When Day and Cube's characters clash over an incident in which Cube takes to a student's desk with a fire axe, Cube challenges the diminutive Day to a fist fight in the school yard after class to settle things once and for all. That none of the faculty, campus security or police department demonstrate any interest in properly addressing either the axe-on-student incident OR the imminent crimes of: assault and battery, disturbing the peace, affray or disorderly conduct, somehow represents the least implausible part of this entire abysmal experience. Alongside Day and Cube are various actors of note in roles that are completely beneath them. Tracy Morgan plays an incompetent sports coach, Christine Hendricks plays a butterfly-knife wielding French teacher, and Jillian Bell plays a meth-addicted guidance counsellor determined to get herself some 'teenis' (teenage penis). The whole conceit is so laughably unlaughable that it's astounding the script ever caught a studio's attention. That actors willingly signed on, well...let's just hope the money was worth it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aIzXYo6VCE
The Sydney Opera House's First Nations dance competition will return for its sixth year in 2020. Starring more than 350 performers from all over the country, with different generations, nations and groups all represented, Dance Rites will be broadcast free online — which means, for the first time, all of Australia can join in on the festivities. Close to 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance groups will compete in this year's festival, including Djakapurra Dancers, led by Djakapurra Munyarryun (Songman for the Sydney 2000 Olympics); Mornington Island Dance Group, who performed for the opening of the Opera House in 1973; Dyiraamalang, an all-female group; and Luurnpa Dancers, led by acclaimed artist and senior law man Jimmy Tchooga. The first wave of performances will take place each night from Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14 (coinciding with NAIDOC Week). Then the finals will air the following week on Saturday, November 21. Each group will perform two dances — one traditional and one 'wildcard' dance. The judges' assessment is based on on authenticity, reclamation work, fusion of language and music and use of costumes, crafts and cultural materials. The winners will receive a cool $20,000, with additional prizes also up for grabs. [caption id="attachment_789029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brolga Dance Academy[/caption] Top image: Anna Kucera
The Makers and Shakers Market will visit Melbourne again this November, bringing with it the whole kit and caboodle of bespoke ceramics, homewares and jewellery (as well as tasty food to rejuvenate you when you get the oh-no-I-just-spent-all-my-money sweats). Kick things off at 10am with a coffee, spend a few hours browsing, and then chow down on a toastie or perhaps a gluten-free vegan doughnut from Nutie. The market gives space to local makers to sell their handmade wares, with everything from ceramic keep cups to floral tote bags to be found. Stallholders this time round include bright art by Laura Blythman, flowers from Mittoo Blooms, designer soaps by Fazeek, whimsical lamps from Upswitch and jars of sticky caramel from Misty's Salted Caramel. And that's just the crust of the pie — there are many more to choose from when you take a full bite, and a free Christmas craft workshop at 11am. Images: Alana Dimou.
Australian specialty coffee brand Toby's Estate has just dropped a new line of single-serve instant coffee bags, aiming to improve the quality of instant coffee — and provide a product for both coffee aficionados and casual drinkers. To get you on board, a pop-up is happening at Southern Cross Station this weekend, where you can get yourself a free sample and enter into the draw to win a year's supply of coffee. The single-serve coffees come in two flavour profiles: 'The Next Frontier', with hints of dark chocolate and toffee; and 'Forbidden Planet', for the more fruity taste of strawberries and milk chocolate. You can give them a try from 9am–1pm — or until Melbourne's coffee lovers drink them all — on Saturday, February 22. In a time when "single use" is a hot topic, it'll be interesting to see how people take to the concept of individually packaged, one-use-only coffees, — even though the bags are 100-percent biodegradable and the outer packaging is made from renewable and compostable materials. Of course, it can't be denied that a cheap and quick coffee option that actually tastes good wouldn't go astray in most office kitchens.
Mention bubbles these days, and you're no longer just talking about baths, sparkling wine, gum or tea. For the past 15 months or so, the term has been on every hopeful holidaymaker's lips, referring to arrangements between countries that allow COVID-safe overseas travel in these pandemic-afflicted times. Discussed since mid-2020 and in effect since April 2021, Australia currently has a quarantine-free travel bubble in place with New Zealand — allowing Aussies and New Zealanders to fly back and forth between the two countries for holidays, even while Australia's international border remains shut to the rest of the world. As first floated back in March, that arrangement might soon be joined by another, this time between Australia and Singapore. Initially, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack advised that Aussies might be able to fly to the island city-state for a holiday by July. That's only a month away, and it doesn't look like it'll happen then. However, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, with the pair releasing a joint statement affirming that they're working towards the travel arrangement. "We discussed how two-way travel between Singapore and Australia can eventually resume, in a safe and calibrated manner, when both sides are ready," said Lee following the two leaders' joint press conference. "Before COVID-19, many Singaporeans travelled to Australia for business, for holidays and to pursue their education, and vice versa. We need to resume these people-to-people flows to maintain our close and excellent bilateral relationship," he continued. Although no timeframe was given, Lee also said that the two countries "need to prepare the infrastructure and processes to get ready to do this" — and named "mutual recognition of health and vaccination certificates, possibly in the digital form" as one of the first steps. "When all the preparations are ready, we can start small with an air travel bubble to build confidence on both sides," he advised. At the press conference, Morrison also addressed the proposed travel bubble, noting that it's a target "sooner rather than later". He continued: "I welcome the fact that we will now work together to put the infrastructure in place and the systems in place to enable us to open up in a similar way that we've been able to open up to New Zealand from Australia when we are both in a position to do so." If you're after more details, that's all that was discussed; however, when the Australia–Singapore bubble was first suggested a few months back, it was reported that Aussies would be permitted to go to Singapore for work or leisure. Getting permission from the Department of Home Affairs — which is the only way you can go overseas at present while the nation's international border restrictions are in place — wouldn't be necessary under the arrangement. That said, according to those initial reports, the bubble might only apply to folks who've been vaccinated against COVID-19. Singaporeans who've been vaccinated would also be able to travel to Australia without undergoing the currently mandatory 14-day quarantine period. While the details are clearly yet to be finalised, if the Australia–Singapore travel bubble does come into effect, it'll be great news for everyone that's been dreaming of overseas holidays since the pandemic began — or, at present, for those dreaming of heading further than New Zealand. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
At the moment, you can't go visit your local bar for a round of after-work negronis on a Friday afternoon. But that doesn't mean you need to forego your usual end-of-week drinks with your colleagues. A heap of bars, wineries and distilleries are bringing the happy hour to you — virtually. Whether you'd like to learn how to whip up a Bond-worthy martini, show off your beer knowledge at a boozy trivia session or taste your way through some top drops (and learn a thing or two) at an online cellar door event, there are plenty of digital happy hours to get around while you work from home. Here are some of our favourites.
If your idea of a Mexican food experience is a little less ‘overstuffed burritos washed down with tequila while waiting for your turn at the pinata' and a little more gourmet, this Cinco de Mayo celebration might be more up your alley. Acland St Cantina is known for its wholesome and authentic Mexican fare, not to mention the cognitive dissonance you experience when you’re able to order pretty-sure-they-don’t-have-that-in-Mexico salted-caramel ice-cream churros tacos for dessert. For Cinco de Mayo, the folk from Acland St are teaming up with Corona for a night of eats, beats and a sweet drink special called Cinco de Drinko. Get together with your amigos for that one; cinco means five in Spanish, so that’s five drinks at $5 a pop. We’ll let them slide on the lack of a mariachi band, because there’ll also be a DJ pumping out tunes from 7pm onwards.
Grabbing a meal. Going to work. Eating at a restaurant with friends. Making a living cooking up a storm or waiting tables. We've all had a bite to eat at a cafe, and many of us have worked in hospitality — and we should all be able to enjoy both in a safe space. With tensions rising across the United States since the election of Donald Trump as the country's 45th President, a new initiative has emerged to ensure both patrons and employees can do just that. Sanctuary Restaurants provides resources to eateries to help ensure that people can dine and work in a discrimination-free environment, and to assist with supporting customers and staff that find themselves targeted. Establishments that join the movement — currently 64 at the time of writing — have a zero tolerance policy for sexism, racism, and xenophobia. More explicitly, they do not allow "any harassment of any individual based on immigrant/refugee status, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation to occur in their restaurant". After signing up, they're advised to place a sign in their windows advertising their policy: "SANCTUARY RESTAURANTS: A Place At the Table for Everyone". While such an initiative should definitely be commended, as should the restaurants signing up and the effort to make sure that restaurants remain inclusive and welcoming for all, the fact that it is needed really says plenty about the current climate of hatred and fear festering around the globe. As long as something like this is necessary, here's hoping more places join in — and that the commitment to cultivating safe spaces continues to spread, including beyond America. Via MUNCHIES.
