The best way to really explore a place? Taste it. We're all about food tourism and farmgate experiences in 2023, so it's delightful (and delicious) that our glorious Sunshine State is serving up a jam-packed season of delectable festivals. If you nab tickets to any of these stand-out events, you'll be well placed to eat and drink more fresh and local fare than you've done in your life. Next year's lineup will have you encounter celebrity chefs, salt-of-the-earth farmers and artisan crafters of all things gourmet and gorgeous. It will have you spend sunny days (yes, even in winter — it's Queensland) at markets and masterclasses, tours and guided tastings, feasting on farmland and sampling frothy bevs by the salty sea. You'll see the source of every bite, discover the land, sea and people behind the flavours and, of course, just consume everything the Sunshine State has to offer. Together with Queensland, we've found the intel on five fantastic foodie experiences that you'll want to get yourself to. So, pack your stretchy pants and loosen your belt, and head to Queensland for a gourmet adventure. EAT LOCAL MONTH, SCENIC RIM BRISBANE This festival is a guaranteed locavore's delight, placed in the aptly-named Scenic Rim, just a short drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast. Running annually, Eat Local Month offers a slew of foodie and farming activities — including free and family-friendly events and the Winter Harvest Festival. The lush area is home to renowned cooks, distillers, growers, brewers, makers of all things delicious — such as award-winning camel milk gelato — and some pretty famous carrots (the region is actually known as Australia's Carrot Capital). Eat Local Month is a month of tastings, food trucks, tours, meet-the-maker events and the best chefs from Queensland and beyond coming to work their magic with the local abundance. Kids can learn about cheesemaking and gardening, all while you sip locally made liqueurs and spirits, wines from just over the hill and beers brewed just around the corner. If you're a foodie who cares about fresh produce, provenance and artisan makers, come feast on the Scenic Rim. Eat Local Month, Saturday, June 2023 THE CURATED PLATE, SUNSHINE COAST This delicious festival debuted in 2019 before being rudely interrupted by a certain pandemic. In 2022, it was offered in a smaller 'side-plate' format, but it's returning with a bang in 2023 with the full The Curated Plate festival from Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6. Over 10 days, you will have the chance to encounter the varied flavours of Queensland and immerse yourself in the region — this is as farm-to-table (and still-to-bottle) as it gets. You'll get the chance to meet the growers and artisans on their home turf — the Sunshine Coast — as they show off the best of the local food scene alongside guest chefs. Previous events have included fermentation and bush tucker classes, long lunches and degustations as well as boat trips and farm-gate experiences. Whatever the 2023 line-up holds, it's a food tourism extravaganza no gourmand can afford to miss. The Curated Plate, Friday, July 28 till Sunday, August 6, 2023 TASTE BUNDABERG FESTIVAL, BUNDABERG Go troppo for 10 days of pure Bundy flavour. This region is about way more than just its iconic brands (although you'll find those here, too). From Friday, August 4 until Sunday, August 13, discover the best of the locale at Taste Bundaberg with everything from farm tours and feasts to markets, masterclasses, music and maker-led events. In previous years, there's been in-orchard dining, sun-soaked long-table lunches, celebrity chef demonstrations, guided cheese-tasting, cocktail making and gourmet picnics where you can sample the produce from the land beneath your very feet. With glorious weather, there's a full program of indoor and outdoor activities for foodies and families to take advantage of. Taste Bundaberg, Friday, August 4 till Sunday, August 13, 2023 CRAFTED BEER & CIDER FESTIVAL, BROADBEACH Sprawling across Broadbeach's Kurrawa Park, the Crafted Beer & Cider Festival welcomes the best local breweries and bigger names from around the country. You're in for two expertly curated days of ice-cold frothies and foodie delights beside the beach. Last time, there was nearly 60 breweries and over 400 beers. Sound overwhelming? Don't worry, the full list and tap map are released ahead of time so you can plot your golden haze of a journey along the rows of beers, ciders, seltzers, ginger beers and more (there's vinos, spirits and cocktails too). You can expect a few festival exclusives, specialty beers and non-alc options as well — plus live music to feed your ears and food trucks for your bellies. Vendors are still TBC, but you can expect all you need for a day of beer and sunshine. For tunes, a full spectrum of musicians will take to the stage, from established acts (2022 saw British India headlining) to emerging artists. Crafted Beer & Cider Festival, Saturday, September 9 till Sunday, September 10, 2023 MORETON BAY FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL, MORETON BAY BRISBANE Showcasing the culinary delights and fine fresh foods of southeast Queensland, the Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival is taking over Woody Point's Apex Park for the first weekend in August, 2023. The celebration is part of the epic six-week Tastes of Moreton Bay Festival. In 2022, more than 20,000 people rocked up for the weekend, and you can be sure that eager, hungry crowds will once again converge beside the glittering waters of Moreton Bay to savour fine foods. A smorgasbord of foodie experiences will roll out over one long weekend — everything from maker's markets, performances and masterclasses to classic games of beer pong and spectacular fireworks. Sip cocktails by the water or watch as celeb chefs take to the stage to demonstrate their recipes demonstrations that make the most of the fine foods from the land, sea and artisans in this prodigious pocket of the Sunshine State. Moreton Bay Food and Wine Festival, Friday, August 4 till Sunday, August 6, 2023 To explore more of the food and wine events taking over Queensland in 2023, head to the website.
Situated amid South Melbourne's renowned Coventry Street shopping precinct, Pomegranate by Mr Darcy is one of the most-loved stores on the strip and has been providing visitors with homewares and gifts since 1999. Close by the famous South Melbourne Market and surrounded by restaurants, Pomegranate hosts a wealth of charming products that reflect the store's vibrant sense of travel, excitement and hidden possibilities. Once you've checked out Pomegranate by Mr Darcy, head further along Coventry Street and you'll soon come across the ladies' clothing and accessories of Mr Darcy, while Little Darcy showcases the brand's range for children. Images: Tracey Ahkee.
It's that time again for 2024: time for Australia's Red Centre to glow with other hues, including across ranges dating back 300 million years, thanks to giant puppets and on the ochre earth. Every April, Parrtjima — A Festival in Light returns to the Northern Territory with art, music, talks and an all-round celebration of First Nations culture. This year's event is on now, kicking off on Friday, April 12 and running till Sunday, April 21 — and if you're not there or on your way, this is what you're missing out on. When Arelhe Urrperle strolls along, people take notice. A six-metre-tall puppet that weighs 600 kilograms wandering around draws attention. Seeing it mosey through Alice Springs Desert Park, sharing Arrernte stories and language, is a main attraction at 2024's Parrtjima — A Festival in Light, in fact — and just one of the highlights of this Indigenous arts festival. Erth, which has also brought dinosaurs and sharks to life around the country in the past — and held prehistoric picnics featuring puppets — is behind Arelhe Urrperle. In New South Wales, Marri Dyin, which also reaches six metres in height, has taken a stroll at Vivid Sydney 2018 and 2019, plus at the Nights on Crown Festival in Wollongong in 2019. Arelhe Urrperle is specific to the Red Centre, however, with Erth's puppeteers training local Indigenous performers to operate the roving puppet for Parrtjima's 2024 run. Representing Arelhe matriarchs, Arelhe Urrperle is one of this year's signature installations — and a new addition to Parrtjima for 2024. Fancy feasting your eyes on illuminated cars that form a collage of work celebrating Eastern, Western and Central language groups? Walking through an immersive passageway that pays tribute to late Arrernte leader Dr MK Turner? Thanks to fellow installations Arrernte and Honouring, they're also on the festival's program right now. One of the Northern Territory's annual highlights — and one of its dazzling sights, alongside natural features Uluru, the Tjoritja gorges and Kings Canyon, plus nightly light show Wintjiri Wiru, as well as Bruce Munro's Field of Light and Light Towers — this arts, culture and storytelling event takes place against the MacDonnell Ranges. 2024 marks the ninth Parrtjima, with its lineup focusing on the importance of interconnectedness across First Nations culture for this year. That's partly happening through two things that are always on the bill: two of the festival's regular annual attractions, aka a huge artwork that transforms a 2.5-kilometre stretch of the majestic ranges, showering it with light each night of the festival; and Grounded, the installation projected over the red dirt at tourism and conservation facility Alice Springs Desert Park. The Ranges Light Show has taken over additional projection space in 2024, while Grounded has become more interactive. Over its opening weekend, the program also included a three-night marketplace for the first time in the fest's history. The Northern Territory Indigenous Business Network (NTIBN) Buy Blak Market featured both food and other products from local Aboriginal businesses. On the music roster across the entire event, Troy Cassar-Daley, Shellie Morris, Miiesha and Mulga Bore Hard Rock are taking to the stage. Cassar-Daley and Morris are also on the talks lineup, alongside Floyd Doyle and Dr Josie Douglas. Parrtjima – A Festival in Light runs from Friday, April 12–Sunday, April 21, 2024, at venues around Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. For more information, visit the festival website. Images: Parrtjima – A Festival in Light. Feeling inspired to book a getaway? You can now book your next dream holiday through Concrete Playground Trips with deals on flights, stays and experiences at destinations all around the world.
It was one of the last camping festivals that Victorians got to enjoy pre-pandemic, squeezing in just under the wire with its last edition in March 2020. And now, the much-loved Pitch Music & Arts is set to be one of the state's first camping festivals to make its glorious post-lockdown comeback, returning to the Grampians from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15. It's a fittingly huge comeback, too, with a tasty lineup of 54 local and international acts delivering the goods across a five-day fiesta, served up by the minds behind Beyond the Valley. On the bill, you'll catch overseas heavyweights including Glasgow-based DJ and producer Denis Sulta, British electronic star Floating Points, Detroit's Inner City, Canadian DJ Jayda G, and German house icons Fjaak and Ben Böhmer. Joining them will be a diverse cast of homegrown legends, such as internationally-loved techno-house act Skin On Skin, dance floor favourite CC:Disco, producer Tornado Wallace and disco fiends Wax'o Paradiso. Fellow Aussie names including Fantastic Man, Jennifer Loveless, Claire Morgan, Sleep D, jamesjamesjames and Cassettes For Kids will also be making an appearance. As always, the dance-friendly house, techno and disco tunes will be backed by a smorgasbord of visual delights, to help energise your sweet return to festival life. It's all happening on a sprawling rural property in Moyston, around a two-and-a-half-hour drive northwest of Melbourne. Here's the full lineup to look forward to: PITCH MUSIC & ARTS 2022 LINEUP: 30/70 (LIVE) Anastasia Kristensen Ben Böhmer (LIVE) C.Frim Cassettes For Kids CC:Disco! Cinthie Claire Morgan COLLAR (LIVE) Crescendoll Cromby dameeeela Denis Sulta DJ Holographic DJ Jnett DJ pgz DJ Seinfeld - Mirrors (LIVE) Elli Acula Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa Fantastic Man Fjaak Floating Points (DJ) Fred P Haai Inner City (LIVE) jamesjamesjames Jayda G Jennifer Loveless Job Jobse Jordan Brando Juno Mamba (LIVE) Kee'ahn (LIVE) Laura King LCY Loods Maceo Plex Made In Paris Matrixxman Mella Dee Memphis LK (LIVE) Moopie Omrann & Ali (LIVE) PARTIBOI69 Peach Pink Matter (LIVE) Sally C Sherelle Skin On Skin Sleep D The Illustrious Blacks Tornado Wallace Tred Wax'o Paradiso X Club Pitch Music & Arts will take place in Moyston, from Friday, March 11–Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Register online for presale access before 4pm on Tuesday, December 7. Presale tickets are on sale from 6pm on Tuesday, December 7, with general public tickets available from 12pm on Wednesday, December 8.
When the eighth season of Game of Thrones finished its run a few months back, and the highly popular show along with it, everyone knew that it wasn't really the end. The world created by George RR Martin will live on in his books, whenever the author finally publishes the long-awaited next instalment of his A Song of Ice and Fire series. And, it'll keep going in multiple GoT TV prequels. Like residents of Westeros hoping that summer (or at least autumn) will last for ever, HBO isn't ready to let go of its highly successful commodity. In 2017, the US network announced that it was considering five different prequel ideas, green-lighting one to pilot stage in 2018. Now, it looks poised to give another series the go-ahead. Details about the first spinoff show are still relatively thin on the ground. Co-created by A Song of Ice and Fire author George RR Martin with British screenwriter Jane Goldman (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and the two Kingsman movies), it'll be set thousands of years before the events of Game of Thrones, with Naomi Watts, Miranda Richardson and John Simm among the cast. But, as The Hollywood Reporter reveals, the second potential series has a firm basis. Adapted from Martin's book Fire & Blood, it'll focus on House Targaryen. We all know what happened to GoT's last surviving Targaryens, aka Daenerys, her brother Viserys and her boyfriend/nephew Jon Snow. Fire & Blood jumps back before all that, to 300 years prior — with the first 738-page volume of the text, which was published in November 2018, starting with Aegon I Targaryen's conquest of the Seven Kingdoms and working through the family's history from there. [caption id="attachment_721122" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] HBO.[/caption] Given Daenerys' affinity for dragons, and her relatives' fondness for using the fire-breathing beasts to wage wars and claim power (sound familiar?), they also play a part in the tale. Plus, Aegon I created the Iron Throne, which means that this is an origin story in more ways than one. Whether the Fire & Blood adaption will progress from a concept to a show is yet to be seen, but you don't have to be the Three-Eyed Raven to know that some of these prequel ideas will hit screens. Apparently two other ideas are also still under consideration — because, like winter, more GoT shenanigans are definitely coming. Via The Hollywood Reporter. Top image: Helen Sloan/HBO.
