Writers' festivals are getting more and more 'with it' these days. People wear shirts with hashtags on them, you're encouraged to live-tweet questions for authors on panels, and the events are no longer held at local library reading rooms, but cool back-alley warehouse spaces. The kind of place where everyone's wearing black-rimmed glasses and talking about Tao Lin. All this is old news now however, as the Emerging Writers' Festival has just announced the creation of the world's first exclusively online writers' festival to take place in February 2014. While writers' festivals once lamented the damning effects of the internet and digital technology on the written word, the Digital Writers' Festival will be a 12-day celebration of it. Digital publishing, eBooks, alt lit, fan fic, webcams and Twitterbots — the publishing industry and the nature of writing itself has transformed dramatically in even the past few years, and DWF is going to be a dedicated space in which to examine it. This also has a huge impact on accessibility. Do you live in the Northern Territory and always feel jealous when you see pictures of the Melbourne Writers' Festival? Maybe you live in Melbourne, but never felt quite cool enough to head along to the events. Perhaps you tried, but got lost looking for the event down a laneway? The DWF will be the first truly accessible festival for a vast array of people all over country, and more than that, the world. Admittedly it could all be a little confusing though. We talked to the new DWF Director, Connor Tomas O'Brien about what the festival will be and how it will all work. We talked on Twitter because that's what the cool kids do now, right? Right? The full DWF program of events and artists will be released in January 2014.
For residents of the Greater Brisbane area, plus folks who spent some of your Christmas and New Year break in the region, 2021 has gotten off to a hectic start. The city's Grand Chancellor hotel cluster sparked six COVID-19 cases — all of the new, more contagious B117 coronavirus strain — resulting in a three-day lockdown, increased local restrictions, and changes in domestic border rules between states as well. The cluster also saw Prime Minister Scott Morrison declare Greater Brisbane a COVID-19 hotspot at the commonwealth level — a decision that came out of the first Australian national cabinet meeting for 2021, and covered the Brisbane, Logan, Ipswich, Moreton and Redlands local government areas. Now, just over a week later — and 14 days since local transmission is thought to have occurred — Australia's Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly has announced that the hotspot status has been revoked. That new status became effective at 12.01am today, Sunday, January 17. "This hotspot was declared out of an abundance of caution because we saw for the first time a case of this new more transmissible strain in the community," said Kelly. "Like so many instances throughout the pandemic, we've now seen another success story in our response." When Greater Brisbane was deemed a federal-level hotspot, every state and territory across Australia implemented border restrictions with the area — and in some cases, the entire State of Queensland. As the situation has settled, those rules have been changing again. In New South Wales, folks who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 were required to isolate during the Queensland region's lockdown. Now, however, there are no restrictions in place. Victoria closed its borders to Greater Brisbane, and implemented a new traffic light-style system to cope with domestic outbreaks and corresponding restrictions on entering the state in general. Greater Brisbane was initially classed as a 'red zone', which meant anyone who had been in the area couldn't head to Victoria. As at 6pm on Saturday, January 16, it became an 'orange zone' instead — so entry is now allowed after applying for a permit, then self-quarantining, getting a coronavirus test within 72 hours of arrival and remaining in isolation until a negative test result is received. https://twitter.com/VicGovDHHS/status/1350229906488102913 Tasmania declared the Greater Brisbane region a high-risk area. Anyone who had arrived in Tasmania after spending time in Greater Brisbane since January 2 had to immediately self-isolate, while anyone who had been in the area and wants to travel to Tassie isn't allowed to enter without an exemption. That's still the case, although the rules will be reviewed and updated on Monday, January 18. In the Northern Territory, a hotspot declaration meant that anyone entering the NT from Greater Brisbane area had to go into quarantine for two weeks. That declaration was revoked on Monday, January 11. South Australia brought in a quarantine requirement, too, requiring arrivals from Greater Brisbane to to isolate for two weeks. That was revoked at 12.01am on Sunday, January 17, although anyone entering SA from the area must now have a COVID-19 test on day one, five and 12 of their trip to the state. The Australian Capital Territory required anyone who had been in the Greater Brisbane area since January 2 to go into isolation for 14 days from when they were last in the area; however, that was revoked at 2pm on Monday, January 11. Over in Western Australia, a hard border has been brought back in with all of Queensland, with WA closing to anyone who has been in the Sunshine State since January 2. That's still in effect — so anyone who receives an exemption to still enter WA has to go into quarantine for 14 days, and undertake COVID-19 testing within 48 hours of arrival and again on day 11 of their quarantine. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in Australia, visit the Australian Government Department of Health website.
Get a glimpse into the production of an intriguing adaptation of Oscar Wilde's savage fairytale The Nightingale and the Rose. Co-directed by two-time Archibald Prize winner Del Kathryn Barton and filmmaker Brendan Fletcher, the 14-minute animation — which won the award for Best Australian Short Film at last year's Melbourne International Film Festival — will screen as part of a three-month exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Featuring the voice talents of Mia Wasikowska, David Wenham and Geoffrey Rush, as well as a unique score by singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko, the film provides the backbone for Del Kathryn Barton: The Nightingale and the Rose. Running until mid-September in ACMI's Gallery 2, the exhibition will take visitors behind the scenes of Barton's creative process, incorporating never-before-seen paintings, props from production, and a rare 1913 edition of the Oscar Wilde anthology in which the story first appeared. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkHzTsFJ73I
Walking from one end of Brunswick to East Brunswick can well and truly take more than an hour — so it's no wonder that a bounty of bars have blossomed to quench the thirst of foot-weary travellers and locals alike. There's practically something for every night of the week: karaoke, sharp-shooting on a round pool table, Afro jazz for sweating out the Sunday blues, or mid-week cheeseboards to impress your date. So leave the car at home, and make sure to hop the best of Sydney Road and Lygon Street's bars.
One of the main events of Chinatown's annual Lunar New Year festivities, the Dragon Parade is truly a sight to behold. At 11.30am on Sunday, February 14, the Dai Loong ("big dragon") will emerge from its home at the Chinese Museum and make its way through the streets of Melbourne, heralding the New Year and the beginning of the Spring Festival. There'll be dancing and drumming and colourful costumes as far as the eye can see. And if all the parading leaves you feeling peckish — well, you'll be in Chinatown now, won't you? Image: Chris Phutully via Flickr.
Weary of Westeros? Want a new formula to Breaking Bad? Zoned out of Walking Dead? Okay, perhaps not yet, but soon these shows will be over for the season (or *gulp* for good), and we'll be in the mood for something new. To pre-empt this moment, we've found five shows that might even top the hits we worship now. Here are the soon-to-air, highly anticipated television shows that are a must-see (and that we hope are fast-tracked on some Australasian network soon, but don't hold your breath). 1. American Gods Airing: late 2013/early 2014 Length: Six seasons of 10-12 episodes Based on Neil Gaiman's award-winning novel American Gods, the upcoming HBO series of the same name is expected to grab the attention of TV lovers worldwide. The series, written by Gaiman and produced by Playtone productions, is based on the idea that the gods of ancient mythology do exist in modern America and are kept alive by the people that believe in them. The main character, Shadow Moon, is an ex-convict recently released from prison. Unimaginable events begin to unfold in Shadow's life and he begins to question his perceived conceptions of the modern world. Producers have confirmed that the show will air for six seasons, so get ready to lose days to any binge watching you choose to get into. 2. Under The Dome Airing: June 24, 2013 Length: 13 episodes A television series brought to you by Steven Spielberg and Stephen King? That already sounds like a huge success. Under the Dome, a CBS series due to air June 24, has a star-studded cast and producing team, including actors Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre and Colin Ford and comics king Brian K. Vaughan. Based on the novel of the same name by King, who is also executive producer of the show, Under the Dome follows what happens to a town when they are cut off completely from the rest of the world. In Chester's Mill, Maine no one can come in and no one can go out. With 2000 people trapped under an invisible barrier, things are bound to get scary fast. 3. Family Tree Airing: May 12, 2013 Length: Eight episodes HBO, in collaboration with BBC2, just released its first teaser for the coming series Family Tree. The show, which stars the beloved Bridesmaids and IT Crowd actor Chris O'Dowd, is a single-camera, improvisational, documentary-style comedy series that follows the life of 30-year-old Tom Chadwick (O'Dowd) as he investigates his strange family lineage, travelling from the UK to Los Angeles. The series was created by Christopher Guest, one of the original mockumentarians who brought us This Is Spinal Tap, and frequent collaborator Jim Piddock and could well revive a flagging genre. 4. Masters of Sex Airing: September 29, 2013 Length: 12 episodes in season one confirmed so far Based on Thomas Maier's 2009 biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, Masters of Sex is a drama series set to premiere on September 29 on the always-impressive Showtime network. Starring Michael Sheen as William Masters and Lizzy Caplan as Virginia Johnson, the show follows the bizarre lives and romance of the real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality and leaders of the sexual revolution, Dr William Masters and Virginia Johnson. While not much else has been released about the series, this tidbit is enough to grab our attention. 5. True Detective Airing: Soon? Length: Eight episodes in season one With a superb, show-stopping cast, the new HBO series True Detective is without a doubt a show to look out for in the coming months. The series recently went into production and hopes to bring the contemporary crime underworld back to HBO. Starring talented doppelgangers Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, the eight-episode drama series has been in production since late 2012 but still no official word on when it will premiere. The series will follow an anthology vein comparable to the hit series American Horror Story, meaning the next seasons (if the first season is successful) will feature a whole new cast and a different storyline.
The planned construction of anything 'bold, provocative and edgy' seems innately destined for failure — the aforementioned buzzwords, particularly when used in quick succession, conjure up images of middle-aged, fat-cat executives chain smoking cigars around a boardroom table or, worse still, mid-life crisis Mum trying with thinly veiled desperation to shake it with her 20-something-year-old daughters. In short, not an uplifting portrait. It could be argued that SBS2's recent youth-targeted makeover, which saw the digital channel relaunch on April 1 in a bid to ensnare a specific 16-to-39-year-old demographic, is destined to go the way of other 'cool, hip' initiatives that sadly end up being neither of the two. What Even Is Emerging Culture? By attempting to reach 'young people' as an isolated bracket, SBS2 have been criticised for assuming that age is an effective means by which to categorise and target the behaviours of viewers. Admittedly, if shows like Network Ten's Being Lara Bingle and The Shire are indicative of what Gen-Y supposedly wants, it would appear that young people people are in fact the dullest, worst kind of viewer and, more widely, human. What's different about SBS2's approach is the diversity of their programming — already popular offerings like US comedy series Community and gritty drama Skins feature alongside A-League football coverage, Japanese game shows and documentaries on everything from the truth about smoking marijuana to a history of controversial sex in cinema. The breadth of subject matter covered suggests that SBS2 is not targeted at some imagined, specific breed of young person with a narrow, mundane sphere of interest; it's an attempt to engage a younger but no less intelligent consumer in a meaningful way. Facilitating Your Binge A particularly interesting component of the new SBS2 is the Back 2 Back feature, where after the first episode of a series has screened on free to air, viewers can watch the entire season of some shows via SBS On Demand. A response to what Tony Iffland, SBS's director of TV and online content , calls 'binge watching' the feature allows viewers the kind of total control over their viewing habits that most of us have been enjoying since we learnt how to illegally download content (everybody does it but nobody talks about it). While the idea of huddling around the box once a week for a single episode of one's personal brand of entertainment crack might provide great fodder for water-cooler banter the next day at the office, in today's fast-paced media landscape the notion seems as quaint and outmoded as listening to the wireless, yet most traditional TV networks still privilege this lost model, for lack of another way. News for the Attention-Challenged Another of SBS2's responses to changing media consumption habits is the addition of a 15-minute news bulletin with 30-second headlines, which offers a time-poor alternative to the increasingly archaic traditional news bulletin. Although this opens up a contentious debate about the dangers of pandering to rapidly shrinking attention spans, it seems that regardless of such protestations, behavioural and attitudinal changes are inevitable. If this is the case, fast news is still better than none at all, right? SBS Is Your Friend Where, as a 'young person' your natural reaction might be to boldly and feverishly reject any initiative that attempts to examine, categorise and subsequently cater to your complex needs and desires in a collective way, it's important to remember who the one doing the talking is. SBS isn't he dreaded man — they're an independent, underfunded TV channel, committed to providing high-quality, culturally relevant media to all Australians regardless of geography, background, language skills and, indeed, age. Seven billion stories and counting, only now some of those are digital, on demand and ready for your binging pleasure, 'bold, provocative and edgy', or otherwise.
