Never believe someone who tells you that salted caramel is overrated. They probably just haven't tried the right one. And if any version of the sweet-but-salty treat is going to convert the salted caramel agnostic, it's Pepe Saya's — because Australia's famous cultured butter maker has branched out into desserts. Pepe Saya already does pancake packs, brown butter chocolate-chip cookie dough, scone packs and more, of course, but now it has added buttery salted caramel bon bons to its range. The added bonus with these: you can can pop them in your pocket or bag, then get snacking whenever the urge strikes. If you're wondering why Pepe Saya decided to move into caramels — and yes, the easy answer is 'why not? — it's calling its version an Australian homage to the caramel au beurre salé. It has company, too, with the mouth-watering squares made by hand by Adora Handmade Chocolates in Marrickville, and not only using Pepe Saya's cultured butter but also Olsson's sea salt. Even better: the bon bons come in two varieties. Stick with the OG buttery salted caramel version and you'll obviously taste all the requisite flavours (that'd be butter, salt and caramel), or opt for the chocolate buttery salted caramels for something even more decadent. That said, if your tastebuds are now well and truly tempted, you'll want to get in quickly. While the caramels have been added to Pepe Saya's lineup on an ongoing basis, they're being made in limited-edition batches — and only 250 boxes are available each week. You can nab them online from Pepe Saya's website and Olsson's website, with ten in a box. The original version costs $19.95, while the chocolate variety costs $24.95. Announcing the bon bons, Pepe Saya co-founder and buttermaker Pierre Issa said that "any butter or salt company worth their weight should have a salted caramel. Caramelising our butter brings out the true flavour of cultured butter, perfectly rounded with sea salt. It quite literally melts in your mouth with more and more flavour appearing as it dissolves." "I've always dreamt of being able to carry a little taste of Pepe Saya butter around in my pocket to share with people, and now I can, with a pocket full of these bon bons," Issa continued. The caramels also come in quite the eye-catching packaging, as designed by Aussie artist Michael Whooley. Inspired by the butteries that Issa and fellow co-founder Melissa Altman have been to overseas, it features a cat to pay tribute to felines who call butteries home around the globe. Pepe Saya's new range of caramels are available online from Pepe Saya's website and Olsson's website, with ten in a box. The original version costs $19.95, while the chocolate variety costs $24.95 Images: Rob Locke.
With borders closed and overseas family reunions still on hold, many of us are craving the taste of home. That's largely what spawned the arrival of Barry Susanto and Erwin Chandra's new Indo-inspired sandwich joint Warkop, which opened its doors in Richmond last month. The two Indonesian mates met working together at Duke's Coffee Roasters in Windsor, sparking initial plans to open their own establishment. Fuelled by a touch of homesickness, some lockdown experimentation and a desire to offer locals a broader, more authentic taste of the duo's homeland — that plan is now a reality. Named after the classic streetside coffee stalls you'll find dotted throughout Indonesia, the 15-seat venue embraces the 'casual, but done well' mentality. The sandwich menu is short and sweet, but has already earned some big ticks of approval — Susanto first road-tested many of his creations on some very discerning fellow staff during his time as sous chef at Julian Hills' Navi. In line with the overall theme of the venue, the sandos are simple but well-executed, with plenty of subtle nods to Susanto's fine dining experience. "It's a bit radical to put our (Indo) food into sandwiches," he explains. "I tried to do things that haven't been done before." Bread styles have been carefully chosen to best complement the flavours sandwiched within — beef pastrami comes teamed with cheese, pickled cucumber and a rich rendang sauce on light rye; while sourdough's been used to house the chicken sandwich, its meat marinated in classic Taliwang spices. Another option reworks the familiar flavours of gado gado into a turkish roll, marrying tofu, tempeh, bean sprouts, lettuce and a peanut sauce, and there's a daily rotating salad to match. The sandwich lineup has been selling out most days, so don't put that lunchbreak on hold for too long. Given Chandra's background working with the likes of Duke's and Market Lane, coffee here is also set to impress — expect a Duke's blend on the roster, with both espresso and filter options available. There's a selection of pastries and cakes from Ned's Bakery in South Yarra, but for a true taste of the guys' homeland, you'll want to try their version of kaya toast — a much-loved sweet breakfast starring a rich coconut jam. Warkop's kaya uses a long-held family recipe from Chandra's own mother, who taught the pair to make it via video chat from Indonesia. Susanto's jazzed it up a little using puffed rice and plump, buttery brioche rolls, though the dish still heartily embraces its roots. "I'm doing this because I always miss home and I always miss home food," explains Susanto. "When I first moved here, I couldn't speak English and the Indo food I ate here really helped me, to heal me from missing home. So I've always wanted to do this." Find Warkop at 12 Risley Street, Richmond. It's open weekdays, from 7am–3pm. Images: Ed Sloane Photography
If you thought Melbourne getting a George Costanza bar was cool (or maybe you're just more of a Beetlejuice fan), you'll be pretty impressed by New York City's latest attempt to one-up itself when it comes to themed establishments. Set to open early next month is a Tim Burton-inspired bar and restaurant, very aptly named Beetle House. Millennium made. The Manhattan bar comes from the same team who thought (and were indeed correct in doing so) that the island needed a Will Ferrell-themed bar, which opened in October last year. Beetle House, however, promises to recreate Halloween all year-long with "an atmosphere and menu inspired by the works of Tim Burton". Perfect for the regular Edward Scissorhands or ghosts stuck haunting the East Village. Potions will include the likes of the This Is Halloween (a concoction of pumpkin, cinnamon and apple liqueurs, ginger beer and apple cider) and the We Come In Peace, which is a questionable mix of salted caramel vodka, RumChata, cream and a caramel swirl salted rim. Other well-named sips include the likes of Edward's Lemonade, It's Showtime and Beetlejuice (naturally). Drink at your own peril. To eat, you can choose from the likes of Beetle Bread bruschetta, the Victor Van Pork burger and the Sweeney Beef steak. Beetle House is located in the East Village at 308 East 6th Street. If you've got a trip planned to NYC anytime soon, we suggest booking a table in advance lest you have to go to an unthemed restaurant instead.
Good people of Melbourne, you have all of November to explore Melbourne's best restaurants, cafes and bars during Good Food Month. If there was ever a time to embrace your inner foodie, this is it. We really are so spoiled for choice when it comes to great eats and drinks around Melbourne, so a festival that celebrates this fact is nothing short of awesome. From pop-ups to rooftop parties, world-renowned guest chefs and dinners under $30, there is something for everybody (and every budget) in this year's program. Here are a couple of our hot tips for what to do see and eat during next month's festival. Stretchy pants are highly encouraged. Night Noodle Markets Round two of perhaps one of the most talked about event from last year's GFM, the Night Noodle Markets is back — bigger and better than before. This year it's moved across the river to Birrarung Marr, but the old favourites from last year will return, including Chin Chin, Mamak, Izakaya Den and Longrain. There will be over 50 food stalls and trucks in action from November 14-30, so you're winning on that front. DJs will be spinning tunes during those balmy spring nights, and for post-dinner treats, get yourself some Messina or a coffee from the St Ali pop-up. What's on the menu? Give one of the new kids on the block a go: Kong, Charlie Dumpling and Mr Miyagi are just a few of the exciting new additions to the Night Noodle Markets. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/noodlemarkets Jump The Queue at Mamasita A reservation can be a tricky thing to wrangle at Mamasita, and impossible if you're dining with less than seven others. During November, one table per night will be reserved at Mamasita for up to seven guests. Head chef Andrew Logan will create a 5-course Mexican progressive dinner, with influences taken from all over the country. Three of the five courses will be paired with tequila or a tequila-based drink, and the cost is between $120 and $150. We don't know how they pick and choose who gets the reservation spot, but try your luck and call incessantly. What's on the menu? Whatever Andrew Logan puts in front of you, and premium tequila is about to become your new best friend. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/jumpthequeue Cheap and Cheerful Dinner at Boney GFM is not just about getting good food, it's also about getting a good deal. There are plenty of places doing two- or three-course dinner feeds for under $30 if you're looking to get some bang for your buck. And at Boney, they're offering you a choice between two entrees and two mains, all for the sweet price of $25. Come for a cheap meal, stay for a wicked night out. What's on the menu? Entrees options include carrot, cashew and orange steamed bun with seaweed salad and ginger sauce, or chicken kofta with beetroot relish, tahini and yoghurt sauce. For main, choose from a baby snapper burger, feta and spinach dumplings, beetroot and walnut salad or good ol' potato skins. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/gooddinnerunder30 Late Night Fondue Party at Milk The Cow Calling all night owls — this one's for you. Ain't no party like a fondue party, and this is the best of the bunch. The wonderful folk at Milk The Cow are open until 1am, and the late night deal takes $10 off its usual price. Push back your bedtime for this one. We take no responsibility if you incur cheese hallucinations/nightmares, but we've got a feeling it'll be well worth it. What's on the menu? This ultimate fondue features truffle pecorino, Swiss emmental, gruyere L'Etivaz, Remy Martin VSOP cognac and French sparkling Monmousseau Brut Etoile, topped with truffle honey. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/supperclub Alpaca Head To Tail at Pastuso Have a taste of the Peruvian Andes with a six-course head-to-tail alpaca feast at newly-opened Pastuso. We don't know about you guys, but alpaca isn't exactly something that commonly slides across our dinner table, so we're excited to give this a go. Pastuso chef Alejandro Saravia will be dishing up the goods for one night only on November 17 as part of the 'World Dinners' series. It's $85 for the all-alpaca feast, and $125 gets you matching wines too. What's on the menu? Alpaca dishes you'll be sampling during this evening include slow-roasted neck rillettes, slow-cooked short ribs and braised alpaca shoulder with carrot and cumin puree. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/worlddinners Go Behind The Scenes at Messina It's pretty obvious that Messina's popularity with gelato fiends is in no way slowing down, and why would it? Gelato pioneer Simone Panetta will share some of Messina's secrets and recipes with guests, as he goes through some of his wildest creations. If you get the recipe to their salted caramel and white chocolate, we're inviting ourselves over to be your taste testers. What's on the menu? You'll go through a full tasting session at the Fitzroy store — so prepare yourself to try a little bit of everything. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/talkandtaste Harajuku Pop-Up Bar at Sake Nihon-themed party times are the go at the Sake Melbourne terrace, and during GFM, you'll be able to get a taste of Neo Tokyo just in time for summer. And while dressing like a Shibuyan resident is not specifically required, there's no harm if you're feeling especially inspired. The super kawaii affair is being held for one night only (on November 7) and the $45 ticket price includes three Harajuku cocktails and as much Japanese finger food you can eat. What's on the menu? To accompany those cocktails, nibble on izakaya-style skewers, grilled fish, sashimi salad, sushi rolls and deep-fried cheeseburger gyozas. Yes, that's correct: CHEESEBURGER GYOZA. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/popups Make Friends With Vegetables at The Town Mouse New kid on the block and one-hatted Carlton venue, The Town Mouse, is going to show you how a vegetarian multicourse meal should be done. Winemakers Patrick Sullivan and Anthony Fikkers have made some lovely drops to accompany the vegetarian feast, and young gun chef Dave Verheul will be using fresh, local produce for his creations. This lunchtime feast will be held for two hours on November 15, and $60 covers your meal and a glass of wine. What's on the menu? Vegetarian fare that will want to make you leave meat behind. While this feast is vegetarian, we should mention it's not vegan as some of the courses contain dairy and eggs. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/surprisesaturdaylunch Iron Chef Action at MoVida Aqui This is what we call dinner and a show! Frank Camorra is going up against the head chefs of the MoVida kitchens to create five different dishes. On November 10, the crowd will be the judge, and a seat on the panel (read: in MoVida Aqui) will be $135 with wines to match each meal. There's also a Tanqueray cocktail or G&T that comes complimentary on arrival. A bit of friendly rivalry never goes astray, and we're excited to see if someone outwits, outplays or outlasts Camorra. What's on the menu? We're expecting high-quality, creative dishes from MoVida's best and brightest, as we have our score cards at the ready. May contain traces of blood, sweat and tears. melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/hatsoff Flinders Mixer at Saint Crispin In celebration of springtime, head chef of Saint Crispin, Joe Grbac, is creating a five-course dinner featuring wonderful fresh produce from Flinders Island. To get you into that spring feeling, Alan Mulvihill and the excellent staff of upstairs bar, Thomas Olive, will be creating cocktails that compliment the Flinders Island menu. One such drink we're inclined to try is 'Death in the Afternoon', Ernest Hemingway’s hangover cure, composed of absinthe and champagne. What's on the menu? An example of Grbac's menu includes Flinders Island lamb, nettle puree, baby leek, poached radish. Oh dear, we're salivating already… melbourne.goodfoodmonth.com/drinkanddine Good Food Month with run for the month of November. For the full program, click here.
