Sound West is a brand new event headed to Sydney's west in mid-2022, and will combine a two-day SXSW-inspired conference with three days of live music events. Networking, workshops, mentoring, big tech brands and music industry leaders, performances by local, national and international talent are all on the bill. Mark August 20–28 in your diary, when large, small and unique venues in the Parramatta area bring together the music and tech industries, and both recognise and develop the next generation of talent in the two fields. So far, we know Dylan Alcott OAM, L-Fresh The Lion, Khaled Rohaim and Serwah Attafuah will all pop up among Sound West's presenters and performers. Alcott will chat about his accessibility-focused music festival Ability Fest, L-Fresh The Lion will collaborate on a number of singer-songwriter initiatives, Rohaim will discuss his work with Rihanna, Ty Dolla $ign and The Kid Laroi (including working from his western Sydney bedroom), and Attafuah will cover her moves in the NFTs and their relevance to the music industry. The program will also feature keynote addresses, panels, one-on-one sessions, live podcasting and interactive activations. And, brand-wise, plenty of big music and tech names will be represented, such as NEC Australia, TikTok, Shopify, Warner Music, Universal Music Australia, Live Nation, Apple Music, ARIA and APRA AMCOS. [caption id="attachment_831234" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Khaled Rohaim[/caption]
For movie lovers further south, each Melbourne International Film Festival arrives with an extra gift: a Hear My Eyes gig. It brings beloved and classic flicks back to the big screen, accompanied by a live — and all-new, completely original — score that's played while film lovers sit, watch and listen. It's as unique a cinema-going experience as you can get, even if you've seen the feature in the spotlight countless times before. In 2022, this movie-and-music session is also coming to Sydney. And, another exceptional film is getting the Hear My Eyes treatment. Get ready to revisit the role that made Eric Bana an international movie star, and to dive back into one of the most infamous crime tales in Australian history. In other words, get ready for Chopper. Twenty-two years after it first hit cinemas, the exceptional Andrew Dominik (This Much I Know to Be True)-directed flick will grace the big screen at City Recital Hall for one night only, on Saturday, August 27. It'll also pair its visuals with a brand-new original live score, as spearheaded by Mick Harvey, member of the Bad Seeds, and the musician who originally gave Chopper its soundtrack. As well as composing the new score, Harvey will be joined by supergroup Springtime — featuring Gareth Liddiard from Tropical Fuck Storm and The Drones, Jim White from Dirty Three and Chris Abrahams from The Necks — to play it live. Tickets to this big-screen date with Uncle Chop Chop go on sale from 9.30am on Thursday, June 16.
When you've had a winter like Sydney's just had, it's easy to feel indifferent about spring's return. But the new season provides a prime opportunity to get outside for an afternoon — especially when all of Sydney's street festivals starting kicking off. Over October and November, Paddington's William Street will be flowing with festivities, Leichhardt's Norton Street will host an Italian feast and Newtown Festival will take over the suburb with gigs, food and picnics. And there's more going on, too. Now, let's just hope for a few hours of sunshine.
In the fickle hospitality industry, and in a city that's seen controversial lockout laws come and go, ten years is nothing to sniff at. For Shady Pines Saloon, it's definitely something to celebrate. The first of many successful venues by the Swillhouse group — which then went on to open The Baxter Inn, Frankie's, Restaurant Hubert and Alberto Lounge — Shady Pines has won the hearts (and caused the hangovers) of many a Sydneysider in the past ten years. The now much-loved Darlinghurst spot threw open the doors to its bar filled with taxidermy, peanut shells and honky tonk tunes back in 2010. And now it's celebrating its graduation into double digits with a big ol' party. [caption id="attachment_653449" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida[/caption] Get down to the basement venue from 4pm on Sunday, March 1. There'll be live honky tonk, western swing and rockabilliy music kicking off at 5pm, thanks to the likes of the Cruisin' Deuces, Extension Chord and The Sweet Jelly Rolls. As always at Shady Pines, there'll be endless peanuts to shell and snack on, whisky to swill and sip, and $10 margaritas and negronis from 4–6pm. We suggest you stock up on the work Berocca in preparation for Monday. Images: Leticia Almeida
Since Australian cinemas started reopening more than 12 months ago, following the country's first nationwide lockdown, new films have been hitting the big screen each and every week. But, depending on whether another round of stay-at-home conditions happen to be in place, or even just restrictions, heading to the flicks hasn't been as straightforward a pastime as it was before we'd all ever heard of COVID-19. Even if you're the biggest movie buff there is, that means that you probably haven't been to the cinema as much as you normally would've. If you're the kind of film-goer who is happy to just head along every now and then, you might've been more selective with your viewing choices. Or, juggling your schedule to fit in a trip to the pictures mightn't have been your biggest priority. Thankfully, a heap of the past year's cinema gems have now made their way to various streaming platforms, so you can catch up on plenty of great movies at home. Here's 12 that'll keep you busy right this moment — whether you're in lockdown, the weather is average or you just feel like some extended couch time. AMERICAN UTOPIA There may be no catchier lyric in music history than "same as it ever was", the five words repeated in Talking Heads' 1981 single 'Once in a Lifetime'. As uttered again and again by the band's inimitable frontman David Byrne, it's a looping phrase that burrows into your skull and never leaves. So when American Utopia opens with the musician sat at a table holding a brain and talking about what its various parts do, it feels as if Byrne is acknowledging what everyone already knows in the deepest recesses of their consciousness: that Byrne long ago got cosy in our craniums and has been nattering away to us ever since. As he stares at grey matter while wearing a grey suit — a perfectly fitting one, unlike the famed big number he wore in iconic 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense — he has something else on his mind, however. American Utopia starts with the part of our bodies where we all mentally reside, but slowly and smartly evolves from the cerebral to the communal. It segues from one man alone on a stage lost in his own thoughts to 12 people singing, dancing, playing instruments and connecting, and also pondering the state of the world and how to better it in the process. And it takes its titular concept seriously along the way, confronting America's political and social divisions in Byrne's witty, wise and impassioned between-song chats, but never satirising the idea that the US could be improved to the benefit of everyone. American Utopia is a concert film like its predecessor but, as that masterpiece proved, the whole notion means more to Byrne than merely standing in front of a camera and busting out well-known hits.From the sublimely soothing 'This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)' to the punchier 'Burning Down the House', plenty of Byrne's best-known songs do grace American Utopia. 'Once in a Lifetime' is among them, of course, as are 'Road to Nowhere' and 'Everybody's Coming to My House', with the film's playlist spanning his career with Talking Heads and solo. Across a range of styles and tempos, each track is a wonder, and not just in the way that fans already know. As should be obvious from the way in which Byrne has conceptualised this stage performance — which he toured in 2018, then adapted for Broadway in 2019, and has now turned into this standout movie directed by Spike Lee — this is a meticulously crafted work. Basking in the glory of Byrne and his band is inevitable and would happen regardless, but soaking in everything that American Utopia does is another marvel entirely. Before the film forces you to do so, you probably won't have realised how enlivening, wondrous and cathartic it is to see the act of connecting so firmly thrust to the fore. It takes an incredible amount of work to make something so tightly constructed seem so loose and natural, and that's just one of the reasons that American Utopia is yet another of the star's masterpieces. American Utopia is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC When it comes to goofy and sweet movie concepts handled with sincerity, the Bill & Ted franchise has always proven most triumphant. In 1989's Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, the big-screen comedy series introduced the world to Californian high schoolers Bill S Preston, Esq (Alex Winter) and Ted 'Theodore' Logan (Keanu Reeves), who are apparently destined to write the rock song that unites the universe — if they can first pass their history exam by travelling back in time in a phone booth to recruit famed past figures like Beethoven and Socrates to help, that is. The idea that Bill & Ted's affable, air guitar-playing slackers would become the world's salvation was a joke that the film itself was in on, and the movie struck the right balance of silliness, earnestness and affection as a result. So, the end product was joyous. And, it inspired two follow-ups: 1991's even loopier but still entertaining Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, and now Bill & Ted Face the Music's affectionate dose of warm-hearted lunacy almost three decades later. Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) are back, obviously. They're older, definitely not wiser, and yet again take a few leaps through time. The fate of life as everyone knows it is still at stake. And, as always, the loveable pair's motto — "be excellent to each other" — is pivotal. Combine all of the above with marital malaise, chip-off-the-old-block daughters Theadora (Ready or Not's Samara Weaving) and Wilhelmina (Atypical's Brigette Lundy-Paine), multiple Bills and Teds, and a 77-minute deadline to write the tune the changes the future, and Face the Music saunters casually forward with a purposeful sense of familiarity. Thankfully, though, this film isn't merely trying to relive past glories. In fact, the very notion that some dreams don't come true sits at the core of this tender and loving movie. Naturally, it's a delight to see Winter and Reeves reprise their roles. They step back into Bill and Ted's shoes with ease, expertly conveying the characters' lingering immaturity, middle-aged malaise and ever-present kindness. They're also clearly having a blast as different versions of the duo, and their enthusiasm is infectious. But when Face the Music finds a plethora of ways to illustrate the merits of their characters' optimistic and warm mindset, it's at its best. Far from bogus, the heartfelt happiness it brings is 100-percent excellent. Bill & Ted Face the Music is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. KAJILLIONAIRE When Evan Rachel Wood played a troubled teen in 2003's Thirteen, the then 16-year-old received a Golden Globe nomination. For her work in Westworld since 2016, she has nabbed multiple Emmy nods. So when we say that the actor puts in her best performance yet in Kajillionaire — the type of portrayal that deserves several shiny trophies — that observation isn't made lightly. Playing a 26-year-old con artist called Old Dolio Dyne, Wood is anxious but yearning, closed-off yet vulnerable, and forceful as well as unsure all at once. Her character has spent her entire life being schooled in pulling off quick scams by her eccentric parents Robert (Richard Jenkins, The Shape of Water) and Theresa (Debra Winger, The Lovers), who she still lives with, and she's stuck navigating her own street-wise brand of arrested development. Old Dolio knows how to blend in, with her baggy clothes, curtain of long hair and low-toned voice. She also knows how to avoid security cameras in physical feats that wouldn't look out of place in a slapstick comedy, and how to charm kindly folks out of reward money. But she has never been allowed to truly be her own person — and, from the moment that Wood is seen on-screen, that mournful truth is immediately evident. Kajillionaire introduces Old Dolio, Robert and Theresa as they're falling back on one of their most reliable swindles: stealing packages from post office boxes. But two developments drive its narrative, and make Old Dolio realise that she's far more than just the third part of a trio. Firstly, to make a quick $20 to help cover overdue rent, she agrees to attend a parenting class for someone she meets on the street, and is struck by how far removed its teachings are from her own experiences. Secondly, on a return flight back to Los Angeles from New York as part of a travel insurance grift, her parents meet and befriend outgoing optometrist's assistant Melanie (Gina Rodriguez, Annihilation). So accustomed to playing the role dictated to her by Robert and Theresa, and never deviating from it, Old Dolio isn't prepared for the emotions stirred up by both changes to her status quo. But July's poignant and perceptive movie — a film that's a quirky heist flick, a playful but shrewd exploration of family bonds, and a sweet love story — is perfectly, mesmerisingly equipped to navigate her protagonist's efforts to reach beyond the only loved ones and the only type of life she has ever known. In fact, the result is one of the most distinctive, empathetic and engaging movies of the year. Kajillionaire is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF Asked why he broke into Oslo's Gallery Nobel in 2015 and stole two large oil paintings in broad daylight, Karl-Bertil Nordland gives perhaps the most honest answer anyone could: "because they were beautiful". He isn't responding to the police or providing an excuse during his court appearance, but speaking to Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova, who wanted answers about the theft of her work. Captured on camera, the pilfering of Kysilkova's Swan Song and Chloe & Emma initially appeared to be a professional job. As the two pieces were removed from their frames in such an exacting manner, it was presumed that experts were behind the crime. But Nordland and his accomplice didn't plan their brazen heist, or have a background in purloining art. Thanks to the effect of illicit substances, Nordland can't even remember much about it, let alone recall what happened to the stolen works that Kysilkova desperately wants back. That said, as the thief tells the painter when she first talks with him, he does know that he walked past Gallery Nobel often. He's aware that he saw her photorealistic pieces — the first of a dead swan lying in reeds, the second of two girls sat side by side on a couch — many times, too. And, he's candid about the fact that he marvelled at and was moved by the two canvases long before he absconded with them. As a result, he doesn't seem surprised that his life led him to that juncture, and to snatching Kysilkova's creations. A victim confronts a perpetrator: that's The Painter and the Thief's five-word summary, and it's 100-percent accurate. But such a brief description can't convey how fascinating, thoughtful, moving and astonishing this documentary is as it unfurls a tale so layered and wild that it can only be true — a story that stretches far beyond what anyone could feasibly anticipate of such an altercation and its aftermath, in fact. Nordland was arrested and charged for his crime, with Kysilkova initially making contact with him at his trial. From there, the skilled carpenter and heavily tattooed addict unexpectedly gained a friend in the woman whose works he took. Kysilkova first asked to paint Nordland as part of her attempts to understand him, and he then became her muse. As all relationships do, especially ones forged under such unusual circumstances, their connection evolved, adapted and changed from there. As Norwegian filmmaker Benjamin Ree (Magnus) pointed a camera in their direction for three years, the duo weathered their own ups, downs, twists and turns, as did their friendship. If Nordland's reply to Kysilkova feels disarmingly frank and unguarded, that's because it is. The same tone remains throughout The Painter and the Thief's entire duration. Absent the usual tropes and stylistic markers that true-crime documentaries are known for, the film eschews the standard mix of talking heads, re-enactments and explanatory narration in favour of truly observing and stepping inside its subjects' unique bond. The Painter and the Thief is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. BABY DONE A relic of a time when women were considered wives, mothers and little else, the public need to comment on whether someone has a baby or is planning to have a baby is flat-out garbage behaviour. In your twenties or thirties, and in a couple? Yet to procreate? If so, the world at large apparently thinks that it's completely acceptable to ask questions, make its judgement known and demand answers. Baby Done offers a great take on this kind of situation. Surrounded by proud new parents and parents-to-be at a baby shower, Zoe (Rose Matafeo) refuses to smile and nod along with all the polite cooing over infants — existing and yet to make their way into the world — and smug discussions about the joys of creating life. An arborist more interested in scaling trees at both the national and world championships than starting a family, she simply refuses to temper who she is to fit society's cookie-cutter expectations. Her partner Tim (the Harry Potter franchise's Matthew Lewis, worlds away from his time as Neville Longbottom) is on the same wavelength, and they visibly have more fun than everyone else at the party. With a title such as Baby Done, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise when this New Zealand comedy soon upsets Zoe and Tim's status quo. She discovers that she's expecting and, while he starts dutifully preparing to an almost unnervingly sensible extent, she also struggles to face the change that's coming their way. Comedies about the trials and tribulations of parenthood, and of the journey to become parents, are almost as common as people asking "when are you two having kids?" without prompting at parties. But this addition to the genre from director Curtis Vowell and screenwriter Sophie Henderson (both veterans of 2013 film Fantail) approaches a well-worn topic from a savvy angle. Zoe clearly isn't a stereotypical mother-to-be, and doesn't experience the stereotypical feelings women have been told they're supposed to feel about having children — and Baby Done leans into that fact. Also