Asghar Farhadi is not yet so passe, because the latest release to come from the Iranian director, The Past (or original title Le Passé to le snobs) looks as good as his 2012 Academy Award-winning A Separation. Dubbed an engrossing psychological drama about choice and responsibility, the critically acclaimed French film features Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), awarded Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for her work in this film. The Past follows Bejo's Marie and her children, who are deserted by husband Ahmad (Ali Mosaffa) when he returns to his home in Iran. But in his absence, Samir (Tahar Rahim from The Prophet) hits the screen and, despite protests by her teenage daughter, Maria requests a divorce and Ahmad finds himself with renewed love for his estranged wife. The Past is in cinemas on February 6, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
Australia will soon get to see The Wind Rises (Kaze tachinu), the supposedly final work from Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro), who based the film on his own manga comic of the same name. Set in Japan pre-WWII, the critically acclaimed animated drama follows the life of a young flight-obsessed engineer who designs Japanese fighter planes, a plot inspired by the real-life creator of the Mitsubishi A5M and A6M Zero, Jiro Horikoshi. As the highest grossing Japanese film of 2013, The Wind Rises also took out the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. It sounds like a must-see for Studio Ghibli fans and aviation nerds, plus those keen to experience what sounds like the last film from a truly legendary animator. The film will play in Japanese and English, with respective subtitles. Its English language cast includes Joseph Gordon Levitt, Elijah Wood and Emily Blunt. The Wind Rises is in cinemas on Thursday, February 27, and thanks to Madman Films, we have ten double in-season passes to give away. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au
When Iron Man, Thor, Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, Captain America and their fellow caped-crusader pals all cross paths on-screen, they do so within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. When it's Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Aquaman's turn, they populate the DC Extended Universe. But these kind of big-screen franchises aren't just the domain of superheroes. In the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, for instance, a number of Spider-Man supervillains are getting their own interconnected movies. First came 2018's Venom, starring Tom Hardy (Dunkirk) as a journalist who is forced to share his body with an alien symbiote. Next year — delayed from 2020 — Morbius will see Jared Leto (The Little Things) play a figure also known as the "Living Vampire". In-between the two, Venom: Let There Be Carnage is also hitting screens. The initial flick about Hardy's Eddie Brock and his parasitic pal did ridiculously big business at the box office, so it was always going to get a sequel. Due to hit cinemas Down Under this October — after being delayed from its September release date — Venom: Let There Be Carnage signals its other main point of focus in its title. This time around, Venom isn't the only formidable figure that Brock has to deal with, with Woody Harrelson (Zombieland: Double Tap) joining the cast as Carnage. For those who haven't dived deep into Spider-Man's comic book history, Carnage is another of the web-slinger's adversaries. Inhabiting the body of a serial killer called Cletus Kasady, he's also Venom's nemesis. And while Eddie's life isn't all that straightforward as seen in both the original Venom: Let There Be Carnage trailer and the just-dropped new sneak peek — living in harmony with Venom is about as easy as it sounds — things get a whole lot more chaotic when Carnage enters the scene. As these two villains face off, here's hoping that Venom: Let There Be Carnage gives Michelle Williams (Fosse/Verdon) more to do than the first Venom movie did, with the four-time Oscar-nominee returning as Eddie's ex-fiancée. Also seen briefly in the trailers: Naomie Harris (The Third Day) as yet another Spider-Man villain, Shriek, plus Stephen Graham (The Virtues) as Detective Mulligan. And, behind the lens, Lord of the Rings actor-turned-Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle filmmaker Andy Serkis directs. Check out the latest trailer below: Venom: Let There Be Carnage opens in Australian cinemas sometime in October — we'll update you when an exact date is announced.
Modern day love dramatically differs from the romance of yesteryear due to courtship via digital means. While this is certainly not the case for everyone and their relationships, social media and hook-up apps undeniably play a huge part in navigating today’s love landscape. A new publication, created by Clara Bradley, looks to explore how digital communications have affected the way we love with a little help from some talented folk. A collection of artists, photographers, writers and designers have contributed to Tenderness Journal. Producing a tangible piece of print media that explores the implications of digital media is interesting in itself; perhaps the old ways are the best? We’ll soon find out. Along with the book launch there will also be an exhibition of the artists’ photographs at Fitzroy’s latest venue dedicated to the arts scene, Grey Gardens Projects. Contributors to Tenderness include James Andrews, Kiah Pullens, Kirrilee Bailey, Clara Bradley, Benjamin Chadbond, Hugh Coldwell-Ross, Mim Connell, Melissa Edwards and many others.
If you're someone who loves coffee and the odd cocktail or two, chances are you're a fan of espresso martinis. After all, they're a great way to kick off a night out. But not paying for them? Tell us we're dreaming. To make that dream a reality, we've partnered with coffee liqueur label Mr Black, so you — and your mates — can get your boozy caffeine fix without spending a cent. Who's dreaming now? Born out of the belief that good coffee should be had at any time of day, Mr Black's cold brew liqueur sure gets a party started. So, should you win this prize, you'll be heading to a local bar for a free round of espresso martinis. And, after months of at-home happy hours, we bet you're keen to hit the town. To top it off, you'll be sipping away at one of the top watering holes in Melbourne. You can pick from one of the participating CBD bars such as the super-popular Arbory Afloat, container bar Whitehart, Southbank's Waterslide Bar and underground small bar Beneath Driver Lane. Over in the inner north, you can stop into the likes of Collingwood's Above Board or Bad Frankie, Bar Liberty and Black Pearl, which are all located in Fitzroy. If you're a southside local, you can head to moody cocktail bar Lover on Chapel Street or go-to wine bar Ugly Duckling over in Cremorne. And, there's a one-in-ten chance you'll win, so make like early 2000s P!nk and get the party started by entering below. To enter, see details below. [competition]799625[/competition]
These days, Pokémon GO might just be another unused app on your phone; however the game's cute little pocket monsters aren't staying confined to a small screen. Animated Pokémon movies have been around for almost as long as the animated Pokémon television series, but now the game-to-TV-to-cinema franchise is getting a distinctive new addition: a live-action flick featuring a particularly realistic-looking Pikachu, who happens to be voiced by Ryan Reynolds. While playable Pokémon titles date back to 1996's Pokémon Red and Green for Game Boy, Pokémon: Detective Pikachu is based on the 2016 game of the same name — where, as the title suggests, everyone's favourite yellow, furry creature solves mysteries. He also talks, exclaiming more than "pika!"; is addicted to caffeine, like most of us; and has arrived to help former Pokémon trainer Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) track down his missing dad. The result: basically a Pikachu-and-human buddy cop movie, jam-packed with other Pokémon, of course. Two trailers have been released so far, and if you've spent to much of your childhood catching 'em all when it comes to Pokémon — and, thanks to Pokémon GO, plenty of your adult years as well — you'll be in heaven watching the newest sneak peek, which just dropped this week. As well as lending his acerbic attitude and vocal talents to what's certain to be the world's most adorable detective, Reynolds performed the role via motion-capture, and is joined by Kathryn Newtwon, Suki Waterhouse, Omar Chaparro, Chris Geere, Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy among the cast. The first live-action Pokémon flick, Detective Pikachu is directed by Robert Letterman, who has Shark Tale, Monsters vs Aliens, Gulliver's Travels and the first Goosebumps film to his name. Catch the Pokémon: Detective Pikachu trailers below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8CKgQFo5U8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzvbzYoQE5o Pokémon: Detective Pikachu opens in Australian cinemas on May 9. Image: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
Come October, the $20 notes you'll be stuffing in your wallet will look a little different — a new design for the lobster has just been release, and it's hitting tills around the country in just eight months. Australia's banknotes have been getting a makeover since September 2016, when a different $5 note started doing the rounds. It was followed by a revamped $10 in 2017, then $50 in 2018 — and now a sparkling fresh $20, which will hit the streets in October 2019. The upgraded design will celebrate Mary Reibey, an Australian convict-turned-merchant, shipowner and philanthropist, as well as John Flynn, the founder of what is now known as the Royal Flying Doctor Service. They're both recognised in several ways on the new notes, with not only their portraits displayed prominently, but with images one of Reibey's Port Jackson schooners and Flynn's aircraft leaving a Broken Hill homestead, as well as microprint featuring an excerpt from Flynn's book The Bushman's Companion. As well as changed artwork (albeit keeping the same colour scheme and same celebrated Australians as old notes), the new $20 boasts the same improved security features as the new $5, $10 and $50 notes, which are largely aimed to stop counterfeiting. A clear window running from top to bottom is the most obvious, and contains a number of features such as a reversing number and flying kookaburra. And, in great news for the vision-impaired, the new series of legal tender has a tactile feature to help distinguish between different denominations. As happened with the other denominations, the rollout will happen gradually, as will the withdrawal of old $20s — which you can obviously still keep using. And as for the final Aussie banknote yet to receive a revamp, the new $100 is due to be released in 2020.
The motto at Big Boy BBQ is 'Slow Food… Fast', meaning that the meat is generously rubbed with spices and slow-cooked for up to 16 hours — but the crew can still dish them out quick sticks once orders start coming in. The Caulfield South restaurant had an overhaul in 2019 and this new concept, Southern Grace Diner, is an homage to the traditional 'meat and three' eateries that are dotted all over the US deep south. The menu is straightforward enough. First, choose between juicy smoked meat or ribs, then select up to three sides to enjoy with it — think salads, fries, coleslaw, crackling, vegetable gratin, mash and gravy or mac 'n' cheese. Be sure to save room for sweet potato pie for dessert, too. This spot offers BYO beer and wine for only $5 surcharge per person, and if you fall in love with the addictive southern-style barbecue sauces, glazes and vinegar dips, the restaurant sells takeaway jars for $13. Southern Grace Diner offers BYO beer and wine.
Docklands' winter forecast is looking very warm and toasty, as the annual Firelight Festival returns to the precinct from Friday, June 29. The festival's second outing promises to totally eclipse the first, featuring a sprawling program of events and activities, and some particularly lavish celebrations across the opening weekend. Victoria Harbour is set to be transformed into its biggest, brightest self, playing host to nightly fireworks displays, roving performers, fire drums, flame jets and striking installations. You'll even catch three huge wooden sculptures, designed by local artist Christian Patton, set ablaze as they float along the Harbour. Throughout the month, a diverse live music lineup ranges from jazz, to gypsy, to a New Orleans brass outfit, and special guest Jo Stanley heads up a family-friendly Fireside Storytelling session, sharing tales from her literary series Play Like a Girl. Of course, foodies and booze buffs will also find plenty here to keep them off the couch and out of hibernation, including long-table feasts at Collins Square's Chiara, a program of workshops and progressive dinners exploring some of Docklands' finest food spots, and the 1930s-inspired Speakeasy Series, which descends on the area's top watering holes. Image: Grace Petrou.