One half of the makers of Jafflechutes, Adam Grant, has set up shop with a new endeavour. But fear not, it's just as ridiculous and strangely excellent as his first. Pimp My Myki is a glittery service Grant operates from his home that offers to decorate your Myki or Opal cards. For the low, low price of a postage stamp, your Myki could be transformed into a majestic eagle or a fierce black bear. Something to ward off ticket inspectors at the very least. The process is simple. Just post your current card to a PO Box in Fitzroy (or pay $12 for a new one to be delivered), and wait in glitterless anticipation for it to be deposited in your mailbox within the week! If you'd like a little more certainty in the process, Grant also operates a service called Bearki (or Bearpal) — for those who would just rather have a bear on their cards and be done with it. Now, this obviously isn't for everyone. Understandably some people love their snot-green Mykis. Its resemblance to the mucus-olive pack of smokes in their pocket offers a security in the fact that the world is both dreary and horrible. For the rest of us, a pimped Myki is a little pick-me-up to the 86 tram or a way to daydream about a more exciting trip. Needless to say, renowned dementors Public Transport Victoria are not happy. Despite the fact the cards still clearly display serial numbers and remain entirely functional, representatives have claimed "A Myki that has been altered or defaced in any way is an invalid ticket." In reply, Grant said, "I understand from an official standpoint they might have to say this for whatever reason, but it doesn't bother me a great deal." If a ticket inspector gets in your face about it, let's hope the picture of a cute panda bear is enough to calm them down. For more information head to Pimp My Myki, Bearki, or Pimp My Opal.
Summer might be gone, but that doesn't mean the coastline can't spring to life with vibrant happenings. Enter Elwood's Riviera Beach Club, who's transforming its sunny seaside spot into something a little more snowy for the Riviera Winter Wonderland. Presented in partnership with the Happen Group until Sunday, August 3, this immersive family-friendly experience features a full spectrum of activities bound to brighten up winter. By day, fascinating entertainment — including a custom-made ice-skating rink complete with real ice, snow blizzards and skate aids — takes over the space. Plus, private igloos paired with catering packages are primed for kids' birthday celebrations, while a fully stocked market will present festive snacks, from popcorn to snow cones. However, the mood switches up once darkness descends, as the space transforms again into an adult-only winter escape, featuring DJs and disco skating. Meanwhile, the private igloos will trade in the kids' food for premium alcohol packages, just as the market comes to life with mulled wine and cocktail stalls. Perched on a charming stretch of beachfront with stellar views of Port Phillip Bay, the day might not be as warm or sunny as the location demands. However, expect the Riviera Winter Wonderland's cosy atmosphere to make the cool weather worth celebrating. "We are really excited to transform this iconic venue into a winter wonderland experience," says Happen Group Director Daniel McFadyen. "We have ensured that we have catered to both families with young children and the adults so that everyone can enjoy this event by the bay in Melbourne." The Riviera Winter Wonderland is on now until Sunday, August 3 at Riviera Beach Club, 42B Marine Parade, Elwood. Head to the website for tickets and more information.
If you agree that one of the best ways to deal with just about anything is to eat dumplings until you feel better, Oriental Teahouse has you covered. After a sold-out dumpling degustation earlier this year, the restaurant is dipping its toe back into the pool of soupy feasts for World Dumpling Day with a night of non-stop dumplings. The feast that awaits you at both the South Yarra and CBD locations will include Oriental Teahouse's wide variety of dumplings. It won't just be your average fried pork and chive, either (though they do a great version of the classic) — new creations will include crab and asparagus together in one parcel, and a kimchi pork and black bean beef parcel. The kicker is that the dumplings will keep on coming until you can no longer lift a chopstick to your lips or the two-hour sitting is up — whichever comes first. It's all going down for $45 per person, which is quite reasonable, although not quite as cheap as the $22.50 all-you-can-eat dumpling dinner happening at POW Kitchen every Thursday in September. There will be two sittings — at 6pm and 8pm — at South Yarra and one at 6.30pm at the Little Collins Street location, and you can book a table through the website or over the phone.
For the average punter, the local pub is usually a go-to for budget-friendly steak nights, weekend beers and maybe the odd trivia sesh. But one southside boozer is adding to that list, with a new weekly event designed to get your creative juices flowing just as freely as the tap brews. The Windsor Castle Hotel has kicked off a new series of Saturday arvo sessions, dubbed the Windsor Art Club, inviting you to indulge your arty side in the beer garden from 1–3pm each weekend. It's free to join in, with all your art and craft materials provided, and a different creative pursuit on the agenda each Saturday. Past sessions have seen folks dabbling in watercolours, having a crack at collage and even getting messy with a grown-up riff on finger painting. What's more, the participant whose masterpiece is deemed the favourite each week will score themselves a $50 tab to spend in the pub's restaurant or at the bar. How's that for a little extra incentive to let your inner Picasso shine?
If you're familiar with Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall), then you know how badass she is. Her singer-songwriter meets rock star persona sets her apart as one of the more unique musicians out there. Those who saw her at Golden Plains Music Festival this past March know what we're talking about. Don't fret if you missed her then, because you'll soon have another chance. Cat Power is crossing the pond again for an Australian tour this summer. Cat Power's ten-show tour will kick off this January at the Sydney Festival. It was just announced that she would be a guest performer at the festival's Big Star tribute show alongside Jody Stephens, Mike Mills (R.E.M.), Ken Stringfellow (The Posies), Chris Stamey (The dB's), Mitch Easter (Let's Active), Edwyn Collins and Kurt Vile. Power's Sydney shows will continue the day after at the Circus Ronaldo Tent with a matinee and midnight show. After, she'll continue down the coast, performing in Milton, Canberra, Melbourne, Menniyan and concluding in Perth. So if you haven't heard Cat Power in a while, it'll be worth your hitting up one of her shows. Her newish album, Sun, is freshly awesome and and her blonde coif is shocking, but that's why we love Cat. She always keeps you coming back for more. Cat Power's 2014 Australian Tour Dates Thursday, January 23 – Big Star Tribute at Enmore Theatre, Sydney Friday, January 24 – Circus Ronaldo Tent, Sydney 5:30pm Friday, January 24 – Circus Ronaldo Tent, Sydney 11:59pm Saturday, January 25 – Milton Theatre, Milton Sunday. January 26 – Milton Theatre, Milton Thursday, January – Street Theatre, Canberra Friday, January 31 – Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne Saturday, February 1 – Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne Sunday, February 2 – Meeniyan Town Hall, Meeniyan Tuesday, February 4 – Fly By Night, Perth Tickets for all shows on-sale Friday, November 29. https://youtube.com/watch?v=PDbPrOuXq2s
Melbourne's various arts festivals aren't short on highlights, but fans of cinema and music can usually look forward to a Hear My Eyes session come Melbourne International Film Festival time. That's when a beloved flick comes back to the big screen, accompanied by a live — and all-new, completely original — score that's played while film lovers sit, watch and listen. In 2023, however, Hear My Eyes is heading to citywide cultural festival RISING in June first. On the agenda: a film that's not even a decade old but is already a classic, as well as just one piece of proof in a long list that Robert Pattinson makes stellar role choices when he's not playing a sparkly vampire. In 2017, heist thriller Good Time was a standout. Following one wild night in New York City as small-time criminal Connie (Pattinson, The Batman) tries to find some cash to get his brother out of jail, it's a pulsating effort from directors Benny and Josh Safdie — who went on to make the also-exceptional Uncut Gems afterwards. Usually, Good Time boasts a helluva thumping, nerve-shredding electronic soundtrack by Oneohtrix Point Never, who also did the same for Uncut Gems. But Hear My Eyes is tasking Big Yawn and Teether with coming up with a brand-new live score on Friday, June 9 at the Melbourne Recital Centre. That means rhythm and rap, as designed to suit the film's relentless pace and vibe. This movie-and-music session joins past Hear My Eyes gigs such as Pan's Labyrinth, Chopper, Two Hands, Drive, Girlhood and Suspiria. Obviously, these shows are never the same twice. And, it sits on a packed RISING 2023 lineup that spans more than 400 artists over 12 days of visual art, culture, music, performance and food. A fellow highlight for movie lovers: Euphoria, a multi-screen film installation starring Cate Blanchett, which will fill Melbourne Town Hall.
When Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that Victoria's current lockdown wouldn't be lifting this week — as initially expected when it was extended back in mid-August — it was hardly surprising news. That revelation was short on detail; however, the Premier has has just announced today, Wednesday, September 1, that current stay-at-home conditions will now continue in Melbourne until on or around Thursday, September 23. Yes, that means that the city will have spent more than a month and a half in its sixth lockdown by that date. And if you're wondering why that date is just an estimation, that's because the Victorian Government is linking it to vaccination rates — specifically, the date that 70 percent of the state's residents have had their first COVID-19 jab. Also, regional Victoria is also currently under stay-at-home rules as well, and lockdown is continuing there for the time being, too. That said, the Premier advised that it's possible regional parts of the state will be able to loosen some lockdown rules as early as next week — so, the week beginning Monday, September 6 — depending on case numbers. If that proves possible, further details will be announced next week. Announcing the news today — a day that marked Victoria's largest new locally acquired COVID-19 case number tally for a single day this year, with 120 people identified with the coronavirus in the 24 hours to midnight last night — Premier Andrews said "we will not see these case numbers go down. They are going to go up. The question is: by how many and how fast?" He continued: "what we are all doing — the government, the public health team, nurses, doctors, people working in laboratories and testing clinics, people giving jabs, all of us as Victorians following the rules — all of us are trying to manage two peaks: the peak of those who are vaccinated, and the peak of those who get infected with this Delta variant. What we must do is suppress case numbers sufficient to buy us time, to buy us time, to get people vaccinated." On the advice of the Chief Health Officer, Victoria's lockdown will be extended to slow the spread and keep Victorians safe. Due to the level of community transmission and number of unlinked cases, almost all restrictions will remain in place. pic.twitter.com/Gr3IG7N4b5 — Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) September 1, 2021 That said, while current lockdown rules will continue in Melbourne for around the next three weeks, the Premier also revealed that some very minor changes will come into effect this week. So, from 11.59pm on Thursday, September 2, playgrounds will be allowed to reopen, but only for children under 12 accompanied by one parent or carer, and with QR codes required for checking in. Any adults at playgrounds with kids also won't be allowed to take off their masks to eat or drink. Also, caring for children at home via babysitters will be expanded to include school-aged children, but only if both parents are authorised workers. Otherwise, the current stay-at-home rules remain in place until that 70-percent first dose mark is reached. So, Victorian residents are still only permitted to leave home for five reasons: shopping for what you need, when you need it; caregiving and compassionate reasons; essential work or permitted eduction that can't be done from home; exercise; and getting vaccinated against COVID-19. Also remaining in place for now: the 9pm–5am curfew, the five-kilometre rule for leaving the house, permits to go out for authorised work, the two-hour and two-person exercise limit, and the ban on both private and public gatherings. While you can't have any visitors enter your home in general, there are single bubbles, and intimate partner visits are allowed. So, if you live alone, you can form a bubble with another person or see your other half. Also, masks are mandatory everywhere outside of your home, and can't be removed outdoors to drink alcohol. Weddings aren't permitted, and most venues, retail stores and businesses must still stay closed — with hospitality venues doing takeaways only, but supermarkets, bottle shops and pharmacies permitted to open. On or around Thursday, September 23, when the 70-percent first-dose vaccination target is reached, a few significant changes will kick in, including expanding the travel radius to ten kilometres, and allowing outdoor exercise for three hours. Victoria first went into this lockdown at the beginning of August — just nine days after the previous lockdown ended — and has seen the stay-at-home rules extended not once but twice before now, and the nighttime curfew implemented as well. In regional Victoria, the rest of the state started this lockdown with Greater Melbourne, then was released early just a few days later, and then re-entered lockdown in the middle of August. As always, Victorians can keep an eye on the local list of exposure sites at the Department of Health website — it keeps being updated as more locations are identified. For those looking to get tested, you can find a list of testing sites including regularly updated waiting times also on the Department of Health website. And, has remained the case throughout the pandemic, Victorians should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste, symptoms-wise. Melbourne will remain under the current lockdown rules until 70 percent of the state has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to be on or around Thursday, September 23. Rules in regional Victoria may ease earlier, however, and may happen as early as sometime in the week beginning Monday, September 6 — with further details to be announced if that proves the case. For more information about the rules in place at the moment, head to the Victorian Department of Health website.
Your next road trip through southern New South Wales has gained seven additional stops, all filled with eye-catching pieces of art. Spanning 100 kilometres, and created in response to 2019–20's Black Summer fires, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail now sprawls across the region. It showcases more than 25 giant works by Australian and international artists, all thanks to the team behind Bondi's Sculpture by the Sea. One celebration of sculptures has never been enough for this crew, which also runs another Sculpture by the Sea in Cottesloe in Western Australia each year. Now, instead of heading west or making a date with Bondi's pop-up pieces of art — with both events only running for a short period each year — art lovers can explore a super-scenic part of the country whenever they like. Officially launched on Thursday, May 5, the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail is a permanent attraction — all dotted along a backroad from Sydney and Canberra to Melbourne. Your specific destinations: the towns of Adelong, Batlow and Tumbarumba; the hamlet of Tooma; and the Tumbarumba wine region cellar doors at Courabyra Wines, Johansen Wines and Obsession Wines. That's where the 25-plus sculptures now sit in seven specific locations, including a one-kilometre trail-within-the-trail at the Adelong Creek Walk, more along Pioneer Street in Batlow, three stops in Tumbarumba, one at Tooma and some between the latter two spots. You'll also find more at the northern entrances to Batlow and Tumbarumba, welcoming you into both towns. Exactly what you'll spy where is best discovered by driving along the trail yourself — but human-shaped figures, abstract shapes, chimneys, hanging teardrops and more all make appearances along the route. That lineup of pieces hails from impressive art names, too. New South Wales' own Michael Le Grand, Philip Spelman, Harrie Fasher, Stephen King and Elyssa Sykes-Smith are featured, alongside Japanese artists Haruyuki Uchida, Keizo Ushio and Takeshi Tanabe — and Keld Moseholm from Denmark, Milan Kuzica from Czech Republic, and Jennifer Cochrane, Norton Flavel and Ron Gomboc from Western Australia. The list goes on, also spanning eye-catching works by artists from New Zealand, Slovakia and South Africa. The aim, as well as giving tourists plenty to see: helping the communities featured recover after the bushfires, attracting visitors from across Australia and showcasing the region. And it's a fitting year for the Sculpture by the Sea to launch something new, too, given that 2022 marks 25 years since the event first launched at Bondi in 1997. Find the Snowy Valleys Sculpture Trail along the Snowy Valleys Way in southern New South Wales. For more information, head to the trail's website.