pivotal in her first big-screen lead role is comedian Matafeo. Indeed, it's easy to wonder whether the movie would've worked so engagingly and thoughtfully with someone else as its star. Brightly shot and breezily toned, there's still much about Baby Done that's familiar; however, charting one woman's pregnancy experience, and her backlash to the widely accepted notion that motherhood is the be all and end all of a woman's life, proves poignant and charming more often than not here. Baby Done is available to stream via Stan. Read our full review. COLLECTIVE We can only hope that one day, likely in a far distant future, documentaries will stop doubling as horror films. That time hasn't arrived yet — and as Collective demonstrates, cinema's factual genre can chill viewers to the bone more effectively than most jump- and bump-based fare. Nominated for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature at the 2021 Academy Awards (only the second time that's ever happened, after last year's Honeyland), this gripping and gut-wrenching Romanian doco starts with a terrible tragedy. On October 30, 2015, a fire broke out at a metal gig in Bucharest, at a club called Colectiv. Twenty-seven people died in the blaze, and 180 people were injured as they tried to escape via the site's lone exit; however, that's just the beginning of the movie's tale. In the four months afterwards, as burn victims were treated in the country's public hospitals, 37 more passed away. When journalist Cătălin Tolontan and his team at The Sports Gazette started investigating the fire's aftermath and the mounting casualty list, they uncovered not only widespread failures throughout Romania's health system, but also engrained corruption as well. This truly is nightmare fuel; if people can't trust hospitals to act in their patients' best interest after such a sizeable disaster, one of the fundamental tenets of modern society completely collapses. Early in Collective, director, writer, cinematographer and editor Alexander Nanau (Toto and His Sisters) shows the flames, as seen from inside the club. When the blaze sparks from the show's pyrotechnics, hardcore band Goodbye to Gravity has just finished singing about corruption. "Fuck all your wicked corruption! It's been there since our inception but we couldn't see," the group's singer growls — and no, you can't make this up. It's a difficult moment to watch, but this is a film filled with unflinching sights, and with a viscerally unsettling story that demands attention. Nanau occasionally spends time with the bereaved and angry parents of victims of the fire, even bookending the documentary with one man's distress over the "communication error" that contributed to his son's death. The filmmaker charts a photo shoot with Tedy Ursuleanu, a survivor visibly scarred by her ordeal, too. And yet, taking an observational approach free from narration and interviews, and with only the scantest use of text on-screen, Collective's filmmaker lets much of what's said rustle up the majority of the movie's ghastliest inclusions. Collective available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. NOMADLAND Frances McDormand is a gift of an actor. Point a camera her way, and a performance so rich that it feels not just believable but tangible floats across the screen. That's true whether she's playing overt or understated characters, or balancing those two extremes. In Fargo, the first film that earned her an Oscar, McDormand is distinctive but grounded, spouting midwestern phrases like "you betcha" but inhabiting her part with texture and sincerity. In Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, her next Academy Award-winning role, she's an impassioned mother crusading for justice and vengeance, and she ripples with deep-seated sorrow mixed with anger so fiery that it may as well be burning away her insides. Now, in Nomadland, McDormand feels stripped bare and still a commanding force to be reckoned with. She's tasked with a plucky but struggling part — defiant and determined, too; knocked around by life's ups and downs, noticeably; and, crucially, cognisant that valuing the small pleasures is the hardest but most rewarding feat. It'll earned her another shiny Oscar just three years after her last, in fact. Along with the attention the movie received at the Golden Globes as well, this is highly deserved outcome, because hers is an exceptional performance and this was easily 2020's best film. Here, leading a cast that also includes real people experiencing the existence that's fictionalised within the narrative, she plays the widowed, van-dwelling Fern — a woman who takes to the road, and to the nomad life, after the small middle-America spot where she spent her married years turns into a ghost town when the local mine is shuttered due to the global financial crisis. A slab of on-screen text explains her predicament, with the film then jumping into the aftermath. Following her travels over the course of more than a year, this humanist drama serves up an observational portrait of those that society happily overlooks. It's both deeply intimate and almost disarmingly empathetic in the process, as every movie made by Chloe Zhao is. This is only the writer/director's third, slotting in after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider but before 2021's Marvel flick Eternals, but it's a feature of contemplative and authentic insights into the concepts of home, identity and community. Meticulously crafted, shot and performed, it truly sees everyone in its frames, be they fictional or real. Nomandland understands their plights, and ensures its audience understands them as well. It's exquisitely layered, because its protagonist, those around her and their lives earn the same term — and Zhao never forgets that, or lets her viewers either. Nomadland is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. FIRESTARTER — THE STORY OF BANGARRA More than three decades since it was first formed, Bangarra Dance Theatre is still going strong. In just the last ten years alone, the Sydney-based organisation has unleashed the beauty and potency of works such as Blak, Patyegarang, Lore, OUR land people stories, Bennelong and Dark Emu across Australia's stages, and repeatedly confronted the nation's colonial history head-on in the process. As an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts outfit, it can't avoid it. It similarly can't ignore the impact that the country's past has had upon Indigenous culture, and the trauma that's rippled across generations as a result. And so, as excellent new documentary Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra tells the company's tale, these struggles are firmly part of the narrative. Co-directors Wayne Blair (The Sapphires, Top End Wedding) and Nel Minchin (Matilda & Me, Making Muriel) know their power. Indeed, the two filmmakers are well aware that they can't step through Bangarra's history without placing the acclaimed dance theatre in its rightful social, political and cultural context. What audiences have seen on stage over the years is stunning, astonishing and important, of course, but all of those exceptional performances haven't ever existed in a vacuum. For those unacquainted with the details of Bangarra's origins, evolution, aims and achievements, Firestarter recounts them, starting with its leap out of the National Aboriginal Islander Skills Development Association and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre. Actually, it jumps back further, not only stepping through Bangarra's predecessors, but also charting how Stephen, David and Russell Page became its most famous names. Just as it's impossible to examine the dance company's accomplishments and influence without also interrogating and chronicling Australia's history, it's simply unthinkable to do so without focusing as heavily on the Page brothers as Blair and Minchin choose to. Stephen would become Bangarra's artistic director, a role he still holds. David was its music director, while Russell was one of its best dancers — and their path from growing up in Brisbane in the 60s, 70s and 80s to helping shape and guide an Aussie arts powerhouse is a pivotal component of Bangarra's overall journey thus far. If it sounds as if Firestarter has been set a hefty task — doing triple duty as a celebration, a record of Australia's past and a portrait of three siblings with dreams as big as their talents — that's because it has. But this dense and yet also deft documentary is up to the immense feat, and dances through its massive array of material, topics and themes as skilfully as any of Bangarra's performers ever have. Firestarter — The Story of Bangarra is available to stream via ABC iView. Read our full review. WAVES The sight of streaming sunlight, South Florida's scenery and a blissful young couple shouldn't hit like a gut punch, but in Waves, it does. When this magnificently moving film opens, it does so with high-schooler Tyler Williams (Kelvin Harrison Jr) and his girlfriend Alexis Lopez (Alexa Demie). They sing and drive with carefree exuberance — buoyed by both youth and first love — with their happiness not only captured by fluid, enticing camerawork that circles around and around, but mirrored by the use of Animal Collective's upbeat, energetic 'FloriDada' on the soundtrack. Waves continues its sinuous cinematography and alluring tunes as it follows Tyler through a snapshot of his teenage existence, too. Viewers meet his upper middle-class family, who dote on his every word. We witness his prowess on the