It should come as no great surprise that the next venue from the minds behind multifaceted food truck park The Ascot Lot won't be just one venue at all. Rather, Jacob Bettio, Lachlan Taylor and David Bartl are once again trying their hand at a whole entertainment precinct. The trio has taken over the Moonee Ponds site once home to the long-running Russo's supermarket, and is currently busy transforming it into a sprawling hospitality hub, complete with 400-seat mess hall, laneway bar and boutique bottle shop. The first part of the project is already open, with craft-focused beer and wine store Fizz & Hop relocating from its original pop-up space, into its permanent corner within the 500-square-metre Holmes Road building. This cosy bottle shop and lounge bar is stocked with a 250-strong selection, including drops available to drink in (for a small corkage fee) or take home. It's working a laidback living room feel, with lots of reclaimed timber, exposed brickwork and comfy armchairs to kick back in, and regular Friday night tasting sessions featuring some of the country's hottest producers. Right now, you can order in delivery from one of the nearby eateries, though a menu of toasties and charcuterie is set to drop in the coming weeks. Next up, is the headline act: Holmes Hall. Slated to open its doors this April, the roomy mess hall will see the light-filled building pared right back to its historic bones, with original brickwork and concrete flooring elevated with warm timber finishes and plush velvet booths. This one's set to be a drinker's haven for sure, boasting a hefty 25 beer taps and a solid rotation of tinnies sourced from Fizz & Hop, along with local wines, spirits and crafty cocktails. As for the food, Byron Bay chef Angus Adams (Vue de Monde) is pulling together a tapas-style menu with plenty of American influence. Alongside a slew of plant-based options, expect bites like buffalo wings, gooey truffle mac 'n' cheese balls and some modern revamps of your fave pub grub. As is the case at sister venue The Ascot Lot, Holmes Hall is set to play host to a program of regular events, parties and mini festivals, while pinball, shuffleboard and live tunes should keep you more than entertained across the rest of your visits. An adjoining Miami-themed laneway bar will also join the family, set to open in September. Find Fizz & Hop from 2–9pm Tuesday–Wednesday, 12pm–late Thursday–Friday and 11am–late Saturday at 15 Holmes Road, Moonee Ponds. Holmes Hall is slated to open at the same address in April.
Behind a sleek black facade in Geelong, you'll discover one of Victoria's most acclaimed regional restaurants, Igni. Here, chef and owner Aaron Turner (also the guy behind Hot Chicken Project around the corner), is fearless in pushing the culinary envelope, as he champions the best of the region's small, bespoke producers. No two visits promise the same experience, thanks to an oft-changing menu directed by whatever top farm-fresh haul Turner gets his hands on each day. This is where the term 'produce-driven' is taken to a whole new level. Offered via a six-course dining journey, the fare, like the space, is a celebration of simplicity, where serious technique is showcased with minimal fluff and fanfare. Prepare to be wowed by some revelatory flavour combinations, as everyday ingredients are driven to mind-blowing new heights. To match, you'll find a brief but diverse rotation of wines, with expertly curated pairing menus available with your degustation. Well worth the drive (or the train journey) to Geelong.
Before Blue Gables was a vineyard, it was part of a dairy farm. If you're also fond of eschewing milk for wine, Alistair and Catherine Hicks clearly know how you feel. The pair named the seven-acre East Gippsland site after a farmhouse, harking back to its beginnings — and, since 2004, it has grown seven varieties of grapes. If you're a pinot noir fan, you'll be pleased to hear that's one of them. When anyone drinks the popular red, they want to know that they're drinking it — they want the taste to linger, and the scent too — and Blue Gables' mid-weight variety ticks all those boxes. Expect notes of cherry and strawberry, as well as a rich, spicy flavour. The winery's cellar door is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am–5pm, and pairs its wines with an Italian-influenced menu of wood-fired pizzas, lasagne and antipasto. In winter, you'll also find a fire roaring — and in summer, you can sit outside and soak in the view.
The Heiresses, a Paraguayan film featuring a first-time actress and hailing from a debut feature writer and director, has emerged victorious at this year's Sydney Film Festival. After picking up two awards at this year's Berlinale — including best actress for star Ana Brun — Marcelo Martinessi's moving drama beat out 11 other contenders to win the 2018 Sydney Film Prize. That's no mean feat in any year, but given that this year's competition included Cannes prizewinner BlacKkKlansman; Sundance hits Leave No Trace and The Miseducation of Cameron Post; and fellow Berlin standouts Transit, Aga and Daughter of Mine, it's quite the considerable achievement. Telling the tale of Chela, who is forced to adjust when her girlfriend of more than three decades is imprisoned due to the couple's mounting debts, The Heiresses became the 11th feature to nab the festival's $60,000 award. Again, it's in fine company, with previous winners including On Body and Soul (2017), Aquarius (2016), Arabian Nights (2015), Two Days, One Night (2014), Only God Forgives (2013), Alps (2012), A Separation (2011), Heartbeats (2010), Bronson (2009) and Hunger (2008). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD_LxrE9vVA Comprised of Australian artist and filmmaker Lynette Wallworth, Aussie actor Ewen Leslie (The Daughter), Filipino producer and writer Bianca Balbuena (Season of the Devil), South African film composer and songwriter Chris Letcher and Tokyo Film Festival programming director Yoshi Yatabe, the jury dubbed The Heiresses a "provocative, layered and surprising film". "The film we chose carried us with restraint and confidence into a world still shielded by entitlement even as its structures crumble," explained Wallworth at SFF's closing night ceremony. "It revealed a delicately unfolding courage to release what we cling to, even when it is all we know, and let change come — within ourselves and within this collective frame that we build, that is society." The fest's other big 2018 prize — the $10,000 Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Australian Documentary — went to Aussie doco Ghosthunter by another first-timer, Ben Lawrence. In the kind of story that has to be seen to be believed, the documentary starts out as a portrait of Sydney security guard Jason King and his after-hours gig as an amateur ghost hunter. That's not how it ends up, however, with the film evolving over the course of its seven-year shoot to delve into King's troubled family history.
We're calling it: this summer is the summer of fresh and fruity cocktails in the backyard with as many mates as possible. Nothing is going to ruin the gin-filled summer we know we deserve — not even La Niña. To celebrate the warmer months, we've teamed up with Whitley Neill Gin to bring you five original cocktail recipes that go well beyond your usual G&T. For the uninitiated, Whitley Neill Gin produces handcrafted artisanal gin from the first gin distillery in London, dating back 200 years — and it's still the only gin distillery in London today. Of course, it's got a London Dry gin, but it's also known for its innovative flavoured gins which take cocktails to new heights. So dust off your cocktail shaker, make a spread of your favourite cheeses and call your mates for an afternoon sip session. [caption id="attachment_838645" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] MELON PATCH Serves one If you like your cocktails packed with real fruit and with a slight herby twist, the Melon Patch will be right up your alley. This take on a classic G&T features the Whitley Neill Original London Dry Gin which, with its rich juniper notes, citrus and exotic botanicals, pairs well with the fresh watermelon chunks and mint. It's bound to be a winner after a long day at the beach, when your guests roll in sandy-footed and sun-kissed. Ingredients: 30ml Whitley Neill Original London Dry Gin 3 watermelon chunks 120ml Strangelove Coastal Tonic Water Basil Ice (crushed) Method: Add watermelon pieces and gin into the bottom of a tall glass. Add tonic water and top with crushed ice. Garnish with basil. [caption id="attachment_838646" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] BRUNCH MARTINI Serves one Think martini, but fit for brunchtime. In this concoction, the grapefruit gin, tonic and lemon complement each other to make a perfectly sweet and zingy cocktail. And there's a dollop of marmalade, which is an interesting addition to impress your pals. Whether a hair-of-the-dog or a summery concoction to start a long lunch, this one will go down a treat. Ingredients: 30ml Whitley Neill Pink Grapefruit Gin 15ml pink grapefruit juice 15ml lemon juice 1 barspoon (or teaspoon) of marmalade 30ml Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Ice Method: Shake gin, both juices and marmalade together over ice. Add 30ml Fever-Tree Aromatic Tonic Water to shaker — but don't shake again. Then, simply strain into a cocktail glass. [caption id="attachment_838648" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] POMME SPRITZ Serves one It's a universal truth that spritzes are the go-to balmy weather drink. This one features the Whitley Neill Quince Gin, which has a distinctive flavour that's a real winner. Pair that with a dash of cloudy apple juice and a good pour of prosecco for a fun, bubbly finish. Ingredients: 45ml Whitley Neill Quince Gin 60ml Strangelove pear soda 30ml cloudy apple juice 60ml prosecco 3 thin apple slices Cucumber ribbon Ice Method: Build all ingredients over ice in a highball or balloon glass, then garnish with green apple and cucumber. [caption id="attachment_838649" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] CRIMSON COCO COOLER Group serve Serve a jug of this cooler on those sticky summer days when the only activity you can carry out without breaking a sweat is walking from pool to freezer. Refreshing coconut water and fizzy cranberry soda make it the perfect arvo cocktail. Plus, it's ridiculously easy to make — just chuck all the ingredients in a carafe with some ice, give it a quick stir and you're good to go. Ingredients: 120ml Whitley Neill Raspberry Gin 250ml Capi cranberry soda 360ml coconut water 30ml lime juice Raspberries (to garnish) Lemon (to garnish) Cucumber (to garnish) Mint (to garnish) Ice Method: Add gin, cranberry soda, coconut water and lime juice into a carafe and fill with ice. Stir to combine. Garnish with raspberries, lemon wheels, cucumber wheels and mint. [caption id="attachment_838650" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Paul Liddle[/caption] ALL SEASONS Group serve This is a drink for those who like their cocktails fresh, fizzy and sweet. It's also perfect when for when you've got your mates over and you need to look impressive while maintaining conversation and effortlessly whipping up a jug of something. If you really want to impress, make sure you have some edible flowers on hand to garnish. Ingredients: 180ml Whitley Neill Rhubarb and Ginger Gin 200ml mango nectar 300ml Strangelove mandarin soda 90ml lime juice Dehydrated citrus (to garnish) Edible flowers (to garnish) Ice Method: Combine gin, mango nectar, soda and lime juice in a carafe and top with ice. Garnish with dehydrated citrus and flowers, and serve. For more information on the innovative Whitley Neill gin range, head to the website. Top image: Paul Liddle
A warehouse wilderness awaits those who want to fill their night with surfing flicks. Don't forget to grab a Stone & Wood beer from Clyde (the star of the films) before plunking in front of the projector. Live music will be playing during intermissions and a food truck parked nearby, ready to refuel bellies. All together, that sure sounds like one swell evening. This event is part of Good Beer Week's 2015 program, running from May 16-24. For more festival picks, click here.
We've got your next date night or celebratory dinner sorted with an exclusive nidaime omakase at South Yarra's Yugen Tea Bar, the upstairs floor of Yugen Dining. The limited-edition set menu is inspired by Haku Vodka, a craft spirit from the House of Suntory, and is available from Wednesday, August 21, until Sunday, September 15. At a time when a cocktail costs upwards of $25, you can experience this luxe omakase for $150, which includes a feast of 12 courses and a specially crafted Haku Vodka martini. Where's This Special Offer Available? The special menu is being served in a moody tea bar, which can be found on the upper floor of an already dazzling Japanese restaurant. Omakase, which means "leave it up to you," is one part theatre, one part culinary masterpiece and all parts delicious. The venue's Nidaime offering is a shorter version of the full omakase experience and will usually set you back $175. However, the Haku Vodka-inspired menu will get you in the door for less and includes a bespoke Haku martini. What's on the Special Menu? Crafted by Yugen's Sushi Chef, Misaki Manawa, and Exécutif Pastry Chef John Demetrios, the Nidaime set menu includes 12 courses of bite-sized intricately prepared delights. Starting off with a Sydney Rock oyster with ginger wafu dressing. Then, a tamago tofu with QLD Spanner crab sauce. Next up is freshly-sliced ocean trout sashimi with a Haku-infused yuzu jell, vinaigrette miso dressing and sprinkled with pickled shallots. Following that, you will enjoy the nigiri course, which will vary depending on what was fresh at the market that day. Next, you will be served NZ snapper with chilli and grated daikon, then SA Kingfish topped with luxe Avruga caviar, followed by Hokkaido scallop with sudachi, sprinkled with Murray River pink salt and then scampi dressed with lime zest. Following this myriad of delectable sushi and sashimi, you will be served seared Tasmanian ocean trout with sansho pepper for heat and mushroom paste for an earthy, umami flavour. This will be followed by tuna akami with wasabi onion salsa. Your last savoury dish is toro fatty tuna with chive. For dessert, the executive pastry chef will serve a matcha dashi — it is a tea house, after all — paired with a bespoke dessert dish dubbed 'Flavours of Haku' inspired by the iconic spirit. What's the Special Martini? It wouldn't be a Haku Vodka-inspired menu without a next-level cocktail. The signature serve for Haku Vodka is a martini. To celebrate the collaboration with Haku Vodka, the venue manager and sake sommelier Calvin Chan has created a new martini to perfectly match the restaurant's sensibilities and the bespoke menu: The Haku Red Tea. The martini's base is Yunnan black tea, which was made with Haku Vodka, which is then mixed with salt plum Umeboshi-infused sweet and dry vermouth and finished with a dash of tomato vinaigrette. Think sweet and savoury in one sip. What's Haku Vodka? Haku Vodka is a Japanese craft spirit made entirely from Japanese white rice. It boasts a soft, rounded and subtly sweet flavour profile. Named 'Haku', which translates to white' and brilliant' in Japanese, this vodka exemplifies the artistry involved in creating a clear, clean-tasting spirit. Filtered through bamboo charcoal, Haku Vodka serves as the ideal foundation for Yugen Dining's team to explore a symphony of flavours, textures, and aromas from the martini to the 12-course meal, concluding with the bespoke dessert. How to Nab a Spot? To sample this delectable menu at Yugen Dining, you must make a reservation on the website. The menu is only available from Wednesday, August 21, to Sunday, September 15. Each reservation includes the 12 courses plus a complimentary martini and will cost $150. The Yugen Dining x Haku Vodka set menu is available from Wednesday, August 21, until Sunday, September 15. Make your reservation on the website. Haku Vodka's signature drink is the Haku martini, which showcases the craftsmanship, nuanced flavour and exceptional quality of the premium Japanese liquid. To learn more, visit the House of Suntory website. Image Credit: Jana Langhorst
Maybe you remember Miami Horror from your playlist for blissed-out summer parties circa 2010, when their hit single 'Sometimes' did the club circuit and went on solid rotation in backyards nationwide. We haven't heard much from them since those days, but the Melbourne electronic-pop four-piece haven't been laying low. Instead, they've taken up residence in Los Angeles, where they've been busy working on album number two (or as busy as you can get in a land of perpetual sunshine, palm trees and too many dreams). The result is the sometimes-funky, sometimes-dreamy, almost 'too happy' All Possible Futures, released earlier this year. They’re bringing their fresh new LA-inspired sound back home, with a five-date east coast tour this August. Reacquaint yourself with these guys by giving 'Love Like Mine' and 'Real Slow' a listen, then grab yourself a ticket. How sweet is rediscovery? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRhVsVT3mPM[/embed]
Pairing movies with music is no longer new news, but the latest event that's serving up that combo is hoping for two things. Firstly, it's betting on a whole lot of love for Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey dancing up a storm in a classic 1987 romantic drama. Secondly, when it comes to getting excited about seeing that now 35-year-old flick on a big screen with its soundtrack performed live, it's hoping that you've never felt like this before. Obviously, Dirty Dancing in Concert wants to give you the time of your life as well — and to not only let you celebrate one of Swayze's biggest and most charming film roles, but to immerse you in the movie from the moment you take your seat. No one will be carrying watermelons or checking into Kellerman's Mountain House in the Catskills, but the digitally remastered feature will grace the big screen, and a live band and singers will perform its iconic songs as it plays. Just as swoon-worthy: the fact that those musicians will stick around afterwards to headline a party that'll naturally have you singing and dancing. If you're feeling adventurous and inspired by the movie, you might even want to try to recreate the famous lift. Here, nobody will put you or Francis 'Baby' Houseman in a corner — and you'd be just a fool to believe otherwise. Your hungry eyes will soak in Baby's first taste of dirty dancing, her eager rehearsals and her growing infatuation with Johnny Castle, as well as her parents' bitter unhappiness about the entire situation. This blast-from-the-past affair is touring Australia from June, with dates locked in for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane so far — and more to come for Perth and Adelaide. And yes, because Dirty Dancing in Concert is certain to be popular, it's bringing its 80s-themed fun to sizeable venues (Hamer Hall, Darling Harbour Theatre and Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre), so you'll be having the time of your Dirty Dancing-loving life with plenty of people. DIRTY DANCING IN CONCERT 2022 AUSTRALIAN TOUR: Friday, June 10 — Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne Saturday, June 18 — Darling Harbour Theatre, ICC Sydney Saturday, June 25 — Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane TBC — Perth TBC — Adelaide Dirty Dancing in Concert will start touring Australia in June 2022. Pre-sale tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday, April 5, with general sales starting at 11am on Friday, April 8.
