It's Australia's annual slice of Italian cinema, and it's back for 2018 in its usual jam-packed fashion. That'd be the Italian Film Festival, which not only returns for its 19th year, but does so with a hefty touring lineup of 37 features and two short films, including 33 Australian premieres. Bookending the festival are two movies that couldn't be more timely, one delving into a media tycoon who becomes a world leader (no, not that one), and the other a stone cold horror classic that has just been remade by one of today's best Italian filmmakers. Exploring the scandals surrounding former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Loro kicks off this year's fest with an epic, nearly two-and-a-half hour drama from The Great Beauty and The Young Pope's Paolo Sorrentino. Then, at the other end of the event comes Dario Argento's original 1977 giallo masterpiece Suspiria — just weeks before the new Tilda Swinton and Dakota Johnson-starring version from Call Me By Your Name's Luca Guadagnino hits cinemas. Elsewhere, IFF also boasts three of the biggest Italian flicks doing the rounds of this year's international festival circuit, courtesy of Dogman, Happy as Lazzaro and Daughter of Mine. A diverse trio from a diverse range of Italian talents, the first sees Gomorrah's Matteo Garrone spin a story about a criminal who loves dogs (winning this year's Palm Dog Award at Cannes for its canine cast), the second unravels a time-bending fable from The Wonders' Alice Rohrwacher, and the third offers a devastating look at two mothers and the daughter they share courtesy of Sworn Virgin's Laura Bispuri. Other highlights range across the entire spectrum of Italian offerings — think comedies based on off-Broadway plays, such as My Big Gay Italian Wedding; underworld dramas like Boys Cry; and an amusing mystery about an inspector investigating the death of a local prosecco wine maker, as aptly called The Last Prosecco. Or, there's also detective thriller The Girl in the Fog, based on the best-selling novel and starring Italian veteran (and Loro actor) Toni Servillo; plus Italian box-office hit Couples Therapy for Cheaters, which focuses on exactly the narrative you think it does. And, looking back at cinema history as film festivals crucially do, this year's IFF retrospective will showcase the work of Italian-Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek. If his name sounds familiar, that's because he had a hand in movies such as Naples in Veils, Facing Windows and Ignorant Fairies — and if his name doesn't ring any bells, here's your chance to discover his celebrated filmography. The 2018 Italian Film Festival tours Australia between September 11 and October 24, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinemas from September 11 to October 7; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Balwyn, Palace Brighton Bay, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from September 13 to October 7; and Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace Centro from September 19 to October 14. For more information and to buy tickets, visit the festival website.
Alright, you've done your partying and built your snowmen. Now it's time to ski. Racers, get ready. It's time for the annual Thredbo Top 2 Bottom, one of the nation's renowned downhill skiing races. Last year saw 262 competitors go head-to-head, facing gruelling 120 kilometre-per-hour winds to race down the Supertrail, and this year will be no different. The race takes place on the morning of Saturday, August 11, and word on the street is that there are going to be new race categories this year, so keep your eye on Thredbo's website for announcements (maybe there'll even be a category for beginners...). When you're in the snow, it's never too early for bubbly, so you'll be celebrating in style at the bottom of the mountain with some delicious G.H Mumm at the end of the race — or even if you're not racing. And if you don't think you have the skills to take part in the race, take part in the supporting and join the throngs people watching — who knows, maybe it'll inspire you before you head off for your day on the slopes. To find out more about Thredbo's exciting winter program, head to thredbo.com.au.
If heading out for a romantic dinner is part of your Valentine's Day plans this year, you might a bit more company than you were expecting. No one will be crashing your date but, if COVID-19 case numbers in Greater Sydney remain low for the next week and a half, the region's current venue restrictions are set to relax again on Friday, February 12 — so restaurants, bars, cafes and eateries will be able to welcome in more people. Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed the news today, Wednesday, February 3 — with her press conference following on from last week's announcement about the most recent set of loosened changes, which all came into effect on Friday, January 29. Speaking a week ago, the Premier said that if there was no further community transmission related to the recent outbreak in Sydney's southwest, more rules will be relaxed in a fortnight. Today, she confirmed that's still the plan. So, come February 12, the one person per two-square-metres rule is slated to come into effect. At present, venues are operating under the one person per four-square-metres requirement. The change will apply to anywhere under the four-square-metre rule at the moment, so that means not only hospitality venues, but also houses of worship. Don't expect to go dancing, however, as Premier Berejiklian noted that the rules about making shapes won't be changing. Singing in public will still be off limits, too, with both activities "still considered too high-risk in the current environment". [caption id="attachment_781018" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Cassandra Hannigan[/caption] It's possible that more restrictions will be eased from February 12, but just what they could be hasn't be revealed as yet. So, whether you'll be able to have more than 30 people over at your house, or gather outdoors in public with more than 50 folks, hasn't been advised. On the subject of masks, however, Premier Berejiklian advised that changes might be coming. "If there's no evidence of community transmission, we could recommend to revert back to previous mask-wearing policy," the Premier said. You'll still need to cover your faces in some situations, though, even if the rules do loosen. "I can say that, moving forward, mandatory masks on public transport will continue. We think this gives people assurance to get around their daily business and to also, given the fact that you're in an enclosed space for a long period of time, just to maintain that level of assurance," the Premier noted. The announcement comes as NSW recorded no new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, February 2 — a pattern that has remained for the past 17 days. As always, NSW residents are asked to continue to get tested immediately if you experience even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.
After introducing its cookie pies to the world earlier this year, followed by serving up an OTT red velvet one, Gelato Messina is bringing the decadent dessert back again. This time, though, it's filled with a peanut butter and jelly. Yes, it's peanut butter jelly time. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of cookie dough. And it serves two-to-six people — or just you. You bake it yourself, too, so you get to enjoy that oh-so-amazing smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through your kitchen. On its own, the indulgent PB&J pie will cost $20. But to sweeten the deal, the cult ice creamery has created a few bundle options, should you want some of its famed gelato atop it. You can add on a 500-millilitre tub for $28, a one-litre tub for $36 or a 1.5-litre tub for $39. If you're in NSW or Queensland, these pies are available to preorder from today, Monday, July 13 — so if you missed out last time, here's your chance to get yourself a piece of the pie — with pick up between Friday, July 17 and Sunday, July 19 from your chosen Messina store. Victorians can get their pie from Messina's Fitzroy store (no preordering necessary) or via Deliveroo right now (while stocks last). The same bundle packs are also available. Once you've got the pie safely home, you just need to whack it in the oven for 20 minutes at 170 degrees and voila. Messina's peanut butter and jelly cookie pies are available to pick up from now from the Fitzroy store (or via Deliveroo). NSW and Queensland can preorder now with pick up available from July 17–19.
In Her's almost certainly near future, Joaquin Phoenix plays Theodore Twombly — a gentle, retiring man who works at BeautifulHandwrittenLetters.com penning heartfelt correspondence between people he's never met. In his personal life, his wife (Rooney Mara) has left him and now communicates exclusively via their lawyers. In short, nobody really talks anymore. Then one day he buys and installs a new operating system called 'OS1' — an artificially intelligent construct that names herself, or rather itself, 'Samantha' (voiced to perfection by Scarlett Johansson). At first Samantha simply streamlines Theodore's life, triaging his emails and encouraging him to get out more, but gradually, as she evolves and learns more from their interactions, they begin to fall in love. It seems ridiculous, yes, but thanks to Spike Jonze's masterful script and direction, it never really feels it, and that's what makes HER the first must-see film of 2014. it is a beautiful, imaginative and provocative offering by Jonze that asks some fascinating questions about the direction love is taking in the technological age. Her is in cinemas on January 16, and thanks to Sony Pictures, 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. Read our full review here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=1awGTPsEmiU
It's a tradition well-known to many Australians: wake up on the weekend, make a beeline for your closest Bunnings, down a snag in bread. It's also a tradition that's been around since the 90s, and one we've been missing for four very, very long months since Bunnings postponed its sausage sizzles back in mid-March because of rising concerns around COVID-19. In good news for many (except for Victorians, sorry Victoria), the weekend ritual is about to make its long-awaited return this month. First relaunching in Tasmania and the NT this weekend, Saturday, July 11, at select stores, the charity sizzles are then set to roll out across Queensland, NSW, the ACT, SA and WA towards the end of this month. In a statement released by the Australian hardware chain, the company confirmed the sausage sizzles' return and acknowledged their importance as a fundraising tool for many Aussie charities. "We know our customers have missed being able to show their support for local community groups by stopping by the sausage sizzle and we know the important fundraising role they play for thousands of community groups across Australia," Bunnings' Chief Operating Office Deb Poole said in a statement. "So, we're really excited to be starting the process of bringing them back in places where restrictions have eased." Each year around 40,000 sausage sizzles are hosted at Bunnings stores, help raising much-needed funds for local charity groups and sporting teams. When the sausage sizzles do return, there will be social distancing and hygiene measures in place — measures we're all very used to at this point — including spaced queues, increased cleaning and separate ordering and pick-up points. Bunnings sausage sizzles are set to return in NSW, Queensland, SA, WA and the ACT later this month. We'll let you know when exact dates are announced.
In the film festival space, it's one of 2020 big trends: forgoing a physical event this year and hosting online screenings instead. It's also a move that comes with an added benefit, opening up local events to a broader national audience. Sydney Film Festival has already done all of the above, and the Melbourne International Film Festival will do so come August —and, in the middle, it's Revelation Perth International Film Festival's turn. Without investing in a plane ticket and taking a trip across the country, east coast dwellers don't normally get to enjoy the west coast festival's distinctive lineup and vibe; however, thanks to its new Couched Online Film Festival, that's changing this year. Running virtually until Sunday, July 19, Couched is jam-packed with the types of titles that always make Revelation, in its in-person guise, stand out — aka the types of movies that don't often pop up elsewhere. Featuring more than 25 features, documentaries and shorts collections, the online fest's program is streaming on demand, on a pay-per-view basis, so you can pick and choose what you'd like to catch. You can also nab a pass and watch your way through everything. On the bill: Willem Dafoe grappling with existence at a the snowy bar in the out-there (and divisive at Berlinale) Siberia, the VHS-shot 80s-set throwback comedy VHYes, and magical-realist adventure Precarious. If you like films about films, look out for documentaries about Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, Czech filmmaker Milos Forman and the camp status held by 1985 horror sequel Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Or you can watch a housewife step into making her own erotic movies in Aussie doco Morgana, explore the wild true tale of Cold Case Hammarskjöld, revel in the sounds of The Rise of the Synths, check out a few new local features and work your way through a four-film 'Black Voices that Matter' retrospective. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCYAjkwZcd0 And, if you like what Couched serves up and you're eager for a WA holiday (and the border situation around the country changes in the next few months), Revelation is actually still planning to run as normal later in the year, from December 2–13. Couched Online Film Festival runs until Sunday, July 19, with films available to view online.
Three seriously dramatic acts are joining forces for French Baroque, a show that promises to turn your preconceived notions of circus and baroque music inside-out, upside-down and back-to-front. The first is acclaimed acrobatic troupe Circa, who have been travelling the world with their take on circus as stunning, mobile contemporary art. The second is French soprano Claire Lefilliâtre, who has been starring on stages all over Europe. And the third is the five-time ARIA Award-winning Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, home to some of our nation’s best interpreters of 16th- and 17th-century music. With the music of French composers Rameau, Lully and Marais as inspiration, Circa’s artistic director, Yaron Lifschitz, describes the pasticcio of selected music as combining “the longing of the night with the playful side of French baroque”. He's choreographed a performance to meet this mood. “I have responded by creating a river of moonlight that divides the stage, reflecting singer and acrobat, musician and vocalist,” he says. “In the interplay between delight and desire, between pleasure and abandonment, we see a world created where bodies seamlessly meld into song, where lives and loves intermingle and where the simple magic of singing speaks clearly to the heart.”
