It's been 11 years since Danny Rogers and Jerome Borazio decided to fill a Melbourne alleyway with tunes in 2005. Heading back to their collection of unconventional venues for another year, Laneway Festival have announced their dates and venues for 2016's Australasian run. Returning to the five established Australian Laneway go-to cities as well as the Singapore and Auckland legs, Laneway will raise a plastic cup to the middle of summer with an undoubtedly killer lineup and unique, random locations. Kicking off in Singapore on Saturday, January 30 at Gardens by the Bay, Laneway will then head over to Auckland’s Silo Park on Monday, February 1. Then it’s off to Adelaide on Friday, February 5 to kick off the Australian leg for the first time at Harts Mill, Port Adelaide, before heading to Brisbane Showgrounds on Saturday, February 6, Sydney College of the Arts on Sunday, February 7, Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC) on Saturday, February 13 and finishing up at Fremantle’s Esplanade on Valentine’s Day. The full festival lineup for all three countries will be announced at 9am AEST on Tuesday, September 22. ST JEROME'S LANEWAY FESTIVAL DATES AND VENUES FOR 2016: Saturday, January 30 — SINGAPORE (THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY) Monday, February 1 — AUCKLAND (SILO PARK) Friday, February 5 — ADELAIDE (HARTS MILL, PORT ADELAIDE, 16+) Saturday, February 6 — BRISBANE (BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS, 16+) Sunday, February 7 — SYDNEY (SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, ROZELLE) Saturday, February 13 — MELBOURNE (FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) + THE RIVER’S EDGE) Sunday, February 14 — FREMANTLE (ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END) Image: Andy Fraser.
While Melbourne's enjoying cat-flanked cappuccinos at Australia's first cat cafe, and Brisbane's waiting patiently for any glimmer of a cat cafe rumour, an official campaign to bring yet another Sydney cat cafe (the first, Catmosphere, has apparently been funded) to fruition is under way and guess what? There's an adorable-beyond-all-reason pop-up kitten cafe coming to Sydney to mark the occasion. We'll say it again, just in case you closed your eyes for maximum squealidge. There's going to be a pop-up kitten cafe in Paddington. Next week. Road trip? In association with Maggie's Rescue, Sydney Cat Cafe is hosting a pop-up cafe from May 14-17 at William Street Gallery. Sydneysiders can book cuddle sessions with fluffy little kittens handpicked by the Maggie's Rescue team, with the opportunity to pledge funds towards turning the Sydney Cat Cafe concept into a permanent fixture. Only 15 people can clamber into the pop-up at a time, booked on a half-hourly basis for $5 per person. And no little ones, for safety and tail-pulling reasons, this pop-up is restricted to cat lovers above the age of 8. While you're there, snuggling and nuzzling your new whiskered BFF, you can also think about pledging funds to towards the Sydney Cat Cafe Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign; hoping to raise $15,000 to cover part of the seed funds needed to realise the café. Alright, alright, donating, donating, how do we pat the kitties? Enquire after availability by emailing info@sydneycatcafe.com.au — and spots are already filling up, so get on it. KITTIES. The Sydney Cat Cafe and Maggie's Rescue pop-up kitten cafe is open at William St Gallery, 14 William Street, Paddington, running May 14 -17. The cafe is open 9am to 7pm Monday to Saturday, 10am to 6pm on Sunday.
Don't you love it when neighbours get along? On Sunday, May 28, Richmond-based Japanese diner Future Future — home to the best darn yakitori in Melbourne — is joining forces with the latest neighbourhood sensation, Clover, to host an absolutely killer block party. The aptly named occasion, Over The Fence, will kick off at 12pm and run until 4pm, with tickets dividing guests to start their meal at either Future Future or Clover. Halfway through the event, everyone will switch and jump over the fence (figuratively speaking) to the next door venue. At each restaurant, you'll get a signature boozy beverage and three delicious plates of food. And if you've ever eaten at Future Future before, you'll know we're talking about some seriously good Japanese nosh. Think hibachi grilled cabbage and burnt shiso miso butter, smoked pork scotch with quince and hot mustard, the classic prawn kakiage sando and a seasonal nigiri plate. The event will conclude with all guests partying in the shared courtyard at the back. There'll be resident DJs spinning the decks all afternoon, an open firepit (it's May, after all) and a sweet afternoon snack: caramelised white chocolate and burnt vanilla cookies. Tickets start at $110 per person, and you can whack on another $50 if you want the optional drink matching. Images: Supplied.
More than 20 spectacular productions — including 12 world premieres — will make up the program at Dance Massive 2017, the fifth edition of Melbourne's explosive festival of contemporary dance. Co-presented by Arts House, Dancehouse and Malthouse Theatre in association with Ausdance Victoria, Dance Massive V will run from March 14 to 26 at the above venues, and feature brand new works from acclaimed companies and choreographers, including Chunky Move, Lucy Guerin, James Batchelor and Nicola Gunn. In addition to the shows themselves, the festival will play host to a series of workshops, panel discussions and supplemental events, including a writing workshop for professional writers and dancers, and a wide-ranging conversation series that will explore questions of financing, criticism and collaboration as it relates to the medium of dance today. For more information about Dance Massive V including the full program visit www.dancemassive.com.au. Image: Between Tiny Cities, shot by Thoeun Veassna.
"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough." Mark Twain knew. Bourbon, along with its siblings scotch and rye, has long cemented its place as one of the world's go-to spirits around campfires, in dark desert highway saloons, and in the most dim-lit of speakeasies. Barrel-aged and distilled in the United States (particularly in the South) since the 18th century, bourbon's an oft overlooked but beloved spirit, forming the base for some of cocktail history's biggest classics. We've delved into the history books to find the source of our favourite bourbon cocktails, from Don Draper's favourite, the Old-Fashioned, to the elegant Boulevardier, named after a 1920s Parisian magazine Hemingway contributed to. Plus, we've found some of the best in Melbourne, so you can try them for yourself. Once you've made your way through the list, we reckon you'll be keen to get really into your bourbon. Thanks to Wild Turkey, one lucky Australian bourbon aficionado could be off to the US for a VIP behind the scenes experience at the home of Wild Turkey Bourbon in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It's a very special five-day 'Behind the Barrel' event hosted by legendary distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell from October 5-9, 2016. Head to Wild Turkey's Facebook page to enter. [caption id="attachment_576748" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Edsel Little.[/caption] BOULEVARDIER A strong-as-blazes bourbon cocktail named after a 1920s Parisian magazine? We're on board. It's said the Boulevardier was created by American writer Erskine Gwynne, who moved to Paris and founded The Boulevardier magazine in 1927. It apparently channelled The New Yorker, was targeted at upper-class expatriates, and included a casual piece or two from Hemingway. The publication ran monthly until 1932, but its eponymous cocktail is still alive and well on cocktail menus Sydney-wide today. If you love a Negroni (gin, Vermouth, Campari), you'll probably love a Boulevardier — it's essentially almost the same drink but with bourbon in place of gin, and slightly different ratios in the prep. High West Distillery in Utah even does a barrel aged Boulevardier, left to develop in American oak bourbon barrels for 120 days. Pew pew. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Builders Arms Hotel, Longhorn Saloon, Panama Dining Room. [caption id="attachment_576755" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Todd Page.[/caption] MINT JULEP A traditional Southern favourite in the States, the Mint Julep is a classic day drink for the picnickers and brunchers among you. This fresh little number sees a silver julep cup filled to the rim with bourbon, fresh mint, simple syrup and crushed ice. It's pretty much been the official cocktail for the Kentucky Derby for around 100 years (around 120,000 Mint Juleps are served every year over just two days). The cocktail has been sweetening up social gatherings since around the 18th century. Kentucky-raised US senator Henry Clay is attributed to its invention, whipping up a few at Washington DC's Willard Hotel. Every ingredient from the cup to the ice was originally meant to blatantly show-off wealth — not everyone had ice boxes or top shelf bourbon lying around in the 18th century. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: The Kilburn. [caption id="attachment_576766" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Bluebonnet.[/caption] OLD-FASHIONED The very definition of an 'oldie but a goodie', the Old-Fashioned is one of the greats (and Don Draper's go-to). It's often referred to as one of the first ever cocktails, developed in the US in the 19th century in various concoctions of spirits, bitters, sugar and water, and officially called an 'Old-Fashioned' (as a bourbon-based cocktail) at the Pendennis Club in Louisville, Kentucky. It was a gentlemen's club founded in 1881. Robert Simonson, drinks writer for The New York Times, wrote an entire book on the history of the cocktail. "No single cocktail is as iconic, as beloved, or as discussed and fought-over as the Old-Fashioned," he wrote. "Its formula is simple: just whiskey, bitters, sugar, and ice. But how you combine those ingredients — in what proportion, using which brands, and with what kind of garnish — is the subject of much impassioned debate." One of the most debated components? Using rye, scotch or bourbon. Try all three, see how they compare and make sure someone else drives home. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Kodiak Club, Bluebonnet Barbecue. [caption id="attachment_576754" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Flickr.[/caption] WHISKEY SOUR Not always a rye venture, the whiskey sour gets a little sweeter with a bourbon base. Like all good cocktail histories, there are many versions of the drink's origin. The original recipe was included in Jerry Thomas's 1862 book The Bartender's Guide, and according to the Seattle Whiskey Collective, the earliest mention of the whiskey sour was on a Toronto saloon menu in 1865. Peruvian newspaper El Comercio de Iquique claimed the "whisky sour" was created by English steward Elliott Stubb in 1872. And there's a mention of a whiskey sour in Wisconsin newspaper Waukesha Plain Dealer in 1870. But the basic instructions for the cocktail could be much older than that. The constant? Those classic ingredients: whiskey (bourbon or rye), lemon, water and sugar (or simple syrup). The cocktail's defining touch, egg white, was added a little later — but makes all the difference. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Eau de Vie. [caption id="attachment_576749" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Dexter.[/caption] PAPER PLANE An easy mix of bourbon, amaro, Aperol and lemon, the Paper Plane is a well boozy but refreshing cocktail for those keen for a libation with legs. It was created not too long ago by Melbourne-raised, New York-based bartender Sam Ross, according to the Village Voice. Apparently Ross named it after M.I.A.'s single of the same name. It's a great intro to amaro (a bitter Italian herbal digestif), as the bitterness of the liqueur is nicely balanced with the sweetness of the bourbon. Some modern mixologists sub out Aperol for Campari, however controversial or whatever that may be to you. Where to get a good one in Melbourne: Dexter.
There's something about being served your dinner out of a giant wheel of cheese. If that sounds like your idea of a good time, head to Hawthorn's Vaporetto Bar & Eatery between July 2 and July 16, because the kitchen is launching its first-ever cheese wheel. Truly a milestone worth celebrating. If you haven't tried this before, here's how it works. You order the Italian classic cacio e pepe from the menu, and the Vaporetto team will assemble your dish in a giant wheel of parmesan cheese. The hot pasta and starchy water melt the cheese wheel, creating the most gooey, cheesy, eyes-roll-back-in-your-head-y cacio e pepe you've ever had in your life. Vaporetto owners, Omar, Giacomo and Donatello, are no strangers to the heady delights of the cheese wheel — they've previously tested it to great success at Vaporetto's sister restaurant, Cosi Bar in South Yarra. Vaporetto's giant wheel of cheese will be running between July 2 and 16, from 12pm to 3pm for lunch seatings (then again from 5pm till closing). A bowl of cacio e pepe from the wheel will set you back $36.90. You can book your table straight through the website. Images: supplied.
