In news that sounds and feels familiar, and is also sadly not at all unexpected, Vivid Sydney has announced that this year's festival won't go ahead — at all. Last month, the event pushed back its planned 2021 dates from August to mid-September due to Sydney's current COVID-19 outbreak and ongoing lockdown; however, today, Friday, August 6, it has revealed that it's pulling the plug on the light, music and art-filled fest completely until 2022. The 2021 festival had already been pushed from its usual June time slot to August (and then to September), after sitting out 2020 entirely due to the pandemic. This decision to scrap this year's fest is hardly surprising, though. Sydney Fringe Festival, which was also due to take place in September, also just cancelled its 2021 event. And, with Sydney's lockdown now six weeks in, set to run until at least the end of August and also still garnering high case numbers — 291 were identified in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, August 5 — it's beginning to look more likely that other big events might not happen this year either. In a statement, Vivid organisers advised that "the New South Wales Government has made the difficult decision to cancel Vivid Sydney 2021 — but the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas will shine brightly again in May–June 2022. Given the ongoing uncertainty, the decision has been made to cancel Vivid Sydney 2021 to minimise the impact on event attendees, partners, artists, sponsors and suppliers." If you're keen to mark the new dates in your diary, the 2022 event will kick off on Friday, May 27 and run through until Sunday, June 18. Announcing the news, NSW Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres said that cancelling this year's Vivid now was the sensible move. "We thank everyone who has contributed to the planning for Vivid Sydney 2021. Of course, it's incredibly disappointing to cancel for the second year, but the most responsible decision was to cancel early, giving everyone certainty and minimising impacts where possible. The health and safety of our community is our highest priority, which is why we're encouraging everyone to get vaccinated so we can get back to enjoying COVID-safe events again soon," he said. Back in July, when Vivid was postponed until September, the Minister had commented that this year's event would only proceed if it's safe to do so. [caption id="attachment_816000" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Destination NSW[/caption] Vivid 2021 was slated to feature a hefty array of light installations, cultural events, pop-ups and activations, with the full program announced back in May. Alongside Sydney Fringe Festival, a number of big NSW events have now been impacted by the pandemic two years running. The same thing happened with Bluesfest, which was cancelled in 2020, then scrapped a few days before it was meant to start in April this year, and then rescheduled until October — and with this year's Sydney Film Festival, too, which moved to August this year from its usual June time slot, and has now been postponed until November. Vivid Sydney 2021 will no longer take place from Friday, September 17 –Saturday, October 9. Vivid Sydney 2022 is slated to run from Friday, May 27–Sunday, June 18. For more information, visit the event's website. For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
The Art Gallery of NSW has been keeping its doors open late on Wednesdays for years now. Its monthly Art After Hours program flexed with the times in 2020, running online only, and now Sydneysiders are returning to their workspaces in the city Art After Hours is slowly returning to its regular program in 2021. On February 24 and March 3, you can head to the Gallery after work to explore the current exhibitions Pat Larter and Margel Hinder, see a free film and grab a bite to eat in the cafe — all free of charge and until doors close at 9pm. In the past, the Gallery has hosted comedy shows, drag performances, insightful talks and specialist tours in its late-night program. Right now, under physical distancing and extra hygiene measures, the program is more DIY. You're in charge of how you spend your time — whether you join a one-hour mystery tour with one of the Gallery's guides at 7.15pm or book into see one of the free film screenings as part of the Japanese Film Festival Classics program. You don't need to register in advance to head to the Gallery after hours, but if you're keen to see a film it's best to snap up your ticket in advance. [caption id="attachment_790676" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Peter Drew, 'Aussie'[/caption] Top image: Destination NSW
Adam Long knows how to print. It's just that the things he prints don't stop at the second dimension. Adam is one third of the Sydney laser-cutting print-shop the Beehive, and as part of the Oxford Street Design Store's ongoing push to educate you about interesting things, the second instalment of their A Guide to... series brings you A Guide to... Lasercutting and 3D Printing. As well as deftly burning images and shapes onto two-dimensional things — evident in their Panda-loving Kickstarter project — the Beehive is also au-fait with the methodology of piling on more layers to print objects out into a third dimension. Adam's short, sharp explanation of the joys of printing along the third axis should leave you hungry for a future that seems to be coming quicker than planned. RSVP via the Facebook event. https://youtube.com/watch?v=5jTxJ1fBKbQ
Crack that whip: you've got a date with new-wave icons Devo. Back in August, the 'Girl U Want' band was announced among the headliners for Good Things 2023, touring to celebrate 50 years since first forming in 1973 — and also to say goodbye on a farewell tour that'll mark their last-ever Australian shows. Now, they're among a heap of acts that've added their own gigs as sideshows to the main fest. Devo's famous energy dome hats will be on display at their own concerts at the ICC Super Theatre in Sydney, QPAC in Brisbane and Palais Theatre in Melbourne. Also set to do their solo shows: Limp Bizkit, Pennywise, Corey Taylor, Enter Shikari, Sepultura, Hanabie. and Taking Back Sunday — and the list still goes on from there. So, these sideshows will keep rollin', rollin', rollin', rollin' with Limp Bizkit; will see Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor hit the stage; and are guaranteed to burst with punk energy thanks to Pennywise. And, they'll also serve up I Prevail, PVRIS, Slaughter to Prevail, While She Sleeps and Royal & The Serpent as well. Different acts are going to different cities — and, while Good Things itself isn't on in New Zealand, Limp Bizkit, Behemoth and While She Sleeps are all playing Auckland. If you're wondering about Fall Out Boy, the group behind 'Sugar, We're Goin Down' and 'Uma Thurman' hasn't locked in any Australian and NZ dates other than Good Things — so that's your only chance to see Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump, Andy Hurley and Joe Trohman so far. GOOD THINGS 2023 SIDESHOWS: LIMP BIZKIT Sunday, November 26 — Spark Arena, Auckland Wednesday, November 29 — Hordern Pavilion, Sydney Wednesday, December 6 — Fortitude Music Hall, Brisbane Friday, December 8 — John Cain Arena, Melbourne DEVO Sunday, November 26 — ICC Super Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, November 29 — QPAC, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Palais Theatre, Melbourne I PREVAIL Tuesday, November 28 — Eatons Hill Hotel, Brisbane COREY TAYLOR Tuesday, November 28 — Metro Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, November 29 — Northcote Theatre, Melbourne PENNYWISE Tuesday, December 5 — The Tivoli, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Coolangatta Hotel, Gold Coast Friday, December 8 — Drifters Wharf, Central Coast Saturday, December 9 — Torquay Hotel, Torquay ENTER SHIKARI Monday, December 4 — The Triffid, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Liberty Music Hall, Sydney BEHEMOTH Friday, November 24 — Powerstation, Auckland Monday, November 27 — The Triffid, Brisbane Wednesday, November 29 — The Gov, Adelaide Tuesday, December 5 — Max Watts, Melbourne SEPULTURA Sunday, November 26 — Metropolis, Fremantle Tuesday, November 28 — The Gov, Adelaide Wednesday, November 29 — Max Watts, Melbourne Monday, December 4 — Princess Theatre, Brisbane TAKING BACK SUNDAY Wednesday, November 29 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tuesday, December 5 — Princess Theatre, Brisbane Wednesday, December 6 — Factory Theatre, Sydney PVRIS Tuesday, November 28 — Factory Theatre, Sydney Wednesday, November 29 — Croxton Bandroom, Melbourne Tuesday, December 5 — The Triffid, Brisbane SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL Tuesday, November 28 — 170 Russell, Melbourne Tuesday, December 5 — Manning Bar, Sydney Wednesday, December 6 — The Gov, Adelaide WHILE SHE SLEEPS Tuesday, November 28 — Hollywood, Auckland Thursday, November 30 — Stay Gold, Melbourne Tuesday, December 5 — The Brightside, Brisbane HANABIE. Tuesday, November 28 — Stay Gold, Melbourne Monday, December 4 — The Brightside, Brisbane ROYAL & THE SERPENT Wednesday, November 29 — Crowbar, Sydney Monday, December 4 — Stay Gold, Melbourne Good Things will hit the Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in December 2023 — head to the festival website for more information and tickets. The festival's sideshows run throughout November and December — head to the festival website for more details and tickets, with early bird tickets available from 9am local time on Wednesday, October 18 and general sales from 9am local time on Friday, October 20. Top image: swimfinfan via Wikimedia Commons.
Usually when we see a teen romance at the heart of a film we're watching a film made for teens. Goodbye First Love is no such film. Mia Hansen-Love's semi-autobiographical ode is an unapologetically sentimental love story stripped to its emotional core. Following the acclaim of All Is Forgiven (2007) and Father of My Children (2009), this film weaves neatly into her emerging lineage of intimate, slow-burn portraits of fractured relationships. Goodbye First Love does not end with young lovers kissing under the speckled light of a disco ball at a high school prom. In the Paris of 1999 we meet a mousy, sulky and studious 15-year-old, Camille (Lola Creton), and her raffish, free-spirited 19-year-old lover Sullivan (Sebastian Urzendowsky). As a summer of breezy afternoon sex in the countryside comes to a close, passions are tempered by Sullivan's decision to head away on a 10-month backpacking trip around South America. It isn't long before his letters dry up and Camille, who is constitutionally gloomy, descends into the darker reaches of melancholy. Over the course of a decade, the film charts Camille's movements through geography, romance and self-discovery governed by the dictates of a broken heart. The very simple narrative arc follows the familiar tropes of the calendar seasons (summer skin is shed and winter inspires introspection, etc) and yet, to the director's credit, the action never feels concocted. Hansen-Love's power as a filmmaker is her knack for crafting intimately realised worlds. The experience of peering into these worlds is at once familiar to us and yet so specific that it feels unique to the lives of her characters. A director with this talent is one to watch. Read our review with director Mia Hansen-Love here.
If Friday nights out have slipped into a monotonous routine (same bars, same drinks, same tipsy visit to Lord of the Fries), then Mayhem at the Justice and Police Museum may present a scintillating alternative. Sydney Living Museums are in cahoots with The Festivalists (the folks behind the much-loved Jurassic Lounge) to create this one-night-only opportunity to experience the underworld of Sydney's 1920s and '30s. The exact details are suitably mysterious, but from what we can gather, you can expect a speakeasy-style environment, with entertainment including live music, illusionists and burlesque dancers. Activity-wise, you can polish up your card tricks, shoot your own silent film (yes please) and indulge in a spot of tattoo design, amongst other things. Oh and there's supper and cocktails, naturally, served up in the "sly-grog den". Ticket price includes entry, the full activities list, entertainment, a meal and your first drink. Prizes will be awarded for most impressive costumes so feel free to unleash your inner gangster/moll to the fullest. Image by Gregory Bellis Photography.