Come Monday, February 25, Australian and New Zealand time, Hollywood will crown this year's Academy Award winners; however they're not the only gongs being handed out at this time of year. On the weekend before the Oscars, it's always time for cinema's worst and dullest to earn some recognition, all thanks to the Golden Raspberry Awards. Now in their 39th year, the Razzies have unveiled their latest slate of recipients — aka the films from 2018 that you've hopefully avoided. On the list: a comic take on a couple of literary greats, an actor who's also in contention for the best actress Oscar and the current US President. Taking out worst picture is Holmes & Watson, the Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly-starring supposed comedy based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous sleuthing pair. Reilly also nabbed the awards' worst supporting actor prize for his troubles, while the movie earned Etan Cohen the worst director trophy, too. And, it was further recognised as the worst remake, rip-off or sequel of 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLuFxzUC5UI In the worst actor field, Ferrell lost out to Donald Trump, who was recognised for his work, as himself, in documentaries Death of a Nation and Fahrenheit 11/9. The American leader also took out the worst screen combo category for the same two flicks, with the award noting his pairing with "his self-perpetuating pettiness". While Melissa McCarthy won worst actress for her two low points of 2018, aka The Happytime Murders and Life of the Party, she also received the Razzies' redeemer award for going "from a multi-Razzie darling to a critically acclaimed Oscar Nominee for her out-of-caricature role in Can You Ever Forgive Me?". And, bringing the franchise's Razzie total to eight trophies across three movies, Fifty Shades Freed was anointed the worst screenplay of the last 12 months. GOLDEN RASPBERRY NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2019 WORST PICTURE Holmes & Watson Gotti The Happytime Murders Robin Hood Winchester WORST ACTOR Donald J. Trump (as himself) in Death of a Nation and Fahrenheit 11/9 Johnny Depp (voice only) in Sherlock Gnomes Will Ferrell in Holmes & Watson John Travolta in Gotti Bruce Willis in Death Wish WORST ACTRESS Melissa McCarthy in The Happytime Murders and Life of the Party Jennifer Garner in Peppermint Amber Heard in London Fields Helen Mirren in Winchester Amanda Seyfried in The Clapper WORST SUPPORTING ACTOR John C. Reilly in Holmes & Watson Jamie Foxx in Robin Hood Ludacris (voice only) in Show Dogs Joel McHale in The Happytime Murders Justice Smith in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom WORST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Kellyanne Conway (as herself) in Fahrenheit 11/9 Marcia Gay Harden in Fifty Shades Freed Kelly Preston in Gotti Jaz Sinclair in Slender Man Melania Trump (as herself) in Fahrenheit 11/9 WORST SCREEN COMBO Donald J. Trump and his self-perpetuating pettiness in Death of a Nation and Fahrenheit 11/9 Any two actors or puppets (especially in those creepy sex scenes) in The Happytime Murders Johnny Depp and his fast-fading film career (he's doing voices for cartoons, fer kripesakes!) in Sherlock Gnomes Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly (trashing two of literature's most beloved characters) in Holmes & Watson Kelly Preston and John Travolta (getting Battlefield Earth-type reviews) in Gotti WORST DIRECTOR Etan Cohen for Holmes & Watson Kevin Connolly for Gotti James Foley for Fifty Shades Freed Brian Henson for The Happytime Murders The Spierig Brothers (Michael and Peter) for Winchester WORST PREQUEL, REMAKE, RIP-OFF or SEQUEL Holmes & Watson Death of a Nation (remake of Hillary's America...) Death Wish The Meg (rip-off of Jaws) Robin Hood WORST SCREENPLAY Fifty Shades Freed, screenplay by Niall Leonard, from the novel by E.L. James Death of a Nation, written by Dinesh D'Souza and Bruce Schooley Gotti, screenplay by Leo Rossi and Lem Dobbs The Happytime Murders, screenplay by Todd Berger, story by Berger and Dee Austin Robinson Winchester, written by Tom Vaughan and The Spierig Brothers RAZZIE REDEEMER AWARD Actress: Melissa McCarthy, who went from a multi-Razzie darling to a critically acclaimed Oscar Nominee for her out-of-caricature role in Can You Ever Forgive Me?. Actor: Tyler Perry, from a multi-Razzie nominee and winner for his self-imposed Madea trap to his role as Colin Powell in the Oscar and Golden Globe favourite Vice. Director: Peter Farrelly from Razzie Winner for Movie 43 and more shallow choices like Dumb and Dumber 2 etc… to director/co-writer of the deeply heartfelt Green Book. Franchise: From the Razzie-targeted heap of metal Transformers to the more innocent and endearing three-dimensional approach taken with Bumblebee. Sony Animation Studio from crass multi-Razzie winner Emoji Movie to the highly acclaimed Spider Man Into The Spider-Verse, which was loved by critics and audiences alike.
Only an egg-suckin’, yellow-belly coward would miss a Back to the Future charity event featuring two-thirds of the timeless time-travelling trilogy and the DeLorean that made it all possible. It's the movie series that launched Michael J Fox into stardom and made science seem cool. It gave us hoverboards, flux-capacitors and even scary Libyans (though how could Spielberg have known that back in '85 unless he somehow travelled forward in … oh my god!!). Most important of all, it showed us that the greatest danger of irresponsible time travel was the possibility of hooking up with your own mother. Now fans of the movies will have a rare chance to be photographed in and alongside the iconic DeLorean as part of a special charity event in support of people living with Parkinson's disease. The mini movie-marathon will feature a screening of the digitally re-mastered Parts II and III, as well as offering ticket holders some delicious Back to the Future-themed cocktails (surely to be nicknamed the 'Great Scott', 'Lighting Strike' and ‘1.21 Gigawatts’), an exclusive photo-op with the original DeLorean and even a karaoke sing off to the strains of Huey Lewis' ‘The Power of Love’. There'll also be prizes for the best Back to the Future-themed costumes and a huge collection of memorabilia on show, including many props and costumes used in the actual films. It's the perfect opportunity to bust out your best “Mag Dog” Tannen, Doc Brown or Marty McFly outfits and show your support for the 80,000 or so people living with Parkinson’s disease in Australia. The Future is Back event will commence 6pm this Sunday (April 3) at the Event Cinemas on George Street, with tickets now available here or at the Event Cinemas George Street box office.
The southern hemisphere's biggest (and only) multi-city inclusive festival is almost here. Summer Camp is finally taking place in November after it was postponed last summer. Luckily it's going to be with the wait, with the stacked bill of performers including a jaw-dropping lineup of queer icons and experiences. Get ready to murder the dancefloor, and no, you'd better not kill the groove. And if ain't love you're feeling about Sophie Ellis-Bextor headling the fest, then why does it feel so good? The UK pop star — aka the reason that you now have her hit 'Murder on the Dancefloor' and Spiller's 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)' stuck in your head — is set to headline the celebrations, and she has company. Also making their way to the festival's debut shows in Sydney and Melbourne in November: DJ Kiddy Smile, DJ Jodie Harsh and Coucou Chloe. Ellis-Bextor and company join Years & Years, aka British singer and actor Olly Alexander (It's a Sin), as well as New Orleans' Big Freedia, Australia's own The Veronicas, plus Cub Sport, New Zealand's Ladyhawke and JessB, Kinder and more. DJ, gonna burn this goddamn house right down indeed. After first kicking off at Sydney's Centennial Parklands on Saturday, November 5, it'll then head to the Velodrome in Melbourne on Saturday, November 12. If the latter venue sounds new, that's because the fest is moving to a bigger site since its first announcement. In addition to live tunes from all of the above across two stages, the festival will feature dance, performance art and art installations, as well as food and beverage offerings. More than 200 artists will be involved all up, including over 150 DJs, drag queens, dancers and performance artists in each city. Given the name, it's clear what kind of vibe that festival founders Kat Dopper (creator of Heaps Gay) and Grant Gillies and David Gillett (creators of Red Mgmt, and former Sydney Mardi Gras marketing and international talent managers) are going for. So, expect a cruisy summer camp-meets-arts and music playground-type atmosphere that's also all about inclusivity and supporting young diverse artists – and some big-name ones.
Sydney style lovers are in for a treat, as the city is hosting the world's biggest exhibition of men's fashion. Running exclusively at the Powerhouse Museum from May 2 until October 14, the Reigning Men collection trips back through history, shining the spotlight on male style from 1715 through 2015. Co-presented by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and the MAAS Centre for Fashion, the exhibition pulls together over 130 outfits, from 18th century aristocratic get-ups to more recent high-end creations from the world's most famed fashion houses. Get up close and personal with designs from the likes of Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton and Tom Ford. Alongside the exhibition, there'll be a program of talks and special events, including May 2's panel conversation, Reigning Men: Pomp & Pragmatism. This one will dive deep into the background of LACMA's mind-blowing fashion collection and explore the curation of this landmark style exhibition. Image: Jeremy Scott for Adidas, 'Boots', spring/summer 2013, © Museum Associates/Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Fervent fans of The Roots, listen up! Don't worry if you don't have the cash for Falls or you can't make Southbound Festival — they’ve just announced they'll be playing two sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne with Australian MC Urthboy as a special guest. So that's two more chances to see The Roots jam out their first Australian gig since 2007. You will no longer have to resort to watching episodes of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to get your fill of Questlove's magic. Expect to hear a lot from their most recent album, Undun (2011), whose reverse narrative arc followed the short life of Redford Stephens and featured play-it-compulsively songs like 'Kool On', 'Make My' and 'The OtherSide'. Even if you don't know much about The Roots, if you’re remotely fond of hip hop or neo-soul then this is a rare opportunity to see one of the most influential, visionary, long-loved groups to ever emerge from Philly (in 1987 and still kicking!) up close and personal.
Head chef at Copenhagen's illustrious Noma, named the best restaurant in the world three years in a row, the extravagantly talented Redzepi is one of the most inventive food makers on the planet, infusing his visually striking creations with a real sense of playfulness and wonder. The menu at his impossible-to-get-into restaurant has included crawling ants, edible flowerpots and live shrimp in a jar of ice. At this event he discusses his work and pre-launches his new book A Work in Progress: Notes on Food, Cooking and Creativity, which combines recipes, photos and an extensive journal of a year at the pinnacle of the food world. There's also a dinner with Redzepi, which promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience. Check out the rest of our top ten picks of Good Food Month here.
Bondi convenience store-turned-brunch spot Harry's is about to expand. Owned by Harry Lambropoulos and his family for 15 years, Harry's Espresso Bar will see a complete redesign as Harry's Bar and Dining. Set to reopen on Wairoa Avenue, the newly revamped Harry's will take over the laundromat next door as well. Having operated originally as a convenience store and a cafe since 2005, this little coffee bar in the corner is becoming a fully-fledged restaurant. The brainchild of Lambropoulos and his business partner, Chris Karvelas, Harry's will now exist as an 80-seater eatery overseen by new chef Bryan O'Callaghan (former Tilbury) — the focus on using only fresh, seasonal and local produce. Breakfast at Harry's ain't going anywhere, it's just evolving. GF reports menu developments of coconut, yoghurt and chia pudding alongside quinoa balls with poached eggs and fatoush — fingers crossed for a continuation of their open bagels. If you're a bit of a late riser, lunch looks like stinging nettle and gnocchi, and the team will likely continue on their love for all things green juice, mango mint smoothie, housemade nut milk and fresh coffee-related. The good news for local Harry's enthusiasts is the team are opening for dinner service from February 12, Thursday to Saturday. O'Callaghan's menu is yet to be revealed. Harry's Bar and Dining will open by the end of February, fully licensed with a selection of imported varietal wines and house made cocktails. But if you're not a fan of complete and utter change, they're keeping the beachside kiosk open — even now you can grab Five Senses coffee and pastries. They'll be slowly adding smoothies, housemade nut milks, organic sodas, sandwiches and more from this week onwards. Find Harry's at Shop 2, 136 Wairoa Avenue, Bondi Beach. Via Good Food.