Three Michelin stars. Two hats. One of the biggest culinary names in the world, one of Australia's best-known chefs as well, plus another Aussie wiz in the kitchen. Throw in a famed London restaurant and a top Sydney fine-diner, and you get you get one of 2023's biggest food events in Australia: Restaurant Gordon Ramsay coming to Aria. For three nights this autumn, from Monday, May 8–Wednesday, May 10, Gordon Ramsay's eponymous restaurant will hit up the Harbour City for one-of-a-kind residency — because it's never been done before. This is the first time that the London venue has popped up anywhere outside of the British capital. On the menu: a dining experience curated by Ramsay and Matt Moran, naturally. While the pair are joining forces to oversee the residency, Australian chef Matt Abé will be in the kitchen with the Aria team. Dubbed 'Restaurant Gordon Ramsay comes to Aria', the hot culinary ticket capitalises upon a hefty history between Ramsay, Moran and Abé. Ramsay and Moran have been friends for more than a quarter-century, while Abé got his first culinary job at the age of 17 at Aria — and now, 21 years later, he's chef patron at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. On offer: a seven-course menu for $495 per person, plating up signature Restaurant Gordon Ramsay dishes, but with British produce replaced with Australian ingredients. The menu hasn't been revealed; however, it's likely that shellfish raviolo and a pecan praline dessert will feature. And, Aria's wine program will be doing a premium vino pairing on top for another $295 a head. "What an absolute honour to have Restaurant Gordon Ramsay do their first residency outside London at Aria. Gordon is one of my closest mates, and Abé spent five years cooking with me in the Aria kitchen before moving to London where he has cemented his place as one of the world's finest chefs. These three nights will be a real highlight in the 23 years of Aria; I can't wait," said Moran. "Collaborating with my dear friend Matt Moran, and talented chef patron Matt Abé at Aria, with its magnificent views across Sydney harbour, and creating a menu that utilises Australia's incredible local produce whilst delivering the finesse of our three-star Michelin menu, is a dream come true," added Ramsay. "I'm so excited to be heading back to the restaurant where my love for fine dining began. It means so much to be coming home as the first and only three-star Australian chef, to showcase what I have learnt over the years of working for Gordon. It really is an honour to be stepping back into the kitchen at Aria, a place where I first met Gordon, and to show my earliest mentor and friend, Matt Moran, the chef I am today," noted Abé. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay's stint at Aria joins the growing list of high-profile Sydney culinary pop-ups in 2023, with France's Mirazur just finishing a three-week stay at The Gantry at Pier One Sydney Harbour at the end of March — and three Michelin-starred English restaurant L'Enclume, from British chef Simon Rogan, making Balmoral Beach's Bathers' Pavilion its home away from home in July and August. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay comes to Aria takes place from Monday, May 8–Wednesday, May 10, costing $495 per person with a wine pairing from $295 per person — with tickets on sale from 9am on Thursday, April 13 via the Aria website.
While Australia can sometimes feel a little disconnected from the rest of the world, much of the globe can relate to our ongoing refugee situation. It's these widespread geopolitical and migration crises that world-renowned artist and activist Ai Weiwei is shining a spotlight on with his New York public art exhibition, Good Fences Make Good Neighbors. After running a crowdfunding campaign to fund the project back in August and September, the Chinese creative's latest installation is up and running from today until February 2018. The powerful showcase features a series of large-scale works throughout the entire city, as Ai Weiwei highlights the role of the security fence in dividing people, the immigration and border control practices and policies that go along with these physical barriers, and the current global rise in nationalism. https://www.instagram.com/p/BaHLa7Rn9hh/?taken-by=publicartfund Spanning more than 300 sites across five boroughs, the artist's huge fence-inspired works can be found at places like Central Park and Greenwich Village's Washington Square Arch, as well as on top of and between private buildings. He has also created a collection of flagpole-mounted works, sculptures around bus shelters and two-dimensional lamppost banners. Meanwhile, traditional advertising spaces at bus shelters, LinkNYC kiosks and newsstands will display images taken during Ai Weiwei's time researching at refugee camps across the world. Good Fences Make Good Neighbors stems from his own experiences with displacement and detention, combined with his recent research surrounding the global refugee crisis. If you can't make it to New York to see the installation in person, Instagram has you covered. For more of Ai Weiwei's exploration of the topic, Human Flow, his latest documentary, is due in Australian cinemas in March 2018. Images: Ai Weiwei studio via Kickstarter.
Melburnians, it's time to step away from your streaming queue (and from that groove you've made in your couch) and start watching movies on the big screen instead. When the city's sixth lockdown ends and the next stage of eased restrictions kicks in at 11.59pm on Thursday, October 21, outdoor cinemas can restart their projectors — and a number of openair, rooftop and drive-in cinemas around town have announced when they're kicking into gear again. The Lido and Cameo's outdoor cinemas had already slated a Tuesday, October 26 reopening date, but now that stay-at-home conditions are coming to an end earlier than expected, both sites will welcome in patrons at the earliest moment they can. So, from Friday, October 22, you can head to Lido on the Roof to see wild tweet-to-screen flick Zola, or to Cameo to go the Marvel route with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Between them, the two sites will also be showing the Ryan Reynolds-starring Free Guy, where he plays a non-playable video game character who becomes self-aware; and Australian drama Nitram, the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor-winner that depicts the days leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. There's also Adam Driver, Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-led medieval drama The Last Duel, too — and the excellent new Candyman movie, which'll screen on Halloween (obviously). Wondering about the third openair cinema run by the team behind these two venues, aka Classic Cinema's Rooftop Cinema? It's set to reopen again a little later, as its screen needs to undergo some maintenance first. It'll relaunch its rooftop bar on Friday, October 22 for drinks, so you'll be able to stop by from 4–8pm on weeknights and 2–8pm on weekends. And, movie-wise, it'll give that revamped screen a workout from Thursday, November 11 — from 12.07am on that date, in fact — to show new Bond flick No Time to Die as soon as it possibly can. Over at the beloved Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In, movies will begin gracing its under-the-stars setup again from Friday, October 22 — and it has quite a few films on the bill. As well as the aforementioned Candyman, Free Guy and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, that's where you'll be able to see The Suicide Squad, Space Jam: A New Legacy and new James Wan-directed horror flick Malignant. Capacity-wise, Victoria's roadmap allows outdoor entertainment venues to reopen with a cap of 50 people at the 70-percent fully vaxxed mark, which is where the state will be when lockdown ends on Thursday night. That number will increase when the state hits the 80-percent double-jabbed threshold, which is expected around Tuesday, November 2. For more information about Melbourne's reopening openair, rooftop and drive-in cinemas, or to buy tickets, head to the Lido, Cameo, Classic and Village Cinemas Coburg Drive-In cinemas websites. Top image: Brook James.
Summer might have returned with a vengeance, but so has the Adelphi Hotel's newly revamped pool deck and you'll be hard-pressed to find a more worthy rooftop haunt for the balmy days to come. Fresh from an extensive winter reno, the Flinders Lane space is bigger and better than ever. That famed pool has been amped up to a length of 13.5 metres — and yes, one end still extends impressively over the laneway below. With space for about 70 guests, the new-look deck's been styled by the team at Gloss Creative, with chic al fresco furnishings from the likes of Grazia & Co. chosen to complement those sweeping city views. Visitors can now order eats and drinks from Adelphi's new poolside menus, and have them delivered right to their deck chair, so as not to miss a second of quality lounging time. The best part? You don't even need to be staying at the hotel to enjoy this little slice of poolside paradise. Non-guests can access the pool outside of events for a tidy $35, including towel hire. Which is really not that huge of a price to pay when the world is burning at street level. Keep it in mind for Melbourne's next 40-plus-degree day. Find the pool deck on the top level of The Adelphi Hotel, 187 Flinders Lane, Melbourne. It's open from 6am until 10pm daily.
Yoda? Cartoon characters? Pamela Anderson emerging in slo-mo from the surf, flicking her hair to the Baywatch theme? Such are the visions that come to mind when viewing the high-speed photographs of violently shaking dogs, shot by Carli Davidson for her new book, Shake. With plenty more flabby skin and saliva at their disposal, our furry friends put human jowlers utterly to shame. Davidson appears to be a bit of a badass known for her wildlife photography, and according to her bio, was "raised on a secret volcano island by cheetahs". (Her biopic is recommended viewing). She first began photographing animals while working at the Oregon Zoo. The shake project was inspired by her pet dog Norbert (a name which I choose to interpret as an Angry Beavers reference), whose drool Davidson is apparently obliged to scrub from the walls of her home with some frequency. In Shake, she shares 130 high-speed photos of 61 dogs from a range of pedigrees, including a Chinese Crested, that exquisite breed famed for its tendency to win the World's Ugliest Dog competition each year. Different textures of fur coat and jowl surface area contribute to the extremity of 'shake', floppy ears and eyelids flying in opposing directions with a majesty comparable to that of hawks swooping above the Far Northern tundra. One can only imagine the sheer volume of drool lopped onto Davidson's bystanding studio assistants, who by the end must have resembled the victims of some terrible slug fight. The resulting portraits truly inspire — buy them singly as prints, ideal for your stylish home or super tasteful office wall. If that's just not sufficient, order the book on Amazon to be reminded of just how cute and demented doggies really are. The video below, created in conjunction with Variable, is an instant mood-lifter, as all kinds of puppies rattle and roll to an appropriately sentimental soundtrack. Via Colossal.
Whether you're searching for budget skincare solutions, are stuck in a makeup rut or have never quite figured out how to apply eyeliner properly, YouTube has long been a beauty vlogging haven. But what if you're trying to stay glam after nuclear winter decimates the earth, wipes out life as we know it and forces the mutated remnants of humanity deep underground? Only Sarah's Channel can show you how to dazzle in that literally nightmarish situation — and how to make homemade lipstick out of saliva, clay, blood and what seem to be glow-in-the-dark mushrooms. It's set two centuries after a world-ending disaster and, after initially dying along with the vast majority of the population, Sarah (Claudia O'Doherty) has been reanimated. She's supposed to help the planet's waning survivors grow crops, overcome illnesses, restart civilisation and avoid being eaten by a giant monster called Quahmork — just everyday things, really — but the beauty vlogger, influencer, brand ambassador and author would rather keep doing what she knows. In her original life, Sarah had more than 3.5 million subscribers across her various social media platforms, and she's not going to let them down. They're all dead, but what's the point of saving the few not-quite-people left if no one looks their best? That's the idea behind the ABC's hilarious new satirical series, with Sarah's Channel taking amusing and astute aim at influencer culture and manufactured authenticity — all while its eponymous host dispenses beauty advice in a bleak, post-apocalyptic future, of course. Now available on both ABC iview and YouTube, the first season's six five-minute episodes cover everything you need to know if you're having #dystopianworldproblems, including Sarah's favourite products, her daily routine living in a fortified bunker and how to give a makeover to a slimy subterranean creature who has evolved from humanity. If you loved Australian actor and comedian O'Doherty in Netflix's Love — if you thought she was the best thing about the romantic dramedy, in fact — then you'll feel the same about her turn as the relatable yet oblivious Sarah. She stars alongside Sarah's Channel writer/director Nick Coyle (stage production Feather in the Web), who plays terrified mole person Justin. Sarah's Channel is the smart end-of-the-world parody and scathing takedown of online behaviour that you didn't know you needed. Watch the first episode below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deLiDLkQzio The entire six-episode first season of Sarah's Channel is now available to watch on ABC iview and YouTube.
Making its drinks in a nod to Chinese tradition, Xing Fu Tang is a go-to for that authentic bubble tea fix. It's only a recent addition to Melbourne, but the Taiwanese brand is already earning a reputation for its quality liquid fusions, many showcasing the brown sugar boba pearls that are handcrafted in-store daily. It's easy to see why the brown sugar boba milk is the hero drink of the menu, with its dramatic marbled look and rich flavours. But you'll find plenty of other sips to tempt, too, from the colourful pearl-infused matcha and milk concoction, to the milk teas and lively fruit-driven drinks.
