This month at Urbnsurf, you'll be able to catch both waves and live tunes, as the surf park kicks off its new series of openair waterfront gigs. Running Saturdays and Sundays from February 26 to March 20, the Acoustic Music Series is set to celebrate an all-Aussie lineup of musical talent, best enjoyed under the sun with a cold bev in hand. From 6–9pm each evening, settle on the lawn to hear acoustic sounds from homegrown acts like Zoe Fox, Velvet Bloom, Merpire, Carousel Club, Steve Cousins, Lola and more. Supported by Hume City Council and Live Music Australia, it's a very affordable live music session, with spectator passes priced at an easy $5 and free access for Urbnsurf guests who are already inside the park. To match the tunes, the folks from Better Beer will be slinging drinks from their pop-up bar from 3pm each day. But of course, you can get there even earlier to make a day of it — Urbnsurf's waves are pumping from 6am daily, with a variety of surfing sessions and lessons on offer.
When a film goes by the name The Dressmaker, expecting a fashion frenzy is understandable. Of course, the Jocelyn Moorhouse-directed, Kate Winslet-starring movie delivers much more than that. It also serves up a quirky yet satisfying combination of western, comedy, drama, thriller, revenge and romantic elements, as well as a showcase of Australian acting talent; however there's no denying the pivotal role the feature's stunning costumes play. Those celluloid-stopping haute couture creations come courtesy of award-winning designers Margot Wilson and Marion Boyce, and they're getting their moment to shine outside of the cinema. Yes, you'll need to trek to Barwon Park Mansion to gaze at these fabulous threads — but given that the film is set in a dusty town in country Victoria, venturing 90 minutes out of Melbourne via car feels rather fitting. There'll you find the jaw-dropping costumes that graced Winslet's feisty heroine Tilly Dunnage, alongside more than 50 Parisian-inspired designs worn by the likes of Sarah Snook, Rebecca Gibney, Sacha Horler, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving. For the sartorially savvy, learning how the intricate pieces were created and getting a first-hand glimpse of their detail and artisanship is all part of the experience. And for those keen on turning their visit into an event, we recommend timing your trip to coincide with a curator's tour, a '50s-style afternoon tea, an after-dark shindig complete with a pop-up bar, or a Sunday garden party.
Dance meets activism at Off the Grid 2016, an all-day party where the environment is on the agenda. Featuring an eclectic mix of local DJs, musicians and performance artists alongside speakers and environmentalists, this "solar powered celebration" promises more than ten hours of eating, drinking, dancing and discussion. The fun begins at 9am this Wednesday, December 21 in the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art forecourt. The music lineup includes Andee Frost, Andras, Tako and J'Nett, as well as the internationally renowned Senegambian Jazz Band. Importantly, the sound system will be powered by a solar battery bank, while proceeds from the event will be invested in solar projects around town. Speakers, meanwhile, will include Bronwyn Johnson from Climarte, Paul Gorrie from the Seed Indigenous Youth Climate Network, and State Member for Melbourne Ellen Sandell.
Like most things this year, Melbourne International Games Week (MIGW) is going to look a little different in 2020. As part of its virtual nine-day program, running from Saturday, October 3 till Sunday, October 11, it's hosting a Big Games Night In — encouraging Melburnians across the city to unpack the Scrabble, play a competitive round of Monopoly or log on to try up some free new games on the ACMI site. These games, created by Victorian developers, have been selected by the include Innchanted (Dragonbear), Wayward Strand (Ghost Pattern) and Intergalactic Space Princess (Geeiz), as well as the popular Necrobarista (by Route 59). The latter is set in a "magical Melbourne cafe" where the dead return for one night. Look out for goon-sack robots, alchemical coffee and Ned Kelly, too. Elsewhere on the virtual program, there's a MIGW edition of ACMI's Women and Non-Binary Gamers Club on Wednesday, October 7, and a Nordic Game Discovery Contest on Friday, October 9. You can check out the full lineup over here.
"Margot met Robert on a Wednesday night toward the end of her fall semester." So starts the only thing that everyone was reading, and also talking about, in December 2017. Published by The New Yorker, Kristen Roupenian's Cat Person is a short story unparalleled in its viral fame. A piercingly matter-of-fact account of a dating nightmare, the piece of fiction became a literary and online phenomenon. Cat Person didn't just spark discourse about modern romance, relationship power dynamics, 21st-century communication, age gaps and more; it monopolised them, as fuelled by the internet, of course, and arriving as the #MeToo movement was at its early heights. Releasing it as a book, still as a 7000-word piece, came next. Now there's the film that was always bound to happen. As a movie, Cat Person can count the Twitter-to-cinema Zola as a peer in springboarding from digital phenomenon to picture palaces, and it too aims for a specific vibe: the feeling that the world experienced while first roving their eyes over the details on their phone, tablet or computer screen. Cat Person and Zola have another glaring similarity: enlisting Succession's Nicholas Braun to infuse his Cousin Greg awkwardness into a wild tale. Here, he's the Robert that Margot encounters while "working behind the concession stand at the artsy movie theatre downtown when he came in and bought a large popcorn and a box of Red Vines", as Roupenian's story explains in its second sentence — and as filmmaker Susanna Fogel, the director of The Spy Who Dumped Me and one of Booksmart's writers, shows on-screen. Actors' performances don't exist in a vacuum for audiences. Unless you somehow missed the four-season Roy family shenanigans, plus all the rightly deserved attention around it, going into Cat Person unaware of Braun's best-known role is impossible. Self-consciousness, haplessness and discomfort are expected twice over of the man that Margot sells snacks to, then. Much follows. With Michelle Ashford (Operation Mincemeat) adapting Roupenian's text, Cat Person still starts unfurling as readers know it will, with Robert eventually asking Margot (Emilia Jones, CODA) out, then flirty missives bouncing back and forth via SMS daily across several weeks. She's 20 and he's 33, but she doesn't clock quite the size of that age discrepancy initially. She enjoys the banter, the thrill of connecting and the buzz of being wanted. Margot has a crush, patently, complete with telling her mother (Hope Davis, Asteroid City) and stepfather (Christopher Shyer, The Night Agent) about it when she's back at home over the break. In their exchanges, Robert advises that he has two cats, too — a tidbit worthy of a title because of what it says and softens about him, and what it also screams if those felines aren't real. Margot and Robert's rapport with their phones in their hands is natural yet often cringey, but only the latter translates whenever they meet in-person again. Still, the pair keep gravitating towards each other. Locking lips leads to "a terrible kiss, shockingly bad". The sex, which Fogel gives an out-of-body spin for Margot as a coping mechanism, is even worse. Regrets and ghosting then flow on Margot's part, while the rejected Robert floods bubbles of unwelcome anger her way. Roupenian's version is as well-known for how it ends as for everything that precedes its final word, but Fogel and Ashford had two options in making Cat Person into a movie: filling a film's running time by fleshing out its minutiae or building upon the once-in-a-decade short story, including its unforgettable ending. Their choice: doing both, actually, with their Cat Person spending 118 minutes to relay its narrative. In comes a Harrison Ford obsession for Robert, packaged with the telling revelation that he considers a Belgian bootleg of Working Girl to be the height of cinema sophistication. Margot becomes an anthropology major with a worshipped professor (Isabella Rossellini, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) studying ants — and the college student's roommate is now the feminist subreddit-moderating Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan, Miracle Workers), still with firmly blunt thoughts on dealing with Robert's rebuffed behaviour. In wanders a lost dog in front of their dorm, too, plus imagined sessions with a therapist (Fred Melamed, Barry) who constantly verbalises the movie's subtext, an asexual ex and a Marilyn Monroe-aping singing stint. And, in drops a third act that swings big, even for a film that wants to be a thriller, a black comedy, a cautionary tale and then a horror flick all at once. Rossellini, Davis and Melamed lend presence more than anything else, but casting remains crucial to Cat Person's quest to recreate the sensations that swelled and swirled around the feature's source material six years back. As it incited conversation, debate, devotion and memes, Roupenian's story was an in-her-shoes read — and Jones' starring performance evokes the same reaction. With the rising Locke & Key talent playing savvy yet naive and interested yet cautious, it's easy to understand the emotions, joys, doubts and fears that cycle through Margot. Pivotally, it's easy to dive into Margot and Robert's projections, too, as Jones and Braun keeping bob towards and away from each other in a purposefully anti-chemistry match. Whether it goes smoothly, horrifically, embarrassing and something in-between, what's dating if not two people filtering their own thoughts and feelings through one another? And how often is ambiguity and clashing perceptions the outcome, as well as the realisation that what we want from and spot in the person we're seeing differs from their peek into and desires for us? As Cat Person takes this on-screen journey, it's guilty of doing what everyone desperately wants in a relationship but never gets: explaining everything. Accordingly, not every new inclusion works, especially when new characters largely spout metaphors or imaginings just state the obvious. That said, there's ambition in this tensely shot (by Manfuel Billeter, The Gilded Age) and edited (by Jacob Craycroft, Pachinko) film's additions and expansions to the text. Most beats, tonal shifts, sidesteps into neatness and descents into horror help flesh out an examination of ill-advised choices, clumsy hookups, jarring perspectives, and life's ever-present dangers and uncertainties — and relatably at that. Fogel tackled much the same as a director on The Flight Attendant; Promising Young Woman sprang from Saltburn's Emerald Fennell instead, but consider it another influence upon this intriguing rollercoaster ride of a movie.
Does everybody remember The Panics? That dreamy but wholesome indie folk defined the summer of 2007 for many of us. Mainly because of this song, and honestly, it still sounds pretty great. Now, two years after the band's last release, Rain on the Humming Wire, frontman Jae Laffer is trying it out on his own. In theory this should be a pretty seamless transition — the band is better known for their pared back acoustic songs, and Laffer's songwriting has been highly acclaimed over the years. His first solo single, Leave A Light On, seems to stand up to this past promise. That affable Aussie voice carries a familiar lack of pretension and his work remains honest, direct and well-crafted. Even the music video has a certain summertime retro charm. Though his first album, When the Iron Glows Red, has just been released, he's been quick to let us know The Panics are still going strong. "I saw this as an opportunity to take ideas and themes true to myself and see them from start to finish in one burst of inspiration, without looking up," he says. On the first stop of this national headline tour, Laffer will be playing The Toff in Town supported by Karl Smith and Georgia Fair. Tickets are still available here.