A group of Yale University professors and students may have discovered an unconventional solution to the earth's growing waste problem: fungi. Participating in the university's Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory educational program, students engaged in discovery-based research, searching for plants and culturing the micro-organisms within their tissue. It was through this process that they came across fungi which can degrade and utilise the common plastic polyurethane. The fungus can survive solely off of this plastic, without any use of oxygen. As polyurethane is a large contributor to our waste issue, the introduction of this fungi could have real potential. The results of the study have been published in the 'Applied and Environmental Microbiology' journal. [via PSFK]
Imagine simply waving a pen around in the air and creating real-life 3D objects while you do it. Well imagine no longer, because thanks to the development of the 3Doodler, the world's first and only 3D printing pen, this incredible feat has become a reality. The nifty gadget draws in the air or on surfaces, using heated PLA plastic which solidifies into a stable structure almost immediately after being released from the pen. The 3Doodler can be used to create anything from simple shapes and forms to more sophisticated jewellery items, decorative arts, or complex structures as intricate as a mini Eiffel Tower. It's an exciting tool for artists, jewellery makers, designers, or anyone who wants to let their imagination run wild. Requiring no batteries, extra software, or parts, the pen can be plugged into a power socket and open a whole world of creation (quite literally) at your fingertips. At this stage the 3Doodler is also significantly cheaper than any other 3D printer out there, so you can have endless hours of creative fun without breaking the bank. The founders, Max Bogue and Peter Dilworth, who both have a rich background in manufacturing and inventing, hoped to release the product on the market by December 2012. However, in order to ensure the model was functioning perfectly, which they guarantee it now is, they waited to happily announce its launch now. To back the project, visit their Kickstarter. With already over 20,000 backers, and US$1.8 million pledged, they must be doing something right. Via Hyperallergic.
Everybody loves treehouses. Don't let anyone tell you that timber structures in branches are just for kids — living in your own sky-high hideaway amongst the greenery is an urge that you never grow out of. Thankfully, from plane-shaped buildings to entire apartment blocks to Australia's finest treetop spaces, there's no shortage of spots to climb up to. And while they all come with great views, Italy's latest addition to the fold is taking the concept up a few notches. Located in the Dolomites, the two Pigna treehouses overlook the alpine range from their lofty spot — and look like they've always been there. Suspended ten metres above the ground, and measuring eight-and-a-half metres in height and six in width, the cosy, three-level holiday homes are built to resemble pinecones, using larch shingles made from wood from Central Europe's Alpe-Adria region. Inside, those spending the night will find 360-degree vantages over the gorgeous scenery, a living area with a kitchenette, and a top-floor bedroom complete with a skylight. Nestled into fir trees, the treehouses are accessible by individual bridges, with every aspect designed to provide "a journey to discover the sounds, smells and scenery of nature." The project, which was finished this year, was originally conceived by architect Luca Beltrame as part of the ArchTriump competition in 2014. Via Dezeen. Images: DomusGaia / Malga Priu Ugovizza / Luca Beltrame + Laura Tessaro.
What starts with an anthology drama that tells eight tales by Western Sydney writers, then ends with Wes Anderson's latest? That'd be the 2021 Sydney Film Festival. Finally set to return to the city's big screens for a full festival run, the annual cinema showcase will unleash a lineup of 233 titles between Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 14 — beginning with Aussie effort Here Out West and ending with The French Dispatch. They're SFF's bookends for the year; however, with a full program that hefty — with 111 feature films, 50 documentaries and 72 short films, in fact — there's obviously much, much more where they came from. And, yes, the fest will be returning the State Theatre, Event Cinemas George Street, Dendy Cinemas Newtown, Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace Cremorne and Ritz Cinema Randwick quite a bit later than usual. The 2021 event will be making its debut at Palace Central Broadway, Palace Chauvel Cinema Paddington and Palace Norton Street Leichhardt a few months after it originally planned, too, after this year's event initially shifted from its usual June dates to the end of August, then moved again to November due to Sydney's lengthy lockdown. And, while the 2020 festival completely moved online, the 2021 event is actually going hybrid. So, Sydneysiders can get their movie fix in-person for 12 days, complete with those quick jogs down George Street to dash between sessions, before checking out SFF On Demand from Friday, November 12–Sunday, November 21. Thanks to the latter, 56 feature-length films and 13 shorts will be available to watch digitally — not just locally, but nationally as well. During the fest's physical run, program highlights include the Timothée Chalamet-starring new version of Dune, 2021 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or winner Titane, Pedro Almodóvar and Penelope Cruz's latest collaboration Parallel Mothers, Broadway-to-cinema adaptation Dear Evan Hansen and Iranian director Asghar Farhadi's latest A Hero. Still among the big-name titles, Aussie drama The Drover's Wife The Legend of Molly Johnson sits among SFF's competition lineup, as does Memoria, the Tilda Swinton-starring English-language debut of Cemetery of Splendour filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul; and Petite Maman, the latest film by Portrait of a Lady on Fire's Céline Sciamma. Or, there's Jane Campion's new film The Power of the Dog, which stars Kirsten Dunst and Benedict Cumberbatch; televangelist biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye with Jessica Chastain and Andrew Garfield; the Will Smith-led King Richard, about Venus and Serena' Williams' father; and Oscar Isaac and Tiffany Haddish in The Card Counter. Two Berlinale Golden Bear winners are on the bill as well, thanks to 2020's There Is No Evil and 2021's Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn. And, SFF has kept a heap of its initially announced titles — from way back in June — such as Undine, Christian Petzold's Berlin-set, fable-inspired romance; and New Zealand's The Justice of Bunny King, which stars Essie Davis (Babyteeth) and Thomasin McKenzie (Old). There's also 2020 Sundance hit Zola, which is based on a lengthy 148-tweet Twitter thread; The Kids, which sees Australian filmmaker Eddie Martin (All This Mayhem) explore Larry Clark's 1995 film Kids; and three-time Sundance 2021 winner Hive, the first film to ever win the fest's Grand Jury Prize, Audience Award and Directing Award. Obviously, the list of standouts just keeps on keeping on. Wash My Soul in the River's Flow hones its focus on Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter, following the couple as they prepare for 2004's Kura Tungar — Songs from the River — a collaboration between the First Nation artists, Paul Grabowsky and the Australian Art Orchestra; River is the latest musing on the planet we all call home by Sherpa director Jennifer Peedom; Cow sees American Honey director Andrea Arnold explore the existence of a dairy cow, and Bergman Island is the Tim Roth and Mia Wasikowska-starring new drama from Mia Hansen-Løve (Things to Come). Also, Fist of Fury Noongar Daa dubs the Bruce Lee-starring Fist of Fury in an Aboriginal Australian language, and becomes the first feature to ever do so; SBS documentary Strong Female Lead, about media coverage of Julia Gillard's stint as Prime Minister, gets a big-screen berth; and SFF's usual lineups of family-friendly fare, wild and wonderful genre flicks, Aussie documentaries and features from talented female European filmmakers all return. Whether you're attending SFF in-person or watching along via SFF On Demand — or both — you'll clearly have plenty to watch in November. The 2021 Sydney Film Festival will now take place between Wednesday, November 3–Sunday, November 14. For further information, head to the festival website.
The idea of modern pizza might have been born in Naples, but that won't stop Romans from thinking their thin and crusty alternative is the superior slice. If you feel similarly, you'll be thrilled to know South Melbourne Market has welcomed Pizzateca Lupa – a Roman-style cafe and pizzeria named after Rome's symbolic she-wolf. While the corner of Cecil and Coventry Streets is far from the Seven Hills, diving into the menu offers plenty of reason to visit. Exploring authentic Italian cuisine in a laidback setting, brothers Lino and Gabriele Torre have shaped a takeaway lunch featuring traditional slices of teglia — square focaccia baked in a tray — adorned with a handful of rotating toppings. Meanwhile, there's also classic pizza tonda — round pizza with a super thin crust — made fresh to order. However, the dine-in menu is where Pizzateca Lupa really shines, showcasing the full spectrum of antipasti, pasta, pizza and Italian specialities. Kick off your feast with fried globe artichokes, fritto misto, and a selection of artisanal cheeses and meats. Then, delve into Roman-style pasta dishes made with Pastificio Liguori, one of Italy's oldest pasta producers, including carbonara tubettone, cacio e pepe spaghetti and amatriciana fusilli. As for the dine-in pizza menu, you'll find 13-inch pizza tonda options, from the tried-and-true margherita to the inventive norma, combining fried eggplant, smoked fior di latte, cherry tomatoes, ricotta salata and basil. "Traditionally, Roman pizzas feature a light and crispy crust, which is what we're doing at Pizzateca Lupa. We're really focused on depth of flavour, it's not just about adding tomato and anchovies; we pre-cook the tomatoes for richness and every ingredient is considered using the best quality produce we can find," says Co-Owner and chef Gabriele Torre. The drinks menu is just as thoughtful, with ST. ALi's dark roasted 'Italo Disco' blend delivering a pick-me-up shaped by Italian coffee sensibilities. If dining in, explore a selection of Venetian spritzes, or sip down a paloma or negroni. You'll also encounter beers from Peroni and Bodriggy, while a curated wine list spans local and Italian varieties, available by the glass, carafe or bottle. Pizzateca Lupa's design is also a hit, inspired by alimentari-style stores. Led by Melbourne-based architects Jackson Clements Burrows, a fruit and vegetable shop was transformed into this bright 34-seat cafe and pizzeria. Evoking the quiet charm of European simplicity, a deep red palette and walnut tones invite a warm dining experience, while street-side tables and chairs conjure just a hint of Rome's food neighbourhoods, from Trastevere to San Lorenzo. Time for a slice? Se manga. Pizzateca Lupa is open Wednesday–Sunday from 11am–9.30pm at 116 Cecil Street, South Melbourne. Head to the website for more information. Images: Michael Pham.
Fancy spending the day — and night — celebrating a bunch of talented female creatives? Well, you're in luck, because that's exactly what's on the agenda for International Women's Day at Section 8. On Saturday, March 5, the much-loved container bar is getting into the spirit and throwing some love behind the female community, with a '13-hour femme festival'. First up, you'll catch a female-led artist market held in the laneway, showcasing a diverse array of goodies — shop jewellery, art, second-hand fashion, accessories, homewares and more, from 12pm. Then, funneling you into the night and beyond is a tasty program of sounds from an all-female DJ lineup. Hitting the decks through until the wee hours, you'll catch favourites like Elle Shimada, Sadiva, Mrs Wallace, Turbo Thot, Sistym and Nokia 3210. Entry is free, the dance floor promises to be hopping and the bar will be slinging its usual offering of tasty sips. [caption id="attachment_844343" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leilani Bale[/caption] Images: Leilani Bale
While some people seem to want to make it harder to be a cyclist in the city (ahem, NSW Government), others want to make it easier. We could point to many European cities — for example, Amsterdam's solar powered bike path and London's cross-city cycle highway — as well these low-cost recycled cardboard bikes and this beautiful fold-up one from Lucid Design. But this time it's IKEA who are getting on board with urban cycling, creating a chainless bike for commuters. The bike, named SLADDA, is designed to be low maintenance so that anyone (i.e. the general population who don't know anything about chains and gears) can use and ride the bike without worrying about all the technical stuff. Instead of a chain it will have a corrosion-resistant, maintenance-free cogged drive belt that, according to IKEA, will be good for up to 15,000 kilometres. The whole concept of the bike, which was created by global design consultancy Veryday and has already won an award, has been "designed to fit an urban lifestyle". The bike's aluminium frame is lightweight, which makes it easier to carry up and down stairs and manoeuvre in and out of your house, as well as scratch-resistant and adjustable. It will also be integrated into a 'click system', which will allow you to buy accessories — like baskets, racks and even a small trailer — that simply 'click' onto the bike. The SLADDA is set to be available from August in Europe, with a worldwide release potentially following soon after. It will cost €699 (or about $1000 AUD). Via Core77.