He was a (just-out-of-prison, testosterone-fuelled, newly sober ex-con) boy, she was a (cocaine-addicted, fiercely loving) girl. Jackie and Veronica have been in love since high school, and she's waited for him to serve his time. Now he's back, full of good intentions and ready to start afresh. Everything's set for a happily-ever-after — until he finds the hat. Tony Award-winning Broadway hit The Motherf**ker with the Hat is a romantic comedy of the foul-mouthed kind, following antihero Jackie's stumbling misadventures through love, infidelity, revenge and redemption. Director Adam Cook promises that his production will be "fast-paced, full-blooded and very, very funny." He's returning to the play, following a sell-out season at the TAP Gallery last year — and if that one's anything to go by, this is a production full of tough exteriors, real yet unsentimental emotion, and wash-your-mouth-out uproariousness. The Motherf**ker with the Hat is on from September 19 to October 19 at the Eternity Playhouse. Thanks to the Darlinghurst Theatre Company, we have two double passes to give away to the preview performance on Friday, September 19, at 8pm. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au with your name and address.
Even if you don't regularly buy your groceries at Aldi, you'll have heard about the supermarket chain's sales. As well as selling bread, milk and all the usual pantry staples, it drops twice-weekly specials that cover the types of items you'd usually find at a department store — at a discount price. Its annual snow gear sale attracts huge crowds, and you honestly can never quite guess what other kinds of things might turn up each week. You probably know someone who bought their outdoor furniture at Aldi, or nabbed a cheap TV. You might've even found a hammock or a rotisserie while you were browsing the company's aisles yourself. The one big caveat that has always applied to these sales, which Aldi calls 'special buys'? They're only available in-store, because that's how the retailer operates. Until now, that is — because it has just announced plans to start trialling online shopping with its thocoveted specials. To start with, the test run will be limited to the greater metropolitan regions of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland — which is great news for Sydneysiders, Melburnians and Brisbanites. Aldi isn't dropping its entire specials range online each Wednesday and Saturday morning, though, but will start out by making select items available. First up, from 8.30am on Wednesday, May 26, is a queen-size latex mattress in a box for $499. After that, at the same time on Saturday, May 29, you'll be able to score a 545-litre French door refrigerator for $879. And yes, Aldi is sticking with the days and timing that it uses IRL, so you won't get a jump on the specials by staying home. The aforementioned two items will be available in the brand's supermarkets at the same time, as will whichever future specials it pops online. The company is planning to test a range of products over the next few months, including other bulky items and everyday offerings. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve the experience for our customers and are very excited to be taking our first steps into eCommerce. Our limited initial online offer allows us to set the foundations for our future program," said Simon Padovani, ALDI Australia's Group Director Customer Interactions. The company doesn't intend to offer grocery shopping online, but it is looking to expand the digital specials trial to other parts of the country in the future. To check out Aldi's online store — with its first sales happening at 8.30am on Wednesday, May 26 and Saturday, May 29 — head to its website.
Change is on its way to Surry Hills' much-loved Hollywood Hotel, with the pub currently on the market. The venue, which sits at the corner of Forster and Hunt streets, has been listed by HTL Property. The property agency specialises in the hotel and hospitality industry, and expects the sale to be "one of Sydney's most keenly contested pub sales this year". The sale comes after Hollywood Hotel publican Doris Goddard passed away in July 2019, and marks the first time it has been sold in more than four decades. Goddard owned and operated the pub for 42 years, running the Belmore Park Hotel in Surry Hills, Balmain's West End and Newtown's Marlborough Hotel before the Hollywood. Goddard was an industry pioneer, a 50s film star, a cabaret performer and an activist, actively protesting against Sydney's lockout laws during the final years of her life. Goddard's estate appointed HTL Property in charge of the sale of the hotel following her passing. The agency describes the venue as "a veritable blank canvas for an incoming operator", featuring a 3am liquor license, gaming machines, and hotel accommodation located among high profile Sydney restaurants like Chin Chin, Nomad and Poly. Also noted: the hotel's sun-drenched rooftop, which it's suggested could become a rooftop beer garden. HTL Property also mentions significant redevelopment potential, marking the possibility that the pub's last drinks could be fast approaching. [caption id="attachment_734411" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] El Scrapeo via Flickr[/caption] The impending sale of the Hollywood Hotel comes after a string of recent hotel sales, including Merivale's purchase of The Duke of Gloucester and the $7 million sale of Paddington's Four in Hand. Over the past two years, HTL Property has overseen the sale of Darlinghurst's Courthouse Hotel, Pyrmont's Quarryman's Hotel and The Bells Hotel in Woolloomooloo. The expression of interest campaign for the Hollywood Hotel will end at 4pm on Thursday, May 20. The Hollywood Hotel has been listed for sale by property agency HTL Property. You can find out more at the agency's website. Top image: Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons.
Heated outdoor spaces are a hot commodity during the cooler months. They offer a rare occasion to enjoy some fresh air even when the warmth from the sun has vanished. Luckily, The Grounds of Alexandria has you sorted. The venue holds regular after-dark music events held in its fairy light-lit urban garden, and the next instalment is all about blues and mulled wine. Go straight from work and grab a glass from 6pm. Music will be going throughout the night — the soulful Karen Lee Andrews will be complemented by the blues-heavy harmonica tunes Kane Muir. Dancing is encouraged. The $30 ticket price includes entry and the music, with food and drinks available to purchase from the kitchen — think burgers, bowls, buttermilk fried chicken and other dishes from the barbecue. It's a top date idea or, alternatively, one for you fam — children and four-legged friends are welcome. Updated: August 23, 2019.
After over 50 years in the same location, the Sydney Fish Market is on track for a major facelift, with the NSW government releasing plans over the weekend for an insane $250 million redesign. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the Sydney's home of fresh seafood will be relocated to a slick Danish-designed building adjacent to its existing location on Blackwattle Bay. Designed by 3XN Architects (Quay Quarter Tower), the building will be located on the south side of the bay, backing onto Wentworth Park. The futuristic-looking design includes two storey, floor-to-ceiling glass windows facing the bay, along with large, timber boardwalk and dock that juts out into the bay. Adjoining the market will be a commercial, retail and residential strip. The hope is to create a world-class dining destination that will dramatically increase fish market visitors — Sydney Fish Market Pty Ltd general manager Bryan Skepper told SMH he was aiming to create "the world's best fish market" and expects to double foot traffic from the existing three million per year to a whopping six million post-renovation. While Berejiklian has expressed hope that existing market tourism will pay the redevelopment costs (avoiding additional costs to taxpayers), competing construction costs from the Sydney light-rail and WestConnex, which are nowhere near completion, would seem to make this hope rather doubtful. As SMH points out, concrete contractors Hymix and Hanson would also be forced from the surrounding area, as the company has been criticised for high pollution levels and could not coexist with the planned redevelopment. The area's lack of new affordable housing is also a concern to opposition leaders, with the residential strip undoubtedly going to cost a pretty penny and potentially add to the housing crisis. Site ground-breaking is set for late 2018, with construction expected to take two to three years and a draft design from UrbanGrowth NSW expected to be released in late 2017. Via SMH.
Given the current state of the world, it's impossible to dismiss historical accounts of power, conflict, bureaucracy serving the wealthy and the masses fighting to be heard as mere chapters from the past. The same applies to medieval-style television fantasies about squabbling over a throne, too, but true tales bite harder than Game of Thrones ever has. Peterloo is the perfect example. Chronicling an infamous clash between ordinary workers and the government-backed militia near Manchester in 1819, the period piece harks back to 200 years ago yet remains scarily, unsettlingly relevant today. Of course, that's part of filmmaker Mike Leigh's point — there's a reason that the 76-year-old veteran British director has just now turned his attention to this bloody battle for voting rights. After spending a dozen years tussling with Napoleon's armies, the British people were tired, poor and hungry as the 19th century neared its third decade. Work was hardly reliable, food was scarce, industrialisation was taking its toll, distressed ex-soldiers were a common sight and even the pettiest of crimes could see someone shipped off to Australia. To make matters worse, few had a say in the country's path, with less than three percent of the population eligible to cast a ballot. It's this agitated climate that Peterloo explores, all to show how its brutal namesake event came about. The rich, the religious and the ruling classes wanted to retain the status quo. Charismatic reformers riled up everyday folks to fight for their rights. In the resulting physical skirmish — during a peaceful demonstration led by orator Henry Hunt (Rory Kinnear) — 18 people were killed and up to 700 injured among the 60,000-strong crowd. Writing as well as directing, Leigh emphasises the scale and impact of the Peterloo massacre in an effective fashion, stepping through the wants, needs, emotions and motivations of the various players before unravelling the climactic confrontation. But there's a fire in his belly from the outset, as is made clear when he opens the film with the Battle of Waterloo, and those flames don't subside. Spending time with characters of all stations and piecing together vignettes of their experiences, he crafts a patchwork of a picture, each scene stitching on another crucial square with palpable urgency. Some of the people within his view scoff and laugh, while others struggle to get by. However it's the atmosphere of chaos, inequity, opportunism, exploitation and duplicity that was part and parcel of life at the time that earns the filmmaker's sharpest rebukes. That, and the eventual human fallout on the path to changing British democracy. For a film based around such a violent event, more talk than action results; of course, as Leigh knows, words can cut just as deeply as weapons. Indeed, it's because Peterloo takes the time to survey the state of the nation at the time — including clear-eyed, unsentimental dissections of both camps in the government-versus-workers divide — that the massacre, when it comes, feels so punishing and relentless. There's a difference between a slog and an onslaught and, while the movie clocks in at 154 minutes, its speech-heavy and fight-fuelled portions still fall into the latter camp. Likewise, there's a difference between wallowing in misfortune (or, worse, romanticising it) and showing it like it was, and again Peterloo finds the right side. What the film also finds is a fitting way to tell such a detailed and complicated story — not only in its narrative approach, but in its visuals. While Leigh's last release, the applauded Mr Turner, explored the life of a great 19th-century British artist, the term 'painterly' equally applies here. With cinematographer Dick Pope lensing his 11th title for the director, Peterloo's frames are alive with minutiae yet remain carefully composed. Pitch-perfect but never glossy costuming and production design helps. So too do solid performances across the board, including from the ever-reliable Kinnear, as well as Maxine Peake as a weary mother doing what's needed for her family. But it's Peterloo's look and feel that truly hammers home Leigh's intentions. To understand why the movie's real-life basis is so important, and to see the parallels between then and now, requires peering as closely as possible — staring steadfastly at the whole picture, warts and all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlvLWaueD_o