Let's make some choices: this month, after a three-year wait, you can choose to dive back into Netflix's Groundhog Day-meets-The Good Place hit Russian Doll. Or, you can decide not to be a sweet birthday baby and do something else. We recommend the former, because spending time getting up, getting down and getting home before the mornin' comes with the smart and twisty Natasha Lyonne-starring show is always a good move, even when it's actively trying to melt your brain — which, as everyone who watched season one knows, is always. In Russian Doll's first batch of episodes, Orange Is the New Black, Irresistible and The United States vs Billie Holiday star Lyonne played Nadia, who had a 36th birthday she'd never forget — although she desperately wished that she could. The New Yorker kept attending a party in her honour, then dying, then repeating the experience while trying to work out what the hell was going on. Also trapped in a loop: the determined but neurotic Alan (Charlie Barnett, You), who lives around the corner from Nadia, and was a stranger until this day kept cycling over and over. When the show returns on Wednesday, April 20, Nadia is once again experiencing something wild. Now, however, she's a time traveller time prisoner, as she advises in the just-dropped full trailer for Russian Doll season two. "Inexplicable things happening is my entire modus operandi," she also notes — and based on this sneak peek, there's plenty of that coming her way. Alan is also caught up in the chaos again, with both characters jumping into their pasts quite literally, and into an intergenerational tale as a result. Accordingly, if you've ever wondered what happens when someone manages to conquer death, getting blasted into the past to trying to solve your family's unfinished business is it — in this series at least. Also returning: Nadia's closest pals Maxine and Lizzy (Sisters' Greta Lee and Werewolves Within's Rebecca Henderson), her godmother Ruthie (Elizabeth Ashley, Ocean's 8), her late mother Nora (Chloë Sevigny, The Girl From Plainview) and her cute roaming cat Oatmeal. Schitt's Creek and Kevin Can F**k Himself star Annie Murphy and District 9's Sharlto Copley join the cast — and co-creator Lyonne (alongside the one and only Amy Poehler, plus Bachelorette and Sleeping with Other People filmmaker Leslye Headland) co-writes as she did last season, and directs as well. Given its focus on fate, logic, life's loops and wading through limbo — and, this time, the ties that bind and the troubles that echo as well — Russian Doll isn't short on twists. From both the new trailer and the initial sneak peek from back in March, NYC's subway system, a stash of gold lost on a train twice, graveyards and out-there parties all factor in. And yes, the chain-smoking Nadia is still as acerbic and misanthropic as ever, of course — because dying repeatedly and riding the rails into history can't change that. Check out the full trailer for Russian Doll's second season below: The second season of Russian Doll will be available to stream via Netflix on Wednesday, April 20. Read our review of the first season. Images: Netflix.
Missed the boat for getting to Paris for Bastille Day? Fear not, as Melbourne is making up for it with a full weekend festival of all things French. Of course, basking in the sweet sounds of the piano accordion whilst nibbling on cheese and pastries is a weekend well spent, but Bastille Day is about more than just gorging yourself on croissants — it marks the beginning of the French revolution and the unity of the people. And now, 225 years après la revolution, we can celebrate our love affair with French culture, as North Melbourne's Meat Market becomes a beacon of entertainment, films, live music, food and wine. The main event requires an entry fee of just $2, but grab a ticket for a pastry, wine or cheese masterclass. Or to the theatre to catch a performance from Melbourne French Theatre or a selection of French films. Most importantly, there will be a French food market with fondue from Milk the Cow, croissants from Gontran Cherrier and goodies from Frencheese, among others. We're sure you'll have a béret good time.
The humble brunch has been given a makeover once again, with the return of Hanoi Hannah's Vietnamese-style yum cha offering. Kicking off on October 12, the weekly Saturday brunch sessions will see you chowing down on a parade of modern Vietnamese eats, matched, if you fancy, to bottomless booze. Each week at the Hannoi Hannah Elsternwick outpost, the kitchen is dishing up a selection of bites, priced between $6 and $12, according to plate — just like how you roll at Sushi Train. Expect punchy creations like dry-aged roast duck, salt 'n' pepper squid, rice paper rolls and steamed buns filled with lemongrass and chicken. For the bottomless booze, you can enjoy two hours of endless fish bowls of alcoholic ice tea (with spiced rum, green tea and mint) and sweet Vietnamese coffee with rum for an extra $30 a head. Vietnamese yum cha runs from 12.30–2.30pm.
Melbourne's iconic LGBTQI+ festival Midsumma is serving up an additional treat this year, as it hosts the first-ever Melbourne Pride Street Party. On Sunday, February 13, the inaugural event will descend on the inner-north hubs of Gertrude and Smith Streets, delivering a jam-packed day of tunes, performances and installations in celebration of the LGBTQI+ community. Specifically, it'll honour the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Victoria. From 11am, two live music stages will play host to a diverse cast of talent; among them, neo-soul pop duo Electric Fields, drag DJs Jawbreakers, award-winning cabaret crew Yummy, Alice Ivy, Kira Puru and All the Queen's Men. You'll even catch a special opera performance by Yorta Yorta woman and legendary soprano Deborah Cheetham AO in collaboration with new classical star Evan Lawson. You can flex your own creative muscle at a Paint Your Fabulous art session led by acclaimed drag queen Art Simone, and wine and dine your way around the precinct with food pop-ups and specials from some of its best-loved eateries. There'll be some striking window installations, too, including a commissioned work by local artist Richard Harding at the Australian Print Workshop. Can't make it in person? The evening's dazzling festivities will be live-streamed online (Facebook and YouTube) from 5pm. [caption id="attachment_842430" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Electric Fields[/caption] Top Image: Midsumma by Coal Photography
It may have been violent, sexist and brainless, but when Sin City hit theatres in 2005, it was like nothing we'd ever seen before. Adapted by Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez from Miller's pulpy anthology comic-book series, the lurid homage to hard-boiled noir stories was one of the first Hollywood movies to fully embrace digital technology — the directors filmed in front of a green screen using high-def digital cameras before converting to black-and-white in post-production. The content was still tasteless and juvenile of course, but at least it was interesting to look at. Nine years later, they've gifted us with a follow-up. Subtitled A Dame to Kill For, this part prequel, part sequel is certainly a fitting companion piece; equally stylised, equally sadistic and equally dumb. And had it come out in 2006 or 2007, it probably would have been embraced. But it didn't. Revolutionary a decade ago, digital cinematography and effects are now the norm, as are slavish graphic novel adaptations full of manufactured grit. Sin City 2 isn't a particularly inferior film to its predecessor. It's just that, after all this time, the novelty is no longer there. It also doesn't feel as though either Miller or Rodriguez have any interest in pushing the envelope further. Fleeting flashes of colour punctuate the vivid monochrome frame, looking every bit as striking as they did the first time. But the duo never attempts to really build upon the aesthetic of their original — and without the element of surprise on their side, the results are inevitably diminished. The same goes for script, again steeped in sex and vengeance but never actually covering any new ground. In the longest story, Mickey Rourke returns as brutish good guy Marv, who along with two-bit private eye Dwight (Josh Brolin), gets caught up in the machinations of a murderous femme-fatale (Eva Green, unfortunately camp). Then there's Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a smooth-talking card-shark with a grudge against the vicious Senator Roarke (Powers Boothe). Roarke is also the antagonist in the final vignette, one that sees exotic dancer Nancy (Jessica Alba) out to avenge the honest cop who saved her life. It should go without saying that the stories are all varying degrees of stupid. If you're not willing to suspend your disbelief every time Johnny gets dealt an impossible poker hand, or when Nancy takes out an entire battalion of body guards, then the movie falls apart before it even begins. What's harder to accept is Miller's flaccid dialogue. Gordon-Levitt is an immensely talented actor, but no-one can make the word 'ambidextrous' sound cool. There's also no skirting around the movie's attitude towards women, which is unfortunately misjudged at best and flagrantly misogynistic at worst. There is not a single named female character in A Dame to Kill For who isn't either a stripper or a prostitute — and despite what Miller apparently thinks, giving a hooker a bazooka doesn't really mean she's empowered. For the most part, the film is just immature in a boring way. On this issue specifically though, it's genuinely quite unpleasant. https://youtube.com/watch?v=6iFdPcx0W2w
Melburnians, if you're currently reading this from somewhere dry, warm and cosy, we suggest that you keep it that way for the rest of the day. Wet weather is forecast to set in for Saturday, September 12 — and not just any old rainy conditions, either, with the Bureau of Meteorology reporting that up to 40 millimetres of rain is expected to fall on the city today. Melbourne's average rainfall for the entire month of September is 58 millimetres, so the city looks set for a hefty soaking — more than two-thirds of September's usual overall rainfall — in just one day. BOM is predicting a minimum of 15–20 millimetres for today, too, so it'll still be more than a little damp even if the clouds don't deliver the maximum amount of rain expected. The "possible heavy falls", as the official forecast notes, won't break the city's September record of 58.7 millimetres in a day, which was set back in 1916. But, the wet conditions are likely to be accompanied by considerable winds — with northerly gusts reaching 25–35 kilometres per hour, then turning into west and northwesterly gusts at 15–25 kilometres per hour in the afternoon. And, temperature-wise, a maximum of 16 is predicted. https://twitter.com/BOM_Vic/status/1304282290336542723 Of course, the wet Saturday comes while Melbourne is still in stage four COVID-19 lockdown — and before the first step of the Victorian Government's roadmap out of the current restrictions comes into effect a 11.59pm on Sunday, September 13. Accordingly, it's likely you'd be staying indoors anyway; however the conditions could still rain out your permitted hour of exercise for the day, plus any essential reasons you have to leave the house. If you do need to head out, remember to check Vic Roads, PTV and BOM for warnings and updates. To keep an eye on Melbourne's weather, head over to the BOM website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Victoria, head to the DHHS website.