Third Drawer Down is nothing if not bold. Its flagship Fitzroy store has a yellow rubber ducky out the front that's bigger than the doorway and now, its new Greville Street location is painted like a liquorice allsort. Though it opened just a matter of days ago, this enigmatic homewares, gift and novelty store is already hard to miss. Like its exterior, the contents of this store have a penchant for the absurd. Enjoy a healthy bento lunch while day-dreaming about hamburgers. Organise your desk at work with some post-its that tell it how it is. Or slow down your schedule with a 365-day clock. For Christmas last year, I bought my dad an egg cup in the shape of a dachshund's head from the Fitzroy store. There's no rhyme or reason in truly excellent gift giving, and Third Drawer Down's new location will be a godsend for Southsiders come Secret Santa time. However, as much as everyone loves novelty, the store also offers a curated selection of homewares and everyday items that are useful all-year round. With a vested interest in art and design, most offerings double up as artworks in and of themselves. For instance, a humble tea towel could turn into a reaffirming wall-piece from David Shrigley; your coffee mugs are also a canvas for Louise Bourgeois, and Ai Wei Wei's beautiful silk perspective scarf is almost too stunning to scrunch up and tie around your head. When compared to its Northside counterpart, this new store in Prahran is a little smaller. It's lost the secret little nooks and crannies, and given way to an open-plan design characterised by purposeful displays and bright, vivid colours. However it also has a secret little artists' space in the adjoining room, and word on the street is that it'll be home to a series of bi-weekly workshops with creative types. No exact dates yet, but we hear it'll be a great chance to rub elbows with some beautiful artsy people while drinking wine, eating pizza and learning new skills (AKA all of our favourite things). It seems the traditional North v. South rivalry may be drawing to a close. As long as we both have immediate access to giant paintbrushes, we can surely have a lasting peace. The new Third Drawer Down store is located at 155 Greville Street, Prahran. It's open 11am - 5pm Monday - Saturday, and 11am - 4pm on Sundays.
When Avengers: Endgame reached cinemas back in April 2019, it was the culmination of more than a decade of superhero movies — and the box office behemoth was designed to help end the third phase in the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe. It definitely wasn't intended to be one of the last MCU movies to hit the big screen for a few years, of course, but that's how things have played out during the pandemic. After a two-year hiatus from cinemas — following July 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home — Black Widow brought the huge blockbuster franchise back to picture palaces just last month. Before the year is out, there'll be more where that came from. In early September, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will introduce a new figure, before Eternals arrives in November with more than a few fresh faces — and a big glimpse at life in the aftermath of the Avengers' battle with Thanos. The MCU has plenty of fans for all of its films, and for the ongoing saga that seems likely to never leave the silver screen, but Eternals has something no other movie in the franchise has ever boasted: history-making Oscar-winner Chloé Zhao. And, in not one, not two, but now three sneak peeks at her contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it looks like the Nomadland will be giving Marvel's next crew of superheroes — ancient and immortal alien beings who've been working in the shadows for thousands of years after arriving on earth via an eye-catching spaceship — a far more vivid yet naturalistic appearance. Led by Ajak (Salma Hayek, Like a Boss), these heroes are now forced to band together again to save the world from an evil threat, and also grapple with the effects of their inaction during the events of Avengers: Endgame. Narrative-wise, it seems like standard MCU stuff, at least on paper; however, with Zhao the helm, the film doesn't look or feel like your average Marvel movie, including in the movie's just-dropped latest trailer. The Eternals have always been charged with battling an enemy called The Deviants, and that's what Ajak, Ikaris (Richard Madden, Game of Thrones), Sersi (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani, Stuber), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff, Sound of Metal), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry, Godzilla vs Kong), Sprite (Lia McHugh, Songbird), Gilgamesh (Don Lee, Ashfall), Druig (Barry Keoghan, Calm with Horses) and Thena (Angelina Jolie, Those Who Wish Me Dead) will be doing here. One GoT star is never enough for any movie, so Kit Harington also features. In the new trailer, he doesn't appear to know nothing. Check out the latest Eternals trailer below: Eternals opens in cinemas Down Under on November 4.
Melburnians love to start food trends in Australia. We do, after all, have the greatest food culture in the country. But Sydney got one up on us back in 2019 when Demochi started selling Japanese-style mochi doughnuts out of a food truck by the Banksia Hotel. It was the first place in Australia to sell these glazed bad boys that resemble sugar-coated inflatable pool toys. The sweet masterpieces blend the airy, crispy elements of a doughnut with that unique chewy mochi texture. And Sydneysiders have been going nuts for them ever since the doughnut truck landed in their city. Since then, owners Dennis and Monique Chan (of Dirty Bird food truck) have opened up a permanent spot in Sydney and, as of Tuesday the 23rd of January, a new store in Melbourne's CBD within Midtown Plaza on the Corner of Bourke Street and Swanston Street. Demochi changes up the doughnut flavours fairly regularly, but you might come across flavours like yuzu and mint or matcha glazed dough boys, as well as more traditional doughnut flavours such as strawberry or chocolate glaze. Whackier varieties may include doughnuts frosted with cereal and milk and a cheeky fairybread number. The Chans have also expanded their dessert offerings since opening the Demochi food truck in Sydney. Now, they serve up their own house-made soft serve ice cream topped with toasted meringue and the super fun Demochi Fried Chicken — it looks like a drumette of fried chicken but is actually a crunchy wafer that's been covered in ice cream, dipped in chocolate and tossed in crumbed cereal. It's served in a classic chicken shop takeaway box and is an absolute must-try if sugar is your truest vice. A new cake range will also be available at Demochi's new Melbourne site, including a crispy chocolate coffee cake and the strawberry brûlée mascarpone gateaux. Sweet-toothed CBD workers and locals best add this one to their dessert hit list. You can find the new Demochi Melbourne shop at 246 Bourke Street (inside Midtown Plaza), open 11am–7pm from Monday to Saturday, and from 11am–5pm on Sundays. For more details, check out the venue's website.
The already staggeringly-large BIGSOUND lineup just got slightly more colossal. Adding another 40 or so artists to the already 80-strong list, Brisbane's answer to SXSW announced this afternoon that the likes of Seekae, Voyager, Nicholas Albrook, The Funkoars, Pierce Brothers, Hayden James, Art of Sleeping and Canada’s July will be joining the September festivities. The new batch join the existing cohort of already announced names like Gold Fields, DMA’s, Holy Holy, BAD//DREEMS, Client Liaison, KINGSWOOD and REMI. "It's no exaggeration to say that over two nights we'll be showcasing some of the most exciting rock, hip hop, punk, metal, dance, pop, folk, roots and country music in the world, said executive programmer Nick O'Byrne. "We reckon the quality of music and the incredible festival environment will firmly establish BIGSOUND as one of the most dynamic tastemaking events in the international calendar. What makes it even more exciting is the unprecedented influx of music industry leaders who can't wait to see and hear what we have to offer." BIGSOUND attendees will have to change up their highlighter colours to self-schedule the three-day conference program, with the recent announcement of speakers causing a significant amount of squealidge — think Neil Finn, the church, Bluesfest's Peter Noble, James Minor from SXSW, Tom Windish from The Windish Agency, Ben Marshall from the Sydney Opera House, and Jerome Borazio and Danny Rogers from St Jerome's Laneway Festival, all divulging all their long-lived industry secrets. Running September 10 - 11, BIGSOUND brings panels, keynotes, showcases and live gigs to Fortitude Valley for another year. This local love-in will run over 12 locations including Brissy staples like The Zoo, Ric's and Alhambra new sites such as The Underdog, The New Globe, The Elephant, Crowbar, and a new outdoor venue by Brightside and Magic City. You'll have your work cut out for you to see everything, but luckily you can start planning now. Tickets are on sale via Oztix with a two-day pass only setting you back $69+bf. BIGSOUND Live 2014 newly announced artists: the church Seekae Voyager Nicholas Albrook The Funkoars Pierce Brothers July Talk (CAN) Hayden James Art Of Sleeping SAFIA Life Pilot Meniscus Toehider THIEF Felicity Groom Jeremy Neale Harmony James DARKC3LL Mr. Hill & Rahjconkers A Million Dead Birds Laughing Kathryn Rollins Mammals Daily Meds Like Thieves Marlon Williams KU?KA Mise en Scene (CAN) Coin Banks Eden Mulholland Males (NZ) Mosman Alder Jesse Sheehan (NZ) REPTILES Bound For Ruin Mathas My Friend The Betrayer All Our Exes Live In Texas Usurper Of Modern Medicine Dozzi Peter Bibby Rolls Bayce Shellfin Sparkspitter Check out the BIGSOUND website for more info. Words by Shannon Connellan and Meg Watson.
When Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art's (MONA) hosts an arts and music festival, it doesn't just compile a standard lineup of shows and events. It curates talents that will hit other bills in other cities, of course, but it also hunts down the kind of gigs and experiences that you generally won't see elsewhere. Take 2023's just-dropped Mona Foma program as a prime example. It was already packed with Pavement, Bon Iver, Bikini Kill, Angel Olsen and Peaches (and Perturbator, The Chills and Kae Tempest), as announced back in October, but now it includes a tunnel of light, 'Complaints Choir' and punk bunker — because of course it does. MONA's summer fest — aka its sunny alternative to its sinister winter arts and culture festival Dark Mofo — will return in February 2023 in a big way. How big? With 370 artists across two weekends. The dates to get excited about: Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Launceston, and Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, 2023 in Hobart. Now, here's what you'll be seeing. [caption id="attachment_875442" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Debi Del Grande[/caption] Launceston's weekend-long Mona Foma stint will feature a free three-day party at a new hub in the city's decommissioned old TAFE called the reUNIÓN district, which is where those unusual vocals — singing local Launceston grievances — will echo. It's also where there'll be queer woodchopping in the quad, Soccer Mommy taking to the stage and that punk bunker featuring, yes, punk tunes played loud a bunker. Also on the list in Launceston, where Mona Foma has been hitting up since 2019: underwater electronica by Leon Vynehall in the Basin Pool; dance work Body Body Commodity from Jenni Large; James Webb's Prayer, where you will indeed need to kneel while listening to recordings of prayer, song and vocal worship; and Van Diemen's Band and Ensemble Kaboul teaming up for Afghanistan-meets-baroque music. [caption id="attachment_880157" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Prayer, 2012, James Webb. Photo credit: Anthea Pokroy. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] Plus, there's a Fantastic Futures exhibition, a late-night book club overseen by 'sonic librarians', Kenneth Tam's Breakfast in Bed theatre experiment — featuring seven guys he found on Craigslist — and the delightfully named Anthem Anthem Revolution, where you're asked to beat a robot at a game of table tennis. A certain highlight is Hyperbolic Psychedelic Mind Melting Tunnel of Light, with Robin Fox letting attendees take over the light, sound and motion controls one person at a time. Also set to stun is CHANT, with Tasmanian women's sporting clubs performing historic and contemporary feminist protest chants; Lost in Place, a pairing of electro-ambient psychedelic jazz with live dance; Arnhem Land documentary Christmas Birrimbirr; and Martina Hoogland Ivanow's film Interbeing, which only used thermal cameras to shoot human interactions and capture the heat behind them. [caption id="attachment_880156" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Christmas Birrimbirr, (Christmas Spirit), (video still), 2011, Miyarrka Media. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] MONA's summer event was initially held in Hobart, as seasoned fans will remember, and the fest hasn't forgotten its OG home. If that's where you're getting your Mona Foma fix in 2023, you have a stacked lineup in store as well. Many of the fest's big-name acts are playing there — Bon Iver, Bikini Kill, Peaches and Pavement all included — and the MONA lawns will also host a show featuring songwriters from the Pilbara town of Roebourne singing for freedom on the 40th-anniversary year of John Pat's passing in custody, as guided by Ngarluma and Yinjibarndi Elders. Also, Amber McCartney and Tasdance's dance performance Baby Girl will enjoy its world premiere, Nico Muhly takes over the fest as an artist in residence, and the Theatre Royal's program includes IHOS Amsterdam's time travel-inspired PRIMORDIAL For Piano and Diverse Media and film noir opera A Deep Black Sleep. [caption id="attachment_880154" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Climate Notes, Anna McMichael and Louise Devenish. Photo credit: Lucian Fuhler. Image courtesy of the artist and Mona Foma.[/caption] Or, see Climate Notes in Rosny Park, playing five new works for violin and percussion that all take inspiration from scientists' handwritten letters about global warming — and explore Tomas' Garden by Cici (Xiyue) Zhang, where monsters and spirits will feature in an immersive magical landscape. The list goes on, complete with Morning Meditations in both cities — and Chloe Kim doing 100 hours of public drumming over ten days. [caption id="attachment_784488" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Robin Fox laser installation at the Albert Hall, Launceston, Mona Foma 2019. Photo Credit: MONA/Jesse Hunniford. Image courtesy of the artist and MONA Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.[/caption] Already keen to get booking? Fancy a Tasmania trip in the interim? Our Concrete Playground Trips Hobart getaway might also be of interest. Mona Foma will take place from Friday, February 17–Sunday, February 19, 2023 in Launceston, and from Friday, February 24–Sunday, February 26, 2023 in Hobart. Tickets go on sale at 11am on Tuesday, November 29 — head to the festival website for further details. Top image: Regurgitator & Seja & Mindy Meng Wang on guzheng perform The Velvet Underground & Nico. Photo Credit: Mona/Rémi Chauvin. Image Courtesy Mona, Museum of Old and New Art, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 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.
Brunswick bar and music venue Howler has added to the family, unveiling a breezy new pop-up that'll be sticking around for the summer months. With a look reminiscent of some Wes Anderson film set in 1960s Palm Springs, Howlerwood has taken over a sunny position just around the back on Michael Street and it's your new go-to for balmy drinking sessions every Wednesday to Sunday. Expect sunset hues, palm fronds and twinkling festoon lights, painting a dreamy backdrop for the bar's lineup of kitsch cocktails. Summery sips include a range of boozy slushies — think, watermelon margaritas and a frozen Blue Hawaiian — alongside crafty tins and shareable cocktail jugs to split between two or four. Meanwhile, your mates at vegan pizzeria Red Sparrow are also on board, slinging plant-based woodfired delights out of their food truck from Friday to Sunday. With a few slices and a couple of spritz, sunset sessions here are looking pretty blissful. Howlerwood is open from 4–10pm Wednesday–Friday and 2–10pm Saturday–Sunday.