When 2024 kicked off in Melbourne, it did so with arrival of Dinos Alive: An Immersive Experience in the Victorian capital; however, that isn't your only chance to see lifelike prehistoric creatures in 2024. Once it ends its current Sydney season, Jurassic World: The Exhibition will roar into town with its own critters, as well as a celebration of three decades since the first Jurassic Park movie initially rampaged across the big screen. Yes, it's been a great time to fascinated with dinosaurs over the past few years — we've seen two seasons of Prehistoric Planet on streaming in 2022 and 2023, too — and this latest exhibition arrives as part of a global tour. A showcase with the same name displayed in Melbourne back in 2016, but the new visit comes after stops everywhere from London, San Diego, Paris and Madrid to Seoul, Shanghai and Toronto. On offer: life-sized versions of the movie franchise's animals. Expect to feel like you've been transported to Isla Nublar, complete with a walk through the big-screen saga's famed gates. From there, you'll walk through themed environments featuring dinos, including a brachiosaurus, velociraptors — yes, get ready to say "clever girl" — and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Also linking in with the animated Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous series, there'll be baby dinos, including the show's Bumpy. So far, dates for Jurassic World: The Exhibition's latest Melbourne stint haven't been revealed, and neither has a venue, but you can join the waitlist to find out as soon as details are announced. The showcase finishes in Sydney on Sunday, February 18, so expect it in Victoria sometime afterwards. Whenever it does start roaring, attendees will be able to get roaming while staring at animatronic dinos, including the new ankylosaurus and carnotarus. Fingers crossed that a velociraptor pops up in advance of the exhibition's arrival, as it did up north as well. Now, all that's left is to decide which Jurassic franchise character you want to emulate (the best choices: Laura Dern's palaeobotanist Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill's palaeontologist Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum's mathematician Ian Malcolm, of course). And no, when Michael Crichton penned Jurassic Park in 1990, then Steven Spielberg turned it into a 1993 film, they wouldn't have expected that this'd be the result 31 years — and five more movies — later. Jurassic World: The Exhibition will return to Melbourne in 2024, sometime after finishing in Sydney on Sunday, February 18 — head to the exhibition's website to join the ticket waitlist. Images: Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment.
Take a trip down memory lane with the upcoming EziStreat x 91 Vintage Mini Night Market 3.0, as North Melbourne's food and drink hall will be turned into a vintage paradise on Saturday, May 18. Over 20 vintage and food stalls will provide a carefully curated assortment of pre-loved clothes, accessories and shoes, as well as delectable snacks. Vibes will be high thanks to live DJ sets, while drink specials like hot chocolate rum and house beer will also be available. Tickets are priced at $5, which you can now purchase via the ticketing website.
It's a risky and even cheeky move, packaging a film with a song that could be used to describe it. Thankfully, in the case of 2014's The Lego Movie and its instant earworm track, everything was indeed awesome. The animated flick's long-awaited sequel offers another self-assessment in closing credits tune 'Super Cool', however the description doesn't fit this time around. Nor do the words unbelievable, outrageous, amazing, phenomenal, fantastic and incredible, further praise sung by Beck, the Lonely Island and Robyn in the catchy and amusing song. Instead, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part is fine, standard, okay and average. Of course, those words don't have the same ring to them, even if they were set to a thumping beat. The Lego Movie left its successors with big shoes to fill — or big bricks to emulate, to be more accurate — and this direct follow-up does so in an entertaining enough but never especially inventive or enthralling fashion. Call it a case of trying to build the same thing with different pieces. Call it constructing a masterpiece and then falling short with the next attempt. Call it a case of sticking too closely to the instructions again and again. Whichever one you choose, they all fit like rectangular plastic pieces stacked neatly on top of each other. You could also call it a case of following Emmet Brickowski's (Chris Pratt) lead, with the mini-figure's fondness for routine already well established in the first movie. He's so comfortable doing the same thing day in, day out that he's even happy to keep doing so in the new dystopian version of his hometown, Bricksburg. He knows that much has changed since alien invaders made from bigger blocks descended from the heavens. His brooding best friend Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) also reminds him all the time. But it isn't until General Sweet Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz) arrives, bearing an invite from the Systar system's Queen Watevra Wa'Nabi (Tiffany Haddish) and sweeping Lucy, Batman (Will Arnett), Benny (Charlie Day), MetalBeard (Nick Offerman) and Unikitty (Alison Brie) away, that Emmet abandons his blissful monotony and springs into action. Viewers of the initial flick, The Lego Batman Movie and The Lego Ninjago Movie will remember two important aspects of the Lego Movie Universe. Firstly, mile-a-minute jokes and pop culture references are as much a part of the franchise as multicoloured bricks. Secondly, more often than not, the series' animated tales tie into a real-world scenario. While original directors Chris Lord and Phil Miller have handed over the reigns to Trolls filmmaker Mike Mitchell, their humour still bounces through in the movie's fast-paced script. And while The Lego Movie's big twist — that the whole story stemmed from kids simply playing with the titular toys — is old news now, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part builds upon this idea. Once again, the film spends time with now-teenager Finn (Jadon Sand), who's still far from pleased that his younger sister Bianca (Brooklynn Prince) likes Lego as well. Cue The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part's troubles. Lightning rarely strikes twice, after all. The film serves up enough funny gags to keep audiences chuckling, throws in more than a few ace cameos and has the same infectious, anarchic vibe, but it was never going to feel as fresh. It also benefits from a fantastic overall message, but doesn't give it enough emphasis until late in the show. After pondering the divide between rules and creativity in the first picture, the franchise now contemplates collaboration, sharing and the gendering applied to playthings, roles and fandom. That's both smart and relevant, yet here feels underdone. Basically, anything new comes second to everything that's been done before, resulting in the most superfluous kind of sequel. This follow-up is happier rehashing its predecessor's glory days than channelling the ingenuity that made the original so charming. Of course, if The Lego Movie hadn't been such a vibrant, witty delight, then The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part wouldn't feel so familiar. An adequate addition to the series, it still contains plenty to distinguish it from other all-ages animated fare — including an eye-catching and distinctive animation style, enjoyable skewering of Pratt's many non-Lego characters, and Noel Fielding as a sparkly Twilight-esque vampire. But, five years on, viewers are now in the same situation as Lucy: ready to embrace a challenge, rather than falling back on comfortable old habits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvHSlHhh1gk
It's Friday night and you're in the mood to binge on pork dumplings, but before you reach for a cold beer or glass of wine to wash down those hot, juicy pockets of joy, consider cracking open a bottle of champagne. You may have noticed a rise in the number of pink champagnes in your local bottle shop, and that's because this bubbly booze is a surprisingly versatile drink, even with the most flavoursome dishes. We've partnered with the pioneers of rosé champagne, Moët & Chandon, to bring you a list of unusual dishes to try the next time you're popping open a bottle of pink — from delicate wagyu beef carpaccio to simpler summer-ready salads. As rosé champagne is crafted from three of Champagne's grape varieties — pinot noir, chardonnay and meunier — it's one of the best quality rosé champagnes to purchase for your next dinner party. Take some inspiration and go wild with your own menu pairings — this French fizz complements many a feast. [caption id="attachment_759771" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mariha Kitchen[/caption] WAGYU BEEF CARPACCIO WITH JUNIPER BERRIES For an unlikely but heavenly marriage of texture and flavour, try wagyu beef carpaccio dressed with juniper berries. The red meat will give you that boisterous protein hit and the slightly sweet, slightly spiced addition of juniper berries is a fantastic complement to the pinot noir notes of rosé champagne. And, as raw meat rarely has pronounced tannins, this is the perfect meal for when you're craving red meat but don't want to spoil the wild strawberry and raspberry notes in a good bottle of bubbly. [caption id="attachment_759773" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lilechka75[/caption] BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH TALEGGIO CHEESE AND PINK PEPPERCORNS This is one of those pairings that looks as good as it tastes — it's pink and purple with a glossy rich glow from the risotto. The subtle sweet character of the beetroot and the richness of the creamy Italian taleggio cheese are incredibly well-suited to a bottle of crisp rosé champagne as the vibrancy and the acid in the wine cuts through the creaminess. Plus, the addition of pink peppercorns gives the dish a gentle spice that can open up the flavours of any glass of wine. If it's true what they say — that anything with a little pink pigment is perfect for pink bubbly — then this dish is proof. [caption id="attachment_759782" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Martin Turzak[/caption] MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH ROAST SUMAC Slow cooking meat, such as lamb, tends to mellow out the tannins in the meat, giving you really tender, slightly sweet meat that's very welcoming to the crisper style of rosé. Try Moroccan lamb stew with roasted sumac for a hearty dish that's an unlikely, yet delicious, match with rosé champagne. The lamb pairs with the dry notes of the wine, plus the gentle spice of the sumac brings out the aromatic elements of the rosé champagne. It's sure to create a whole new flavour experience that's an impressive flex for your next dinner party. [caption id="attachment_749216" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Duck & Rice; Steven Woodburn[/caption] DIM SUM As a rule, any kind of pastry is an excellent companion to champagne, but fatty and salty snacks like dumplings and spring rolls aren't well known companions for pink fizz. Introduce a light rosé champagne to your next dim sum feast of pork or prawn dumplings and it'll open your mind to a world of underrated matches for your new favourite bubbly. Salty-sweet pork and buttery prawns wrapped in pillowy dough couldn't ask for a better partner than a crisp glass of rosé champagne to give a sensation of freshening the palate. [caption id="attachment_617490" align="alignnone" width="1920"] NOLA Smokehouse[/caption] KINGFISH CEVICHE WITH PINK GRAPEFRUIT Seafood is a longtime friend of sparkling wine, and while champagne might go great with smoked salmon, rosé champagne is destined for top-end ceviche. The fattiness of kingfish ceviche with the fruity acidity of pink grapefruit makes for a party dish well matched to a robust rosé champagne, such as Moët & Chandon's Rosé Impérial, which has gooseberry, raspberry and wild strawberry notes. For a little kick, add a chilli dressing to really brighten the whole experience. Much like the rosé champagne itself, this pairing packs a big punch but always finishes with a fresh taste in your mouth. [caption id="attachment_759780" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Z Kruger[/caption] MORETON BAY BUGS WITH GARLIC BUTTER This is one of those dishes that is difficult to pair with wine, simply because it's so good on its own. With a buttery sweetness, Moreton Bay bugs need the strength and complexity of a wine big enough to really match it in richness without ruining the lobster-like flavour. Rosé champagne is that complementary partner. The creaminess of the garlic butter is mellowed by the acidity in the rosé, and the dry notes of the champagne go well with the soft-sweet juiciness of the bugs. [caption id="attachment_759786" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sarsmis[/caption] WATERMELON AND FETA SALAD For a super-simple summer salad, we suggest marrying a subtly sweet watermelon to a briny feta cheese. Try building your salad at a picnic location to keep the flavours as fresh as possible, and remember to bring an ice bucket for the pink champagne. The fresh and healthy salad is an effortless match for a crisp glass of rosé champagne, as the wine's natural fruit characters, minerality and acidity pairs well with light fruit-based dishes. Moët & Chandon's Rosé Impérial is a fruity and elegant champagne with gooseberry, raspberry and wild strawberry notes. Find out more here. Top image: Oriental Teahouse.