A love of Woody Allen courses through Fading Gigolo, his influence evident in his inclusion amongst the film's cast but his distinctive footprint also felt in its themes and moods. Though John Turturro is the feature's guiding force as its lead actor, writer and director, the inspiration he has taken from his co-star is obvious. His fifth effort as a filmmaker offers a light homage to the type of easy and breezy New York comedies Allen is synonymous with. To saddle Turturro's protagonist with the waning prostitute descriptor of the film's title is to overstate his enthusiasm for his new-found line of work; for Fioravante — also known by his gigolo pseudonym of Virgil Howard — making money making love is a reluctant sideline to his floristry job. His friend, failed bookseller Murray (Allen), convinces him to test out the world's oldest profession with dermatologist Dr Parker (Sharon Stone). Positive reports from their first satisfied customer motivate Murray to start actively scouring for other clients, including Hasidic widow Avigal (Vanessa Paradis). The relaxed attitude that marks Fioravante's take-it-or-leave-it approach to benefiting from his bedroom skills also flavours the entire film. It's a movie that saunters with fondness rather than marches with purpose. Affection is its primary motivation — for its New York setting, for eclectic characters that careen through eccentric circumstances, for the brand of emotional sweetness and slapstick silliness too rarely offered with any intelligence, and for the continual mysteries of life and love. If it all seems familiar in that warm and witty way of Allen's directorial efforts, that's because it is, especially with the auteur in the thick of the amiable ensemble antics. In his best acting role in many years (and in a part obviously written for him), he relishes the expected affable neuroses of his accepted screen presence. And yet, his biggest feat and the feature's biggest surprise is his double act with Turturro. Where Allen provides the anticipated patter, Turturro is an engaging, alluring enigma. He sells the facade of Fioravante's sexual appeal and sensitive outlook but leaves audiences ever intrigued and always wanting more. The duo fit in perfectly in the caper-like creation that Fading Gigolo becomes, as do their well-cast supporting players; however, the hijinks-laden atmosphere stems as much from a persistent jazz score and a storyline that sees Murray tailed by a jealous neighbourhood watch cop (Liev Schreiber) and Fioravante pursued for a menage a trois with Dr Parker and her friend Selima (Sofia Vergara). Following such comic paths proves purposely frivolous and recognisable but also pointedly earnest. With a slightness of touch, Turturro whips his Allen-esque meanderings into a modest but melodious tapestry of offbeat observations and off-kilter charm. https://youtube.com/watch?v=_pdlbI4TuGY
As the name suggests, UK artist Mysterious Al doesn't mind a little surprise and secrecy when it comes to his shows. For his last Melbourne exhibition in 2019, he kept the exact warehouse location under wraps until the day before its launch. And now, his latest project Spookhouse takes an unexpected form: a multi-sensory art experience set inside a reimagined carnival ghost train. The immersive showcase is set to be the artist's largest yet, setting up shop within Collingwood's Homie warehouse from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 28, and displaying an impressive lineup of over 70 new works. Get set for some twisty thrills as you jump in a rickety train cart and embark on a labyrinthine journey through Mysterious Al's warehouse world, with its special effects, quirky moving characters, paintings, projections and illuminations. Two years in the making, the exhibition is designed to be enjoyed by fans young and old. And when you're done, you'll find the adjoining gallery space is filled with an array of new works available to purchase, including some limited-edition merch.
Maverick Melbourne stage company MKA: Theatre of New Writing will kick off this year’s Neon Festival of Independent Theatre with an electrifying double bill. Opening Thursday, May 14 at the Southbank Theatre, MKA's Double Feature slams together two brand new Australian plays, and looks guaranteed to give avid theatre buffs bang for their buck. The evening begins with Lucky, written and directed by MKA creative directors Tobias Manderson-Galvin and John Kachoyan, respectively. Described as a "late-night, post-punk prison fantasy", the darkly comic play follows a trio of unlikely companions — a thief, a priest and an indigenous executioner — on the edges of a remote penal colony, while tackling contemporary issues of nationalism and power. After intermission comes the second show, Lord Willing and the Creek Don’t Rise. Directed by MKA resident director Kat Henry and written by New Orleanian playwright Morgan Rose, the kitchen-sink drama is inspired by a real-life story from the wake of Hurricane Katrina, about a man who killed and ate his lover.
The ripe, soft and sweet festival that encourages you to fill your pantry with homemade pasta sauces is back for another year. Summer-grown tomatoes will be bursting with flavour and on show at the 2017 Melbourne Tomato Festival. An array of local farmers will be selling their produce, and a variety of speakers, cooking demonstrations, workshops and agriculturists will also feature on the day. After a year in Eltham, the festival has moved back closer to the CBD and will set-up at All Nations Park in Northcote on Sunday, March 19. The process of passata making is the highlight of the event — this year there will be 14 passata stations. It's closely followed by gnocchi-making workshops, grape-stomping sessions and demos from chefs like Frank Camorra, Matt Stone, Colin Fassnidge and Guy Grossi. Although tomatoes are not strictly native to Italy, their rich, chunky texture is famously embraced in Italian culture and cuisine. So it makes sense that this festival, which is strongly supported by Melbourne's Italian community, falls on Italian National Day.
Eight months after Australian same-sex couples could first formally and legally tie the knot, Brisbane Festival is celebrating the occasion in an appropriate fashion — by throwing a free wedding for eight LGBTIQ pairs. While Sydney Festival put together a huge reception earlier in the year, Brisbane's equivalent is going one better by hosting the actual nuptials. And, if you're a LGBTIQ couple looking to get hitched, you might just be able to take part. Called Qweens on King, the Saturday, September 8 event is one of the three-week-long fest's opening celebrations for 2018, turning Bowen Hills' King Street precinct into a garden party filled with merriment and real-life matrimony. Entries are now open for all interested parties, with winners saying 'I do' on stage before a celebrant named Gai Lemon, scoring a wedding party filled with Brisbane's queer performers, nabbing free wedding bands and receiving a $500 voucher towards holding their reception at adjacent food truck hangout Welcome to Bowen Hills. Everything from the music to the flowers to the photographer has been arranged, with couples simply needing to register, make sure they're available on the date and pick their own outfits. Of course, if that sounds like your ideal way to spend your big day, you'll also need to be willing to share your happy moment with a considerable crowd. "I'm hoping that the eight couples we find will represent a broad spectrum of personal experiences, from those who have been through the Bjelke-Petersen time when homosexual acts were still illegal, to newcomers and the multitude of various cultures within all those letters: L-G-B-T-I-Q-plus," says Brisbane Festival artistic director David Berthold. The ceremony will also launch the 29th annual Brisbane Pride Festival, with Brisbane Pride vice president Michael James dubbing the event "a gathering of rainbow sophistication and flair". Entries close at midnight on Sunday, July 22, with Qweens on King taking place on Saturday, September 8. To register, or for more information, check out the online application
The last of Red Rock Deli's Secret Suppers in Melbourne has been and gone, with Ms. Frankie's head chef Giorgio Distefano cooking up a feast on a CBD rooftop. The exclusive supper series saw some of Australia's most talented chefs whipping up mouth-watering, three-course feasts inspired by Red Rock Deli's new limited-edition range. And when we say exclusive, we mean it — only 20 lucky guests got to tuck into each lavish dinner. On Thursday, October 17, top Melbourne chef Distefano put up a feast inspired by Rock Deli's new Chilli, Roast Garlic and Lemon Oil Deluxe Crisp flavour. The theme of the evening was 'Elevation of the Senses', so the menu featured simple dishes masking intense flavours. To start, there was a charcuterie board with oven-baked ricotta, pumpkin, chilli and parmesan arancini and house-made bread. And to finish, guests tucked into lemon pannacotta with mixed berries. But it was the main course of tortellini filled with ricotta and lemon zest and slathered with chilli, garlic and lemon-infused oil that really had us salivating. Sounds like a meal that shouldn't have been missed but, if you did — or you went and want to recreate the magic at home — check out Distefano's tortellini recipe here. Images: Parker Blain.