A decade ago, Australia's film festival circuit caught a winter chill. Thanks to both the Sydney Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival, the country's cooler months were already a prime time for checking out cinema's latest and greatest from around the world, but the Scandinavian Film Festival levelled up the idea. Do you feel welcomely frostier if you're watching flicks set in and hailing from icy climes while the weather is cold? At this excuse to head to the pictures, yes, yes you do. Focusing on movies from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, the Scandinavian Film Festival has spent the past ten years highlighting both the region's big names and its emerging talents. In 2024, cinemagoers are in for the same format; however, every film fest fan knows that no two iterations of any film fest are ever exactly the same. When it tours the nation between Wednesday, July 17–Wednesday, August 14, this year's event has everything from straight-from-Cannes newcomers to a retrospective dedicated to two of the area's biggest icons on its lineup — plus a span of genres from historical dramas and romances to detective tales and sci-fi epics. Making stops in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, and Byron Bay and Ballina, the festival will kick off with The Riot, which relives an IRL battle by miners in the second-largest workplace in Norway against dangerous conditions at the start of 20th century. Still on period-set tales, Stormskerry Maja is the Scandinavian Film Fest's centrepiece flick, with the Finnish movie about a peasant woman married off to a fisherman bringing the book series by Anni Blomqvist to the screen. Also making the leap from the page to cinemas is Boundless, the latest in Denmark's Department Q franchise, which is no stranger to this festival thanks to past entries The Keeper of Lost Causes, The Absent One and Conspiracy of Faith. From Everest, Adrift and Beast filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, there's also Iceland's Touch, a romantic drama that adapts the novel of the same name, and hops across continents and decades. Elsewhere, When the Light Breaks similarly hails from Iceland — hitting Australia direct from opening Cannes' Un Certain Regard, in fact — alongside thrillers Cold and Natatorium. From Sweden, 2004's King's Game gets a sequel in Kingmaker, Hammarskjöld — Fight for Peace spins a true Cold War tale and Hunters on a White Field heads off on a weekend away in a forest. And Norway's contribution also spans closing night's Songs of Earth, a documentary about the country's wilderness that boasts Wim Wenders (Perfect Days) as an executive producer. The feast of Danish cinema includes Nordic noir Sons starring Borgen's Sidse Babett Knudsen as a prison guard, the Trine Dyrholm (Mary & George)-led Birthday Girl and the World War II-set Before It Ends with Pilou Asbæk (Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom). Or, there's also sci-fi Eternal, about a climate change scientist and a singer falling in love when a fissure splits the ocean floor — and The Promise, about a woman in her car trying to save her nephew's life. 2024's Scandinavian Film Festival's retrospective spotlight is shining on the great Liv Ullmann and Ingmar Bergman, heroing their collaborations, which means screening Autumn Sonata, Persona, the OG Scenes From a Marriage (not the recent American remake) and Cries and Whispers. The fest is also looking backwards with a 35th-anniversary session of Leningrad Cowboys Go America from Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki (Fallen Leaves). Scandinavian Film Festival 2024 Dates: Wednesday, July 17–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas, Adelaide Thursday, July 18–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace James St and Palace Barracks, Brisbane Friday, July 19–Wednesday, August 7 — Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Penny Lane, The Kino, Pentridge Cinema and The Astor Theatre, Melbourne Wednesday, July 24–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Norton St, Palace Moore Park, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema, Sydney Thursday, July 25–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Electric, Canberra Thursday, July 25–Wednesday, August 14 — Luna Leederville, Luna on SX and Palace Raine Square, Perth Friday, July 26–Wednesday, August 14 — Palace Byron Bay and Ballina Fair Cinemas, Byron Bay and Ballina The Scandinavian Film Festival tours Australia in July and August 2024. For more information or to buy tickets, visit the festival's website.
Melbourne's Holy Bombolina isn't just dishing up crowd-pleasing, award-winning, Italian-style doughnuts to the masses, it's often doing so for a good cause, using its sweet treats to throw support behind a swag of great community groups and initiatives. It has even launched Holy Bombolina's Sweet Charity event series, which kicks off on Thursday, June 28, with a doughnut-filled charity movie night at Kino Cinemas. It'll feature an exclusive screening of Greta Gerwig's 2017 drama-comedy Lady Bird, with all profits going to WIRE Women's Information — the state's only generalist support, information and referral centre for women. Grab a ticket to enjoy an evening of Holy Bombolina's fluffy bomboloni doughnuts, prosecco, guest speakers and a top flick, all for a great cause. You'll even have the chance to win some excellent raffle prizes, donated by local makers and creators. Tickets are $35 and can be bought here.
As its name suggests, Melbourne's newest Japanese-accented restaurant leans right into the contemporary. The Future Future has officially arrived — in Richmond, at least — and it's already wowing with its incredibly considered offering. Design-wise, the Swan Street eatery wholeheartedly embraces that Japanese concept of wabi-sabi — that is, exploring the beauty in imperfection — as well as the philosophy of omotenashi, which is the concept of offering primo service without expectation of a reward. Out of the kitchen comes a technique-driven menu that's high on creativity and filled with revamps of classic Japanese dishes, that are fun, yet innovative. Unsurprising, given head chef Atsushi Kawakami's resume includes stints at some of Melbourne's hottest Japanese eateries, including Kappo, Izakaya Den and Hihou. You're in for plates like raw wagyu teamed with puffed wild rice and a wasabi-infused creme fraiche, meatball katsu-sandos, and donburi rice bowls filled with combinations like sweet-soy salmon, crisp tofu skins and green tea dashi broth. The hibachi grill also gets a solid workout, turning out skewers threaded with panko-crumbed barramundi, kewpie and tobiko, or maybe Japanese chicken meatballs, matched with sweet soy and an onsen egg. The drinks offering champions quality over quantity, running to an interesting lineup of whisky, sake, wine and beer from both Australia and Japan. Right now, you'll find the likes of a friulano and a pinot noir, both on tap, from the Mornington Peninsula's legendary Quealy Winemakers, alongside selections from one of the world's only female-owned and -led sake breweries, Japan's Imada. Crafty cocktails include the likes of the Tokyo Express-o, blending vodka, cold drip coffee, umeshu and maple syrup, and the Harajuku Highball, featuring strawberry whisky and vermouth. Meanwhile, a custom line of dapper tea cups, sake sets and candle holders round out the slew of thoughtful touches, courtesy of Copenhagen's Studio Arhoj. Future Future is now open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, and lunch on Friday and Saturday, at 191 Swan Street, Richmond. Images: Josh Robenstone
Patricia Piccinini's otherworldly pieces have popped up all across Australia, and now it's the TarraWarra Museum of Art's turn to host. The not-for-profit public art gallery has announced an almost four-month-long showcase of the artist's efforts from November this year — including the return of her unmissable installation work The Skywhale. The 34-metre-long, animal-shaped hot air balloon will float through the sky in the lead up to the exhibition's opening, so keep an eye out. Called Patricia Piccinini and Joy Hester: Through love…, the exhibition will display from November 24, 2018 to March 11, 2019. It'll not only focus on the woman with an incredibly distinctive view on all things weird and wonderful — and on the thin line between humanity and animal kind that's engrained in her creative portfolio — but on fellow Australian artist Joy Hester. If the latter's name doesn't sound familiar, she was a Melbourne artist who passed away in 1960, favoured brushwork and ink on paper, and is considered one of Piccinini's key influences. This'll be the first time anywhere in the world that a gallery has explored the connection between the pair, with more than 50 pieces on display. With the showcase broadly focused around the theme of love and intimacy as well, visitors will get to see the evolution of Aussie art through the output of the two inimitable figures, with Hester's ink and paper works considered touchstones for Piccinini's sculptures, photographs, videos and drawings. In both camps, attendees will be treated to something either rare or brand new. Much of Hester's work is rarely seen, though her famous couple-focused series Love 1949 and Lovers 1955–56 will be on display. As for Piccinini, she'll be represented by both new and existing large-scale pieces. Piccinini will also unveil a major new work, Sanctuary, at this exhibition. The work is comprised of a wall print, a graphite on paper drawing and, the focal point, a sculpture of two figures embracing. The elderly couple depict characteristics of both humans and bonobos — an endangered ape species known for its intimate relationships. Through this work, Piccinini is exploring human relationships with animals, environment and technology. Images: Rick Liston, Installation view of Patricia Piccinini, Kindred, 2018; Rick Liston, Installation view of Patricia Piccinini, The Lovers, 2011; Rick Liston, Installation view of Patricia Piccinini, The Young Family, 2002; Rick Liston, Installation view of Patricia Piccinini, Sanctuary, 2018; Rick Liston, View of artwork flying in Yarra Valley on November 24, 2018, Patricia Piccinini, Skywhale, 2013; Rick Liston, Installation view of Patricia Piccinini, The Young Family, 2002. All images courtesy of the artist, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney For more spring places, spaces and events to discover in regional Victoria visit Your Happy Space.
It's been a long wait in Australia if you want to rock 'n' roll with AC/DC live. 2025 marks ten years since the iconic Sydney-formed band last took to the stage Down Under. It's also the year, thankfully, that they're making their Aussie concert return. After kicking off in 2024, the group's Power Up tour has finally locked in Australian dates, with Brian Johnson, Angus Young and company hitting up five cities in November and December 2025. Getting thunderstruck: Melbourne to kick off the Aussie leg on Wednesday, November 12; Sydney on Friday, November 21; Adelaide on Sunday, November 30; Perth on Thursday, December 4; and Brisbane to wrap up the Australian shows on Sunday, December 14. As one of the biggest bands that the country has ever produced, AC/DC are putting on huge gigs at every one of their homegrown dates. Let there be rock at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Accor Stadium, the bp Adelaide Grand Final, Optus Stadium and Suncorp Stadium, then. This is the first time that the legendary Australian rockers have toured Down Under since their 2015 'Rock or Bust' world tour. For this run of dates, Amyl and The Sniffers are onboard in support to make these massive Aussie concerts even more so, and to give attendees a taste of two different generations of Aussie rockstars. Playing Sydney isn't just part of a fitting homecoming for AC/DC, but comes more than half a century since the band played their first-ever show in the Harbour City. Their 2025 gig will be just over a month and a half short of 52 years since that 1973 debut. Power Up is also the name of the group's 2020 album, their most-recent record — which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, made multiple best-of lists for that year and scored Grammy nominations. For those about to rock, AC/DC's high-voltage current set list spans their entire career, however, including everything from 'If You Want Blood (You've Got It)', 'Back in Black' and 'Hells Bells' to 'Highway to Hell', 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' and 'You Shook Me All Night Long'. So far, the Power Up tour has played Europe and North America, selling more than two-million tickets across 24 shows in the former and notching up ten soldout gigs in the latter. AC/DC will be back in Europe, hitting the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, Spain, Italy, Estonia, Sweden, Norway, France and Scotland, before their Aussie dates. AC/DC Power Up 2025 Australian Tour Wednesday, November 12 — Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne Friday, November 21 — Accor Stadium, Sydney Sunday, November 30 — bp Adelaide Grand Final, Adelaide Thursday, December 4 — Optus Stadium, Perth Sunday, December 14 — Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane AC/DC are touring Australia in November and December 2025, with tickets on sale from Thursday, June 26, 2025 — at 9am AEST for Sydney, 10am ACST for Adelaide, 11am AEST for Brisbane, 1pm AEST for Melbourne and 1pm AWST for Perth. Head to the tour website for further details. Images: Christie Goodwin.