When you imagine the film that would unite Aussie powerhouse actors Nicole Kidman, Mia Wasikowska and Jacki Weaver, you probably think gritty outback drama. You don't think violent neo-gothic Bildungsroman directed by renowned South Korean director Chan-Wook Park (Old Boy) and set in wealthy New England. But that's what you get with Stoker, a film that's bewitchingly stylish but anchored by an intense performance from Wasikowska. Wasikowska plays India Stoker, a somewhat sheltered loner of a girl who is deeply sensitive to small sensations — but that's where her commonalities with Amelie end. India, a recreational hunter in her spare time, is not all sweetness. On her 18th birthday, she learns that her loving father (Dermot Mulroney) has died in a car accident. Besides being left with her less demonstrative mother, Evelyn (Kidman) in their big ol' house, she now has to deal with the arrival of her unknown and perturbing uncle, Charlie (Matthew Goode). He is soon followed by his aunt Gwendolyn (Weaver), who appears to have an urgent message to impart to young India. Gwendolyn disappears and we have a movie, where Charlie obsessively draws closer to India while India tries to figure out who she really is. It plays like something of a cross between Hitchcock, The Addams Family and Dexter. The script for Stoker, by Wentworth Miller (lead actor in Prison Break of all things), famously made the 2010 'Black List' of best unproduced screenplays circulating around Hollywood, and although it's trite in parts, it remains fresh and alluring overall. It's real strength, perhaps, is in its gaps and silences, which allow director Park to go to town with the mood, composition and imagery that ultimately make the film so memorable. There's one tracking shot, in particular, where a head of long hair morphs smoothly into a thicket of reeds, that will probably be shown in film schools for a decade to come. Add in a score by Clint Mansell with contributions from Philip Glass, and you have a movie of rare aesthetic brilliance. It's not a total triumph of style over substance, but it's as close as you're likely to get. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NPIi5sHmkAw
All of the taste, none of the seed storage proteins: if you need to eat a gluten free diet, that's all you ever want. And, if you've been craving a few of your favourite biscuits but usually have to steer clear because they don't fit the bill, Arnott's has released new versions of a few well-known varieties. The big one: the Scotch Finger. Last year, the much-loved Australian biscuit maker released the recipe for its original version, but this is obviously even better if you can't consume gluten. The new variety is made with a gluten free flour blend, which uses locally sourced maize, tapioca, rice, sorghum and soy. This one apparently has a sweet base as well, and you can expect both buttery and vanilla tastes. And yes, it still snaps in half — which is perfect for sharing, or for just treating yourself to two smaller pieces instead of eating one big one. That's not the only Arnott's biscuit that's getting a gluten free version, with both Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple bikkies also receiving the same treatment. For the former, you'll be able to tuck into small, bear-shapped biscuits peppered with chocolate chips. With the latter, expect the usual cocoa flavour, and the same crunchiness. The gluten free range hits stores today, Monday, July 19, and you'll only be able to grab them from Woolworths supermarkets. You'll pay RRP$4.70 per pack, and all three new bikkies have been developed with Coeliac Australia. Arnott's gluten free Scotch Finger, Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple biscuits will be available from Woolworths supermarkets from Monday, July 19.
When it comes to job opportunities in the hospitality industry, options aren't limited solely to being behind the bar, on the floor or in the kitchen. There is an entire world of positions within hospitality that many don't realise exists. For example, food festivals don't just come together on their own; and if you've ever been at one of these massive events wondering what goes into the planning — or even picking up on things you would do better — you may just be thinking like an event manager without even realising it. That person behind the curtain is the one looking after every tiny detail to bring all that good food and booze together. In partnership with William Blue at Torrens University, we're asking hospitality graduates who run our favourite events in Sydney to talk about how they got started in the industry. Event management student Rebecca Wheatley is four weeks from graduating with a Bachelor of Business (Event Management), and has already earned a successful position as operations event executive at IMG Culinary. Part of her job includes helping run several of IMG's much-loved culinary events, including Taste of Sydney, Taste of Melbourne and Margret River Gourmet Escape. Just before graduation day, we asked her how she got here and for a few tips on how to be successful in the event management space. And might we add, whether events and the hospitality industry are for you or not, Rebecca gives some pretty steadfast advice no matter what field you're starting in. [caption id="attachment_632242" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] GET AN INTERNSHIP "When I first finished school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I was working a million jobs, travelling a lot, and then I just started doing a few internships. They all happened to be in the event management industry, and at one of my internships, I met a few students from William Blue who highly recommended the program, so I signed up for the next trimester. It's so important to do internships and to get into the work environment. This is the way to start learning what you enjoy and what you're good at. Networking and learning how businesses work is key, and I wouldn't have my job if I didn't do that." RECOGNISE YOUR STRENGTHS "My very first uni subject was to work with a team to make an event. My team ended up doing a charity cocktail party for 130 people. And since it was for charity we had no budget; so figuring out how long to make it all work was very challenging, especially for beginners. I remember looking into ticketing platforms — which often take a percentage — and realising I had to be more creative and find other options. This first project really made me realise how detail oriented I was when looking at events. It's what really led me to the operations side of event management. This showed me the side of the business that I love and am skilled at." [caption id="attachment_632243" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] JUMP AT OPPORTUNITIES "During uni, a former student came to one of my professors looking for an operations assistant for Brand Events (now IMG Culinary). My teacher recommended me, and I started off there with a three-month contract role. I kept contracting for IMG Culinary after that and now, at the start of this year, they put me on full-time as operations event executive. It's been such a great experience and a great opportunity to now graduate with a full-time role." EXPECT LONG HOURS AND HARD WORK "It's obviously a big challenge to juggle both uni and work; one that so many students struggle through. But finishing school without any job experience is even tougher, so working during uni was key to my success. Right now, I'm working [with] IMG four days per week and fitting uni in where I can. It's really hectic to do both at once, especially when there are events on. For Taste of Sydney, I had to go bump in at 7am, then run back for classes for a few hours and then head back to the event until midnight or 1am. And right now, I'm working on the program for Margaret River Gourmet Escape and managing all 150 exhibitors, as well as the contractors, schedule, council and all of the logistics. In this industry, you really devote your life to getting the event over the line. It's all you do and all you think about. You're constantly trying to come up with new ideas and ways to make it all work. Then, when the event opens and you see it all come to life, its such a rush and a moment to be really proud of yourself. You need to have that passion to keep going." [caption id="attachment_632241" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] STAY DEDICATED "When you're just starting out, it's either long hours, low pay or both, but don't be afraid to work for it and get through it. If you're lucky enough to be in an industry that you love, then it all pays off. Especially when juggling school and work, it's really hard, but remember it's only temporary. Don't be afraid to stick it out. Sometimes it feels impossible to do both, but you'll get through it and be so glad that you did when you have a career at the end of it." William Blue at Torrens University offers courses in Event Management, Hospitality, Culinary Management and Tourism. Find out more about the diverse career options in hospitality, and kick-start your career at the William Blue Open Day on Saturday, August 12 in Sydney or via their website.
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings — including the instantly recognisable Waterlilies and On the Beach at Trouville — the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. Images: Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB; Claude Monet, Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy NGA; Claude Monet, On the beach at Trouville (1870), Courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Bridgeman Images.
When Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy was found dead in his truck in 2014, in a Kmart parking lot, it was ruled a suicide. But then the police investigating his passing discovered text messages sent to Roy by his 17-year-old girlfriend Michelle Carter, and noted the onslaught of words encouraging him to take his own life. That's the case that I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter delves into, splitting the details across two parts — with the first charting the prosecution's side of the story, and the second focusing on the defence. It's a tragic and complicated case, and it's also one that inspires a plethora of questions, all of which filmmaker Erin Lee Carr handles with sensitivity. That shouldn't come as a surprise, as she did the same with 2017's Mommy Dead and Dearest as well, which stepped through the now well-known murder of Dee Dee Blanchard and its links to Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Whether you're a Queenslander hoping to hop over the border for a mid-year holiday, or a resident of the rest of the country eager to soak in the Sunshine State's splendours once winter hits, don't go making plans anytime soon — with Queensland's borders possibly remaining closed until September. While the state has been relaxing its COVID-19 restrictions in recent weeks — including allowing non-essential trips out of the house, then permitting small in-home gatherings and letting restaurants, cafes and pubs reopen — Queensland hasn't changed its stance on its locked-down border. And, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed this morning, that's not likely to happen in the short term. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the Premier said "we want to welcome as many domestic tourists as possible to Queensland", but that isn't on the cards as yet because "there is still community transmission in Victoria and New South Wales". The Premier also explained that the border situation will be reviewed at the end of each month, and that she's aware that people are starting to ponder their plans for the June–July school holidays; however she noted that it's likely "things will look more positive towards September". Asked about opening up travel to other states without community transmission — that is, allowing Queenslanders to visit Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, and permitting residents of those regions to visit Queensland — the Premier advised that she "could see that happening before New South Wales and Victoria, but that's a matter for the premiers there as well". https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/1262137356460539904 The Queensland Premier's comments come a few days after her New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian called for borders between Australian states to be reopened — and just a day after the NSW Premier singled out Queensland specifically, saying "I don't want to be able to say to people I'm allowed to go to Auckland before I can go to Brisbane". As part of the national three-step roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month, some interstate travel is earmarked to return in step two, while all interstate travel would be allowed in step three — however, while it's the Federal Government's aim to implement all three stages by July, each step has to be put in place by every state individually. Over the past week, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria each moved to the first stage of eased coronavirus restrictions in different ways, with the same approach likely to apply to interstate travel. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Pick your favourite movie, change the concept slightly and Hollywood's next big hit could be born. It worked for The Fast and the Furious, which took Point Break's storyline, swapped surfboards for cars and spawned a hugely successful franchise, and it somewhat works in Little as well. Sequels and spinoffs aren't as likely to follow in the current case, but this age-swap comedy serves up a bit of fun with its reversed take on 80s classic Big. To be accurate, it serves up a highly predictable tale, themes to match, a few laughs, energetic performances and a star-making turn from 14-year-old Marsai Martin. Best known for TV sitcom Black-ish, Martin is a comic force to be reckoned with as Jordan Sanders, a character she shares with Regina Hall. The younger actress plays the 13-year-old version of the hotshot technology entrepreneur — both when she was originally a bullied, anxious, science-loving teenager suffering the ultimate humiliation at her school talent show, and when the tyrannical thirty-something is turned back into her adolescent self by a kid waving a magic wand. As an adult, Jordan has been coping with her youthful torment by becoming a rich, unpleasant control freak, unleashing much of her intimidation upon her long-suffering assistant April (Issa Rae). Then she picks on a child, wakes up to discover that she's now a child again herself, and is forced to enlist April to act as her legal guardian. Obviously, there's no question that writer-director Tina Gordon (who also helped pen What Men Want) and her co-scribe Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip) have seen Tom Hanks dance around on a walking keyboard in Big. The link is right there in Little's name. Martin has too, and that's where the film actually sprang from. The teen actress watched the movie, came up with a twist and pitched the idea to the right person. Now she's starring in the end product. She's also an executive producer on the picture — the youngest ever in Hollywood. Thanks to this origin story, there's a shameless feeling of familiarity to the flick — yet it's by design, rather than through arrogance, ignorance or laziness. The film's pace is breezy and its tone is bouncy, creating a feel-good, upbeat, self-empowering vibe, which should surprise no one. The expected jokes and messages also arrive on cue. Indeed, Little is well-aware that everyone knows where it sprang from, that it's never going to be original, and that plenty of other body-swap comedies have also done something similar. As a result, it rarely contemplates breaking the mould. More than that, it doesn't think it needs to. The film does pair its concept with the African-American experience, and calls out the fact that these kinds of antics usually only involve white characters, but it's otherwise content to stick to the formula. And while playing it safe is rarely the path to big-screen success, there's a reason for Little's approach. Instead of stepping into new territory, the movie adheres to the template, relying on its cast to add much-needed personality. In exaggerated mode, Hall has a ball. Finding the sweet spot between affable and awkward, Rae does as well. In the precocious Martin's case, she shines brighter than her character's oversized sunglasses and glitzy outfits. Without her, all of the film's cliches and tropes would take centre stage, from Jordan's initial shock at her sudden transformation, to the inevitable makeover montages, to the just-as-expected learning of life lessons. But while they're still all blatantly apparent, Martin's spark goes a long way. Crucially, she inhabits her character like an adult placed in a kid's body, rather than a child playing dress-up imitating someone older. With the younger Jordan strutting around in designer clothes, confidently ordering whisky at a bar and even flirting with her teacher when she's sent back to school, it's a vital difference, and it shows. Little still belongs to one of today's most pervasive and worrying trends — where everything can, should and must be rehashed over and over and over again — but it finds a way to stand out. In the crowded age- and body-swap genre that counts everything from 13 Going on 30 and 17 Again to Freaky Friday and The Change-Up, that too makes a difference. A big one, fittingly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWzxkqHn6D4
Paris — city of light, culture, shoebox apartments and, now, Post-it note art wars. Earlier this year, inspired by either a bout of spring fever or possibly an excess of office supplies, French video gaming company Ubisoft created an image of a space invader — made out of Post-it notes — in their office window. Shortly after, their neighbour, BNP Paribas, responded by creating their own Post-it note art in their office window. Not to be upstaged, Ubisoft responded with a new, slightly bigger and better, Post-it note creation. And that is how the 'la guerre des Post-it' began. Since then, office windows in the west of Paris and around the business district, La Defense, have been covered with colourful Post-it note artwork as new companies enter into the battle attempting to outdo each other's artwork, either in size or ingeniousness. A website has been created to showcase the Post-it creations and to keep score of each companies' contributions. To date, Ubisoft appear to be the victors in the Post-it wars; their latest creation consists of over 3,000 Post-it notes and extends over three floors. While shareholders may not be overly impressed with the level of productivity taking place, it's nice to see that French corporate types unleashing their creative sides.