Incorporating green habits into our day-to-day lives is more important now than ever. Avoiding fast fashion, recycling our kitchen waste and reducing our car mileage all work towards a happier and healthier planet. But, what happens when we go on holiday? It's easy to get overwhelmed when organising a travel itinerary and forget to prioritise eco-friendly choices. Luckily, sustainable living doesn't have to stop when your holiday starts. Tropical North Queensland is brimming with low-impact ways to explore the natural environment and tour operators that are passionate about marine and rainforest conservation. Five-star hotels are proud to detail their eco-friendly touches, with 'responsible luxury' being much more than just a buzz term. Plus, hyper-local ingredients are sourced from a network of dedicated farmers to supply a thriving food scene with the freshest produce. [caption id="attachment_845844" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Cape York, Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] IT'S A NATURE LOVER'S THEME PARK If you love the outdoors, then Tropical North Queensland will have you spoiled for choice. This spectacular region is the only place in the world with two natural UNESCO World Heritage Areas side by side — namely, the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest. You'll also find the sweeping Gulf Savannah and the unspoiled wilderness of Cape York. In Tropical North Queensland — which boasts the highest concentration of Ecotourism Australia-accredited experiences in the country — you'll have a near-endless list of ecotourism activities to choose from, including snorkelling, scuba diving and hiking tours. Impressively, more than 15 operators in Tropical North Queensland have been inducted into Ecotourism Australia's Hall of Fame. This honour is awarded to tour operators who have maintained their eco-certification for over 20 consecutive years. [caption id="attachment_829660" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ochre, Tourism and Events Queensland[/caption] YOU CAN ENJOY A TROPICAL SPIN ON PADDOCK TO PLATE Choosing ingredients that are local and in season goes a long way in reducing our food mileage. The popularity of 'paddock to plate' eating is more than just a passing trend, and sourcing from local producers supports the wider agricultural industry. Best of all, the food requires little handling and is naturally bursting with flavour. Our favourite sustainable dining spots include Ochre Restaurant and Catering in Cairns, and Nautilus Restaurant in Port Douglas. Or, take it one step further, and try catching your own. Indigenous-owned tour companies such as Strait Experience and Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat Tours offer guests the opportunity to learn traditional methods for catching fish, prawns and crabs. [caption id="attachment_827693" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] THE HOTELS TAKE SUSTAINABILITY AS SERIOUSLY AS YOU DO Accomodation costs often take up the majority of your holiday budget, so it's important to direct those dollars towards a company that prioritises the environment. The Crystalbrook Collection opened its first hotel in 2018 in the region and has since saved millions of plastic bottles from ending up in landfill across its three Cairns-based properties. Its bathroom amenities are proudly 100-percent waste-free, including toothbrushes made from sugarcane and shampoo bottles that are fully biodegradable. This sustainable mindset extends throughout the rest of the resort, with recycled key cards and coat hangers, plus paperless technology practices. [caption id="attachment_844234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tourism Tropical North Queensland[/caption] YOUR JOURNEY THERE COULD EARN YOU (LITERAL) GREEN POINTS Qantas flies direct to Cairns from most Australian capital cities, with Cairns Airport also servicing international routes. Qantas recently added a new Green tier to its Frequent Flyer program. Sitting alongside the existing levels, this Green tier membership rewards Qantas frequent flyers who make sustainable decisions both at home and on holidays. By making sustainable choices such as installing solar panels, offsetting flight emissions, or walking to work, members will be rewarded by the Green tier program. You can also score points towards Green tier status by completing sustainable activities while on holiday, including staying at eco-accredited hotels. For more information on the Green tier program, head over here. Ready to check it out for yourself? For more information and to start planning your trip, visit the website. Top image: Tourism Tropical North Queensland
Great news, budding entrepreneurs. We've found a very simple equation for immediate business success. Okay, not really. The truth is there is no such thing. In most cases, it takes a pinch of courage, a splash of creativity and a dash of good timing to make it happen. But, there's always something to be gained from hearing the stories of those who've taken the plunge and pulled it off. As far as restaurant groups go, Three Blue Ducks is becoming an Australian powerhouse. But, its success hasn't cost the guys behind it their down-to-earth attitude. Since launching the first Bronte cafe eight years ago, the team has grown to six co-owners (or 'ducks' as they're affectionately named), employing over 240 people across four venues in NSW and QLD (with a fifth slated to open in Melbourne later this year). We sat down with one of the original ducks, Mark Labrooy, to talk about (realistic) business growth, the importance of avoiding trends and why data is helping to improve resourcing and reduce waste. We've teamed up with Westpac to bring you some of Labrooy's top tips to celebrate its Presto Smart payment terminal, which seamlessly connects to a range of point-of-sales systems. Presto gives small businesses a leg up and makes payments and reconciliations a breeze so they can achieve scale — just Three Blue Ducks has done. ESTABLISH YOUR OWN VOICE What do your mum's famous lasagne recipe and your favourite pair of jeans have in common? They're classics that have stood the test of time. Every bite reminds you of childhood meals spent around the dinner table, and every wear confirms that you'll never find denim that feels as comfy as this. The same principle goes for any successful business. To stand out from the pack, it's important to create a product that's unashamedly one-of-a-kind. For the folks behind Three Blue Ducks, their shared passion for ethical and authentic food has been the foundation of the business from day one. "We thought we should do the food we like to eat at home in the venues, and that started to become the ethos around what we do," explains Labrooy. "I think that's what makes you authentic. If you just run with the pack and do what everyone else is doing, I think you lose your voice." USE POP-UP VENUES TO TEST THE WATERS Stepping outside our comfort zone is daunting, whether in work or life. Once you've hit your stride, it's tempting to sit back and let things happily tick away. But to stay relevant, businesses should be prepared to pivot and evolve so, once the Three Blue Ducks team had consolidated their Bronte outpost, they saw a chance to try something new. "The first new venue we did was a pop-up in the snow at Falls Creek, and it was sort of a nudge along," explains Labrooy. Opening a new location is always a risk. What if the market doesn't embrace your venue? Is this the right time to make a move? Are there strong competitors you'll need to contend with? But with risk comes reward. Plus, creating a temporary pop-up means you can experiment with new concepts and ideas without the commitment of a permanent store. "We opened this new venue and we did really well, and it gave us a boost of confidence," tells Labrooy. [caption id="attachment_663257" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] EMBRACE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ALIGN WITH YOUR ETHOS As cheesy as it sounds, sometimes things do happen for a reason. It could be spotting a 'For Lease' sign in your dream neighbourhood or meeting another like-minded entrepreneur looking to embark on their next project. When unmissable opportunities arise, jumping in can keep you ahead of the game. "We had an opportunity that presented itself with The Farm in Byron Bay, and that was a really big play for us," tells Labrooy. He reveals this venture was the business's most challenging to date. However, creating a farm-based restaurant with unlimited access to fresh local produce was always something the team wanted to pursue. "We had the opportunity to design a restaurant and kitchen completely to our specs," Labrooy explains. "We had access to all the farmers that were growing produce on the property. We used to think about ordering eggs, but now we have 500 chickens giving us fresh eggs daily." [caption id="attachment_693841" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY Whether you're creating a coffee bar or launching a boutique, connecting with your customers is key to success. As a bricks-and-mortar store, you become part of your local area — and you should use those community relationships to your advantage. This insight continues to inform every Three Blue Ducks venue as the team prioritise giving back to the local areas they call home. The Byron Bay location is a testament to this, as Labrooy tells, "there's no business in the Northern Rivers that even remotely comes close to what we're doing. There's around $4 million dollars of wages that go back into the local economy, plus $4.5 million of produce purchased from local suppliers… we don't use big companies, we use local people with small businesses instead." LEVERAGE DATA TO TEST, LEARN AND GROW Launching a new business is full of unknowns. When are the busiest parts of the day? How many staff should you hire? What quantities of stock do you need on hand to meet demand? In most cases, the first couple of years are about trial and error. For Three Blue Ducks, understanding customer behaviour has always been a valuable resource. By analysing data trends, the team is able to make informed business decisions to maximise profitability and reduce waste. "In Bronte, for example, in November, we know that there is the Sculptures by the Sea and we have thousands of visitors... So we know that's going to be a really busy time of year for us. We order more produce and roster on more staff so we can accommodate," tells Labrooy. "It's all about understanding when are our peaks and troughs and how we manage our restaurants in terms of staffing, food costs and ordering, so we can really reduce our waste." Now that you have some top tips, it's time to take the first steps towards scaling up your business. And when it comes time to set up your payment technology, look to Westpac's Presto Smart terminal. It's made for speedy payments, busting queues, reducing keying errors and seamlessly connecting to a range of Point of Sales systems to help you keep track of cashflow. Please note that the above information is intended to be general in nature and should not be relied upon for personal financial use. Request more info and speak to Westpac here. Top image: Nikki To.
Sydneysiders and coffee addicts can temporarily detach their caffeinated IV drips, wipe the sleep out of their eyes and sip the last of their espressos — the Aroma festival is setting up at The Rocks and it's about to wake you up to all kinds of coffee experiences, culminating with festival day on Sunday. To get you through the week, we've got five of the best coffee workshops on offer in five java-filled days. Wednesday: Pablo & Rusty's Coffee Roasters Deconstructing Espresso Get to know your beans inside and out and deconstruct your morning cuppa at this informative workshop by Pablo & Rusty. Meet the team behind Sydney's specialty coffee roasters, who'll teach you the basic characteristics of espresso and how to evaluate a good roast. You’ll get an insider's look into current coffee trends, popular regions and their flavours and what beans and blends are best suited to the way you drink your brew. Wednesday, July 17, and Thursday, July 18, 12.30pm (also Thursday); Shop 2.04 and 2.05, 140 George Street, The Rocks; tickets $10. Limited places, book to secure yours. Thursday: High Coffee We're sure even the Queen needs her daily caffeine hit. Drink your espresso like royalty and experience 'High Coffee' at Baroque Bistro Patisserie. As you sip your signature single origin espresso martini, treat yourself to coffee-infused petit-fours by Baroque's head pastry chef Jean Michel Raynaud plus savoury canapes by chef Drew Bolton. Your caffeinated treats include a coffee macaron, coffee eclair, coffee cake, coffee tartlets and coffee chocolate truffle. Don't expect to go to bed early that night. Tuesday, July 16, to Saturday, July 20, 3pm; Baroque Bistro Patisserie, 88 George Street, The Rocks; tickets $60 with espresso martini/$45 without. Limited places, book to secure yours. Friday: Coffee Cup Candle Workshops There's nothing better than the aroma of a coffee shop. But besides kidnapping your favourite barista and his precious espresso machine, it can be hard to replicate the same smells in your living room. Get the next best scent at this Coffee Cup Candle workshop. Bring along a coffee mug, tea-cup or glass and fill it with a coffee, mocha, hot chocolate or chai latte scented candle. The Candle Factory are Sydney's favourite candle company and will show you how to measure, blend, colour and fragrance the soy wax into a day's worth of delicious coffee smells. Thursday, July 18, to Sunday, July 21, 10am and 11am; The Candle Factory, Shop 5 Metcalfe Arcade, 80-84 George Street, The Rocks; tickets $5. Limited places, book to secure yours. Saturday: Delano - The Pour Over at Home Coffee snobs take note, 'pour over coffee' is gaining popularity among caffeine fiends all over the world, and here's your chance to see what all the fuss is about. Learn to brew your own filter-roasted single origin coffee and get advice to perfect the method at home. You'll get all the tips from the award-winning coffee connoisseurs Delano and have the chance to purchase brew equipment packs to make sure you've got all the right tools to brew your perfect cup yourself. Saturday, July 20, 3pm; Shop 2.04 and 2.05, 140 George Street, The Rocks; tickets $10. Limited places, book to secure yours. Sunday: Reuben Hills - Comparative Regional and Cultivar Cupping Ever tasted notes of wood, nuts or fruit in your cappuccino? Maybe there were wafts of caramel, smoke or flowers in your last latte. Hopefully there were no signs of leather, sweat or fur in your espresso this morning, but all these aromas can be found in your coffee during a coffee cupping. The team from Surry Hills' favourite brekkie spot, Reuben Hills, will help you measure the flavours, aromas, body and characteristics of your coffee and discover the influence region and climates play in the overall taste of your brew. Saturday and Sunday, July 20 and 21, 11am; Shop 2.04 and 2.05, 140 George Street, The Rocks; tickets $10. Limited places, book to secure yours. Check out the full program of Aroma workshops and special events at their website.
Get read for sensory overload — Chinese New Year is here. Time to fill the streets with fireworks and dancing lions while you alternate between inhaling incredible Asian cuisine and watching feats of strength at the Darling Harbour dragon boat races. For the Year of the Sheep (a sign of creativity and wisdom), the festival will be connecting you with the best of the Chinese creative world, including large-scale performance art pieces with the Yangjiang art collective and fire-breathing puppet troupes, as well giving you the chance to put yourself in the mix, whether walking through an army of glowing terracotta warriors or doing Tai Chi in the sunshine. With so much to do and see, here are a few highlights from Sydney's Chinese New Year Festival you shouldn't miss.