UPDATE: NOVEMBER 8, 2019 — Unfortunately City Loop's 2019 event has been cancelled. In a post on the Facebook event, the organisers said low ticket sales forced them to reluctantly pull the event. All tickets will be refunded. If you had some, you can catch three of the international acts — Shanti Celeste, Moxie and Peach — in a triple-bill gig at new CBD club Colour on Saturday, November 23 instead. Epic party throwers Soothsayer and I OH YOU are joining forces once again this November to bring the Melbourne CBD one seriously packed day party. Dubbed City Loop, the daytime shenanigans will takeover RMIT University's city campus for a second year, running from 1–10pm on Saturday, November 23. Fittingly, the ticket pries are fairly university student-friendly, too, with all releases coming in under $100. As to who will be playing at this sunlit affair, the party duo is bringing you some good'uns. Expect DJ sets and live performances — across two massive stages — from the likes of The Senegambian Jazz Band, Melbourne's Harvey Sutherland, the UK's Moxie and Canadian rave regular Peach. Plus, Australia's own Adi Toohey, Alta and Johnny Reebok will appear, too. Yup, it's going to be a big day out. Tickets to the City Loop party are on sale now, and we suggest nabbing yourself one sooner rather than later. CITY LOOP 19 LINEUP Adi Toohey Alta DJ PGZ Harvey Sutherland Jonny Reebok Memphis LK Moxie Peach Session Victim Shanti Celeste The Senegambian Jazz Band Willaris K + 14ct Aux & Quiet Blue Images: City Loop 2018 by Duncographic
Fact: having great camping gear automatically makes you good at camping. Or, it at least makes you look like you know what you're doing when you're outside of the city. Whether you're a seasoned camper, just a beginner, or just someone who hits up music festivals occasionally and wants to be that friend with a quality tent — everyone could do with a little camping gear. Thanks to Teva, we've got a whole bunch of it to give away. Whether you're hitting up a music festival this summer, or just planning on a weekend away, getting your hands on this camping gear will make your life a whole lot easier. There are two pairs of Teva's classic Arrowood Boots, a water bottle, two camping mugs, a beanie, a hat, a tent, a sleeping bag and a National Parks pass. That's a lot of really handy stuff. Enter your details below, say yes to the terms and conditions and you're in the running to win. Entries close on Sunday, December 4. Go go go. [competition]595510[/competition]
"It's one of those things where you keep pinching yourself," says director David F. Sandberg, the brains behind new 'be afraid of the dark' horror movie Lights Out. Given the whirlwind couple of years the Swedish filmmaker has experienced, his reaction is completely understandable. Back in 2013, he was an aspiring director with a love of making scary flicks and a dream to hit the big time, just like plenty of others. And then he had a great idea, made a short that took off, and his phone started ringing. Also called Lights Out, that two-and-a-half-minute effort managed to turn everyone's childhood fears of something sinister lurking in the darkness into the kind of creepy fare most horror features can't master. And one of the calls it sparked came from producer Lawrence Grey, who happened to know Saw, Insidious, The Conjuring, and Fast & Furious 7 director James Wan — and the rest, as they say is history. Actually, the end result is an effective and unnerving movie that looks as spooky as it sounds, and sets actresses Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello against a shadowy figure that only appears when it's not so bright in a particular spot. With the film currently screening in Australian cinemas, we chatted with Sandberg about coming up with an attention-grabbing premise, fielding the calls that made his dreams come true, and working with one of the modern greats of the genre. ON TURNING A FEAR OF THE DARK INTO A HORROR MOVIE "It came from this thing I'm sure many people have experienced, where you turn the lights off at night and you think you sort of see something there in the shadows — and you have to turn it back on to check. And Lotta [Losten, Sandberg's wife, and the producer and star of the 2013 Lights Out short] and I had this idea: what if there actually was something there every time you turned off the lights? "We made the short for an online horror competition. We had been trying to get money to make shorts in Sweden but had been unsuccessful, so we figured let's just make them on our own — we don't need a lot of money, I have a camera and Lotta is an actress, so we can do it by ourselves. So we just had to come up with the scariest thing we could do in our apartment with just one actor, and that seemed like the perfect idea." ON GOING VIRAL — THEN GETTING CALLS FROM HOLLYWOOD "It just suddenly — after we had uploaded it to YouTube, a couple of months after that — just became this viral sensation and started getting millions of views. And all of a sudden all these people in Hollywood wanted to talk to us. And it was just insane that a two-and-a-half minute short can get so much attention, you know? "I had to make a spreadsheet with everyone I talked to and what was said last just to keep track of it all. And one of the first producers who got in touch was Lawrence Grey, and it just seemed like he knew what he was talking about — and he was very passionate about making this into a feature. So I went along with him, basically. "He knew James Wan because they had been talking about maybe doing something together. So he sent the short to James, and he had already seen it online actually and thought it was a really cool short — but he didn't know if there was enough there for a feature. So, I wrote like a treatment of what I wanted the story and the characters to be that Lawrence sent to James, and that got him on board and to maybe see that, okay, maybe this could be a feature after all." ON FINDING A FEATURE-LENGTH STORY FROM A 2.5-MINUTE SHORT "There isn't a lot of story in the short really. It is just a concept — and that was very freeing when it came time to make it into a feature because it meant that all we had to do was stay true to that concept. We didn't have a story that we had to stay true to. "Lotta and I have made movies, and we've made them really short so there hasn't been time for real stories or characters with backstories and all that. So it was like finally we could explore that aspect and really create characters that you care for — which I think is really important in a horror movie, because if you don't care about what happens to the characters, you probably won't get scared." ON WORKING WITH JAMES WAN "I was honoured that he wanted to come on board as a producer because he is like the modern horror master. And he has all these ideas and all this experience. He's created I don't know how many franchises now. And he has kind of a similar story in that he came from another country and made a short that was turned into a feature in Hollywood. "He was telling me, 'Just have fun with it, because it's a crazy business.' I tried my best, but since it was my first feature I was very stressed out, because like, this is my shot, I'd better not stuff this up, this is my one shot at Hollywood. But yeah, he was great to have as a mentor." ON HOW TO MAKE SURE 'LIGHTS OUT' MEANS LIGHTS OUT "It was very important for me that we had true darkness, because in a lot of Hollywood movies, you just have a lot of blue light and that's supposed to represent darkness — but you still see everything. So it was really important to have pitch-black darkness where any kind of evil could hide. And that took some convincing of everyone to make that happen. And also, to play with, to just have certain light sources like Martin [played by actor Gabriel Bateman] with the candle or Teresa [Palmer] with the UV light down in the basement, and to not light it apart from those lights. And again, that was a bit of an issue. "That was something that James Wan helped out with because, when I told sort of the camera crew that I wanted to have the scene lit by just candle light, they were like, 'No, no, you've gotta light the movie.' But then when we were shooting that scene, James Wan came by the set, and he was like, 'Hey, you know you should shoot that scene with just the candlelight.' And everyone's like, 'Yeah, great idea James, lets do that.' And I was like 'Oh, okay.'" ON LIVING THE DREAM (STARRING ANNABELLE) "I mean, this has all happened so fast that I still haven't really processed everything that has happened because I've only been in this country [the US] for a year and a half — and I'm already in the middle of directing my second movie [the James Wan-produced Annabelle 2, the sequel to the 2014 spin-off from The Conjuring]. I'm not really sure what's going to happen afterwards, but I'm just happy for everything that's happened so far. It's awesome. It's what I've always dreamed that I want to do. And I mean, just doing stuff like this, these interviews, just because I made a two-and-a-half minute short — it's insane. I mean, my life goal was to direct a Hollywood feature, and I've actually achieved that, which is pretty amazing." Lights Out is currently screening in Australian cinemas.
Need an escape from the the winter weather? Then escape from the chill to a warm, dark cinema, where you can watch movies from places even colder than here. Returning to Palace Cinemas in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Hobart, the Volvo Scandinavian Film Festival will once again showcase the best of Swedish, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Icelandic cinema, from award-winning dramas to esoteric comedies and the very best of Nordic Noir. While the 2017 program is yet to be announced, to give you an idea of what to expect, one of the big highlights from last year's program was the Golden Globe-nominated The Fencer, a Finnish-German-Estonian co-production — dubbed by Finland Today as "the best Finnish film in a decade" — about a fencing instructor hiding from Soviet forces in Estonia in the years after the war. This played alongside oddball Icelandic rom-com The Together Project which took home a screenplay prize at Cannes, and the excruciatingly tense Danish drama Land of Mine.
For Benjamin Law, it all comes back to family. One of five children born to immigrant parents from Hong Kong, Law made a name for himself as a columnist for Frankie, where he frequently wrote about his large, dysfunctional family. It's a habit he'd continue in his best-selling memoir The Family Law, which in turn became the basis for his brand new sitcom on SBS, the first episode of which premiered last week. In an unprecedented move, the network chose to release the first episode on Facebook ahead of its television premiere. Yet perhaps even more significant is the fact that the show puts an Asian-Australian in the spotlight — an all too rare occurrence on Australian TV. In the lead-up to the release of the show's second episode, Law gave us his two cents about the origins of the program, their groundbreaking release strategy and the importance of diversity in entertainment. ON BRINGING PAGE TO SCREEN "The book [The Family Law] came out in 2010. It's about growing up gay and Asian in coastal Queensland in the 1990s as my parents' marriage falls apart. It's a classic Australian story! So that came out, and I kind of fret that no one will really get it, because it seems to me to be such an obscure story. But what happens is that a lot of people relate to it for all the reasons that I just talked about. A lot of Chinese-Australian and Asian-Australian people relate to it, a lot of people who grew up in Queensland relate to it, a lot of people who grew up gay relate to it, and a lot of people whose parents' marriage busted up relate to it. So it kind of exceeded my expectations. "From there it landed in the hands of Tony Ayres, the filmmaker, who has made some of my favourite films of the last few decades. He's just this powerhouse, and as soon as I heard that he was interested I had to stop myself from squealing like a fan-girl. I'd seen his film The Home Song Stories maybe a year before. My whole family did, and we came out of the cinema crying buckets. I was like, if you can make something like that, I'd love to see what you could do with The Family Law. So we signed up with Matchbox Pictures, and Tony curated this incredible production team...[and] we all came together and started working." ON TURNING YOUR FAMILY INTO SITCOM CHARACTERS "I think [my family] are always kind of nervous. Hell, I write the stuff and I'm always nervous about their reaction. But I've been writing about them in columns and in my book, for quite some time, and I kind of know where the boundaries lie. And the good thing about this show is that we weren't writing a documentary. All the characters are based on people in real life, but we wanted to write a comedy with a lot of emotional truth, and in order to do that we had to be wildly promiscuous with what actually happened. "Funnily enough, as time goes on and more and more people see the show, so much of the feedback is, 'Holy crap, that's my family, that's my dad, that's me!' And that's pretty sweet. It's the best reaction you could hope for really." ON THE WHITE FACE OF AUSTRALIAN ENTERTAINMENT "The show isn't about race, or race relations, or racial tensions, or finding your racial identity... but we were completely aware and happy to acknowledge the fact that this was addressing something that has been lacking in Australian TV for a long time. One in ten Australians has a significant Asian background, but we just don't see that diversity on television. And it's not just about Asians either. It's about brown Australians and black Australians, and seeing our actual racial makeup. Why we remain one of the whitest TV environments is just baffling. A 2016 show about a Chinese-Australian family is groundbreaking. And I'm really glad that it's breaking new ground, but it's kind of astounding that it's taken so long. "I think it's more to do with the television landscape and how frighteningly mono-cultural it is. All the commercial breakfast networks are white. The main cast of Home and Away [is] completely white. How many of the panel shows we watch are all white? You start noticing it constantly. "I didn’t grow up watching any show that resembled The Family Law... and the way that it manifests can be pretty toxic, when you don't see your own face reflected in your own media. I've been reading some essays lately that people have written in response to the show, saying 'I sort of grew up a bit self-hating and wanting to be white, because anything else was undesirable. My own face was undesirable and not legitimised by how we reflect ourselves in media and television and the arts.'" IS FACEBOOK THE NEW TV? "SBS proposed it. They'd never done it before, and as soon as they said it, it just made complete sense. Nearly all of us are on [Facebook], it's a part of our daily lives, and it gives the opportunity to click on something and watch a full episode of something that's already in our face. Not only that, but you can share it, you can interact with it, you can tag people and tell them about it. So we put it up there for a really limited amount of time, from Friday afternoon until the end of Sunday. At least two million people saw it, at least 1.1 million people had a good look at it, and thousands and thousands of people watched the episode in its entirety. "It sounds revolutionary, but when you're doing it you're just watching a show on another platform. Television is so many things nowadays ... so I'm really stoked that we went with that. People were wondering if it would affect our ratings, but I suspect that it might have even boosted them, because we far exceeded the expectations of what the show would rate once the TV broadcast went to air." Watch The Family Law on Thursday nights on SBS at 8.30pm.