These days, living in a beautiful home doesn't mean you need to have a massive backyard and dozens of bedrooms. The success of the tiny house movement has proven that you can have a wonderfully designed, sustainable home parked just about anywhere. To keep you up-to-date with the latest innovations taking place in the industry, Australian bathroom designer Caroma is hosting a Tiny House Expo in its Sydney showroom. Running from Thursday, April 11 to Sunday, April 14, this event will provide an up-close look at why considering a tiny house makes sense — especially once you factor in the reduced costs and cutting-edge design (that still includes all the amenities you need). Saturday will feature the presentation of three Tiny House makeovers designed around the themes of luxury for less, boho chic and coastal living. Visitors can admire just how flexible these spaces can be and get top tips on renovation and design from field leaders, including renovation expert Naomi Findlay. Meanwhile, there'll also be a sprawling plant sale and a variety of activities happening across the four-day expo, from free talks on composting to DIY workshops on terrariums, kokedama (hanging moss gardens) and even paraben-free bath bombs. Tiny House Expo is free to attend (but some workshops incur a cost). For more information on the program and to register for a workshop, head this way. Images: Jacquie Manning.
In great news for cat-loving cinephiles, 2019 is shaping up to be a huge year for felines on film. Photorealistic big cats are currently prowling around the new remake of The Lion King, and they'll soon be joined by a bunch of singing, scurrying street mousers in the silver-screen adaptation of stage musical Cats. For nearly four decades, Andrew Lloyd Webber's acclaimed production has pranced across stages everywhere, turning a tale inspired by poems from T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats into an award-winning theatre hit. But, while plenty of other popular musicals have made the leap to cinemas, this one hasn't until now. The first trailer for the new flick might just explain why. Ever wanted to see Taylor Swift as a preening, purring cat? Keen to soothe your disappointment over the fact that Idris Elba isn't James Bond by spotting him with whiskers, fur and a tail? Perhaps you've always dreamed of watching accomplished actors such as Judi Dench and Ian McKellen channel their inner feline? Have you ever hoped for all of the above, and for the actors to all play cat-sized cats? That's what's on offer in the just-dropped first clip, as well as a heap of dancing and singing set to the musical's famous melancholic tune 'Memory'. In terms of story, Cats zaps Swift, Elba and company down to feline height to spin a narrative about the Jellicle cat tribe, who spend a night deciding just which four-legged moggy will get to leave their group, ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life. The movie comes with a significant pedigree, with Les Miserables' Tom Hooper in the director's chair, Webber on music duties, Hamilton's Andy Blankenbuehler doing the choreography, and the cast also spanning James Cordon, Jennifer Hudson, Jason Derulo, Ray Winstone and Rebel Wilson. And yet, it all looks a little odd. Perhaps it doesn't help that Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt featured a fantastic Cats parody, or perhaps it's just the film's cats-with-human-faces concept. Check out the first Cats trailer below: https://youtu.be/FtSd844cI7U Cats opens in Australian cinemas on December 26.
From extreme ironing and cable wakeboarding to base-jumping and cave diving, extreme sports range from the mildly risky to the downright deadly, the slightly bracing to the savagely adrenaline pumping. With a program of mini shorts and one hour films, the Adventure Film Festival aims to celebrate these endeavours, along with related stories of the raw, the dangerous, and the wondrous in the world. Experience remarkable human achievement, quirky animations focused on raising environmental awareness, harrowing and inspiring takes of amputee rock climbers overcoming adversity, and the world's first tandem paraglide from the top of Mount Everest. This is cinema that will amaze and push, exhilarate and enflame with passion. Last year the festival was geld at the Bondi Pavilion to a highly receptive audience. This year it will be held over two equally billed nights at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington, with nearly 50 films of varying lengths and origins being shown.
Cinema has provided me with the basis of many of everyday fantasies, one of which is calorie-free ice cream. Despite being a largely superficial hollywood chick flick, one thing I found relatable in Roger Kumble's The Sweetest Thing was Christina's (Cameron Diaz) fantasy dream where she eats calorie-free ice cream and gets intimate with Mr Right. Now, bringing fantasy to reality is an American company, Vaportrim, which has invented a dessert-flavoured inhaler, proposing to aid weight-loss. Working with the sense of smell and taste, Vaportrim offers a means to satisfy a sweet tooth by making you feel full, and eat less. Through the process of inhaling smell, taste receptors send messages to your brain which release hormones that tell your body it's full. As Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation puts it, "It’s all a matter of fooling the brain". Sticking to a strict diet regime can be difficult for those who desire to lose weight. With no calories and containing FDA-GRAS ingredients, even the most skeptical can rest assured that the product warrants little harm if inhaled. Coming in fourteen different flavours, including apple pie, milk chocolate and pina colada, Vaportrim sounds almost too good to be true. For those less inclined to follow weight loss gimmicks you might be interested to hear that the patent for Vaportrim is held by a man who owns the Adult Entertainment Broadcast Network, a pay-per-minute porno site. [Via Lost At E Minor]
Geology and music fans alike will be awestruck by the Sawn Rocks. This unusual wall of basalt is the result of molten rock cooling and cracking to create a structure that looks like a giant set of organ pipes. The flutes shoot up out of a shaded creek in Mount Kaputar National Park, ready to be marvelled at from the lookout that's an easy 15-minute stroll from the main picnic area. Visit this northeastern NSW site at midday to capture the moment when the sun strikes the rock surface to fully appreciate the layers of columns — it's hard to believe they've been crafted without human intervention Image: Fiona Gray, DPE
Have you ever sat on the beach enjoying a hearty feed of fish and chips, and thought "wow, I wish this cost me an extra $480"? Well, you're in luck. Barangaroo eatery love.fish is set to serve what they claim is the country's "fanciest" fish and chips, using exotic and expensive ingredients from around the world — and setting you back a cool $500 a plate. Available for one day only and the brainchild of love.fish head chef Michael Millkovic, the dish consists of Glacier 51 Patagonian toothfish (the wagyu beef of the ocean, according to those in the know) and Eastern rock lobster, both encased in a Belvedere vodka batter. On the side, you'll enjoy Thorpdale-sourced hand-cut chips and black Spanish winter truffles, topped with Hadid Royal Oscietra caviar. A jar of that stuff will usually set you back AU$745, so you're really getting a bargain. No, the dish doesn't end there — it's then dusted in gold leaf. And what plate of fish and chips would be complete without a side of Cristal champagne dipping sauce? Not these ones, don't worry. The dish is available at love.fish for one day only, on Thursday, March 24 — so if it sounds like a bit of you, you'll want to get your booking in now.
Last time Hunx & His Punx were here — back in 2012 — they charmed many an Antipodean heart with their penchant for getting (nearly) naked, offers to autograph genitalia and expletive-rich expressions of self-desire. In short, they delivered nothing less than what you’d expect of San Francisco’s maddest and baddest bubblegum punk band. So it’s only natural that we’ve invited them back. And this time, they’re bringing Shannon and the Clams in their suitcases. On Friday, March 14, tickets go on sale for a five-date April tour that will see the two bands smashing genres in Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong, Brisbane and Perth. Since their previous visit, Hunx & His Punx have been busy blending ‘80s hardcore and ‘90s grrrl sounds to create nasty yet catchy tunes for their new album Street Punk, which was released in 2013 via Hardly Art. Meanwhile, co-tourers Shannon and the Clams have lately been spending time playing SXSW sideshows and Psych Fest and hitting the road via Burgerama tours. They mash ‘60s girl group sounds with West Coast garage rock, delivering “doo woppers, bomp stompers, punk rippers, country clippers and psych-o trippers”. Trying say that really quickly five times in a row. Here are the dates: THU 17 APR – Copacabana, MELBOURNE. Tickets via Oztix. SAT 19 APR - Oxford Art Factory, SYDNEY. Tickets via OAF. SUN 20 APR – Farmer and the Owl Laneway Party, WOLLONGONG. Tickets via the Farmer and the Owl. TUE 22 APR - The Zoo, BRISBANE. Tickets via the Zoo. THU 24 APR - The Rosemount, PERTH. Tickets via the Rosemount. Tickets go on sale on Friday, 14 March. Tickets via Oztix.
When a TV show or movie hits the screen adapted from the pages of a novel, maybe you're the kind of person who just has to read the book before watching. Perhaps you prefer the opposite, soaking in every minute of the series or film afresh with no knowledge of what's to come, then devouring the source material to spending more time in its world and fill in the details. Whichever best describes your style of page-to-screen fandom, you're welcome at a new Australian event that's all about streaming hits that started as novels. In fact, it's Prime Video's very own book club. You might've noticed that plenty of the streaming platform's recent fare began on the page. It's true of The Summer I Turned Pretty, which is about to drop its third and final season — and of the Culpable trilogy and also We Were Liars, for instance. So, the service is celebrating that fact in Sydney, putting on Prime Book Club LIVE with a number of authors and actors connected to its lineup as guests. The last season of The Summer I Turned Pretty begins on Wednesday, July 16, with the streamer's most-successful original series releasing episodes through until Wednesday, September 17. So, author Jenny Han — who not only penned the books The Summer I Turned Pretty, It's Not Summer Without You and We'll Always Have Summer that the show is based on and is the series' showrunner, but also wrote the To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy — will be in attendance. Stars Lola Tung and Rain Spencer (Test Screening) will also be there. Ahead of Culpa Nuestra (Our Fault), the third and final Culpable trilogy flick after films Culpa Mia (My Fault) and Culpa Tuya (Your Fault), reaching Prime Video in October, author Mercedes Ron will also get chatting in the Harbour City. Taking place from 5pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Machine Hall in Sydney, Prime Book Club LIVE will boast Lucinda 'Froomes' Price as its host, feature a #BookTok panel, and sport an immersive setup spanning interactive experiences, giveaways and more. The event will also cover We Were Liars — which has an Australian connection thanks to Invisible Boys talent and future The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping star Joseph Zada — and others that fit the page-to-screen mould, including upcoming book-to-screen titles. Attendance is free, but you'll either need to register for a ticket in advance from 12pm AEST on Monday, July 14 or try your luck for one of the limited seats that'll be available on the day. "Prime Book Club LIVE celebrates our prolific book-to-screen storytelling and is a chance for our customers and fans to engage with Prime Video's series and films, and hear directly from talent about how these stories were brought to the screen. We're thrilled to have Jenny Han, Lola Tung, Rain Spencer and Mercedes Ron join us in Sydney for this exciting event," said Hwei Loke, head of Prime Video Australia and New Zealand. Prime Book Club LIVE takes place at 5pm on Thursday, July 31, 2025 at Machine Hall, 185 Clarence Street, Sydney, with free tickets available from 12pm AEST on Monday, July 14 and limited seats available on the day. The Summer I Turned Pretty images: Erika Doss © AMAZON CONTENT SERVICES LLC / Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Prime Video.