The 2018 Sydney Film Festival has reached its official halfway point, but you won't have to say goodbye to the event quite when you might expect. In what's now become a yearly tradition, SFF is keeping its movie onslaught going past the stated end date of June 17, hosting three days of encores across June 18-20 at Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays. Twelve titles comprise the fest's By Popular Demand and, as the name suggests, they're all films that have been filling cinemas and/or selling out sessions so far. Actually, four of the flicks on the list haven't even played yet, but have sold out at least one screening — and will definitely sell out their initially-scheduled two. And they're all super-hyped Cannes titles, such as Palme d'Or winner Shoplifters from Japanese auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda; the highly acclaimed Burning, helmed by South Korea's Lee Chang-dong and based on a Haruki Murakami short story; Gaspar Noe's dance party-set Climax, a directing prize recipient; and Spike Lee's race-relations satire BlacKkKlansman, which won this year's Grand Prix. Other films getting another run include opening night's hilarious New Zealand comedy The Breaker Upperers, Soda_Jerk's stellar Aussie cinema mashup Terror Nullius and fellow local effort Jirga, which was shot in Afghanistan. Or, you can catch Jon Hamm in 70s spy thriller Beirut, or watch Pig's darkly comedic story of a blacklisted Iranian filmmaker who thinks he's being overlooked by a serial killer that's been murdering his colleagues. On the documentary front, fashion is in fashion, with McQueen and Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist strutting their stuff once more. And if you need a dose of cuteness after nearly two weeks spend in cinemas, Pick of the Litter follows a group of adorable puppies as they train to become guide dogs. Sydney Film Festival's By Popular Demand bonus screenings hit Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays between June 18 and 20. The 2018 Sydney Film Festival runs from June 6 to 17 at various cinemas around the city. To view the complete program and book tickets, visit the festival website.
Standing atop Yosemite National Park's El Capitan after scaling it alone and without ropes, harnesses or any other safety equipment, Alex Honnold cut a surprisingly subdued figure. As the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo captured, he was obviously ecstatic, but he isn't the type to leap and scream with excitement. So, he smiled blissfully. He also advised the cameras that he was "so delighted". In the opening moments of new doco The Alpinist, however, he is effusive — as enthusiastic as the no-nonsense climbing superstar gets, that is. In a historical clip, he's asked who he's excited about in his very specific extreme sports world. His answer: "this kid Marc-André Leclerc." Zipping from the Canadian Rockies to Patagonia, with ample craggy pitstops in-between, The Alpinist tells Leclerc's tale, explaining why someone of Honnold's fame and acclaim sings his praises. Using the Free Solo subject as an entry point is a smart choice by filmmakers Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen — industry veterans themselves, with 2014's Valley Uprising on their shared resume and 2017's The Dawn Wall on Mortimer's — but their climber of focus here would demand attention even without the high-profile endorsement. Indeed, dizzying early shots of him in action almost say all that's needed about his approach to great heights, and his near-preternatural skill in the field. Scaling hard, immovable rock faces is one thing, but Leclerc is seen here clambering up alpine surfaces, conquering glistening yet precarious sheets of ice and snow. Any shot that features the Canadian twenty-something mountaineering is nothing short of breathtaking. Describing it as 'clambering up' does him a disservice, actually, and downplays The Alpinist's stunning footage as well. Leclerc is just that graceful and intuitive as he reaches higher, seemingly always knowing exactly where to place his hands, feet and axe, all while heading upwards in frighteningly dangerous situations. As Mortimer notes, narrating the documentary and almost-indulgently inserting himself into the story, alpine free soloing is another level of climbing. No shortage of talking-head interviewees also stress this reality. Protective equipment is still absent, but all that ice and snow could melt or fall at any second. In fact, the routes that the obsessive Leclerc finds in his climbs will no longer exist again, and mightn't just moments after he's made his ascent. Simply charting Leclerc's impressive feats could've been The Alpinist sole remit; Mortimer and Rosen certainly wanted that and, again, the film's hypnotic, vertigo-inducing imagery is just that extraordinary. Some shots peer at the mountains in all their towering glory, letting viewers spot the tiny speck moving amid their majesty in their own time, before zooming in to get a closer look at Leclerc. Other nerve-shattering scenes intimately capture every careful choice, every movement of his limbs and every decision about what to hold on to, inescapably aware that these are sheer life-or-death moments. But The Alpinist isn't the movie its makers initially dreamed of, because Leclerc isn't Honnold or The Dawn Wall's Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson. While affable when posed in front of the camera, he's also silently begrudging, because he'd visibly rather just be doing what he loves in total anonymity instead of talking about it, having it filmed and earning the world's eyes. Climbing documentaries frequently unfurl in layers, pairing character studies, astonishing feats and the history of the field, as The Alpinist does. But films about this risky pastime often need to grapple with their own existence and ethics, too, and the difficulties and complexities faced when making such features. Where Free Solo mused on how the act of filming might influence Honnold as he attempted his rocky quest, either putting him in more peril or encouraging him to do that himself because he was being watched, The Alpinist ponders how recording Leclerc's climbs impacts his mental experience. As touched upon again and again, including by the man himself, Leclerc sees alpinism as a transcendent mindset. It's where he's at his most free, where his body and mind work as one, and where he's firmly in the moment. He doesn't feel that with lenses pointed his way and camera crews right there with him, unsurprisingly. So, partway through the documentary's filming, he starts ducking the directors' calls and just mountaineering for himself again. Eventually, after months of chasing — and after Mortimer and Rosen's vocal frustration at learning about Leclerc's latest alpine achievements via other climbers' social media feeds — they all agree that he'll do his thing alone first, then he'll repeat it for the cameras. The footage is no less phenomenal as a result, and the tension no less gripping. This is an affectionate movie, complete with Leclerc's mother Michelle Kuipers looking back on his childhood and free-spirited teen years, and his girlfriend and fellow climber Brette Harrington also sharing her thoughts, but it also values immersing its audience in the vivid experiences at its centre. Sweaty palms are a side effect, as they are with all the best climbing docos — which is where this film easily fits. With his mop of shaggy hair, a mountain of enthusiasm even his camera shyness can't hide, a wide grin and a complete commitment to climbing (with Harrington, he spent years living in stairwells and tents because this type of life can take you everywhere and anywhere), Leclerc is still a dream doco subject. Although that description clearly didn't apply logistically while The Alpinist was in production, his love of reaching great heights radiates across the screen. Existing fans will already know where the film has to finish, and know why it can only have a celebratory tone, but that doesn't diminish the movie's thrills, joys, goosebumps, insights and intrigue. Similarly, it doesn't temper its interrogation of alpine climbing's frozen beauty versus its inherent dangers, or its thoughtful and compelling portrait of a person eagerly embracing both extremes.
Before watching The Nest, you mightn't have imagined Jude Law playing Mad Men's Don Draper. He didn't, of course. But this new 80s-set psychological thriller about a corroding marriage brings that idea to mind, because it too follows a man who spends his days selling a dream, thinks he can talk and charm his way into anything, and may have unleashed his biggest spin upon himself. More often than not, Law's character here has used his charisma to get whatever he wants, and to evade whichever sticky personal and professional situations he's plunged himself into. Indeed, stock trader Rory O'Hara slides easily into Law's list of suave on-screen roles, alongside the likes of The Talented Mr Ripley and Alfie. But there's also a tinge of desperation to his arrogance, as the actor showcased well in miniseries The Third Day. A Brit who relocated to New York and married horse trainer Allison (Carrie Coon, Widows), Rory looks the picture of Reagan-era affluence but, when he suddenly wants to return to London to chase new work opportunities, the cracks in his facade start widening. When Rory proposes the move to Allison, she's reluctant. From the instant she first spies the centuries-old Surrey mansion he's rented for them, her teenage daughter Sam (Oona Roche, Morning Wars) and their son Ben (Charlie Shotwell, The Nightingale), she's mistrustful as well. Rory crows about how Led Zeppelin once recorded an album there as he tours her through the cavernous property, but the glassiness in Allison's eyes shows that she can't unthinkably subscribe to his glossy view of their relocated existence. That remains true even after he buys her a new horse, and brings home a fur coat for her to wear to his work get-togethers, where he brags about his prowess, success and eagerness to expand his property portfolio with a city apartment. It takes time for Allison to confront Rory's lies, and for his efforts to swindle and cajole his way out of financial strife to tear apart the O'Haras' lives; however, that Rory's posturing and pretence will crumble isn't a matter of if, but when. While it's obvious from the outset that trouble is afoot — from early images that survey the family's almost too-idyllic NY life, in fact — filmmaker Sean Durkin isn't in any rush to unleash The Nest's full nightmare. The writer/director made his feature debut with 2011's cult thriller Martha Marcy May Marlene, so his big-screen career pre-dates Hereditary and Midsommar's Ari Aster, but he's just as committed to evoking a climate of pervasive, unshakeable dread. And, he wants his viewers to linger in it, because his characters must. Allison is forced to live with the knowledge that little is right, but the way she chain-smokes hurriedly illustrates that she also knows how far her fortunes could fall. Every move Rory makes is driven by his need to paint a gleaming portrait of himself, and he's aware that it's a reverse Dorian Gray situation: the shinier and flashier he makes everything seem to anyone who'll listen, the more he rots inside. Durkin doesn't just rely upon an exacting pace and a festering mood of gloom, though. Reuniting with cinematographer Mátyás Erdély (Son of Saul) after 2013 miniseries Southcliffe, he gives every second of The Nest an eerie look — whether staying a few beats longer than normal on its opening shot, lensing vast rooms to emphasise their emptiness, repeatedly peering at the film's characters through glass or breaking out the most gradual of zooms. A sense of distance echoes through the movie, mirroring how the O'Haras can never get close enough to what they really want. Reminders of conflict are perched everywhere, especially in the way that Erdély plays with light and shadow across the family's faces. Decadence abounds, too, but in an overstressed fashion via wood-panelled walls and deep colours seething with darkness. The score by Arcade Fire's Richard Reed Parry plays up the threat and menace, while few recent films have compelled their audience to pay such attention to their unsettling sound design. All that tension and unease conveys not only Rory and Allison's domestic discontent — and, as one rebels and the other frets, Sam and Ben's as well — but also the false promises of chasing capitalism-driven fantasies. When, in a vulnerable exchange, Rory says that his job is pretending that he's rich, The Nest slices savagely into the toxic and false notion that money, belongings and status equal happiness. That should have viewers thinking about Mad Men again, but Durkin takes to the subject like he's making a biting horror movie rather the 21st century's best TV drama so far. The film is called The Nest, after all, and that luxurious abode evokes terror in a number of ways. It's the ultimate symbol of living beyond one's means and attempting to fake it till you make it. It's worlds away from the humble upbringing that Rory's trying to hide. It has more than enough space for Allison to fill with her worries, and to lose her sense of self in. And, in, every creak and suddenly open door, it reflects the paranoia that accompanies trying to be someone you're not. Law is perfectly cast, and Durkin is now two for two, but Coon is as essential to The Nest as her fellow lead and her director. As she demonstrated in Gone Girl and on TV in The Leftovers and Fargo, she's so adept at cutting to the heart of a character's complexities with minimal fuss that her performances feel like their own form of shorthand. And, that's crucial here. As Rory's bluster sees him increasingly flounder, Coon ensures that audiences know exactly how it's affecting Allison at every turn. Cue many of The Nest's most haunting scenes, because there are few things more gut-wrenching than realising that the life you don't even love is a sham, but wading through it day after day nonetheless. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9OR8RC2t7Q
The annual Orange Wine Festival is back for its 11th run, with ten days of events highlighting the region's sophisticated winemaking from October 13 through October 22. Patrons can expect wine shows, tastings, dinners and educational workshops, all of which showcase the rich diversity of Orange's rich culinary culture. This year's packed-out program includes over 90 events, which are open to all wine lovers, from the connoisseurs to those still getting to know their palate. The region is known for its cool climate which creates wines with bright fruit and deep, balanced flavours, making them some of the best drops in the country. While there are events on every day of the two weeks, signature events include the Festival Night Market, the Orange Wine Show Tasting ($50-$70) and Wine in the Vines ($145).