school wrestling team, where he's a star. We see how infatuated he is with Alexis, and vice versa. But, as intoxicatingly sensory as all of this is — and as expertly calibrated by writer/director Trey Edward Shults to convey exactly how Tyler is feeling — its glow fades quickly when the agonised glimmer in Tyler's eye becomes evident. It's only there when he's alone, looking in the mirror, but it's a picture of heartbreak. As played with a complicated mix of charm, arrogance, sadness, anger and vulnerability by the excellent Harrison, Tyler navigates his seemingly content life with an outward smile, while balancing on a knife's edge. He doesn't completely know it, though, although he can clearly feel the pressure mounting. Forceful in reminding him that African Americans are "not afforded the luxury of being average", his father Ronald (Sterling K Brown) is well-intentioned, but also stern and domineering. He pushes Tyler to be better at every turn and, when they train together for the teen's wrestling matches, even gets competitive. Stepmother Catherine (Hamilton's Renée Elise Goldsberry) is far more gentle; however the focus placed on Tyler compared to his younger sister Emily (Taylor Russell) is always obvious in her household. And so, when an injury threatens to undo his sporting future and his romance with Alexis breaks down, Tyler makes a series of self-sabotaging decisions. One leads to tragedy — and the fact that this isn't a joyful movie becomes devastatingly apparent. Waves is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video and Binge. Read our full review. ASSASSINS On February 13, 2017, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, a man was assassinated in broad daylight. While standing by the self check-in kiosks at around 9am, he was approached from behind by two women. After they each rubbed their hands across his face, he was dead within the hour. For a plethora of reasons, the attack garnered global news headlines. Such a brazen murder, carried out not only in public but also in full view of the Malaysian airport's security cameras, was always going to receive worldwide attention. The use of extremely deadly chemical weapon VX obviously demanded scrutiny — and so did the fact that the victim was Kim Jong-nam, the estranged elder half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. But, despite the onslaught of newsprint, pixels and airtime devoted to the incident when it happened, the full details behind it took time to unfurl. As Assassins explores, those facts are fascinating, gripping and distressing in equal measure. Indeed, if a Hollywood screenwriter had cooked up the story at the centre of Ryan White's (The Keepers) meticulously documentary, they would've been told that it's too far-fetched. Not that the world needs any additional reminders, but real life really is far stranger than fiction here. Across 104 minutes that relay an unmistakably and inescapably wild tale in an edge-of-the-seat yet never sensationalistic fashion, White asks the question that was on everyone's lips four years ago: why? That query has many layers. It starts with wondering why two women in their 20s — one from Indonesia, the other from Vietnam — with no clear political affiliations would kill an exiled North Korean who was once expected to lead his nation. From there, it expands to contemplate why Malaysian law enforcement officers and prosecutors were so content to believe that culprits Siti Aisyah and Doan Thi Huong acted without any involvement from North Korea, and why a number of the latter country's citizens were interviewed, but then released and allowed to return home without facing any legal repercussions. Aisyah and Huong certainly weren't afforded the same treatment. Charged with Kim Jong-nam's murder, they were put through a long trial, and faced the death penalty if convicted. The pair, who didn't know each other beforehand, pled their innocence from the outset. Both women were adamant that they had each been hired to make prank videos for a YouTube show and, as far as they knew, their efforts in Kuala Lumpur were part of their latest production. Assassins is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review. RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON Featuring a vibrant animated spectacle that heroes vivid green and blue hues, a rousing central figure who is never a stock-standard Disney princess and lively voice work from an all-star cast, Raya and the Last Dragon boasts plenty of highlights. Directed by Don Hall (Big Hero 6) and Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting), co-directed by Paul Briggs and John Ripa (both Disney art and animation department veterans), and penned by Qui Nguyen (Dispatches From Elsewhere) and Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), the Mouse House's new all-ages-friendly release also embraces southeast Asian culture with the same warm hug that Moana gave Polynesia and Pixar's Coco sent Mexico's way — and it's always detailed, organic, inclusive and thoughtful, and never tokenistic. But perhaps its biggest strength, other than the pitch-perfect vocal stylings of Awkwafina as the playful, mystical half of the film's title, is its timing. Disney first announced the feature back in August 2019, so the company can't have known what the world would suffer through from early 2020 onwards, of course. But a hopeful movie about a planet ravaged by a destructive plague and blighted by tribalism — and a feature that champions the importance of banding together to make things right, too — really couldn't arrive at a more opportune moment. COVID-19 has no place in Raya and the Last Dragon; however, as the picture's introductory preamble explains, a virus-like wave of critters called the Druun has wreaked havoc. Five hundred years earlier, the world of Kumandra was filled with humans and dragons living together in harmony, until the sinister force hit. Now, only the realm's two-legged inhabitants remain — after their furry friends used their magic to create the dragon gem, which saved everyone except themselves. That's the only status quo that Raya (voiced by Star Wars' Kelly Marie Tran) has ever known. Her entire existence has also been lived out in a divided Kumandra, with different groups staking a claim to various areas. With her father Benja (Daniel Dae Kim, Always Be My Maybe), she hails from the most prosperous region, Heart, and the duo hold out hope that they can reunite the warring lands. Alas, when they bring together their fellow leaders for a peaceful summit, Raya's eagerness to trust Namaari (Gemma Chan, Captain Marvel), the daughter of a rival chief, ends with the Druun on the rampage once again. A movie about believing not just in yourself, but in others, Raya and the Last Dragon doesn't shy away from the reality that putting faith in anyone comes with the chance of peril and pain — especially in fraught times where the world has taken on an every-person-for-themselves mentality and folks are dying (or being turned to stone, which is the Druun's modus operandi). If the narrative hadn't been willing to make this plain again and again, including when it picks up six years later as Raya tries to reverse the devastation caused by Namaari's actions, Raya and the Last Dragon wouldn't feel as genuinely affecting Raya and the Last Dragon is available to stream via Disney+. Read our full review. MAX RICHTER'S SLEEP Since first opening its doors back in 1973, the Sydney Opera House has played host to a wealth of performances, spanning far further in genre than just the art form that gives the venue its name. But it was only during Vivid Live 2016 that the iconic locale serenaded visitors into an evening-long slumber, all as part of Max Richter's live recital of his eight-and-a-half hour work Sleep. Across 31 tracks comprised of 204 movements, the German-born British composer's concept album unfurls music based on the neuroscience of getting some shuteye. In its intonation, the ambitious yet soothing piece favours the range that can be heard in the womb for much of its duration. When performed for an audience, it is played overnight, with beds set up — and doing as the work's title suggests is highly encouraged. Attendees recline, listen and let Richter's blend of strings, synthesisers and soprano vocals lull them into the land of nod. If they'd prefer to stay awake, that's fine as well, but soaking in Sleep's ambient sounds while you're snatching 40 winks is all very much part of the experience. In its live version, Sleep has echoed through spaces in London, Berlin and Paris, too; however, it's the first openair performance in Los Angeles' Grand Park in 2018 that takes pride of place in the documentary Max Richter's Sleep. A filmmaker was always bound to be so fascinated with the concept that they'd turn their lens Richter's way, and that director is Natalie Johns (an Emmy nominee for Annie Lennox: Nostalgia Live in Concert), who endeavours to capture the experience for those who haven't had the pleasure themselves. The resulting film doesn't run for more than eight hours, or anywhere close — but those watching and listening will quickly wish that it did. As a feature, Max Richter's Sleep isn't designed to advertise its namesake. Rather, it documents, explores and tries to understand it. Still, the movie so easily draws viewers into the music, and so deeply, that making its audience want to snooze in public while Richter and his band plays is a guaranteed side effect. Max Richter's Sleep is available to stream via Docplay. Read our full review.