"From little things, big things grow". If ever there were a film saga to take up Paul Kelly's mantra, the Fast and Furious juggernaut would surely be it. Beginning all the way back in 2001 with a Point Break knockoff about street racers moonlighting as crims, the franchise now boasts eight movies and a combined box office of close to $4 billion. The latest installment, The Fate of the Furious, could not be further from the film that began it all. The cast is bigger, the locations more exotic, the cars more expensive, and the explosions much, much more frequent. Far from a story about living life a quarter mile of a time, the plot is now about saving the entire planet from nuclear devastation. The rules of franchise cinema are well established. Each subsequent film must honour those that preceded it by including any signature shots, iconic lines or beloved characters that haven't yet been killed off. To that end, The Fate of the Furious knows its history well. The opening shot, in fact, tracks a barely-clothed female derriere as it snakes its way through a collection of vintage Cuban cars. Moments later, series stalwarts Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) come to the aid of family and challenge a local to an illegal street race for pink slips, all to the tunes of a thumping trap, electro and hip hop soundtrack. This, more than anything else, is the lifeblood of these films. But long gone are the days where such scenes receive anything more than lip service, replaced by action set-pieces so ridiculous that you can't help but go along for the ride. The Fate of the Furious kicks into gear via the sudden emergence of a computer hacker named Cipher (played by series newcomer Charlize Theron). From there, all it takes is a little bit of blackmail to convince Dom to turn on his extended family, betraying everyone in his life as he helps Cipher carry out a series of increasingly brazen attacks around the world. The rest of the movie tracks the efforts of Dom's crew to hunt him down and stop him. Naturally, a few hundred cars get obliterated along the way. The returning cast members – including Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Tyrese Gibson, Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel and Kurt Russell – give the intensely silly material everything they've got, though this time there's only a brief reference to the late Paul Walker. Director F. Gary Gray also lands the mother of all cameos, which we won't reveal here, other than to say damn. The vehicular cast is similarly impressive, and includes a 1971 Plymouth GTX, a 2017 Subaru BRZ, a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640, and a Russian Akula Class Attack Submarine. Ultimately, and despite the major departure from its origins, The Fate of the Furious still delivers in spades when it comes to entertainment. If anything, the film actually rises above other brainless blockbusters by being, almost paradoxically, extremely clever in its stupidity. For example: any movie can crash dozens of cars into one another, but it takes a special kind of inventiveness to have a hacker assume control of their onboard computers, essentially turning them into zombies on wheels. The action sequence that follows proves utterly exhilarating, and makes clear that the folks behind this franchise still have a few tricks up their sleeve. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwMKRevYa_M
After more than a month of cycling in and out of stay-at-home conditions, the bulk of regional Victoria will come out of lockdown at 11.59pm on Thursday, September 9. While nothing will ease in Greater Melbourne until 70 percent of the state has had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Premier Daniel Andrews floated last week that changes might be possible in regional parts of the state before that milestone is reached — and now that's exactly what's happening. At Victoria's daily COVID-19 press conference today, Wednesday, September 8, the Premier announced that "the five reasons to leave the home will be removed in regional Victoria, except for Greater Shepparton." Lockdown will remain in place in Greater Shepparton for the time being; however, the Premier said that "we would hope to have Shepparton catch up to the rest of regional Victoria some time next week, and we'll make those announcements as soon as we have tidied up the last bits of the outbreak there." Regional Victoria has been in lockdown again since mid-August, after initially joining the entire state under stay-at-home conditions at the beginning of the month, then being released from lockdown a few days later. So, it has been a seesawing month or so of changing conditions — and now folks in regional parts of the state are getting another early mark. On the advice of the Chief Health Officer, Regional Victoria's lockdown will be lifted. There remains a significant risk of cases seeding, so we all have to continue to work hard to keep regional Victoria, and all of us safe. pic.twitter.com/0vqNEhQfng — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 8, 2021 Just like back in your school days, if you live anywhere in regional Victoria other than Greater Shepparton, you'll be allowed out of the house for whatever reason you like from Friday, September 10. As always happens after a lockdown, however, a number of other restrictions will be put in place. These restrictions will largely mirror the rules in effect before this lockdown — so yes, they'll sound familiar. The five-kilometre rule is being scrapped, so you can roam far and wide without worrying about the distance. Of course, the state's border rules, and those of other parts of Australia, may hamper your trip if you're planning on heading interstate. And, if you're planning to head to Melbourne, you can only do so for a permitted reason, and you'll still have to follow Melbourne's lockdown restrictions while you're there. Obviously, that travel rule doesn't work both ways. People in Melbourne still can't venture more than five kilometres from home, and therefore can't leave their house to visit regional parts of the state. Also permitted in regional Victoria when lockdown lifts: catching up with your nearest and dearest, but you'll have to gather outdoors in public, and only in groups of up to ten people. You still won't be able to have anyone come over to your house, so nothing is changing there. Masks will still remain mandatory both indoors and out, too — so the rules there aren't changing there, either. Also, food and hospitality businesses will be able to open for seated service only, with a cap of 20 people outdoors and 10 people inside. Retail stores, gyms, hairdressers and beauty salons can reopen as well, with a density quota of one person per four-square metres. Entertainment venues can welcome in up to 300 people per outdoor space, or 25-percent capacity, whichever is smaller, while indoor spaces can have 20 people. That said, businesses that are permitted to reopen in regional Victoria but must remain closed in Melbourne — so places like restaurants offering dine-in meals, beauty services and venues — will be required to check the IDs of everyone they serve. [caption id="attachment_823288" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Mattinbgn via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The lockdown changes come as Victoria now has 1920 active COVID-19 cases, including 221 new cases identified in the 24 hours to midnight last night. All of the current stay-at-home rules remain in effect in Melbourne until that 70-percent single jab threshold has been met. So, that means that Melburnians can still only leave home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted education that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Lockdown in Regional Victoria, other than in Greater Shepparton, will end at 11.59pm on Thursday, September 9. For more information about the rules that'll be in place from that time, head to the Victorian Department of Health website. Top image: Robert Blackburn via Visit Victoria.
Heat, power, light, summer, joy, strength, the changing climate: think about the sun and any of these notions might spring to mind. Expect the artists exhibiting at the 24th Biennale of Sydney to ponder them all and more thanks to the two-yearly art showcase's just-announced theme: Ten Thousand Suns. When the Biennale last popped up in 2022, it did so with a program called Rīvus, which means 'stream' in Latin. It had water on the mind back in 2018, too, when the art event famously showcased Ai Weiwei's 60-metre inflatable boat. For its 2024 run, it's taking inspiration from a glowing source — and it has just revealed the first 39 artists that'll be reflecting on the topic as well. [caption id="attachment_910496" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joshua Morris[/caption] "The 24th Biennale of Sydney will invoke a spirit of abundance and generosity as powerful political tools, and resist the mainstream mindsets of perpetual crisis that often lead to inaction. This edition revisits legacies of collective resistance, strength and exuberance, embracing a more hopeful and joyful outlook, while celebrating the exhibition as a carnival of rays and radiance, aptly titled Ten Thousand Suns," said 2024 Biennale Artistic Directors Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero. "Next year's Biennale works across time periods, beyond the borders separating cultural practices rooted in different genealogies, and from all continents. The exhibition owes a profound debt to the rich heritage of what is known today as Australia, especially to the struggles and practices in which First Nations communities and migrants have faced and played key roles." [caption id="attachment_910497" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Creation of My Metaverse (Between this World and the Next) (2021). Serwah Attafuah. Digital 3D render, 3600 x 6000 px. Support: Sotheby's. Courtesy the artist © Serwah Attafuah.[/caption] Running from Saturday, March 9–Monday, June 10, 2024 across Sydney, and free to attend as always — with the list of venues yet to be revealed — the Biennale will feature works by artists such as William Yang, Tracey Moffatt, Serwah Attafuah, Kirtika Kain and Kaylene Whiskey among the homegrown contingent, as well as Sachiko Kazama from Japan, Francisco Toledo from Mexico and Malaysia's Anne Samat. From the lineup of talents so far, Biennale boasts its usual significant focus on local creatives, accompanied by artists from the US, Brazil, Indonesia, The Philippines, Taiwan, New Zealand, France, Guatemala and more. In addition to ample art for attendees to peer at, wander past and experience, the 24th Biennale of Sydney will also feature a contemporary music lineup in partnership with Phoenix Central Park. The venue's curatorial skills will be taken to new locations beyond its stunning Chippendale site, responding to both Ten Thousand Suns as a theme and the works on display. [caption id="attachment_910498" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cannot Be Broken and Won't Live Unspoken (2022) [installation view]. Anne Samat. Rattan sticks, kitchen and garden utensils, beads, ceramic, metal and plastic ornaments. Wall panel: 365.75 x 731.5 x 61 cm. Floor: 609.5 x 609.5 cm. Commissioned by the Kochi-Muziris Biennale. Photographer: Anne Samat. Courtesy of the artist and Marc Straus, New York.[/caption]"We have long held the view that contemporary music is an art form worthy of elevated presentations in fine art spaces. It's a great privilege to be creating a music program that will respond to the breadth of work curated by Cosmin Costinaș and Inti Guerrero," said Beau Neilson, Executive Producer and Creative Director at Phoenix Central Park. "Together they have assembled a rich and dazzling array of visual art that captures the sociopolitical zeitgeist with a spirit of optimism, and we look forward to honouring this vision with an exciting lineup that will span the duration of the Biennale." [caption id="attachment_837012" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jordan Munns[/caption] BIENNALE OF SYDNEY 2024 — FIRST ARTIST LINEUP: Adebunmi Gbadebo Alberto Pitta Andrew Thomas Huang Anne Samat Bonita Ely Christopher Myers Citra Sasmita Darrell Sibosado Doreen Chapman Eisa Jocson Elyas Alavi Francisco Toledo Freddy Mamani Hayv Kahraman Idas Losin I Gusti Ayu Kadek Murniasih (Murni) Li Jiun-Yang John Pule Kaylene Whiskey Kirtika Kain Marie-Claire Messouma Manlanbien Ming Wong Nádia Taquary Nikau Hindin, Ebonie Fifita-Laufilitoga-Maka, Hina Puamohala Kneubuhl, Hinatea Colombani, Kesaia Biuvanua Orquideas Barrileteras Özgür Kar Pacific Sisters Pauletta Kerinauia Sachiko Kazama Satch Hoyt Segar Passi Serwah Attafuah Tracey Moffatt Trevor Yeung Udeido Collective VNS Matrix William Strutt William Yang Yangamini The 24th Biennale of Sydney will run from Saturday, March 9–Monday, June 10, 2024. Entry will be free, as always. We'll keep you posted on the whole artist lineup and exhibition program when they're announced. Top image: Mr. Cuddles Under the Eave (2021). Trevor Yeung. Pachiras, straps, 7 x 8 x 8m. Photography: South Ho. Courtesy the artist and Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong
If you're lucky enough to have Mondays off work, you probably already know that Cinema Nova has $7 movie tickets before 4pm and $9 tickets thereafter. Our favourite independent arthouse cinema on Lygon Street has 16 screens and an exciting roster of films, talks and curated events, so head down to Carlton tonight and see what's on offer. Just across the road is popular Pidapido, serving up artisanal gelato. Pair your popcorn with a scoop of cold and creamy stuff, made daily using quality ingredients from local Italian producers. Flavours on offer include pistachio, rose, ricotta and fig, coconut and Nutella swirl.
When the pandemic started impacting events in 2020, Dark Mofo was one of the first to scrap its plans for the year. So, when festival organisers said that they'd be forging ahead in 2021, it was welcome news for fans of its weird, wonderful, distinctive and attention-grabbing programs. There's a difference between pushing boundaries and completely misjudging them, though, as the Tasmanian fest has discovered in the past few days. Accordingly, after revealing its first artwork for the 2021 festival, Dark Mofo has now announced that the piece will no longer go ahead. The backlash to the event's first program reveal for this year hasn't been surprising. In a piece called Union Flag, Spanish artist Santiago Sierra was planning to immerse a British flag in the blood of First Nations peoples from territories colonised by the British Empire. Yes, that sounds ill-thought-out, as well as immensely tone deaf and traumatic — as did the accompanying request for First Nations peoples to donate their blood for the artwork. Dark Mofo announced its plans for Union Flag on Saturday, March 20, and received calls for it to be cancelled the same day. Again, that should surprise absolutely no one. Nor should the fact that those calls have only grown since the weekend — as you'd expect given that the project asks First Nations peoples to literally spill their blood, and for a piece of art that purports to comment on a painful colonial history of being forced to do just that. Today, Tuesday, March 23, Dark Mofo Creative Director Leigh Carmichael has announced that Union Flag has been scrapped, and also issued an apology. "We've heard the community's response to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag. In the end the hurt that will be caused by proceeding isn't worth it," Carmichael said. "We made a mistake, and take full responsibility. The project will be cancelled. We apologise to all First Nations people for any hurt that has been caused. We are sorry." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dark Mofo (@dark_mofo) The news comes just a day after Carmichael issued a statement supporting the piece. Yesterday, on Monday, March 22, Carmichael said that Dark Mofo had "been overwhelmed with responses to Santiago Sierra's Union Flag by Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from around the world, but that "self-expression is a fundamental human right, and we support artists to make and present work regardless of their nationality or cultural background." Dark Mofo will announce its 2021 program — without Union Flag — in April. Dark Mofo will run from Wednesday, June 16–Tuesday, June 22 in Hobart, Tasmania. For further details, head to the festival's website. Top image: Lusy Productions.