In Netflix's ongoing quest to keep our eyeballs glued to the small screen, the platform pumps out new original shows with frequency. There are now so many to choose from, you could easily watch nothing else. But, still, there are some that stand out from the crowd. Combine filmmaker David Fincher (Seven, Gone Girl), true-crime book Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit and a whole heap of real-life serial killer cases, and you get the best show the streamer has ever made. For two seasons between 2017–2019, Mindhunter has drawn on its factual source material to dramatise the origins and operations of the FBI's Behavioural Science Unit — aka the folks who interview mass murderers to understand how they think, then use the learnings to help stop other killings. The show's main characters are fictional, such as agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) and psychologist Wendy Carr (Anna Torv), but the details they're delving into aren't. Also real: notorious figures such as Ed Kemper (played by Cameron Britton), David Berkowitz (Oliver Cooper) and Charles Manson (Damon Herriman), to name a few. It's the kind of concept that easily could span on forever — with plenty of killers and cases to cover — and still prove fascinating and gripping in this meticulously made show. Sadly, hopes for a third season now look as paltry as Holden Ford's social etiquette, with Netflix releasing the cast from its contracts, Deadline reports. The fact that Mindhunter wasn't swiftly renewed after its second season dropped last August has always been a worrying sign, which is compounded by the current news. The series hasn't been cancelled. Still, its cast is free to move onto other projects — so if Mindhunter does come back somewhere down the line, its stars mightn't be available to return because they're now working on something else. The show does boast a premise that could lend itself to an anthology format, though, so returning with a new bunch of characters taking on new cases wouldn't be the end of the world. Netflix let the cast's options expire due to Fincher's current workload, because he's quite busy making other things for them at present. As well as producing a second season of Love, Death and Robots, he's directing a Netflix film called Mank. Due to hit the platform sometime later this year, the biopic will focus on the feud between screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz and innovative director Orson Welles over screenplay credit for a little movie called Citizen Kane, with Gary Oldman and The Souvenir's Tom Burke playing the two men. Already missing Mindhunter? Check out the trailer for its excellent second season below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHlJQCyqiaI Via Deadline.
Sammy J and his perverted purple puppet Randy are back again to bring joy to our hearts. With Avenue Q on its way to The Enmore in July, now is the perfect time to get reacquainted with smutty songs from a fluffy felt mouth. So go and bask in the glory that is this unconventional comedy duo as they serve up and hour of songs that will stay stuck in your head until next year's festival. This is one of our top picks of the Sydney Comedy Festival. Check out our full top ten.
NSW's strict rules surrounding social distancing and public gatherings will be assessed on a month-by-month basis and could be relaxed as early next month, Premier Gladys Berejiklian revealed in a press conference this morning, Wednesday, April 8. With the number of new COVID-19 cases levelling— there were 48 new cases in the past 24 hours, compared to 49 the 24 hours before that (the lowest since March 19) — and the total number of confirmed cases beginning to stabilise, the Premier said that "there could be a chance, if the health experts deem it appropriate for us, to look at some relaxations". While the Premier made it clear that "social distancing will be a part of our lives until there is a vaccine", she also said that restrictions could be relaxed in the next month. Responding to a question about restrictions being relaxed as early as May 1, the Premier said "If the [health] advice in a couple of weeks is that there might be a couple of aspects that we can tweak to provide relief to our citizens, well then, we'll take that advice." [caption id="attachment_750943" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] The Premier acknowledged that the restrictions are "hard" and are having an impact on Sydneysiders' mental health and businesses, but also said that "every time you relax a restriction, more people will get sick. More people will die." For the time being, and over the Easter long weekend, the social distancing and two-person public gathering restrictions remain in place, with maximum penalties of $11,000 and six months in jail for those who flout the rules. At the moment, you can only leave your home for one of four reasons: shopping for what you need; for medical care or compassionate reasons; to exercise, in-line with the new two-person limit; and for work or education if you cannot work or learn remotely. Fines for disobeying these regulations have already been handed out to hundreds of Sydneysiders — you can read more about some of them here. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website. Image: Kimberley Low
As part of her first headlining tour of Australia, Solange (also known as Solange Knowles, aka Beyoncé’s baby sister) has announced Falls Festival sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne. This will be the first time the Texan-born Knowles has ever treated fans Down Under to a live performance of her 2012 dance-friendly EP, True. This comes in the context of eager anticipation of her long-coming third studio album, on which she apparently collaborated with Aussie dudes Midnight Juggernauts. It's due for release sometime next year. Perhaps as famous for being the offspring of the fabulous Mrs. Carter as for her music, Solange has steadily been earning cred as a singer-songwriter in her own right. She certainly can churn out a catchy pop hit, as her successful single 'Losing You' proved last year. Recalling her elder sibling vocally, it managed to step away from her stylistically and embraced a much splashier, synthy '80s pop feel. The sideshows should be a fun choice for anyone craving a night of uncomplicated, playful, upbeat music.
Après-ski activities are the best recovery remedy after a long day on the slopes. But the usual hot tub dip and hot chocolate sip can get a bit repetitive so, if you're looking for something more, Thredbo Alpine Hotel has planned a poolside bash that'll warm you right up. On Saturday, July 28, Melbourne pair Client Liaison will be headlining a free après party at the venue. Hosted by Red Bull Music, the gig will feature tunes from the power-pop duo and a lineup of other performers for you to boogie to as you take in the wonderful winter view. From 2pm, you can groove to beats from Sydney DJ FlexMami, the rhythmically emotional sounds from Retiree and Silver Lining's neo-Boogie hits all in the lead up to Client Liaison. From skiing to dancing along to Australia's next music sensations, you're in for an action-packed day. There will also be $5 bus rides from Jindabyne to Thredbo (at 4.30pm and 6pm) and back (11pm to 12.30am) to ensure that no one misses out on the fun. To find out more about Thredbo's winter program, head to thredbo.com.au.
The team at Real Food Projects wants you to eat better, or to at least know how to. Over the last year, they’ve been setting up pop-up shops and cooking classes to help us get to know what goes into what we eat, and how to do it ourselves — churning butter, curing meats and pickling absolutely anything. Kind of like the 1890s in Portland. On that note, their newest soiree is the Farm to Table Dinner — a collaboration with ex-Danks Street Depot chef Jared Ingersoll and Sydney Living Museums that will create a menu inspired by the food of the 1800s, using homegrown indigenous and heirloom produce. The retrospective feast will go down in the Silhouette Gallery in the Hyde Park Barracks Museum on November 14, which is perfect considering that it was built in 1819, and boasts exactly the decor to make you really feel the part. It's time travel on a plate.
What better way to kick off the opening weekend of snow season than with a music festival, après-ski style? The Perisher Peak Festival is back for its 10th year over the June long weekend for four days of awesome music. Over 35 local and international artists will play over 120 performances across the Perisher snowfields, from cosy fireside sets to headline acts on the Main Stage. Funk band Electrik Lemonade and 10-piece-brass band Hot Potato Band are already on the line-up, with many more to come (and we promise there'll be artists with non-food related names). Keep an eye out for the Peak Upload battle, where up-and-coming raw talents will battle it out to be crowned the Peak Upload Artist 2018. Those who are keen to carve up some powder over the weekend will be happy to know Perisher's extensive snow making facilities will be in full swing, so even if the weather gods aren't kind, the resort will be fully prepared for you ski bunnies to hit the slopes.
Fun: it’s not just for kids. As adults, fun opens our minds to new experiences, ideas and ways of being. It gives our brains time to switch off from the pressures of work, family and obligation. It can be productive, because through play we stumble on creative solutions. And it can be wonderfully, joyously unproductive. Anyone who's ever experienced the glee of shooting their friend in the bumper with a red turtle shell can attest to that. So how much fun are you having, Australian city dwellers? Tyler Brule, speaking at Vivid Sydney last week, suggested the fun police are making Australia the "dumbest nation on earth". But some of Concrete Playground's favourite Sydney event organisers see the situation as a bit more complicated. We asked Mathieu Ravier, director of the Festivalists; Declan Lee, director and co-founder of Gelato Messina; Clare Downes, the founder of Secret Garden Festival; and Nikita Agzarian, the general manager of Giant Dwarf, about the state of fun in Australia. They'll be continuing the discussion about event trends at our panel, 'The Art and Science of Fun: Creating Memorable Events and Experiences', at REMIX Sydney on Tuesday, June 2. We all think kids should have fun and play. But why is fun important for adults? Mathieu Ravier: Kids play out of indiscriminate curiosity, and an insatiable desire to learn, to make sense of the world. Most grown ups I know think they are more or less done with learning. Or are only interested in new experiences within a narrow spectrum: what they feel they know will interest them. As a result, adults lock themselves out of a whole range of experiences. "I don't like opera." "I don't go to museums." "Film festivals are not for me." Fun can be a way to trick grown ups into trying new things, into widening the scope of their experiences ... You might come to our Hijinks for an underwater drink at the aquarium with your mates, and end up learning something about conversation and wanting to get involved. You might get down in the Jurassic Lounge silent disco at the Australian Museum, then meet a scientist who shows you how to extract DNA from a strawberry. Declan Lee: I think it's easy to forget to have fun as you get older. You can get caught up in the very serious nature of life sometimes. In the end, we 'work' to have fun, but sometimes we forget to actually ‘have’ fun and before you know it life is over! Fun keeps us creative, it reminds us what it feels like to be happy, and most importantly, it helps you smile. Clare Downes: I think play is important for adults because it opens you up to possibility, friendship, experience and fun. When you're playing, you're not embarrassed or fearful. We encourage people to play at Secret Garden because we think play brings happiness and also it shifts the behaviour of the punters. When they are playing, punters are really open and kind to each other. They aren't taking themselves too seriously or behaving in an individualistic manner. Nikita Agzarian: Being an adult in this era is pretty daunting. Everyone is always busy, constantly stimulated and accessible 24/7. Having fun and being engaged in something is more important than ever now, because the idea of switching off and immersing yourself in something that is purely in the now is becoming really foreign to us. In his recent Vivid appearance, Tyler Brule said that Australia's nanny state, with all its rules and regulations, was at risk of making us the world's dumbest nation. Do you agree? What has been your own experience with red tape? Mathieu: I agree with him, of course. Who wants a sanitised, over-regulated city that lives in fear of litigation and fun? But it's not all doom and gloom. The City of Sydney has done incredible work reducing red tape, and the mindset at council has evolved in leaps and bounds since I started The Festivalists ten years ago. I find that council is very receptive to new ideas, including one which remix or repurpose existing facilities. I also find the expression Nanny State problematic. We love to claim we don't need government protection, until those protections are taken away and we realize how much we took them for granted. The opposite of the nanny state, a deregulated Darwinian free-for-all ruled by the law of the market, is not necessarily conducive to risk-taking, shit-stirring or artistic creativity either. The biggest red tape, in my experience, isn't regulatory — it's laziness. The paradigm can change, but it requires a lot of long-term planning and hard work. Declan: I agree wholeheartedly. I don’t particularly think we are at risk of becoming the dumbest nation but perhaps the most boring! Coming from the