With winter making its chilly, soul-destroying presence well known this year, it's a relief that the Melbourne Writers Festival is nearly upon us. Giving us all a viable and damn near social opportunity to rug up with a good book, this bastion of our city's cultural calendar is about to stroll on into our jumper-clad, tea-loving lives and make things a whole lot brighter. But, because festival programs can be a bit bulky and overwhelming (how much reading do they expect us to do, right?) we've compiled a little checklist for you. From August 21-31, it's your solemn readerly duty to get along to one of each of the following. Get ready for some literature, politics and gin, people. This one's going to be a doozy. A headline act While last year's festival was near entirely eclipsed by Tavi Gevinson and her army of flower-crown faithful, the 2014 Melbourne Writers' Festival is billed with an array of seriously big names. The first few nights are filled with speeches from Helen Garner and Salman freakin' Rushdie, but our pick of the bunch is McScweeney's founding, Pulitzer Prize nominated, all-round excellent dude Dave Eggers. Not only was this man touted as the voice of his generation before Lena Dunham was even a thing, he's been killing it lately with two novels in the past two years (2013's disturbing indictment on our all-encompassing digital lives The Circle, and the recently released Your Fathers, Where Are They?). His seminal autobiographical work may have been cheekily titled A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, but anyone who's familiar with his writing will tell you that he really is a bit of a genius. Sure to sell out quick, Eggers is appearing in three sessions at this year's festival. Do yourself a favour and hear what he has to say. Meet McSweeney's, August 30, 3.30pm at The Wheeler Centre; Creativity, Childhood and Reading, August 31, 10.30am at The Wheeler Centre; Dave Eggers: Closing Night Address, August 31, 6pm at Deakin Edge. A weighty political conversation that goes slightly over your head Of course these festivals aren't just a place to worship the people pushing the pens, ultimately writers' festivals are a celebration of ideas. Thinkers of all sorts come out to play at MWF, and your festival experience isn't complete until you've jumped headfirst into a session that ever so slightly boggles your brain. Former Greens leader Bob Brown will be in attendance, "fighting for the future" with Jeff Sparrow of Overland. But the real heavyweight session comes courtesy of former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser and former Foreign Minister Bob Carr. Examining Australia's position between the world's superpowers, these political allstars will be in conversation over the future of our nation's power and allegiances. Yikes. Bring your notepads, kids. Malcolm Fraser & Bob Carr: In Conversation, August 22, 1pm at Deakin Edge. Tickets $19/$22. A bit of whimsy around the city Understandably not all literary lovers come to MWF in search of an intellectual dogfight. In fact it should come as no surprise that most people read and write to escape. Appealing to dreamers far and wide, this year's festival has heaps of events that harness the power of imagination. No longer will you spend your morning commute buried in the depths of your Instagram feed, #onboardbookclub has taken over our city's trams with a communal reading experience. No longer will you roam the CBD lost and bored, Lorelei Vashiti and Sofia Stefanovic are there to guide you through the city streets while plying you with stories, inspiration, and afternoon tea. In fact, there are a whole series of walking tours on offer this year. Our pick of the bunch is Lit Hop: a very unique pub crawl featuring trivia, debates, drinks, and literary karaoke (whatever that is) alongside Melbourne's best writers. Lit Hop, August 31, From 1pm onwards at various locations. Tickets $19/$22. A hands-on lesson from the best Perfect for those that actually want a bit of practical knowledge, MWF has brought out the big guns for 2014's Industry Insights series. Whether you're interested in travel writing, podcasts, or food, this year's festival has you covered. Teachers have come far and wide from the world's best publications to offer their advice and, though a few sessions have understandably already sold out, would-be TV critics are in a crazy amount of luck. This seminar with Emily Nussbaum of The New Yorker still has places left. She's said in the past that she doesn't want to "BS people"; she claims the job of TV critic is basically impossible to get anymore. But still, we think you should head along and double-check. Seminar: Writing about TV, August 22, 2.30pm at The Wheeler Centre. Tickets $40/$50. An unexpected outlook on the world Though you'd fully expect to see the champs from The New Yorker dishing out advice at a writers' festival, you might also find some knowledge in unexpected places. Chris Hadfield has come all the way from outer space to school you this year. Youtube's most famous astronaut and author of The Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Hadfield is a rare find on the festival circuit. His keynote address at Melbourne Town Hall is rumoured to be somewhat interactive in nature, and that will no doubt include elements that contributed to his Youtube stardom. If he pulls out a rendition of this David Bowie epic, he's guaranteed to blow Salman Rushdie right out of the water. Chris Hadfield: An Astronaut's Guide to Life, August 21, 9.30pm at Melbourne Town Hall. Tickets $35/$40. A daily pick-me-up If you're a hardcore festival goer, you're going to need to a little sustenance to kickstart your brain each day. While literature, politics and gin sounds like the perfect combination, it can understandably drain you after a few days. Therefore, when the morning coffee just isn't enough to get your head back in the game, we suggest you head on down to Coffee & Papers. Hosted by journalists from The Age and The Courier these hour-long sessions are bound to get those brainwaves back in action. For those that like to ease their way into the day, The Morning Read offers a low-energy alternative. Sit back, relax, and let the words of the festival's authors drift over you as the caffeine kicks in. Coffee & Papers, August 23 & 29, 9am at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, free; The Morning Read, daily, 10am at Optic Festival Club, free. A controversial conversation With all these big ideas and philosophies floating around, it seems inevitable that some tackle controversial topics. And really, your festival experience wouldn't be complete if you didn't dive head first into at least one challenging conversation. For starters, Russian-American journalist, activist and author Masha Gessen is in town talking about Pussy Riot, homophobia and her own personal struggles against oppression. These ideas are then taken to a broader level with other writers in Talking Points: Putin's Russia. If politics isn't your style, sex is also on the cards. On August 29 Alissa Nutting, author of 2013's controversial Tampa, is in conversation with upcoming novelist Jessie Cole. From its name alone, you can bet that What I Learned About Sex From Reading is bound to be one of the best sessions of the festival. Pussy Riot: A True Story, August 29, 2.30pm at Deakin Edge; Talking Points: Putin's Russia, August 30, 5.30pm at Deakin Edge; What I Learned About Sex From Reading, August 29, 1pm at ACMI's The Cube. A session that also combines your eternal love of food It's become a punchline lately, but we care about our food now more than ever. We want things to be sustainable, cheap, and above all gluten-free. Our relationship with what's on our plate is constantly changing, and our writers are getting right to the bottom of it. If you like your intellectual events served with a side of fine wine and good food, this is the event for you. Get the lowdown on the world of fine dining with writers Ronnie Scott, Andrea Frost, and Cindy Hauser; or dive in firsthand and treat yourself to a three-course meal while learning how to dine with a critic and an award-winning sommelier. Thinking and Drinking, various sessions around Melbourne, prices vary. A much-needed mood changer Salman Rushdie, Malcolm Fraser, oppression, privilege, doom, gloom, and sporadic slam poetry (it's not scheduled, but it'll almost certainly happen)... MWF can be a bit of a downer. I say it with love. I say it in the same way I complained about literature in high school. I moan about it in public to seem cooler, then secretly love it like the big nerd I am. Nevertheless, the odd lighter event can help lift the spirits. For loving jibes at family and embarrassing stories aplenty check out Benjamin and Michelle Law in discussion about their new book Sh*t Asian Mothers Say. Or if self-deprecation is more your thing, Funemployed (named after the recently released book by Justin Heazlewood) is the way to go. Clem Bastow, Tom Doig, John Safran, Ben Watt and The Bedroom Philosopher himself will all be bringing the bittersweet funnies about the difficulties of being a starving creative. Be warned: some of their insight may hit a little close to home. Sh*t Asian Mothers Say, August 30, 10am at ACMI The Cube; Funemployed, August 24, 6.30pm at Deakin Edge. A few famous faces after hours Aside from the panels and seminars and talks, a lot of the festival magic comes in the after hours action. Be bold, put on your most obnoxiously light-catching dress, and schmooze up with the famous writers. Head to the events that have a bar, hang around afterward and start a conversation. Of course, I'm not saying that Dave Eggers, Helen Garner and Salman Rushdie are all hanging out sippin' on gin and juice at the festival club every night. I'm just saying that if there's any chance of that happening, even once, even for a second, I want to be there to tactlessly butt in. The Melbourne Writers Festival runs from August 21-31. Check out the full program at the festival website.
The returning Fantastic Film Festival Australia isn't just about celebrating cult-classic movies. This cinema showcase is one of several in Australia that wears its love for the weird, wild and wonderful — the strange and surreal, too — on its screens, and that means going heavy on the latest flicks that fit that description. But when the Sydney and Melbourne event includes beloved retro titles on its lineup, it usually does something special with them. So, in 2023, as part of its just-announced program, it has particularly attention-grabbing plans for Zoolander and the OG Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles live-action movie. Ben Stiller's comedy about the world of modelling might be all about donning clothes, but FFFA's session of the film is going in the opposite direction, joining the fest's growing spate of nude screenings. The event debuted the concept in 2021, then brought it back in 2022 for the 25th anniversary of The Full Monty. Now, patrons are asked to wear nothing but their best blue steel look — or magnum if they prefer — while watching a really, really, really, ridiculously good-looking movie. Clothes are required at FFFA's showings of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but don't worry about eating pizza beforehand — you'll be able to smell it during the session. The fest is going with a scratch-and-sniff experience, in what it's calling Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Stink-O-Vision and will be a world-premiere. As you watch Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael (and Sam Rockwell in a blink-or-you'll-miss-it part), you'll be told to scratch a card at certain moments to get smelling. Some scents will be tasty. Some definitely won't. Running from Friday, April 14–Sunday, April 30 at Ritz Cinema in Randwick and Lido Cinemas in Hawthorn, FFFA's 2023 bill also features a 2K restoration of Takashi Miike's Audition, but mostly it's serving today's fresh flicks that'll be tomorrow's cult favourites. Opening the fest is Polite Society, about a martial artist-in-training endeavouring to save her sister from an arranged marriage — and a hit at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Closing it: LION-GIRL, a futuristic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi film about saving humanity (aren't they all?) that boasts character design by manga artist Go Nagai. Elsewhere on its 2023 program, Fantastic Film Festival Australia will screen the 1997-set Zillion, the highest-grossing film in Belgium in 2022, which tells of a computer whiz who creates the biggest discotheque in the world; Evil Dead Rise, the latest title in the ongoing zombie franchise, and prime fodder for a midnight slot; and Holy Shit!, which is completely set in a portaloo rigged with explosives. Or, there's a movie that FFFA is calling An Untitled and Perfectly-Legal Coming-Of-Age Parody Film — it isn't naming it because it was surrounded by controversy at its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, but you can easily work out by a quick online search, especially if you're fond of comic-book characters. It'll screen with the director in attendance, in what'll be one of its rare public showings so far. A number of Australian efforts are also on the lineup, starting with Rolf de Heer's The Survival of Kindness, which recently proved a hit at the Berlin International Film Festival. There's also Beaten to Death, a new-wave Ozploitation thriller set in remote Tasmania; the giallo-style Blur, about an investigation into a strange entity; and The End of History, about Australian techno producers Darcy and Pat as they chase their creative dreams in Berlin. Back to the international flicks, Belgium's H4Z4RD has been compared to Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Estonia and Finland provide crime-caper comedy Hit Big, Spain's Manticore contemplates evil and French standout The Five Devils is about an eight-year-old with an inhuman sense of smell. Plus, Germany's The Ordinaries dives into a three-class society where a 'supporting character' wants to be a 'main character' — and Quantum Cowboys features Scream alum David Arquette and is designed to start a trilogy. Also, on the events bill, FFFA is bringing back Music Video Blind Date, to connect Melbourne musos with filmmakers in the hopes of making music video magic. Fantastic Film Festival Australia runs from Friday, April 14–Sunday, April 30 at Ritz Cinema, Randwick in Sydney and Lido Cinemas, Hawthorn in Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the FFFA website.