Melbourne, we know you love a good food collaboration, so here’s a doozy: the boys from Rockwell and Sons are teaming up with some ex-Attica fellows to open what will no doubt be the coolest new venue in Fitzroy. The new wine bar has been christened Bar Liberty, presumably because it will liberate you from ever having to think about where to drink or eat out again. Rockwell and Sons co-owners, chef Casey Wall and front of house manager Manu Potoi are in on this new venture — and they're coming from a good place. Their incredibly popular Smith Street eatery specialises in every type of meat you can imagine, with a menu that is hearty, salty and will probably give you a heart attack (but will assure you die happy). Wall is curating a 'non-negotiables' menu for Bar Liberty that's based on the basics of local ingredients and big flavours. So you know it’ll be fly. The other half of the dream team includes sommelier Banjo Harris Plane and manager Michael Bascetta, both formerly of Attica. The Ben Shewry-headed Ripponlea restaurant was ranked the 32nd best restaurant in the world in the latest poll, so you can see why we're very, very excited about this match. Bar Liberty is now open at 234 Johnson Street, Fitzroy. For more info, visit their website. Image: Raphael Recht. Via Good Food. Updated: Thursday, February 24.
Much-loved Fitzroy pub The Rochester is throwing its support behind Australia's bushfire victims with a whole, jam-packed long weekend of fundraising activities. From Thursday, January 23, until Monday, January 27, it's hosting a swag of events to raise funds for the Australian Red Cross and Wildlife Victoria via a huge raffle and the donation of all staff tips. Thursday, January 23 will feature a special edition of Rochey Comedy, January 24 promises a big night of tunes from DJ Amiee Lotus, and on January 25, DJ Obliveus will be dropping by to grace the decks while a sausage sizzle goes down. Then, on Monday's public holiday, you can help drum up even more donations, with $2 oysters and free pool up for grabs all day. From 7pm, boozy bingo starts and $10 cocktails hit the bar. The Rochey has also put the call out for artists that would like to donate pieces to an art show slated for Friday night. Updated: January 9, 2020.
Radar Bar and Nightclub has some pretty big shoes to fill, taking over the space that was once home to legendary live music venue Lounge for almost thirty years. But if anyone can do it justice and deliver Melbourne a cracking new home for independent music, it's new owners hospitality group Cast of Falcons. Adding to a stable of popular haunts that includes Section 8, Ferdydurke, The B.East and Globe Alley, the team has reopened the Swanston Street site over the weekend, setting out to deliver a winning mix of diverse tunes, booze and late-night fun. [caption id="attachment_731267" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] The team has given the space a quick overhaul, with a fit-out that's a little more grown-up than its predecessor, yet still laidback and comfy. The DJ booth has been relocated and lowered to open up the room, while plush green curtains and banquettes have created a series of cosy nooks for camping out between sets. A Funktion One sound system and lighting from acclaimed studio John Fish help bring things to life. And, of course, that stellar balcony remains, primed for the warmer afternoons to come. The music offering is set to be an eclectic one, spread across a considered program of regular club nights and ticketed gigs. From hip hop and techno to funk and jazz, it'll all be getting a workout at Radar. A slew of well-known labels and music collectives are joining in the fun, with the likes of 1800 Tequila's Thursday hip hop night and a weekly Friday party digging into deep French house and techno. You'll catch a loaded calendar of gigs with plenty of international names pencilled in for later this year, too. [caption id="attachment_731250" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Julia Sansone[/caption] In a similar spirit, independent labels reign supreme across the drinks list, headlined by a solid rotation of craft brews that currently includes the likes of Hop Nation's The Chop IPA, the Juicy NEIPA from 3 Ravens and Bad Shepherd's pilsner. You'll spy an organic-heavy wine selection peppered with plenty of French drops, like Goisot's 2017 aligoté from Burgundy. A crafty range of signature cocktails includes drinks like the caffeine-charged Black Mamba – a blend of 1800 coconut tequila, cold drip, coffee liqueur and orange bitters — and a couple of house tap cocktails will be joining the lineup soon. A food offering is slated to launch later this year, too once the kitchen has had a revamp of its own. Radar celebrated its soft opening over the weekend, but you catch the launch of the new weekly Wednesday party Connecting Service from 9pm on July 17. Find Radar Bar & Nightclub at 1/243 Swanston Street, Melbourne. It's from Wednesday–Thursday, 4pm–3am and Friday–Saturday 4pm–6am. Images: Julia Sansone
Prepare to stare at the moon in all of its glory — up close, without a telescope and without zooming into space. Prepare to get excited about Marvel's latest Disney+ series, too, all at the same place. When you're releasing a streaming show called Moon Knight, bringing the moon to Australia — to Melbourne's Federation Square, to be specific — is one huge, eye-catching and attention-grabbing way to promote it. So, that's just what the Mouse House has done. Luke Jerram's Museum of the Moon isn't new to our shores, having popped up on the Gold Coast, in Sydney and in Melbourne before; however, this time it's here in the name of superhero worship. If you're new to the Museum of the Moon, UK-based artist Jerram's creation is a detailed installation that's suspended to look like it's floating — in this case, beneath Fed Square's Atrium. It measures seven metres in diameter and features renderings of the celestial body's surface based on NASA imagery, so it's as intimate and intricate a look as you're going to get without rocketing off to take one small step and giant leap across the real thing. The massive sculpture has been touring the world since 2016, displaying in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai and plenty of spots around Europe. Adding its latest Melbourne stint to its orbit, it'll be on display from Tuesday, March 29–Friday, April 15. The looming artwork recreates the moon at a scale of approximately 1:500,000, with each centimetre equating to five kilometres of the lunar surface. And if you're wondering just how elaborate the 120dpi imagery is, the high-resolution NASA photograph that it uses is 21 metres wide, and was taken by by a satellite carrying the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. The spherical sculpture is lit from within, too, so it'll be adding a glow to Fed Square across its three-week stopover. It also combines its imagery and light with a surround sound piece created by composer and sound designer Dan Jones, and just how each venue displays it is up to them. Basically, it's never the exact same installation twice — so even if you've seen it before, it's worth a repeat visit. [caption id="attachment_716830" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Neil James.[/caption] Sadly, you won't find Oscar Isaac at the Museum of the Moon — but Moon Knight, the Isaac-led show that's inspired this lunar delight's latest Aussie installation, does hit Disney+ on Wednesday, March 30. The Dune, Scenes From a Marriage and The Card Counter star plays Steven Grant/Marc Spector, who has a dissociative identity disorder as well as a sleeping disorder, and also becomes the conduit for the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Already dealing with multiple distinctive identities and not being able to tell the difference between being awake and asleep, his role as the moon god's offsider doesn't go down smoothly, unsurprisingly — especially when there's a sinister-looking figure played by Ethan Hawke (The Good Lord Bird) to deal with. Arriving more than a year into Marvel's new spate of Disney+ series, Moon Knight is the first one that doesn't overtly tie in with characters we've already seen in plenty of its past flicks. So, if it all sounds unfamiliar after the last 12 months or so served up WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki and Hawkeye, there's a very good reason for that. Museum of the Moon is on display in Federation Square's Atrium, between ACMI and The Ian Potter Centre, 111 Flinders Street, Melbourne from Tuesday, March 29–Friday, April 15.
Move over wheat flour. Get outta here self-raising. And almond meal, coconut flour, rice flour, besan and all the rest. There's a new flour in town, and it's infinitely better than the rest of you finely-ground baking ingredients. And that's because it's got the greatest of special features: caffeine. Yes, it's coffee flour. Some smart cookie — Daniel Perlman, a biophysicist at Boston's Brandeis University — has devised a technique for milling green coffee beans to create a flour fit for baking. According to Eater, the process is different to roasting coffee beans, as it involves parbaking them at a lower temperature for a short period of time. The beans can then be turned into a finely milled flour, which is just the stuff needed for baking. The possibilities! While coffee flour sounds like a dream ingredient and one we would add to absolutely everything and anything, it looks like it will actually be good for you as well. Perlman's parbaking process allows the coffee beans to retain their chlorogenic acid (an antioxidant), which is usually lost in the regular coffee brewing process. About four grams of the flour will be equivalent to a cup of coffee. And while we're really happy about the whole antioxidant thing, the prospect of caffeinated baked goods is the part we're really into. Just wait until cafes get their hot little hands on this. Via Eater.
Bangarra Dance Theatre is returning to the stage with a striking new work — Sandsong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert — this winter. It's the company's first new production since COVID-19 closures, so it comes with much anticipation. Set in Walmajarri Country, which spans the Great Sandy Desert and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, this powerful performance explores the displacement and survival of First Nations people in this part of Australia, particularly between the 1920–1960s. Artistic Director Stephen Page and Associate Artistic Director Frances Rings have choreographed this breathtaking new work in consultation with Wangkajunga and Walmajarri Elders, reaffirming Bangarra's place as the leading performing arts company for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. You can catch Sandsong: Stories from the Great Sandy Desert at Arts Centre Melbourne from Friday, August 27 to Saturday, September 4. For performance times and to grab tickets to this must-see new work, head here. Images: Daniel Boud
Lock up your bowler hats and crack pipes, Babyshambles are coming to town! Already announced as part of a whopping Splendour in the Grass lineup, Pete Doherty and co have added a run of sideshows to take place in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. Originally a side project for Doherty when he took some time off from his first band, The Libertines, Babyshambles have had a tumultuous existence, releasing two occasionally brilliant albums while on a rollercoaster of substance abuse, no shows and lineup changes. But when they are at the top of their game, there are few better writers of Britpop than Pete Doherty — just listen to 'Fuck Forever' or 'Albion' for proof. Who even knows if they'll be able to keep it together throughout the tour, but with a new album planned and Doherty seemingly in good health (maybe living with Macaulay Culkin helps?), these sideshows could be something special. Thurs 25 July – Palace Theatre – Melbourne Fri 26 July – Splendour In The Grass – Byron Bay - SOLD OUT Sun 28 July – Enmore - Sydney Mon 29 July – HQ - Adelaide Wed 31 July – Metro City – Perth https://youtube.com/watch?v=IpeJFVvwz6A
Video art can be isolating, often presenting disjointed, non-linear images and sounds that lack obvious narrative or aesthetic meaning. The viewer, raised on a steady diet of numbing Hollywood blockbusters and sitcoms peppered with canned laughter designed to remind us how and when to feel, may balk. What is the story? Who are the characters? Where is the plot? Although filmmaker and artist Warwick Thornton's recently parked (yes, parked) film installation at ACMI raises such questions, the immersive, inclusive nature of the piece ensures the audience is not lost to utter confusion. The viewer's introduction to Thornton's protagonists, Aboriginal matriarch Mother Courage (Grace Rubuntja), for whom the installation is named, and her grandson (Elijah Button) is informal — they have grown so accustomed to visitors circling the dusty Toyota campervan they call home that they probably won't even look up. Nanna is busy lovelessly churning out the Aboriginal dot paintings she sells to whitefellas to support herself and her grandson, who intermittently sips a can of Coke while listening to the local radio. Although it is logically apparent that the figures are merely projections, they are so vivid in their actions that one can almost smell the heady scent of paints, dust and sweat hanging in the air. The van is caked in red earth and adorned with scribbles, trinkets, and paraphernalia that initially suggest your average frenetically decorated travelling wagon. On second glance a number of dual tensions emerge. Do the tiny Aboriginal figures on butcher's paper plastered to one side of the van resemble ants to suggest their homogeneity in the eyes of colonisers, or are they merely the innocent stick figures of a child? Is the red handprint smeared atop the hood a celebration of a tradition of hand painting, or a reminder of the gore of invasion? What of the newspaper article placed on the windshield that tells of “at risk youths” removed by the Department of Human Services? A sense of uncertainty recurs as the audience struggles to place the resourceful Mother Courage character as either a victim or a hero. Forced out of the very homeland she now re-creates in conditions akin to a third world sweatshop, this poor old lady bears the strain of a grandchild one may uncomfortably assume has been forgotten by absent parents. On the flip side, she gets the last laugh; possibly charging thousands to guilt-riddled white, rich people who clear their colonial consciences by hanging dot paintings atop Victorian fireplaces, missing the irony. It is interesting to note that Thornton, predominantly a director, has described his foray into the art world as “entertainment, but without financial gain”, in that it allows him an outlet not bound by the pressure and drawn out processes involved in the production of a film. In doing so he intrinsically links the validity of his own practice to the creative freedom it gives him, something that an artist limited to creating work that exists to feed a specific economic market, like Mother Courage, may never enjoy. Due to his economic, social and cultural position, Thornton has the flexibility to subvert traditional notions of what it means to be an Aboriginal working in a creative field. In Mother Courage, he does so by drawing attention to another Indigenous artist who is not in a position to do the same. The point is not necessarily to find answers to the questions presented in Mother Courage surrounding the plight of Thornton's non-nuclear family and their real-life counterparts. Instead, all viewers need take away is that such conversations are worth having in the first place.