Don't go saying that you don't have anything to watch between Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24. In cinemas around the Victorian capital, for 18 movie-filled days, 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival boasts a program more than 275 flicks deep. This year's MIFF is where The Chronology of Water, the feature directorial debut of Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding), will screen for the first time Down Under — and where Urchin, which notches up the same feat for Babygirl's Harris Dickinson, will as well. Both are heading to Melbourne fresh from their Cannes premieres. MIFF will also give the city its initial chance to see early pandemic-set western Eddington from Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid), celebrate a music icon with the world premiere of Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man, enjoy the full Norwegian Sex trilogy that culminated with 2025 Berlinale Golden Bear-recipient Dreams (Sex Love), get unsettled by Daisy Ridley (Cleaner)-led Australian found-footage horror We Bury the Dead, take the family to animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 based on Aussie author Aaron Blabey's books, pay tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and much, much more. If I Had Legs I'd Kick You starring Rose Byrne (Physical) is the fest's opening-night pick, Parasite composer Jung Jae-il is coming to Australia to conduct the movie's score live in an Aussie exclusive and Cannes Palme d'Or-winning It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi (No Bears) is on the lineup, too — and so is The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter performed live. Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley) is just one of two of the director's features on the bill. The other: Nouvelle Vague, with the American helmer bringing the French New Wave to life. Her Smell's Alex Ross Perry is another filmmaker with two titles on the lineup. With Videoheaven, a movie essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips, he pays tribute to the video-store era — and with Pavements, he focuses on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. The director is among MIFF's 2025 guests as well, including as a juror for its Bright Horizons award, the fest's $140,000 official competition for filmmakers that was introduced back in 2022. After Aftersun screened in the comp's debut year, its filmmaker Charlotte Wells is this year's jury president. The aforementioned Urchin and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You are in the running for 2025's Bright Horizon prize, as are the likes of Cannes hit Sound of Falling, Un Certain Regard award-winner The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, the Bangkok-set A Useful Ghost, and Matthew McConaughey (Agent Elvis)- and Kurt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters)-starring crime-thriller The Rivals of Amziah King. It isn't hard to find more standouts across the complete MIFF program, such as dramedy Sorry, Baby, which has had the film festival circuit talking since Sundance; Left-Handed Girl, with first-time director Shih-Ching Tsou boasting Anora Oscar-winner Sean Baker as her co-writer and editor; legal drama Two Prosecutors; and Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) Josh O'Connor (Challengers)-led The Mastermind. Others include O'Connor again in the small town-set Rebuilding, coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo, Wagner Moura's (Dope Thief) Cannes-winning performance in The Secret Agent, Bi Gan's (Long Day's Journey Into Night) Resurrection, the surveillance culture examination of documentary The Perfect Neighbor, 1000 Women in Horror's cinematic celebration, Aussie animation Lesbian Space Princess, the true crime-focused Zodiac Killer Project, Peter Dinklage (Wicked) as The Toxic Avenger and horror-comedy Zombucha! with Jackie van Beek (Audrey). The festival's retrospectives titles are always a highlight, and 2025's picks are no different — whether you're keen to mark 25 years since Looking for Alibrandi reached the screen via a 4K restoration; also see Sweetie, the debut feature from Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), get the same restored treatment; flash back to BMX Bandits; or work your way through MIFF's largest-ever tribute to a single director via the 27-film Chantal Akerman: Traces strand. From Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31, MIFF Online is also back so you can watch along from your couch.
Biding your time until the next season of Stranger Things drops, or just looking for a fun new procrastination technique? Thanks to Netflix's latest addition, you can now do both. The streaming platform has just jumped into the mobile games realm, adding five titles to its Android app — and two of them are Stranger Things-themed, because of course they are. If you have an Android device (and the Netflix app installed on it, obviously), you'll now be greeted with the option to play Stranger Things: 1984 and Stranger Things 3: The Game — as well as the non Stranger Things-related Shooting Hoops, Card Blast and Teeter Up. Mashing buttons obviously isn't why you normally open up Netflix on your phone, but clearly the streaming behemoth is hoping that'll change. The company is aiming to leap into mobile gaming in a big way, in fact, offering the same kind of mix that it's launching with — so, titles linked to its streaming content, plus a range of others. While Netflix's gaming options are only available on Android for now, they'll be rolled out to iOs as well in the near future. If you now know how you're going to spend your public transport trips to and from work, you'll be able to access Netflix's new games as part of your existing subscription — and there's no in-app purchases, either. Netflix is offering its games in multiple languages, too, and on all devices linked to each account — but not via kids profiles. Here are the five games available to download and play, with a whole lot more coming! 🕹Stranger Things: 1984 🎮Stranger Things 3 🏀 Shooting Hoops 🃏 Card Blast 🎱 Teeter Up — Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) November 2, 2021 This isn't the first time that the streaming service has flirted with gaming, if it all sounds a little familiar. Back in 2017, it released a retro-style, side-scrolling online video game that also nodded to Stranger Things — and in its streaming content itself, it's given viewers choose-your-own-adventure style movie specials such as Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs the Reverend. Also, we've all clearly just watched Squid Game. Yes, you can probably expect a mobile game linked to the hit Korean series to pop up at some point as well. Netflix's mobile games are now available via its Android app. For more details, head to the Netflix website.
You might already know that this year marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' last tour of Australia. Maybe you attended the recent exhibition in honour of the event, you might have spun a bit of Sgt. Pepper in an act of solidarity, or perhaps you've been copping an earful from older relatives reliving their days as hapless groupies. Either way, any of your tributes pale in comparison to that of the legends who live in Holbrook, New South Wales. In what's being hailed as the country's largest ever yarn bomb, thousands of eager knitters have this week coated a decommissioned Navy submarine in yellow crocheted wool. Organised by Murray Arts, the project has been six months in the making and features a crazy amount of work by the local community. Outside of Holbrook, contributions for the project came from as far across the globe as Scotland, where family members of those that had served on the submarine kindly offered their efforts too. At a whopping 90 metres in length, this yellow submarine now stands as beautiful tribute to the eponymous Beatles' classic (and also uncannily makes the vessel look like a prop from a Wes Anderson film). The yarn bomb will stay in place until July 12, when the blankets will be cut down and donated to an animal shelter. Good vibes all 'round. Via ABC. All images via the Holbrook Submarine Facebook.
It seems it's not enough for George Clooney to simply write, direct and act in compelling stories — they also need to be important. They need to have meaning. They need to prove the Hollywood machine isn't a Sophie's Choice between entertainment and education. As an audience member, Clooney wants you to know you can have both and you should have both, and with Goodnight and Good Luck, Syriana and The Ides of March, he made his point well. Then came The Monuments Men, and — on paper at least — it seemed he'd found his perfect project. Based on true events, the story is endowed with all the elements of an old-time war classic: a rag-tag bunch of recruits, a secret mission behind enemy lines and — most importantly — importance. Not only was this a film set in one of the 'good wars' (WWII) but it was centred around something far more 'meaningful' than a conflict over territories and ideologies. This was about art; about buildings, monuments, history and enlightenment. As Clooney's character explains, "If you destroy an entire generation of people's culture, it's as if they never existed." For that reason, the eponymous 'Monuments Men' were dispatched to Europe charged with protecting the continent's great works from both thievery and ruin on both sides of the War. It is, in all, a fascinating, beautiful and mostly untold tale of courage and dedication — the only problem being, the film doesn't do it justice. It's a tonal defect more than anything else. The first half strays so close to comedy it almost feels like Stripes meets Saving Private Ryan (and not just because the antiquities troupe boasts both Bill Murray and Matt Damon). The music, especially, is distractingly full of pomp and pageantry, a sort of Oh! What A Lovely War without the irony. As the team disembarks to one particularly sanguine number on the beaches of Normandy, you find yourself thinking: "…you guys do know what just happened here, right?" It is, to be fair, a somewhat defensible flaw, since the Monuments Men did enter the latter stages of the war thinking it more an adventure than a perilous and uncertain undertaking. Moreover, as the reality of their situation makes itself devastatingly apparent, so too does Alexandre Desplat's score shift moods, but from then on, the tonal problems are replaced by shortcomings in both pacing and subtlety. Rarely a quiet moment is permitted to pass without Clooney's Lt. Frank Stokes reminding his brothers in art why they're there, or repeatedly asking (then answering) whether a man ought rightly give his life for antiquity. Similarly, when there is action, it comes so quickly and so sporadically and in so many different locations that it robs the film of both suspense and cohesion. It's not a bad movie, and with a top-heavy ensemble cast that also includes Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, Bob Balaban and Jean Dujardin, the performances were never going to be a problem. It's just that — with a few excellent scenes notwithstanding — The Monuments Men feels altogether flat and expressionless, like a punctured tyre that gets you to your destination yet denies you the pleasant diversion along the way. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SziPDANik18
Whiplash is a film about a drummer, and it might just be the scariest thing you see all year. It's not Annabelle scary, as in paranormal pant-soiling scary, nor is it Silence of the Lambs scary, aka psychological pant-peeing. It's more disturbing, a sort of 'do whatever it takes', Talented Mr Ripley kind of film, chronicling the terrifying lengths people will go to in pursuit of a goal. It's a 'jazz thriller', really, and it's an exceptional, engrossing movie. Narrow in its focus, Whiplash concerns an ambitious young drummer named Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller), a first-year student at a prestigious New York music academy. When the school's premier conductor, Terence Fletcher (JK Simmons), invites him to join the marquee jazz ensemble, Neyman quickly finds himself embroiled in a gripping, exhausting, unsettling and even violent clash of egos driven by Fletcher's unyielding pursuit of excellence and Neyman's own determination to be the next musical great. Chairs are thrown, punches are thrown, and in any given practice session the trinity of 'blood, sweat and tears' becomes almost mandatory. The one small mercy for panic-stricken viewers who found The Exorcist to be an exercise in endurance rather than enjoyment was that the terror occurred predominantly within the confines of the bedroom. You knew when to be afraid, and in Whiplash that room is Fletcher's rehearsal space. What ought to be the epitome of cool is instead the Roman colosseum, with Fletcher its sitting Emperor. One of the bad ones. More Caligula than Caesar. He rules through fear and exploits his students' aspirations as a means of ensuring his own reputation remains one of excellence and achievement. A few minor roles notwithstanding (Paul Reiser has a nice turn as Neyman's softly spoken father), this is a movie focussed on the performances by Teller and Simmons, and they're both first rate. Teller spent hours on the kit every single day rehearsing for the role, and his percussive skills are as impressive as his acting ones. Both arrogance and insecurity bubble just beneath his character's surface, and his descent into physical and mental ruin is painfully believable. Opposite him, Simmons is a powerhouse of brute force and bravura; a fedora-wearing, baton-wielding drill-sergeant right out of Full Metal Jacket. He bullies, he abuses and he hurls bigoted slanders so often it's almost as though that's how he breathes. The explanation he offers is as unapologetic as it is simple: greatness only comes from being pushed beyond the comfort zone and penetrating the unknown. For a jazz movie there's surprisingly little of it, and while the final performance is nothing short of extraordinary, the lack of jam sessions and gigs feels at odds with Neyman's professed love of the art and his dogged pursuit of pre-eminence. The film's conclusion, too, is troubling, for while it delights on the musical front, conceptually it appears to reinforce what is plainly a flawed and dangerous approach to nurturing talent. Still, this a showcase of two outstanding performances and a clear standout in what has otherwise been a largely mediocre run of films in 2014. Must see. https://youtube.com/watch?v=8J6JH-R-TN0
There's nothing like a fresh haul of shiny new workout gear to inspire a little fitness kick. Especially when that workout gear takes the form of some high-performance threads from sustainability focused label Nimble Activewear. Well, this May, you're in for a treat, as the local brand pulls together a swag of great pieces for its huge Melbourne warehouse sale. Taking over South Yarra's Ellis Street Studio from May 10–11, the sale will be packed full of bargains, offering a hefty range of outerwear, tights, sports bras, sweats, shorts and more. Some designs will be going as cheap as $25, with savings of up to 80 percent across the racks. And nothing will cost you more than $40. You'll even catch pieces from the label's core CompressLite line, which is cleverly crafted from recycled plastic bottles. Nab one of these and you'll really have something to feel good about — Nimble's saved over 300,000 plastic bottles from heading to landfill in the past year alone. Nimble Warehouse Sale will be open from 7am–7pm Friday and 8am–3pm on Saturday.