Hollywood director James Cameron has successfully completed a solo mini-submarine dive in a vertical ‘torpedo’ of his own design. For the past seven years, Cameron, who is better known for creating the epic blockbusters Avatar and Titanic, has been working in secret with a team in Australia to design and build a 12-tonne, 12 metre-long sub called ‘Deepsea Challenger’. The National Geographic Society, who sponsored the expedition, reported Cameron’s record-breaking descent to the deepest point in the ocean - over 10 kilometres down into the Mariana Trench, southwest of the Pacific island Guam. He returned to the surface after less than three hours under water. The director has been fascinated by oceanography since he was young, and he undertook 33 deep-sea dives to the wreck of the Titanic during the making of his 1997 film. Cameron planned to film what he could see during his solo dive to later share with the world in 3D. In preparation for the expedition, Cameron had researched submersible technology to find the best possible way to explore the seabed, and had practiced yoga in order to endure the mission in the one-person vessel. Swiss engineer Jacques Piccard and US navy captain Don Welsh are the only two other men to have reached the same depth, in the same place, in 1960. Their visibility was poor due to the amount of sand kicked from the ocean floor.
There's no shortage of highlights along Tassie's eastern shores, with Freycinet National Park's Wineglass Bay an alluring attraction. However, just a short drive up the coast, the charming community of Bicheno awaits, renowned for its scenic natural landmarks and vibrant culinary scene. Returning on Saturday, November 15, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is where visitors can experience the community's mouthwatering bites and sips in one spot. Featuring 30 stallholders showcasing Tasmania's finest flavours and makers, expect a coastal celebration of stellar seafood, local wine and live music. The lineup for the 2025 edition is soon to be revealed, but previous instalments have included a who's who of local epicureans. Think award-winning drinks from Bicheno Beer Co., Maclean Bay Wines and Ironhouse Tasmania, alongside non-stop gourmet cuisine from Formosa Bites, Salsa Sol and Fried & Loaded. Set against a picturesque seascape, the Bicheno Food & Wine Festival is also stacked with live music and entertainment. Throughout the day, local bands and singer-songwriters will take to the stage. Meanwhile, roving buskers also provide an easy-breezy soundtrack for visitors dining on the freshest east coast produce.
Instagram-obsessed iPhoneographers can now turn their collection of photographs into posters, thanks to a clever new website. London-based online retailer, Firebox, allows Instagram app users to create wall-sized prints of their photo library. All you have to do is click the 'Buy' button on the Firebox website, then add your Instagram username to retrieve photos from your account. Each poster is a fixed 61cm wide, but you can add as many rows of photos as you like, so there is no need to worry about choosing just a few snapshots. When your poster reaches 1.5 metres long, Firebox will shrink your pictures to fit and you can then choose between a white or black background. Firebox are not the only ones who have other ideas for Instagram. Photo sharing app, Prinstagram, let’s you make posters from 50-400 photos, as well as mini prints, stickers and mini books. If you prefer having your photos printed rather than just leaving them in digital format on your laptop, then this is a quirky and colourful way to do it. [via Mashable]
If you find yourself in the mood for some world-class pizza this week and you happen to be in Melbourne, you won't have to travel very far at all to get it. Simply head to 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar in South Yarra, where you'll experience the Best Pizzeria in the Asia Pacific, as decided by the experts for this year's 50 Top Pizza awards. The Victorian spot took out the prestigious title earlier this week at an awards ceremony in Bangkok, where the annual international pizzeria guide named its top 50 picks for the Asia Pacific region. The awards judge venues not just on the merit of their slices, but on each pizzeria as a whole, rating the food, drinks, service and overall ambiance. Running for the last five years, the 50 Top Pizza awards are chosen by around 1000 experts across the globe, who visit the pizzerias anonymously to judge and rank their offerings. 150 pizzeria 'inspectors' took on the task for the Asia and Oceania area specifically. With this new regional crown, 48h now scores an entry in the worldwide ranking, the 50 Top Pizza World 2022 competition, which will be announced in Naples on September 7. Of course, the southside pizzeria is no stranger to international praise, having claimed the title of Best Pizzeria In Oceania in last year's 50 Top Pizza awards. The chain's pizzas themselves, which are on offer at its Elsternwick and Spotswood venues as well, have also nabbed a stack of awards, including being crowned #1 Pizza in Australia at the Pizza World Championships in 2019. A handful of other Aussie venues were also named in this year's Asia Pacific top 50, including Sydney's Al Taglio (14), Bella Brutta (25), Gigi Pizzeria (27), Lucio Pizzeria (43) and Via Napoli (49); fellow Melburnians A25 (35), SPQR (37), Mozzarella Bar (39) and La Svolta (40); and Adelaide's Etica Pizza (42). Find 48h Pizza e Gnocchi Bar at 373 Malvern Road, South Yarra; 15 Gordon Street, Elsternwick; and Grazeland, Spotswood. For the full 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific awards list, jump over to the website. Craving a slice, Melburnians? Check out our top picks for pizza in Melbourne.
As new migrants arrive and travellers return, Sydney folds its terrain over new cultures every day. The results of older collisions continue to shiver like tectonic plates gently unraveling one under the other, creating new landscapes, the occasional shock and some radical shifts of perspective. The Colourfest film festival screens films by and about arriving, arrived and established Australians. In the process it opens up stretches of the city that are talked about a lot, but not always well represented on Australian screens. The festival is screening first at Marrickville’s Red Rattler, then again at the Riverside in Parramatta, each screening divided into two sessions of shorts. In Session 1, Corrie Chen’s Happy Country charts the collision of cultural dislocation and driving directions, Vessel Safei’s Streets of My Country shows the effects of the Green Revolution being played out for Iranian-Australians live online, in the news and at home, while Marie Setiwan’s Fairytale takes us inside the marriage dilemmas of a Vietnamese-Australian family. The second session’s Rima is a veiled young Muslim woman with a fierce obsession for fast cars, and Maria Tran’s Hot Bread Shop takes you inside the business and history of a family-run Vietnamese bakery. *The Parramatta sessions are on the 4th of June at the Riverside from 3-8pm, tickets are available here.
With its award-winning barrel-aged, bloody shiraz, rare dry, spiced negroni, Christmas and overproof gins, Four Pillars has won plenty of fans — and as of today, one big buyer. If you're keen on creative takes on juniper spirits, you might've snapped up plenty of the brand's coveted tipples, but only beer giant Lion has become the distillery's new partner. It's the first foray into the craft spirit market for the huge beverage company, which is owned by Japan's Kirin Holdings and boasts beer labels such as James Squire, Little Creatures, Furphy, White Rabbit, Hahn, Tooheys, James Boag's and XXXX to its name. Picking up a 50 percent stake in Four Pillars, it's clearly hoping to capitalise upon the gin outfit's growing popularity. According to the Australian Financial Review, the Healesville-based boozemakers are expected to sell half a million bottles this year. The sale comes little more than five years after Four Pillars was established by Stuart Gregor, Cameron Mackenzie and Matt Jones — and Gregor say it's "the start of a really exciting new chapter for our business". It's not the first time the trio has been approached by potential buyers, but when it came to pairing up with Lion, they liked "the fact we will be their first and most important craft spirit brand". Gregor, Mackenzie and Jones will still be running the show, and they'll still keep their existing Yarra Valley digs as their base. But Four Pillars aficionados can look forward to a few changes — including more small batch gin experiments, more attempts to push boundaries, when it comes to both distilling and botanicals, and more collaborations with renowned bartenders, chefs and other creatives. The company will also build a new hospitality and production space next to its current location, which'll give it the capacity to make and bottle more than one million bottles of gin a year. And, in good news for anyone who considers Bloody Shiraz Gin day the best day of the year, a new website that doesn't crash when each new batch goes on sale is also on the cards. If you're wondering, as it has previously, the much-loved variety will go on sale on June 1.
The Sydney Opera House's First Nations dance competition will return for its sixth year in 2020. Starring more than 350 performers from all over the country, with different generations, nations and groups all represented, Dance Rites will be broadcast free online — which means, for the first time, all of Australia can join in on the festivities. Close to 30 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance groups will compete in this year's festival, including Djakapurra Dancers, led by Djakapurra Munyarryun (Songman for the Sydney 2000 Olympics); Mornington Island Dance Group, who performed for the opening of the Opera House in 1973; Dyiraamalang, an all-female group; and Luurnpa Dancers, led by acclaimed artist and senior law man Jimmy Tchooga. The first wave of performances will take place each night from Wednesday, November 11 through Saturday, November 14 (coinciding with NAIDOC Week). Then the finals will air the following week on Saturday, November 21. Each group will perform two dances — one traditional and one 'wildcard' dance. The judges' assessment is based on on authenticity, reclamation work, fusion of language and music and use of costumes, crafts and cultural materials. The winners will receive a cool $20,000, with additional prizes also up for grabs. [caption id="attachment_789029" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Brolga Dance Academy[/caption] Top image: Anna Kucera
Palo Alto should come with a warning: may cause optic nerve damage as a result of excessive eye-rolling. Adapted from a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories by Instagram-age Renaissance man James Franco, the film marks the directorial debut of 26-year-old Gia Coppola, the granddaughter and niece of filmmakers Francis Ford and Sofia, respectively. A portrait of teenage disaffection, it's a film that attempts to capture the aimlessness, the angst and the self-aggrandised melancholy of youth. That it more or less succeeds in that goal is a big part of what makes it so unbearable. Emma Robert and newcomer Jack Kilmer play April and Teddy, a pair of brooding high schoolers absorbed by personal drama. He's a delinquent skater who's actually an unappreciated artist; she's the neglected daughter of self-absorbed parents who begins an affair with her creepy soccer coach (Franco). Meanwhile, Teddy's best bud Fred (Nate Wolff) finds himself drawn to increasingly anti-social behaviour to hide his insecurities, while another classmate Emily (Zoe Levine) turns to sex in order to hide her own. While Coppola and Franco do their best to depict the nuances of teenage ennui, their interlocking stories end up bringing little new material to what is already an over-saturated genre. Likewise, while the mannerisms of the characters feel pretty accurate, the kids ultimately come across more like ciphers than real people. There's little insight into why they do the things that they do, other than they're bored, perhaps, or feel entitled. Or maybe the world just, like, doesn't understand. Coppola's direction shows promise, only to fall into indie film cliché. Midnight strolls through deserted streets look as though they've been pulled from a Smashing Pumpkins music video circa 1996, while some of the visual metaphors — Fred driving the wrong way down the freeway, for example — are way too obvious to be profound. Despite this stumble, there's enough in Palo Alto to suggest the youngest Coppola may have a future ahead of her. You'd be less inclined to be charitable towards Franco, whose aggressive desire to be taken seriously makes it basically impossible to do so. https://youtube.com/watch?v=sTqMUu1iTIo
One of the biggest months of the year for the Harbour City is about to kick off. Vivid Sydney is just around the corner and, as always, a lot of the light, sound, food and entertainment action is centred around Sydney Harbour. So, it makes sense to take advantage of the best harbour views you can get, right? At Aster Rooftop Bar, atop InterContinental Sydney, you'll find cracking cocktails and jaw-dropping vistas all year round, but it's especially worthy of a visit during Vivid Sydney. Being 32 levels up will give you quite an angle on the lights below, but it's not just about the eye candy. Book a sitting between 6–7.30pm or 8–9.30pm to indulge in the special Vivid menu, which includes two themed cocktails paired with a two-course meal for $169 per person. [caption id="attachment_954613" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Steven Woodburn[/caption] Your experience starts with a Japanese Fuji single-grain whisky as a palate cleanser before being served two cocktails: Second Chance (Four Pillars Gin, strawberry, brioche, balsamic, yoghurt) and Expedition (23 Calle Blanco Tequila, pistachio, tepache, green tea), both sustainably made with leftover ingredients. The drinks are served alongside chicken or mushroom pate to start followed by a main of Black Angus tenderloin and Black Onyx brisket or slow-cooked carrots with miso and onion puree and fondant potato. To extend your Vivid experience further, book a staycation at the InterContinental Sydney. The special Vivid package includes a welcome drink, interactive map, goodie bag and more for $469 per night. For more information on the Vivid Sydney offerings at InterContinental Sydney or to make a booking, visit the website.