world of music festivals and clubs, I was faced with it constantly in my previous life. It comes up less these days, but entities such as local councils can certainly make life difficult at times. There needs to be rules and regulations for safety reasons without doubt, but the people making decisions need to be nurtured and encouraged to take more creative and holistic standpoints when deciding on what makes a city ‘live' and what makes a city vibrant. Without a little risk and without a little flurry outside of the box all you get is beige. Nikita: I half agree and half don't. I think we have a lot of rules, but I also think that part of the problem with red tape is a lack of understanding of what is required, why it is even there and how to deal with it. Get your head around that and you can learn to navigate it. I spent the first half of my professional career working for the ABC and The Chaser collaboratively. I learnt so so much about the restrictions of red tape in that time and then conversely how to challenge those boundaries without getting arrested/deported/sued. When we first started Giant Dwarf, we had no idea what was required to run a venue, so we read everything. I can recite the Australian Building Code section H101 off by heart, I went to the council chambers archive and pulled up every document ever written about the building, I learnt the local government act, the live performance award, I became besties with OLGR. I wanted to know that if any regulatory body to the building, from anywhere, I knew exactly what to say. And I did, and every time I had someone check out the venue, it was a really positive experience. Festivals are something Australia does very well — Sydney has more festivals per capita than just about anywhere else in the world. Why do festivals appeal to us so much? And can we have too much of a good thing? Mathieu: There are obvious answers. We have weather that permits all kinds of large-scale outdoor events almost year-round. We have a very cosmopolitan population eager for arts that reflect its cultural diversity. We have a strong economy. But I think festivals are also popular here because we lack high-quality permanent year-round cultural infrastructure, and we lack the political willpower to fund the arts in a meaningful, sustainable, ambitious manner (one that allows experimentation, risk taking, and — occasionally — pissing people off). For example, there are over 60 annual film festivals in Sydney, versus only a handful in Paris, a city twice our size. It's not because we love film more than the French, it's because each week in Paris there are more than 300 different films screening in cinemas (at least a third of which are home-grown): the equivalent of two Sydney Film Festivals' worth of diverse, challenging feature films distributed theatrically, 52 weeks of the year. Maybe festivals are what happens when passionate individuals take it upon themselves to fill the major gaps left in the cultural fabric. Declan: I don’t think you can have too much of a good thing, but you can certainly have too much of the same thing. I don’t actually think we do festivals terribly well here actually. Certainly in the music category anyway. We have a lot of one-day festivals, but they aren’t all good. And that's why there are a lot of failures. Not because [the market is] oversaturated, but because they are just boring. In general, festivals are communal and extremely sensory and people love that. That never gets boring. But there’s only so many flashing lights and DJs that one person can take. Everyone is scrambling to nail the 'food and music’ category at the moment, and the truth is its a great combination. But no doubt, at some point this will also become tired and fatigued and things will move on. New concepts and new ideas are essential for festivals to appeal. Change and innovation are exciting. Clare: I believe festivals are so much more than what is being programmed or curated. I think festivals nurture community, where patrons feel this sense of belonging through a common interest with thousands of others, which is a wonderful feeling. I also think festivals offer a break from reality and a chance to broaden your mind, whether that be an afternoon at the writers' festival or a night marvelling at the Mardi Gras procession or disappearing into a music festival for 48 hours. And I don't think we can have too much of a good thing. The more festivals we have, the higher the standard. If the standard continues to improve, people will keep returning to festivals or start exploring other festivals. If the quality is good, the demand will continue to increase and the demographic will broaden — rather than what we see now (with music festivals in particular), which is that people tend to see it as a novelty thing to do when you're in your twenties. Nikita: I'm going to answer this question wearing my three hats. As an audience member, festivals are great when they are done well. I love the vibe of Sydney right now. Between the Writers' Fest, Vivid and Sydney Film Festival, it's a great time to be in this city. As a venue, I have had some super positive experience with festivals in recent months. We've done great stuff with Sydney Comedy Festival, Sydney Writers' Festival and Vivid that have really helped us reach a new audience due to the targeted marketing that these guys can do that we just can't. But as a producer, I worry about the growth of festivals for the performers, especially in comedy. The more festivals there are and the bigger these festivals get, you really start to see it split the audience. Unfortunately, the hardest hit are those guys you might take a chance on, the up-and-comers, the people that probably need your money most. What is your favourite kind of fun? Mathieu: It used to be fun that allowed me to escape or to lose myself. As I've gotten older, it's become fun that allows me to find myself. My idea of fun is surprise and discovery with a little bit of learning thrown in. Declan: Escapism — pretending to be someone else and stepping out of your normal world has got to be the best thing ever. Dressing up, making gelato look like a hotdog, whatever it might be. Pretending, for just a little while, is escapism at its best. Clare: So Secret Garden is the best example what I think is good fun — a festival on a farm which has a drag queen stage, a pillow fort, a tiny rave cave and a kissing booth. A place where I can dance to Total Giovanni, marry a stranger and run around in a fancy dress costume with my best friends. Nikita: I'm surrounded by fun. I run a comedy venue and while that's stressful, I get to laugh all the time. Other than that, fun to me is being with good company, eating good food, drinking good wine and dancing like an idiot. REMIX Sydney is on at Sydney Town Hall on June 2 and 3. Secret Garden images by Anna Warr.
Falls Festival might be gearing up to celebrate a quarter-century, but, with the lineup it's just dropped, it feels a bit like we're the ones getting the birthday presents instead. Helping to ring in the art and music festival's 25th year is a pretty buzzworthy gang of musical mates, headlined by Australia's own wunderkind Flume, as he returns to the Falls stage for the first time since wooing the Lorne crowds in 2012. He's joined on the bill by international names like Seattle-based Grammy nominees Fleet Foxes (who were here earlier in the year for Sydney Festival), Oxford four-piece Glass Animals (who were also just here for Laneway), Californian indie-pop darlings Foster The People and The Kooks, who'll be celebrating a milestone of their own, having clocked up ten years since their debut album. If you've had your ear to the ground, you'll already know the part about Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher dropping in for his first-ever Aussie headline shows. True to form, the Falls 2017 local lineup is equally exciting, and every bit as broad. Homegrown acts hitting the stage include the party-ready Peking Duk, Brisbane rockers Dune Rats, Melbourne natives The Smith Street Band and Total Giovanni, and indie duo Angus & Julia Stone, off the back of their soon-to-launch album Snow. And it looks like you can start limbering up those vocal chords for a gutsy rendition of 'The Horses', with the legendary Daryl Braithwaite also slated for an appearance. As always, the tunes are backed by a colourful curation of art events, performances, pop-ups, markets, wellness sessions and gourmet eats. You can, however, say goodbye to the usual drink ticket situation, which has been ditched in favour of paywave and cash-enabled bars. It's all happening over New Years at the usual spots in Tassie's Marion Bay, Lorne in Victoria, and the North Byron Parklands, with WA's 2017 Falls Festival landing itself a new home within the Fremantle Oval precinct. But here's what you're here for — the full lineup. FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 LINEUP Flume (no sideshows) Fleet Foxes Run The Jewels The Kooks Glass Animals (no sideshows) Peking Duk Angus & Julia Stone Foster The People Liam Gallagher Vince Staples Jungle Dune Rats The Smith Street Band D.R.A.M Daryl Braithwaite Everything Everything Allday The Jungle Giants Thundamentals Methyl Ethel Slumberjack D.d Dumbo Anna Lunoe Dz Deathrays Confidence Man Julia Jacklin Bad//dreems Cosmo's Midnight Winston Surfshirt Luca Brasi Alex Lahey Camp Cope Flint Eastwood Ecca Vandal Dave Total Giovanni + More to be announced FALLS FESTIVAL 2017 DATES Lorne, VIC — December 28–31 Marion Bay, TAS — December 29–31 Byron Bay, NSW — December 31 - January 2 Fremantle, WA — January 6–7 Falls Festival 2017 will take place over New Years. Friends of Falls members pre-sale tickets are available from this Thursday, August 24, with General Sales kicking off next Tuesday, August 29. FOr mro einfo and to buy tickets, visit fallsfestival.com.
Run away and join the circus (for an afternoon) these spring school holidays. The Circus Extravaganza High Tea Buffet will be in town at the Shangri-La Sydney for three weekends from Saturday, September 23 to Sunday, October 8. It'll be a delight for the senses, with a feast of carnival-inspired bites and desserts served amongst colourful models of life-size performers, carousel horses and distorting mirrors in the Grand Ballroom. Munch on mini corn dogs, tempura chicken nuggets and buttered popcorn before diving into calabrese chicken sandwiches and tomato and goat's cheese focaccia topped with grilled eggplant. To close out the show, cinnamon churros, cotton candy, double chocolate brownies with marshmallow, strawberry mousse cakes and other treats will be available, alongside a show-stopping ice cream sundae station where you can let your creativity — and sweet tooth — run free. Tickets are $79 for adults and $59 for kids aged 11 and under. Tiny tots three and under can join in on the fun for free. Book your tickets now at Shangri-La Sydney's website. If you want to extend the experience, enjoy a staycation in the city with an Ultimate Circus Getaway room package — book today at the website.
Yogis, roll out your mats, grab your granola bars and strike up your best sun salutations. Sydney's Cockatoo Island is playing host to three days of yoga, music and culture this February for the latest instalment of Wanderlust. This Californian-born celebration of health, community and mindfulness is heading down under, set to bring festivalgoers a chance to chill and unwind for one Zen-filled weekend. Set up camp on this World Heritage-listed site and gear up for a slice of the world's biggest multi-day yoga event. Complete with mass guided meditation classes, wellness lectures, sunset hikes as well as a bunch of interactive dance and performance workshops, the event is guaranteed to keep you active. The festival's music lineup isn't looking too shabby either, with sets by the likes of Yolanda Be Cool and Mighty Duke and The Lords providing the perfect soundtrack to this urban lifestyle retreat. With camping options ranging from BYO tent to cushy self-contained 'glamping' suites, you've got no excuse not to give this trip into mindfulness a go.
In this very galaxy, probably just a few short months away, lasers will fire up, wars will be waged, and Sydney and Melbourne's biggest Star Wars buffs will show up in force. They'll also try to use the force, obviously, at the latest pop culture-themed party heading our way. A series of wizarding brunches have been making their way around the country, and a Game of Thrones-style medieval banquet is already on Sydney's agenda — and now comes Battle Wars. If getting a new Star Wars movie every year isn't delivering enough intergalactic space opera fun for your liking, then prepare to get a very good feeling about gathering for a real-life lightsaber tournament. Or lightsaber-like weapon, more likely — but arguing about semantics would be a real C-3PO move. At yet-to-be-revealed dates and venues, groups of up to 12 people at a time will unleash their inner jedi (or rebel, or sith), with 32 groups in total competing in a knockout-style contest in each city. While everyone yells lines about being Luke Skywalker's father (we're guessing) and vies for an undisclosed grand prize, Star Wars-inspired music will play, and there'll also be 'immersive entertainment'. That sounds an awful lot like folks dressing up as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Kylo Ren, Princess Leia, Rey, Darth Maul and more to us, but let's face it — if you're going along, you'll be doing that anyway. Unsurprisingly, it's a completely unofficial event, so don't expect any actual stars, tie-ins or merchandise. You can probably expect some ironic Star Wars Kid-esque moves, though — or George Michael Bluth-style antics, if you prefer. For more information — and to sign up to hear about Melbourne and Sydney dates and venues — visit thebattlewars.com.