When Jurassic Park opened in 1993, Steven Spielberg presented us with dinosaurs of such terrifying and spectacular realism, they've not been bested in the more than two decades since. So too the giant, wreathing CGI tornados of 1996's Twister, upon which Spielberg acted as executive producer. Special effects have come a long way since then, and one unfortunate corollary has been the proliferation of movies based on them rather than bolstered by them. Consider the latest offering: Into The Storm — another 'nature attacks humans' film where the only twist is it wasn't directed by Roland Emmerich. Here, a series of twisters are on a collision course with a small American town, imperilling not only its inhabitants but also the storm chasers determined to film from within the eye of the tornado. Some kids get stuck in a mill, more get trapped in their school and… that's it. There's the plot. Storm come. Storm big. Storm destroy. Most annoying of all, this is another addition to the found footage genre of film — an entirely unnecessary device that's almost always ignored as soon it becomes too difficult to explain how or why someone was filming every single moment (in this case, a dramatic shot of 747s swirling around inside a giant tornado was not, presumably, filmed by a pigeon with a Go-Pro). Found footage also has a knack for making even decent actors look rubbish, as is the case here with Richard Armitage, aka The Hobbit's Thorin Oakenshield. His dialogue, whether scripted or improvised, seems horrifically forced throughout, representing a sort of poor-man's Frank Underwood narration. There is one drawcard here, and it's the weather. The menacing skies are spectacular and the force of the winds is well captured in the action sequences, yet it's nothing we'd not already seen all the way back in 1996. So, if it's a twister film you desire, save your money and revisit the only one actually worthy of the name. https://youtube.com/watch?v=A_kj8EKhV3w
In what's proving to be a huge year for new places to stay in Brisbane, Fortitude Valley has just welcomed its next addition: The Calile Hotel. Two years in the making — as anyone that spotted the constant construction site on James Street will know — the seven-storey, 175-room spot is calling itself 'Australia's first urban resort'. Yes, that means that going for a splash in the central pool, lazing around in cabanas or on a sun lounge, and eating on the hotel's outdoor deck are all on the agenda. So is hanging out at the spa, which is also open to the general public, and just making the most of Brissie's climate. The white brick design, by architects Richards and Spence, certainly highlights the tropical side of things. Think open-air spaces and breezeways, natural ventilation and plants aplenty, as well as a cool, soothing colour scheme. Inside the rooms, guests will find oak furniture, cork floors and sisal matting in the bathrooms, day beds for afternoon naps, linen robes and a mini bar stocked from local suppliers. Recognising how sunny the city gets, every room is also fitted with motorised blackout blinds. If you need to escape the glow, the in-suite Chromecast and sound bar will help as well. Rooms start from just over $200, with The Calile also featuring nine suites and two premier suites, complete with poolside and terrace-style balconies as well as two private rooftop terraces — for when you're feeling like splashing some cash around. Operated by TFE Hotels Collection, other drawcards include the all-day Lobby Bar, the opening of Hellenika's first Brisbane digs — bringing the Gold Coast's favourite Greek eats to town — and meeting and function rooms that can cater for up to 500 people, including an outdoor amphitheatre. The Calile joins W Hotel Brisbane, the Ovolo Inchcolm Hotel in Spring Hill, the Novotel in South Bank, the new Emporium (also in South Bank) and the revamped Ovolo in Fortitude Valley among the fresh staycation spots opening their doors across the city in 2018. It will boast one unique highlight, too — Ada Lane, a micro-precinct filled with five bars and eateries, that's set to open later this year. Find The Calile Hotel at 48 James Street, Fortitude Valley. Images: Sean Fennessy.
Us Aussies might not get to enjoy a white Christmas here on home turf, but that doesn't mean we can't indulge in all the classic wintery yuletide treats. Think, fruit mince pies, creamy egg nog and spiced gingerbread fresh from the oven. Or hey, how about a festive fusion of gingerbread and gin, like you'll find in the latest drop from The Craft & Co? The Collingwood distillery has just announced the return of its cult favourite Gingerbread Gin, a seasonal creation that's been steadily growing in popularity since debuting in 2019. Having just scooped another medal at last month's Australian Gin Awards, the spiced tipple is once again heading to a bottle shop shelf near you, with this year's edition now available to buy from The Craft & Co's online store and select booze retailers. The spirit is a nod to one of the classic food and drink pairings, inspired by stories from 18th-century England, when Brits would apparently warm the cockles with a combination of hot gin and gingerbread. The Craft & Co's riff on this concept takes the form of a rich, smooth gin, with warming flavours imparted by a mix of cinnamon, macerated ginger root, smashed nutmeg and tonka bean. It's unfiltered and clocks in with an ABV of 40 percent. So, how to put this Gingerbread Gin to good use? Apart from sipping it neat or on ice for a quick hit of Christmas cheer, the distillers recommend matching the drink with some blood orange soda or ginger beer. We're told it also works a treat in milky cocktails, and you can find recipes for a Gingerbread Gin Alexander and a Gingerbread Gin Egg Nog over on The Craft & Co's website. You can grab a Gingerbread Gin for $85 from The Craft & Co's online store or at its cellar door at 390 Smith Street, Collingwood. It's also available from select retailers including Dan Murphy's, BWS and Boozebud.
Nine days after Woolworths implemented its nationwide plastic bag ban, it has reneged on the ban — well, temporarily. After being inundated with complaints from customers in-store and on social media, the supermarket giant this morning posted to Facebook saying it will be giving out free reusable plastic bags until July 8. The reusable bags, which for the past nine days cost shoppers 15c, are thicker, more durable and are made from 80 percent recycled plastic — and were meant to encourage shoppers to bring them back, again and again, rather than buying a new one each time. The temporary, complimentary bag offer is only valid in certain states, NSW, Vic, WA and Qld, as the other states and territories have already had single-use plastic bag bans in place for several years (SA leading the pack, introducing it back in 2009). With Coles set to introduce its nationwide single-use plastic bag ban on Sunday, July 1, it will be interesting to see if the supermarket giant follows Woolworths' lead or, even, delays the start of the ban. Either way, the supermarkets will need to have their single-use bag bans running soon as Queensland will flat-out ban single-use plastic bags from July 1, and Victoria is set to do the same next year. NSW is yet to announce whether it will join suit.
If you live in one of the 82 million households that gave Bridgerton a stream during its first month on Netflix — making it the platform's most-watched new series ever — then you're probably also a fan of its reigning monarch. Sure, the soapy series spends most of its time with the eponymous family, with its first season following Daphne Bridgerton's (Phoebe Dynevor, Younger) quest to find a husband, and her dalliances with the Duke of Hastings (Regé-Jean Page, Sylvie's Love). But whenever Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel, Lady Macbeth) enters a scene, she steals it so convincingly and savagely that everything else around her withers in comparison. Clearly, Netflix noticed this, too. And, fresh from renewing Bridgerton for its third and fourth seasons before the second even streams, the service has announced a Queen Charlotte-centric spinoff. Get ready to spend more time with the character, but in her younger guise, with the currently untitled new show set to be a prequel. At this immensely early stage, few other details have been revealed — although Charlotte will be joined by a few other familiar faces. Younger versions of Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell, Deep State) and Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh, The Witcher) will also feature in the new series, if you've ever wanted to know more about their backstories. Just who'll be playing Charlotte, Violet and Lady Danbury also hasn't been announced, and neither has exactly when the show about them will hit your streaming queue. It has been revealed that the new series will be penned by Bridgerton executive producer (and Grey's Anatomy and Scandal creator) Shonda Rhimes, though. She's calling the Charlotte-focused show part of "the Bridgerton-verse" — so yes, you can probably expect more spinoffs to follow. For now, you can revisit the original Bridgerton trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpv7ayf_tyE The first season of Bridgerton is available to stream now via Netflix. The show's Queen Charlotte-focused spinoff doesn't yet have a release date — and neither does Bridgerton's second, third and fourth seasons — but we'll update you when details come to hand. Top image: Liam Daniel/Netflix.
How great is this party? If you've watched the first season of Apple TV+'s The Afterparty, you'll know that that statement applies in multiple ways. It's part of a song within the sleuthing series. Also, one of its on-screen figures believes the phrase sums up an entire genre of tunes, aka party bangers. And, it's also a great way to describe the whole show so far, which is indeed ace. The team at Apple's streaming platform clearly agree with the latter, too — because they've just renewed the star-studded murder-mystery program for a second season. And if your inner investigator is wondering how that'll work given that The Afterparty's first run of episodes, which just wrapped up on Friday, March 4, felt self-contained, we have two words for you: Detective Danner. That's the character played by Tiffany Haddish (The Card Counter), and she'll be back for season two. While she had top-notch company the first time around — a killer cast that also included Sam Richardson (Detroiters), Ben Schwartz (Space Force), Zoe Chao (Love Life), Ilana Glazer (Broad City), Ike Barinholtz (The Mindy Project), Dave Franco (If Beale Street Could Talk), Jamie Demetriou (The Great) and John Early (Search Party) — this time she'll be poking into a new case, so you can likely expect a whole new roster of names to join her. Presumably, some sort of afterparty will still remain part of the concept — unless there'll be a change of name. If you haven't yet watched the first season, it's set at an afterparty (obviously) at obnoxious autotune-abusing pop star Xavier's (Franco) lavish mansion following his 15-year high-school reunion. When he winds up dead, everyone is shocked but no one is overly upset, which gives the determined Danner plenty of suspects. Of course, while the settings change, and the motley crew of characters involved as well, plenty of whodunnits share the same premise. Take a ragtag group of folks, pop them all in the same spot, kill one off and then start asking questions — that's it, that's the formula. It works for boardgame Cluedo, it worked for Agatha Christie and her lengthy list of Hercule Poirot novels and stories, and it's also been behind everything from Knives Out and The Translators to Only Murders in the Building in the past few years. So, letting The Afterparty have another run at it should be easy for writer/director Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie). Exactly when The Afterparty's second season will arrive, who'll be getting killed and which other recognisable faces will star haven't yet been revealed. For now, keep your fingers crossed for another batch of episodes that twist in its their own directions, tell their tale with flair and approach the show's overall idea with a savvy sense of humour. Check out the trailer for The Afterparty below: The first season of The Afterparty is available to stream via Apple TV+. Read our full review. We'll update you with details about the second season's release date when it's announced.
One of the most prominent events of its kind outside of China, the Golden Koala Film Festival is back for another year. With engagements in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, this annual festival will once again showcase a selection of critically acclaimed Chinese movies — including multiple Australian premieres. A black comedy about a reformed gangster who decides to open a kindergarten, Uncle Victory won the Grand Jury Prize at last year's Shanghai Film Festival. Other standouts include Tsang Tsui Shan's multigenerational documentary Flowing Stories and the critically acclaimed drama Blue Sky Bones (shot by award-winning Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle). All films in the program will compete for the prestigious Golden Koala Award, which is bestowed by a jury of Australian filmmakers. Best of all, because the festival is designed to promote Chinese cinema, all the screenings are absolutely free.
It's been a year filled with drinking at home, rather than out on the town, yet Melbourne's bar scene has continued to shine. Luke Whearty's famed local cocktail haunt Byrdi has just been named among The World's 50 Best Bars' extended 51-100 list for 2021, ranked the 56th top bar on the planet. It was the only Aussie venue to make this year's secondary lineup, which was revealed overnight. The 51-100 list comes one week ahead of the release of The World's 50 Best Bars main award list, which is set to happen at a ceremony in London on December 6. The annual ranking list is a huge deal among the international bar industry, voted by a panel of over 600 drinks experts, including bartenders, writers, consultants and mixology specialists. The 2021 51-100 list was heavy on entrants from the States, with seven USA bars including New York newcomer Double Chicken Please and LA's Thunderbolt. Five London bars also ranked among the secondary list and Nairobi's Hero Bar became the first-ever African bar outside of South Africa to make the cut. [caption id="attachment_748363" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Byrdi, by Kate Shanasy[/caption] Last year, on its debut entry, Byrdi came in 80th on the extended list, ranking close to fellow Melbourne bars The Everleigh (73), Above Board (84) and Black Pearl (98). Sydneysiders Maybe Sammy, Cantina OK! and Bulletin Place all placed among 2020's top 50, which means we could see plenty more Aussie representation among next week's top 50 lineup reveal. Byrdi was launched in 2019 by Whearty and co-founder Aki Nishikura, who were also behind Singapore's multi award-winning — and World's 50 Best Bars regular — Operation Dagger. You'll find the Melbourne favourite nestled within the CBD's Ella precinct, whipping up some truly exceptional, innovative drinks. Byrdi was one of the many bars sating cravings for well-crafted cocktails during lockdown this year and last, with lots of punters making use of its home-delivery service. Stay tuned and we'll share the winners of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 list when they're revealed next week. For the full 51-100 list of the World's 50 Best Bars 2021 (and past years' lists), see the website. The top 50 rankings will be revealed from 8.15pm GMT on December 6, via Facebook and YouTube. Top Image: Byrdi cocktail, by Kate Shanasy
Movies can sometimes stick to a formula. Picture palaces showing them can do the same thing. At Moonlight Cinema, one of Australia's summer staples, that means playing Christmas films in December and romantic classics in February, for instance. Celebrating Oscar contenders in March is also on the itinerary, as the just-dropped last lineup for the event's 2023–24 season locks in. We can't know right now who'll emerge victorious at Hollywood's night of nights on Monday, March 11 Australian time, but plenty of nominees are showing throughout the month. Whether you're team Oppenheimer or Barbie, they're both on the program. So are Poor Things, The Holdovers and Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Perth gets Maestro, too, while Sydney and Melbourne can get drawn into the compelling drama of Palme d'Or-winner Anatomy of a Fall. While Moonlight Cinema hits up five locations each year, it winds up in Brisbane and Adelaide in February, hence the March bill is only playing in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. The details vary per city, but each will also enjoy a range of recent big-screen favourites, too, such as the Mean Girls musical, Sydney-shot rom-com Anyone But You and the sweet Timothée Chalamet (Bones and All)-led treat that is Wonka. Matthew Vaughn following up the Kingsman movies with new spy caper Argylle, Kingsley Ben-Adir (Secret Invasion) playing a reggae icon in Bob Marley: One Love and wrestling drama The Iron Claw will also get a whirl. For some retro fun, The Goonies, The Princess Bride and the OG Mean Girls are on the lineup as well. And, of course, the movies are just one part of the Moonlight Cinema experience. The setting — at Centennial Parklands in Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne, and Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth — is just as important. Also on offer: an official Aperol spritz bar, which is new for 2023–24. Nosh-wise, the event lets you BYO movie snacks and drinks, but the unorganised can enjoy a plethora of bites to eat onsite while reclining on bean beds. There's also a VIP section for an extra-luxe openair movie experience, plus a platinum section that levels up a night at the movies even further in Sydney and Melbourne. A beauty cart is handing out samples, too. And, dogs are welcome at all sites except Perth — there's even special doggo bean beds, and a snack menu for pooches. Moonlight Cinema 2023–24 Dates: Sydney: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Centennial Parklands Perth: until Sunday, March 24, 2024 in Kings Park and Botanic Garden Melbourne: until Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Royal Botanic Gardens Moonlight Cinema runs through until March 2024 in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with dates varying per city. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the cinema's website.