There's something unwaveringly, undeniably appealing about French cinema. Whether you're hooked on the industry's characteristically stunning cinematography, rawness of storyline, or you simply prefer watching films in a language other than English, French films continue to prove some of the world's most captivating. Haven't watched much French cinema? Lucky for you, and hardcore Francophiles, the annual Alliance Française French Film Festival is just around the corner, starting in Sydney on March 7 with a strong 45-film lineup. While you're waiting for the festival to begin, whet your appetite with a few older releases you might have missed from the last year or so. All five of these films capture stories that are often ignored in mainstream media and will make you cry, laugh, and reflect. BANDE DE FILLES (GIRLHOOD) Set in the banlieues (suburbs) of Paris, Céline Sciamma's Girlhood follows Marieme (Karidja Touré), a teenager who drops out of school and joins a badass crew of fellow young, black, female dropouts. A beautiful celebration of black femininity and female friendship, this award-winning coming-of-age story screened at Cannes in 2014, then received four nominations at the 40th César Awards, including Best Director for Sciamma and Most Promising Actress for Touré. Available to stream on Stan, to rent on Dendy Direct, Quickflix, Google Play and Microsoft. QUAND ON A 17 ANS (BEING 17) This touching story by André Téchiné and co-writer Céline Sciamma explores the sexual awakening between two French teenagers who, on the surface, couldn't be more different. The relationship between Damien (Kacey Mottet Klein) and Thomas (Corentin Fila) is intimately-observed and full of a raw electricity that you can almost feel through the screen — making its Golden Bear nomination at the Berlin International Film Festival a no-brainer. Pack your Kleenex for this one. No streaming available now, rent on iTunes, Microsoft, Google Play and Pathe. DHEEPAN This timely film by revered director Jacques Audiard tells the story of three Sri Lankan refugees who pose as a family to receive asylum in France. Its title character (played by Antonythasan Jesuthasan) is a former Tamil militant who hopes to build a new life and forget the horrors of his past. Awarded the Cannes Palme d'Or in 2015, the film is a compelling snapshot of the contemporary immigrant experience in Europe. Available to stream on Stan and Foxtel Play, to rent on Dendy Direct, Quickflix, Google Play, PlayStation and Microsoft. DIVINES The winner of the 2016 Cannes Camera d'Or, Houda Benyamina's directorial debut is an exhilarating drama that centres on the intense friendship between two young women, Dounia (Oulaya Amamra) and Maimouna (Déborah Lukumuena). Confronted by their limited prospects in the outskirts of Paris, the pair soon fall into drug dealing, attracted by the opportunity to make a quick buck. Oscillating gracefully between moments of sheer joy and pain, this powerful social commentary is packed with memorable scenes. Prepare yourself for the gut-wrenching, if somewhat over the top, ending. Available to stream on Netflix. LA BELLE SAISON (SUMMERTIME) Set in the 1970s, this stirring love story between farm girl Delphine (Izia Higelin) and radical feminist Carole (Cecile De France) is an ode to self-liberation and discovery. On a whim, 24-year old Delphine decides to leave her rural town and move to Paris, where she meets — and falls in love with — Carole, a Spanish literature professor and feminist activist. Directed by Catherine Corsini, the film skilfully captures the complexities of navigating individual desires with familial and societal expectations. If you've seen a streaming/renting option let us know, otherwise buy from Palace Cinemas' shop. Watch them all before the Alliance French Film Festival kicks off. Want to win tickets?
While summer is oh-so close, Melbourne is still drizzly and cold enough that it counts as soup season. CBD restaurant Wonder Bowl agrees and is bringing back its five-day noodle soup giveaway just for the occasion. From September 23 to 27, the Little Lonsdale Street eatery is offering the first 50 customers each night a bowl of its Chinese-style noodle soup, on the house. That's 250 bowls of free soup. For the giveaway, you can choose any noodle soup off the menu — except for dishes in the 'royal' or braised series — so, you can dive into hearty bowls of soup with meatballs, spicy soup with chicken and soup with pipis. Wonder Bowl is already en route to becoming a firm CBD favourite, thanks to a menu of signature soups that combine thick rice noodles, rich seafood broth and Chinese rice wine. Current menu hits include a seafood combination noodle soup and a version featuring drunken chicken. Be quick off the mark next week and you can probably try them both for free. The noodle soup giveaway starts at 6pm each day.
Kano — "a computer anyone can make" — will soon be a widespread reality, following a Kickstarter campaign that's raised more than US$1 million. London-based tech geniuses Alex and Jonathan came up with the concept about a year ago. They felt that, in comparison with the toys they had growing up, today’s technology is inaccessible. Alex’s seven-year-old cousin, Micah, clarified the issue — and set the challenge — when he asked why couldn’t computers be “as simple and fun as lego”? Over the following 12 months, Alex and Jonathan travelled the world, talking to children, parents, educators and artists. All the research led to the development of Kano. According to Alex, "It’s based on three principles — simple steps, storytelling, physical computing — and tying them all together, with a sense of play and exploration.” Kano arrives in the consumer’s hands as a kit. Starting from scratch, the user builds the computer, powered by Raspberry Pi, as well as a speaker, a wireless server, HD video, music, and a custom-designed case. A basic introduction to coding enables the step-by-step construction of simple games such as Pong and Snake, as well as the modification of more complex games like Minecraft. Beyond that, the possibilities are limited only by the user’s imagination. Kano is open source, so there’s access to an abundance of software. Back in May, Alex, Jonathan and their team released a run of 200 prototypes, which sold out quickly and inspired plenty of positive reviews. When it came to expanding their scope, they turned to Kickstarter. Upon going live last month, the campaign achieved its initial goal of US$100,000 within 18 hours. Since then, a stretch goal of US$1 million has been conquered. Open until December 19, the campaign is still accepting donations of $119, which buys a Kano kit.
It's one of the most recognisable spots in Melbourne — and, until December this year at least, Federation Square has been granted temporary heritage protection. If the interim move is extended, it also could thwart one of the city's most controversial new projects: Apple's plans to build its first Australian flagship store. Courtesy of an interim protection order issued on August 21, no work can take place on the site until December 21 without Heritage Victoria's approval. Given that construction on the Apple store wasn't slated to start until next year, the move won't have a significant impact at present. That said, The Age reports that the order is being taken as a sign that permanent heritage protection could be sought for the inner-city space, despite the fact that it's only 16 years old. Giving Fed Square ongoing heritage status would obviously have wider-reaching consequences — including when it comes to pulling down existing buildings. After being announced late last year, Apple's proposed Fed Square store has received considerable community backlash, with new designs revealed in July in response. The opposition to the store isn't just about how it looks, though, but the fact that it'll tear down and replace the existing Yarra Building, and also displace the Koorie Heritage Trust in the process. Contentiously, it'll also see public land sold off to a commercial retailer. Regardless of how Fed Square's permanent heritage status pans out — and if indeed it has any impact upon the Apple store — the current temporary order could slightly stall the other big change taking place in the vicinity, the Metro Tunnel. Fed Square's visitor centre is set to be demolished to build an entry to the tunnel, with work due to begin next month. To proceed according to schedule, contractor Cross Yarra Partnership will need to apply for a permit or exemption to go ahead — something it is expected to do this week, according to the Herald Sun. Via The Age / Herald Sun.
Getting stuck in the Upside Down mustn't be fun. Fighting demogorgons really wouldn't be either. And, neither would being imprisoned in a Russian jail, fighting secret government agents and seeing your home town rocked by a satanic panic-style witch-hunt. They're all among the grim things that Stranger Things has thrown its characters' ways over the years, including in the just-dropped first half of its long-awaited fourth season — and now waiting for the final two episodes in the season isn't that much fun as well. Obviously, spending the entire month of June listening to Kate Bush is on most Netflix viewers' agendas. But if you're after a bit more than that, the streaming platform has just released its first teaser trailer for the second volume of Stranger Things season four. Due to arrive on Friday, July 1, it'll dive back into the current tussle with Vecna — although, as this clip shows, he's decided that no one can stop his chaos now. The new sneak peek is brief, and it won't make any sense if you haven't already seen what the residents of Hawkins, Indiana have been up to lately. It still keeps the hefty slasher and horror vibes going, though, and teases another showdown between Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown, Godzilla vs Kong) and the series' new big bad. Need a refresher on where things are up to? Season four is set six months after the season three's battle of Starcourt, and sees Eleven living in Lenora Hills, California, with Will Byers (Noah Schnapp, Waiting for Anya), his brother Jonathan (Charlie Heaton, The Souvenir Part II) and their mother Joyce (Winona Ryder, The Plot Against America). But, despite her claims that things are sunny — in letters to her boyfriend Mike Wheeler (Finn Wolfhard, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), of course — they really aren't. The same proves true back in Hawkins, too. There, teens are turning up dead, and metal-loving outcast Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn, Small Axe) — who also runs the high school Dungeons & Dragons club — is the prime suspect. Dustin Henderson (Gaten Matarazzo, The Angry Birds Movie 2), Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink, Fear Street) and Lucas Sinclair (Caleb McLaughlin, Concrete Cowboy) all know better, though, and enlist help from Steve Harrington (Joe Keery, Free Guy), Robin Buckley (Maya Hawke, Fear Street) and Nancy Wheeler (Natalia Dyer, Things Seen & Heard) to work out what's going on. That's the basic overview — with season four so far also spanning nods to 80s flicks aplenty, a wonderful horror cameo, explorations of Eleven's past and powers, road trips, and Jim Hopper's (David Harbour, Black Widow) whole situation in a Soviet gulag. As for what'll happen next, things look as eerie, tense and chilling as ever. And no, the new trailer isn't set to 'Running Up That Hill'. Check out the first sneak peek at Stranger Things season four volume two below: The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season four are available to stream now via Netflix, with the remaining two set to follow on Friday, July 1. Read our full review of Stranger Things season four volume one.
As a country girt by sea, it's easy to take Australia's sandy waterside for granted. But just like our ever-rising temperatures, ever-lingering drought conditions and increasingly widespread bushfires, our coastline isn't immune to climate change. Nor, with oceans both warming and rising, are our beaches guaranteed to withstand it. In Stockton Beach, in Newcastle's north on the NSW coast, this grim reality has been making its presence known for decades, all due to continuing coastal erosion. Since huge storms back in 2015, which cost the beach millions of tonnes of sand, it has been a particularly prominent issue; however, in the past few weeks, the spot has completely lost its coveted patch of sand. It happened quickly, too — the Newcastle Herald reports that "a section of the beach lost 2.5 metres in sand height" in just five hours. The paper estimates that around 500,000 cubic metres of sand (50,000 truck loads) would be required to replace what's been lost so far. So instead of somewhere to sit and sunbathe, beachgoers are now met with rocks, sand cliffs and a waterline much closer than it has ever been before. At the south end of the beach, the sand in front of the nearly 112-year-old Stockton Surf Life Saving Club, the adjacent car park and Lexie's Cafe have been particularly hard hit and, unsurprisingly, the City of Newcastle has closed all access points to the beach — except for the one at the Mitchell Street breakwall — until further notice. This aerial footage from The Guardian shows pretty clearly how severely the beach has been affected. [caption id="attachment_744112" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Save Stockton Beach[/caption] As Newcastle's Lord Mayor explained at a council meeting last week, the catastrophic current situation has been caused by large swells in the recent weeks. The council is now undertaking emergency works, such as sandbagging, in the hope it can get Stockton Beach to condition that's useable for the public. The "preferred option" is to bring sand back in to the beach — an option that relies on the NSW Government's Coastal Zone Management Program. In good news, according to the ABC, the State Government has just approved $250,000 in funding for the council and has declared the beach a Significant Open Coast Location, meaning that the council can apply for emergency funding at any time. Shelley Hancock, the Minister for Local Government, says that the council's applications for funding are "currently undergoing a rapid assessment so that works can be undertaken as a matter of priority". Fast-tracking a mooted gas terminal at Kooragang Island, which could see sand dredged and relocated to Stockton, has also been floated as a solution — but it would require a statewide ban on offshore dredging to be lifted. Back in June, the council discussed offshore sand extraction, noting that it was "one of the only viable methods for large-scale beach nourishment along the open coast". At the time of writing, a GoFundMe campaign to save the beach has raised over $18,000, and a the Save Stockton Beach Facebook page is trying to raise awareness around the issue. Losing a beach is a bleak prospect, but the effects far span beyond just losing somewhere to lay out a towel. As the landscape changes, the sand shifts, threatening nearby buildings. The local daycare centre has been forced to shut due to the erosion, with the structure set to be demolished. Cabins at the nearby holiday park were also vacated last week, as a precautionary measure, although they've since been re-opened. Coastal erosion is by no means limited to Stockton Beach, of course. Due to rising temperatures and wild weather, sea levels are rising and eating into coastlines around the world, from England to Tunisia. And with similarly bleak scenarios happening across Australia — from Sydney to Melbourne to Perth to Adelaide — stories like these are sadly likely to increase in frequency. If you live near, or are travelling to, Stockton Beach, check the City of Newcastle website for updates on the beach accessibility. To help, you can get in touch with the Save Stockton Beach group — or keep striking for the government to take action on climate change to prevent this happening to more of our country's epic beaches. Images: Save Stockton Beach Facebook.