Scientifically, the only way to watch the entire Academy Awards sober and survive is if you actually win one on the night. For everyone else, there's booze. Presenting our best shot at a Best Original Screenplay: Concrete Playground's 2016 Oscar Drinking Game. Remember to always drink responsibly and don't forget to thank your fellow nominees. One Sip Jack Nicholson wears sunglasses. Harrison Ford wears an earring. Diane Keaton wears gloves. Jennifer Lawrence does something adorably "real". Three drinks if she trips and falls. Leo’s date is his mother. Host Chris Rock makes three or more jokes about the Oscars’ diversity problem. A non-human presents an award. Three drinks if it’s Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2 or BB-8. Winner thanks God or Jesus. Winner pays tribute to their "extraordinary" fellow nominees. Winner is played off by the orchestra. Winner describes their film as "important". Winner describes their film’s director as "a genius" and/or "visionary". Kate Winslet talks on the red carpet about how happy she is for her "best friend" Leo. Two Sips Chris Rock dresses up as the other black storm-trooper. Sylvester Stallone wins for Best Supporting Actor in Creed and delivers his speech using only the ‘A’ and ‘O’ vowels. Chris Rock asks if Meryl Streep wouldn’t mind giving Kanye a few of her Oscars to melt down and pay off some of his debt. Winner describes their film’s director as "a high-functioning sociopath". Travolta jokes that Scientology documentary Going Clear was "the best comedy of the year". Tom Cruise and Will Smith laugh heartily. Paul Haggis does not. Ryan Reynolds arrives dressed as Deadpool, just so no one forgets he’s finally had a hit. Oscar Isaac and Domhnall Gleeson perform a scene from Ex Machina dressed as Poe Dameron and General Hux. You’ve actually heard of one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Three Sips Bryan Cranston wins Best Actor for Trumbo. Pulls face mask off to reveal he’s actually Dalton Trumbo. Chris Rock explains how he thought The Big Short was just a Tom Cruise biopic. Joaquin Phoenix comes dressed as a 19th century blacksmith. Winner thanks Allah or Mohammed. Jennifer Jason Leigh begins her acceptance speech with "REMEMBER ME!?" and then cackles maniacally until she’s forcibly removed from the stage. Kate Winslet’s accent changes markedly throughout her acceptance speech in a nod to her performance in Steve Jobs. Having scored acclaim for his last two roles as a cosmologist with a motor neurone disease and a transgender artist, Eddie Redmayne asks if anyone wants to cast him as an electrician or a plumber. Ridley Scott and/or Harrison Ford offers a plausible reason for making a sequel to Bladerunner that doesn’t include the words "pay cheque". You’ve actually seen one of the nominees for Documentary Short Subject or Foreign Language Film. Finish Your Drink DiCaprio declines to accept his award. God appears and says he can only claim credit for the Best Sound Editing winner. The performance of 'Earned It' from Fifty Shades of Grey features five minutes of graphic S&M on stage. Winner for Spotlight thanks the Catholic Church "for making all of this possible". Peter Jackson announces plans to turn his valet parking receipt into an epic nine hour trilogy. Chris Rock doesn’t mention the Oscars’ diversity problem but performs a song and dance number in white face.
Melbourne lead Australia into this awesome craft beer age we've found ourselves in, and there are so many great breweries in the city that we're truly spoilt for choice. But we bet you haven't even considered how many more craft brewbars there are all around Victoria. Jonesing for a road trip? What better trip to take than one that lands you with a fresh beer in hand. Here are ten Victorian breweries worth road tripping for. BRIGHT BREWERY Bright Brewery is a mountain town brewery, and so, naturally, they use only fresh mountain water in their brews. Being able to say your brews are 'mountain crafted' is pretty badass, not to mention extremely picturesque. The brewery door is open daily and features a 24-tap bar, which is especially impressive — even for a brewery. The Fainters Dubbel or Razor Witbier are our recommendations. The brewery's proximity to Mount Buffalo and Alpine National Park also means you can make this one a double road trip and sneak in a hike between pints. 121 Great Alpine Road, Bright. BRIDGE ROAD BREWERS Bridge Road Brewers is located in the historic gold mining town of Beechworth, which is a town stuck in the 19th century in the most picturesque of ways — a reason for a visit in itself. Another is the Austrian/Italian-inspired pizzas and daily baked pretzels by co-owner Maria Frischmann. Of course, the biggest draw to Beechworth is the beer, and Bridge Road is constantly turning out something new. While visiting, seek out the Chevalier series and the Mayday Hills collection — this new line of barrel-aged and wild-fermented farmhouse beers are the best to come out of the brewery yet. 50 Ford Street, Beechworth. BLACKMAN'S BREWERY Blackman's Brewery is located in Torquay, just off the Great Ocean Road and back from the beach — an ideal location for a surfer's brewery Apart from the location, the Wildcard series is the main draw here, their single keg batches that you can only get at the cellar door. It doesn't get more small batch than that. The kitchen is open until late, with a share plate grazing menu that is crafted around the brews. If you're in Geelong, they've also got a small brewery bar in Dennys Place. 26 Bell Street, Torquay. RED HILL BREWERY Red Hill Brewery doesn't just invite you to stop on by for a beer, they invite you to stay the night too. The Brewer's Cottage is a three-bedroom house located on the grounds, the self-contained unit features an open fire, barbecue area and even a trampoline. You can join the brewers for Friday arvo brews and really get the full Red Hill experience. The brewery focuses on European styles and their farmhouse-esqe cellar door has the range, including the scotch ale and Belgian blonde that we especially recommend. 88 Shoreham Road, Red Hill. BAD SHEPHERD BREWING CO. Bad Shepherd Brewing Co. is run by husband and wife duo Dereck and Diti Hales. They've mastered the cellar door technique with one of the best combos out there: good ol' beer and barbecue. Of the brews, the ESB and hazelnut brown are especially tasty, while the menu is a mix of smoked meats and comfort food, from mac and cheese ($5), texas brisket sandwiches ($12) and the all-mighty meat platter for two ($53). It's a brewpub done right. 386 Reserve Road, Cheltenham. HARGREAVES HILL BREWING COMPANY The Hargreaves Hill Brewing Company is set in a charming colonial building rather than the industrial warehouses that so many other breweries operate out of. It makes sense, considering their restaurant is a destination in itself, serving up proper New Orleans-style southern fried chicken ($22) on its menu. While you dig in try their beers in the form of a flight, and make sure the ESB and Abbey Dubbel are among those tasters. The best bit is that they're open every day of the week, so you can stop by anytime and grab a fresh pint or two. 25 Bell Street, Yarra Glen. HOLGATE BREWHOUSE Holgate Brewhouse is one of the most popular craft breweries to come out of Victoria and their brewhouse is the spot to taste their award winning brews. Situated in the village of Woodend (about an hour our of the city), the brewery has been around since 1999 and was set up in Paul and Natasha Holgate's backyard. The bar is very much a country corner pub, with eight taps, classic pub grub and live music every Friday night. If you've overindulged, no worries — grab a room upstairs for the night, with a dinner and beer tasting package while you're at it. 79 High Street, Woodend. MORNINGTON PENINSULA BREWERY Mornington Peninsula Brewery's symbol is derived from a medieval alchemy sign for 'drinkable gold' — and they go to great lengths to fulfil that promise. As they're so focused on their brews, it's a no-frills roller door situation, and they're slinging simple yet tasty pizzas to accompany your brews. If you hit the brewery bar when the Russian Imperial Stout is on tap, don't miss it (or any of their Imperial series beers, for that matter). For the non-beer drinkers among you, you won't be shunned — they have a range of local wines and ciders as well. Mornington is also the only brewery we know that offers free brewery tours every Friday, which includes tastings of their core range. 72 Watt Road, Mornington. DAINTON FAMILY BREWERS After being gypsy brewers for three years, 2016 finally saw the Dainton Family Brewers open their own brewhouse. The taphouse has three separate areas, including a dining room featuring rotating food trucks, a mezzanine overlooking the brewhouse and, most importantly, a beer garden — the perfect spot to enjoy their sours and summer pale ales this summer. The bar also offers snacks, chips and pies from a local bakery, so you'll have plenty to wash down with beer. 560 Frankston-Dandenong Road, Carrum Downs. PRICKLY MOSES Prickly Moses uses only pure Otway rainwater in their brews, and being able to say your brews are made with ingredients from a lush rainforest is pretty epic— as is their location. Set on Otway Estate, you have the option to stay in their spa accommodation and double whammy a trip to the vineyard, brewery and cidery. Among the many beverage options, or favourite is the new Raconteur IPA. The estate is also dog-friendly, so you really can't go wrong here. 10 Hoveys Road, Barongarook.
Imagine a rolling vineyard with free-flowing wine, entertainers and famous faces in attendance. No, this isn't a plot for a mystery novel or the latest escapades of a cinematic detective. This adventure is Comedy in the Vines. It's a huge three-day celebration in Nagambie (only an 80-minute drive from Melbourne) from Friday, November 8 and Sunday, November 10. How huge can it be? How about the largest comedy festival in Regional Australian history? And this year, the event is heading to Michelton Wines in the picturesque Nagambie wine region, which will play host to some serious (and hilarious) talent. [caption id="attachment_972455" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mitchelton Wines[/caption] The talent? Jen Brister, Lloyd Langford, Melanie Bracewell, Joel Creasey, Mel Buttle, Alex Ward, Gillian Cosgriff, Rove McManus, Dave Thorton and stacks more comedians will take to the main stage. Beyond that already very impressive lineup, you can watch live podcast recordings hosted by Claire Hooper, Luke Heggie and Nick Cody, sip and snack at the Oyster and Reisling Shot Bar, wander through the Mitchelton Gallery of Aboriginal Art, eat from a huge array of food stalls, and visit the R&R (rosé and relaxation) Station for massages, nail sculpting and rosé.
When opening Kissaten, owner Adam Wright sought to create a venue that reflected his partner's Japanese heritage while simultaneously acknowledging his own Australian background. This fusion of food cultures has created this gem of a cafe in Alphington. The space itself is light and airy, with simple furnishings and an ambient Japanese garden out the back for those sunny Melbourne days. Kissaten is dog-friendly, too, so don't be afraid to bring the pooch down for a puppycino. The menu here is long, so give yourself plenty of time to peruse before you order. If you're after pastry or a simple muffin, everything here is made in-house and is out-of-this-world tasty. There is, of course, the humble croissant, banana bread and chocolate brownie (all delicious), but it's hard to overlook the more indulgent cake options — think coconut and passionfruit polenta cake, matcha and white chocolate brownies and raspberry and pear teacakes. When it comes to its breakfast menu, treat yourself to anything from eggs on rice, porridge with cinnamon and coconut yoghurt, panco-crumbed milk toast or avocado and edamame on toast. For something richer, Kissaten offers up golden curries with carrot, peas and potato with your choice of protein, as well as breakfast ramens, bento bowls, karaage chicken burgers and a big breakfast with pork sausage, bacon, roast mushrooms, sautéed kale, roast tomato, croquettes and two eggs. There's a range of toasties and rolls, too, so literally everyone is covered. The katsu chicken toastie comes with tasty cheese, spinach and pickled onion, while the roast pumpkin toastie is packed full of pumpkin, shredded cabbage, pickled cucumber and red onion. Options abound at Kissaten as the team seamlessly blends Japanese flavours with contemporary Australian cafe culture.