Mention bubbles these days, and you're no longer just talking about baths, sparkling wine, gum or tea. For the past 15 months or so, the term has been on every hopeful holidaymaker's lips, referring to arrangements between countries that allow COVID-safe overseas travel in these pandemic-afflicted times. Discussed since mid-2020 and in effect since April 2021, Australia currently has a quarantine-free travel bubble in place with New Zealand — allowing Aussies and New Zealanders to fly back and forth between the two countries for holidays, even while Australia's international border remains shut to the rest of the world. As first floated back in March, that arrangement might soon be joined by another, this time between Australia and Singapore. Initially, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack advised that Aussies might be able to fly to the island city-state for a holiday by July. That's only a month away, and it doesn't look like it'll happen then. However, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has just met with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong, with the pair releasing a joint statement affirming that they're working towards the travel arrangement. "We discussed how two-way travel between Singapore and Australia can eventually resume, in a safe and calibrated manner, when both sides are ready," said Lee following the two leaders' joint press conference. "Before COVID-19, many Singaporeans travelled to Australia for business, for holidays and to pursue their education, and vice versa. We need to resume these people-to-people flows to maintain our close and excellent bilateral relationship," he continued. Although no timeframe was given, Lee also said that the two countries "need to prepare the infrastructure and processes to get ready to do this" — and named "mutual recognition of health and vaccination certificates, possibly in the digital form" as one of the first steps. "When all the preparations are ready, we can start small with an air travel bubble to build confidence on both sides," he advised. At the press conference, Morrison also addressed the proposed travel bubble, noting that it's a target "sooner rather than later". He continued: "I welcome the fact that we will now work together to put the infrastructure in place and the systems in place to enable us to open up in a similar way that we've been able to open up to New Zealand from Australia when we are both in a position to do so." If you're after more details, that's all that was discussed; however, when the Australia–Singapore bubble was first suggested a few months back, it was reported that Aussies would be permitted to go to Singapore for work or leisure. Getting permission from the Department of Home Affairs — which is the only way you can go overseas at present while the nation's international border restrictions are in place — wouldn't be necessary under the arrangement. That said, according to those initial reports, the bubble might only apply to folks who've been vaccinated against COVID-19. Singaporeans who've been vaccinated would also be able to travel to Australia without undergoing the currently mandatory 14-day quarantine period. While the details are clearly yet to be finalised, if the Australia–Singapore travel bubble does come into effect, it'll be great news for everyone that's been dreaming of overseas holidays since the pandemic began — or, at present, for those dreaming of heading further than New Zealand. 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.
If you attended the Sydney Biennale back in 2010, you’ll remember the most standout artwork: a huge video installation showing an eerie, digitally manipulated vision of a holiday resort, soundtracked by Beethoven. It was The Feast of Trimalchio (2009) masterminded by Russian art collective AES+F, and now they’re back in town with a new offering, Angels-Demons (2012). Active since 1989, this is AES+F’s first solo show in Sydney. The angel-demons are 7 sculptures of colossal babies with bat wings and spined tails, each almost 2 metres tall with a gleaming black mirror finish. While their unnatural scale and demonic appendages are menacing, their postures are innocent: they’re learning to walk, reaching out with tentative hands, and flexing their wings. But what about when they grow up? AES+F describe the work as an “apocalyptic parade,” where the apocalypse heralded is not an end, but the beginning of an era where “evil may look good and vice versa.”
One of the single most iconic pieces of political advertising in living memory, Shepard Fairey’s Hope poster from Obama's 2008 Presidential campaign has inspired countless imitations. Now an Australian campaign group is getting in on the action, albeit with a slightly less positive spin. Plastered on the side of a building on Regency Street in Chippendale, this 4.5 metre poster featuring Tony Abbott’s face along with the word 'hopeless' was designed by Sydney-based graphic artist Michael Agzarian, who is the driving force behind the 'Abbottsolutely Hopeless' campaign. According to the campaign's website, the poster represents "the grim situation Australia finds itself in with Tony Abbott as Prime Minister leading an equally inept and uncaring ministry." To be clear, this poster isn't graffiti or street art. Agzarian spent more than $3000 of his own money getting the billboard legally placed, and is now asking for donations to fund additional posters around Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. He's even hoping to get some placed in Warringah, Abbott’s own Northern Sydney seat. The current poster is payed up for the next four weeks. The original Shepard Fairey Hope poster was subject to a legal battle, following revelations in 2009 that it was based on a picture taken by Associated Press photographer. The case was eventually settled out of court, while the street artist subsequently pleaded guilty to destroying documents related to the case. Back at home, Abbott continues to lag in popularity, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting on a recent Newspoll survey that indicated that two-thirds of participants believe the Prime Minister is out of touch, while more than three-quarters consider him to be arrogant. Via SMH. Images: Abottsolutely Not.
In a time when picture houses are filled with the monotonous munching of popcorn and sporadically lit by the distracting glow of mobile phones, Underground Cinema attempts to take the film out from behind the curtain and make going to the movies a memorable experience once again. Underground Cinema is an immersive movie-going experience with events held in undisclosed locations around the city. The setting is always a surprise and never revealed until the last minute — be it a warehouse, car park, or forgotten ballroom, you can never be too sure what to expect, and the film shown will always be a mystery, too. Underground Cinema doesn't just let you watch a movie, it draws you into it, too. As you enter the location, you'll feel like you're walking onto a film set, as actors perform memorable moments from the movie. The last Underground Cinema was revealed to be Children of Men, complete with barking dogs and rattling cages. The next one is sure to be lighter, with a theme of 1970s summer on the cards.
At the moment, you can't go visit your local bar for a round of after-work negronis on a Friday afternoon. But that doesn't mean you need to forego your usual end-of-week drinks with your colleagues. A heap of bars, wineries and distilleries are bringing the happy hour to you — virtually. Whether you'd like to learn how to whip up a Bond-worthy martini, show off your beer knowledge at a boozy trivia session or taste your way through some top drops (and learn a thing or two) at an online cellar door event, there are plenty of digital happy hours to get around while you work from home. Here are some of our favourites.
If there's one word that every film festival hopes will be used to describe the experience of watching your way through its program, it's this: discovery. Maybe you'll find your new favourite movie among its lineup. Perhaps you'll glean a fresh understanding of a particular director or actor's talents. You might see a star better known for their work on-screen blossom behind the camera. You'll also hopefully peer far beyond your own patch of the world. You could become a convert to a genre or a champion of a specific topic, too. The number of ways that sitting in a cinema can prove revealing, an unearthing and an exploration goes on. They all apply to the just-announced roster of titles for 2025's Melbourne International Film Festival — a list more than 275 flicks deep. Across Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24, MIFF is where The Chronology of Water, the feature directorial debut of Kristen Stewart (Love Lies Bleeding), will screen for the first time Down Under — and where Urchin, which notches up the same feat for Babygirl's Harris Dickinson, will as well. Both are heading to Melbourne fresh from their Cannes premieres. The Victorian capital's major annual film fest will also give the city its initial chance to see early pandemic-set western Eddington from Ari Aster (Beau Is Afraid), celebrate a music icon with the world premiere of Jimmy Barnes: Working Class Man, enjoy the full Norwegian Sex trilogy that culminated with 2025 Berlinale Golden Bear-recipient Dreams (Sex Love), get unsettled by Daisy Ridley (Cleaner)-led Australian found-footage horror We Bury the Dead, take the family to animated sequel The Bad Guys 2 based on Aussie author Aaron Blabey's books, pay tribute to The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and much, much more. As it does every year, the Melbourne International Film Festival has been unveiling pieces of its 2025 lineup over the course of a month or so. Accordingly, movie lovers should already know that If I Had Legs I'd Kick You starring Rose Byrne (Physical) is the fest's opening-night pick, that Parasite composer Jung Jae-il is coming to Australia to conduct the movie's score live in an Aussie exclusive and that the Cannes Palme d'Or-winning It Was Just an Accident by Jafar Panahi (No Bears) is on the lineup, too — plus The Passion of Joan of Arc with a new score by Julia Holter performed live and a heap of other titles. One film that was previously announced is Richard Linklater's (Hit Man) Blue Moon with Ethan Hawke (Leave the World Behind), Margaret Qualley (The Substance) and Andrew Scott (Ripley), but it's now just one of two of the director's features on the bill. The other: Nouvelle Vague, with the American helmer bringing the French New Wave to life. Her Smell's Alex Ross Perry is another filmmaker with two titles on the lineup. With Videoheaven, a movie essay solely comprised from movie and TV clips, he pays tribute to the video-store era — and with Pavements, he focuses on the band Pavement via an experimental blend of documentary, narrative, musical and more. The director is among MIFF's 2025 guests as well, including as a juror for its Bright Horizons award, the fest's $140,000 official competition for filmmakers that was introduced back in 2022. After Aftersun screened in the comp's debut year, its filmmaker Charlotte Wells is this year's jury president. The aforementioned Urchin and If I Had Legs I'd Kick You are in the running for 2025's Bright Horizon prize, as are the likes of Cannes hit Sound of Falling, Un Certain Regard award-winner The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo, the Bangkok-set A Useful Ghost, and Matthew McConaughey (Agent Elvis)- and Kurt Russell (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters)-starring crime-thriller The Rivals of Amziah King. It isn't hard to find more standouts across the complete MIFF program, such as dramedy Sorry, Baby, which has had the film festival circuit talking since Sundance; Left-Handed Girl, with first-time director Shih-Ching Tsou boasting Anora Oscar-winner Sean Baker as her co-writer and editor; legal drama Two Prosecutors; and Kelly Reichardt's (Showing Up) Josh O'Connor (Challengers)-led The Mastermind. Others include O'Connor again in the small town-set Rebuilding, coming-of-age story Enzo from BPM (Beats Per Minute)'s Robin Campillo, Wagner Moura's (Dope Thief) Cannes-winning performance in The Secret Agent, Bi Gan's (Long Day's Journey Into Night) Resurrection, the surveillance culture examination of documentary The Perfect Neighbor, 1000 Women in Horror's cinematic celebration, Aussie animation Lesbian Space Princess, the true crime-focused Zodiac Killer Project, Peter Dinklage (Wicked) as The Toxic Avenger and horror-comedy Zombucha! with Jackie van Beek (Audrey). The festival's retrospectives titles are always a highlight, and 2025's picks are no different — whether you're keen to mark 25 years since Looking for Alibrandi reached the screen via a 4K restoration; also see Sweetie, the debut feature from Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), get the same restored treatment; flash back to BMX Bandits; or work your way through MIFF's largest-ever tribute to a single director via the 27-film Chantal Akerman: Traces strand. Hitting up a picture palace in metro Melbourne isn't the only way to dive into MIFF 2025, as has also become the case every year, thanks to both its regional screenings in cinemas across the rest of Victoria and the fest's nationwide online program on ACMI's streaming platform Cinema 3. The former runs across Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24, while the latter will get you tuning in virtually from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. "MIFF returns to illuminate the dark depths of Melbourne winter with a globetrotting array of exceptional cinema, incredible experiences, and the biggest festival celebration of Australian filmmaking on the planet," explains MIFF Artistic Director Al Cossar about this year's lineup. "With over 275 films across 18 days in cinema, weekend regional expansions across Victoria and a further week online available at your place, all around Australia, MIFF is an invitation to discover a world of film, and the world on film; to up-res your cinephile credentials, and to binge your way through an epic program brimming with imagination and ideas." The 2025 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 7–Sunday, August 24 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 17 and Friday, August 22–Sunday, August 24 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 15–Sunday, August 31. For further details and tickets, head to the MIFF website.