It's no secret that Melbourne's dumpling game is strong. So if you're going to use the word in your restaurant name, you'd better be bringing the goods. As the latest addition to the buzzing Smith Street stretch south of the Grace Darling, Bowl Bowl Dumpling has made that very call, and passed the test. Inside, the double storefront space has a hipster-friendly, modern zen feel, with earthy tones and verdant foliage interspersed with pops of colour. The exposed brick walls, pendant lights and elegant Japanese clay tableware all show signs of effort. While it doesn't always feel cohesive, it's certainly one of the more comfortable dumpling dining experiences you can expect at this price range, with not a plastic table in sight. Those plump little pillows are, of course, the stars of the menu, but you can kick things off with a few Pan-Asian starters — perhaps some nicely battered salt and pepper calamari ($8.50), or a serve of vegetarian spring rolls ($6.50). With seven dumpling dishes on offer, there's an option to satisfy most, and all but one come with a share-friendly 10 to a serve. Take a few friends and a bit of an appetite and you can walk away having sampled the lot. Dumpling fans will know that xiao long bao are something of a technical yardstick, and Bowl Bowl's version of the soup-filled buns definitely don't disappoint. Touted here as 'Water Bomb' dumplings, they're delicate and juicy, ready to burst with fragrant, gingery pork broth ($14.50 for eight). In terms of technique, the gluten-free, Italian-style chicken dumplings ($13.50 for 10 pieces) don't quite hit the same mark, with skins a little on the thick side, but the fennel filling is tasty and fresh and the combo is a refreshing change from the norm. Then, those really in the mood for some feasting can get stuck into a handful of bigger dishes, like the Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce ($18) or fried rice ($18.50). The drinks list is a step up from the usual dumpling dinner offering — beers are basic, but there's a handful of Australian wines, all hovering around $9 for a glass and $35 for a bottle. Service, too, trumps that at the flourescent-lit set, with attentive, friendly staff showing off some practised moves. This is hardly the dumpling experience you're used to, but a meal at Bowl Bowl is sure to convert you.
The Ironmen of Cooking are here. Here. Reppin' Australia's '90s love for the glorious, glorious competitive Japanese cooking show, two of the original Iron Chefs have landed in Melbourne for an epic cooking battle, one the public can eat for a cheeky $380 per person. Could be a publicity stunt for Iron Chef Australia, which was cancelled at the end of its first season in 2010. Could be (is) a KIRIN thing. Could just be a hair-brained jaunt from the Japanese TV crew. Either way, Kitchen Stadium has been left behind for Melbourne's RACV City Club this week. Over two nights on February 14 and 15, the mighty Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai (reppin' all things French cuisine, winner of 70 ICs) and Iron Chef Masahiko Kobe (the Don of Italian Iron Chef cooking, but winner of only 16 ICs) will take the stage with the son of Iron Chef Kenichi Chen (the once-master of IC Chinese cooking and winner of 66 ICs), banding together to cook up one monster of an Iron Chef feast. The theme ingredient? Australian local produce. Yep, it's more vague than river eel, summer corn or Alaskan king crab, but they're keeping it geographically-themed. Held over two sittings, the Iron Chefs will be chopping, mincing and frying up seven courses. According to Good Food, the menu's main focus will be pretty seafood heavy — spanner crab, ocean trout — alongside local duck. Paired with sake and Aussie wines by executive sommelier Masahiko Iga, the seven-course dinner is already well sold out — even with that $380pp price tag. It's not clear whether the legendary commentator Yukio Hattori (or his straight-up boss Canadian dub counterpart Scott Morris) will be in attendance to point out every last heroic detail, or whether the immortal, ever-dramatic host Takeshi Kaga will be there to kick off the proceedings. If you're wondering whether your face will end up on Japanese TV, it probably will — the Iron Chefs have brought an entire Japanese media entourage with them, as the battle will be televised. While tickets for the event have indeed sold out, you can peruse this list of every last Iron Chef ingredient ever featured or watch this SEA CUCUMBER BATTLE: Via Malay Mail and Good Food.
Counting out your pennies till pay day? No problem. Even with less than $10 in your pocket, you don't have to resort to Saladas with Vegemite you found in the work cupboard. You can still get out of the office to feast on noodle soups, Turkish street snacks, pork belly bao and even meals from a Michelin-starred restaurant. So don't sit around moping about your inability to do a banquet at Chin Chin. Round up your coins and head straight to these ten eateries where you can eat a meal for less than ten bucks. $2.70 PORK BUNS AT WONDERBAO Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Swanston Street, Wonderbao is a pocket-sized slice of bao heaven that won't stretch your lunchtime budget. Treat yourself to the barbecue pork bun for only $2.70, or if you're after a bao assortment that will keep your stomach from rumbling until dinner, the Veggie Pack of 3 bao will sort you out for a low $9.70. $6.80 CHICKEN AND RICE AT HAWKER CHAN Who would've thought that scraping together all your pennies, could get you a Michelin-starred meal? World class eateries and scraping together your lunch money pennies don't usually go hand-in-hand. Hawker Chan, however, is out to make your working week just that much better. For just $6.80, you'll be presented with the restaurants famed chicken rice dish, featuring chicken poached in chicken stock, soy sauce and ginger, the meat then blanched to give the skin a gelatinous texture, and served on a fluffy pile of jasmine rice. $8 ROTI AT MAMAK For only $8, Mamak's famed roti is an absolute steal. Served straight from the kitchen where you'll see four chefs in action flinging and grilling this doughy roti to perfection, two curry dips and a spicy sambal sauce will set you back just $8. Add cheese or onion for $1 — or both for $1.50. $10 THAI BOWLS AT SOI 38 Take a quick side-trip to the side streets of Bangkok inside a car park in Melbourne's CBD, at Soi 38. Here, $10 can get you any dish on the menu, whether it's a boat noodle soup, tom yum noodles with wontons or braised duck noodle soup you're craving. Plus, your $10 won't limit your choice, with the option to pair your choice of soup with noodles such as vermicelli, rice or egg noodles. $7 PIDE AT GOZ CITY A hunk of hot bread with toppings is good for any time of day — but especially good for lunch. Goz City doles out its generous-sized pides for just seven bucks, and it gives you a couple of options, too: sausage and egg, tomato and egg, or breakfast pide. Though the star of the show over here at Göz City is generally the gozleme, don't underestimate the power of a $7 pide filled with egg and meat. We've said it before and we'll say it again: carbs will get you through the week. [caption id="attachment_682137" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Sam Morrison via Instagram[/caption] $7.70 CURRY DON AT DON DON Don Don on Little Lonsdale is a little cramped, always has a steady flow of people in and out and there'll be a couple of "sorrys" and "excuse mes" as you make your way in, but the food is hot, incredibly quick and — most importantly — cheap. It's just $7.70 for a beef or chicken curry don (rice and pickle included) or $6.50 for the tofu version, so you need do very little else than shovel it down and be out the door, joining the constant flux that enters and exits Don Don. $9.50 ROTISSERIE CHICKEN AT BELLEVILLE Belleville is a three-birds-one-stone venue in that you can go for a meal, a drink, or some live music – or all three. Open from 11am till 11pm (and later on Thursday to Saturday), you can walk in at any time to this laneway dive bar for a quick feed, and their lunch menu is certainly willing to play along. If you're craving chicken, you're in luck — the rotisserie special is a quarter chook for $9.50. The hot bird is glazed with miso butter glazed already, but you can also add sauces of your choosing. $4.50 BAGELS AT SCHMUCKS BAGELS Don't be a fool (or, in this case, a schmuck), and head down to Schmucks Bagels between Little Bourke Street and Guests Lane for a good ol' NYC bagel, with a twist. Schmucks' bagels go way beyond your average poppyseed- or sesame-topped snack, serving adventurous bites that will take your $10 to the next level. Try the $9 Hippie Slicker, a seeded bagel with turmeric-roasted cauliflower, hummus, tomato and lemon-dressed watercress. If cauliflower isn't your thing, for 50c less try the Avo Our Way, filled with smashed avocado, pickled red onion, capers, and lemon-dressed herbs on a seedy bagel. For something a bit more on the safe side, pick up a sesame bagel with your choice of spread for just $4.50. $10 FALAFEL AT TAHINI Brought to you from the team behind Code Black Coffee, Tahini in Collins Square, gives you some serious bang for your buck. For only $10, an array of traditional Lebanese dishes awaits you — whether you're after something fresh, like the $6 fattoush salad, or meaty, such as the $8 slow cooked spiced lamb sharwarma bowl with pomegranate molasses and tahini. Although, if you can't look past some good old-fashioned falafels pick up one of Tahini's falafel wraps — they're $10, or $8 when you take away Monday and Tuesday. $8.90 CHASHU DON AT SHUJINKO Lunch at midday, 7pm or perhaps 2am? Russell Street's 24-hour ramen restaurant Shujinko has got you covered for cheap eats at all hours of the day. $7.80 will buy you five pieces of kaarage chicken and $6.90 will get youhalf a dozen dumplings at Shujinko, coming in at $1.15 a piece. But for something a bit more jam-packed, try the chashu don, with grilled pork belly, rice, red ginger, spring onion and oyster sauce for just $8.90. $9.95 CHICKEN POKE AT POKÉD For $9.95, the world's your oyster at Pokéd. Whether you're after the Hula Hula Cook bowl (chicken with pineapple teriyaki, pineapple salsa, corn, edamame, sweet potato crips and roasted sesame), or wanting to satisfy some veggie cravings (with a roasted eggplant, sesame mayo, spinach, sweet potato salad, marinated mushrooms, pickled cabbage, edamame with sweet potato crips bowl), get down to Pokéd ASAP.
The sights, the sounds and — most importantly — the flavours of a Bangkok street kitchen are on their way to Melbourne. Set to open on Crown Riverwalk on January 16, Long Chim Melbourne will be chef David Thompson's third Thai restaurant in Australia, following the super successful Long Chim Perth and new 2016 addition Long Chim Sydney. It's not often that Melbourne trails behind Perth in the world of fine dining. Still, we figure better late than never. Prepare for Thai fare just like you'd find in the streets and markets of Bangkok, including charred rice noodles with beef, basil and Sriracha sauce, plus prawn laksa, chive cakes, green papaya salads, grilled pork and banana roti. The a la carte menu also boasts curries, soups, salads and stir-fries aplenty, including a mashed prawn curry and sour orange curry of ling fish. Dessert fiends can look forward to both durian and Thai coffee ice cream. Thirsty? Long Chim — which means 'come and try' — will also serve up craft beer and wine along with a selection of Asian-inspired cocktails. The rum-based Bangkok Painkiller and gin-based 555, both created by Long Chim's head of beverages James Connolly, are highlights among the 11 boozy, five alcohol-free range, alongside the Or Tor Kor Mule (a combination of ginger beer, vodka infused with kaffir lime zest and Thai bitters), the Tropic Thunder (pineapple, passionfruit, burnt orange and rum), and the Muay Thai Mai Tai (ginger, almond, coconut and tequila). Mouthwatering, authentic morsels; unique, refreshing beverages — that's what you'd expect from one of the biggest names in modern Thai cooking. Thompson's Bangkok eatery Nahm recently ranked one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World, while his London restaurant was the first Thai venue to be awarded a Michelin star. Long Chim Melbourne will open for dinner only at Crown Riverwalk from January 16. Visit their website for further information. By Tom Clift and Sarah Ward.