When a composer pens music, it's the tune that they want the world to enjoy, not the marks on a page scribbling it into existence. When a conductor oversees an orchestra, the performance echoing rather than their own with baton in hand and arms waving is their gift. In Maestro, Bradley Cooper (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3) is seen as Leonard Bernstein in both modes. His portrayal, especially in an unbroken take as the American great conducts Mahler's Resurrection Symphony at England's Ely Cathedral in 1973, is so richly textured and deeply complex that it's the career-best kind of astonishing. But Cooper as this movie's helmer, co-writer and one of its producers wants Maestro's audience to revel in the end result, not just in his exceptional on-screen contribution to bringing this virtuoso feature to fruition. And if he wants the love showered anyone's way first, it's towards Carey Mulligan (Saltburn), who the second-time director (and second-time director of a music-fuelled film, since his debut behind the lens was A Star Is Born) gives top billing for stepping so astoundingly into Felicia Montealegre Bernstein's shoes. Symphonies should erupt for Mulligan's awards-worthy turn, which deserves to claim her third Oscar nomination (after 2010's for An Education and 2021's for Promising Young Woman) at a minimum. As the Costa Rican actor — a talent herself, of the stage and small screen — hers is similarly a never-better performance. It's a chalk-and-cheese partner to Cooper's, too; his is all about playing someone whose entire reason for earning a biopic is his effort and what it wrought, while she makes everything from the screwball-esque early sparks of connection to soul-aching pain feel natural. When she says "you don't even know how much you need me, do you?", the words melt, and the moment with it. When she beams by Cooper's side during a TV interview about his achievements, the practicalities of spending your life with someone have rarely felt as giddying. When Maestro's main pair quarrel on Thanksgiving, away from their family and as the parade trots along outside the window, each word is a cut. Every scene with Mulligan lays its emotions bare so thoroughly, yet never forcefully or showily, that she virtually spirits the audience into Felicia's footwear with her. No matter who else receives Leonard's affections — clarinettist David Oppenheimer (Matt Bomer, Magic Mike's Last Dance) is one of the first — Maestro sees its story as a duet between him and Felicia, its key stars singing their parts accordingly. The crooning isn't literal, but the marital melodrama double act is perfectly attuned. The Bernsteins were harmonious in their love for each other, yet often in different ditties, bands and genres otherwise, which Cooper and Mulligan ensure hums as the baseline across the entire movie. Their relationship is as much the narrative's throughline as music, plus the clashing constantly pulsing inside Leonard. Indeed, the conflicts and contradictions that comprise a man who needs to be introverted to compose but extroverted to conduct — who can light up a room and descend into his own dark recesses — are all the more palpable and resonant because they're reflected through Felicia. Maestro examines not merely what it meant to be one Bernstein, but two. Cooper's screenplay with Spotlight, The Post and First Man's Josh Singer isn't a strict birth-to-death tale, ignoring Leonard's childhood. It starts with another television chat as an elderly man at the piano, smoking and swooning about Felicia, before zipping back to when perhaps his existence truly began: November 14, 1943. On that day, the then-assistant conductor discovered he'd be guiding the New York Philharmonic for the first time that evening. Charted from the call that got the 25-year-old Leonard out of bed, and initially framed against a black rectangle with a white border — the light endeavouring to sneak in from behind a blind — this sequence, the film's second, says everything about Cooper's approach. The elated Leonard runs from his room to Carnegie Hall's balcony as if only a corridor links them, a technique to be repeated aesthetically and emotionally. Maestro skips from beat to beat like there's no pause in-between, and like it can't get from instant to instant fast enough. Some biopics serve up a slice of life as a symbol for the whole, such as fellow 2023–24 awards contender Ferrari. Maestro hands around several plates, each dishing up a vignette that helps paint its overall portrait. As it leaps across five decades, it flits from heady thrills, buzzing parties and professional heights to complicated choices, heartbreak and loss. So swirls Leonard and Felicia meeting at his sister Shirley's (Sarah Silverman, The Bob's Burgers Movie) cocktail soiree, him marvelling at her acting, her questioning advice given to him to change his name and attitude, wedded bliss, domestic disharmony, children (Asteroid City's Maya Hawke plays their eldest Jamie), affairs, rumours, arguments, illness, hard conversations and tougher realisations. So dances a sweepingly dynamic feature that takes the concept of basing its style on its subject, and using that style to do its subject's intricacies justice, to its core. With its jumps from black and white to colour as well, and between the 1.33:1 and 1.85:1 aspect rations — A Star Is Born returnee Matthew Libatique's 35-millimetre-shot cinematography is ravishing — Cooper's handling of Maestro in look, format, air and atmosphere isn't new. But it couldn't feel more fitting for someone who put his all into track after track, composition after composition and conducting performance after conducting performance, each of which said something about Leonard. Cooper lets the maestro's music do ample talking, his soundtrack filled with it. Cue the symphonic suite from On the Waterfront; pieces from Fancy Free, On the Town, Trouble in Tahiti and Mass; and the prologue to West Side Story. Each is deployed precisely and powerfully, whether in turning courtship into a fantasy ballet that also demonstrates the push and pull of Leonard's bisexuality, or getting tension dancing when romantic discontent can only lead to confrontation. That said, some of the movie's best music moments are set to other tunes, and not just Mozart and Mahler's works that Leonard led orchestras to perform. (Yes, this is 2023's second film Down Under to unpack a baton-wielding figure who adores the Austro-Bohemian icon, after Tár; that picture's fictional Lydia was a Bernstein protégée, it advised.) Shirley Ellis' 'The Clapping Song' bounces with bittersweetness, with the inherently upbeat track arriving when there's little to be cheerful about in the Bernstein household except appreciating what time you can with those you cherish. With Tears for Fears' 'Shout' late in the piece, catharsis and release thumps as heavily as the song itself. Donning his filmmaker's cap, Cooper arranges every inch of Maestro this meticulously, and with a monumentally moving and meaningful viewing experience in mind. Martin Scorsese (Killers of the Flower Moon) and Steven Spielberg (The Fabelmans) produce the film after each originally planning to helm it — and holding its own with the idea of a Scorsese- or Spielberg-directed Leonard Bernstein movie is another of Maestro's resounding triumphs. Maestro screens in cinemas from Thursday, December 7 and streams via Netflix from Wednesday, December 20.
Acting may be in Gracie Otto's blood, but it looks like the younger of the Sydney thesp dynasty is set to make her real mark behind the lens. The 27-year-old's debut feature film is a documentary, and a rollicking one at that, titled The Last Impresario. Charting the cultural impact of pioneering producer Michael White — "the most famous person you've never heard of" — it includes interviews with Kate Moss, Anna Wintour, Yoko Ono, John Waters and Barry Humphries, all anchored by Otto's good-natured but persistent probing of Michael's memories. The movie had its Australian premiere at the Sydney Film Festival, an event that means a lot to Otto. "For me, every year Sydney winter begins with the excitement of the Sydney Film Festival," she told us. "I am so proud that my film about the legendary Michael White was screened to so many of his friends and my supporters at this iconic festival. I hope audiences love the film as much as I loved making it — Michael's amazing legacy needs to be shared." But it's not just the SFF Otto looks forward to in winter; this is also the time for huddling in art galleries, loosening the belt over an Italian meal, heading mountainside, and appreciating the sudden Melbourneness of it all. To take advantage of these and even more great Sydney winter experiences, go to lastminute.com.au and line up your fun-filled days and even cooler nights. Read more winter in Sydney tips from Vivid Ideas director Jess Scully here. Follow the White Rabbit I love to see exhibitions at the MCA and Art Gallery of NSW there always seems a lot to be going on around this time of year. It's a great time to be inside and be artistically inspired when it's cold outside. I also like to go to The White Rabbit Gallery in Chippendale — they have an incredible collection of contemporary Chinese art. Hit the Laneway Bars In summer I head for open bars and restaurants at the beachside suburbs. In winter I love to experience the many small cocktail bars and wine bars that we have hidden down alleyways and backstreets in the lanes and suburbs of Sydney. It’s the only time Sydney really feels like Melbourne. Enjoy some rich Italian Winter is a great time to indulge my love of eating! Nobody worries about how much food and how many courses they eat when the weather is cold. It’s all about comfort food — steaming hot soups, rich pastas, Sunday baked dinners at home with extra helpings of roast potatoes, desserts! I love Fratelli and Bar Italia when eating out. Retreat to the Mountains It always nice to have a weekend get away and I find the Blue Mountains is a great place to find accommodation. It's close enough that it's not a big trip from Sydney but you feel like you are away and can sit by the fire! Bunker down at the Picture Palace I can never see enough movies so as soon as the Sydney Film Festival is over I head off to the Palace Cinemas in Norton Street and the Chauvel in Paddington and catch up on all the new releases I have missed over the Festival period. The Last Impresario is opening at both these cinemas on 26 June so I am really hoping to run into a lot of people going to see the film! Experience winter in Sydney with lastminute.com.au.