There are only a few pleasures quite like digging into a dessert made of potato (and discovering that it is, indeed, delicious) and Bar Brosé has been has providing that particular one since it opened in April 2016. So it's with regret that we report that the Darlinghurst bar has closed its doors indefinitely — regret because we'll never eat that dessert again, and regret that we can't even tell you to go there one last time. Co-owner Ed Loveday announced the closure in a Facebook and Instagram post this morning with "deep sadness", thanking staff and customers. It is with a deep sadness that I announce the closure of Bar Brosé. I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart all of our staff past and present and our customers for their support. We look forward to continuing to take care of you at ACME and we hope to see you all again soon. Cheers A post shared by Ed Loveday (@edloveday) on Sep 6, 2017 at 4:20pm PDT Bar Brosé was launched (and successfully run) by the ACME team last year — it was one of our favourite restaurants of 2016. Head chef Analiese Gregory left the bar earlier this year, after which Adam Wolfers took over the kitchen with Jewish eastern European food, until just recently. Loveday didn't want to comment at this stage but, needless to say, we'll update you if the team announce anything new.
The Griffin Theatre Company is stepping out from its beloved SBW Stables Theatre to kickstart its 2014 season. The Serpent's Table is a feast of food and storytelling that will take place within an installation at Carriageworks and involve the talents of popular chefs Adam Liaw and Pauline Nguyen. On in January as part of the Sydney Festival for intimate audiences of 30, the event will be a step in a more experimental, multidisciplinary direction for Griffin — here working together with Performance 4a — and knowing Sydney's colossal appetite for foodie culture, it won't fail to find an audience. The rest of season 2014 sees Griffin pursuing its established strengths in new Australian playwriting, with just one classic and one recent international work sneaking in. "Our 2014 season is a shameless celebration of the depth and breadth of Australian playwriting culture," says artistic director Lee Lewis. "Breadth in terms of the diversity of voices and stories, combined with remarkable depth of quality." The Main season starts with the winner of this year's Griffin Award for an outstanding new script, Jump for Jordan by Donna Abela, a culture-clash dramedy that speaks in particular to the experience of second-generation Australians. Next is Eight Gigabytes of Hardcore Pornography (wahey!), eye-catching for both its name and the talent involved (Declan Greene of the fantastic Sisters Grimm writing, Lewis herself directing and the loveable Steve Rodgers performing). Lewis will also direct David Williamson's hit '80s play Emerald City, while Malthouse Theatre's artistic director Marion Potts will take the reins of Ugly Mugs, a compelling look at the culture of abuse we don't usually acknowledge. Writer Peta Brady was inspired by the stories of violence against women that took hold of Melbourne last year. The parallel Independent season, meanwhile, features work from pantsguys, Stories Like These, Siren Theatre Co and White Box Theatre. Director Anthony Skuse reunites with the team from Punk Rock (winner of the Best Independent Production 2012 at the Sydney Theatre Awards) for what's sure to be another shattering Simon Stephens play, On the Shore of the Wide World. Kate Gaul (The New Electric Ballroom) will tackle Tasmanian playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer's The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You, about a rage-prone teenager left alone in the forest, while Jane Bodie's Music brings a light touch to the subject of mental illness and Campion Decent's Unholy Ghosts goes for laughter at a funeral. Finally, there's the school holiday event The Witches, a one-man telling of the Roald Dahl classic. If what we've heard of its transfixing first run at NIDA is anything to go by, there'd better be plenty of adult-friendly show times, too. Griffin Theatre 2014 subscriptions go on sale on 3 September. There's a limited Earlybird offer, whereby subscribers can purchase the four Main Season shows for $120, or all eight Main and Independent shows for $220 until 23 September. Griffin subscribers also have exclusive access to an allocation of tickets to The Serpent’s Table before they go on sale to the public through Sydney Festival.
What better way to embrace the warmer weather than with some good old-fashioned outdoor moviegoing? This spring, Sweethearts Rooftop is bringing back its al fresco cinematic experience with another killer lineup of cult hits, presented by Fever-Tree. Taking place on Mondays and Tuesdays, from 7.30pm, the rooftop bar of Potts Point Hotel will break out the projector to show a range of classics from across the decades — think Moulin Rouge, Kill Bill (volumes one and two), The Notebook, Brokeback Mountain and more. And the best part? It's free. And the good deals don't end there. You'll be sipping on 25-percent-off Fever-Tree G&Ts — think the likes of green ant gin with elderflower tonic; Four Pillars with mediterranean tonic; and 78 Degrees Sunset gin with aromatic tonic. Plus, for $20, you can tuck into all-you-can-eat pizza. Sweethearts Rooftop Cinema runs across Monday and Tuesday nights, from Monday, September 30 until Tuesday, November 26. You can check out the full movie lineup over here. To book your spot, head here. First image: James Ambrose.
The northern beaches has its own local shop that's selling designer homewares, herbal candles and — to put the finishing touches on your stylish abode — heaps of indoor plants to choose from. Think zanzibar, golden cane palm, umbrella plants, bird's nest ferns and fiddle leaf figs aplenty. It also sells colourful planter baskets to house your new green additions. Throw in a couch blanket, a few cushions and a healing candle and you're good to go. You'll find Electric Eyes in Narrabeen, where it's open six days a week — with plants ranging from $26–$88.
If the words "when I was 17 I had wrists like steel and I felt complete" mean anything to you, you're most likely already afflicted by Vampire-itis. This is the rare condition caused by by being a fan of none other than Vampire Weekend. It can strike at any time, and begins with sharp, pointy teeth, soon developing into a strong desire to put on Hawaiian-inspired shirts and thongs and lounge around at the beach. If you "crave that sound" of songs like 'Cousins', 'Horchata', 'White Gun', as well as some new stuff, then this one's for you. So get your boardshort-wearing, blood-hankering self off to see them live. Hopefully, they will wear the man cardis that we have all grown to love.
Sydneysiders who have been to two council areas in the city's southwest will no longer be able to enter Queensland, with the Sunshine State today, Tuesday, July 14, declaring both Liverpool City Council and Campbelltown City Council in NSW COVID-19 hotspots. Last week, on July 10, Queensland opened its borders to visitors from all states and territories — except Victoria, which is also declared a hotspot — but from midday today, visitors from one of the two new Sydney hotspots will be turned away at the border. Returning Queensland residents or those entering for a range of essential reasons will be required to quarantine in a hotel for 14 days. The move comes as a cluster of 21 positive COVID-19 cases are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Sydney's southwest. Earlier this week, both the Queensland and NSW Governments sent out public health alerts urging those who had visited the pub between Friday, July 3 and Friday, July 10 to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days. Queensland currently has only four active cases of COVID-19, but 18 Brisbanites who visited the Crossroads Hotel have been tested and are in isolation awaiting results. https://twitter.com/AnnastaciaMP/status/1282814220304650246 When asked what classifies a hotspot, Queensland's Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said, "It's when there's clearly a growing numbers of cases and there's community acquisition of cases — so we've seen that here." From midday, Tuesday, July 14, anyone who has visited Liverpool City or Campbelltown City in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter Queensland unless they are a returning resident or are entering for one a few essential reasons. For more information, head to the Queensland Government website.
The Tate's new exhibition, New Ruins, embodies nature in a state of terminal decline. This ephemeral exhibition is the result of a residency at Melbourne’s Seventh Gallery. Enjoy paintings on rescued waste timber, with tonal shifts that are “distinctly unnatural”. New Ruins finds visual expression for anxiety, pertaining to global warming and human impacts on the planet. With the metaphorical use of storms, clouds of air, dust, smoke and landscapes in various forms of flux and destruction, the exhibition inspires whilst acting as a sobering reminder of our heavy footprints on Earth. Only open this weekend: enjoy it while you can.
Melburnian and Sydneysiding bartenders take their craft truly seriously. Twisting limes, straining shakers and floating on spoons in their sleep, these lovers of a good muddle are a proud, dedicated hoard. But which city owns the mad skills: the salty sea dogs of Sydney or the metropolitan marauders from Melbourne? The convolutedly titled but cleverly programmed World Class World Cocktail Week has had enough of shouting over the fence. In a momentous stately exchange, Sydney and Melbourne will front up their finest three bartenders from two celebrated cocktail bars and swap venues for two evenings of pure exhibitionist swagger. Melbourne’s Black Pearl will take over Sydney bar The Rook on Tuesday, May 13, to sprinkle a little Victorian savvy on the lobster-loving CBD bar. On Saturday, June 17, The Rook will return the visit, with bartenders Cristiano Beretta, Jason Williams and Rollo Anderson venturing south to claim the Black Pearl as their own. Both carefully crafted teams will be whipping up their own concoctions from the stores of each venue, undoubtedly provoking some smuggery at where certain bits and pieces are kept behind the bar. Throwing down every last twist and roll, the grudge match forms part of the neat libation-loving event program of WCWCW. Carnivores will be able to pair their love of meat and liquor at the Newtown Hotel for ‘Meat Meets Whiskey’ (May 6 – May 13), where you can consume Bulleit Bourbon via bone luge, as well as many other meat-inflected concoctions. Vegetarians should probably avoid like the plague. Sydney's Hinky Dinks and Melbourne's Belle's Diner will both be tempting their fair share of nostalgics with 'Pimp Your Shake'. That entails Zacapa rum-spiked milkshakes paired with heady American desserts — the Plenty a Platano is served with warm banana doughnuts and the Peanut Buttered Rum Shake with a slice of pecan pie ($22 each). There's also a nationwide #garnishoff happening on Instagram, and your dinky orange slice ain't going to cut it. To brush up on your cocktail terminology and know what you’re looking for in an Old Fashioned, have a tipple with the bartenders in your city here and here. The end of Prohibition has never tasted so good. World Class World Cocktail Week runs a series of Australia-wide events from May 6-13, curated by celebrated Sydney foodie Ms Darlinghurst. Check out the website for more information.
Anyone who's opened the doors on their own piece of coffee heaven knows, building a cafe from scratch can take months, even years. But the visionary team behind The Grounds of Alexandria threw caution and time to the wind when they were invited to build their own pop-up cafe for Sculpture by the Sea 2014 — they built the whole thing in just nine days. Sitting at Marks Park between Bondi and Tamarama for 19 days, the gorgeous temporary cafe was dubbed The Grounds by the Sea, the lifetime of which is documented in this video. Built from recycled timber, tin and materials, The Grounds by the Sea had sustainability as its first priority. Grounds stylist Therese Moussa set the tone, while Grounds co-owner and creative director Ramzey Choker put together a specially designed seed-to-plate menu; all produce was seasonal and sourced from the finest growers and producers in the local vicinity. Meanwhile, co-owner and world latte champion Jack Hanna brought his skilful team of baristas to the site, with both Synesso machines and a filter brew bar working from dawn to dusk. So how did the Grounds team make all this happen in nine days? It all comes down to planning — a whole month of planning in fact. Choker and Moussa took four weeks of concept planning (day and night), the building phase took nine days (including three stressful storm-approaching days of putting the tin roof on) and the cafe was in operation for three weeks. As with all painstakingly created art, the destruction of it happened in the blink of an eye in comparison — demolition took just three days. "It was a huge collaborative effort and involved a very dedicated, hard-working team," says Choker. "It enabled us to directly connect with the Eastern Suburbs community and engage face-to-face with residents. The positive response we received from the local community was absolutely overwhelming. We had over half a million people pass through our doors over the three-week exhibition and loved every moment of our time at Marks Park. It was also a great branding exercise for The Grounds to be aligned with a reputable national initiative like Sculpture by the Sea." Having hit it out of the park with the Sculpture pop-up, the Grounds team are keen to do more pop-ups in the future. "The fact that we were able to pull off what we did in the time we did to the success we did has left us wanting a whole lot more," says Choker. "Next time we would definitely obtain a bigger site which in turn would allow us additional space to create more interactive experiences for customers. I would also allow a little more time for both the planning and building stages. "We love pushing the envelope and thinking outside the lines. We created a memorable culinary experience, something that had never been done before. The sky is the limit for The Grounds. We have some new exciting projects happening later this year, so watch this space." Words by Shannon Connellan and Jasmine Crittenden. Images by Damian Flanagan.