Heading to the cinema has never just been about staring at a big screen. That's one key — and glorious — part of the equation, but discovering new things while being transported to different corners of the globe is just as important. It's pivotal at Melbourne's Human Rights Arts and Film Festival, in fact, with the long-running event taking the medium's eye-opening potential as seriously as it can. On the fest's lineup each year: flicks that engage with human rights issues, alongside a lineup of art, music and talks that does the same thing. From Thursday, April 28–Saturday, May 7, HRAFF will start unfurling its 2022 program — and, spanning 21 events across seven venues during its ten-day run, it's quite the lineup. It all kicks off with opening-night pick Dear Future Children, a documentary focused on activists from Hong Kong, Uganda and Chile who are fighting to improve — and save — their futures. From there, highlights include Oscar nominees, New Zealand standouts, simmering Aussie docos and much more. Among those must-sees sits Writing with Fire, a contender for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards, which hones in on the journalists behind India's all-female news network Khabar Lahariya; three-time Oscar nominee Flee, a stunning animated documentary about an Afghan refugee's life story; Eva Orner's searing 2021 doco Burning, which doesn't hold back in its scorching examination of Australia's 2019–20 Black Summer bushfires; and fellow homegrown effort River, a lyrical look at the planet's sprawling waterways as narrated by Willem Dafoe. There's also: NZ duo Cousins and Night Raiders, the former about the nation's history of removing Indigenous people from their land and culture, and the latter a dystopian sci-fi executive produced by Taika Waititi; the Bronx-set Queen of Glory, about a Ghanian American academic dealing with the fallout from her mother's passing; and the first Tunisian film to be nominated for the Oscar for Best International Feature, wild art-world satire The Man Who Sold His Skin. And, closing out the film program is Fanny: The Right To Rock, about one of the first all-female bands to release an album in the US. Other key parts of the festival include interactive storytelling and cooking sessions, several lineups of shorts — homegrown, feminist and flicks about interconnection — and a photography event that links in with international photography festival PHOTO 2022. Everything on the bill ties in with four themes — bodies, environment, ancestors and distance — as curated by HRAFF's new Program Director Ayesha Mehta and Festival Director Sophie Parr. The Human Rights Arts and Film Festival runs from Thursday, April 28–Saturday, May 7 at various venues around Melbourne. For more information or to buy tickets, head to the festival's website.
We all know Melbourne boasts a world-class bar scene with skilled bartenders shaking up the cocktail game at top-notch venues all across town. Granted, weeks into lockdown 2.0, that's all starting to feel like a distant memory. But, if you're thirsting hard for boozy times past, you can now give yourself a quick refresher course, by way of a new at-home cocktail pack featuring an all-star Melbourne lineup. The folks at The Everleigh Bottling Co have joined forces with some of the city's finest drinking institutions to create the liquid care package of your lockdown dreams. Aptly dubbed the Melbourne Mixtape, it's a lineup of seven bottled cocktails, each handmade in-house at their respective bar while the doors are closed to the public. In this lineup of libations, you'll find such hits as Byrdi's wattleseed negroni, the tiramisu milk punch from Capitano, Mjølner's rum-infused Battle Axe, a tequila blend known as The Proposition from Collingwood's Above Board, a Black Pearl Shower Martini, and a classic americano courtesy of Bar Americano. Of course, there's an Everleigh creation in there, too: the caffeine-spiked sip they call Coffee House. Each of the single-serve cocktails comes with specific serving instructions, ready to chill, pour and devour. What's more, you can have the pack sent directly to your home, with nationwide shipping available for $14.99. All proceeds go back to the participating bars, which will help raise some much-needed funds while restrictions continue. The Melbourne Mixtape is available to buy for $130 from The Everleigh Bottling Co website.
Some things in this life are just meant to go together. Such is the way with Snowshoe to Fondue, the ultimate alpine holiday pairing for everyone who values the après in their skiing. Run by tour operators Alpine Nature Experience, Snowshoe to Fondue runs throughout the winter months in Victoria's Mount Hotham. The experience starts with a sunset hike through the snow-covered forest. Snowshoes enable you to 'float' rather than sink into the alpine landscape, so expect a breezy walk that just earns you the cheese extravaganza that is the real reason for this outing. The feasting takes place at Alpine Nature Experience's 'hidden eco-village', inside a tipi with a fireplace. Here, having enjoyed a warming glass of glühwein upon arrival, you'll be shown how to make a traditional Swiss fondue. A reminder if you haven't heard the word in a while: fondue involves melting cheese over a portable stove and dipping food into it. Why this gooey form of eating ever went out of fashion is a total mystery. Alpine Nature Experience's version is made with cheese imported from the French mountains — and it's bookended with soup and cake, making it a balanced three-course meal. The tour includes transport back to your starting point at Wire Plain, from where you can easily return to your accommodation at Mount Hotham and sleep the sleep of kings. Whatever adventures you've planned on the slopes for tomorrow, you'll be properly fuelled for them. Snowshoe to Fondue tours will run daily Wednesdays to Sundays until September 29. To make a booking, visit the website. Images: Fabio Olivera and Georgie James.
At the 11th hour on Wednesday, April 17, just before Moon Dog Wild West in Footscray was set to host its launch party, guests were told to turn around and head back home. According to the Moon Dog team, this was because Maribyrnong City Council sent them a last-minute notice indicating that the placement of one of the venue's fire hydrants was no longer suitable. The crew weren't able to make the necessary changes in time, so the event was cancelled. Sadly, the public opening has also been scrapped until the council's needs have been met. That means it's time to put your cowboy boots and Akubras back in the wardrobe — at least for now. Or keep them on to listen to Beyonce's Cowboy Carter album one more time. "We are so sorry to everyone that turned up last night excited to check out our amazing new venue, but instead were turned away. We always knew creating a venue of this size and scale with ambitious timelines was going to have its challenges, but it's bitterly disappointing to have been tripped up at the last hurdle after doing everything by the book," said Moon Dog Co-Founder Karl van Buuren. "We have had amazing support from the council and the Footscray community in the lead up to opening this venue, and we are very sorry to all the bookings, functions and everyone else that was planning to come down tonight," he added. "We're hopeful to have a resolution as soon as possible and, when we do, we look forward to sharing a new opening date with everyone and finally cracking an ice cold beer and jumping on the bucking bull." There's plenty of old-western fun to look forward to beyond riding the mechanical bucking bull once Moon Dog Wild West opens. There'll be a secret little Pianola Bar, an arcade, pool tables, a private dining space, a barrel-ageing room, and a stunner of a dog-friendly rooftop that's littered with cacti and fake dessert rocks. Every part of the ambitious venture has been packed out. Moon Dog Wild West will have bars on each level pouring Moon Dog beers and seltzers from over 100 taps. Three-time Australian Bartender of the Year Chris Hysted-Adams has also been brought in to design the cocktail list and shots menu. This includes an old-school pickleback shot, a regularly changing old fashioned that'll be served in a barrel for four people and a layered tequila sunrise slushie. Then you've got the food, which is all very Tex-Mex-inspired. The team is pumping out sizzling fajitas, buffalo chicken ribs, double-decker tacos, Mexican twists on prawn cocktails and a big ol' one-kilogram t-bone steak. There's so much to look forward to when the crew finally gets the green light to let punters in through the swinging saloon doors. The same can be said for the upcoming Docklands and Frankston bars, which the team plans to open later in 2024. When Moon Dog Wild West opens, you'll find it at 54 Hopkins Street, Footscray, operating from 3pm–late Monday–Tuesday and 11.30am–late Wednesday–Sunday. For more information, head to the venue's website. Images: Arianna Leggiero.
Current world events don't make the prospect of international travel seem particularly appealing at the moment. The truth is though, cinema has been taunting travellers for decades. Whatever holiday you might have planned, there's a horror movie just waiting to convince you otherwise. Heading to a cabin for a quiet weekend? The Evil Dead and The Cabin in the Woods have news for you. Venturing across the Australian outback? That's where Wolf Creek comes in. Seeking out a gorgeous beach? Whatever you do, don't watch The Shallows. Stopping at a roadside hotel? Didn't turn out so well in Psycho. Bound for Europe? Hostel made a whole trilogy about what you can expect. With a name that combines Germany's largest city with the connection that can arise between hostages and their captors, Berlin Syndrome initially appears to traverse similar terrain as the movies mentioned above. Indeed, the film starts with Brisbanite Clare (Teresa Palmer) arriving abroad, chatting to fellow backpackers and wandering the streets. An aspiring photographer, she snaps everything from famous buildings to everyday folks along the way. Then she meets Andi (Max Riemelt), a German schoolteacher who opens with a line about strawberries, takes her for a scenic walk, and intrigues Claire enough that she changes her plans to jump to her next destination. They have a fun night out together, go back to his apartment, and...things go south from there. It should all sound familiar, of course. That's Berlin Syndrome's aim, for two reasons. Based on the book of the same name, directed by Australian filmmaker Cate Shortland (Somersault), and adapted by screenwriter Shaun Grant (Jasper Jones, Snowtown), the film's entire premise relies on several elements that many movies have already covered — a dream vacation gone bad, and a romantic spark that turns sinister. But the movie also takes scenarios that have been done to death and thrusts them into unexpected territory. It's not a spoiler to say that Clare awakes the next morning to find that she's locked in Andi's flat, and that he's removed the SIM card from her phone. Nor does it give the game away to reveal that he has trapped her on purpose. After spending its setup revelling in the excitement and openness of travel, Berlin Syndrome dedicates most of its running time to the opposite extreme with an expert command of tension. At the same time, the film unpacks Clare's complicated response, as she seesaws between fighting back and slowly settling into a twisted version of domesticity. Behind the camera, Shortland crafts a film of juxtapositions, both in terms of tone, and in the sites of Andi's apartment versus the city outside. But there's no one better at getting to the heart of the film's internal conflict than Palmer. The Aussie actress has had a huge year or so, popping up in everything from the bad Point Break remake to the locally made war flick Hacksaw Ridge. But she's in career-best form here as she conveys Clare's inner turmoil. Likewise, it takes considerable skill for Riemelt to make Andi more than a straightforward villain. Welcome to Berlin Syndrome, a murky, confronting trip. Deep dive into Berlin Syndrome's core themes and read our feature examining how modern filmmakers like Cate Shortland are tackling complex issues of psychological manipulation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceVBDJNHL0k
Right at the end of 2024, Hotel Esplanade (The Espy) opened a new sun-drenched venue in the former Ichi Ni site, which closed back in February 2024. Walk into the new Espy Sunroom this summer, and you'll see how the 252-person space has been totally transformed. Gone are the bright red drapes, dark wood panelling and Japanese paintings that once adorned Ichi Ni. In their place, there's a far more open and brighter restaurant and bar with a lot less going on — simply decorated with hanging plants, lightly painted concrete walls, and a smattering of high and low tile-topped tables. The interior will certainly get packed in summer, but its openair terrace will have the most sought-after seats — boasting its own retractable roof for when Melbourne's weather isn't behaving. Here, you'll be sipping on spritzes and signature cocktails while eating crowd-pleasing eats that you'll recognise from the neighbouring pub's menu. Get around a huge seafood platter (packed with scallop ceviche, kingfish crudo, king prawns and oysters), pizzas, grilled barramundi, potato cakes with salt and vinegar and a classic chicken parma. As this is part of The Espy, you can also expect a banging live music and entertainment lineup throughout the week. Wednesdays are for trivia run by local Smarty Pints Co, Fridays nights are when live bands and DJs play late into the night, Saturdays see the house DJs accompanied by live musicians, and Sundays are all about funk, house and soul music. The Espy Sunroom isn't reinventing the wheel in any way, but it is hitting all the right spots for a popular seaside bar and restaurant — serving up summery bevs, crowd-pleasing eats and plenty of good vibes.