Thirteen years ago, Korea's cinema standouts scored their own showcase Down Under, with the inaugural Korean Film Festival in Australia debuting in 2010. Since then, the festival has grown from a one-city event to a four-stop tour celebrating both the latest and greatest flicks that South Korea has to offer. It was playing Bong Joon-ho films before Parasite swept the Oscars. It was revelling in Korean thrillers prior to Squid Game becoming an international success, too. It loved Korean genre fare before Train to Busan as well. And, in its just-dropped 2023 lineup, KOFFIA keeps heroing the nation's must-see titles — this time via a 13-film program that'll hit Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Brisbane. 2023's KOFFIA has a date with Event Cinemas George Street from Thursday, August 24–Tuesday, August 29, before heading to Palace Electric from Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3. Then, it's time for an ACMI stop across Thursday, September 7–Monday, September 11, before wrapping up at the Elizabeth Picture Theatre from Thursday, September 14–Sunday, September 17. In each location, it'll endeavour to give audiences a new Korean favourite, or several, from a selection that spans everything from murder-mysteries and detective dramas to revenge thrillers and musicals. There's no such thing as a standard Korean film, which is true of every country's movie output; however, this national cinema is mighty fond of twisty tales. Accordingly, it should come as no surprise that Confession and Gentleman are both on the 2023 bill. The first is a locked-room mystery with an IT company CEO suddenly finding himself the prime suspect, while the second involves a private detective agency's head honcho being falsely accused of a crime. Also on the lineup: The Devil's Deal, which sees a political candidate disqualified, then out for revenge; and The Night Owl, about an acupuncturist who is blind in daylight, can see clearly at night, and witnesses a tragic event one evening. The latter opens the festival, and the directors of both films — The Devil's Deal's Lee Won-tae and The Night Owl's An Tae-jin — are coming to Australia for KOFFIA. Elsewhere, comedy 6/45 hits the Korean Film Festival after proving a box-office smash at home, focusing on soldiers from both North and South Korea finding a windfall; Hero heads back to 1900s Korea to hone in on independence activist Ahn Jung-geun's plight battling Japanese colonial rule; musical drama Life Is Beautiful sees a husband trying to locate his wife's childhood sweetheart; and Next Sohee, which played Cannes 2022, is all about an exploitative work situation. Or, the standouts also include Switch, where a celebrity wakes up one morning to discover that he's living a completely different life — and romance Nothing Serious, about an aspiring novelist who writes a sex column. If it seems like a diverse lineup, that's wholly the aim. "Our 2023 festival program is designed to appeal to a broad audience, offering something for everyone — be they casual viewers or diehard film enthusiasts, promising a vivid and enriching journey through the multi-faceted realm of human experiences," said KOFFIA Programmer Francis Lee. "We hope that KOFFIA continues to facilitate the appreciation of Korean film artistry and culture in Australia, bringing audiences closer to the unique blend of storytelling, cinematography, and performances that have garnered global recognition." KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL IN AUSTRALIA 2023 DATES: Thursday, August 24–Tuesday, August 29: Event Cinemas George Street, Sydney Friday, September 1–Sunday, September 3: Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, September 7–Monday, September 11: ACMI, Melbourne Thursday, September 14–Sunday, September 17: Elizabeth Picture Theatre, Brisbane The Korean Film Festival in Australia 2023 runs across August and September, touring to Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the KOFFIA website.
We've been waiting for Bon Iver's third album, 22, A Million, for ages now. The exact release date is set for tomorrow, September 30, but it looks like Melburnians might get to hear the sweet magical tones of Justin Vernon's voice a little bit earlier than everyone else. Last night the band posted a photo on Instagram hinting that something will be happening tonight — Thursday, September 29 — at 6.30pm at 121 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. A photo posted by Bon Iver (@boniver) on Sep 28, 2016 at 2:19am PDT The photo is part of a series of eight so far, which have been posted on the account over the last 24 hours. The images all allude to some kind of event happening in cities around the world at the same time, including New York, Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Eau Claire in Wisconsin (like the song, geddit?). Brooklyn is the latest location to be announced — it was posted less than an hour ago. Apart from the date, time and location, we don't really have any more details. Seeing as Bon Iver probably can't be in all those locations at once, we're not holding out hope for an IRL appearance. It sounds like they could be premiering the new album with a listening party. The Melbourne address is the location of Fitzroy cafe Sir Charles. Or maybe they're just launching a retail pop-up, Kanye-style — we actually don't know. All will be revealed in some way or another by tonight. Keep your eyes on Bon Iver's Instagram or just grab a camping chair and some snacks and head down to Johnston Street for a good old mystery stake out. Just in case.
It's no secret that Melbourne is trying to become New York. As if the cafes, theatre, and galleries weren't enough to prove it, we're even seeing a huge influx of US style food joints. Who ever thought ribs and coleslaw would be the fashion? Anyway. This latest initiative is also from our cosmopolitan heartland — straight out of Tribeca. When curator Bernadette Alibrando travelled to New York in 2006, she discovered an amazing non-profit organisation, TOAST, that started discussions between emerging artists and the general public. Meet the Makers is a Melbourne version of that same event. From March 27-30, artists from Fitzroy and Collingwood are inviting you into their studios and working spaces to talk about art, free of charge. A simple booking via email gets you a VIP ticket into the heart of spaces like Strange Neighbour, Fehily Contemporary, and SLOPES to talk to makers as diverse as iPad artist, Rebecca Jones, and stencil painter, Ha Ha. Discover some new and exciting work straight from the source. Check out the website for more information about location and booking.
Already in 2021, fans of the DC Extended Universe — the interconnected franchise that started with Man of Steel, and also includes Wonder Woman and its sequel, Aquaman and Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) — have sat down to watch an extended new version of Justice League like it's still 2017. Next on the series' viewing list: The Suicide Squad, the confusingly named sequel to 2016's Suicide Squad (because no one has challenged themselves thinking of the upcoming flick's title). Margot Robbie (Dreamland) returns as Harley Quinn, Joel Kinnaman (The Secrets We Keep) does the same as Rick Flag and Australian actor Jai Courtney (Honest Thief) also makes a comeback as Captain Boomerang. As the government agent overseeing this band of world-saving supervillains, recent Oscar-nominee Viola Davis (Ma Rainey's Black Bottom) is back as well. But don't expect to see the rest of their original costars this time around. A new group of nefarious folks joins Harley and the gang, including Idris Elba (Cats) as Bloodsport, John Cena (Playing with Fire) as Peacemaker, Peter Capaldi (The Personal History of David Copperfield) as Thinker, Pete Davidson (The King of Staten Island) as Blackguard and Sylvester Stallone (Rambo: Last Blood) as the voice of King Shark. Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) has a yet-to-be revealed role, and Guardians of the Galaxy alums Michael Rooker and Sean Gunn show up, too — which makes complete sense given that GotG filmmaker James Gunn is behind the lens and has also penned the screenplay. By hiring Gunn, DC is clearly looking for his sense of humour, as well as his lively and OTT style. In the just-dropped first trailer for The Suicide Squad, all of the above is on display. So yes, if it feels more in line with goofier Marvel Cinematic Universe flicks than most of DC Comics' big-screen output, there's an obvious reason for that. When the film hits cinemas Down Under on August 5, it'll initially head to Belle Reve prison, where supervillains are kept. Asked by Task Force X to participate in a secret mission in exchange for time out of incarceration, Bloodsport, Peacemaker, Captain Boomerang, King Shark, Blackguard and their pals are more than willing to help. Their job: travelling to the island of Corto Maltese on a deadly quest. It's dubbed a suicide mission in the trailer, because of course it is. Check out The Suicide Squad trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1EbSXxrZ34 The Suicide Squad releases in cinemas Down Under on August 5.
If the 2018 Good Food Month program is anything to go by, those stretchy pants are set to get a serious workout this June. Melbourne's annual month-long food fiesta is this year packed with more goodness than ever, featuring top Aussie chefs, masterclasses, rollicking parties and unique dining experiences that'll knock your socks off. Promising to inject a bit of sunshine into those impending frosty winter days, pop-up restaurant Melbourne Palms brings a taste of Palm Springs to Federation Square from June 13–23. It'll play host to a broad lineup of culinary gold, kicking off with a celebration of homegrown heroes Andrew McConnell (Cutler & Co., Supernormal) and Alla Wolf-Tasker (Lake House), for the June 13 Melbourne Greats Party. All the way from Denmark, pioneering chef Bo Bech (of Michelin-starred Paustian and Restaurant Geist) will give Australia its first taste of his innovative cooking by treating diners to a thought-provoking wine-matched degustation on June 15. Meanwhile, sustainability and locality will be front and centre when Sydney's seafood king Josh Niland (Saint Peter) shares the inspiration and ethos behind his acclaimed fare, at a three-course brunch teamed with liquid treats from Coonawarra winery Brands Laira. Then, when Tipo 00's Andreas Papadakis joins fellow Aussie pasta masters Mitch Orr (Sydney's ACME) and Joel Valvasori-Pereza (Perth's Lulu La Delizia), diners are in for an all-out pasta party, with a four-course wine-matched dinner giving each chef the chance to win over tastebuds with his signature moves. Other sure-fire hits include a tasty take on date night as imagined by 8bit and dessert queen Christy Tania's Glacé Frozen, and a much-anticipated collaboration between Longsong's David Moyle and Embla's David Verheul.
With another summer break over and a new year of work begun, you're likely feeling all nostalgic about those endless summers you enjoyed as a kid. So what better time for a jaunt down memory lane, courtesy of photographer Matthew Sleeth's new summer-inspired exhibition? Launching on January 20 at the Hawthorn Arts Centre, the Rosebud series captures the romance of those hot, salty summer days spent camping by the beach. Sleeth snapped these candid beauties between 2002 and 2006 during visits to the beach town of Rosebud, painting a familiar scene for any Melburnian who's ever spent a balmy January day on the Mornington Peninsula foreshore. Shot on a medium format camera and bathed in that unmistakable Aussie sunlight, the brightly-hued images are bound to stir up childhood memories aplenty. And if Rosebud was also your summer stomping ground, who knows — you might even see a few familiar faces caught on film.
We've passed the winter solstice and the temptation to hibernate is growing ever stronger — so, you probably need a little something extra to tempt you off the couch. Handily, online reservation platform The Fork has a winning idea up its sleeve: it's offering a huge six weeks of dining specials nationwide. Kicking off on Monday, July 1, The Fork Festival will see over 250 top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for half the usual price. Yep, 50 percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. To snag a half-price meal, you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the six weeks. There are some great venues coming to the party, too. Melbourne spots include Prahran's Casa NOM, Burma Lane in the CBD, South Yarra's Abacus and Pretty Boy Italian Steakhouse. Find the full list here. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discount feasts before the festival wraps up on August 11. Image: Abacus.