UPDATE: The Ron Burgundy Bar been cancelled due to licensing restrictions from Paramount Studios. The organisers of the event have regretfully informed us that they have cancelled the event, but will openg the pop-up with a different theme. If Ron Burgundy — the man, the legend — was to open a bar, we're pretty sure he'd open one in Melbourne. It's probably one of the only cities to accept a concept so ridiculous it includes a rich mahogany scent machine. Hot on the heels of other themed drinking establishments — George Costanza bar, we're looking at you — a bunch of bartenders have decided to make the Anchorman character's imagined bar dreams a reality, announcing they'll open a Ron Burgundy-themed bar in Melbourne next week. Naturally, they'll be theming the bar around the '70s world that Burgundy and his associates inhabit — and dropping as many movie references as possible. Staff will be wearing those iconic colourful suits, there'll be a Channel 4 News setup and even a scent machine to make the place smell like rich mahogany (the only respectable smell). Undoubtedly there'll be some sort of scotch selection as well — because we all know Ron Burgundy likes a little scotchy scotch scotch. Bartender collective Bottoms Up are the organisers behind the pop-up. They'll be taking over Carlton's Porcelain Tea Rooms Thursday to Saturday for two weeks, starting next Thursday, October 13. How has no one thought to do this before? The Ron Burgundy Rich Mahogany Bar will pop-up for two weeks from October 13-15 and October 20-22 at Porcelain Tea Rooms, 149 Elgin Street, Carlton in Melbourne. For more info, see the Facebook event.
Market Week is back for its fourth year, ready to fill your quota of good old crafty, musical, educational and edible fun. They've gone for a global theme this year, celebrating the cultural and sensory diversity of a bunch of Melbourne institutions: the Queen Victoria, Prahran, Dandenong and South Melbourne markets. The schedule is bursting out of its hand-stitched seams with workshops, tastings, demonstrations, tours, masterclasses and performances. Revel in the festivities of the full moon and end of the harvest at the Mooncake Festival, take a dumpling masterclass, get your fromage on at a lunch composed solely of cheese and wine or treat your pooch to a goat's milk puppycino (yep) and an organic peanut butter dog biscuit at the Dogs of the World Morning Tea. For the two-legged among us looking for a teatime sweet fix, or a (literal) slice of Australiana, there's a daily CWA tribute stall. Think mini pavs, lemon meringue pies and lamingtons. We're not sure about their definition of week, considering it actually spans two weekends. But who's complaining? Foodies, DIY aficionados and general good-times-havers, take note. Market Week is on from September 6-14, 2014. Thanks to Markets of Melbourne, we have one Market Passport valued at $200 (that's $50 to spend at each market) to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Some venues tell you exactly what they're about right there in their name, and Bridge Road Brewers' latest location is one of them. The pop-up watering hole's moniker: 'A Bar Made of Cardboard'. And yes, that label is 100-percent accurate. At this short-term spot at East Brunswick Village in Melbourne, cardboard features everywhere. It has been fashioned into tables and chairs, so patrons will sit on it — and at it. It's been turned into shelves, signs and light fittings as well. In fact, the only things that aren't made of cardboard are the beer taps, fridges and dishwasher, for obvious (and soggy) reasons. The aim: to set up a completely zero-waste bar while Bridge Road Brewers works on opening its second brewery in the same location. Come December this year, it'll be home to a 350-person venue — but, while that's in the works, A Bar Made of Cardboard can welcome in 60 beer lovers inside and out for the next six months. Cardboard designers Boxwars and industrial packaging specialists Kebet Packaging have helped Bridge Road Brewers out with their temporary cardboard digs — and, yes, the whole place has been fashioned to be sturdy, as well as eco-friendly. Thanks to all that cardboard, the venue is entirely constructed from materials that are either recycled themselves — the cardboard is made up of at least 75-percent recycled material, in fact — or can be reused, recycled or composted. "We're opening our first metro brewpub in Brunswick East later this year and we can't wait to be a part of the community, so we decided to give locals a taste of what's to come with a pop-up. However, not just any old pop-up, but a unique one that celebrates the idea of its temporary nature while being mindful of our environmental impact," says Bridge Road Brewers founder Ben Kraus. "A Bar Made of Cardboard will only operate for six months before we open our permanent Melbourne home around the corner, so the space allows us to have a bit of fun and share what we do in Beechworth, all while doing the right thing from a sustainability perspective." If you're keen to head by, the pop-up opens on Friday, April 22, operating from Wednesday–Sunday. Bridge Road Brewers' full range of core and seasonal beers will rotate through the bar's six bar taps, and there's also a wine list that heroes small wine producers from throughout Victoria's High Country. And, an onsite bottle shop will be selling all of the above, plus Victorian spirits as well. In the bar, you can sip the latter as well — aka small-batch spirits and aperitifs which comes courtesy of Barking Owl Gin and Beechworth Bitters Amaro from Provenance's Michael Ryan. And, snacks-wise, Chappy's Chips and Mount Zero Olives feature on the menu, plus there'll be food trucks serving up meals on Friday and Saturday evenings. Find A Bar Made of Cardboard by Bridge Road Brewers at East Brunswick Village, 129 Nicholson Street, Brunswick East from Friday, April 22 — open from 4pm–late Wednesday–Friday and 12pm–late Saturday–Sunday. Images: Kristoffer Paulsen.
Those currently working from home have probably seen two major changes to their routine: less shoes and more snacks. To help with the latter, Australia's much-loved biscuit maker Arnott's has been opening its vault and releasing some of its coveted recipes — for the first time in history. So far as part of the snack expert's Big Recipe Release, it has unveiled its Monte Carlo, four-ingredient Scotch Finger and Iced VoVo recipes. Next up is a decadent twist on everyone's favourite chocolate-coated bikkie: the Tim Tam. While the company hasn't revealed exactly how to make the beloved biscuit, it is sharing how you can whip up salted almond Tim Tam brownies — aka the kind of snack you probably didn't know that you were craving until right now. This recipe has been put together for home bakers by Arnott's Master Baker Vanessa Horton, and timed to celebrate a very apt occasion: World Baking Day, which falls on this Sunday, May 17. Of course, while that's a great excuse to make Tim Tam-flavoured brownies, you can obviously cook them up whenever you like — and however often, too. As you'd expect, you do, in fact, need flour to make Tim Tam brownies, but we've rounded up some of the spots selling the essential ingredient across the country, which aren't supermarkets. Australia's oldest baker will continue to release a new recipe for one of its famous biscuits every week until social distancing regulations are lifted. Next up, will it be the Mint Slice? Pizza Shapes? Tim Tams themselves? We'll have to wait and see. In the meantime, though, here's the Tim Tam Brownie recipe: SALTED ALMOND TIM TAM BROWNIES Melted butter, to grease 120 grams dark chocolate, chopped 120 grams butter 1 1/2 cups (400 grams) caster sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup (120 grams) plain flour 1 tablespoon cocoa powder 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 200 gram packet of Arnott's original Tim Tam, chopped 1/2 cup almonds, chopped 1/2 teaspoon sea-salt flakes Method Preheat oven to 180ᵒC (or 160°C fan forced). Grease a square cake tin (20 x 20 centimetre) and line with baking paper. Place chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, then stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool slightly. Stir sugar into the chocolate mixture, then add the eggs one at a time — stirring well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture. Stir until just combined. Stir through Tim Tam pieces. Pour batter into prepared tin. Spreading evenly, sprinkle with almonds and sea salt flakes. Bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Set aside to cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve.
Since its launch back in 2017, Pontoon has become Melbourne's answer to those epic beach clubs that populate European coastlines. Maintaining that solid rep, this summer, the bar has partnered with top seltzer brand White Claw for an epic live gig so you can have tunes served up with your view over St Kilda Beach. On Sunday, February 13, you can extend those weekend vibes with one of the hottest emerging music acts in the country: Close Counters. From 5pm, the Melbourne-based duo will perform a DJ set, spinning up soulful, genre-traversing tunes to have a boogie to. Yep, Sunday sessions and live music are well and truly back and we're here for it. To top it off, you'll be sipping refreshing White Claws while you listen. And best of all? This gig is completely free to attend. For more information on White Claw Weekend at Pontoon, head to the White Claw website.
If there's a surefire way to banish any midweek blues, it's an evening spent belting out classic tunes at the top of your lungs. And that's exactly the situation that awaits you each Thursday for Little Mess' rollicking karaoke night. Head to the cosy Sydney Road bar from 9pm each week to indulge in a therapeutic jam session with your mates, loading up on plenty of endorphins in the process. Entry is free, plus there's a banging menu of pan-Asian snacks with which to warm up those vocal chords.
Something delightful has been happening in cinemas in some parts of the country. After numerous periods spent empty during the pandemic, with projectors silent, theatres bare and the smell of popcorn fading, picture palaces in many Australian regions are back in business — including both big chains and smaller independent sites in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. During COVID-19 lockdowns, no one was short on things to watch, of course. In fact, you probably feel like you've streamed every movie ever made, including new releases, Studio Ghibli's animated fare and Nicolas Cage-starring flicks. But, even if you've spent all your time of late glued to your small screen, we're betting you just can't wait to sit in a darkened room and soak up the splendour of the bigger version. Thankfully, plenty of new films are hitting cinemas so that you can do just that — and we've rounded up, watched and reviewed everything on offer this week. PARALLEL MOTHERS Whatever Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz happen to be selling — and whenever, and in whichever films — audiences should always be buying. It isn't quite right to liken the acclaimed filmmaker's long-running collaboration with one of his favourite leading ladies to commerce, though, so another comparison fits better: whatever this duo birth into the world, viewers should embrace as a parent does a child. Across four decades now, the Spanish pair has gorgeously and soul-stirringly made cinematic art with the utmost understanding of how to make people feel. They know how people feel, too, and have the combined resumes best exemplified by Live Flesh, All About My Mother, Volver, Broken Embraces, Pain and Glory and now Parallel Mothers to prove it. Their shared filmography also constantly demonstrates another essential insight into human existence: that life is emotion, whether facing its beginning, end or both. Now helming his 22nd feature, Almodóvar has long filled his works with other recurrent inclusions and fascinations, many of which also burst onto the screen again here. When he initially united with Cruz on 1997's Live Flesh, she gave birth on a bus; in their second pairing, the Oscar-winning All About My Mother, she played a pregnant nun; with their most recent collaboration before this, Pain and Glory, she was mum to the writer/director's fictionalised surrogate — so that she's one of his titular matriarchs now is vintage Almodóvar. He brings back another of his veteran stars in Rossy de Palma (Julieta), paints with the vibrant-toned costume and set design that make his movies such a blissful sight for colour-seeking eyes, and focuses on mothers of all shades navigating life's many difficulties as well. Yes, Parallel Mothers is classic Almodóvar, but nothing about that description ever simply unfurls as expected. As the movie's moniker indicates, Janis, the almost-40 photographer that Cruz (The 355) inhabits with the quiet force and fragility that's second nature whenever she's directed by Almodóvar, is just one of Parallel Mothers' mums. Teenager Ana (Milena Smit, Cross the Line) is the other and, despite the feature's title, their stories keep converging. The two first meet in a Madrid hospital, where they share a room, give birth simultaneously, chat about how they're each going it alone with no father in the picture and quickly form a bond — as different as they otherwise appear, down to contrasting sources of support (Janis' brightly attired magazine-editor best friend Elena, which is where de Palma pops up, versus Ana's self-obsessed and distant actress mother Teresa, played by Estoy vivo's Aitana Sánchez-Gijón). Janis and Ana descend separately into motherhood afterwards, but twists of fate keep bringing them back together. Soapiness, aka the kinds of narrative developments characteristic of daytime TV, is another of Almodóvar's touches. But while his career has spanned films light and camp, dark and serious, and almost everything in-between, he inherently recognises that the line between what's dismissed as melodramatic contrivance and what people do truly experience is thinner than a blue slash on a positive pregnancy test. He unravels Parallel Mothers' story with that notion beaming underneath, and while also tackling a real and grim chapter of his country's history that he's never overtly confronted in his work. Before Janis and Ana can meet again and again, their lives and those of their infant daughters' forever intertwined, Janis gets in the family way to anthropologist Arturo (Israel Elejalde, 45 rpm) — who she snaps at a job, then asks to unearth the mass grave in her village that she suspects has housed her great-grandfather's body since he went missing in the Spanish Civil War. Read our full review. THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE Not for the first time, the eyes have it, but then they always have with Tammy Faye Bakker. Not one but two films called The Eyes of Tammy Faye have told the 70s and 80s televangelist's tale — first a 2000 documentary and now this new Jessica Chastain-starring dramatisation — and both take their monikers from one of the real-life American figure's best-known attributes. In the opening to the latest movie, the spidery eyelashes that adorn Tammy Faye's peepers are dubbed her trademark by the woman herself. They're given ample focus in this biopic, as OTT and instantly eye-grabbing as they they are, but their prominence isn't just about aesthetics and recognition. This version of The Eyes of Tammy Faye hones in on perspective, resolutely sticking to its namesake's, even when it'd be a better film if it pondered what she truly saw, or didn't. In the path leading to her celebrity heyday and the time she was a TV mainstay, Tammy Faye's life saw plenty. It began with an unhappy childhood stained by her stern mother Rachel's (Cherry Jones, Succession) refusal to be linked to her at church, lest it remind their god-fearing Minnesotan townsfolk about the latter's sinful divorce. But young Tammy Faye (Chandler Head, The Right Stuff) still finds solace in religion, the attention that speaking in tongues mid-service brings and also the puppets she starts using as a girl. Come 1960, at bible college, her fervour and quirkiness attract fellow student Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick… Boom!), with the pair soon married even though it gets them kicked out of school. Unperturbed, she keeps seeing their calling to the lord as their way forward, first with a travelling ministry — puppets included — and then with television shows and their own Praise the Lord network. From her mid 20s through until her late 40s, when multiple scandals spelled their downfall — involving Jim's alleged sexual