Australians are notoriously picky when it comes to their daily coffee. But how many of us actually know how and why coffees can vary so much from place to place? Sure there's the skill of the barista, but it might be time to learn a bit more about the beans to inform our preferences. Here's a handy guide to coffee tasting, from what aromas to look for to how to drink better coffee in general. You'll be hosting your own coffee cupping sessions at home in no time — something you can even do with the humble coffee pod. [caption id="attachment_578979" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Daniel Ruswick.[/caption] WHY DO A COFFEE TASTING? Coffee cupping sessions are about educating people on the difference in beans. Where they're from, if they're single origin, how they're roasted and ground all contribute to a different product at the end of the line. Sam Gibson co-owner of Back and Forth cafe attends quarterly cupping sessions with his supplier Gabriel coffee. "Coffee tastings are important to identify the profile of the coffee, where it's from and how it's roasted determines the flavours which inform our choices of what to serve." Back and Forth has a house blend then a monthly single origin coffee it grinds freshly and sells to customers. Cupping sessions are also available and gaining popularity at places like Campos in Newtown and Rueben Hills in Surry Hills. DO'S AND DON'TS Don't do anything silly like brush your teeth just before doing a tasting. Cleanse the palate with sparkling water, that's not too cold between tasting. Don't swallow the coffee, but do leave it and swill it around your mouth a bit before spitting it out. Don't add sugar. When you're sipping, Gibson advises to take in a little bit of air with the mouthful, in the same way as when you're tasting wine. "It's really important as it gets the coffee to the back of the mouth and all over the tongue," he says. [caption id="attachment_578982" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Drew Coffman.[/caption] WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR "Aroma is really important and the first thing to be considered," says Gibson. Before tasting the coffee smell each one after the other and notice the difference. Then smell each one again just before you taste it. "Very roughly speaking the darker blends are better for milky coffees as they hold up with their more full bodied, bitter chocolatey characteristics." Lighter blends tend to be a bit more earthy, floral and citrusy which suit black coffee. When tasting the coffee think about characteristics beyond the actual flavour profiles like body, acidity, complexity, mouth feel and finish. Try to think of words that describe the flavours you're tasting, such as grassy, earthy. chocolatey, sharp, delicate, bitter, bold etc. COFFEE TASTING AT HOME With the rise in popularity of portable espresso machines at home, so too are people developing tastes for their favourite beans and blends in the pods. Australian startup company Tripod Coffee sources single origin and blended regional beans, then roasts and vacuum sealed locally to retain freshness. It might be an idea to get one of their sample packs, which has all five varieties from their spicy, savoury, cedar style 'Grey Gaucho' to their raisiny, citrusy and coco bean-esque 'Blue Beret'. Otherwise getting a small pack of a few different beans from a cafe, having them freshly ground and serving them French press style side by side, is a surprisingly good way to compare the characteristics of the beans. TIPS FOR DRINKING BETTER COFFEE Adding sugar is a real no-no for coffee purists. But knowing what kind of bean suits the way you drink your coffee (black, espresso or flat white, for instance) can help you make an educated choice to bring out the best in your coffee. Never keep coffee in the freezer at home, but tightly sealed somewhere dry. The best thing you can do is invest in a grinder and grind small quantities of beans as you make your coffee. And try as much coffee as you can — shake it up.
In the years since Bar Saracen sadly closed its doors, former Head Chef Tom Sarafian has become king of the food pop-up, lending his culinary prowess with modern Middle Eastern flavours to popular kitchen residencies across Melbourne. Now, he's coming to Young Hearts in Windsor. On Sunday, June 25, celebrated chef Tom Safarian will be hosting a pop-up, bringing some seriously good Middle Eastern Food (and yes, that hummus) across two sessions. Dishes and canapes will circulate throughout the day. Expect a great line-up of DJs, a dedicated hummus shop and a hand-mixed martini on arrival. Nice touch, that. Other dishes include Safarian's take on a classic pinxto, green olives stuff with labne, and Lebanese steak tartare. "I'm excited to reconnect with this pocket of Melbourne where I grew up," Safarian says. "Young Hearts have a really cool space up there. I love music and I haven't done a party like this before." And don't worry, this isn't going to be one of those canape events where you need to chase it down with a post-party Big Mac. "No one's going home hungry," Safarian laughs. "It won't be one of those nights where you leave the bar and get a kebab. In fact, we'll be serving you one there." Kebabs? Check. Free-flowing hummus? Check. Mini grilled pitas filled with charcoal chicken, French fries, tourn and pickled cucumbers? Check check. Tickets are $75 and spaces are limited. If hummus is your thing, don't hang about. Session 1 runs from 12pm–2pm. Session 2 runs from 2.30pm–4.30pm. [caption id="attachment_896988" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Image: Young Hearts, Pete Dillon[/caption] Images: supplied.
With its festive yellow and blue interiors, and lively, region-hopping menu, The Happy Mexican is a restaurant that really lives up to its name. Pulling inspiration from his years spent in both Mexico and LA, owner and Colombian native Julian Romero has transformed an unlikely Hoddle Street site into a colourful eatery with a distinct Mexican flavour. The 55-seat space is low on fuss but high in energy, complete with hanging piñatas and mural-adorned side courtyard. Helmed by Mexican Head Chef Jesus Rios, the kitchen's celebrating traditional flavours without honing in on any one region. Rather, the menu is like a quick round-trip of Mexico that you can enjoy in the space of a couple of margaritas. Tacos ($6 each) might feature slow-cooked beef made to a classic Jalisco-style recipe or roast chicken in a guajillo and achiote chilli sauce with origins in the central state of Zacatecas. Burritos ($16) come loaded with a herb-flecked 'green rice' that's popular in northern Mexico while a signature dish of ceviche-style prawn tostada ($10.50) is a nod to the Sinaloa region. [caption id="attachment_760852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tracey Ah-kee[/caption] A solid lineup of tacos features tortillas from Kensington's La Tortilleria, with fillings ranging from beer-battered flathead teamed with fresh slaw, pico de gallo and chipotle mayo to the tender ox tongue cooked in pasilla chilli sauce and finished with cubes of roast potato. Elsewhere, you'll find snacks like nachos ($13), quesadillas ($8) and the chicharron de queso ($8), slow-cooked pork rolled up in a layer of toasted cheese and served with guacamole. Burritos feature the likes of Sinaloa-style chilli-fried pork, matched with corn, black beans, chipotle mayo and that 'green rice', and you'll find a handful of tortas (a Mexican-style baguette) starring fillings like fried chicken ($14) or crumbed steak ($15). The lineup of weekly specials is just as cheery, with tacos going for $3 a pop each Tuesday and $10 margaritas on offer every Friday. And yes, the bar is worth a visit in its own right, pouring a range of imported beers, classic tequila cocktails and an ever-growing list of agave spirits. Try the signature mezcal margarita crafted on agave, fresh lime and fair-trade Oaxaca creation Mezcal Eterno Joven No 1. Images: Tracey Ah-kee
Wedged up in the corner of Eastern Europe, bordered by the Baltic Sea to the north and Latvia to the south, sits Estonia. It's a quiet little country that's spent most of its life as a Russian-German pull toy and has a population of only 1.3 million. But if there's one thing that these 1.3 million people can do, it's cook. Estonia is throwing around some legit food and drink game at the moment, and now is the perfect time to get on board. Tallinn might be one of the trickiest places to get to from Australia, but it's certainly one of the most worthwhile if you have a palate for affordable, fine dining. Think fresh local produce, age-perfected cooking techniques and more craft beer than you can poke a stick at. Good meals won't cost you more than $15, and most come with a view worth more than the plate itself. Pack a knife, fork and your best appetite and head to the new culinary crux of Europe. GETTING THERE First and foremost, you're going to have to get to Tallinn, Estonia's capital. Unfortunately there's no speedy, one stopover flight from Australia to Tallinn, so if you're going to visit, we suggest tagging it onto a European adventure. Flights out of most major European airports won't break the bank. Another option, depending on where you're coming form, is by boat — there are direct sea routes from Helsinki, St Petersburg and Stockholm. While this sounds like a city in the middle of nowhere (and it kind of is), don't think you're signing up for some Bear Grylls-inspired brush with danger. Most Estonians in Tallinn speak very good English, and they have Vapiano if homesickness kicks in. STAY Estonian Airbnb is a dream. While the Australian dollar doesn't fair so well against the Euro, the cost of living, eating, drinking and dancing in Estonia is a cheap as cheese (cheese in Tallinn is very cheap). You can get a good Airbnb for about $20-40 a night, and some spacious ones for about $100. Of course, there are fancy, Old Town penthouses with six plus bedrooms you can splash out on for about $1000 a night too (pictured). Don't be afraid to suss out the suburbs when it comes to accommodation. Unlike London or Paris you can reside just about anywhere in Tallinn and be able to get into the Old Town (the epicentre of Tallinn) without a hassle, because a) Tallinn is a fortieth of the size of Brisbane, b) the tram system is a breeze, and c) Uber is dirt cheap (we're talking $5 from the airport to city centre here). There are some great, tinea-free hostels near and in Old Town that cost anywhere between $10-30 a night. EAT Now this is what we're talking about. Estonian cuisine is influenced by its Scandinavian and Russian neighbours, with a strong emphasis on fresh, homegrown or locally produced elements. Estonians really care where their food comes from, so most dishes contain a lamb or fish base, and are paired with local veggies, homemade sauces and yeasty, dark bread. Old Town has some great restaurants but, like any tourist hotspot, you're always at risk of being overcharged for a stew that was cooked last week, frozen, and stuck in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Head there first to do the touristy thing, take some snaps, have a look at the architecture, trip over a jaded stone on the old footpaths and work up a hunger. Then get out. Mere Puiestee street runs parallel to Old Town's eastern side, and the huge brick buildings and line of trees hide some of the city's best and trendiest restaurants. SfääR (pictured above) is an award winning, quaint little restaurant and clothing store that has a menu and cocktail list worth crossing a few major oceans for — definitely try the homemade zucchini and sun-dried ravioli with a buttery sage sauce. If you're after something a little heavier and/or hangover friendly skip next door to Scotland Yard Pub. The street behind homes Alter Ego, a classy, upper-class restaurant that showcases the best Mediterranean in the city. Down by the water, you'll find the abandoned Linnahall, an old sports and concert venue, which is haunting and definitely worth an explore. But before it you'll find the Eesti Kaasaegse Kunsti Muuseum (Museum of Contemporary Art), an adjoining art book shop and Klaus. Klaus really brings home the term 'modern Estonian food'. Think mussels with green curry and lime, Estonian lamb casserole with jasmine rice, duck breast with plum puree, wild mushroom tartare, and desserts that deserve Nobel Prizes. On Friday and Saturday evenings you'll find a lot of very important and trendy looking people dining and getting drunk there. This is the insider's Estonian restaurant. The one place in Old Town we will push you towards is Vegan Restoran V. The meals are huge, cheap, inventive and tasty beyond expectation. It's in pretty high demand since it racked up a number of global vegan eating awards. It's currently ranked the 16th best vegan restaurant in the world — and the prices are cheaper than McDonalds. Carrot cake in Estonia makes the stuff over here look like grated carrot chucked in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Gustav's variation consists of about five thin layers of velvety, nutty carrot cake and citrus sour cream mousse. This was our equivalent of falling in love abroad and being faced with the decision of whether to stay or leave and risk never loving again. Gustav has two locations in Tallinn, with their Vabriku street venue adjoined to Fabrik Restoran — which features an award-winning, Asian influenced menu and possibly the best duck fried rice and pork bao you'll find in a 1000km radius. DRINK Like most of Eastern Europe, drinks aren't too pricey in Estonia, and you can get a wine from one of those fancy glass bottles with a cork for only a couple of bucks. Estonia has a number of emerging, microbreweries — and if you're looking to scour, then head to Uba Ja Humal or Drink Shop. They're both craft beer Meccas. Make sure to try Siidrikoda — an Estonian craft cider — and anything by Käbliku or Põhjala Breweries. There's a lot of clubs targeted towards backpackers, so if you're chasing a bit more of a local, relaxed drinking vibe, try any one of Estonia's underground theatre bars. Von Kraahl is one of the most popular, showcasing homegrown productions and local beer. Protest is a pretty 'in' kind of place, so don't worry if you feel like everyone here is already best friends and you've just crashed a party. Just drink up, sing some Aerosmith on the man-built karaoke set up and you'll eventually make your way in. Top image: Mike Beales. Second image: Mark Litwintschik.
It goes without saying, Melbourne's characteristically buzzing cultural ecosystem has thrived this year, with the city's most innovative, forward-thinking residents taking bold risks in their field. More inventive, forward-thinking and experimental than ever, Melbourne's event producers have found new ways to celebrate city life, reinvigorating dwindling or hidden spaces, taking the idea of 'immersive' happenings to another level, and taking us on wild adventures in our own home. At Concrete Playground we encourage exploration and showcase innovation in our city every day, so we thought it fitting to reward those most talented whippersnappers pushing Melbourne to be a better, braver city. And so, these six new events, opened in 2016, have been nominated for Best New Event in Concrete Playground's Best of 2016 Awards. Vote for your favourite.