Palo Alto should come with a warning: may cause optic nerve damage as a result of excessive eye-rolling. Adapted from a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories by Instagram-age Renaissance man James Franco, the film marks the directorial debut of 26-year-old Gia Coppola, the granddaughter and niece of filmmakers Francis Ford and Sofia, respectively. A portrait of teenage disaffection, it's a film that attempts to capture the aimlessness, the angst and the self-aggrandised melancholy of youth. That it more or less succeeds in that goal is a big part of what makes it so unbearable. Emma Robert and newcomer Jack Kilmer play April and Teddy, a pair of brooding high schoolers absorbed by personal drama. He's a delinquent skater who's actually an unappreciated artist; she's the neglected daughter of self-absorbed parents who begins an affair with her creepy soccer coach (Franco). Meanwhile, Teddy's best bud Fred (Nate Wolff) finds himself drawn to increasingly anti-social behaviour to hide his insecurities, while another classmate Emily (Zoe Levine) turns to sex in order to hide her own. While Coppola and Franco do their best to depict the nuances of teenage ennui, their interlocking stories end up bringing little new material to what is already an over-saturated genre. Likewise, while the mannerisms of the characters feel pretty accurate, the kids ultimately come across more like ciphers than real people. There's little insight into why they do the things that they do, other than they're bored, perhaps, or feel entitled. Or maybe the world just, like, doesn't understand. Coppola's direction shows promise, only to fall into indie film cliché. Midnight strolls through deserted streets look as though they've been pulled from a Smashing Pumpkins music video circa 1996, while some of the visual metaphors — Fred driving the wrong way down the freeway, for example — are way too obvious to be profound. Despite this stumble, there's enough in Palo Alto to suggest the youngest Coppola may have a future ahead of her. You'd be less inclined to be charitable towards Franco, whose aggressive desire to be taken seriously makes it basically impossible to do so. https://youtube.com/watch?v=sTqMUu1iTIo
How many ways can getaways go wrong? In The White Lotus, each season brings a new list of chaos — and the show isn't done sending characters off to exclusive resorts to deal with whatever life throws at them just yet. The show's third season will arrive in February 2025, but there's already more on the way after that, with HBO announcing that season four has been greenlit as well. Accordingly, before anyone even watches a second of The White Lotus season three — which'll stream from Monday, February 17 Down Under — season four has been locked in. There's no word yet on which destination will follow Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, however. There's also no details on who'll be in the series' fourth cast, and if any familiar faces will return. While the world waits for more information about season four, season three is worth getting excited about, too. A new batch of travellers is checking in, and a third The White Lotus hotel is ready and waiting. As Lisa from BLACKPINK says in both the initial look at footage from season three in a broader HBO trailer and in the anthology hit's first teaser, "welcome to The White Lotus in Thailand". A getaway at a luxurious hotel is normally relaxing, but that isn't what vacationers find in this show. It was true in the Hawaii-set first season in 2021, then in season two in Sicily in 2023, each with a largely different group of holidaymakers. Based on the sneak peek at season three, that's of course going to be accurate again in the third season's eight-episode run. Walton Goggins (Fallout), Carrie Coon (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Jason Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Michelle Monaghan (MaXXXine), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale) and Parker Posey (Mr & Mrs Smith) are among the folks checking in season three, alongside Sam Nivola (The Perfect Couple), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), Sarah Catherine Hook (Cruel Intentions) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education). Families, couples and friends on getaways: they're all covered by the above cast members. And as Monaghan exclaiming "what the fuck is this place?" indicates, they're in for some chaos. Bad feelings, seeking pleasure but finding pain, threatening to drink oneself to sleep: alongside guns, dancing, judgemental pals, missing pills, snakes, monkeys, ambulances, complaints about gluten-free rice and a body bag, they're all featured in the teaser as well. From season one, Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) is back Hawaii spa manager Belinda, who advises that she's there on an exchange program. Season three also stars Lek Patravadi (In Family We Trust) and Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) as one of The White Lotus' owners and security guards, respectively. Where the Mike White (Brad's Status)-created, -written and -directed satire's first season had money in its sights and the second honed in on sex, eastern religion and spirituality is in the spotlight in season three, which also co-stars Nicholas Duvernay (Bel-Air), Arnas Fedaravičius (The Wheel of Time), Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest), Scott Glenn (Bad Monkey), Dom Hetrakul (The Sweetest Taboo), Julian Kostov (Alex Rider), Charlotte Le Bon (Niki), Morgana O'Reilly (Bookworm) and Shalini Peiris (The Ark). Check out the first teaser trailer for The White Lotus season three below: The White Lotus returns on Sunday, February 16 in the US, which is Monday, February 17 Down Under. At present, the series streams via Binge in Australia and on Neon in New Zealand. The White Lotus season four doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: HBO.
You'd think that after seven books, eight films, just as many video games, a real-life MOOC that lets you study magic and 17 years of worshipping a fictional teenager, we'd have run a little dry on news about Harry Potter. Instead, this week has featured news of a West End play, a spinoff film trilogy, and new material being written for the '2014 Quidditch World Cup'. It seems like the wizarding world is still very much alive, and nowhere more so than the Universal Studios Harry Potter theme park in Orlando. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was first established in 2010, but this year sees its first major expansion effectively doubling its size. The upgrades include a surprisingly functional Platform 9 3/4, a full Hogwarts Express experience, and most spectacularly of all, a Gringotts ride that replicates the ornate mayhem of the characters' dramatic expedition in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was announced today that the ride will include high-def animation, 3D projection, live special effects courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters, incredibly realistic (if not kind of anti-Semitic) Gringotts goblins and — best of all — a 60-foot dragon. Hurtling through the bank vaults on a rickety old cart just like the one in the film, Escape from Gringotts is definitely a ride for the hardcore fans. And, though it's a world away from our local equivalents like Dreamworld or Movieworld, it's worth keeping in mind if you're ever up for spilling a few galleons on flights to the States. Via Variety and MTV.
On your next trip down Collins Street, be sure to look out for an unassuming little pod of delight. Sensory Lab has opened a new store in Melbourne, and the space-age cafe has garnered numerous accolades for its curious and artistic aesthetic. Wanting to create a "calm space away from the hustle of Melbourne's CBD", winner of the inaugural Australia Tea Brewer's Cup, Ayden Graham, has styled a haven for coffee and tea, as served alongside unique tartines and quality spreads. What makes this outer-city caffeine hit particularly special is the space itself, featuring innovative design by Foolscap Studios. The cafe is a Swedish-Japanese fusion, combining calmingly minimalist design with spacey vibes for a machine-like feel. Basically, Sensory Lab has effectively created an ultra-modern yet peaceful hub for coffee-breakers and tea appreciators and across the city, and beyond. Items on the menu include vegan and gluten-free hazelnut cacao butter — and, for the less calorie-conscious, there is a range of nan-and-pop homemade jams featuring flavours such raspberry grappa, blackberry shiraz and strawberry aniseed. For those looking for a more substantial accompaniment to their Earl Grey, the Sensory Lab also offers a tartine menu that changes monthly, and has featured such delights as duck and orange pate, cornichons and watercress. Find Sensory Lab at 30 Collins Street, Melbourne, from 7am - 5pm Monday to Friday and 8am - 3pm Saturday. Visit their website for further information.
Summertime in the Garden of Eden began as a piece of scratch theatre, whipped up in three weeks and playing to packed out audiences in a Thornbury shed. A short November season at Theatre Works in St Kilda is the last chance for Melbourne audiences to catch a glimpse of Sisters Grimm's anarchic vision before they take the show to Sydney's Griffin Theatre. Between its premiere in 2012 and now, the company — a collaboration between Ash Flanders and Declan Greene —have enjoyed a meteoric rise, cemented by their NEON Festival offering, The Sovereign Wife, a three-hour, two-interval epic that sold out after the first night. The Sisters' work leaves gender roles exploded in their wake, shattering familiar tropes of stage and screen. In Summertime, the cotton fields of the American South provide rich pickings for their brand of melodrama, drag, and obscenity — undercut at all times by a keen, subversive edge.
Australian design student Alexander Vittouris has managed to not only design an all-bamboo velobike, but has also incorporated the natural growth process of bamboos in the design of a fully sustainable vehicle, the Ajiro Bamboo Velobike. The Monash University student's design was a finalist at the 2011 Australian Design Awards. He uses the term 'growth mobility' to describe the incorporation of the "strength and rapid growth of bamboos" in the final structure of his design. Vittouris borrows from the principals of arborsculpture, or 'tree shaping' techniques, whereby the shape of a tree or plant is controlled and instructed by various techniques (leaf trimming, wiring and pruning, for example). In this case, Vittouris has used an inner skeleton structure that the bamboo grows around. He says the manipulation technique used becomes economical and environmentally-friendly, in comparison to the cost of metal and energy exerted in assembling a traditional bicycle frame. In his Australian Design Awards entry, he writes: "The skeleton frame is then proposed to be reused, for future plant generations as an ongoing cycle. In this case, the manipulation and intervention is more akin to a farming process, whereby bamboo plants need time for thorough establishment to form the required energy mass to produce new culms."
STATUS is an exploration of HIV in the modern world. As a response to various interviews, it is a story of HIV positive men, women, friends, family, lovers and acquaintances. It examines the stigmas still floating about and the tensions of living a positive life while being positive. The show is a brief 65 minutes long and seeks to spark discussion about HIV in society today. This year the International Conference AIDS 2014 is taking place in Melbourne, and STATUS will be performed as an independent event in affiliation with the conference. A production bursting with "hope, bravery, love, humour, pain, laughter, tears and compassion", STATUS is a celebration of life, not loss, and an opportunity to start talking.
We enjoyed the tenth annual Bicycle Film Festival last year, and the 2011 instalment is already brewing. But obviously, there can be no film festival without films – that’s where you, dear cycling-and-film-making reader come in! BFF want you to make a bike film and be a part of the global event. Submitting an entry is free, and films can be of any style, as long as they’re bike-related. With the festival travelling to over 25 cities worldwide, successful entries are guaranteed some great exposure, and being an entrant will give you a great excuse to attend the screenings, parties and other events that make up the festival itself. If you’re in need of some inspiration check out the BFF trailer below, or consider using your bike in the film-making process. Entries close on April 1 so get your camera and get on your bike!