assaults, as well as the misuse of funds donated to Praise the Lord by its loyal viewers — much of Tammy Faye's life was lived in the public eye, too. That gives both Chastain (The 355) and director Michael Showalter (The Big Sick) copious materials to draw upon beyond the original The Eyes of Tammy Faye, and also turns their film into a glossy recreation. There's no shortage of details to convey, but that's primarily what Abe Sylvia's (Dead to Me) script is content with. Depiction doesn't equal interrogation here, and does skew closer to endorsement; Tammy Faye's outsized appearance, her makeup and outfits getting gaudier as the Bakkers' fame keeps growing, can border on parody — it's camp at the very least — but that isn't the same as asking probing questions about the movie's central figure. Chastain serves up a performance that seems primed to delve deeper. With the exceptional Scenes From a Marriage star leading the show, the eyes don't just have it, or the hair that just keeps getting bigger, or the ostentatious clothing. In the twice Oscar-nominated actor's hands — with a third nod likely for this very portrayal — there's heart and soul behind Tammy Faye's larger-than-life persona, thoughtfully and sympathetically so. As she was with The 355, Chastain is also one of The Eyes of Tammy Faye's producers, and her investment in the part is apparent in every aspect of her portrayal. The film was clearly built around her work, which is excellent, but the picture plays like that's its whole point. Indeed, when it comes to seeing past the blatant, already-known and openly endorsed about its subject, and to genuinely unpacking her role in the prosperity gospel her husband promoted, the movie conspicuously stops short. Read our full review. THE HATING GAME Misery loves company in the world of publishing industry-set toxic romance novels, which just keep coming — as do film adaptations of such books. After the Fifty Shades franchise fittingly came After movies, doubling down on idealising unhealthy relationships cast against a literary background. Now, as based on Sally Thorne's tome of the same name, The Hating Game follows the same broad concept as well as the same path from page to screen. For anyone who loves words, there's a sense of romance about the business of immortalising them in print, so perhaps that's why these tales keep plunging into the publishing realm. Or, if you're turning destructive ideas about love into fiction, maybe using the industry responsible as a backdrop just feels apt? As more keep arriving, it could simply be the easiest and laziest choice. Charting a professional rivalry that eventually (and thoroughly unsurprisingly) sparks a-fluttering hearts — capitalising upon the schoolyard notion that teasing and torment is actually a sign of affection, and legitimising it as an acceptable form of human behaviour as eons of parental advice to children mistakenly has, too — The Hating Game doesn't pretend to stretch its chosen genre. The thin line between love and loathing here is ridden by two duelling assistants at a recently merged publishing house, and the fact that they'll end up together isn't meant to cause any astonishment. Instead, like with all formulaic rom-coms, viewers are supposed to enjoy the journey towards the happy ending. But that's a difficult feat when everything about that voyage proves noxious, from the underlying notion that workplace acrimony will lead to a fairytale romance through to the glaring lack of chemistry between its stars — and, of course, the overstuffed bag of obligatory tropes and cliches. Narrating the movie, Lucy Hutton (Lucy Hale, Son of the South) is upfront about her disdain for Joshua Templeman (Austin Stowell, Swallow) from the outset. She hails from Gamin Publishing, home to weighty works that exemplify literature as an art form, while he comes from Bexley Books, purveyor of ghost-written sports autobiographies. Creativity meets commerce in this business marriage of convenience; however, since the two organisations joined forces, The Hating Game's chalk-and-cheese central pair have dedicated as much time to annoying each other as they have to their jobs. The dangling carrot that is a big promotion not only ups the stakes but sees Lucy and Josh ramp up their animosity, but then their bickering begets an unexpected kiss. Afterwards, she struggles with lusting after the enemy while still trying to beat him out for her dream position. After co-starring in 2020's Fantasy Island, Hale and Stowell experience a case of history repeating with The Hating Game. Both movies value predictability over personality, to bland results — and neither film adds a highlight to either actor's resumes. Director Peter Hutchings (Then Came You) and screenwriter Christina Mengert (the filmmaker's co-scribe on The Last Keepers) also endeavour to have things both ways whenever the feature flirts with getting saucier, as the tale does on the page. Although Lucy is candid about sex and, when she realises it, her attraction to Josh, the picture she's in makes the Fifty Shades and After flicks seem far steamier than they are. The Hating Game misses every mark when it tries to be comedic, too, including in its key duo's games of one-upmanship and their exploits at Josh's brother's wedding. The film does take place in a world where the protagonists share a ridiculously spacious office while the company they work for cries budgetary issues, so it's all pure fantasy, but this rom-com's idea of escapism springs from nothing more than riding an already-overdone publishing trend's dispiriting coattails. QUEEN BEES Squandering veteran acting talent in insulting comedies about being senior citizens has to be one of cinema's most infuriating moves. It's a fate that's claimed too many stars — Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, Diane Keaton and Pam Grier included in just the past few years — and, following the likes of Poms, Dirty Grandpa and The War with Grandpa, Queen Bees is the latest film to jump on the bandwagon. Where the also female-focused Poms endeavoured to bring Bring It On to older age, this Ellen Burstyn (Pieces of a Woman)-led effort does the same with Mean Girls. It knows it, too, with Donald Martin's (Christmas Town) script saddling Burstyn's Pine Grove Senior Community newcomer Helen Wilson with describing her cliquish fellow residents as "like mean girls, but with medical alert bracelets". That line alone is the extent of Queen Bees' self-awareness, however. Widowed for three years and dwelling in the memories that her marital home still holds, Helen is fiercely independent, but also increasingly forgetful. Her doting grandson Peter (Matthew Barnes, Little Fires Everywhere) helps her laugh off the repeated times she locks herself out of the house, but when she accidentally starts a fire one night, it leads to her interfering daughter Laura (Elizabeth Mitchell, The Expanse) convincing Helen to spend the month it'll take to fix the place seeing what Pine Grove is like. The word 'temporary' gets bandied about constantly upon her arrival, and she's just as adamant about steering clear of the retirement community's locals. And the fact that the group of women who've gleefully adopted the movie's moniker — led by the sniping and stern Janet (Jane Curtin, The Good Fight), with Margot (Ann-Margret, Going in Style) and Sally (Loretta Devine, The Starling) always by her side — are instantly unwelcoming only solidifies Helen's resolve. Flatly directed by Michael Lembeck (A Nutcracker Christmas), Queen Bees does bring something closer to its target audience than Mean Girls to mind, but trying to follow in The Golden Girls' footsteps is a fool's errand. There isn't a laugh to be found here regardless of what the film is aping at any given moment, but Martin's screenplay does take the sitcom approach to its attempts at both comedy and drama, wisecracking one-liners and big narrative developments included. It also leans heavily on its cast to make its thin, formulaic writing spark, but no one can improve such rote material. Burstyn has tackled many horrors on-screen, including in The Exorcist and Requiem for a Dream — both of which earned her Oscar nominations — but seeing her stuck attempting to do her best with something this contrived, condescending and insincere is a true horror show. In the narrative, contrivance abounds, including to shoehorn more acting greats into the movie's on-screen roster. James Caan (Out of Blue) plays a kindly love interest for Helen — one of the reasons she might change her tune about Pine Grove, which'd be a lucrative result for the facility's manager (Curtain's Third Rock From the Sun co-star French Stewart) — while Christopher Lloyd (Nobody) gets the movie's most thankless role as another new arrival. The only charms that Queen Bees boasts spring from watching its overqualified talents share scenes, but again, that isn't enough to salvage everything around them. Retirement home comedies should be retired after the excellent 2020 documentary Some Kind of Heaven anyway, which showed that reality truly is wilder than anything these bland fictional flicks will ever conjure up. If you're wondering what else is currently screening in Australian cinemas — or has been lately — check out our rundown of new films released in Australia on September 2, September 9, September 16, September 23 and September 30; October 7, October 14, October 21 and October 28; November 4, November 11, November 18 and November 25; December 2, December 9, December 16 and December 26; and January 1, January 6, January 13 and January 20. You can also read our full reviews of a heap of recent movies, such as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Streamline, Coming Home in the Dark, Pig, Big Deal, The Killing of Two Lovers, Nitram, Riders of Justice, The Alpinist, A Fire Inside, Lamb, The Last Duel, Malignant, The Harder They Fall, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, Halloween Kills, Passing, Eternals, The Many Saints of Newark, Julia, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, Tick, Tick... Boom!, Zola, Last Night in Soho, Blue Bayou, The Rescue, Titane, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, Dune, Encanto, The Card Counter, The Lost Leonardo, The French Dispatch, Don't Look Up, Dear Evan Hansen, Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Lost Daughter, The Scary of Sixty-First, West Side Story, Licorice Pizza, The Matrix Resurrections, The Tragedy of Macbeth, The Worst Person in the World, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, House of Gucci, The King's Man, Red Rocket, Scream, The 355, Gold, King Richard, Limbo, Spencer, Nightmare Alley and Belle.
A standout on the program at this year's Next Wave Festival, Under My Skin is the latest work from The Delta Project, a Melbourne-based dance company comprised of both deaf and hearing dancers. Choreographed by Jo Dunbar and Lina Limosani, the show will combine movement, new media and sound as dancers Anna Seymour, Elvin Lam, Amanda Lever and Luigi Vescio explore what it means to listen and be heard. With just six performances set for the first weekend of the festival, tickets are already going fast.
Welcome to... your latest excuse to imagine what Australia looked like back in prehistoric times, and to picture which creatures roamed the land and flew through the sky all those years ago. After the nation's largest ever dinosaur, Australotitan cooperensis, was identified back in June, the country's largest flying reptile has just been named as well. Meet Thapunngaka shawi, a creature that researchers have described as "the closest thing we have to a real-life dragon." Making that statement: University of Queensland PhD candidate Tim Richards, from the Dinosaur Lab in UQ's School of Biological Sciences. He led a research team that analysed a fossil of the creature's jaw, which was found on Wanamara Country, near Richmond in northwest Queensland. "It was essentially just a skull with a long neck, bolted on a pair of long wings," said Richards. "This thing would have been quite savage. It would have cast a great shadow over some quivering little dinosaurs who wouldn't have heard them coming until it was too late." If your mind has jumped to depictions of dragons in pop culture — Game of Thrones, obviously — that's not quite how artists' impressions of Thapunngaka shawi look. But this creature does appear immensely imposing. And, obviously, quite big. Researchers believe that its skull would've measured one metre in length — and contained around 40 teeth — and its wingspan would've hit seven metres. The pterosaur — a class of flying reptiles that existed around 228–66 million years ago — would've flown over the inland sea that once took up much of outback Queensland, too. And although it has just been given a name now, this specific fossil was actually found back in June 2011 by Richmond local Len Shaw, who located the specimen just northwest of the town. [caption id="attachment_822354" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tim Richards with the skull of an anhanguerian pterosaur. Credit Tim Richards[/caption] Thapunngaka shawi also belongs to a particular group of pterosaurs known as anhanguerians, and is just the third species of anhanguerian pterosaurs ever found in Australia — all three in western Queensland. It has been named for the Wanamara words for 'spear' and 'mouth', as well as for Shaw — with its full name meaning 'Shaw's spear mouth'. Like Australotitan cooperensis, Thapunngaka shawi's fossil is on display to the public, this time at Kronosaurus Korner in Richmond. And yes, if Jurassic Park or Jurassic World ever happened to become a reality in Queensland, recreating local dinos in the process, we'd all come face to face with quite the mammoth creatures — and stand beneath them while they swooped through the air, clearly. Also in the state, in Winton, Queensland is already home to a dinosaur-focused museum — because that's where other dinosaur fossils were found back in 1999. So yes, your next road trip can involve trekking across the outback to check out these fascinating remnants of the earth's past. Life keeps finding a way, obviously. Find the Kronosaurus Korner at 91-93 Goldring Street, Richmond — open from 8.30am–4pm daily from April–October, and 8.30am–4pm Monday–Friday and 8.30am–3pm Saturday–Sunday between November–March. For further information, head to the University of Queensland website. Top image: Artist's impression of the fearsome Thapunngaka shawi.
There seems to exist this strange notion that things that are good for you can't be delicious. An extreme extension of this notion is the idea that vegan food is equally as unsatisfying and unfulfilling. Alexandra Pyke, however, disagrees with the perception that food being vegan and delicious are mutually exclusive, showing the greatest skills in culinary diplomacy since Mia asked why we can't have both soft and hard shell tacos in one packet. Pyke, fresh home in Melbourne after a lengthy stint in the US, has partnered in legendary eateries like The Fat Radish, Leadbelly and vego joint The Butcher's Daughter, and is chomping at the bit to bring her expertise to her hometown. The Alley, which is now open on St Kilda Road, provides clean, wholesome food made from sustainable and local ingredients that also punches you in the face with bold flavours. The idea is to cross the divide between vegans who won't even look at a picture of a cow and the everyday consumer who can't look at a picture of a cow without finding themselves drawn to a steak restaurant. The menu features playful dishes like the maple bacon burger with smoky paprika, and the gluten free Mac 'n' Cheese with coconut bacon and crispy kale, plus sides such as air-baked sweet potato fries, of course. It goes without saying that a vegan cafe has salads but, much like meatloaf, it's what you do with them – The Alley, for example, boasts a 'fiery' kelp noodle salad, which sounds both extremely dangerous and extremely tempting, like sky diving or downloading all the original Doctor Who serials. Cold craft beers and biodynamic raw wines are also on offer in abundance. Or, opt for a caffeinated brew courtesy of iced coffee with a choice of almond, soy or coconut milk, or an almond latte. Dessert-wise, The Alley has whipped up some plant-based soft-serve to satisfy those with a sweet tooth, as well as vegan chocolate brownies. Open 8am to 7pm Monday to Friday, The Alley caters for 35 bums on seats at any time, but also maintains a healthy focus on takeaway, given the demand for food on the go in the area. Find The Alley at 417 St Kilda Road, St Kilda. Visit their website and Facebook page for further information. By James Whitton and Sarah Ward.
The Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA), curated by the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin, are annual awards for First Nations artists from across the country. This year, NATSIAA award winners will be announced online — and all Australians can get to know the nominees via a virtual gallery — as well as vote for their favourites in the Telstra People's Choice Award. Each year, the awards celebrates contemporary artworks across a broad range of disciplines. Think paintings, craftsmanship, photography and textile works. There are 65 finalists from across the country, and what makes the awards so special is the diversity in storytelling; there are perspectives from coastal regions, desert towns, cities and everywhere between. [caption id="attachment_776094" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Telstra Bark Painting Award Winner 2019, Noŋgirrŋa Marawili. Photo: Fiona Morrison[/caption] For 37 years, Telstra NATSIAA has represented the art of the nation — culturally, geographically and historically, as well as looking to our future. And long-standing partner Telstra has been part of the awards for almost three decades. For those who plan to visit the Northern Territory, you can also experience the artworks in person at the Telstra NATSIAA Exhibition at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory from Saturday, August 8. And it's good news for those of us who'd usually miss out on the awards ceremony, as this year's presentation (usually held on the grounds of the museum) will be broadcast online. You can join host Brooke Boney on Friday, August 7 to find out which artists have won by visiting the Telstra NATSIAA website from 6pm. While you're there, check out the fully interactive, virtual gallery and chuck a vote in for your favourites.
Summer is in the air, and with it the smell of fresh popcorn, as starlight screenings return to Lido's Rooftop Cinema in Hawthorn. Perched atop the eight-screen picture house overlooking Glenferrie Road, the outdoor screen will light up from this week with a selection of classic and new release movies in the open air. The Lido on the Roof season kicks off on Friday, October 19 with A Star Is Born. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's team up is one of a number of hotly anticipated summer movies on the program, with other highlights including Disney's Mary Poppins Returns, Luca Guadagnino's remake of Italian 1977 horror flick Suspiria and Bohemian Rhapsody — a biographical drama following Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. Oh, and they're also screening a little wizarding film called Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. They're also bringing back their 'cult calendar' selection, with iconic retro titles including Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, Matilda, The Lion King and Kindergarten Cop, plus a screening of Labyrinth. For the full program, hit the Lido Cinemas website.
As the nights heat up each summer, the NGV proves it knows how to party like the best of them, serving up its signature after-hours summertime sessions filled with tunes, food, pop-up bars and more. In excellent news for all you lockdown-weary souls — this year will be no different. The much-loved NGV Friday Nights are set to make their sweet return from December 10, running every Friday night — except Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve — until April 22 next year. Happening from 6–10pm each week, the sessions have something for gallery-lovers and general night owls alike. Guests will gain exclusive after-hours access to explore the new Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition, browsing its impressive collection of over 100 vintage garments and peering into the career of one of fashion's most influential designers. After it launches on December 17, guests will also be able to take a spin around major ground floor exhibition Bark Ladies: Eleven Artists from Yirrkala to see bark paintings and larrakitj (painted hollow poles) by a collective of women artists from the Buku Larrngay Mulka Centre (Buku) in Northeast Arnhem Land. Meanwhile, across the ground level and the NGV Garden, a rotation of top Melbourne DJs is set to deliver a sparkling soundtrack to these summertime soirees. Gracing the decks, expect local favourites including Andras, MzRizk, DJ Jnett, The Dollar Bin Darlings, Hot Wax Sound System, Banoffee, Edd Fisher and a whole host more. To wash it all down, you'll find three different bars serving a hefty array of refreshments. Hit the Four Pillars Gin Bar in the Grollo Equiset Garden for crisp G&Ts and signature cocktails, or swing past the Pommery Champagne Bar for fine bubbles and oysters — a Coco-worthy option if ever there was one. There's also a Yering Station pop-up pouring a selection of acclaimed Yarra Valley wines, where you can even do a tasting flight of three different house drops while you're soaking up those DJ sounds. And in the garden, there'll be a few cheeky giveaways on offer from the David Jones Vault, which will open for a fleeting time each Friday. NGV Friday Nights will run weekly from December 10–April 22 (not including December 24 and 31) at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. Jump online to see the full lineup and book entry tickets to the exhibition.
The humble chicken nugget will make its glorious and heroic return to Welcome to Thornbury this March, as part of the fourth annual Chicken Nugget Festival at the inner-north food truck park. If you often rue the day in your adolescence that chicken nuggets became an unacceptable item to eat for dinner, then this is the judgment-free festival for you. Welcome to Thornbury is assembling some of its favourite vendors to deliver one crunchy day dedicated to the nug. Expect a vast array of iterations too, including vegan, teriyaki or spiced-up butter chicken nuggets from the likes of Mr Burger, Maria Taqueria, Philly Cheese Steaks and more. For the little ones and big kids at heart, special Nuggie Boxes featuring three or six-piece nuggets, chips and a suitably themed toy are also on offer. Of course, a wide range of dipping sauces to accompany and coat your nuggs will also be available on the day. And as always, Welcome to Thornbury will be serving up a slew of cocktails and beers to pair with your chicken feast. Live music, a nugget eating competition lovingly dubbed 'Nuggetthon' and nugget merchandise round out the day's lineup. The festival kicks off at midday, bookings are available online — and kids and dogs are welcome. Top image: Supplied.
Finally, 2020 is delivering the right kind of surprise: an unexpected sequel to 2006 mockumentary Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. If at any point in 2020 you've wondered what Borat Sagdiyev might make of both COVID-19 and the upcoming US election — and what he might coax unsuspecting interviewees to admit about those topics, too — this 14-years-later sequel is here to deliver the answer. Even better, it'll be available to stream in just a few weeks. Sacha Baron Cohen returns as the fictional Kazakh journalist, of course, in a film that no one knew existed until recently. Baron Cohen was seen shooting in mid-2020, but only in the past month has it emerged that he was secretly working on Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. (Yes, this out-of-the-blue follow-up was always going to have a lengthy and silly title.) Streaming globally via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, October 23, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm sees its eponymous character make another trip to the US, this time with his daughter (Irina Nowak) in tow. After the first film apparently brought "great shame to Kazakhstan", as Borat tells us in the new movie's just-dropped first trailer, he's on a secret mission. But he's famous in America now, so that sparks a few challenges — and requires a few disguises. If you're wondering what Borat's mission is, he's planning to give his daughter as a gift "to someone close to the throne" — aka current US Vice President Mike Pence. Along the way, he tries to kill the coronavirus by hitting it with a frying pan, dresses up like Donald Trump, dances more than once, exposes plenty of unpleasant viewpoints among those he meets and finds an unusual way to wear a face mask. So, typical Borat antics — and that's just in this first sneak peek. Check out the trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rsa4U8mqkw&feature=youtu.be Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan will be available to stream via Amazon Prime Video from Friday, October 23.
US rapper Lizzo has had a big year. A huge year. As well as releasing her extremely well received (and much played) album Cuz I Love You, she's been in Hustlers and is currently on the cover of British Vogue. If you've become as unstoppably obsessed with everything she does as the rest of the world has, then we have good news for you: the lady herself will be coming to Sydney and Melbourne next year to play shows at the Sydney Opera House's Concert Hall and Melbourne's The Forum. Lizzo (or Melissa Viviane Jefferson) will fill the venues with her catchy hits 'Juice' and 'Truth Hurts' — and have the crowd hollering, "turns out I'm 100 percent that bitch" — as well as other bangers off her hit 2019 album. This will be her first ever visit to Australia. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ktT5yhq4k/ While she's in Australia, she'll also be heading to Brisbane, Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne with FOMO in early January. There are still tickets to those festivals if you can't make it to her solo shows. If you do want to go to her solo shows, though, you'll need to snap up tickets fast — Lizzo will only be taking to the stage once at the Sydney Opera House (on Monday, January 6) and once again at The Forum (Wednesday, January 8). Her Sydney show will be one of the last performances, alongside Solange's in late Jan, in the Concert Hall before it shuts for major renovations next year. Lizzo will perform at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday, January 6, 2020 and at The Forum, Melbourne on Wednesday, January 8. For Sydney, general tickets go on sale at midday on Thursday, November 21, with pre-sale kicking off at midday on Wednesday, November 20 — you can sign-up for the latter here. Melbourne general tickets are available from 9am on Tuesday, November 19, with pre-sale from 9am on Monday, November 18 — sign-up for those here. Image: Luke Gilford
Technology is now a player in how we carry out one of the bare necessities of life: eating and drinking. We've lately been enraptured by the thought of being able to 3D print our food (the 3D chocolate printer is already among us, while the 3D pizza printer is just around the corner). And the excitement isn't just based on our own appetite for novelty foodstuffs; these are technologies with the capacity to help us through the global food shortage. Yet the internet and mobile technology that's ubiquitous right now has already changed the way we eat — in some very positive ways. We take a closer look at the apps and websites that are helping people reduce waste, save time and be better informed. We Can Make Less Waste According to the 2009 study, What a Waste! from the Australia Institute, Australians throw out 4.45 million tonnes of food every year, or in dollar terms, $5 billion. If this makes you wince a little, but not enough to start composting or dumpster diving, the internet may be your saving grace. Websites such as Germany's Foodsharing.de are harnessing the web to connect individuals who would prefer to share their excess food than turf it. Their only rule is that you offer food you would eat yourself. Here in Australia similar sites like Fare Share and Second Bite, aimed at collecting food from supermarkets and farmers to be redistributed to those in need, are reducing this inefficiency. Taking a different tack, Sydney's HelloFresh, a new online service, is making judicious grocery shopping easier. With new menus each week, they deliver only those ingredients required for a particular meal. As Tom Rutledge from HelloFresh put it to us, "By packing precise amounts of ingredients we supply only what is required for the recipes. Gone is the need to buy a big jar of capers when you only need a tablespoon. The customers save money and there are no nasty surprises lurking at the back of the pantry when it comes time for a spring clean." Aussie Farmers Direct makes a good case for the internet's role in reducing waste, as their buying is done after customers' orders are placed online. Internet grocery shopping in general wins over bricks and mortar outlets, because perishable products are not simply displayed on the off chance that a shopper is making leak soup this week. We Pay with No Money Apps such as Beat the Q allow queue-averse customers to pre-pay for their coffee en route. They simply pick it up and go. CLIPP app allows barflies to run a tab from their phone without ever flashing cash or card. While this may be extremely convenient, it will also encourage higher spending — a phenomenon called hyperbolic discounting means people are likely to buy more if they don't have to pay until the end of the night. Apps such as these, along with Paypal's payment processor and Square.com are making a cashless future not only possible but, according to Adam Theobald of Beat the Q, inevitable. "In coming months, consumers will be presented with a large number of e-wallet alternatives," he told us. "Imagine your bank, telco, ISP, Google, Apple, Mastercard, Visa, Amex all offering you a great incentive to use their mobile wallet." Though the payment interaction is being reduced to the touch of a screen, Theobald doesn't think that technology is taking away from the human interaction. "I'm not sure about you, but I am much better to talk to if I haven't waited, and have a coffee in my hand!" he says. He figures the 10,000 customers registered with his app must feel the same way. We Know All the Things And then, of course, technology is giving customers better access to information. The internet is allowing smaller ventures to succeed by connecting with punters to let them know their changing hours and locations. Hungry Mondays is a collection of Sydney restaurants (started by El Capo) who slow cook meat on a Sunday and offer vacuum packed meals the following Monday for pickup from a range of changing venues (the Hollywood Hotel, the Lord Wolseley), which are spruiked on Facebook. The nomadic food trucks of Sydney rely on their online communities to advertise times and locations, as do pop-up venues. While bloggers and review sites such as Urbanspoon and Eatability may strike terror in the hearts of restaurateurs, they give a fuller picture of a venue for diners. As well as advice on where to eat, technology is helping customers with what to eat. The Traffic Light Food Tracker app, released by Cancer Council Victoria, allows consumers to scan the barcode of a product and immediately receive a red, orange or green light from the app according to the product's nutritional value. Prevailing ideas about the future of food culture tend to polarise into either a fast food dystopia of mindless Cheezel consumption or a slow food utopia in which we harvest quinoa each morning from our organic hobby farm in Tasmania. But there is a happier medium, where technology speeds up boring activities like shopping and paying and gives us more time to enjoy food. Top image by Binpress.
If you find yourself thinking back on Law & Order re-runs, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs or Heath Ledger's turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, you're probably thinking about one particular type of scene. There's an art to a good on-screen interrogation — to seeing characters verbally spar back and forth, as one probes for answers and the other tries to avoid their questions — that's riveting when it's done well. It's also hilarious when it's done comedically (see Brooklyn Nine-Nine); however, nothing beats a grim, serious, eyes-blazing, nostril-flaring confrontation between a suspected criminal and a savvy detective who are both confined to the same small room. Netflix, in its seemingly never-ending quest to turn every single possible idea into highly binge-able streaming content, is taking this concept and running with it in its new anthology crime series Criminal. Love interrogations, but not so fussed about all the stuff around them? Then you'll want to glue your peepers to this newcomer when it arrives later in the year, because it's all about heated chats in police interview suites. In fact, that's all it's about. The streaming platform is keeping most of the details quiet for now, although the show will tell a dozen different tales across just as many 45-minute episodes — spending three episodes each focusing on cases in France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom. Criminal will also unfurl its tense arguments with some considerable star power, with David Tennant and Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell among the UK cast. You might also recognise Laurence Anyways' Nathalie Baye and The Unknown Girl's Jérémie Renier in the French instalments, plus Phoenix's Nina Hoss in the German episodes. Behind the scenes, the claustrophobic, cat-and-mouse-style program also boasts a heap of talent, which'll again vary from country to country. Killing Eve writer George Kay and She's Out Of My League director Jim Field Smith will oversee the whole thing, and take care of the British chapters, while The Returned and Spiral helmer Frederic Mermoud, Downfall's Oliver Hirschbiegel and Dark Impulse's Mariano Barroso will do the honours in France, Germany and Spain respectively. While Netflix hasn't released a proper teaser or trailer yet, it has unveiled a cast announcement video which doubles as a foreboding look at things to come: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L82Gx5wrPVs Criminal will drop on Netflix later this year — we'll update you with further details, including an exact release date, as they come to hand. Via Deadline.