If your idea of a Mexican food experience is a little less ‘overstuffed burritos washed down with tequila while waiting for your turn at the pinata' and a little more gourmet, this Cinco de Mayo celebration might be more up your alley. Acland St Cantina is known for its wholesome and authentic Mexican fare, not to mention the cognitive dissonance you experience when you’re able to order pretty-sure-they-don’t-have-that-in-Mexico salted-caramel ice-cream churros tacos for dessert. For Cinco de Mayo, the folk from Acland St are teaming up with Corona for a night of eats, beats and a sweet drink special called Cinco de Drinko. Get together with your amigos for that one; cinco means five in Spanish, so that’s five drinks at $5 a pop. We’ll let them slide on the lack of a mariachi band, because there’ll also be a DJ pumping out tunes from 7pm onwards.
Here's news that no Usher fan will be saying "yeah!" to: the R&B singer is no longer touring Australia in 2025. After announcing his first solo headlining gigs in the country since 2011 back in May, then swiftly adding more gigs before general tickets had even gone on sale, the 2024 Super Bowl headliner has cancelled his entire trip Down Under. Usher was slated to play six concerts each in Melbourne in November and in Sydney in December. All 12 shows have been scrapped. A statement on the Ticketek website notes that the eight-time Grammy-winner's tour is cancelled, and that "the promoter of Usher's Australian tour regrets to advise that the scheduled shows to take place in November–December will no longer be proceeding". The Past Present Future tour's Aussie leg was set to hit Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, then again on Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 and then across Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26. At Qudos Bank Arena, it was slated for Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, then on Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 and finally on Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11. Ticketholders will receive automatic refunds via the payment method they used to make their purchase within approximately 30 business days, the Ticketek website advises. Usher was due to celebrate his three-decade career at his Australian shows — going all the way back to his first single 'Call Me a Mack' from 1993, also playing tracks off of his latest 2024 album Coming Home, plus working his way through plenty in-between. The initial US concerts on the Past Present Future tour were announced just days before Usher's Super Bowl set, which worked through hits from across his lengthy career itself. From August–December 2024, the Texas-born singer made his way across North American stages, before heading to Europe (including England, France, the Netherlands and Germany) from March 2025. Also popping up on his setlist across the tour: 'Yeah!', of course, plus everything from 'Can U Get Wit It', 'Nice & Slow', 'U Remind Me' and 'U Got It Bad' to 'Burn', 'OMG', 'Euphoria' and more. Usher's Past Present Future World Tour Australia 2025 Dates Wednesday, November 19–Thursday, November 20, Saturday, November 22–Sunday, November 23 + Tuesday, November 25–Wednesday, November 26 — Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne — CANCELLED Monday, December 1–Tuesday, December 2, Thursday, December 4–Friday, December 5 + Wednesday, December 10–Thursday, December 11 — Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney — CANCELLED Usher is no longer touring Australia in November and December 2025. Tickets will be automatically refunded via the payment method used for purchase— head to the tour website for more details. Images: Bellamy Brewster / Marcus Macdonald.
Grabbing a meal. Going to work. Eating at a restaurant with friends. Making a living cooking up a storm or waiting tables. We've all had a bite to eat at a cafe, and many of us have worked in hospitality — and we should all be able to enjoy both in a safe space. With tensions rising across the United States since the election of Donald Trump as the country's 45th President, a new initiative has emerged to ensure both patrons and employees can do just that. Sanctuary Restaurants provides resources to eateries to help ensure that people can dine and work in a discrimination-free environment, and to assist with supporting customers and staff that find themselves targeted. Establishments that join the movement — currently 64 at the time of writing — have a zero tolerance policy for sexism, racism, and xenophobia. More explicitly, they do not allow "any harassment of any individual based on immigrant/refugee status, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation to occur in their restaurant". After signing up, they're advised to place a sign in their windows advertising their policy: "SANCTUARY RESTAURANTS: A Place At the Table for Everyone". While such an initiative should definitely be commended, as should the restaurants signing up and the effort to make sure that restaurants remain inclusive and welcoming for all, the fact that it is needed really says plenty about the current climate of hatred and fear festering around the globe. As long as something like this is necessary, here's hoping more places join in — and that the commitment to cultivating safe spaces continues to spread, including beyond America. Via MUNCHIES.
From September 12-22, the nucleus of Sydney will be transformed into a science and research hub as part of the Ultimo Science Festival, an 11-day initiative from the Powerhouse Museum, Australian Broadcasting Centre, Ultimo TAFE and the University of Technology, Sydney. But this isn’t just an event for nerd-burgers: there’s the Craft Punk workshops that’ll leave you in a garment of wearable light shows; myth busting with youth culture’s fave scientist, Adam Spencer; discussions about discovering stars; an exhibition that has you dodging laser lights; and even a Comedy Night for anyone curious about the world around them. Boring it ain’t. So throw on your thinking cap, because it’s all happening at Harris Street’s Powerhouse Museum. This is a festival that’s sure to leave you wowing your peers with a ridiculous amount of knowledge.
All of the taste, none of the seed storage proteins: if you need to eat a gluten free diet, that's all you ever want. And, if you've been craving a few of your favourite biscuits but usually have to steer clear because they don't fit the bill, Arnott's has released new versions of a few well-known varieties. The big one: the Scotch Finger. Last year, the much-loved Australian biscuit maker released the recipe for its original version, but this is obviously even better if you can't consume gluten. The new variety is made with a gluten free flour blend, which uses locally sourced maize, tapioca, rice, sorghum and soy. This one apparently has a sweet base as well, and you can expect both buttery and vanilla tastes. And yes, it still snaps in half — which is perfect for sharing, or for just treating yourself to two smaller pieces instead of eating one big one. That's not the only Arnott's biscuit that's getting a gluten free version, with both Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple bikkies also receiving the same treatment. For the former, you'll be able to tuck into small, bear-shapped biscuits peppered with chocolate chips. With the latter, expect the usual cocoa flavour, and the same crunchiness. The gluten free range hits stores today, Monday, July 19, and you'll only be able to grab them from Woolworths supermarkets. You'll pay RRP$4.70 per pack, and all three new bikkies have been developed with Coeliac Australia. Arnott's gluten free Scotch Finger, Tiny Teddy and Choc Ripple biscuits will be available from Woolworths supermarkets from Monday, July 19.
Skiing and snowboarding aren't the only things to do at Thredbo, but they're the main reason that most folks head to the snowy resort in Kosciuszko National Park in winter. The spot in New South Wales' Snowy Mountains also prides itself on its unique attractions, however, including Australia's only alpine gondola, plus the country's only lift-accessed mountain bike park with more than 40 kilometres of trails — and, soon, the first alpine coaster in the southern hemisphere as well. What's an alpine coaster? It is indeed a rollercoaster-like attraction, but features individual sleds on a track. Get zooming on the Thredbo Alpine Coaster, then, and you'll travel along a 1.5-kilometre expanse while controlling your own pace. The maximum is 40 kilometres per hour, but whether you feel the need for that speed or you're keen on something cruisier is completely up to you. Whichever you pick — fast, slow, in-between — you'll traverse both uphill and downhill tracks. You'll also go through a tunnel and over a bridge. And while this new addition to Thredbo is called an alpine coaster and is set to open for winter 2024, it will operate all year round. So, it'll be a drawcard in summer, too. Construction started in October 2023, with bulk civil excavation works and concreting already finished, and the track currently being installed. In autumn, independent third-party engineers will undertake safety testing. Then, come the coldest season of the year — with an exact launch date not yet announced — it'll be open to everyone. Thredbo General Manager Stuart Diver said that the Thredbo Alpine Coaster "will build upon our wide range of outdoor adventures in summer as a drawcard for new tourists to the village in the shoulder seasons". "This new development is a testament to Thredbo's commitment to provide a premium experience for our guests 365 days a year," he continued. The Thredbo Alpine Coaster is set to be operational by winter 2024 — we'll update you with an exact date when one is announced. Head to the Thredbo website for further details in the interim.