We've only just put another frosty winter to bed, but already Melbourne's thoughts are on those sweet summertime vibes to come, helped along by the launch of new rooftop drinking destination, Top Yard. Taking over the sky-high level above Geddes Lane nightclub Inflation, the bar and club is the brainchild of local chef Adam Inglis, who has set out to create a space for after-work drinks and laidback weekend visits alike. Open for good times from Thursday through Sunday each week, Top Yard boasts impressive 360-degree views across the city, to be enjoyed alongside an offering of cocktails, burgers and DJ-fuelled dance floor sessions. It's a playful, Astroturfed space that riffs on the classic Aussie backyard, decked out with vibrant umbrellas, festoon lights and a lively colour palette that pays homage to acclaimed local artist Howard Arkley. Sticking to the Australiana theme, the cocktail list comes courtesy of Will Cabantong (Bond, Baroq House), loaded with recognisable flavours in Nan-worthy iterations, like The Lamington and Iced Vovo. Those wishing to relive their early 20s can also buy a Passion Pop Punch. If not, you'll find a an approachable wine program, focused on solid local drops that won't break the bank. To match, there's a banging burger offering, run by a couple of ex-Tuck Shop Take Away chefs. You'll find cheekily named creations like the Mia Wallace, loaded with Swiss cheese and truffle mayo, the Beatrix Kiddo, and the Not Cho' Cheese — rocking two beef patties, bacon, chipotle mayo and Doritos. As for the entertainment, expect a high-energy music program by Melbourne DJ Tom Evans, with a calendar of day parties and Sunday sessions set to launch once the mercury heats up. Find Top Yard at Geddes Lane, Melbourne.
Following an extensive 18 months of consultation and collaboration with the Dja Dja Wurrung community, Bangarang artist Peta Clancy has debuted her latest exhibition, Undercurrent, at Fed Square's Koorie Heritage Trust. Clancy worked closely with the Dja Dja Wurrung community to explore numerous massacre sites and areas of Bendigo and central Victoria that saw extensive frontier violence to create this major series of landscape photographs. To create these large images, Clancy revisited the sites numerous times over a period of months, experiencing them at different times of day and in disparate weather conditions. She has also used a specific cutting and layering technique, which gives the photographs a unique look. More importantly, however, it also serves as a visual motif for the emotional and cultural scars left on the landscape by frontier violence and colonial occupation. Exploring themes of history, memory and place, Undercurrent features eight new works and a 30-metre wallpaper installation, plus a soundscape and audio interviews from the region's Traditional Owners. Images: Christian Capurro.
Turning off your alarm at 6am is one of the easiest things in the world. But turning off a coffee machine half asleep? That's a little bit harder. Perhaps that's what designer Josh Renouf had in mind when creating a genius new coffee-brewing alarm clock. Well, that and the irresistible lure of a fresh cup of coffee waiting at your bedside. In the latest of things to be invented that really should have been invented already, comes The Barisieur. Unlike this ultimate tease of a breakfast-scented alarm clock — which wakes you up with smells of coffee and bacon — this designer device a is the real deal. Not only will it emit smells of coffee (or loose leaf tea, if you prefer) throughout the night as a natural relaxant, but it will wake you up at your desired time with "the sound of bubbling water and the smell of freshly brewed coffee". And just like magic, you'll have a cup of coffee waiting when you pry open your eyes. So how does it work? The water is boiled in the left vessel by an induction hob, forcing it to move up and over into the stainless steel filter on the right. The Water then moves through the coffee to create a super fresh (and convenient) cup of filter. There's also a cooled tray that can store milk and a drawer for sugar and whatever else you might like to pop in your coffee. Like all great devices of our time, The Barisieur is currently being funded on Kickstarter. So far 766 backers have raised almost £200,000 — over half of the £380,000 goal. UPDATE: OCTOBER 10, 2016 The Barisieur has been fully funded, with 1186 backers pledging £383,623 for the most amazing alarm clock of all time. You can pre-order one here.
Across its five seasons to date, Black Mirror has dedicated 22 episodes to imagining dystopian futures — and while it makes for compelling viewing, none of the sci-fi anthology series' predictions are particularly pretty. But, for all of its prognosticating, the Charlie Brooker-created show didn't foresee 2020's chaos. And now we've all endured this hectic year and are about to see it come to an end, the team behind Black Mirror has something to say about it. At some point soon — presumably before 2020 is out — Netflix will drop a new comedy special called Death to 2020, which is made by the Black Mirror crew. Exactly what's in store is being kept a surprise for now, but the show will obviously look back on the year. And, it'll have high-profile help in the form of Samuel L Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Kumail Nanjiani, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Leslie Jones, Diane Morgan, Cristin Milioti and Joe Keery. Netflix has just revealed a teaser trailer for Death to 2020, although that doesn't provide any further info — other than confirming that the Black Mirror team couldn't have made up a year as bleak as this, and that they'll be satirising and savaging the year's developments. That said, Brooker has a history of looking back at events that have just passed, as Newswipe with Charlie Brooker and his end-of-year Wipe specials between 2010–16 have all demonstrated. Brooker and Netflix also love releasing new material over the holiday period with little pre-warning, with interactive Black Mirror special Bandersnatch dropping between Christmas and New Year's Eve back in 2018. So, you might be receiving an extra festive — and grimly funny — present this year. Check out the teaser trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxR9Zo36rbo&feature=emb_logo Death to 2020 looks set to hit Netflix sometime before 2020 is out — we'll update you with an exact release date when one is announced. Top image: Black Mirror.
Striking feats of cinema by Yorgos Lanthimos aren't scarce. Sublime performances by Emma Stone are hardly infrequent. Screen takes on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein have been a constant since the birth of moving pictures. For Lanthimos, see: Dogtooth and Alps in the Greek Weird Wave filmmaker's native language, plus The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Favourite in English. With Stone, examples come in her Best Actress Oscar for La La Land, supporting nominations before and after for Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and Lanthimos' aforementioned regal satire (which made him a Best Director contender, too), and twin 2024 Golden Globe nods for their latest collaboration Poor Things as well as TV's The Curse. And as for the greatest gothic story there is, not to mention one of the most-influential horror and sci-fi works ever, the evidence spans traditional adaptations, plus debts owed as widely as The Rocky Horror Show and M3GAN (Blade Runner, The Fly, Re-Animator, Weird Science, Edward Scissorhands, Ex Machina, Upgrade, Little Joe and The Creator are also on the lengthy list). Combining Lanthimos, Stone and Shelley results in a rarity, however: a jewel of a pastel-, jewel- and bodily fluid-toned feminist Frankenstein-esque fairy tale that's a stunning and dazzling creation. As zapped to life with Lanthimos' inimitable flair, a mischievous air and Stone at her most extraordinary, Poor Things isn't just unique despite building on three shining successes — it's a treasure that's as audacious as it is subversive, and as breathtakingly willing to get wild as it is downright brilliant. Emotions, ideas, empowerment, twisting Shelley and Promethean myth into a pointed skewering of the societal expectations placed upon women, a committed ensemble, entrancing touches in every frame, a score that's equally jarring and jaunty, a dreamily macabre vibe, furious fearlessness: this film is alive with them all. That a tale about reviving the dead to grapple with mortality and the yearning to thwart it keeps inspiring new riffs has always been fitting, with each new storyteller undergoing that same process in their way, but this version is a lightning bolt. With cascading black hair, an inquisitive stare, incessant frankness and jolting physical mannerisms, Poor Things' star becomes Bella Baxter in this suitably weird and wondrous adaptation of Alasdair Grey's award-winning 1992 novel, as penned by Australian screenwriter Tony McNamara (The Great, and another Academy Award-nominee for The Favourite). Among the reasons that the movie and its lead portrayal are so singular: as a character with a woman's body that's been resurrected with a baby's brain, Stone plays someone from infancy to adulthood, all with the astonishingly exact mindset and mannerisms to match. Putting her comedic skills to excellent use but ensuring that Bella is never a joke, she does so while making each move, choice and feeling as organic as birth, living and death. The entire scope of Poor Things' protagonist is the kind of wish that actors mightn't realise they have because it's so remarkable. With Bella all impulses and curiosity at first, then buzzing with sexual desire and devotedly pursuing autonomy — and with a frenetic-but-stiff doll-like gait that's a marvel to watch, plus say-anything speech patterns — Stone turns the opportunity into an exquisite masterclass. The time and place when Poor Things kicks off: a fantastical steampunk vision of Victorian-era Europe. Although the film begins in colour as a woman ends her own life, Lanthimos and cinematographer Robbie Ryan (also back from The Favourite, and also with an Oscar nod to his name thanks to that flick) swiftly switch to black and white to meet what becomes of the suicidal person's body. It's due to the London-based, scar-faced Scottish doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Asteroid City) that Bella exists; even if she didn't call him God, he's been playing it, including with household pets and other animals. His new human creature toddles around, aiding with his unorthodox surgeries and indulging whatever takes her fancy — smashing plates, smacking visitors, and enjoying new discoveries and sensations with literal childlike glee. But regardless of her father figure's intentions or wants, freedom, horniness, the quest for independence and agency, wanting to know more than the protective world he's left her in and a lust for adventure all beckon. Accordingly, while Godwin tries to marry Bella off to kind and sincere medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef, Ramy), she hatches other plans. With Poor Things joining Call Me By Your Name in its carnal use of fruit, Bella discovers "working on myself to get happiness" and "furious jumping" — that'd be masturbation and fornication, with her debut experience with the latter returning the movie's hues as well — and runs off to the continent with caddish lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law) instead. Lisbon, a cruise that stops in Alexandria and Paris await. So does a survey of all that living can hold for women, both for the feature's reawakened force and viewers. Lanthimos' fascination for tearing into humanity's social constructions and pretences to expose its realities gets electrified again, as does his concurrent obsession with battling such structures and systems by forming insular worlds, and the need to escape that then springs. Portugal brings hot air balloons, a bewitching all-timer of a dance scene, just some of the flick's acrobatic thrusting, an attempt to enforce civic niceties and Bella steadfastly refusing to be anything but herself. The boat ride introduces books, friendship and the first real female advice that she's received via Martha (Hanna Schygulla, who came to fame half a century back for her work with Rainer Werner Fassbinder). It also sees cynicism and the world's suffering enter her understanding courtesy of Martha's companion Harry (Jerrod Carmichael, On the Count of Three). In France, a lack of cash finds her in the employ of madam Swiney (Kathryn Hunter, Andor) and leaning into socialism with fellow sex worker Toinette (Suzy Bemba, Everything Is Well). And when the past makes a comeback, it's with bullying and misogynistic power dynamics (and with Sanctuary's Christopher Abbott in a key role). As in The Favourite, the hefty use of fish-eye lenses has it: this lavish, libidinous and happily lewd deadpan delight isn't interested in the same old view of liberation, sex, life's transience and conflicts, defying the accepted order and patriarchal control that everyone has seen before, let alone a regular coming-of-age jaunt or a by-the-book Frankenstein iteration. While it splices together nods to gothic horror nakedly, it isn't routine or a patchwork there, either. As Bella goes on a radical, rebellious, gorgeously rendered, gloriously funny and generously insightful odyssey, Poor Things doesn't sport a standard perspective on anything, in fact. As seen in the efforts of a tour-de-force Stone, her co-stars, Ryan, composer Jerskin Fendrix (a film first-timer), editor Yorgos Mavropsaridis (Lanthimos' go-to since 2005's Kinetta), production designers Shona Heath (another feature debutant) and James Price (The Nest), and costumer Holly Waddington (also The Great), it eschews sticking with the typical everywhere. Richness abounds, then. The only thing that's paltry: even clocking in at 141 madcap and magnificent minutes, that Poor Things doesn't run forever.
New Zealanders wanting to enter Australia without quarantining will have to hold off a little longer on their travel plans, after the Australian Government extended the existing pause on the current one-way trans-Tasman travel bubble. New Zealand's previous quarantine-free border arrangements were halted on Monday, January 25 after a NZ resident tested positive to the new, more transmissible B1351 variant of COVID-19. The bubble was scheduled to resume today, Thursday, January 26, after a 72-hour pause; however, the suspension will now continue for another three days. As announced in a statement by Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt, the pause will now run through until 2pm, Sunday, January 31, in line with the recommendation from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee and the Australian Government Chief Medical Officer. The latest suspension comes after two more New Zealanders tested positive to COVID-19 in recent days, with both linked to the same Auckland hotel as the initial case. The bubble suspension will give health authorities a chance to do further digging and gather test results for all the close contacts linked to the outbreak. In a press conference, Australia's Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd, also advised that there are concerns that a small group of people who had stayed at the Auckland hotel at the same time as the other cases have since travelled to Australia under the previous quarantine-free arrangement. They flew into the country before the bubble was paused on Monday, and are now being contacted by local health authorities. https://twitter.com/healthgovau/status/1354640405485248514 Anyone who has entered Australia from NZ since January 9 is also encouraged to get a COVID-19 test immediately, and go into self-isolation until results are received. The one-way travel bubble from NZ to Australia was introduced in mid-October last year, initially allowing New Zealanders to travel into certain Australian states without quarantine, before being expanded to include access to most of the country. It was also hoped that a reciprocal arrangement wouldn't be far off, after New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced in December that the NZ Cabinet had agreed to establishing a two-way bubble from early 2021. It's unknown what impact the recent outbreak will have on those plans. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. To find out more about the virus and travel restrictions in New Zealand, head over to the NZ Government's COVID-19 hub.