Abbotsford brewery Moon Dog is enlisting the help of a few special four-legged mates to celebrate its two newest brews. The Jacket's and Vinnie's IPAs are the latest additions to the signature Bestest Brewery Doggo Mates series, and the two tipples are launching with a fittingly canine-filled party this Sunday, June 16. Head to the brewery from noon — with or without your own pooch in tow — to join in the fun. From 2pm, the crew from Amazing Greys will be there with a handful of very good boys (and girls) in need of forever homes. You might just meet your paw-fect match. You'll also get to meet some adopted greyhounds, and learn all about what it takes to adopt or foster one yourself. For the canine crowd, there'll be doggy beer (aka pooch-friendly broth) and a photo booth for happy snaps. Meanwhile, humans can spend the afternoon getting acquainted with the West Coast-style Jacket's IPA, the hazy East Coast-inspired Vinnie's IPA, and all the other top Moon Dog brews. Even better, $1 from each Doggo IPA sold will go to support Amazing Greys' work.
Laughter: it’s what separates us from the animals. Well, that and the ability to comprehend our own mortality, but that’s hardly the best way to open a story about a comedy festival. LOL! We’re all going to die! So ignore that. Just shy of 30 years old, this year’s Melbourne International Comedy Festival will be the biggest in its history, with more than 550 shows across 145 venues. Of course there’s no guarantee that all of them will be funny, which is why we’ve trawled through the lineup to bring you our hand-picked recommendations, from big names to intriguing newcomers. Check out our top 12 picks of the festival. Honourable mentions go to MICF staples including The Gala, RAW Comedy, The Great Debate and Upfront — consider our thumbs up there implied.
There's nothing quite like a Sunday spent quaffing top-notch wine and gorging on cheese. Throw the spotlight on local produce, too, and you've got something even better. In its eighth year, the locally focused Wine and Cheese Fest is taking over a new venue on Sunday, March 8, setting up at The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne for a day of celebrating some of the state's finest cheese, wine and artisanal goodies. Chat to producers as you enjoy in a parade of free tastings, learn how to make mozzarella at a That's Amore-run masterclass or even hone your squishing skills in the day's grape stomping comp. And there'll be DJ sets and live music providing the soundtrack to your epicurean adventures. Up for some extra indulgence? Splash out on a VIP ticket ($157) to score a bottle of boutique wine to take home and an exclusive masterclass with Mount Avoca's winemaker Matthew Barry, where you'll get to taste 100-year-old vino. [caption id="attachment_762878" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nino Photography[/caption] The Wine and Cheese Fest will run from 12–7pm, followed by an after party on the lawn until 11pm.
You're invited to get down and dirty when people-powered urban winery Noisy Ritual pops up in Docklands for this year's Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Hitting Victoria Harbour from March 20 to 30, the Pop-Up Fermentation Bar is the latest play in Noisy Ritual's mission to demystify the world of winemaking. In addition to a menu of tasting flights, wines available by the glass or bottle and Italian snacks from nearby Saluministi, the bar will feature real, working winery equipment. It's being brought over from Noisy Ritual's Brunswick headquarters to allow guests to experience the fermentation process close-up and first-hand. As well as sampling the goods at the bar, there'll be plenty of opportunity to get involved in making some of your own. Four Demystifying Winemaking workshops ($78) — at midday and 2pm on Saturday, March 23 and Saturday, 30 — will offer a hands-on exploration of winemaking, from grape-stomping right through to tasting. The Noisy Ritual Pop-Up Fermentation Bar is open 4–9pm Wednesday and Saturday, and midday–10pm Thursday and Friday.
In typical style of owner, bartender and artist Matt Bax, Bar Americano is doing things a little differently. This Negroni Week, the cocktail bar has been working on a special fermented Negroni Sbagliato in anticipation for the 100 year Negroni celebration. It has been aged for months and uses Champagne in addition to gin, so will be served as a typical Champagne cocktail. The rare drop will be available for a limited time, and a portion of the profits will go to OzHarvest. In addition to the special fermented Negroni Sbagiato you can still get your hands on the bar's range of batched negroni (in 200ml and 500ml bottles) which will still make a contribution to the charity donation. Campari has also donated some Negroni pins for the event, with all the proceeds going directly to Oz Harvest. Bar Americano's stand only venue has limited space, so get in early so you don't miss out.
After revealing its December and January programming late last year, Moonlight Cinema has unveiled the next part of its 2018–19 program. As always, one piece of advice bears repeating: pack your picnic basket and get ready to watch a heap of flicks under the summer evening sky. While the outdoor cinema runs until Sunday, March 31 in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, it's latest announcement focuses on February — so if you're keen to catch a movie under the stars while it's still officially summer, take note. As always, plenty of recent favourites are on the bill, plus a smattering of all-time greats and a few sneak peeks at new movies coming out soon. The March lineup will be announced in February. Tried-and-tested highlights include Aquaman, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, Bumblebee and The Favourite, plus the return of A Star Is Born and a sing-along session of Bohemian Rhapsody. You'll also be able to catch retro titles such as Crazy, Stupid, Love, The Devil Wars Prada and The Princess Bride, and new nerve-wracking rock-climbing documentary Free Solo just as it hits regular cinemas. In the sneak peek camp, there's gender-flipped rom-com What Men Want, Ruth Bader Ginsburg biopic On the Basis of Sex and Natalie Portman as a pop star in the must-see Vox Lux, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMCYE9hKP68 Moonlight's usual food truck and licensed bar offering will continue, as will its reserved bean beds. You can also BYO booze everywhere except Brisbane. And Brisbanites have been benefiting from two big changes, with Moonlight Cinema saying goodbye to Brisbane Powerhouse after a more than a decade and settling in at Roma Street Parkland instead. Even better — it's running all the way through until March 31 for the first time, like its interstate counterparts. MOONLIGHT CINEMA 2018–19 DATES: Sydney: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Belvedere Amphitheatre in Centennial Park) Melbourne: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Central Lawn at the Royal Botanic Gardens) Brisbane: Nov 29–Mar 31 (Roma Street Parkland) Perth: Dec 1–Mar 31 (May Drive Parkland, Kings Park & Botanic Garden) Adelaide: Dec 8–Feb 17 (Botanic Park) Moonlight Cinema runs until March 31. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Moonlight website.
If you hadn't noticed, fermentation is a bit of a thing. One of the driving forces behind the movement is the fact that fermented food and drinks can help promote good bacteria in your gut. So it's not surprising that one of the more popular workshops at Cornersmith — who dish out hearty breakfasts and hold workshops in cheesemaking, pickling and fermenting among others — is the wild soda class, where you learn to make a fermented, fizzy fruit beverage that's both delicious and good for your digestion. On Thursday December 1 we collaborated with the fermentation geniuses at Cornersmith and hosted two wild soda workshops at the Stoneleigh Hotel in Chippendale. The workshops were inspired by our partnership with Stoneleigh, and their philosophy of using wild fermentation to make the wine in their Wild Valley range (it uses a similar fermentation process as wild soda does — read about it here). Head fermenter Jaimee Edwards taught two classes on how to make your own fermented, fizzy fruit drink using wild ingredients. We made a lemon verbena, dianella berry and mint soda which turned out a beautiful bright purple colour and tasted pretty delicious. Alongside Edwards was the Stoneleigh wine ambassador India Munari, offering her insight in the relationship between the process of making wild soda and Stoneleigh's range of wild fermentation wines. Take a look through our photos and see what went down on the night. For those who couldn't attend, you can go DIY and follow Jaimee's instructions in our wild soda feature here. Or, you can head to the Stoneleigh Hotel and sample some tastings of Wild Valley wine — it's open until December 11. Try some Wild Valley wild fermentation wine at the Stoneleigh Hotel, a sandstone house in Chippendale overrun by nature. It's at 48 Kensington Street, Chippendale from November 11 until December 11. Images: Kimberley Low.
Melbourne has welcomed yet another buzzy inner-city food destination, with Riverside Quay's reimagined dining and retail precinct officially open for business. Encompassing the recently opened Asado Bar and Grill — Argentinian sibling to San Telmo and Pastuso — along with nine other new eateries, this hub's been designed to inject some extra life into the existing sprawl of office buildings. Channeling the dynamic feel of Melbourne's iconic laneways, the precinct pulls together a diverse spread of culinary offerings, from casual sit-down restaurants to cult international eateries dishing up a hefty range of grab-and-go options. Diners can expect a strong Asian influence, with the likes of Old Man Pho, Jiaozi by Shanghai Street Dumplings and Thailander sitting alongside modern Japanese masters Infinite Wasabi. Dagwood Deli has the corner on classic NY deli sandwiches, Poked is slinging vibrant Hawaiian-style lunch bowls, and both Workshop Brothers and 30ml Coffee have those caffeine needs sorted. Another outpost for contemporary Italian star DOC is also on its way, slated to open in early 2019. The fun kicks off properly this week, with the precinct playing host to a series of public celebrations on Wednesday and Thursday nights until December 20. Head in from 5–8pm to catch live tunes from the likes of J&J Duo, Andrew Loadsman, Haybax and Jess + Christian, before checking out some of those new culinary gems. Find Riverside Quay's new range of restaurants at Southbank, Melbourne.