Greville Street's newest Italian joint, Rossi, is serving up a weekly jazz and lasagne night dubbed 'In The Corner' until the end of September featuring a live 'jazz-hop' band, combining jazz and hip hop influences. Some of the featured live artists include composer Grant Windsor (who's worked with the likes of Gregory Porter, Kamaal Williams and Jose James), Sensible J and Caleb Shand. These guys will be performing every Wednesday, providing a smooth backing track for the main course: chef Thibault Boggio's signature lasagne. "It's not your classic jazz vibe that's already been done," Rossi's live music curator Sean Marchetti says. "We are infusing elements of jazz, hip hop and sample culture. Our musicians will be exploring sounds and melodies, while the guests explore our amazing food and drinks – it's an exciting collaboration." The lasagne itself comes in three speeds – classic meat, seafood and vegetarian. The classic is a mix of beef, pork and bone marrow sourced from nearby Gary's Butcher at Prahran Market, slow-cooked for eight hours in red wine and tomato sauce, then layered with parmesan and béchamel. Rossi's 'In The Corner' series will run every Wednesday until the end of September. Entry is free – you just pay a la carte. Walk-ins are welcome, too, but it's always a good idea to book. Images: Supplied
If dropping by your local car wash makes you want to unleash your inner kidult, then you'd better get yourself to the National Gallery of Victoria's Grollo Equiset Garden this spring. In October M@ STUDIO Architects will be setting up a pretend car wash, which you'll be welcome to treat as one giant playground. Their brilliant idea is the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission. You'll be able to find your fun easily — just look out for the old-school, glittering sign. Head inside to discover a true-to-size car wash replica, based on an actual existing one in Blackburn. But you can forget your run-of-the-mill cement and nasty fluoro lights. Instead, you'll be surrounded by walls of cricket netting, looking up at a pretty translucent ceiling, frolicking in bright pink AstroTurf and kicking back on rubber speed bumps. There'll be five 'bays' altogether, two hung with red plastic curtains and one equipped with a mist diffuser. So, though you probably won't be able to go for an all-out water fight, you won't escape totally dry (should that be your car wash wish). Plus, at night, the whole scene will light up, letting you have nocturnal adventures galore. To celebrate this epic creation, the NGV is organising a slew of events. In what seems similar to the Queen Victoria Gardens' MPavilion, this outdoor structure will host talks, live music and performances over both spring and summer. But, if you're not in the mood for shows, you can head along to hang out with friends anytime. "We are thrilled to be selected as the winner of the 2016 NGV Architecture Commission," said M@ STUDIO Architects. "Open competitions such as this provide a vital platform for architects to experiment and facilitate public discourse around the broader ideas that motivate the specific design explorations." The annual NGV Architecture Commission invites architects to come up with clever, clever installation ideas for the Grollo Equiset Garden. Entries are judged for their originality, their new ideas concerning architecture and design, and their innovation in material use, fabrication, sustainability and recyclability.
Looking for a fancy new dinner destination? Perhaps you've got a hot date lined up, have guests in from out of town or are looking to impress the in-laws. Whatever the reason, if it's stylish surrounds you're after, the winners of the fourth annual Eat Drink Design Awards have it in spades. Revealed yesterday at a ceremony in Melbourne, the awards celebrate the very best in hospitality design across Australia and New Zealand — although this year, the podium was crowded with Aussies alone. From a shortlist of 88 venues, eight took home gold while a further 26 received high commendations. Best Restaurant Design was awarded to Italian eatery Beccafico in Sydney, with the panel of judges citing "the unfinished joinery of recycled and fire-charred hardwoods, a sculptural beauty to the circular neon tubes that line the walls [and] a resort-like feel to the slatted boardwalk that bisects the space with wire-brushed timber banquets". The Best Cafe Design was shared by The Kettle Black in South Melbourne, described by the judges as "the apotheosis of cafe design right now — light, airy, spacious, where everything is carefully considered yet it all comes across as insouciant in the extreme," and Abbots & Kinney in Adelaide, commended for "the play between the radical simplicity of the overall concept and the extraordinary accomplishment of the execution and finish". Best Bar Design, meanwhile, went to Smalls in Melbourne, where judges highlighted "the colour and materials palette — moody, muted putties, flat blues and concrete greys offset by the occasional glimmer of glassware and brass," as well as artisanal touches such as "handmade ceramic tiles" and "open joined banquettes," and fine detailing seen in "marble tabletops, aged black leather and charcoal velvet upholstery". The remaining awards included Best Retail Design, awarded to The District food court in Sydney's Chatswood Interchange shopping mall (home to Tim Ho Wan and Hello Kitty Diner); Best Identity Design, awarded to casual Bangladeshi restaurant Bang Street Food in Sydney; and Best Temporary Design, awarded to the Australian Pavilion Installation at Cafe di Stasio in Melbourne. Last but certainly not least, Bondi's Icebergs was inducted into the Eat Drink Design Hall of Fame. Have a flick through the gallery for some serious hospitality design porn.
If you've caught Tkay Maidza's singles 'Switch Lanes', 'U-Huh' or 'M.O.B.' (that's 'Money Over Bitches') on radio of late, you'll know that the 19-year-old is all about putting in the hard yards. The Adelaidean youngster's touring schedule is evidence that she means what she sings. Maidza spent last summer rapping her way from one festival to another, appearing at Falls, Southbound, Beat the Drum and St. Jeromes Laneway. And now she's kicking off a national tour, which has almost sold out, and includes gigs at Mountain Sounds and Groovin' the Moo, as well as supports for Charli XCX. Since Maidza released her huge breakthrough hit 'Brontosaurus' in 2014, Australian music fans can't stop jibbering about the young artist. International booking company The Agency Group were immediately smitten and signed the teenager before launching her on an epic tour through the UK and the US. Maidza will be supported at every gig by two fellow bright young things from Brisbane — 19-year-old producer UV boi, and 17-year-old classically trained multi-instrumentalist JOY.
Forget about the mouldy old sandwich you’ve got sitting in the communal office fridge. Today only, ride sharing service Uber and food charity OzHarvest have teamed up with some of the best chefs and restaurants in the country, and will be delivering gourmet lunches right to your office door. Starting at noon today, hungry Uber users in the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Gold Coast CBDs will be able to log into the app and request a lunch box. The meal will cost you just $12, and will be delivered to you by an Uber driver. Better yet, your money will go straight to OzHarvest in order to help them feed impoverished Australians. Uber has already donated $10,000, which will be used to fund 20,000 meals. So what does your money get you? Sydneysiders will chow down on a corned beef burger from Neil Perry’s Burger Project, while Brisbanites can enjoy a Reuben Sandwich from Matt Moran’s ARIA, and Melburnians get stuck in to a George Calombaris mix plate that includes mini spanakopita from Hellenic Republic, flat bread from Gazi, grain salad with chicken from Mastic and petit fours from The Press Club. Neil Perry pops up again in Perth with a Reuben from his Rockpool Bar & Grill, whereas Adelaide gets a Jock Zonfrillo vegetarian option of fire pit pumpkin with goats curd, spiced macadamias and crispy salt bush. Last but not least, diners on the Gold Coast can choose between slow-braised beef brisket with pearl barley and garden salsa, or roast butternut squash, capsicum, zucchini, pearl barley & sun dried tomato pesto — both courtesy of Dennis Duncanson’s Paradox Coffee Roasters. You’ll have to get in quick though. There are just 200 meals available in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, and even less in Perth, Adelaide and on the Gold Coast. The promotion runs until 2pm, but odds are they’ll sell out long before. To order your lunch, log into your Uber app starting from 12pm today and put in a request. For more info, go here. If you’d like to donate directly to OzHarvest, visit www.ozharvest.org. Image: George Calombaris' Grain Salad.
Two fast food staples, both alike in dignity, in fair Hong Kong where we lay our scene. An unlikely pair of greasy star-cross'd lovers have been fused by the world's biggest chicken specialist — KFC has created the unholy union of pizza and fried chicken. Found only in Hong Kong for now, KFC's new Napoli Crispy Pizza Chicken sees the chain's immortal fried chicken breaded with marinara, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese. It's pure, horrifying genius. They've even got some slightly freaky children's choir in on the local ad. We thought things would settle down after KFC decided to replace their buns with chicken, but no. This mighty fast food hybrid proves our suspicions that the global trend toward fusing unlikely food friends is getting more messed up by the day. Just go with it, we guess? Via Gizmodo.
Italian wine bar and restaurant Casa Mariotti just landed on Richmond's Swan Street, and the team is celebrating by running a special aperitivo session from Wednesday–Sunday until the end of October. Drop by anytime from 4–6pm and you can score a selection of wine, beer and cocktails starting at $9 a pop alongside complimentary snacks. And these aren't just free peanuts or popcorn — the crew is giving away top-notch bar snacks. Think bruschetta al pomodoro, bowls of lupin and seasonal frittata. You could simply drop by the new Casa Mariotti Bar & Cucina for beers and free small bites, but you'd be a fool if you missed out on some of its larger dishes. Get around its deep-fried mozzarella and anchovy crostini and rice balls, or try bigger dishes like its handmade pastas and warming sugos. The brothers running the show — Guido and Guiacomo Mariotti — have been inspired by their nonna's old family recipes, plus their experience working in Roman restaurants for over 20 years. If you want to sample a little slice of Rome in Melbourne, be sure to check out this new wine bar and restaurant's temporary aperitivo special. Images: Jack Carlin.
This year's Melbourne Fringe invites to swap your usual reality for something a little more lighthearted, with its 2018 theme 'Are You Game?' embracing the playtime in everyday life. Featured in this year's edition of the independent arts fiesta are a whopping 150 venues, as over 440 events and performances are brought to life across the city. Whether dipping your toe or diving deep, there's something in this diverse program for every kind of audience. Expect laughs aplenty with Selina Jenkins' dark comedy Thy Neighbour; hilarious, experimental theatre like you've never seen before for Sammy J – The 50 Year Show; and a truckload of chuckles at Highlander's free series of Fringe stand-up. Jude Perl embraces the art of angst in her work I Have a Face, Little Ones Theatre goes big with their ode to Whitney Houston Queen of The Night, and a boisterous serve of sound effects and impersonations are on the cards for Pablo Francisco's Australianator Tour. And, taking the concept of audience participation to a whole new level, Aphids and Field Theory will team up for ICON: an intensely participatory artwork that'll see one willing local selected randomly to become a legend. The randomly selected person will be trailed and studied carefully — Field Theory team members will sleep on your floor and, even, taste your breakfast — for 48 hours, and then celebrated with their very own festival in Fed Square. Head down to Fed Square between 12–4pm on August 18 or 19 to sign yourself up. If you want to get involved, but not that involved, you can head to a celebration of everything female, a comedic re-make of a Year 10 Formal — with, maybe, actual Passion Pop — karaoke, drag queen bingo, circus-themed wrestling (think clowns vs acrobats) and a glittering opening party. Image: Theresa Harrison.