Ice skating is one of those idyllic winter time activities that goes hand in hand with hot chocolates, sitting around a fireplace, and rugging up in coats, gloves and scarves until you're feeling like a big walking ball of wool. With all of that in mind, you can hit a ten on the winter feels scale these cold months with Winter Fest, a fiesta of coldness coming to Moonee Valley in June. First up, take a spin on the Moonee Ponds ice skating rink, which runs from June 29 to July 14. It'll be open from 10am–8pm daily and bookings are necessary, and each session will run for 45 minutes — and when you leave the ring, you'll feel like an ice dancer ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics. There's a whole host more on offer too, like a giant ice slide in Essendon North from July 6–13, free knitting workshops, a moving five-course winter feast on July 10 and a pop-up after-dark light show. Bright Lights Winter Nights will takeover Pridham Plaza from July 5–7 with nightly neon art installations, fire twirlers and roving performers. There'll also be a coinciding winter marketplace, so you can explore the art with a hot chocolate or jam doughnut in hand.
When the Goodwill Bridge, then the Neville Bonner Bridge, then the Kangaroo Point Bridge each opened in Brisbane, helping pedestrians get around the River City on foot was high among each structure's aims. Brisbane Festival 2025 clearly applauds that idea. The Queensland capital's major annual arts fest is not only embracing the concept, but is also building upon it. How does an event in a city that adores constructing more and more bridges work that reality into its program? By turning those three aforementioned river crossings into art installations — and featuring them in an art trail. Walk This Way is one of Brisbane Festival's big 2025 highlights, in what marks the last year of six at the helm for Artistic Director Louise Bezzina. Brisbane art and design duo Craig Redman and Karl Maier, who are globally known as Craig & Karl, have been given the task of transforming the Goodwill, Neville Bonner and Kangaroo Point bridges with large-scale art. With this free part of the fest's program, you'll not only see these structures as you've never seen them before and, of course, mosey along them; you'll also follow the path around the city to other iconic sites. Craig & Karl have an exhibition at Griffith University's Art Museum, celebrating where they first met, on the Brisbane Festival 2025 as well. [caption id="attachment_1008628" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Craig & Karl[/caption] Across Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27, Bezzina has plenty more in store for the city — 106 productions and 1069 performances, in fact, featuring contributions from 2260 artists. A huge 21 events in the program are world premieres, while more than 39 percent of the lineup is free. How does Bezzina describe it? "This year's program is a love letter to Brisbane — bold, joyful, and created with and for the city," she advises. "My final festival is a celebration of everything Brisbane Festival has become: a world-class event with a fiercely local heart. From world premieres to deeply resonant community works, this year's program is ambitious in scale and grounded in storytelling, deeply connected to the people and places that make this city so special. As the city comes alive this September, I welcome everyone to take their place in the story." [caption id="attachment_1008620" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laurent Philippe[/caption] Here's some of the other ways that Brisbane Festival 2025 is showing its affection for its hometown: with after-dark experience Afterglow among those global debuts, filling the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens with fire sculptures and candlelit installations — and also with The Great Gatsby-themed show and pop-up club GATSBY at The Green Light, which is heading to Twelfth Night Theatre to celebrate 100 years since F Scott Fitzgerald's book first hit shelves. Two of the fest's other huge drawcards stem from the world of dance. Thanks to Gems, which was commissioned by French luxury house Van Cleef & Arpels, Brisbane will witness three specific pieces by acclaimed choreographer Benjamin Millepied and LA Dance Project staged together for the first time ever. And courtesy of Baleen Moondjan, First Nations artist and Bangarra Dance Theatre founder Stephen Page is back home in Brisbane with a production that explores the link between baleen whales and Country — and, fittingly, will be performed in a barge featuring whale bone sculptural elements on the Brisbane River. Another must-attend Brisbane Festival show pays tribute to one of the city's beloved Indian restaurants, with A Place in the Sultan's Kitchen not only featuring Joshua Hinton chatting about his family's eatery, but cooking his grandmother's chicken curry live. [caption id="attachment_1008619" align="alignnone" width="1920"] UAVS[/caption] Fellow standouts include yet another dance must-see in Bad Nature, with Australasian Dance Collective and the Netherlands' Club Guy & Roni teaming up; TINA — A Tropical Love Story's tribute to Tina Turner; the solo debut of Josh Taliani, who is behind House of Alexander; Shake & Stir giving A Midsummer Night's Dream a pop makeover as The Lovers; and Back to Bilo bringing Priya and Nades Nadesalingam and their family's tale to the stage for the first time. Plus, AMPLIFIED: The Exquisite Rock and Rage of Chrissy Amphlett is an ode to its namesake, Milestone is William Yang's latest presentation, 100 Guitars gives 2025's festival its mass-participation performance and Community Choir: The Musical does indeed show the love for everyday voices. [caption id="attachment_1008618" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stephanie Coombes[/caption] Roma Street concert series Night at The Parkland has a heap of Aussie talent on its bill, such as ICEHOUSE, Lime Cordiale, Jack River, Xavier Rudd, Amy Shark, Grinspoon and Cut Copy. To catch Odd Mob, CW Stoneking, Wolters, Phantastic Ferniture and more, head to Tivoli in the Round, which is shaking up its stage setup. And, Wunderhorse, Winston Surfshirt and Sarah Blasko are also on Brisbane Festival's program, as are Brisbane Serenades' outdoor concerts at Brisbane Powerhouse, Manly, Moorooka at St Lucia. It wouldn't be a Brisbane Festival without Riverfire, which will light up Brisbane's night sky with fireworks on the event's opening weekend. Also getting everyone looking up, Skylore will be back with another First Nations traditional story taking to the air via 400 drones. [caption id="attachment_1008616" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Children of the Revolution[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008625" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Lachlan Douglas[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008564" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Mellumae and Sean Dowling[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008461" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Daniel Boud[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008622" align="alignnone" width="1920"] JD Lin[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008621" align="alignnone" width="1920"] George Gittoes[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008624" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joseph Mayers[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1008617" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Laura Du Ve[/caption] Brisbane Festival 2025 runs from Friday, September 5–Saturday, September 27 at various venues around Brisbane. Head to the festival's website for tickets and further details. Top image: Craig & Karl, Dirty Puppet and Jared Hinz.
Even speaking as a big West Wing fan I never expected to be hooked on a Danish political drama that hinged on delicate coalition negotiations and that educated me about Greenland. But that’s exactly what the three-year-old, UK-captivating, Danish drama Borgen manages to do. If you saw Daniel Day Lewis’s turn as Lincoln, you’d have some idea about how much drama can be twisted out of the politics of the middle ground. That film has a moment in which the future of the slavery debate hinges on one famously unswerving character’s ability to compromise. Will he or won’t he? Borgen gives its lead character that same moral dilemma and it spreads it over years. “Borgen” means “castle”, and is shorthand for the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen where the Danish Parliament sits. The show follows Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babett Knudsen), the leader of a small political party, as she’s unexpectedly thrust into the role of Prime Minister (well, stats minister) at the head of a coalition government. Around her, in Denmark’s complex parliament, political rivals jockey — some are in her cabinet, some outside — a 7.30-style news shows keeps watch and her family gets slotted into her diary around it all. Both Aussie and British coalition experiences seem to inform the political setup, but the politics of the show are all Nyborg. Nyborg is no Gillard. On the day of the election, she bicycles to work. When her spin doctor offers her a game-changing leak from a shady connection to the government, she refuses. Later that night, her husband Philip (Mikael Birkkjær) offers to take their kids home from the election party. And he’s ok with that. Nyborg is the politician that we want. She’s the sort of politician we most likely already have, quietly, at many levels of government, but in Borgen we get to watch from behind the scenes. We see her wrestle with her own intentions, her “team of rivals” cabinet and the whole road to her political wrangling’s public results. But these compromises begin to take a toll on the forthrightness that propelled her to office in the first place. And, as time goes on, her marriage as well. Nyborg’s marriage isn't the typical TV marriage of a career woman in dilemma. In many ways, it’s the same marriage that TV has always reserved for men, only better drawn. Nyborg’s career so dominates her family’s life that her husband Philip sacrifices his own career to look after the kids. Their connection has a powerful warmth and consideration, which give real scary weight to the tensions as the pressure increases over the course of the series. So much so that, despite the arresting politics, news and betrayals, this layered portrait of marriage quickly becomes the centre of program. It’s a program that gives real vulnerability to its men, too. Philip's feelings are as much a focus of the show as Nyborg, and even Nyborg’s sharp, devious spin doctor, Kasper (Pilou Asbæk) shows a strongly vulnerable underside as the series progresses. It’s a vulnerability is made all the more powerful by exactly how bruising the Machiavellian politics in the show are. It's a politics that Nyborg, clear-talking compromiser though she is, has little hesitation wading into. Does that tip her over the edge into exactly the sort of political arrogance that typified her rivals as the show begins? That’s the work of the series. Watching the political and the personal in Borgen unfold is gripping. And, in Australia, it’s a balancing act that feels very, very real indeed. Borgen starts on SBS tonight, screening at 9.35pm on SBS1 and via SBS on demand. You can skip ahead via the ABC Shop DVD. Photographs by Mike Kollöffel, Courtesy of DR TV.
Right now (in case you haven't been hanging on every tweet), the Consumer Technology Association is holding a huge conference in Las Vegas — CES 2017 — and while that might sound kind of abstract, it's an internationally-watched event with reams of huge new product announcements that are relevant to the everyday tech user (that's you!). The Consumer Technology Association (acronymed to CES, not CTA, for unfathomable reasons) is a trade union that promotes and standardises widely used technology, meaning high-end tech gets into your life sooner. This year has already been pretty epic. Here's a breakdown of some of the best tech reveals (so far), coming soon to a smart household near you. A SMART COLLAR FOR YOUR POOCH Now, this is a nifty little device for lucky, lucky pet owners. Whistle 3 is a new pet tracking collar that lets you monitor your puppo's or catto's daily activity levels and track them on your smartphone. It's the third iteration of the product and reports from CES indicate this time they've nailed it. Whistle 3 is compact, waterproof, clips to your pet's collar and syncs to an app on your phone. At the moment, it's only available in the US but we'll keep you updated on developments. In the meantime, remember to get your precious furbabies microchipped. AN AI-FITTED TOYOTA What business Toyota has building an AI, we don't know. But they have. Its name is Yui (pronounced you-ee) and, yes, we expect it will allow us to become best friends with our car like Shia Lebeouf and Bumblebee. No, but really. AI in a car is about risk assessment and will work in tandem with what they called 'human driving'. So it's not exactly automated but it will allow certain elements of automation when it's safe to do so. Yui warns the driver about potential hazards and can automate corrections to prevent them. But most importantly, it's super-duper cute and futuristic. A RELATIVELY FAST SCOOTER THAT CAN CHARGE YOUR DEVICES The URB-E might look a little goofy (like its Segway and Hoverboard brothers) but this compact little electric scooter could be the future of travel. Give up any dreams of your kids buying their first banged up Holden Commodore, the next generation will be driving these 30-pound scooties to school. Three years ago, the URB-E was debuted at CES. This year, they've revealed four new, updated models and a range of accessories. To fill you in, the URB-E is a foldable scooter/bicycle hybrid out of America. The cheapest, the URB-E Sport, retails for US$899 and can reach a top speed of 22 kilometres. A fully-charged URB-E Sport can travel up to 25 kilometres before needing a recharge. And you can charge your phone off it too. Damn. These iterations of the URB-E are more affordable and more powerful than ever, so you might as well embrace these tiny, goofy scooters because they ain't leaving anytime soon. A CASUALLY POWERFUL, 92-MEGAPIXEL, VR-SUPPORTING PHONE While we're not sold on the name ZenFone (imagine the roundtable on that decision), the newest phone out of the Asus camp is exciting for multiple reasons. First, it's built to support virtual and augmented reality technology (the future is here!) which means it's packing a considerable amount of processing power for such a little thing. Its three cameras (the most powerful of which takes 92-megapixel images and 4K videos) enables 3D mapping technology. Yeah. Your selfie game just jumped up a level. It's expected for release midway through this year. UH... A SMART HAIRBRUSH? Yeah, so L'Oreal has designed a smart hairbrush. Rejoice for now every part of your daily routine will be watched over by machines. The Keratase Hair Coach uses sensors, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a microphone to spy on you and determine a) how healthy your hair is b) whether your hair is wet or dry c) whether you're brushing too hard or too much and d) how many Keratase products you need in your life right now. Guive Balooch, the vice president of L'Oreal's Technology Incubator, said to Fortune the brush will also try to smooth your hair. All of this for under $200? Woah. The future really is stupid. Via IB Times, The Verge and Gizmodo.