UPDATE, February 28, 2021: Rocketman is available to stream via Netflix, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube, iTunes and Amazon Video. "It's obviously not all true, but it's the truth," says Elton John about Rocketman. Trust the British superstar to sum up his own lively, dreamlike musical biopic perfectly. Cinematic celebrations of beloved singers and bands often aim for little more than supremely skilled impersonations, toe-tapping greatest-hits soundtracks and broad rags-to-riches overviews; indeed, it's an approach that won Bohemian Rhapsody several Oscars. But there's a vibrant spark to Rocketman as it charts Reginald Dwight's transformation into Elton Hercules John. A glorious tone, too, which couldn't work better. Showing how fantastical the ups and downs of fame, fortune and rock stardom can be by sashaying through a sea of surreality, the result is a winning marriage of form and feeling. Bursting into a support group wearing wings, horns and a blazing orange devil costume in the movie's opening moments, an 80s-era John (Taron Egerton) lays bare his sins. He's an alcoholic, cocaine addict, sex addict, bulimic, shopaholic, fond of prescription drugs, dabbles with marijuana and, if that's not enough, he also has anger management issues. That's Rocketman's warts-and-all baseline — the unflinching description of its protagonist at his lowest point, in his own words. Of course, we all already know how things turn out, but the film spends its two-hour running time unpacking and explaining John's troubles. Two intersecting threads come into focus: his ascent to the top of the music world, and his simultaneous descent into depression, frustration and loneliness. From his therapy circle, John follows his younger self (Matthew Illesley) to his childhood home, with the singer stepping through his unhappy formative years as the son of bitter, bickering parents (Bryce Dallas Howard and Steven Mackintosh). When his talent for tunes starts shining brightly, the biopic traces his long quest for success, including teaming up with lyricist Bernie Taupin (a well-cast Jamie Bell), who becomes a lifelong friend. After a 1970 trip to the US shoots John into the music stratosphere, the film watches as he rockets higher and higher, chronicling the hits, glitz, raucous parties and romantic dramas — complete with his first proper romance, with his manager John Reid (Richard Madden). But what goes up must come down, with the movie charting John's personal crashes as well. Story-wise, so far, so standard. The familiar superstar origin tale and cliched sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll trajectory don't dissipate. But from the moment that John breaks into song while recounting his woes, then dances and sings his way along a visibly desaturated 50s suburban London street with the childhood Reggie by his side, Rocketman thoroughly eschews the standard approach. Biographical details guide the narrative as expected, with the film stringing together a timeline that spreads over four decades, however it's emotion that drives every scene in Lee Hall's (Victoria & Abdul) screenplay. As proved the case in Hall and John's first collaboration on Billy Elliott the Musical, blending sentiment and song couldn't be more pivotal, poignant or important. Nor could Rocketman's core creative decision, because this isn't just a music biopic. It's unashamedly a musical biopic, and those extra couple of letters make a significant difference. With structure and staging that brings Hugh Jackman's Peter Allen musical The Boy From Oz to mind — not to mention a standout central performance — Rocketman is presented with razzle-dazzle showmanship that could easily see the movie adapted into a live production. Sequins, glitter, shiny platform shoes, oversized glasses and over-the-top outfits have long been part of John's public persona, and it's that theatricality that director Dexter Fletcher draws upon. That said, he's not simply fashioning the film after John's flamboyant attire. The intention, and one that comes to life with as much deep-seated feeling as eye-catching flashiness, is to convey John's true inner state rather than slavishly sticking to the truth. How better to show how young Reggie saw music as an escape from his difficult upbringing than to make his success seem like a dream? To demonstrate just how electrifying and unreal John's breakout gig felt than to literally depict him and the heaving crowd floating in the air? From the song-and-dance highs of finally making it, to the boozy, woozy, literally sinking lows of feeling all alone when the world is at his feet, the list of vivid and expressive examples goes on. Not only set to all of the expected tracks, but using them to plot an engaging emotional journey, the final product takes more cues from Fletcher's last two official directorial credits — on the upbeat Proclaimers jukebox musical Sunshine on Leith, as well as the Egerton-starring sports biopic Eddie the Eagle — than his uncredited job taking over for the fired Bryan Singer on Bohemian Rhapsody. Without an ounce of surprise, Rocketman is all the better for it, even when it makes crowd-pleasing moves with some of its song choices, and doesn't dive as deep into its narrative and themes as it perhaps could. Still, the two biopics share a crucial element, apart from the obvious. It's unlikely that the Oscars will award two actors for portraying real-life stars two years in a row, but Egerton puts in a thrilling, multifaceted performance worthy of ample recognition. He's a candle in the wind and defiantly still standing, all while singing John's songs himself and soaring across this rousing movie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTm5DWgL-MU
The Amazing Type-Writer iOS app from Doormouse Manufacturing gives typing on the iPhone a vintage feel by re-creating the look and sound of typing on an antique typewriter. Keeping true to the old-school aesthetic, users can't backspace and some of the more modern symbols, such as the @ sign, won't function. This might be a little frustrating for some, but now you know how your older relatives felt when they had to send out birthday invitations to all their buddies. You'll just have to type over your mistakes and pray that it's legible. This ability to type over existing writing also means you can make tonnes of different patterns and scribbles. According to Doormouse Mfg, the app has "combined the latest in mobile pneumatic tubes technology with the highest-quality digital micro-swingarms available." This means that you'll be able to shift the carrier all over the screen and mark your letter however you like. After you've finished your masterpiece you can save it to your own camera roll, e-mail it, or post it in a public gallery. Perhaps best of all, you can select other people's pieces from this gallery and re-interpret or ruin their works however you like. This gives you the potential to post your own questions or thoughts, and see how many people will respond to it. This app will be perfect for pensioners who miss the good old days, overly-ambitious hipster poets, or people who want to send creepy letters to their ex-girlfriends. Two dollars won't get you much nowadays, but it will buy you the endless joy of having your own nifty little typewriter in your pocket. A limited amount of these are available through iTunes.
UPDATE, January 29, 2021: The MSO's 2021 Sidney Myer Free Concerts will be live-streamed, too, so that folks who missed out on tickets can still watch along. You'll need to head to the MSO's YouTube page — with the first show streaming from 7.30pm AEDT on Friday, January 29, and remaining available to view for 24 hours afterwards. A staple of Melbourne's cultural calendar for more than 90 years and counting, the Sidney Myer Free Concerts are back for another year. Held at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the latest of this long-standing favourite will, as always, features a trio of performances from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Whether you're a classical music buff or just want to stretch out with a picnic on the grass, there's a good reason these concerts have become a summertime tradition. After kicking off on Friday, January 29, and keeping the fun going on Saturday, February 6, Melburnians can enjoy the last evening in the series on Wednesday, February 10. The first night, The Faun and The Firebird, will feature works by Debussy, Stravinsky and Australian composer Ross Edwards. On the second evening, Mambo! Dancing across the centuries will see showcase the efforts of Rameau, de Falla, Bernstein, and contemporary Australian composers Joe Chindamo and Paul Stanhope. And, finally, there's Spanish Harlem, which will include Duke Ellington tunes, Ravel's Piano Concerto in G Major and a world premiere by Australian jazz composer Vanessa Perica. Of course, since the free concert series was last held in 2020, much has changed in the world. So, this will be a socially distanced affair — with tables of two or four available, and lawn deck spots for groups of six as well. All three performances begin at 7.30pm; however, gates usually open earlier, with times still to be confirmed. Tickets for The Faun and The Firebird on Friday, January 29 will be available from 12pm on Friday, January 8. Tickets for the other two shows will be available on Friday, January 15.
Bodies, faces, identities — we all have them, we're all happy with some aspects of them and unhappy with others. This complex relationship we have with ourselves is put under the lens in This Is Beautiful. The piece has three actors engaging in a soul-searching discourse about identity and body image while eating a banquet on stage. All the while, behind them a film projection portrays their bodies in transformative ways, beautiful to grotesque and back again. It comes from The Public Studio, an interdisciplinary company that is the brainchild of Ming-Zhu Hii and Nicholas Coghlan (Secret Life of Us). Their style, a blend of visual and performance art that sometimes presents as theatre, sometimes as installation, could be a study in complicated identity itself so they should be well suited to taking on the subject matter. Followed by a series of themed short films, this visual feast will surely give you some food for thought.