Live every week like it's scam week: on streaming platforms throughout 2022 so far, that's basically been the motto. Indeed, a line from one of the year's big swindle hits so far, Netflix's Inventing Anna, sums up this current spate of con artist-obsessed viewing perfectly: scam culture is here to stay. Dramatising the Theranos scandal, eight-part miniseries The Dropout is the third high-profile release in a month to relive a wild true-crime tale — following not only the Anna Delvey-focused Inventing Anna, about the fake German heiress who conned her way through New York City's elite, but also documentary The Tinder Swindler, which steps through defrauding via dating app at the hands of Israeli imposter Simon Leviev. Made by Hulu in the US and streaming on Disney+ via its Star expansion Down Under, as fellow reality-to-screen 2022 release Pam & Tommy did as well, it also dives into the horror-inducing Dr Death-esque realm. When a grift doesn't just mess with money and hearts, but with health and lives, it's pure nightmare fuel. To tell the story of Theranos, The Dropout has to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes, the Silicon Valley biotech outfit's founder and CEO from the age of 19. Played by a captivating, career-best Amanda Seyfried — on par with her Oscar-nominated work in Mank, but clearly in a vastly dissimilar role — the Steve Jobs-worshipping Holmes is seen explaining her company's name early in its first episode. It's derived from the words "therapy" and "diagnosis", she stresses, although history already dictates that it offered little of either. Spawned from Holmes' idea to make taking blood simpler and easier, using just one drop from a small finger prick, it failed to deliver, lied about it copiously and still launched to everyday consumers, putting important medical test results in jeopardy. That's the quick version of Theranos' gambit for the uninitiated, but The Dropout takes its time unfurling the full roster of ups and downs (including the fact that it was valued at $10 billion in 2013 and 2014). Created by showrunner and co-writer Elizabeth Merriwether — who was also behind TV sitcom New Girl — it draws its details from the American ABC News podcast of the same name, and doesn't skimp on the infuriating and complicated minutiae. In the beginning, Holmes is the kind of teen who listens to pop tunes to pump herself up and convince herself that she can do anything. She's studious and serious, and also desperate to be known for something. Then, as the series jumps between key years in Theranos' lifespan, she adopts an all-black, turtleneck-heavy wardrobe and deepens her vocal tones to get backers to invest their cash in an idea that doesn't work. A veil of secrecy surrounds the company, including for employees — and to say that questions aren't aren't welcomed is an understatement. Female fraudsters are doing it for themselves, screwing over everyone else and speaking in distinctive voices: that's another theme pumping through both Inventing Anna and The Dropout. But where the former is gleefully glossy and never overly interested in the why of it all, the latter knows that, for the people who relied upon Theranos for crucial health results, it's in potential life-or-death territory. It plays this tale straight and grim, and is also well-aware that it needn't be subtle about getting its point across. Of course, there's an inherent statement lurking in the reality of Holmes' life and lies, and the fact that they so easily tick all of the expected boxes. Hailing from a wealthy family, getting into Stanford, convincing her parents to invest her tuition money into Theranos when she dropped out (hence the title), boasting the connections to stump up other funders: it all follows a familiar path, which is a glaring indictment upon a society that gives rise to these types of scams over and over. When Seyfried's version of Holmes is seen talking to the camera, another recent account of a woman and a swindle springs to mind: The Eyes of Tammy Faye, for which Jessica Chastain is nominated for Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards. That film and the first four episodes of The Dropout share a director in Michael Showalter, who has a thematic niche at present, and also keeps working with talented actors putting in phenomenal lead performances. The skill on Seyfried's part to convey all of Holmes' personality quirks without coming across as cartoonish or a caricature can't be underestimated; it's impossible to stop watching her Holmes, even as every move she makes is exasperating. She's surrounded by an impressive lineup of fellow cast members — Lost's Naveen Andrews as Holmes' boyfriend and Theranos' Chief Operating Officer Sunny Balwani chief among them, plus everyone from Stephen Fry and Succession's Alan Ruck to Law & Order mainstay Sam Waterston and Inventing Anna's Kate Burton — but Seyfried is mesmerisingly exceptional, without ever really earning sympathy for Holmes in the process. We may just be living in peak scandal-to-screen times, with new examples dropping faster than almost anyone can reasonably watch them. Joe vs Carole, featuring original The Dropout star Kate McKinnon, is just new to streaming queues, too; WeCrashed, the Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway-starring WeWork drama, also arrives in March; and Super Pumped: The Battle For Uber, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the company's former CEO Travis Kalanick, has premiered in the US ahead of arriving Down Under. Still, while The Dropout has plenty of company, it's easily one of the genre's standouts. The complex tale it relays, the performance it brings with it, the message it screams and the fact that, at every turn, it fleshes out the who, what and why: they're all pivotal and potent. Scam culture might be here to stay, but it isn't enough to just gawk its way — and The Dropout and its powerful take truly understands this. Check out the trailer for The Dropout below: The first four episodes episodes of The Dropout are available to stream via Disney+, with new episodes dropping weekly. Images: Beth Dubber/Hulu.
It's official: for only the second time in the more than three decades that the country's professional Aussie Rules competition has called itself the Australian Football League, the AFL grand final will be hosted outside of Melbourne. The game will move outside Victoria for the second year in a row, too. After flagging last week that Perth's Optus Stadium would hold the biggest match of the 2021 season if the Melbourne Cricket Ground was unable to welcome in spectators, AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has now confirmed that the grand final will indeed be held in Western Australia. Given that Melbourne is currently under lockdown for the sixth time during the pandemic, and that those stay-at-home conditions won't be ending this week as last outlined — and, even if Victoria's lockdown does end by grand final day, Melbourne's stadiums may not be permitted to host crowds under post-lockdown restrictions — the news comes as absolutely no surprise. The game will still go ahead on Saturday, September 25, although exactly what time it'll kick off is yet to be revealed. Moving the match to Perth does means that 2020's night grand final won't be repeated, due to the time difference between Australia's west and east coasts — and McLachlan said that the AFL is looking at an afternoon or twilight time slot. Also yet to be announced: the crowd capacity under Western Australia's restrictions. Optus Stadium can host 60,000 people, however. The move comes after the 2020 grand final was held at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, aka the Gabba, thanks to Melbourne's lengthy stint of stay-at-home conditions at the time. This year, Perth will also host a Brownlow Medal function in the lead up to the decider. Still, the grand final won't feature any Western Australian AFL teams, with both the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers failing to make the code's finals season. At the time of writing, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, the Brisbane Lions, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and the Western Bulldogs remain in the running. [caption id="attachment_823646" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Optus Stadium, Government of Western Australia[/caption] Just like last year, it really shouldn't have taken three decades for a competition that's not only named after the entire country, but that changed its moniker in 1990 to reflect the fact that it was no longer just about Victoria, to host its deciders in other cities. Before 2020, the grand final had actually been played at venues other than the MCG before — but still in Melbourne. The MCG remains contracted to host the grand final for a significant period moving forward, however, with its agreement originally running through until 2057, then extended until 2058 as part of the arrangement to allow the game to be played at the Gabba in 2020. With the move to Perth, that contract with the MCG will be extended again until 2059. If you're a Victorian — whether you've been missing the footy over the past month, or you're not fussed about the sport at all — you might be wondering about the usual pre-grand final public holiday. Although an official announcement hasn't been made as yet, Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula said during the press conference about the move to Perth that he expected that the public holiday will still go ahead, as happened last year when the game was played in Brisbane. The 2021 AFL Grand Final will take place on Saturday, September 25 at Optus Stadium in Perth. For further information, head to the AFL website.