Atop iconic Curtin House on Swanston Street, illuminated by the moon and the lights of city skyscrapers, the screen at Rooftop Cinema & Bar is about to flicker back to life. Fresh on the heels of The Shadow Electric in Abbotsford and Ben & Jerry’s Openair Cinema in St Kilda, the folks at Melbourne’s highest-altitude outdoor picture house have just unveiled the first half of their summer program, with plenty of awesome choices to whet cinephilic appetites. The party begins on December 5 with a screening of Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. Other recent releases on the schedule include Gravity, Francis Ha, The Counselor and, perhaps the year’s most talked about film: Sharknado. As fun as those titles might be, it’s the retro picks that show the team have really outdone themselves. Unlike Ben & Jerry’s, the program at Rooftop leans heavily on nostalgia, with titles like Pulp Fiction, Casablanca and The Blues Brothers barely scratching the surface of the film-buff favourites on offer. The latter flick is just one in a kick-ass '80s stream that also includes Labyrinth, The Goonies and Stand by Me. The following decade is similarly well represented by Reality Bites, Point Break and Dazed and Confused, amongst numerous others. This year also sees Rooftop teaming up with the gang from Speakeasy Cinema for a Tuesday sidebar that includes Lena Dunham’s breakout feature Tiny Furniture, David Lynch’s divisive Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me and the new film from David Gordon Green, Prince Avalanche. The week leading up to Australia Day, meanwhile, features a trio of great local flicks in the form of Muriel’s Wedding, BMX Bandits and the newly released Mystery Road. Seating at Rooftop begins at 9:00pm for a 9:30pm start. The good news is that the bar begins operations at midday, as does the All Day Burger shack. One floor down, Mesa Verde opens at 5:00pm and offers a wide selection of beer, wine, tequila and Mexican cuisine. For more information about Rooftop Cinema including the full December-January program, see here. The February-April program will be announced at the end of January.
As part of the Belfast Festival, Northern Ireland’s capital city is currently playing host to WISH, a public art project by Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodríguez-Gerada. Already nicknamed by local residents as 'The Face from Space', the portrait of an anonymous Belfast girl is so enormous at its 11-acres that it can only be viewed from an aeroplane (or from a mountaintop). It was first plotted on a grid using some very swish technology and 30,000 manually placed wooden stakes. After that volunteers spent a month helping to 'draw' the portrait using nearly 8 million pounds of soil, sand and rock. Now that's patience. Rodríguez-Gerada is known for his giant-scaled portraits in public spaces. In a statement, he says of WISH, "Working at very large scales becomes a personal challenge but it also allows me to bring attention to important social issues; the size of the piece is intrinsic to the value of its message. Creativity is always applied in order to define an intervention made only with local materials, with no environmental impact, that works in harmony with the location." Via Colossal.
Close that Netflix-riddled laptop, kick back that unwashed doona and bundle up in All The Knits, there's plenty of happenings worth leaving the house for this weekend. From chocolate sculptures to offensively talented 18-year-old crooners, we've given you a little rundown of the five best things to get out and about for. So incredbly worth it, Orange is the New Black's not going anywhere. Common Sense Art exhibitions are usually a highly visual experience. Everything is white and sterile, and if you touch anything a large middle-aged man is always nearby to tap you on the shoulder and give you a foreboding paternal gaze. But not all exhibitions are created equal these days, and the exciting folk at 1000 £ Bend don't want anything to do with the white cube. Fittingly, their latest one-day exhibition is bound to deliver a sensory overload of sights, smells, sounds and chocolate sculptures. From 1pm-6pm on June 20, this sense of play will be translated through the mediums of sculpture, film, painting, music and gelato. Yes, that's right — gelato. When: Friday, 20 June - 5:30pm Where: 1000 £ Bend , 361 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne How much: FREE It Cannot Be Stopped: Chunky Move Since 1995 Chunky Move has consistently been at the cutting edge of contemporary dance in Australia. It Cannot Be Stopped is a chance to see some of the country’s most exciting emerging choreographers in action, appearing as part of the company’s Next Move program. It’s the first time the program’s showcased the work of three choreographers, and Chunky Move couldn’t have found a more diverse trio. Ben Hancock was most recently seen in action in Neil Armfield’s Ring Cycle, the NGV’s Melbourne Now and Tassie's MONA FOMA, while Atlanta Eke’s work is grounded in political performance art. They’re joined by Paea Leach, whose practice centres firmly on dance. It Cannot Be Stopped will be performed from June 20-29. Book your tickets here. When: Friday, 20 June - Sunday, 29 June Where: Chunky Move Studios , 111 Sturt St, Melbourne How much: $20 - $30 Jesse Davidson Adelaide songsmith Jesse Davidson has been called prodigious and a wunderkind — and those Jeff Buckley comparisons just won't shake. This June and July, Davidson's taking his minimalist acoustics and dreamy vocals on tour, his first solo effort. The tour is set to draw a considerable loyal following who'll want seriously in-grill "I saw Jesse Davidson before anyone" bragging rights. Since being a runner-up in triple j's 2012 Unearthed High competition, the 18 year old has been signed for a Warner development deal, toured with Mac DeMarco and Ball Park Music, co-headlined with Eves, been signed to booking agency Select Music, finished school and released his debut EP Ocean — making you feel really great about having a good few years on him and feeling terribly unaccomplished in comparison. When: Saturday, 21 June - 8:30pm Where: Shebeen , 36 Manchester Lane Melbourne How much: $13 Melbourne International Animation Festival Hosted at ACMI in Federation Square, the latest edition of the 11-day festival shines a light on the world of independent animation. Feature-length efforts by Chris Sullivan and the Melbourne-born Elliot Cowan are the result of years of personal labour, and are sure to offer a very different aesthetic to the glossy productions of Hollywood. The bulk of the festival consists of short films, all of which are separated into streams. The spine of the program is the International Competition, split over seven sessions throughout the duration of the festival. There's also a showcase of South America, the Best of Next student competition, the mind-bending Late Night Bizarre, along with many, many more. For more information on the MIAF program, visit their website. When: Thursday, 19 June - Sunday, 29 June Where: ACMI , Federation Square, Melbourne How much: $7.50 - $120 West Elm and Etsy Pop-up West Elm are teaming up with Etsy this weekend to bring you an afternoon of crafty goodness from your favourite online designers. From 1pm to 6pm on June 21, you'll be able to track down and purchase unique items made by local artisans. Better yet, there's no need for postage fees or waiting periods. Etsy has curated a stellar line-up of 16 sellers, offering everything from nifty jewellery and funky stationary through to re-purposed timber homewares and hand-poured soy candles. There will be a broad range of handmade products oozing with style and personality. Plus, you'll get to chat to your local innovators over treats and tunes. When: Saturday, 21 June - 1:00pm Where: West Elm , 464 Chapel Street, South Yarra How much: FREE Photo credit: Kimberly Chau Lee. Frank There’s no one quite like Frank, the person, and there’s nothing quite like Frank, the film. The former, as played by Michael Fassbender while wearing a papier mache mask, is a soul seemingly eccentric but really just looking for the essence of creation and contentment. The latter is quirky by design but beautifully bittersweet by execution, revelling in all life’s failures and flaws. Frank leads an experimental rock band with the fittingly unpronounceable name of The Soronprfbs, and that’s exactly where Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) finds him. As the reconfigured group ventures from the Irish wilderness to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas in search of musical fulfilment, the solace they find comes from internal, not external, forces. Read our full Frank review over here. When: Thursday, 19 June - Wednesday, 30 July Where: Various cinemas in Melbourne How much: $15 - $25 Northeast Party House Northeast Party House will be dominating The Corner with two shows over the weekend to launch their highly anticipated debut album. Any Given Weekend features dance floor fillers such as 'Youth Allowance' and 'Fake Friends', which are sure to stir a rambunctious crowd. Latest single off the album, 'The Haunted', is a great example of the strong songwriting chops and poppy hooks you can expect from the stellar debut record as a whole. Forming in 2010, these six Melbourne lads began by playing at warehouse parties, and their reputation for delivering high-energy live performances has stayed strong. Northeast Party House’s alternative dance rock is chaotic but never sloppy, and always wildly fun. When: Saturday, 21 June - Sunday, 22 June Where: The Corner , 57 Swan St Richmond Melbourne, VIC Australia How much: $18 Melbourne's Western Suburbs For a long time the western suburbs have been left off the grid. Cultural maps showing the best dining spots in Melbourne usually stop at North Melbourne, as if there weren't anything beyond Racecourse Road. And while these areas — think Kensington, Footscray, Yarraville, Flemington — have been traditionally frequented by those who actually live there, the western suburbs are slowly falling into the hands of our old friend and foe: gentrification. The suburbs left of the centre have been bubbling with brand new ventures lately, so we've put together the best of the west. No excuses for neglecting this side of town — Kensington is only two stops out of the city, after all. Check out our lineup of the best of the west over here. Words by the Concrete Playground team.
Housed in a converted Brunswick warehouse space, Bhang specialises in regional Indian street food, incorporating lighter cooking styles from the southern regions with lots of coconut, red chilli, seafood and pork. As well as serving up delicious meals all round, the restaurant also plays host to a series of super affordable dinners. Called Thali Nights, they kicked off in 2018 and return every four to six weeks. Each dinner is influenced by a different region in India, showcasing the different flavours and varieties on offer throughout the south Asian nation. This month's affordable feast is inspired by Chennai, in the south of the country. Chennai is known for its street food, like dosa, biriyani, uttapam (which are like thick savoury pancakes), deep-fried vada and curries packed with chilli, coconut and tamarind. On Tuesday, September 17, diners will eat their way through generous vegetarian or meat thali platters filled with street snacks and bites, curries, salads, pickles, pappas, raitas, chutneys and Indian sweets, all for only $30. For the uninitiated — and if the above description didn't give it away — thali platters are Indian meals made up of lots of small dishes, so it's basically a dream option for the indecisive. There'll be drinks on offer, though they're not included in the price. Understandably, bookings are essential. We'll update you as more dates are announced. Image two: Kate Shanasy. Updated: July 15, 2019.
The National Gallery of Victoria has hosted some of Australia's biggest contemporary art exhibitions in recent memory. There was the Andy Warhol and Ai Weiwei blockbuster that paired the works of two of the most significant artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, the huge debut of the NGV Triennial late last year and, next week, the Melbourne gallery will unveil a collection of works from New York City's MoMA. But, in the coming years, all these exhibitions could be moved to a new location, as the Victorian Government has today announced plans for a brand new contemporary art gallery to be built nearby. This is a pretty big deal. The new gallery — dubbed NGV Contemporary (NGVC) — will be part of a major redevelopment of the Southbank arts precinct and, according to the Victorian Government, will be the biggest contemporary art gallery in the country. While it will be part of the NGV, it'll be a standalone gallery, and will be built around the corner on the site of the old Carlton & United Breweries building on Southbank Boulevard. It sounds like the NGV's permanent collection will stay at NGV International, while NGVC will focus purely on contemporary art and design. As well as the gallery itself, the redevelopment will also add 18,000 square metres of public space to the area, theatre upgrades and new facilities in an attempt to turn 1 City Road into Melbourne's arts hub. The State Government will invest $208 million for the first two years of the project — this will allow the NGV to start planning and raise philanthropic funds. Premier Daniel Andrews is calling the redevelopment a "once-in-a-generation" project, and thinks it will be a "game-changer" for the city. Once completed, we think it's safe to assume that the NGV will be able to pull even more big names for its blockbuster exhibitions.
In the mood for a Friday lunch splurge, without the pre-weekend budget blowout? This week, Neil Perry's fine dining institution Rockpool Bar & Grill has you covered, when it hops across the river for a special lunchtime pop-up in Alfred Place. The event is part of Rockpool Dining Group's June Producer Series, which heroes top local produce and suppliers. Pay a lunch visit from midday this Friday, June 22, and you'll be able to sink your teeth into a selection of primo Rockpool dishes, at around half of the usual price. That means both your wallet and your tastebuds are in for a serious treat, with entrees like oysters with mignonette clocking in at $19, and sides, including those legendary hand-cut chips a mere $6. A selection of mains from the wood-fire oven come in at just $29 a pop, including fish teamed with green olive butter, and a succulent Cape Grim scotch fillet with veal jus (which would usually be $70 at the restaurant). Make it a long lunch with one of the restaurant's famed passionfruit pavlovas ($12), and wine by the glass, bottle or carafe.