We hope you’re not feeling all theatred out after Melbourne Festival, because MTC is launching a new mainstage play this week. It’s Elling, by British playwright Simon Bent. Adapted from the Norwegian film of the same name, itself based on a series of popular novels, it tells the story of a middle-aged man with mental illness who is thrust into the world after the mother who has cared for him all his life dies. Placed in community housing with a flatmate who is scarcely more capable of handling daily life than he is, Elling finds himself faced with a host of unfamiliar challenges. Praised for its thoughtful and gently humorous approach to the subject matter, Elling played in Sydney under the same director (Pamela Rabe) in 2009. Darren Gilshenan, of Full Frontal fame, is also back in the lead role, and set to warm Melbourne's hearts as he did Sydney's with this endearing character.
Pucker up, fans of 90s teen flicks — whether you were the exact right age at the time, have discovered them since or found yourself looking backwards thanks to recent films like Do Revenge. After finally bringing its song- and dance-filled take on one of the most influential movies of the era to Australian stages this year, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is making a comeback along Australia's east coast in 2023. It seems that we can't get enough of this bittersweet symphony. We can't stop praising it, either. This time, audiences in Sydney and Melbourne will get a second chance to get nostalgic, while the show is backing up its recent Brisbane season with a new stint on the Gold Coast. To answer the most crucial question, yes, the musical's soundtrack is filled hits from the period, including The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' and Placebo's 'Every You Every Me'. In fact, Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical is a jukebox musical, so it's overflowing with a heap other tunes from that late 90s–early 00s time. Think: *NYSNC's 'Bye Bye Bye', Britney Spears' 'Sometimes', No Doubt's 'Just A Girl', Jewel's 'Foolish Games', Christina Aguilera's 'Genie In A Bottle' and Sixpence None the Richer's 'Kiss Me', for starters. The story remains the same, just without Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon and Selma Blair (and Joshua Jackson's blonde locks). If you've seen the movie — the original, not the direct-to-video 2001 and 2004 sequels, one of which starred a very young Amy Adams (Dear Evan Hansen) taking over Gellar's role — then you'll know how it goes. Based on 1782 novel Les Liaisons dangereuses, which was also been adapted in the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons with Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer and Uma Thurman, Cruel Intentions follows step-siblings Sebastian Valmont and Kathryn Merteuil. Manipulating each other's love lives is their main hobby, a pastime that levels up a few notches when Kathryn places a bet on whether Sebastian can sleep with Annette Hargrove, the headmaster's daughter at their exclusive prep school. The movie-to-theatre production has been unleashing its teen tumult and throwback soundtrack in America since 2015, and will start its Aussie encore from January 2023. Cruel Intentions' writer/director Roger Kumble co-created the musical, so it comes with quite the screen-to-stage pedigree. Also, it's being staged in Australia via David Venn Enterprises, who also brought The Wedding Singer: The Musical Comedy and Bring It On: The Musical our way. CRUEL INTENTIONS: THE 90S MUSICAL 2023 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Thursday, January 19–Sunday, January 29, 2023: HOTA, Home of the Arts, Gold Coast Thursday, February 2—Sunday, February 12: Riverside Theatre, Parramatta From Thursday, February 16: Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical will tour Australia's east coast again from January 2023. For more information and to join the waitlist for tickets — with Gold Coast and Melbourne shows on-sale from 10am Thursday, October 6 an Sydney from the same time on Tuesday, October 11 — head to the musical's website. Images: Nicole Cleary.
In a bid to contain the spread of COVID-19, the Australian Government is urging Australians to stay at home. In a statement made last night, Tuesday, March 24, after a national cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said everyone should remain in their homes "unless it's absolutely necessary you go out". The Prime Minister clarified that it was acceptable to go out to buy basics and for medical needs, to exercise in small groups and to go to work when you cannot work from home. The announcement also included an expanded list of non-essential indoor venues that must close. While pubs, clubs, gyms, indoor sporting venues, cinemas, casinos and places of worship were forced to close on Monday, galleries, museums, libraries, auction and open houses, all indoor health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, saunas, bathhouses and wellness centres, amusement parks, arcades, beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons and tattoo parlours all have until midnight tonight, Wednesday, March 25 to shut up shop. Bars, restaurants, cafes and food courts can still offer takeaway and delivery only, and hairdressers can continue to operate if appointments are limited to less than 30 minutes. Outdoor personal training and bootcamps can also continue with a maximum of ten people, weddings with no more than five and funerals with ten or less. Visits at your home should also be kept to a minimum with very few guests. Last week's advice of "do not travel abroad" has also evolved into a blanket ban on all international travel, except for compassionate reasons, health workers and other essential work. The Prime Minister said that "no one should be getting on a plane and going overseas", but the ban would officially come into place today after it has been signed off by the Health Minister. Australian airlines had already slashed their flights significantly, with Qantas and Jetstar cutting their international flights by 90 percent until at least the end of May, and Virgin Australia suspending all international flights from March 30. At the meeting, Australia's Chief Medical Officer reiterated the sentiment that these measures will be in place for a prolonged period — previously predicated to be at least six months — saying, "we have to change the way we interact as human beings in our society for quite a long time as this virus will be with us for quite a long time." The Australian Government also urges anyone that does leave their house to follow its social distancing guidelines.
With Victoria currently under lockdown — stage four restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne, and stage three elsewhere — stemming the spread of COVID-19 is the state's number-one aim. Staying at home is clearly a key tactic, as is wearing masks and, when you are out of the house out, maintaining social distancing. So too is getting tested if you display any coronavirus symptoms. Alas, doing the latter isn't always easy for everyone. To assist Victorians who can't go out to obtain a test, the state government has announced a new 'call-to-test' service, which is in effect from today, Monday, August 10. The new program is designed for folks who have difficulty leaving their homes for a number of reasons — such as older Victorians, Victorians with disability, carers, those with chronic health conditions and those with an illness. Available for free — and on offer Victoria-wide — the at-home service can be accessed via the state's coronavirus hotline, with callers first assessed via a nurse. They'll then be given a GP referral, after which the government will send someone to their home to conduct a test within 48 hours. As Victorian Health Minister Jenny Mikakos explained in today's daily press conference, "this is designed to ensure that approximately 200 vulnerable Victorians every day will have access to this new testing capacity, making sure that people who might have limited mobility due to disability or might have other vulnerabilities due to chronic health conditions can get tested in their own home". The 'call-to-test' services joins Victoria's other testing options, including at drive-thru and pop-up sites — for the full list, head to the Department of Health and Human Services website. To access Victoria's new 'call-to-test' program, contact the state's COVID-19 hotline on 1800 675 398 — or visit the Department of Health and Human Services' coronavirus hub online for further details.