Rum is more than just a sailor's drink. First US President George Washington ordered it by the hogshead and it's rumoured that the Kennedys were rum runners during the Prohibition. Famed writers Hemingway and Lord Byron drank it. You've probably had it from time to time, too. Coming in many forms — namely light, dark and spiced — and, with its ties to pirates and tropical islands, rum's a good thing to sip when you're feeling a bit adventurous. In preparation of many balmy nights of drinking it ahead, we've teamed up with RUM Co. of Fiji to get you across what you should know to become a rum connoisseur. Read on to discover everything from a bevvy of fun facts about the spirit to the recipe for a simple (but impressive) cocktail you can make at home. A QUICK NIP OF RUM HISTORY Made from sugarcane byproduct, it makes sense that rum first came from the Carribean in the early 17th century — back when sugarcane plantations were big business. Plantation slaves discovered that the molasses (the byproduct) could be fermented and turned into alcohol. Ironically, rum went on to become an integral part of the triangle between Europe, Africa and North America trade. So, its history is troubled. It's connection to seafarers stemmed from there, with sailors often being paid in the stuff. The British Royal Navy even rationed it out to prevent scurvy outbreaks. These, days rum's made in every corner of the world. However, you'll often find it distilled in tropical paradises such as Fiji, where the climate and fertile volcanic soil are perfect for sugarcane production. Handy, too, seeing as it's closer to Australia than the Caribbean. SOME FUN RUM FACTS TO IMPRESS YOUR MATES WITH It's the oldest distilled spirit in the world. Nelson's blood, demon water, pirate's drink and Barbados water are all names for rum. It was once so valuable, it was used as currency. It is said that to test if the rum had been watered down, sailors would mixed it with gunpowder. If the rum ignited, it was good. If not, they'd been ripped off. It was given to the British Royal Navy to prevent scurvy — known as the rum ration or 'tot', the practice only stopped in 1970. It was used as a shampoo by some, under the belief that it could thicken hair. RECIPE: FIJIAN DAIQUIRI Now that you've got the background knowledge down, you need to continue your education by perfecting a classic rum cocktail for the big day. And, as the weather begins to warm, we're craving a drink which is fun, tropical, zesty and a little bit spicy. The classic daiquiri, made with just rum, lime juice and sugar shaken over ice, originally comes from Cuba. It's the kind of cocktail to order when you want to pretend you're sunbaking on a tropical island somewhere. This take on the Caribbean classic uses top-quality rum — RUM Co. of Fiji's BATI spiced rum — with fresh lime, a spiced syrup and coconut water. BATI rum is part of RUM Co. of Fiji's range, made from hand-cut sugarcane and filtered through coconut shell carbon then matured in oak barrels. Made on the north western coast of Viti Levu island, RUM Co. of Fiji produces both BATI and RATU rums, which are hand crafted from cane to label and aged from two to over ten years. So, while this daiquiri may not be a far cry from the OG drink, it certainly brings its own Fijian twist. Hot tip: you'll want to serve this one cool. Ice cold, in fact. Here's everything you need to make this punchy and tropical tipple. INGREDIENTS 45ml BATI spiced rum 45ml coconut water 15ml falernum syrup 15ml lime juice ice METHOD Pour all ingredients into a boston shaker and shake over ice for at least 30 seconds. Strain. Vessel: chilled cocktail glass Garnish: lime slice Feeling Adventurous? Start planning for the warm season and learn more about the RUM Co. of Fiji range here.
One of the world's most acclaimed galleries is coming to Australia, and it's bringing more than 70 works that chronicle the past 200 years in art history with it. For a five-month season from mid-June, the UK's Tate will take over Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image with a hefty exhibition that'll span everything from painting, photography and sculpture through to drawing, kinetic art and installations — and, of course, the moving image. Given the time period covered by Light: Works from Tate's Collection, the list of artists that'll be on display is a varied one — as drawn from pieces in the Tate's four separate sites in Britain. Art lovers will be able to see works by famed English romantic painter and watercolourist Joseph Mallord William Turner alongside the light- and space-focused efforts of American artist James Turrell, plus pieces by impressionist Claude Monet and Japanese favourite Yayoi Kusama. Running from Thursday, June 16–Sunday, November 13, the unifying theme is light, as the exhibition's name makes plain — and if you're wondering how this connects to ACMI's remit as a museum for the moving image, light is obviously crucial to all recorded vision. While Light: Works from Tate's Collection will step through art history, ACMI will further put its pieces into broader artistic context by presenting it alongside its permanent The Story of the Moving Image exhibition, which examines the origins and genesis of film and television. [caption id="attachment_842689" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Raemar, Blue, 1969, James Turrell. Tate: Presented by the Tate Americas Foundation, partial purchase and partial gift of Doris J. Lockhart 2013. © James Turrell. Photo: Tate.[/caption] From the impressive roster of art and artists, Turner's 1805 painting The Deluge will make its Australian debut, while Kusama's characteristically kaleidoscopic 2005 sculpture The Passing Winter gets viewers peering into a mirrored cube. Turrell's Raemar, Blue, from 1969, is an immersive spatial environment that surrounds visitors in infinite and immersive light. And among the other highlights sits paintings by John Constable, Wassily Kandinsky, Bridget Riley and Joseph Albers; more impressionist pieces from Camille Pissarro and Alfred Sisley; and rotating crystalline sculpture Stardust Particle by Olafur Eliasson. Announcing Light: Works from Tate's Collection, which falls under the Victorian Government's Melbourne Winter Masterpieces series, ACMI Director and CEO Katrina Sedgwick said that "this is a rare opportunity to experience the expansive collection of one of Britain's most famous cultural institutions right here in Melbourne." "ACMI is proud to present a treasure trove of artworks inspired by a phenomenon so fundamental to moving image creation. Through its exploration of light as both a subject and a medium this extraordinary exhibition enables our visitors to explore surprising and enlightening interconnections across time and artform," Sedgwick continued. [caption id="attachment_842682" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Stardust particle, 2014, Olafur Eliasson, Tate: Presented by the artist in honour of Sir Nicholas Serota 2018. © Olafur Eliasson. Photo: Tate[/caption] Light: Works from Tate's Collection was initially curated for the Museum of Art, Pudong in Shanghai, and heads to ACMI after displaying at Buk-Seoul Museum of Art, Korea. In Melbourne, the ticketed exhibition will be accompanied by talks, performances, workshops and late-night events, as well as film screenings. Although the events lineup hasn't yet been revealed, masterclasses with cinematographers, artist discussions, and magic lantern and 16mm presentations will all be on the bill, as will two free exhibits — from Australian artist Mikala Dwyer in ACMI's lightwell and by Lis Rhodes in Gallery 3, with the latter's Light Music also coming from the Tate Collection. Light: Works from Tate's Collection will display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Flinders Street, Melbourne, from Thursday, June 16–Sunday, November 13, 2022. Top image: The Passing Winter, 2005, Yayoi Kusama. Tate: Purchased with funds provided by the Asia-Pacific Acquisitions Committee 2008. ©Yayoi Kusama. Tate.
Tilda Swinton said it to the NY Times a few years ago, "I live on another planet, fortunately, and we do things differently there." They might be her words, but I doubt many of us can imagine her living next door. She is, amongst whatever else, expectation defying — a quality that makes her particularly handy for those in the celebrity hoax business. Last April Fools' Day might have gone unnoticed if it was not for the screaming of White Stripes fans; for a few hours their favourite band was back with Ms Swinton replacing Meg White and a new LP on the way. Sure, Facebook has been covered (more than once) with cries of "RIP Morgan Freeman" and Bieber/KStew/RPatz leaks that turn out to be hot air are a dime a dozen, but they are also (sorry, Morgan!) not completely unlikely. So what makes something as bizarre as an Academy Award-winning actress resurrecting an abandoned (and divorced) husband-and-wife rock duo so believable? Simple: It is Tilda. This is the woman who was notorious for living with her husband and lover and never bothered to correct anyone. Here are five random reasons we now believe anything anyone tells us about Tilda. 1. She went to school with Princess Diana Now I realise that logically people must have gone to school with Princess Diana, but there is still something otherworldly about it. 2. She slept for eight hours in a glass box For The Maybe, an art installation at New York's Museum of Modern Art. And she did it once years before, too. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gH7dMBcg-gE 3. The David Bowie video clip rumours turned out to be true Giving the Tilda Stardust Tumblr a crazy level of credence. 4. She wore centipedes on her face for fashion The Stranger than Paradise photo shoot for W Magazine, photographed by Tim Walker, was a stunner that only Tilda could carry off. 5. She founded a film festival you can attend by paying in cake It's called the Ballerina Ballroom Cinema of Dreams. This is the rarer, cuddly brand of Tilda kook.