Every so often I find myself staring at my rug and thinking of Lebowski. Rugs really do tie a room together, and their absence can very easily render something like a living room nothing more than a collection of 'things' with no real connective tissue. In The Big Lebowski, of course, Jeff Bridges was that rug: a slovenly yet cohesive force of White Russian-fuelled lethargy who kept an otherwise sprawling and surreal piece of cinema from descending into incoherent nonsense. Central characters are always important, yes, but in specifically psychedelic cinema where style is often in equal or greater measures than substance, a well-defined, well-performed protagonist can be the single determinative factor between success and failure. Inherent Vice — the seventh film by Paul Thomas Anderson — is one such example. Based on the Thomas Pynchon novel, it is confusing and bewildering cinema at its absolute best, guided through the haze courtesy of Anderson's deft hand and another exceptional performance by Joaquin Phoenix. Phoenix plays Larry 'Doc' Sportello, a perennially stoned private investigator in 1970 California who's hired by his ex-girlfriend Shasta (Katherine Waterston) to track down her missing lover (Eric Roberts). In principle it seems largely straightforward, but the set-up alone contains so many twists, double crosses and tawdry affairs that within five minutes of the opening titles there's a sense of being overwhelmed in a manner that doesn't improve over the remaining 147 minutes. Though Doc shares your confusion, he never shows it. Instead, he cruises unflappably through every conversation and encounter, pausing only occasionally to jot down irrelevant one word notes in his flipbook. Imagine the Dude, only without the hobby or mantra to guide him: an underestimated sleuth combining the substance abuse of The Rum Diary's Paul Kemp with the quirky intuition of Columbo. Surrounding him, the list of cameos is both enormous and divergent, contributing in no small way to the film's labyrinthine plot. There's the strait-laced assistant DA with a secret, Penny Kimble (Reese Witherspoon); the tell-all nurse's secretary, Penny Leeway (Maya Rudolph); the drug-addicted dentist Dr Rudy Blatnoyd (an entirely lecherous Martin Short); Doc's mysterious lawyer, Sauncho Smilax (Benicio Del Toro); and Owen Wilson's Coy Harligen — a musician/heroin addict/missing person/cult spokesperson/political renegade. Even he doesn't quite know who he is. Finally, there's Josh Brolin as Lt. Detective Christian F. 'Bigfoot' Bjornsen — a hard-nosed, hippie-hating cop sporting a Dragnet crew cut and a penchant for sucking down chocolate-covered bananas on a stick. He and Phoenix put in the film's best performances, and it's their shared scenes that boast the most engaging screen time. "A hidden defect (or the very nature of a good or property) which of itself is the cause of (or contributes to) its deterioration, damage or wastage". That's the legal definition of 'Inherent Vice', and for Pynchon it represented the uncomfortable truth about America's decline. In the wake of the Charles Manson killings, the failings of the American Dream were to be found within the dream itself: corrupt, flawed and prey to the darker nature of man. That's what's at the core of this film (however difficult it might be locating it), and while it won't be to everyone's taste, Inherent Vice is an impressive piece of filmmaking that warrants your time and attention.
The man behind Laneway Festival, St Jeromes - The Hotel and a number of Melbourne bars has copped a $40,000 fine over significant hygiene problems uncovered at his former CBD venue Sister Bella. According to The Age, Jerome Borazio fronted the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday, where his company pled guilty to ten charges under the Food Standards Act, relating to an inspection in April 2014 that uncovered rodent droppings throughout the kitchen and dead mice on the floor. Sister Bella was closed for three weeks in the aftermath of the inspections, which also found holes in the walls and floor, greasy walls and equipment, and unsealed bags of food. Borazio would eventually sell the venue in November 2015. "Looking at these photographs it's incredible that anyone could unlock the door and turn a blind eye," said magistrate Peter Reardon. According to defence council John Larkins, Borazio had relied on a management team to oversee operations at Sister Bella, but that "his faith was clearly misplaced." He conceded that responsibility for the "lamentable situation" ultimately lay with the then owner, stating that "the buck stops with him." In addition to the fine, Borazio was ordered to pay a further $10,000 in court costs. Via The Age. Image: St Jeromes - The Hotel.
Arts House and Melbourne Festival in association with New York's Performance Space 122 present Bronx Gothic, a one-woman show about adolescence, sexuality and race. Created by writer, performer and choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili along with director and designer Peter Born, the show is described as existing "at the intersection of theatre, dance and visual art installation", and draws from influences as disparate as Victorian-era literature and the oral storytelling traditions of West Africa. Taking over the stage at Arts House for five nights only, Bronx Gothic is set in the eponymous New York borough during the 1980s, and explores the relationship between two pre-teen girls as they tip over into adolescence. Tackling both the physical and psychic transformations that occur with puberty, the show won a 'Bessie' for Outstanding Production at last year's New York Dance and Performance Awards. Not to be missed. This event is one of our top ten picks of the Melbourne Festival. Check out the other nine.
If you're planning on spending this gig mildly toe-tapping, you might want to wait in the car. Sydney's long-labouring beatsmiths Hermitude are back with a brand new album already sitting pretty on winter playlists Australia-wide — and a national tour ready to bust a few hard-dancing ligaments. Start stretching y'all. Hermitude's new album Dark Night Sweet Light takes the lads' unmistakeable blend of heartfelt hip hop, majestic build-ups and big bass drops to a new level; standing firm on a #1 ARIA chart spot and one hell of a rapidly expanding fan base. Luke Dubber (Luke Dubs) and Angus Stuart (El Gusto) have plenty to celebrate on this national tour. After nabbing the Australian Music Prize in 2012 for their straight-up killer album HyperParadise, they're riding a sweet wave of toastworthy accolades surrounding their new album Dark Night Sweet Light. The LP debuted at #1 on the ARIA chart (a first for Hermitude's label Elefant Traks) and has been featured as album of the week on FBi and triple j, alongside serious airplay for lead single 'The Buzz'. So it goes without saying, you're going to have to get in quick for a ticket to this show. The lads have come a long way from their early days of performing entire shows dressed as neanderthals with their decks covered in vines (actual thing), but the bombastic energy and unpredictable live instrumentation of Hermitude's live shows remains an unmissable combination for longtime fans and newcomers like. Do yourself a favour and don't read the tweets the next day, get to this show. Supported by Basenji + Jayteehazard.
Get lost in a maze of mirrors at NGV International where a brand new installation work is now installed. Semicircular Space is a new piece by Berlin-based Danish artist Jeppe Hein, and consists of dozens of polished steel pillars more than 2.5 metres tall. Erected in a labyrinthine pattern, the work aims to distort the observer's perception of reality and call into question the way they view the world. The maze-like sculpture has been installed in Federation Court in the foyer of the NGV building, where it can be accessed by the public without charge. Point is, if you've ever wanted to run through a hall of mirrors like the hero and/or villain in a Saturday morning cartoon, this is your chance. You can visit Semicircular Space at NGV International until Friday, September 16. It's the latest in a series of contemporary art commissions for Federation Court, made possible by the support of the Loti & Victor Smorgon Fund.
Lally Katz is losing some of her magic, and she's fine with it. Now well and truly established as one of Australia’s leading playwrights, Katz’s development as an artist has brought profound changes in her approach to writing, alongside her move from independent theatre to larger, mainstage audiences. “You just don’t want to write the same thing over and over again your whole life,” she says. “I think when I was in my early twenties you don’t know where your writing comes from: it’s imagination, it’s dreams, it’s magic, and I didn’t always have control over it.I’m proud of that work but you develop more craft as you get older and you can’t help but use it. There are times where I’ll have a play and I still like having dreams and magic in it, but what I’ve learnt is that when I was younger I wasn’t able to wrangle that stuff in a way that made sense for some of the audience.” Some of Katz’s later plays have been closely derived from her relationship with real figures — as with her Hungarian neighbour, Ana, in Neighbourhood Watch. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve got more interested in writing about real people, the characters that I meet, with a bit of myself in there. I think that places the work somewhere different too; if you’re learning the way that someone talks, the story comes out of those characters.” Her latest work, Timeshare, is just about to open at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre. Starring Fast Forward's Marg Downey, the play takes place on an unsettling holiday resort, one that straddles the International Dateline, and the intersection between time and memory. Last year Katz wrote the libretto for an operatic adaptation of John Marsden’s The Rabbits, and Timeshare gives her the chance to try her hand at lyrics again, with a show she describes as a “semi-musical”, its songs written in collaboration with Jethro Woodward. This kind of collaboration forms the heart of Timeshare, with Katz and director Oliver Butler (from New York’s The Debate Society) facing an uphill battle trying to communicate across time zones. “Before Malthouse brought Oliver out here last year to do a development, it was so hard,” she says, “When you Skype, the differences between here and New York are so painful, and it was so hard to make progress. Part of what originally inspired this story of a resort on the International Dateline was just that frustration of trying to work together across those times.” The playwright had to undertake strenuous research for the show, staying in all-inclusive resorts in Fiji and Cancun, usually the odd-one-out loner among families on school holidays. But her travels overseas have also allowed her to see and experience theatre all over the world. “When you see a lot of theatre internationally you realise what a distinct style Australian theatre has," she says. "I’m always interested in seeing what’s going on with new writing in other countries — what’s different about that writing, what’s different about the way writers work with theatre companies or other artists. It opens your mind to different ways of working.” When asked about what Australian theatre could learn from international practitioners, Katz points to an issue that highlights the challenges Australian theatre still face in generating a sense of community around their work. “Some new writing companies in the US will have a question-and-answer session with the audience after every single performance; maybe not with the actors or the director, but usually with someone like a dramaturg,” she says. “And what it means is that the audience gets to be heard. What they liked, didn’t like, what they engaged with. Even if they hate the show they still feel included and they leave feeling as if they’ve been acknowledged, and then people never go home feeling stupid. Especially with new plays it would be great for us to be having more of those kinds of conversations.” Timeshare is on from April 29 – May 17. Rehearsal photography by Sarah Walker.
If Black Swan didn't make the ballet world look tough enough, the boys from The Dream are sure to fix that. The Australian Ballet put its dancers through their paces ahead of the production's premiere in Sydney in April. A fascinating rendition of Shakespeare's iconic A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Dream is part of a triple bill of works by leading 20th-century choreographer Frederick Ashton at his spectacular best. Expect magic and musicality, and did we mention men en pointe? That's right, forget boys in tutus: these guys will be dancing on the very tips of their toes, using the notoriously difficult technique normally only practised by female dancers. And they're mastering the brutal art in just 12 short weeks. It's all part of how Ashton envisaged the hapless actor-turned-ass, Bottom. Coryphée Christopher Rodgers-Wilson gives the warts-and-all goss on what it takes to transform into this loveable, eccentric donkey. TURNING THE TABLES A hulking pair of hairy legs en pointe is a rarity in ballet, where the technique is usually reserved for female dancers. There is a bit of history of men taking part in the practice — specialised companies, such as the American all-male drag parody group Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, do it regularly, while unorthodox roles have seen guys slip into these satin numbers on a variety of occasions. "There has been a previous production of Cinderella with the Australian Ballet with Stanton Welch which had the stepsisters played by males en pointe," tells Rodgers-Wilson. So The Dream is not the first to ask this of its males, but for audiences, the sight is still a novelty. A wonderful, muscly-calved novelty. THE BALLET MISTRESS, PILATES AND GETTING STARTED EN POINTE Professional ballerinas make tiptoe twirling look like a walk in the park, but years of gruelling training goes into perfecting the positions of their satin-wrapped trotters. Despite a lifetime of stage experience, Rodgers-Wilson had to go back to the barre to tackle the fundamentals with the help of conditioning coaches and London's Royal Ballet heavyweight Christopher Carr to pull this off. "We actually learnt a lot of the ballet, the steps, late last year in December ... just in our normal, flat shoes to get a feel for what we actually needed to do," says Rodgers-Wilson. With two decades of pointe expertise from the company's (amazingly titled) ballet mistress and rehabilitation specialist Megan Connelly at the ready, the guys were then taken through their paces lying down on a humble Pilates reformer to learn "how to manipulate the shoes without your full body weight". MAKING THE SLIPPER FIT The next step towards the stage saw these boys head off for a spot of shopping (of the less conventional variety). Acquiring the all-important shoes proved to be no mean feat. "[There] can be slight little discrepancies in the shape," says Rodgers-Wilson. "You do find some pairs that you pop on and you find that they’re really great straight away and there are other pairs that are just not going to work". Then it's time to really strap in. Many hours of sewing, scraping and softening later, and each dancer's perfect pair was born. These adjustments can have more of an impact than you'd think. "That’s been one of the biggest challenges for me," says Rodgers-Wilson, "working out how best to prepare the shoes before you actually get en pointe, because being comfortable and feeling like you can work your feet and manipulate the shoe is really important. Sometimes the way the shoe breaks down, it can end up pulling you off pointe ... like you’re working extra hard just to stay up." And the bloody battle scars? A veteran in the way of bumps and blisters, Rodgers-Wilson says "I think we’ve all found that our feet are stronger for [dancing en pointe], aside from the odd sore toenail or odd bruise here and there." AND JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT YOU'D SEEN IT ALL: A GIANT HEAD The Australian Ballet doesn't do things by halves. Those learning the role of Bottom have been dealt the short straw in terms of challenging costuming. Not only will they be dancing en pointe, they'll be doing it from inside a life-size donkey mask. "The first time," Rodgers-Wilson says, "it’s like shutting your eyes and standing on one leg a little bit." With vision blocked to the point of obscurity, dancers can "sort of see out the donkey’s nostrils", making mastering this new skill about as challenging as it gets. But for these guys, obstacles like this are de rigueur. "Gradually it feels more and more normal ... and obviously, practice makes perfect". BALLET FOR THE NON-BELIEVER Aside from the novelty of boys en pointe, The Dream packs a serious punch in the way of performances. Bringing Shakespeare's most magical work to contemporary audiences, think of this as the perfect first-taste of ballet for anyone who's never dared step foot inside the Opera Theatre. "It’s got a beautiful variety," says Rodgers-Wilson. "It’s dramatic and funny and there’s magic and it's got all these beautiful elements." Throw in compositions by Felix Mendelssohn, plus a choir of singers tucked away beneath the stage, and this show guarantees a seriously surreal theatre experience that will say with you long after you've left your seat. The Dream opens on Thursday, June 4, at the Arts Centre Melbourne. Tickets can be purchased online from the Arts Centre website.