When it comes to job opportunities in the hospitality industry, options aren't limited solely to being behind the bar, on the floor or in the kitchen. There is an entire world of positions within hospitality that many don't realise exists. For example, food festivals don't just come together on their own; and if you've ever been at one of these massive events wondering what goes into the planning — or even picking up on things you would do better — you may just be thinking like an event manager without even realising it. That person behind the curtain is the one looking after every tiny detail to bring all that good food and booze together. In partnership with William Blue at Torrens University, we're asking hospitality graduates who run our favourite events in Sydney to talk about how they got started in the industry. Event management student Rebecca Wheatley is four weeks from graduating with a Bachelor of Business (Event Management), and has already earned a successful position as operations event executive at IMG Culinary. Part of her job includes helping run several of IMG's much-loved culinary events, including Taste of Sydney, Taste of Melbourne and Margret River Gourmet Escape. Just before graduation day, we asked her how she got here and for a few tips on how to be successful in the event management space. And might we add, whether events and the hospitality industry are for you or not, Rebecca gives some pretty steadfast advice no matter what field you're starting in. [caption id="attachment_632242" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] GET AN INTERNSHIP "When I first finished school, I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do. I was working a million jobs, travelling a lot, and then I just started doing a few internships. They all happened to be in the event management industry, and at one of my internships, I met a few students from William Blue who highly recommended the program, so I signed up for the next trimester. It's so important to do internships and to get into the work environment. This is the way to start learning what you enjoy and what you're good at. Networking and learning how businesses work is key, and I wouldn't have my job if I didn't do that." RECOGNISE YOUR STRENGTHS "My very first uni subject was to work with a team to make an event. My team ended up doing a charity cocktail party for 130 people. And since it was for charity we had no budget; so figuring out how long to make it all work was very challenging, especially for beginners. I remember looking into ticketing platforms — which often take a percentage — and realising I had to be more creative and find other options. This first project really made me realise how detail oriented I was when looking at events. It's what really led me to the operations side of event management. This showed me the side of the business that I love and am skilled at." [caption id="attachment_632243" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] JUMP AT OPPORTUNITIES "During uni, a former student came to one of my professors looking for an operations assistant for Brand Events (now IMG Culinary). My teacher recommended me, and I started off there with a three-month contract role. I kept contracting for IMG Culinary after that and now, at the start of this year, they put me on full-time as operations event executive. It's been such a great experience and a great opportunity to now graduate with a full-time role." EXPECT LONG HOURS AND HARD WORK "It's obviously a big challenge to juggle both uni and work; one that so many students struggle through. But finishing school without any job experience is even tougher, so working during uni was key to my success. Right now, I'm working [with] IMG four days per week and fitting uni in where I can. It's really hectic to do both at once, especially when there are events on. For Taste of Sydney, I had to go bump in at 7am, then run back for classes for a few hours and then head back to the event until midnight or 1am. And right now, I'm working on the program for Margaret River Gourmet Escape and managing all 150 exhibitors, as well as the contractors, schedule, council and all of the logistics. In this industry, you really devote your life to getting the event over the line. It's all you do and all you think about. You're constantly trying to come up with new ideas and ways to make it all work. Then, when the event opens and you see it all come to life, its such a rush and a moment to be really proud of yourself. You need to have that passion to keep going." [caption id="attachment_632241" align="alignnone" width="1620"] Katje Ford.[/caption] STAY DEDICATED "When you're just starting out, it's either long hours, low pay or both, but don't be afraid to work for it and get through it. If you're lucky enough to be in an industry that you love, then it all pays off. Especially when juggling school and work, it's really hard, but remember it's only temporary. Don't be afraid to stick it out. Sometimes it feels impossible to do both, but you'll get through it and be so glad that you did when you have a career at the end of it." William Blue at Torrens University offers courses in Event Management, Hospitality, Culinary Management and Tourism. Find out more about the diverse career options in hospitality, and kick-start your career at the William Blue Open Day on Saturday, August 12 in Sydney or via their website.
When it comes to history's legendary painters, Claude Monet's name stands out above most. Now, for the first time ever, Australian audiences are invited to experience the painting that the entire Impressionist movement was named after as the National Gallery of Australia exhibits Monet's world-famous masterpiece, Impression, sunrise. As well as a striking collection of other Monet paintings — including the instantly recognisable Waterlilies and On the Beach at Trouville — the exhibition features works by an array of artists who inspired or followed Monet into leaving behind the studio and painting 'en plein air'. From JMW Turner to James McNeill Whistler and Eugène Boudin, other contemporaries of Monet featured at the NGA include Alfred Sisley and Berthe Morisot, one of the few female painters among the Parisian Impressionists. With their visible brush strokes and incredible depictions of light and its subtle changes, many of these works have been gathered from the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, which almost never loans its collection. Running until Sunday September 1, Monet: Impression Sunrise is undoubtedly worth taking a wintertime road trip to Canberra for, so grab your pals and hit the road. Images: Claude Monet, Impression, sunrise (1872), courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Christian Baraja SLB; Claude Monet, Waterlilies (1914–17), courtesy NGA; Claude Monet, On the beach at Trouville (1870), Courtesy Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris and Bridgeman Images.
When Massachusetts teenager Conrad Roy was found dead in his truck in 2014, in a Kmart parking lot, it was ruled a suicide. But then the police investigating his passing discovered text messages sent to Roy by his 17-year-old girlfriend Michelle Carter, and noted the onslaught of words encouraging him to take his own life. That's the case that I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth Vs Michelle Carter delves into, splitting the details across two parts — with the first charting the prosecution's side of the story, and the second focusing on the defence. It's a tragic and complicated case, and it's also one that inspires a plethora of questions, all of which filmmaker Erin Lee Carr handles with sensitivity. That shouldn't come as a surprise, as she did the same with 2017's Mommy Dead and Dearest as well, which stepped through the now well-known murder of Dee Dee Blanchard and its links to Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
Whether you're a Queenslander hoping to hop over the border for a mid-year holiday, or a resident of the rest of the country eager to soak in the Sunshine State's splendours once winter hits, don't go making plans anytime soon — with Queensland's borders possibly remaining closed until September. While the state has been relaxing its COVID-19 restrictions in recent weeks — including allowing non-essential trips out of the house, then permitting small in-home gatherings and letting restaurants, cafes and pubs reopen — Queensland hasn't changed its stance on its locked-down border. And, as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk revealed this morning, that's not likely to happen in the short term. Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, the Premier said "we want to welcome as many domestic tourists as possible to Queensland", but that isn't on the cards as yet because "there is still community transmission in Victoria and New South Wales". The Premier also explained that the border situation will be reviewed at the end of each month, and that she's aware that people are starting to ponder their plans for the June–July school holidays; however she noted that it's likely "things will look more positive towards September". Asked about opening up travel to other states without community transmission — that is, allowing Queenslanders to visit Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia, and permitting residents of those regions to visit Queensland — the Premier advised that she "could see that happening before New South Wales and Victoria, but that's a matter for the premiers there as well". https://twitter.com/BreakfastNews/status/1262137356460539904 The Queensland Premier's comments come a few days after her New South Wales counterpart Gladys Berejiklian called for borders between Australian states to be reopened — and just a day after the NSW Premier singled out Queensland specifically, saying "I don't want to be able to say to people I'm allowed to go to Auckland before I can go to Brisbane". As part of the national three-step roadmap out of COVID-19 lockdown announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison earlier this month, some interstate travel is earmarked to return in step two, while all interstate travel would be allowed in step three — however, while it's the Federal Government's aim to implement all three stages by July, each step has to be put in place by every state individually. Over the past week, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria each moved to the first stage of eased coronavirus restrictions in different ways, with the same approach likely to apply to interstate travel. 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. Top image: Tourism and Events Queensland
Paris — city of light, culture, shoebox apartments and, now, Post-it note art wars. Earlier this year, inspired by either a bout of spring fever or possibly an excess of office supplies, French video gaming company Ubisoft created an image of a space invader — made out of Post-it notes — in their office window. Shortly after, their neighbour, BNP Paribas, responded by creating their own Post-it note art in their office window. Not to be upstaged, Ubisoft responded with a new, slightly bigger and better, Post-it note creation. And that is how the 'la guerre des Post-it' began. Since then, office windows in the west of Paris and around the business district, La Defense, have been covered with colourful Post-it note artwork as new companies enter into the battle attempting to outdo each other's artwork, either in size or ingeniousness. A website has been created to showcase the Post-it creations and to keep score of each companies' contributions. To date, Ubisoft appear to be the victors in the Post-it wars; their latest creation consists of over 3,000 Post-it notes and extends over three floors. While shareholders may not be overly impressed with the level of productivity taking place, it's nice to see that French corporate types unleashing their creative sides.