If your pup has its own Instagram account and you refer to yourself as a 'fur parent', we're fairly certain you'll want in on this competition. Local pet food brand Ivory Coat wants to put your dog on the small screen. The luxe brand is currently running a Dog Search, which will see 20 lucky pooches featured in Ivory Coat's next TV commercial. All you have to do is enter your details here, along with a recent, personality-filled photo of your fur baby. All breeds and cross-breeds of all ages are welcome. Along with being featured on TV, your pup could win a portrait by a professional photographer, a pet profile on the Ivory Coat website and social media pages, and a one-year supply of Ivory Coat food. There is one catch, though: your dog needs to be an Ivory Coat consumer. So, if they've never tried the stuff, it's time to grab a bag online or head to one of your local stockists. If your pooch is a little hesitant about changing brands, Ivory Coat is made in Australia using locally sourced meat with no additives or fillers. Plus superfoods, fruits, veggies and wholegrains are mixed in or there's a grain-free option if you prefer. The pet food brand also has options for dogs (and cats) of every breed, size and age. The 20 lucky winners (humans and pooches) will need to be in Sydney for shoot between July 17–19. While NSW's borders are currently open to all domestic tourists, we suggest checking the Australian Government website before booking flights or locking in a road trip. Your doggo should be well-behaved and friendly, but it doesn't need to be dog show-level trained — understanding simple commands like 'sit' and 'stay' will do. If this sounds like your pup, now's the time to make 'em a star. Head to the Ivory Coat website for entry guidelines and T&Cs. FYI, this story includes some affiliate links. These don't influence any of our recommendations or content, but they may make us a small commission. For more info, see Concrete Playground's editorial policy.
When you can't venture to a crowded pub to watch your favourite sport on the big screen, recreate the best parts of game day in your own home instead. Whether you're into the AFL or NRL, you can take inspiration from these five suggestions to amp up the at-home viewing party to suit your code. We've partnered with leading bourbon brand Jim Beam to bring you tips on entertaining your mates without missing any of the highlights. [caption id="attachment_786097" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannagan[/caption] COOK UP YOUR FAVOURITE PUB CLASSICS First thing's first: food. Any good party host knows you need to plan ahead when it comes to feeding your guests, but that doesn't mean you need to spend heaps of cash or lean on the same-old chips and dips combo. Give yourself a theme and opt for handheld, small bites. For example, buffalo wings with blue cheese dipping sauce and loaded potato skins with bacon and sour cream for easy-to-serve snacks that you can prep in advance and your friends can graze on throughout the game. Make a classic hot dog more grown-up with fresh lettuce, jalapeños and mustard, or create a nacho topping station so everyone can serve themselves when they're peckish. [embed]https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7pS5D5MnYe11rtrRcjeMTk?si=d6yoaggsQnaTvog48eh0IA[/embed] CREATE A PUB PLAYLIST Channel the mood of your local, wherever that may be. If yours usually busts out Powderfinger, Crowded House and Paul Kelly, lean into the theme and create your own playlist that's two parts nostalgia and one part fresh Aussie hits. Or, if you want to pretend you're at the Gabba for this year's AFL Grand Final, pull together a playlist that honours the local acts taking to the stage come Saturday, October 24. Brisbane bands Sheppard and Cub Sport will be performing, along with singer-songwriter Thelma Plum and Rockhampton's blues duo Busby Marou. Plus, Sydney's DMA's and Adelaide-based duo Electric Fields. If you're short on time, head to one of the act's own selections, like DMA's Radio above. More of an Amy Shark fan? The indie-pop star is headlining this year's NRL grand final and the Gold Coast artist has a sweet playlist of equally cool Aussie acts like East, Lime Cordiale and Wafia that you can find here. [caption id="attachment_786936" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Dan Burton[/caption] PULL OUT THE LAWN GAMES When you're drinking at the pub there's often time for playing games and getting competitive — whether that's around the pool table or facing the dart board. Bring a sense of playful competition into your get-together with bocce, giant Jenga, Finska, Twister — or whatever games you might have stored away at home. Create a break-out zone away from the TV so your friends can dive into an active game whenever the mood takes hold. Don't have any games at home? You'll find a good selection of outdoor games at Opus, which has free delivery if you spend over $75, and at Sunnylife, which has a $12 flat rate for delivery. [caption id="attachment_787026" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kaleidico[/caption] PLAN A SURPRISE PUB QUIZ FOR HALF TIME No one wants to listen to the game analysis come half time, so bring all your sports fanatics together over some brain teasing. Can you name the date of the very first AFL match? What's Daniel Ricciardo's driver number? How many times has Dylan Alcott represented Australia at the Paralympics? Who is Australia's fastest female bowler? No matter what sport you're celebrating on the big screen, you can test your collective knowledge in a quick quiz to lighten the mood. Create one of your own, or hit up the sports quiz of the week from The Guardian, or the ABC's news quiz for a mix of sport and general knowledge. Or, if you want to play along live, Jay's Virtual Pub Quiz runs weekly quiz sessions on YouTube. [caption id="attachment_784939" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] STOCK UP YOUR BAR Rather than making sure there are enough glasses in the house, or having to fight over space in the fridge for cold drinks, make things easier on you and your guests by filling up your bath or a bucket with ice and stocking it with premixed drinks. That way everyone can dip into the bathroom or kitchen for a fresh bevvy when they like, and you don't have to worry about chopping citrus for cocktails, or smashing glasses you don't have time to replace. Jim Beam has a range of premixed drinks to suit all your mates' tastes. You can pick up a pack of seven Jim Beam & Cola cans for $29 at BWS stores. Or go one better and enter Jim Beam's competition to win your own Tiny Stillhouse, which comes decked out with bluetooth speakers, a mini fridge, four bar stools, an esky, bar mats, a Jenga set, a case of Jim Beam and Cola and a bottle of Jim Beam White Label to really up the ante for your next get-together. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan
The bevs are flowing freely at the Fitzroy Town Hall with the arrival of the 2016 Good Beer Week Gala Showcase. Sure, the main event isn't until May, but that doesn't mean they can't tap a few kegs early, right? On Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, two dozen of the finest brewers in Australia will ply eager guests with the best booze available, launching the Good Beer Week program with frothy aplomb. Brewers from around the country will take part in the event, from the Morning Peninsula Brewery in Victoria to Feral Brewing in WA. Other standouts include South Australia's Clare Valley Brewing, and three-time People's Choice Award winners Boatrocker Brewery. The event will be run in three separate four-hour sessions, beginning at 5pm on Friday, and midday and 5pm on Saturday. Entry into the event costs $45 if you buy online and $50 at the door. Included in the ticket price are 20x 60ml beer samples, and a voucher for the on-site food truck.
In need of some new procrastination material? Well, you're in luck. Google image search 'Banff' and spend a few minutes (or half an hour) taking in the gorgeous pictures of snow-capped mountains, aqua water and towering pines. It's impossible to not daydream about holidaying somewhere far-flung and exciting while ogling these picture-perfect views, as we're sure you'll agree. Thankfully, you'll have the opportunity to slip into this magical world without ever leaving Melbourne. The River City's Brisbane Powerhouse is hosting Banff Mountain Film Festival's 2025 tour — the event's latest stopover, after beginning back in 1976. Its stunning cinematography attracts film buffs and adventurers alike, making the festival mighty popular across the world today. [caption id="attachment_997959" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Pierre Vieira[/caption] Each year, hundreds of films enter the competition with the cream of the crop chosen to entertain and amaze festivalgoers. Some of the featured flicks battled it out in categories including Best Film on Mountain Sport, Best Film on Mountain Environment, Best Film on Mountain Culture, Best Film on Exploration and Adventure, and more. Check out seven of them in May around the Victorian capital, in a package featuring films about snowboarding on Antarctic icebergs, wingsuit flying in the Swiss Alps, ultra-marathon running, mountain biking in the Dolomites and more. The fest heads to The Astor Theatre across Tuesday, May 13–Wednesday, May 14, then to The Capitol on Friday, May 16. Top images: Christoph Thoresen Ofa / Tamara Susa / Jerome Tanon.
Once you've self-proclaimed your next album as the "album of the life" (see tweet), the next logical step is to create an epic, worldwide premiere party for its release. Well, it is if you're Kanye West (and, really, Kanye is the only person who could pull this off). So for the release of his upcoming album Waves — which was, up until a few hours ago named Swish — he'll be debuting it with a show at Madison Square Garden in NYC on February 11. And he'll be broadcasting the performance live in cinemas around the world. Yep, Kanye is literally going cinematic — and if you're in Melbourne or Sydney, you can get in on the action. Hoyts Melbourne Central are screening Kanye West / Season 3 / Waves which, according Hoyts' synopsis, will feature the "world premiere of the album Waves in its entirety, live from Madison Square Garden". He's also expected to present his new fashion line, Yeezy Season 3 at the show. The screening will take place at 8am on Friday, February 12. On Monday, Kanye tweeted a handwritten page detailing the tracklist for the then-Swish, now-Waves album. It's set to be broken into three acts and include collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Sia, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa and Post Malone. Amazingly, there are still a few tickets left to the screenings, so head over to the Hoyts website to snap some up. This is the greatest album of your whole life, after all.
In need of some Friday fuel for a big weekend ahead? A coffee will do the trick. Of course, even better than that is a quality cup of coffee that doesn't cost you a cent. And even better than that is a free coffee that's also kind on the planet and leaves zero waste to clog up landfill. That's the kind of conscious caffeine hit you can enjoy this Friday, July 8, courtesy of sustainability-driven Collingwood cafe Into Coffee. From 9–11am, the team will be pepping up everyones' mornings, handing out free coffees made on the Industry Beans house blend and a choice of Minor Figures' oat milk or Schultz's dairy milk. What's more, you won't need to remember to bring your reusable cup, nor fret about disposing of a takeaway one. The free coffees will be served in Good-Edi's nifty single-use edible cups, which are made out of oats and can double as a tasty breakfast snack once you've downed your drink.