Okay, Melbourne. Slidestreet gave you a trial run, now you're ready for the big time. This local startup, Slide Melbourne, is promising you the biggest street slide in the entire world. Just like its predecessor, this blissful creation will be lining Lansdowne Street alongside Fitzroy Gardens. Unlike its predecessor, it measures up at a whopping 400-metres in length. Though there were initial concerns about the group obtaining a permit from Melbourne City Council, with less than a week to go, it looks like all systems are now go. The three-lane slide is due to be christened on Sunday, February 15 with a second session already scheduled for Monday, March 9. For $40 you can guarantee yourself a two-hour session of fun from either 10am, 12pm, 2pm or 4pm. Even better, Sunday's weather is forecast as a slide-worthy 32 degrees. If you've missed out on tickets for this one, get ready for a road trip; Slide Melbourne will be taking on Ballarat on March 1 and tickets have only just gone on sale.
Whenever an exciting tour announcement arrives, it usually heralds two pieces of good news. Firstly, someone ace is coming our way. Secondly, they probably have something new — an album or a book — to spruik. That's firmly the case with the latest revelation for 2023: David Sedaris' next Australia tour. This time, the author, comedian and NPR humorist has just dropped New York Times best seller Happy-Go-Lucky, and he's heading to Hobart, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane to talk about it. Known for his snappy wit, as well as his discerning and astute ability to observe life's moments — both trivial and extraordinary — in both an observational and unique way, Sedaris is making his sixth trip Down Under to chat about the book, which focuses on the pandemic. If you haven't seen Sedaris live before, his shows are part of the reason that he's built up such a following. Onstage, he regularly weaves in new and unpublished material, too, so — and the satirist will throw it over to the crowd for a Q&A as well, and sign copies of his book. Sedaris is celebrated for his constant This American Life appearances, must-read pieces in The New Yorker and his past unputdownable books such as Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Let's Explore Diabetes With Owls and Theft By Finding: Diaries (1977-2002). If you've been searching for a supportive environment to use the phrase "how very droll," this is it. His live evenings always sell out quickly — all of his Aussie tours have so far — so you'll want to jump on tickets ASAP when they go on sale on Wednesday, August 3. [caption id="attachment_862851" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prudence Upton[/caption] AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS 2023 TOUR DATES: Wednesday, February 1 — Theatre Royal, Hobart Friday, February 3 — Regal Theatre, Perth Saturday, February 4 — Adelaide Festival Centre Sunday, February 5 — Canberra Theatre Centre Monday, February 6–Tuesday, February 7 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Wednesday, February 8 — Brisbane Powerhouse Thursday, February 9 — Sydney Opera House David Sedaris tours Australia in February 2023. For more information, or to sign up for ticket pre-sales — which start on Tuesday, August 2, with general sales from 9am on Wednesday, August 3 — head to the tour website. Image: Anne Fishbein.
The team behind South Yarra's A25 pizzeria in South Yarra has made their way to the centre of town, opening a new offshoot in the middle of the CBD. Set to start service at 7.30am on Thursday, May 12 on the corner of Lonsdale Street and Hardware Lane, A25 City will focus on Italian coffee and on-the-go breakfasts as well as their lauded pizzas, with owner Remo Nicolini promising "some interesting surprises." Obviously, you can expect quite the Italian focus at their newbie. Working with chef Raymond Capaldi, the veteran restaurateur described the A25 spinoff as "an all-day Italian eatery" that will bring "a bigger focus towards healthy, easy-to-digest pizza dough and authentic homemade pasta". They won't just be sticking to the tried-and-tested methods either — the duo plan to experiment with different flours each week to create a range of pizza bases. "I feel at home in the CBD," said Nicolini of the new location, which will reportedly seat 50 people indoors with room for another 50 outside. "It is amazing to have acquired such a prominent site on Hardware Lane." The A25 menu will have some of the South Yarra faves, like the Bim Bum Bam pizza — which is epically topped with prawns, pancetta, truffle porcini, broccolini, truffle aioli and parmesan 'snow' (that is, grated parmesan) — as well as new ones like a Black Forest dessert pizza. They'll also have a cake cabinet packed with Italian pastries and custard bombolonis (yes!) and something that looks very much like a rocky road ice cream panini. A photo posted by A25PIZZA (@a25pizza) on May 4, 2016 at 7:27pm PDT In addition to A25's two locations, Nicolini's resume includes +39 Pizzeria on Little Bourke Street, Espressino on King Street and Non Solo Pasta in the Docklands. His brother Tony, meanwhile, runs the show over at Carlton's D.O.C. Point is, when it comes to Italian dining, this guy is no slouch. A25 City will open on Thursday, May 12 at 399 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. It will be open 7.30am till 10pm Monday to Friday and 8am till 10pm on Saturdays. For more info, visit a25.com.au. By Tom Clift and Lauren Vadnjal.
So, you've binged on The Jinx and Making a Murderer, and now you need another outlet for your factual film and television fix. Announced back in February, the brand new Australian offshoot of Hot Docs promises to take care of your need to consume compelling real-life stories — and they've just announced the program to prove it. Packing quite the punch in their first year, Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas will bring 24 films from 15 countries to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra in June and July. If exploring the story of James Foley, the journalist murdered by ISIS in 2014, piques your interest, or if finding out how the humble VHS helped defeat Romanian communism takes your fancy, then the likes of Jim: The James Foley Story and Chuck Norris Versus Communism well and truly have you covered. Elsewhere on the lineup, League of Exotic Dancers pays tribute to burlesque, What Tomorrow Brings explores the fight to educate young girls in Afghanistan, and Raving Iran looks at a couple of DJs working the country's underground techno music scene. Plus, two Aussie-made films will receive their world premieres: Charlie Hill Smith's Motorkite Dreaming, which focuses on a microlight aircraft adventure, and Helen Kapalos' A Life Of Its Own, which delves into the topic of medical marijuana. If that doesn't get you excited, perhaps a bit of background info about the original Hot Docs will. Also known as the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, it isn't just a small-scale event. Screening more than 200 films, it's actually North America's largest doco-focused showcase, and has been running for 23 years. Until now, it had limited its factual film smorgasbord to the nation in its name; however, with this Australian leg, that's no longer be the case. Hosted by Palace Cinemas and curated by Aussie artistic director Richard Moore, the local run really is everything documentary fans have dreamed of (as long as they dream about spending a week or so holed up in a cinema, that is). And it's just the latest new film fest to reach Australian screens, too. Palace just keeps building their annual calendar of events, with the cinema chain hosting another new festival dedicated to American independent cinema this month. Hot Docs at Palace Cinemas screens Sydney's Chauvel Cinema from June 21 to July 3, Melbourne's Palace Westgarth from June 14 to 26, and Canberra's Palace Electric from June 15 to 26. Check out the full program by visiting the festival's website and Facebook page. Image: Motorkite Dreaming.
Cat cafes around the country are in for some adorable competition, with a new animal-themed eatery set to open in Melbourne's northern suburbs. Rabbit-lovers David Johnson and Helen Hu are currently asking for donations for what they hope will becomes Australia's first ever bunny cafe. Frankly, if the words 'bunny' and 'cafe' aren't enough to make you donate on the spot, then we just don't know that there's anything we can do for you. The couple, who previously owned and operated a handmade accessories shop in Olinda, are currently looking for $20,000 to secure a location in or around Fitzroy. Anyone who wants to see this happen can donate via the cafe's website. Alternatively, you can check out their Facebook page, where they've been auctioning off rabbit-themed merchandise including rings and mugs, and posting many, many, painfully cute bunny videos such as this one. No news yet on what food the cafe will be serving, although they have unveiled a coffee menu with beverages named after the beloved pets of generous donors, including the 'Flopsy' Cappuccino, the 'Ruffles' Hot Chocolate and the 'Bunzor' Espresso. (Bunzor? Seriously?) As for their fluffy tenants, they'll come courtesy of Victoria's first and only no-kill rabbit shelter, the Rabbit Run-Away Orphanage – and unlike many cat cafes, the plan is to make all the animals in the cafe available for adoption. To make a donation to Bunny Cafe Melbourne, visit their website at www.bunnycafemelbourne.com.au Via The Northsider. Image: Dollar Photo Club.
For a fourth consecutive year, the team behind the Emerging Writers' Festival will host an online festival aimed at digital writers in Australia and around the world. The Digital Writers' Festival will bring together more than 120 storytellers to explore the future of writing in the digital era. Over 11 days, there will be live-streamed events focusing on new forms, content trends and digital literacy, as well as seminars, panel discussions and interactive projects. The festival is designed to foster new relationships between writers and connect likeminded individuals from all over the world. Learn to pitch stories, watch an editor in action, discover self-publishing or even explore writing for games. Plus, in an effort to transcend geographical boundaries, the entire festival will be broadcast on the website, but city-dwellers will also be able to attend a select few events in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. The IRL events include: The Future of Storytelling — Tuesday, October 24 (Melbourne) Mapping Ecologies of the Digital — Saturday, October 28 (Perth) West Meets West — Tuesday, October 31 (Melbourne and Sydney) QUT Lit Salon — Wednesday, November 1 (Brisbane) Inside the Publishing House — Thursday, November 2 (Sydney)
A man walks into a bar. Ouch. When it comes to comedy, some people have it and others simply do not. The good news is you'll only (mostly) find the first kind on the jam-packed program at this year's Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Striding into its third decade with all the energy of a clown on their first day of college, MICF is one of the largest annual collections of jokesters, satirists and goofballs on the face of the earth. Running for three and a half weeks from March 23 to April 17, this year's program is once again packed with a plethora of talent from both home and abroad. You've got returning favourites like Rich Hall and Ross Noble, festival debutants such as Hal Cruttenden and Penny Arcade, and local legends like Hannah Gadsby and Celia Pacquola, all of whom will be trotting out their best material in an attempt to bring some laughter into our cold, miserable lives. Also, Dave Hughes will be there. If you don't want to get stuck seeing Hughesy, pop these then shows into your comedy calendar.
If you're a regular coffee drinker, no doubt you've been caught up in the recent push towards recyclable or reusable coffee cups. And for many of us, drinking the sweet nectar from a one-use, environmentally-unfriendly takeaway cup is just not the same as a weighty, handmade ceramic cafe cup. But who has the time to stop and sip? Where can you find a fusion of both? Thanks to a talented Queensland couple, you can now have your ceramic-bound coffee and drink it (on the go) too. Queensland potter Renton Bishopric and partner Clare Botfield have recently launched Pottery for the Planet — a series of limited edition pottery pieces that raise money and awareness of environmental issues. "If we want to continue living in a beautiful clean country and world, we have to make some serious changes and that starts with the choices of each individual," says Bishopric. In an effort to make this choice a little more design-savvy, the duo has begun making what customers have dubbed 'Planet Cups', bespoke ceramic coffee cups that reduce paper cup wastage, one coffee at a time. Bishopric and Botfield make each 8oz or 12oz cup by hand on the pottery wheel, drying and firing them in the kiln before glazing in a selection of colours. The intricate process by which they are made means each Planet Cup is unique. "With a handmade product there are so many variables starting with the hands of the person that threw the pot, down to the firing environment in the kiln. So no matter what, each cup is unique from its brothers and sisters," says Bishopric. Each Planet Cup comes with a silicone lid and the option of a heat band so extra hot coffee drinkers can protect their fingers. Due to the incredible popularity of the Planet Cups, an online shop is set to be launched soon. In the meantime, the colourful creations can be purchased through the pair's Sunshine Coast retail store, Cinnabar Soul. You can also check out the Pottery for the Planet website for a list of local stockists. If you live in Hobart, you're going to need one very soon. Image: Renton Bishopric Ceramics.