Whether you're splashing out the on cash a ticket to one of the exclusive parties on the harbour, claiming a spot at Barangaroo Reserve for the family-friendly celebration, or heading to a festival on New Year's Day, there's more to ringing in the new year than the countdown and some fireworks. There's so much going on in Sydney at this time of year, and plenty of ways to say hello to 2020 in style. To make sure you're close to the action, book yourself a staycation at the new West Hotel on Sussex Street, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. Situated in Barangaroo, this luxurious hotel is the perfect base for checking out all the happenings around town as 2019 comes to a close. [caption id="attachment_734316" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Fenwick[/caption] PREPARE FOR, OR RECOVER FROM, A BIG NIGHT OUT WITH A LEISURELY BRUNCH There's not much a good brunch can't do, whether you're getting ready for a big day of celebrating or feeling the repercussions of last night's antics. Hop on a ferry at Barangaroo Wharf and head to Balmain East — once you disembark you'll be able to perch for brekkie at The Fenwick. This harbourside cafe inside a heritage sandstone building even has its own gallery space. Get there before 10.30am to make sure you're in time for breakfast, which is a traditional affair of sweet and savoury cafe dishes done well. The Fenwick serves Little Marionette coffee and cold-pressed juices if you need a cure all, or there are some great twists on classic cocktails on offer. For something a little different, the sprawling Babylon Rooftop and Garden Bar offers bottomless mimosas with a selection of meze plates on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am–1pm. For $49 per person, enjoy two hours of unlimited drinks and Middle Eastern-inspired food, including labneh with peppers, chilli butter and house-made bread, and lentil kofte with pomegranate, parsley and lemon. [caption id="attachment_747370" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ragazzi by Nikki To[/caption] ENJOY A NIGHT OUT ON THE TOWN, STARTING WITH A REALLY GOOD MEAL It's time to toast to the year that was. Take a minute to reflect over a top-notch meal and a bottle of wine, before the party kicks off and you can't hear yourself think, let alone hear anyone else's plans for 2020. A huge amount of bars and eateries opened up this year, so make the most of this opportunity to try something new. The Darling Square precinct has plenty of options, including famed Korean oven-cooked chicken joint Goobne, Steam Mill Lane's Bang Bang (inspired by the Shinjuku district of Tokyo) and the slick new restaurant XOPP, from the family behind Golden Century. If you're after something a little more wine focused, Ragazzi Wine and Pasta on Angel Place is all about minimal-intervention wine, no-waste cooking, regional Italian pasta and Spanish-influenced bar snacks. For those that want to stay within stumbling distance of their bed, Solander Dining & Bar inside West Hotel Sydney has a bold and sophisticated menu championing Australian ingredients and flavours. [caption id="attachment_744474" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Maybe Sammy[/caption] MAKE THE MOST OF ALL THE WORLD CLASS BARTENDERS AT YOUR DOORSTEP One of the best things about booking a little staycation in the CBD, is the ability to have a few bevs and wander back to bed with ease afterwards, especially when there are some seriously talented bartenders in this humble city of ours. You can't miss out on the opportunity for a bar crawl and we recommend Maybe Sammy as your first stop. This 50s-inspired venue was the only Australian bar to make it into the World's 50 Best Bars this year, coming in at number 46 in the world, and it was also crowned Best Bar in Australasia. Three more Sydney bars made it into the top 100, so check out Bulletin Place, PS40 and The Baxter Inn as well, which are all within walking distance. While you're out and about, we recommend Council Place's standing room-only mezcal bar Cantina OK! for a quick tipple, and Employees only for stellar cocktails in a New York speakeasy-style basement bar. [caption id="attachment_749806" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Gin Lane[/caption] STOP FOR A QUICK PICK ME UP WHILE YOU'RE EXPLORING While you're shopping the city streets shopping, you'll likely need to stop to refuel from time to time. There's no shortage of great coffee shops in Sydney, but add these to your list just to be safe. The CBD outpost of Single O is a hole-in-the-wall on York Street perfect for brekkie on the go, especially when you grab one of its loaded crumpets. Then there's June's Shoppe near Wynyard Park, which specialise in open sandwiches with all kinds of toppings, and Skittle Lane — a laneway cafe barely three-minutes walk from West Hotel on Sussex Street. Other quick bites that you can't go by include fresh oysters from the Sydney Fish Market — a must-visit stop in its own right, especially if you're taking a stroll through Pyrmont — and Chippendale bar Gin Lane's special summer soft serves. The cocktail-inspired frozen treats are made from cold-pressed juices, fruit garnishes and, of course, gin. [caption id="attachment_697750" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Moonlight Cinema[/caption] SOAK UP SOME ARTS AND CULTURE Moonlight Cinema's 2019/2020 season at Centennial Park runs from November 28–March 29. The program is, as always, a nice mix of new releases and cult favourites, and in the days around NYE you can catch Dirty Dancing, Hustlers and Joker. While Moonlight is closed December 30–31, on New Year's Day you can recover with a chilled out screening of The Greatest Showman, and, on January 3, the 20th-anniversary screening of classic cheerleading flick Bring It On will make you feel super old. You can buy snacks and drinks on site or BYO nibbles and a bottle of wine. There are also a number of blockbuster art exhibitions around town this summer. Head to the Museum of Contemporary Art to check out the career-spanning exhibition of influential British artist Cornelia Parker, and a showcase of four pieces from contemporary Chinese-Australian artist Guan Wei, twenty years on from his first Australian solo show at the same gallery. START THE YEAR OFF RIGHT BY TAKING A MOMENT FOR YOURSELF It's pretty much universal knowledge that 2019 has been hectic. By the time Christmas is done and dusted, it'll be time to shake that stressful energy off so you can start 2020 feeling fresh and ready to crush it. Take a moment to pamper yourself at one of the many spas around Sydney — if you have the time, escape the hustle of the CBD and head east to Vaucluse. There you'll find farm-to-table restaurant The Botanica and its sister venue Sol Spa. There's a huge range of treatments on offer, ranging from simple facials, body scrubs and massages, to traditional holistic therapies and full-body sessions. You can enjoy an exclusive bento box from the restaurant in the spa's courtyard or pop next door for a leisurely meal. While you're in the area, there are beaches in almost every direction — including the delightfully secluded Milk Beach — where you can get your toes wet or continue the relaxing vibes on the sand. GET STARTED ON THAT NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION TO EXERCISE MORE Another year, another resolution forgotten by February. Whether you want to exercise regularly, get out and explore more, or maybe conquer a fear of boats, get started on your resolution early to put you in the best stead to succeed in 2020. Head across the harbour for some nature with a beachside walk through the lower north shore — the Chowder Bay to Balmoral Beach walk is an easy one-and-a-half-kilometre track, which offers some stunning views and interesting Sydney landmarks along the way. Once you're done, there's plenty of time for a dip in the water, or lunch and a cuppa at The Boathouse. [caption id="attachment_738976" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Title Barangaroo[/caption] EXPLORE THE SHOPS AT BARANGAROO AND PICK UP SOME BOOKS ON YOUR SUMMER READING LIST If you're in need of a new read for a few lazy summer days on the beach, head to Title Barangaroo. The huge, independent bookstore builds on the stellar reputation of its Surry Hills predecessor — you'll find heaps of books from all genres, with a focus on art books and a dedication to quality titles over what's trending. Title also has plenty of films and music, including an impressive selection of vinyl. Get yourself a coffee from South by Dukes and spend a little while getting lost in Title's shelves. If you've got the shopping bug, you can check out other Barangaroo spots like The Waiting Room, Collector Store and Belance. Celebrate your purchases with a hearty dinner at Barangaroo's new German beerhall Beerhaus, before waddling the six minutes it'll take you to walk back to your room at West Hotel on Sussex Street. ENJOY A RELAXED PICNIC AT BARANGAROO RESERVE While Barangaroo Reserve is set to be more than a little bit hectic on New Year's Eve, it's a great spot for a picnic any other day of the week. Plus, there's plenty of places at Barangaroo where you can pick up some delicious treats to take with you. For a gourmet picnic, you can't go past European-style food emporium Bel & Brio, which makes some killer paninis and sandwiches with rotisserie and deli meats. This place is more than just a bar and eatery — inside you'll find an impressive wine cellar and a well-stocked market place where you can buy fruit and veg, cold-pressed juices and freshly baked bread, plus a cafe slinging specialty coffee and pastries. You could also pick up coffee and treats from Shortstop or South by Dukes. LEARN SOMETHING NEW FOR THE NEW YEAR Make learning a new skill a resolution and then immediately smash it out of the park — it'll make you feel really good about yourself. You could learn to shake a cocktail like a pro or build your own gin at Archie Rose Distillery in Rosebery, head to Marrickville or St Peters for an intro to throwing pottery on the wheel, design and make your own earrings at a cute little studio in Town Hall, paint a masterpiece over a glass of wine at Cork & Canvas Darlinghurst or Cork & Chroma Surry Hills, or become a master of the Japanese art of kintsugi, at a studio just six minutes walk from the West Hotel on Sussex Street. Make your New Year's Eve staycation easy by booking at West Hotel to be right on the doorstep of all the city's best happenings.
Antebellum opens with a sprawling, roving and weaving single-take shot that's designed to garner attention from the get-go. Constantly roaming — and saturated with both sunlight and colour, in case you aren't instantly glued to its vivid sights — it surveys a stereotypical-looking plantation in America's south. This is where resident belle Elizabeth (Jena Malone) lives. A troop of Confederate soldiers under the leadership of Captain Jasper (Jack Huston) also call it home, too. And when the latter aren't in combat, they join Elizabeth in imposing their might on the property's other residents: its enslaved Black workers. Watching this conspicuously eye-catching introduction, it helps to know what Antebellum's title actually means. The term refers to a time before a war, and is typically used in relation to the American Civil War — but, in the movie's first sequence, it certainly seems as if that historical conflict is raging away. Indeed, that'd explain the soldiers' presence, as well as the cruelty and brutality meted out to the plantation's slaves for daring to speak while picking cotton, refusing to acquiesce to every single order or trying to escape. First-time writer-directors Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz haven't chosen Antebellum's moniker by accident, though, and that clash between the word's definition and the sights seen on-screen is crucial to their movie. Yes, Antebellum hinges on a twist, endeavouring to use the horror genre to explore US race relations in the manner that Jordan Peele has recently perfected. Alas, this copy-cat flick consistently proves far less surprising, powerful and clever than it thinks it is. Here's the setup: attempted runaway Eden (Janelle Monáe) is one of the property's enslaved workers, and subject not just to beatings, brandings and forced labour, but also raped regularly by the general (Eric Lange) who has claimed her as his own. She's planning another escape; however, thoroughly unexpectedly given the surroundings, a mobile phone suddenly rings. Now Monáe's character is called Veronica Henley, and she's a well-known activist and author. Also, everything about her life — including the conference in New Orleans she attends, meeting up with her outspoken best friend Dawn (Gabourey Sidibe) while she's there — is firmly set in the 21st century. Obviously, how Monáe's dual roles intertwine is best discovered by watching, as is the reappearance of Too Old to Die Young's Malone as a modern-day caller for Veronica. But even if you'd hardly call yourself a horror or thriller fan, or even just a movie buff, the big shift here isn't hard to guess. Bush and Renz rely so heavily on their one twist that the film resembles M Night Shyamalan's more forgettable works more than Get Out, Us or TV series Lovecraft Country, and suffers noticeably as a result. Their aim is undeniably bold, smart and timely, unpacking systemic racism by not only looking at how Black Americans have been treated both in the present and in the country's history, but by finding a way to firmly, unmistakably connect the two. And yet, Antebellum feels more like an exercise in making a provocative genre film than a feature that actually says something substantial about engrained prejudice in the US — a topic that sadly continues to remain relevant, but is treated here as stock-standard horror fodder. Take the movie's always-lurid, often-violent imagery as an example. Visually, Antebellum isn't easily forgotten, but its parade of grim frames is a double-edge sword. On the one hand, it reinforces how horrific the idea of slavery is, and shows the audience exactly why in graphic detail. Of course, viewers already know this, even without such heavy-handed reminder. Accordingly, Bush and Renz seem to revel in startling sights almost for the sake of it. If its main victim didn't seem so much like a symbol — more than a fleshed-out character, that's for sure — Antebellum might've succeeded in getting viewers to stare unflinchingly at her pain, experiencing it with her like Australian standout The Nightingale did so expertly, but it really just appears to put her through the wringer to evoke shocks rather than emotion. Most of Antebellum's cast are only asked to fit a specific type, too, as Malone, Huston and Lange all demonstrate. In fact, although Kiersey Clemons (Hearts Beat Loud) pops up as a new arrival at the plantation and Tongayi Chirisa (iZombie) also features among the property's fellow captives, the film tasks them with little more than being present and distraught. The exception is Monáe, with the Moonlight and Hidden Figures star turning in a masterly performance. That's a credit to the musician-turned-actor and her all-round excellence more than the material, though. And if everything around her didn't feel so formulaic and calculating, this'd be a far better film — rather than just an ambitious one that mistakes jumping on a bandwagon for actually making a meaningful statement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nf--afqelY
The City of Stars is heading to the Big Apple, and from the screen to the stage as well. In news that's been easy to predict since Damien Chazelle's Oscar-winning Los Angeles-set musical La La Land first hit cinemas back in 2016 — news that's been rumoured back since then, in fact — the Ryan Gosling- and Emma Stone-starring film is officially being turned into a theatre production, with a Broadway premiere slated. Swooned over Gosling's crooning in the movie? Took a fancy to Stone's fine footsteps? Felt like La La Land's bittersweet Hollywood antics were shining just for you? You haven't been alone. The flick won over audiences, critics and awards bodies alike, including taking home seven Golden Globes and six Academy Awards, beaming bright in the cinema world. The stage show's powers-that-be will be hoping for the same response to the version with live tunes and routines, obviously. The story will remain the same, following an aspiring actor and an up-and-coming jazz musician as they chase their dreams in Tinseltown. The cast likely won't, although if the La La Land stage musical can get Gosling and Stone to reprise their parts, that'd help sell tickets even faster. As announced by Lionsgate, Tony- and Emmy-winning producer Marc Platt — who is also a producer on Chazelle's recent film Babylon — will oversee the stage version of La La Land. Tony-winning helmer Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) will direct, and the book is set to be penned by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar (Disgraced) and Barrymore Award-winner Matthew Decker. And yes, this production will feature music by Justin Hurwitz, plus lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — all of whom won Oscars for the movie. No premiere date has been revealed as yet, but expect a jazzy time when La La Land does start treading the boards. Fingers crossed that the show heads elsewhere, including Down Under, after its Broadway debut. Of course, this isn't the first time that the film has inspired a live performance, thanks to a concert version that's been doing the rounds. La La Land joins considerable company in sashaying from cinemas to the stage — a list that only keeps growing. Think: Amélie, Moulin Rouge!, The Bodyguard, Matilda, Singin' in the Rain, Heathers, Carrie, Muriel's Wedding, Strictly Ballroom and Starstruck, to name a mere few movies that've followed up their big-screen stints by enlisting a new cast to sing and dance live in theatres. Check out the trailer for the film version below: The stage version of La La Land doesn't yet have a premiere date — we'll update you when more details are announced.