Australia is in for a big hot summer of music tours — a hefty end of spring, too — with everyone from Post Malone and The Weeknd to Taylor Swift and The Chemical Brothers on their way Down Under. Also on the list: Foo Fighters, who have a date with a heap of Aussie stadiums, and are about to release more tickets. It's times like these that you can add catching the Dave Grohl-fronted band to your calendar, with the group embarking on their first headline tour of Australia since 2018. It's also their first visit Down Under since drummer Taylor Hawkins passed away in March 2022. Foo Fighters were last in Australia that same month and year, playing a huge Geelong show to help launch Victoria's post-COVID-19 lockdowns live music program. The band unsurprisingly took a break from touring after Hawkins' death, only returning to live gigs earlier in 2023. On this tour, they're playing Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, with additional tickets becoming available due to changed production information — so, it's likely that the band's setup won't take up as much space as initially thought — and going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. [caption id="attachment_903613" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Scarlet Page[/caption] Picking up the sticks: ex-The Vandals, Devo, Guns N' Roses and A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese, taking on the likely-daunting task of being the touring drummer in a band led by Nirvana drummer Grohl. Freese's stint with the band was announced in May, ahead of their first tour dates. When they hit our shores, the new-look Foo Fighters will weave in tunes from their new record But Here We Are, which released in June. Of course, all the hits from across their career will get a whirl, with their current setlist including everything from 'This Is a Call', 'Big Me' and 'Monkey Wrench' through to 'Learn to Fly', 'The Pretender' and 'Best of You'. And, yes, 'Everlong', because it wouldn't be a Foo Fighters show without it. [caption id="attachment_903618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jo via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] 'I'll Stick Around', which is also on the list, isn't just a song title from the group's first album. Given that their new tour comes 28 years after that debut release in 1995, it perfectly sums up Foo Fighters' longevity. Over the years, they've made it Down Under a heap of times, released 11 studio albums including the just-dropped But Here We Are, and made 2022 horror movie Studio 666. When they take to the stage again in Australia, they'll do so with Queensland punk act The Chats in support on a stack of dates, Manchester's Hot Milk also playing with them on the east coast, Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers doing Melbourne and Body Type in Adelaide. FOO FIGHTERS AUSTRALIAN 2023 TOUR DATES: Wednesday, November 29 — HBF Park, Perth, with The Chats and Teenage Jones Saturday, December 2 — Coopers Stadium, Adelaide, with The Chats and Body Type Monday, December 4 — AAMI Park, Melbourne, with Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers and Hot Milk Saturday, December 9 — Accor Stadium, Sydney, with The Chats and Hot Milk Tuesday, December 12 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, with The Chats and Hot Milk Foo Fighters are touring Australia in November and December 2023, with additional tickets going on sale at 3pm AEDT on Friday, October 13. Head to the tour website for further details. Top image: Mr Rossi vi Wikimedia Commons.
Over the course of the past year that wasn't, things like scheduling have more or less gone out the window. After all, how far ahead can you plan if things could change, quite literally, at any minute? If nothing else, the past year has probably taught us all how to be spontaneous — but spontaneously having people over at your place (restrictions permitting, of course) doesn't mean that you should neglect your duties as host. That's where we come in. We've teamed up with Yumi's to put together a list of six easy things to whip up for last-minute — or even unexpected — guests. [caption id="attachment_817506" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Benjamin Brunner (Unsplash)[/caption] TOMATO, BOCCONCINI AND BASIL BITES The low effort to high payoff ratio of these treats makes them an easy crowd-pleaser. It's not hard to imagine why the tried-and-true combo of plump, sweet tomato, creamy cheese and fresh, zingy basil has become a grazing platter staple — not only are the flavours a perfect match, but these morsels are a cinch to put together, and also incredibly versatile. Whether you stack them as fresh bite-sized stacks, turn them into a salad, or put them on a pizza, these tricolour treats will be sure to put a smile on your guests' faces. FALAFELS These veggie favourites will please even the pickiest eaters. And thankfully, it couldn't be more easy to impress your guests with them, thanks to Yumi's range of excellent pre-cooked falafels. They come in a classic and sesame variety, and also in resealable bags — meaning you can even keep some for yourself after your guests leave. Give them a quick zap in the microwave for half a minute, and serve them with liberal amounts of Yumi's classic silky hommus or addictive garlic dip to take your platter to the next level. [caption id="attachment_817512" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brett Jordan (Unsplash)[/caption] MINI QUICHES Mixing up your platter with hot and cold options automatically takes your hosting levels up a notch (at least in the eyes of your guests). And less than ten minutes of prep using pantry staples is all it takes to impress when you plate up these mini quiches. They're filling, tasty and versatile — try mixing it up with different types of cheese or veggies. [caption id="attachment_817513" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Alargent (Pexels)[/caption] FIGS AND CHEESE We may not be able to travel right now, but the dreamy combination of figs and goat cheese will at least transport your tastebuds to the Mediterranean. The sweet, plump and honeyed notes of the fruit are the perfect foil to cut through cheese with stronger flavours — goat's cheese is a great pairing (especially drizzled with a bit of honey), but other cheeses, like a sharp stilton or a creamy brie, work just as well. It's an easy combo to assemble, too — cut the figs in half and serve them up with your choice of cheese. If you want to take it to another level, popping the fruit under the grill can bring out more of the flavour. DIPS, CRUDITES AND CRACKERS Whether you're serving them before dinner or they're accompanying casual wine time, dips are perhaps the ultimate no-brainer for entertaining at home (or solo snacking, we hasten to add). Yumi's has long been a favourite for its creative range of dips that are packed with real ingredients — from a creamy avo and sea salt dip to the mildly sweet roasted beetroot, there are combinations to suit any palate. Chop up some veggies or spread out some crackers for dipping and you've got yourself a winning platter. Feeling fancy? You can even make your own crackers — these rosemary ones go with just about anything. [caption id="attachment_817519" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matt Seymour (Unsplash)[/caption] MINI SAUSAGE ROLLS The humble sausage roll is another platter pick that seems like you've gone to more trouble than you actually have. Sure, you can get fancy with it and make your own filling, but if you're pressed for time, you can bring pre-made sausages to the party, wrap them up in puff pastry, portion them out and bang them in the oven. Add a couple of sides for dipping — we love the contrast of a sweet chutney — and you're set. For more entertaining inspiration, check out the full range of Yumi's falafels, veggie bites and dips.
The World's End is the final film in Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy — named for the Cornettos that make an appearance in each film. The film stars Pegg and Nick Frost as childhood best friends Gary and Andrew, both unhappy with their adult lives, trying to recapture their youth in one epic pub crawl, ending at The World's End. But if you've seen Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, you'll know that this isn't going to be just any pub crawl — along the way, they uncover a group of aliens plotting to invade Earth and have to stop them from turning the entire human race into robots. It's been getting some pretty good reviews overseas, with the Guardian calling it "a double-whammy of funny and clever" and a "good-natured sci-fi comedy of male mid-life discontent". The World's End is in cinemas on August 1, and thanks to Universal Pictures, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running all you need to do is subscribe to our newsletter (if you haven't already) and then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
December marks the biggest month of markets for The District Docklands, all coming to a head with their Christmas Night Market, taking place on Friday, December 17. With a stacked line-up of vendors and local stores selling unique gifts and wares, it's going to be a great spot to stock up on any Christmas shopping you've left to the last minute. Art, jewellery fashion, homewares and locally grown produce will all be on offer, with live entertainment pumping throughout the night. The best part? The District is pet-friendly, so bring your pooch along for the evening — they might even find some special Christmas doggy treats littered among the stalls.
A plant sale might be to Brunswick what packed peak-hour trams are to Melbourne — that is, abundant and crowded — but get your wallets and elbows at the ready, because this one looks to be a doozy. Leaf & Bear, Brunswick-based plant specialists, are throwing an indoor plant clearance at you on Wednesday, June 27th. From 3pm, roll on down to their shop on Colebrook Street, just off Sydney Road, and have a gander at what they've put up for grabs. A pre-winter sale to clear out their warehouse, there'll be enough indoor plants to line your bedroom and rest of your house. Monsteras aplenty, terrariums and Japanese kokedamas (those balls of moss with a plant growing on top, one of Leaf & Bear's specialties) will all be there at serendipitously low prices. It's worth a pretend trip to the dentist so you can take the afternoon off work and get there early. Dogs are welcome, and parking and EFTPOS are both freely available.