Batman's added one more surprise to his overstocked utility belt — free gelato. To celebrate the release of new video game Batman: Arkham Knight (the fourth and final in the Arkham series), N2 Extreme Gelato has created a trilogy of character-based flavours — all yours to inhale for free. This Wednesday, June 24 from 5pm, you'll be able to munch on DC Comics-inspired, handcrafted flavours of N2, all created using their signature style of liquid nitrogen-based 'gelatorgastronomy'. Again, it's free. FREE. And only available in N2's Sydney and Melbourne stores. Only one per customer y'greedy guts. There's 'The Batmobile' (burnt chocolate gelato representing ‘burnt rubber tyres’, crème brûlée ‘shattered glass’ shards, smoked chocolate ‘engine oil’ syringe and cookie chunk ‘asphalt’): Our personal favourite, 'The Scarecrow' (straw-infused gelato (!), cornflake crunch pieces, three syringes filled with citrus ‘fear toxin’ bitters): 'The Riddler (matcha gelato, green tea, ‘bewildered’ choc top, ‘confused’ ganache, feuilletines ‘puzzled bits’, topped with ‘?’ waffle discs): Munging down on Batman-inspired gelato isn't all we're celebrating here. This dark night of free N2 coincides with today's Australia-wide PlayStation 4/Xbox One/PC release of Batman: Arkham Knight, the Arkham series finale, where Batman faces off against the formidable Scarecrow and his merry band of supervillains (we're talking Penguin, Two-Face, Harley Quinn and The Riddler). If you played Arkham Asylum, City or Origins, you know you're down for some fly-across-room-to-hit-dude-in-face-you-weren't-even-aiming-at action and all the beautifully dark graphics you could want. N2 Extreme Gelato's Batman-inspired creations will be available from 5pm in the following stores on Wednesday, June 24: SYDNEY Newtown: 184 King Street Newtown CBD: 43/1 Dixon St, Sydney MELBOURNE Fitzroy: 329 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy CBD: 18 Sutherland St, Melbourne One free gelato is available to each customer (they'll see your moustache is fake, guys) and only while stocks last. Get. There. Early.
Victoria is truly a cornucopia of earthly delights. Just a few hours from the centre of Melbourne lie some of Australia's lushest landmarks – the Grampians, the Great Ocean Road and Wilsons Prom, to name a few. And yet something often stops us from getting out of the city. Whether it's a lack of time, a private vehicle, like-minded friends or camping equipment, it's easy to not take full advantage of our location and get out into nature. Enter Hike and Seek, a boutique tour company that take small groups on day adventures from Melbourne. After launching in September last year, co-founders James McCleery and Mette Kortelainen quickly realised they were onto something amazing. "We started with two tours and now we're doing six tours on a weekly basis," says James. "Generally we book every tour out…it's been an absolute dream for us." McCleery and Kortelainen live and breathe an outdoorsy lifestyle. They imagined Hike and Seek several years ago while hiking in Wilsons Prom and now spend six days a week leading hiking tours. Unlike big tour companies, Hike and Seek is a little more personal. With just eight people on a tour, you'll be picked up by a Kombi van named Olivia from either St Kilda or the CBD. From there on out, Hike and Seek provide everything, from equipment and ethically-sourced coffee from Supreme to fresh vegan food and snacks throughout the day. So where do they take you? McCleery and Kortelainen run full and half-day tours to some of the best hiking spots around Melbourne — Wilsons Promontory, the Otways, Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island, Mt Buller, the Grampians and the Mornington Peninsula all make the list. As the tour groups are so small, they're perfect for solo travellers and anyone looking to make new friends. But this isn't some tourist activity full of visiting families and rowdy groups of backpackers. "We thought our target marketing was the travellers and the backpacker, but we realised quickly that 70 percent of our market is Melbourne-based," says James. "We actually get a lot of corporate people. We get Airbnb customers and Melbourne-based people, who've just always wanted to do it — they've heard of Wilsons Prom or the Grampians, but they've never been. Or their friends bail last minute, or they don't have a car or they wanna do it with a group." Hike and Seek also offer something else you won't find with most big tour companies: delicious vegan food. Before becoming a full-time hiker, Mette studied nutrition in Helsinki, so all the food you'll chow down on is super healthy and animal product-free, and bound to give you plenty of energy to tear through your hike. "We're not preachers at all but so many people are so intrigued by it [the vegan food]," James says "They're there to get active and healthy as well, so there's a like minded group of people there who're embarking on a journey together". Come summer, they'll even be expanding to two- and three-day camping tours for those who CBFed buying a tent but crave time out from the city. All you have to worry about now is finding a comfy pair of shoes. Hike and Seek run tours from Melbourne most days of the week. Tours book out fast so you'll need to book in advance at hikeandseek.com.au. Love a good hike? Here's eight one-day hikes that you can do on your own from Melbourne.
Won't be rolling in the grass this July? Missed out on yesterday's ticket blitz? Never fear, there's plenty of Splendour in the Grass shindiggery to be had in your own city. Splendour has announced its official 2015 sideshows this morning (as have many unofficial venues). From Blur's epic arena shows to the rowdy British garage pop team-up of The Vaccines and Palma Violets, to more niche hypecard gigs like MØ and Elliphant or Years and Years, here's your rundown of the official Splendour sideshows. Exclusive Secret Sounds presale tickets are on sale 10am local time on Tuesday, April 28, while general public tickets on sale 10am local time, Wednesday, April 29. But if you're keen to nab tickets to the Blur sideshows, tickets are on sale 10am local venue time on Friday, May 1. Visit secret-sounds.com.au for more details. SPLENDOUR IN THE GRASS OFFICIAL 2015 SIDESHOWS: BLUR With Jamie T Presented by Secret Sounds, supported by Spotify, Rolling Stone, The Music, Fasterlouder All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday May 1 Sat 25 Jul — Qantas Credit Union Arena, Sydney Sun 26 Jul — Splendour In the Grass (SOLD OUT), Byron Bay Tue 28 Jul — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Thu 30 Jul — Perth Arena, Perth THE WOMBATS With Circa Waves *exc Perth Presented by triple J, The Music, Channel [V], Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Metro City*, Perth Mon Jul 27 — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Tue Jul 28 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne Thu Jul 30 — Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide (*Circa Waves not supporting in Perth) THE VACCINES With Palma Violets Presented by Tone Deaf, The Music, Spotify Mon Jul 27 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Metro Theatre, Sydney PORTER ROBINSON [live] With Wave Racer and Cosmo's Midnight Presented by triple j, Channel [V], inthemix, Spotify Wed 22 July — Enmore Theatre, Sydney Thu 23 July — The Forum, Melbourne AZEALIA BANKS Presented by Channel [V], Music Feeds, Beat & Brag, Spotify Fri 24 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 26 July — Prince Bandroom, Melbourne EVERYTHING EVERYTHING With Urban Cone Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Thu 23 July — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sat 25 July — The Corner, Melbourne KITTY DAISY & LEWIS Presented by Fasterlouder, The Music, Spotify Sat 1 Aug — Metro Theatre, Sydney Sun 2 Aug — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tue 4 Aug — Governor Hotel, Adelaide Wed 5 Aug — Rosemount Hotel, Perth MØ & ELLIPHANT Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Oyster, Spotify Tue 28 July — The Corner, Melbourne Wed 29 July — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney MARMOZETS Presented by Musicfeeds, Blunt Magazine, Beat, Brag, Spotify Thu 23 July — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Sat 25 July — Ding Dong Lounge, Melbourne MS MR Presented by triple j, Channel [V], Spotify, Pages Digital Wed Jul 22 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Sat Jul 25 — Metro Theatre, Sydney YEARS & YEARS Presented by Channel [V], The Brag, Beat, Spotify, Pages Digital Sun Jul 26 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Thu Jul 30 — Howler, Melbourne WOLF ALICE Presented by triple j, Tone Deaf, The Brag, Beat, Spotify Thu Jul 23 — Corner Hotel, Melbourne Fri Jul 24 — Oxford Art Factory, Sydney THE DISTRICTS Presented by Music Feeds, Spotify, The Music Mon Jul 27 — Northcote Social Club, Melbourne Tue Jul 28 — Newtown Social Club, Sydney Visit Secret Sounds for more details. Image: Linda Brownlee.
Hollywood's glitziest and most self-congratulatory night has wrapped up for another year. While the rest of us have been at work on a Monday, the who's who of moviemaking took their seats at the Dolby Theatre for the 89th Academy Awards. Leading the pack this year with a record-equaling 14 nominations was Damien Chazelle's musical throwback La La Land, which is either the greatest film ever made or completely overrated, depending on which person on the internet you ask. Warren Beatty read out La La Land for Best Picture (even though Moonlight won), lolly bags were parachuted into Hollywood hands, several stars wore blue ribbons in a subtle protest against President Trump, John Legend performed La La Land's 'City of Stars' better than Ryan Gosling, and Suicide Squad won an actual Oscar. Really. "Academy Award-winner Suicide Squad." Not easy to say. Anyway, here's the list of this year's winners, may you long debate the results at the pub. Watching the ceremony later? Pair it with Concrete Playground's Oscars drinking game, and check if we were right. Here's the full list of winners: Best Supporting Actor Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) — WINNER Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water) Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the Sea) Dev Patel (Lion) Michael Shannon (Nocturnal Animals) Achievement in Costume Design Allied Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — WINNER Florence Foster Jenkins Jackie La La Land Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling A Man Called Ove Star Trek Beyond Suicide Squad — WINNER Best Foreign Language Film Land of Mine A Man Called Ove The Salesman — WINNER Tanna Toni Erdmann Best Live Action Short Ennemis Entreniers La Femme et le TGV Silent Nights Sing — WINNER Timecode Best Documentary Short Subject Extremis 4.1 Miles Joe's Violin Watani: My Homeland The White Helmets — WINNER Achievement in Sound Mixing Arrival Hacksaw Ridge — WINNER La La Land Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Achievement in Sound Editing Arrival — WINNER Deepwater Horizon Hacksaw Ridge La La Land Sully Best Supporting Actress Viola Davis (Fences) — WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Achievement in Visual Effects Deepwater Horizon Doctor Strange The Jungle Book — WINNER Kubo and the Two Strings Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Best Animated Short Blind Vaysha Borrowed Time Pear Cider and Cigarettes Pearl Piper — WINNER Best Animated Feature Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini The Red Turtle Zootopia — WINNER Best Production Design Arrival Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Hail, Caesar! La La Land — WINNER Passengers Cinematography Arrival La La Land — WINNER Lion Moonlight Silence Best Film Editing Arrival Hacksaw Ridge — WINNER Hell or High Water La La Land Moonlight Best Documentary Feature Fire at Sea I Am Not Your Negro Life Animated O.J.: Made in America — WINNER 13th Best Original Song Audition (La La Land) Can't Stop the Feeling (Trolls) City of Stars (La La Land) — WINNER The Empty Chair (Jim: The James Foley Story) How Far I'll Go (Moana) Best Original Score Jackie La La Land — WINNER Lion Moonlight Passengers Best Original Screenplay Hell or High Water La La Land The Lobster Manchester by the Sea — WINNER 20th Century Women Best Adapted Screenplay Arrival Fences Hidden Figures Lion Moonlight — WINNER Best Director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Damien Chazelle (La La Land) — WINNER Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester by the Sea) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Best Actor Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea) — WINNER Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Actress Isabelle Huppert (Elle) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Emma Stone (La La Land) — WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Picture Arrival Fences Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Hidden Figures La La Land Lion Manchester by the Sea Moonlight — WINNER By Shannon Connellan and Tom Clift.