How many ways can getaways go wrong? In The White Lotus, each season brings a new list of chaos — and the show isn't done sending characters off to exclusive resorts to deal with whatever life throws at them just yet. The show's third season will arrive in February 2025, but there's already more on the way after that, with HBO announcing that season four has been greenlit as well. Accordingly, before anyone even watches a second of The White Lotus season three — which'll stream from Monday, February 17 Down Under — season four has been locked in. There's no word yet on which destination will follow Hawaii, Sicily and Thailand, however. There's also no details on who'll be in the series' fourth cast, and if any familiar faces will return. While the world waits for more information about season four, season three is worth getting excited about, too. A new batch of travellers is checking in, and a third The White Lotus hotel is ready and waiting. As Lisa from BLACKPINK says in both the initial look at footage from season three in a broader HBO trailer and in the anthology hit's first teaser, "welcome to The White Lotus in Thailand". A getaway at a luxurious hotel is normally relaxing, but that isn't what vacationers find in this show. It was true in the Hawaii-set first season in 2021, then in season two in Sicily in 2023, each with a largely different group of holidaymakers. Based on the sneak peek at season three, that's of course going to be accurate again in the third season's eight-episode run. Walton Goggins (Fallout), Carrie Coon (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), Jason Isaacs (The Crowded Room), Michelle Monaghan (MaXXXine), Leslie Bibb (Palm Royale) and Parker Posey (Mr & Mrs Smith) are among the folks checking in season three, alongside Sam Nivola (The Perfect Couple), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Gen V), Sarah Catherine Hook (Cruel Intentions) and Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education). Families, couples and friends on getaways: they're all covered by the above cast members. And as Monaghan exclaiming "what the fuck is this place?" indicates, they're in for some chaos. Bad feelings, seeking pleasure but finding pain, threatening to drink oneself to sleep: alongside guns, dancing, judgemental pals, missing pills, snakes, monkeys, ambulances, complaints about gluten-free rice and a body bag, they're all featured in the teaser as well. From season one, Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone) is back Hawaii spa manager Belinda, who advises that she's there on an exchange program. Season three also stars Lek Patravadi (In Family We Trust) and Tayme Thapthimthong (Thai Cave Rescue) as one of The White Lotus' owners and security guards, respectively. Where the Mike White (Brad's Status)-created, -written and -directed satire's first season had money in its sights and the second honed in on sex, eastern religion and spirituality is in the spotlight in season three, which also co-stars Nicholas Duvernay (Bel-Air), Arnas Fedaravičius (The Wheel of Time), Christian Friedel (The Zone of Interest), Scott Glenn (Bad Monkey), Dom Hetrakul (The Sweetest Taboo), Julian Kostov (Alex Rider), Charlotte Le Bon (Niki), Morgana O'Reilly (Bookworm) and Shalini Peiris (The Ark). Check out the first teaser trailer for The White Lotus season three below: The White Lotus returns on Sunday, February 16 in the US, which is Monday, February 17 Down Under. At present, the series streams via Binge in Australia and on Neon in New Zealand. The White Lotus season four doesn't yet have a release date — we'll update you when one is announced. Images: HBO.
You'd think that after seven books, eight films, just as many video games, a real-life MOOC that lets you study magic and 17 years of worshipping a fictional teenager, we'd have run a little dry on news about Harry Potter. Instead, this week has featured news of a West End play, a spinoff film trilogy, and new material being written for the '2014 Quidditch World Cup'. It seems like the wizarding world is still very much alive, and nowhere more so than the Universal Studios Harry Potter theme park in Orlando. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter was first established in 2010, but this year sees its first major expansion effectively doubling its size. The upgrades include a surprisingly functional Platform 9 3/4, a full Hogwarts Express experience, and most spectacularly of all, a Gringotts ride that replicates the ornate mayhem of the characters' dramatic expedition in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It was announced today that the ride will include high-def animation, 3D projection, live special effects courtesy of Bellatrix Lestrange and the Death Eaters, incredibly realistic (if not kind of anti-Semitic) Gringotts goblins and — best of all — a 60-foot dragon. Hurtling through the bank vaults on a rickety old cart just like the one in the film, Escape from Gringotts is definitely a ride for the hardcore fans. And, though it's a world away from our local equivalents like Dreamworld or Movieworld, it's worth keeping in mind if you're ever up for spilling a few galleons on flights to the States. Via Variety and MTV.
Sydney's Martin Place is set to transform into a marketplace of fresh food this July for the event Think.Eat.Save, with visitors to the location receiving a free lunch cooked by Neil Perry and Daniel Pepperell from Restaurant Hubert. OzHarvest and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are teaming up for the event with the aim of not only filling the hungry stomachs of chilly Sydneysiders, but also to raise awareness of the global problem of food waste. The renowned chefs will be on-hand from 11.30am till 2pm alongside War on Waste's Craig Reucassel (if you haven't watched it yet, iView it now). With four million tonnes of food wasted in Australia each year, the path to change starts with the fridge of every Australian. A recent study revealed that Melburnians waste nearly a million tonnes of edible food every year, of which fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy are among the main foods tossed (and, arguably, the easiest to save). While you eat your free celebrity chef-cooked lunch — and taste a range of free food samples — you'll be able to pick up some of their tips for preventing food waste. You'll be making master stock with your veggie scraps in no time. Image: Cole Bennetts for OzHarvest.
Australian design student Alexander Vittouris has managed to not only design an all-bamboo velobike, but has also incorporated the natural growth process of bamboos in the design of a fully sustainable vehicle, the Ajiro Bamboo Velobike. The Monash University student's design was a finalist at the 2011 Australian Design Awards. He uses the term 'growth mobility' to describe the incorporation of the "strength and rapid growth of bamboos" in the final structure of his design. Vittouris borrows from the principals of arborsculpture, or 'tree shaping' techniques, whereby the shape of a tree or plant is controlled and instructed by various techniques (leaf trimming, wiring and pruning, for example). In this case, Vittouris has used an inner skeleton structure that the bamboo grows around. He says the manipulation technique used becomes economical and environmentally-friendly, in comparison to the cost of metal and energy exerted in assembling a traditional bicycle frame. In his Australian Design Awards entry, he writes: "The skeleton frame is then proposed to be reused, for future plant generations as an ongoing cycle. In this case, the manipulation and intervention is more akin to a farming process, whereby bamboo plants need time for thorough establishment to form the required energy mass to produce new culms."
Two Little Boys follows the series of unfortunate incidents that make up Nige (Bret McKenzie) and Deano's (Hamish Blake) long-term mateship. Things get tricky when Nige accidentally runs over and kills a Scandavian soccer star. He has no one to turn to but Deano and, unfortunately, Deano is not the kind of guy to turn to in a time of crisis. The mishap leads to more unfortunate events with hilarious and bizarre consequences. Directed by Robert Sarkies and based on the novel by Duncan Sarkies, Two Little Boys is a cheeky comedy bound to make you laugh and appreciate the one of a kind relationship between two best mates. Thanks to Hopscotch, Concrete Playground has ten double passes to giveaway to see Two Little Boys. To go in the running just subscribe to Concrete Playground (if you haven't already) then email hello@concreteplayground.com.au
Two beloved venues will join forces on Sunday, February 11, for a one-time event called Ciao Chez (which hilariously translates to 'the home of hi') at our favourite pub in Sydney, The Cricketers Arms in Surry Hills. The boozer's excellent upstairs dining room Chez Crix is welcoming into its kitchen Fabbrica Pasta Shop's head chef Tom Cleland for a delicious lunchtime sesh starring Fabbrica's superb hand-rolled pasta, ricotta-stuffed zucchini flowers and hazelnut tiramisu. DJs will set the mood and, naturally, there will also be very good wine from the Crix's ever changing, always exciting wine list. Walk-ins will be welcome for the downstairs tables but to grab a seat in the dining room we recommend you book immediately. [caption id="attachment_888590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Fabbrica pasta, Nikki To[/caption] Pasta image by Nikki To for Buffet Digital.
Love them or hate them; oysters are a big business. NSW has a multimillion-dollar oyster industry, with a serious portion of Sydney's supply coming from the Central Coast. Those local farms get their chance to celebrate when the annual Brisbane Waters Oyster Festival rolls around, returning in 2024 on Sunday, November 10. Hosted at Lion's Park in Woy Woy, you'll find all sorts of oyster-centric entertainment and offerings at this all-day event. Local producers like Hawkesbury River Oyster Shed and Whittle Organic Oyster Farms will be dishing out the goods themselves, fresh from local waterways. There will also be live music and mariachi bands, market stalls selling food, wines, cocktails, and a drinks stand selling cold beers from Six Strings Brewing Company. Don't fill up on beverages, though. You'll need an empty stomach if you're to compete in the annual oyster-eating competition.