Conscious consumerism and shopping sustainably are hot topics at the moment. That's where independent markets come in handy — aside from the joy of uncovering rare, one-of-a-kind (or, at least, one of a small number) finds, they're also great for discovering quality vendors that specialise in ethical practices and products. And when it comes to rolling out the creme de la creme of local producers every season, the Finders Keepers market knows its stuff. For over a decade, the twice-yearly mini-festival has been championing small-scale producers. So, sustainable shoppers and knick-knack connoisseurs, we've got some good news — Finders Keepers is back for another season. The first stop on its autumn/winter circuit is Sydney, running from Friday, May 3 to Sunday, May 5 — just in time for you to snag the perfect Mother's Day gift. It's then popping up in Brisbane between Friday, June 21 and Sunday, June 23, before wrapping up in Melbourne across Friday, July 12–Sunday, July 14. As always, Finders Keepers has pulled together a high-calibre of art, fashion, beauty and design stalls. And, to help you figure out which ethical vendors to make a beeline towards, we've trawled through the huge Finders Keepers directory to find eight brands doing good for the world — and making even better products. [caption id="attachment_718857" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finders Keepers. Captured by Mark Lobo.[/caption] YALU APOTHECARY Yalu Apothecary will be gracing the markets this year with its simple ethos — nurture with nature. This philosophy perfectly captures its offerings of sustainable, handmade beauty products. Yalu Apothecary promotes holistic wellness with specialty naturopathic herbal tea blends, crystal-infused botanical perfume oils, face masks and bath products. The products are handcrafted by Rhiannon Mapstone, who sources the finest natural and organic botanicals from local gardens in Australia and from around the globe. Skip the damaging chemicals of mass-produced beauty products and opt for a Yalu perfume, made with pure plant essences, organic infusions and supercharged with crystal healing power. Yalu Apothecary will be at the Sydney and Melbourne markets this season. MISTER TIMBUKTU Secretly hoarding two draws dedicated to activewear for all days of the week? Yep, we're guilty too. Make your yoga tights habit a positive one by grabbing a pair from Mister Timbuktu — an apparel store saving plastics from landfill and the ocean and turning them into outdoor and fitness apparel. A simple yet brilliant idea, Mister Timbuktu began as a crowdfunded debut collection before officially launching in June 2018. In addition to being a recycled and high quality material, these plastics use less energy, water and chemicals to produce compared to traditional fabric. The business ensures ethical and sustainable practices all the way from above-minimum wage for its factory workers in Indonesia to home-compostable bags for deliveries. For stylish and sustainable active threads, Mister Timbuktu will be open at all three city's Finders Keepers markets. CORNER BLOCK STUDIO Avoid scraping Blu Tack off the walls of your rental at the end of each lease and display your favourite artworks in a frame from Corner Block Studio. This modest store combines innovation with handcrafted woodwork to bring you simple and stylish adjustable frames for your artwork. Whether you want to display your band poster, record covers or beautifully illustrated coffee table books, Corner Block Studio has a frame for every purpose. With respect to the planet, all products are made from recycled Australian hardwoods that have been reclaimed from decommissioned buildings. Each piece is crafted in Brisbane and features unique characteristics in the timber, so you'll walk away with a one-of-a-kind frame. Corner Block Studio will be popping up at the Brisbane and Melbourne markets. EARTH FIBRE Take a piece of the gorgeous Australian natural environment home with Earth Fibre. Each handcrafted piece tells a story of the colourful landscape. Creator Michelle Ohara uses various mediums, carefully selected from the Glass House Mountains area in the Sunshine Coast, to produce her collection of eclectic designs. She utilises the local flora to make her goods, including seeds, environmental earth fibres, paper fibres, wood and environmental weeds. You'll find baskets woven from garden waste, small books made from seed pods and botanically dyed scarves made using leaves. Michelle leaves it to nature to put an individual stamp on each of her designs — with no trace of the chemicals or materials that you might find in goods made in a factory. This season, you'll find Earth Fibre at the Brisbane Finders Keepers market. POSIE Posie provides an alternative to the mountains of mass-produced candles packed with chemicals. Co-founders Ashleigh Sampson and Casie Brooker started the brand from a shared passion for travel, design and the simple things in life — and each candle blend is reminiscent of the people, places and paths that they've encountered in their journeys. The candles are designed and made using 100 percent soy wax and their individual scents come from natural fragrances and essential oils. Each candle is hand-poured into a recycled container in Posie's Byron Bay studio. By working and sourcing materials locally, Sampson and Brooker ensure that every Posie candle upholds their core principles of fair, cruelty-free and sustainable trade. You can pick up a Posie candle for your home at the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. [caption id="attachment_718864" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Homelea Lass via Pintrest[/caption] HOMELEA LASS Baby, it's cold outside. Fight the oncoming winter temperature drop with cosy, snuggly crocheted textiles from Homelea Lass. Pick up a thick blankie to snuggle in on the couch or a gorgeous snood and matching beanie for all your outdoor winter adventures. Or, better yet, you can become your own grandma with a DIY crochet kit and keep warm inside while you make your own woollies. As an Australian farmer and maker, owner Lynda Rennick is passionate about supporting the Aussie farming industry — which is why she uses 100 percent Australian-grown and -processed merino wool. Homelea Lass keeps business sustainable with its use of locally sourced and ethical materials and tools, too. You'll be able to snag these cosy crochets at Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. NZURI ORGANICS Avoid incorporating harsh chemicals into your skincare routine by switching to products by Nzuri Organics. Founder Nadine Shuma ensures that each and every handcrafted product is made with certified organic, raw materials. From body butters to hand creams, Nzuri provides organic solutions for everything from your face to your feet. Nadine is Tanzanian-Australian and her brand incorporates beauty routines and ingredients from Tanzania, along with locally sourced organic ingredients of the highest quality. Accredited by Choose Cruelty Free, Nzuri Organics' products are handmade and all containers are either 100 percent recyclable or biodegradable. Nourish your skin by giving Nzuri Organics a visit at the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane markets. [caption id="attachment_675445" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Finders Keepers. Captured by Samee Lapham.[/caption] ARCADIA SCOTT Reusable travel cups are all the rage nowadays. They're much better for the environment, a lot of cafes offer a discount on your morning cuppa if you use one, and they just look so much better than a plain disposable cup — it's a win, win, win. If you're yet to jump on the bandwagon, or you just want to upgrade to something more aesthetically pleasing, stop by Arcadia Scott's stall. The self-taught potter creates a range of ceramic pieces in her Melbourne studio including bowls, vases and adorable glazed travel cups. Each item is handmade, giving your purchase a unique edge — which is exactly why you came to an independent art fair, right? Arcadia Scott will be popping at the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane markets. Finders Keepers will be at Sydney on Friday, May 3 – Sunday, May 5, Brisbane on Friday, June 21–Sunday, June 23 and Melbourne on Friday, July 12–Sunday, July 14. Entry is $5 and your ticket is valid across the entire weekend. Visit the website here for more information and to find open hours for your city. Top Image: Finders Keepers. Captured by Samee Lapham.
After putting on a spectacular footballing show as the host of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup — and the Matildas making history in the process — Australia will next roll out the green carpet for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup. The Asian Football Federation has given the Aussie bid for the event the go-ahead, meaning that the country will host two major women's soccer tournaments in the space of just three years. Get ready for a sea of green and gold again. Australia has welcomed the Women's Asian Cup to our shores before, back in 2006, with the tournament taking place in Adelaide. In 2026, you'll be able to check out the football action in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. All three states were put forward as locations during the bidding process. And yes, that means that the tournament won't head to other parts of the nation — so there'll be no games in either Victoria or South Australia, notably. Twelve countries will compete in the 2026 Women's Asian Cup — including Australia, of course, with the hosts automatically qualifying. So, the Matildas will get another moment to shine on home soil in a major contest. China will also compete, defending their title from the last edition in 2022, which took place in India. The Tillies were knocked out in the quarter finals — and were runners up in 2014 and 2018. Back in 2010, we won the competition, our only time as champions so far. "Securing the AFC Women's Asian Cup is a testament to our nation's dedication to football. It is not only a victory for the sport but for every Australian, offering significant economic and cultural benefits," said Anter Isaac, Chairman of Football Australia, about hosting the 2026 tournament in a statement. "We are profoundly honoured to host the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup™. This decision reflects the global football community's confidence in our capability to deliver outstanding events. Following the resounding success of last year's FIFA Women's World Cup™, we are eager to create another tournament that celebrates women's football and inspires a new generation," added James Johnson, CEO of Football Australia. Exactly when the in 2026 the Women's Asian Cup will take place hasn't been locked in as yet, so you can't mark your calendar just yet. The Matildas next play in Australia at the end of May and beginning of June, hosting two games against China in the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the latter, in July and August, they're in the same group as Germany, Zambia and the US. During the team's next Aussie leg, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold and Mackenzie Arnold and coach Tony Gustavsson will also hit the stage at Vivid Sydney 2024 to talk all things Tillies. [caption id="attachment_912895" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Matildas: The World at Our Feet[/caption] The 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup hasn't yet announced its exact dates — we'll update you when they're revealed. Head to the AFC website for more details in the interim. Images: Tiffany Williams / Football Australia.