UPDATE: June 24, 2020: Mid90s is available to stream via Netflix, Google Play, YouTube and iTunes. The skate movie is having a moment and it's doing so in perfect style, gliding into cinemas one leisurely film at a time. After the all-girl antics of Skate Kitchen and the insightful small-town musings of Oscar-nominated documentary Minding the Gap, Mid90s is the latest picture to profess its love for the board — and to roll along casually while making a big impact. All three kickflip-filled flicks are hangout movies, spending their time with friends who are both shooting and riding the breeze. They're also coming-of-age films, following kids navigating the reality of watching their childhoods slip by. Crucially, they're all slice-of-life pictures too, because nothing conveys the sensation of ollying in and out of adolescence like feeling as though you're right there with them. Thirteen-year-old Stevie (Sunny Suljic) wants nothing more than to join the local skateboarding crew. It's not just the thrill of idling down Los Angeles roads that appeals to the quiet teen, but having somewhere to belong. Ray (Na-Kel Smith), Fuckshit (Olan Prenatt), Fourth Grade (Ryder McLaughlin) and Ruben (Gio Galicia) are all older, however they instantly become family — the family Stevie can escape to when his elder brother Ian (Lucas Hedges) is giving him grief and his single mum Dabney (Katherine Waterston) is sharing her stress. When the quintet aren't tearing up the streets, they're partying as if there's no tomorrow, although you can't skate through life without more than a few stumbles. As summer ticks by, Stevie and his pals bide their time at the resident Motor Avenue skate shop, cruise around empty schools and test their luck with neighbourhood girls. They mouth off to security guards, stay out past Stevie's curfew, generally avoid going home and get in scraps amongst themselves. While they're getting into trouble, they attempt to forget their troubles — and it's this to-and-fro that makes Mid90s bubble along. Watching rebellious kids trying to fix their worries by falling into other woes isn't new or novel, but it keeps popping up on screen because that's how childhood works. Making his directorial debut as well as picking up his first scriptwriting credit, Jonah Hill understands this. In his hands, Mid90s is both an affectionate teenage dream and a devastatingly real reflection of youth struggles, tussles and hardships. As a filmmaker, Hill has two tricks up his sleeve: nostalgia and naturalism. They mightn't seem to be the most obvious combination, but the pair fit together like wheels sliding onto a set of skateboard trucks. Hill mightn't have strictly lived the same existence as Stevie and the gang, but he directs this blast from the past like someone who's been there, seen it all and knows exactly how every second of his film really feels. With his square-shaped frames, he serves up images so vivid that they could be memories. With his clear-eyed view, he doesn't shy away from the grit and grease that lingers behind even the happiest moments. Hill isn't just looking back fondly at his younger days. Rather, he's trying to capture the feeling of being a shy kid entering a new world and learning what getting older actually means. To do so, he needs the painstaking detail — the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sheets, Super Nintendo consoles, and the sounds of 'Kiss From a Rose', 'Pony' and 'Wave of Mutilation' — as well as the picture's stripped-bare performances. Hedges and Waterston might be Mid90s' biggest names, other than its director, but this movie is all about Suljic (The House with a Clock in Its Walls) and his first-timer co-stars. When Hill lets the camera sit and watch Stevie try trick after trick (and endure fall after fall) on his driveway, determination and desperation written across Suljic's face, that's Mid90s' heart. When the film roves around with the group, peering on as they do little more than skate away the hours with unbridled authenticity, that's Mid90s' oh-so-relatable soul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoPYppF_e5c
When it's wombat spying season, there's no better place to see the little bundles than down Wilsons Prom way. A perfect detour for quenching the native thirst is a stop at Loch, a wee town of under 700 people in South Gippsland with its own distillery and brewery. The boozy establishment creates ales, single malt whisky and a few gins. The cellar door opens during weekends. But somebody has to drive, so take home The Weaver, a big gin that martini lovers will appreciate for its savoury finish. Think cinnamon myrtle, anise myrtle and wattle seed – the native botanicals are locally sourced and sustainably harvested. Image: Rob Blackburn/Visit Victoria.
Two young lovers meet on the Mexican-Guatemalan border, where they negotiate their affair amidst white slavery, drug trafficking and the army. Two out-of-work actors are offered a high-paying gig, only to discover that they've been framed by a high-ranking military officer. An overweight wrestler collaborates with zombies in an attempt to fight depression. Hola! The Mexican Film Festival is coming to Sydney (as well as Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide) for its eighth incarnation. From the 70 films now coming out of Mexico annually, festival director Samuel Douek and his team handpick a special selection, representing the best in comedy, drama, independent filmmaking, documentary and "everything in between". Opening night will see the festival's renowned fiesta, featuring Mexican food by Los Amates, Sol beer, tequila and live music, and the Australian premiere of comedy blockbuster Nosotros los Nobles (We Are the Nobles). Released earlier this year, it broke box office records, selling 6.8 million tickets and becoming the highest grossing film in Mexican history. https://youtube.com/watch?v=O-8n670F53w
Leading a super-group of Australian musical acts, dreamy Melbourne-based pop artist Ella Thompson has joined forces with the likes of Clio Renner, Sui Zhen, Prue Stent and Honey Long to present Thompson's latest release: Like Running Water. Thompson has become one of Melbourne's most lauded musicians over the past few years, described as a chameleon of the scene with a series of eclectic releases alongside the likes of The Bamboos, Dorsal Fins, GL and through her own self-titled projects. For Like Running Water, the group unite their individual prowess, combining pop vocals, string and wood quartets, and thumping electronic compositions, while continuing their thematic exploration of water and its physical and figurative energy.
UPDATE Wednesday, June 29: The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia has reopen following Victoria's latest lockdown with ticketed sessions to ensure social distancing. For more details on Victoria's current restrictions, see the Department of Health and Human Services website. There are still a couple of months to wait before more than 100 French impressionist masterpieces arrive on our shores, on loan from Boston's renowned Museum of Fine Arts as part of the NGV's much-anticipated Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series. But in the meantime, you'll be able to sink your teeth into an Aussie taste of this iconic 19th-century art movement, thanks to The Ian Potter Centre's new exhibition She-Oak and Sunlight: Australian Impressionism. Running until Sunday, August 22, the large-scale show features an impressive 270 artworks by Australia's most celebrated impressionists, as sourced from collections all over the country. Paintings from legendary artists like Frederick McCubbin, Jane Sutherland, Tom Roberts, Clara Southern and John Russell are on display, starring alongside lesser known pieces by the likes of Iso Rae, Jane Price and May Vale. [caption id="attachment_809095" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Frederick McCubbin, The pioneer (1904). Courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Felton Bequest, 1906.[/caption] You'll see visions of familiar Aussie landscapes, homesteads and sheep shearers, while gaining insight into the ways in which place, people and global influences shaped the impressionist movement Down Under. A series of paintings on cigar box lids features works first shown way back in 1889's 9 by 5 Impression Exhibition, while Frederick McCubbin's 1904 creation The pioneer provides a glimpse into one of the great art mysteries of recent times. Top image: Tom Roberts, Shearing the rams (1890). Courtesy of National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. Felton Bequest, 1932.
Think you're a fiend on the flippers? This could be your chance to finally prove yourself and win a pretty delicious prize. To celebrating the installation of pinball tables at Mr Burger's South Yarra and Bentleigh locations, free games will be offered with any burger purchased — and there's also a free beer included with each burger, to fuel your confidence. Both locations will be offering the deal from 6–9pm on the night. And what's the prize if you end up with the most points on the pinball table at the end of the night? It's six months' worth of free burgers for you. In both food truck and brick-and-mortar form, Mr Burger has been serving burgers in Melbourne for six years with a focus on American-style cuisine. Late last year, they spruced up their premises and brought on Belles Hot Chicken talent Morgan McGlone to overhaul their menu. If you haven't had the chance to give the new dishes a spin, use this as your excuse.
Buckle up, beach goers, because it's that time again — the sand delivery has arrived and Section 8 is transforming into tropical beach paradise. The outdoor CBD bar's annual Urban Oasis Beach Party series is back for five days and nights between Wednesday, January 8–Sunday, January 12, and the lineup will get you pumped. Along with five tonnes of sand and plenty of beach umbrellas, each night will feature a unique selection of beats. Beatnik Collective, Carlua and DJ Spell take the helm on Wednesday for an evening of surf and party tracks, before handing over to JPS, Nam, DJ Smilez, Lady Banton, Jade Zoe, Honeydew & Swerv on Thursday for a night of electronic music. Then, on Friday, it's time for reggae, dancehall and live drumming, all thanks to Rick Howe, Cassawarrior, Operator Andy, DD, Ethnik Futurism, Si Fixion and Mr Monk. The party comes to a head on Saturday, when an all-female lineup including KOBI SPICE, Louella Deville, Turbo Thot, Kaira Cuvee, Jade Zoe and Sofie Roze takes over — while Sunday it's El Blat, LIXXXTRADO, Crown Ruler's Jimi Dawg's time in the spotlight for some Brazilian-themed sounds. Brews-wise, prepare to sip tipples from Stomping Ground and Kelly Brothers Cider Co. The fun kicks off at 5pm on Wednesday and runs through until 11pm on Sunday. Images: Duncographic.
One of the most influential art movements of the 20th century, constructivism believed that art could be used for social purposes, becoming a widely-used ideal throughout architecture, graphic design, theatre, film and more. Heide Museum of Modern Art takes an extensive look at the movement with Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism and Australian Art, an exhibition that considers the work of over 60 Australian and influential international artists. With links back to the Russian Revolution of 1917, this exhibition considers how the movement made its way to Australia and how our artists adapted its utopian ideals to a distinctly Australian experience. Call of the Avant-Garde: Constructivism and Australian Art takes place from Wednesday, July 5 until Sunday, October 8 and features work by Australian artists such as Ralph Balson, Frank Hinder, Inge King, alongside works by members of the original Russian movement like Rodchenko, Malevich, El Lissitzky and British artists Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. Image: Justene Williams, The Worker.
Melbourne Food and Wine Drink Victorian Month is kicking off in June, and craft brewery Molly Rose is getting in on the action with a booze-filled Sunday session. Dubbed the Booze Market, Molly Rose's event will feature a selection of Victorian producers — including Reed & Co. Distillery, Awesome Source, Morris Whisky and Black Arts Brewery — who will showcase a range of beers, spirits, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. There'll also be a series of masterclasses with Molly Rose founder Nic Sandery, along with three of Victoria's best drinks producers. Each tasting session will include four generous pours paired with a delectable dish from the Molly Rose kitchen. These intimate 45-minute sessions will allow attendees to meet the makers, learn about their craft and sample their latest creations. Each session costs $30 and there will be three slots throughout the day. Alongside Molly Rose, the 12.30pm session will feature Reed & Co. Distillery, Awesome Source and Defialy. At 1.30pm, Anther Distillery, The Gospel Whiskey and Black Arts Brewing will present their offerings. Finally, the 2.30pm session will highlight Morris Whisky, Pique and Little Lon Distillery Co. The event will run from 12–5pm on Sunday, June 2. Find out more about the event here.