If you firmly believe that you can never have too much Idris Elba, then you have most of the planet for company. Right now, the Hijack-watching world and streaming service Apple TV+ are also firmly in that camp. After the British actor's high-octane thriller series hit the small screen in 2023 and swiftly hooked viewers, the platform has announced that it will return for a second season. And yes, Elba will be back — although what'll be testing his negotiation skills this time is yet to be revealed. In its first season, Hijack featured the Beast, Three Thousand Years of Longing and Luther talent as Sam Nelson, a veteran negotiator who was on his way home to the UK from Dubai when terrorists took over the flight. Accordingly, it was up to the actor that everyone would like to see as 007 tries to try to get everyone to their destination safely, all in a series that took place in real time. Nelson's onboard tasks switched from relaxing in the air to trying to talk his captors down, let authorities on the ground know what was happening and minimising casualties. If you're not only thinking about Bond but also 24, that's the right wheelhouse. And yes, non-stop tension does go down smoother when Elba is looking calm and collected under pressure, a fact that helped make the series one of Apple TV+ most-popular dramas last year. Created by Criminal's George Kay and Jim Field Smith — with Kay also behind Lupin — Hijack's first season also boasted Elba as an executive producer, a role that he'll retain again when it returns for its second season. Field Smith will again be the show's lead director as well. "I was floored by the overwhelming audience response after season one. It's top secret what new situation unfolds for Sam Nelson but I can assure you we will bring the high-octane back!" said Elba, announcing the show's renewal. Alongside the show's storyline for its second season, when Hijack will return hasn't yet been announced, and neither have any co-stars that'll feature opposite the series' The Harder They Fall, Fast and Furious: Hobbs & Shaw, The Suicide Squad and Thor: Ragnarok alum leading man. Fingers crossed that whatever the scenario, and whoever else features on-screen, another quickly addictive nail-biter results, even if you'd expect that it won't focus on Idris Elba on a plane again. Check out the trailer for Hijack season one below: Hijack streams via Apple TV+ — and season two doesn't yet have a release date. Read our full review of season one.
Minimalist Aussie clothing designer Assembly Label is expanding again, this time by opening up a permanent surplus store in Beaconsfield where you can nab discounted threads on the reg. To celebrate the shop's place in the label's growing empire, it's hosting a four-day warehouse sale this weekend, from Thursday, May 17 through to Sunday, May 20. This means the warehouse's samples and pieces from past seasons will be going at up to 70 percent off. That includes much needed jackets and knitwear for the coming winter months, plus denim, tops, shorts, pants, swimwear and accessories in both men's and women's designs. The label is known for its linen basics and relaxed coastal vibes that makes up the wardrobe of many a Sydneysider. The surplus store will be open this weekend from 9.30am–7pm on Thursday, 9.30am–530pm on Friday, 9am–5pm on Saturday, and 10am–5pm on Sunday. Once the sale is finished, the surplus store will return to its daily trade of discounted signature basics and seasonal releases, with styles restocked weekly.
Sydney's Taronga Zoo hasn't been humming with crowds over the past three months, given that it's been closed during the city's ongoing lockdown. It'll be roaring a little louder in its lion enclosure from now on, though. Back on Thursday, August 12, the zoo welcomed five African lion cubs — three females and two males — and this quintet of cuteness actually marks the first lion cubs to be born at the venue in more than 18 years. These little balls of fluff were born to experienced mum Maya and first-time dad Ato, and they've grown from weighing around 1.5 kilograms at birth to hitting the scales at between five and six kilograms now. As they've been growing, Taronga's staff have been keeping an eye on them via the zoo's CCTV cameras. And, if that sounds like a great way to spend your own day, you can now join them via a new 24/7 live-stream. Taronga already lets you fill your time staring at capybaras, seals, meerkats, otters, sumatran tigers, lions and elephants, all without leaving your home, thanks to its online TV channel. All those animals are all well and good. They're great, and they're very easy to spend too much time staring at, actually. But, because we all grew up watching The Lion King, we all have an extra fondness for lion cubs. The zoo's cub cam is doing things a little differently, however. This time, you'll need to make a tax-deductible donation of $7 to access the all-day camera footage. Your cash will then help support Taronga, its ongoing research and conservation programs, and its work to save African lions — and if you're able to, you can donate more if you like. There's your background viewing sorted. Popping the stream on in the background while you work from home suits these kinds of feeds, in fact, because sometimes the critters in the spotlight aren't in view. Or, in this case, those cubs like to sleep between 12–20 hours per day. Taronga Zoo Sydney and Taronga Western Plains Zoo Dubbo started their online streams in 2020, and they're back now for obvious reasons. Taronga is also releasing regular videos across its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels, and making keeper talks and other clips available online as well. To subscribe to Taronga Zoo's cub cam, head to the zoo's website. To check out Taronga TV, head to the channel's website — or keep an eye on its videos on its Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages.
Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from December 5–21, you can shop a curated selection of unique, handcrafted gifts from local artisans — including hand-blown glass and sterling silver jewellery by OR Design, nostalgic homewares by RetroKitchen and hand-printed apparel by b.carlon — at The Rocks' popular Christmas market. Featuring a wide range of handcrafted wares by local makers, this lively openair market will have all you need to tick off your holiday gift list. Between finding the perfect pressies, you can stay fuelled with woodfired pizza from Haberfield fave That's Amore, as well as paella, crepes and gozleme — whatever you choose, it's best enjoyed on the free picnic blankets and cushions under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. On Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 14, you can also take part in a gift-wrapping workshop to learn the Japanese technique of furoshiki, a traditional wrapping method that uses pre-loved fabrics to create reusable, zero-waste parcels. Images: Cassandra Hannagan
Australia and New Zealand haven't been treated to Beyoncé's Renaissance tour, but we are getting the next best thing: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ. The latest chance to worship the superstar on-screen was announced back in October and will hit cinemas worldwide in December. And, it will be arriving Down Under at the same time as the US: on Friday, December 1. What runs the movie world right now? Concert flicks, which are having a big-screen moment again. In the space of mere months, three huge examples of the genre are playing cinemas worldwide, much to the delight of folks who like getting their film and music fix in one go. First came Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour in October. In Australia, Talking Heads' Stop Making Sense, aka the best concert flick ever made, has returned to picture palaces since mid-November. Next, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will do the same — and it has dropped another trailer to celebrate. Beyoncé is no stranger to splashing her sets across a screen, after HOMECOMING: A Film By Beyoncé did exactly that on Netflix back in 2019. That movie covered the superstar singer's time on the Coachella stage, and came with a 40-track live album as well. This time, Bey is focusing on her 56-performance, 39-city world RENAISSANCE tour in support of the 2022 album of the same name. Now wrapped up after starting in Stockholm in Sweden in May and finishing in Kansas City, Missouri in the US on Sunday, October 1, the RENAISSANCE tour featured everything from 'Dangerously in Love 2', 'Cuff It', 'Formation' and 'Run the World (Girls)' to 'Crazy in Love', 'Love On Top', 'Drunk in Love' and 'America Has a Problem'. Given that audiences in Australia or New Zealand haven't experienced that setlist for themselves, with the tour skipping Down Under shows so far, RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ is the first chance for Bey fans in this part of the world to join in without heading overseas. "When I am performing, I am nothing but free," said Beyoncé in the concert film's initial trailer. "The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free," the musician continued, in a sneak peek that includes behind-the-scenes glimpses, crowd shots and, of course, spectacular concert footage. In the latest trailer, Beyoncé expands upon her daily challenge. "In this world that is very male-dominated, I've had to be really tough to balance motherhood and being on the stage," shares the singer. RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ charts the tour from its first show until its last, as well as the hard work and technical mastery that went into it on- and off-stage, as 2.7-million-plus fans have seen in person. Check out the latest trailer for RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ below: RENAISSANCE: A FILM BY BEYONCÉ will release in cinemas Down Under from Friday, December 1 — head to the film's website for tickets and further details. Images: Julian Dakdouk / Mason Poole.
It was a smash in Australia with Eryn Jean Norvill (Love Me) in the lead. When it made the leap to the UK starring Succession's Sarah Snook, it became the talk of London's West End, and also earned its one and only performer a 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her efforts. It's been picked up by Cate Blanchett's (Borderlands) production company Dirty Films to get the film treatment. And, now it's heading to Broadway. Sydney Theatre Company's version of The Picture of Dorian Gray keeps doing huge things — and its latest jump to the most-famous stage district there is will also keep Snook at its centre. She's making her Broadway debut playing all 26 of the play's parts, with the production hitting New York from March 2025. When STC's take on The Picture of Dorian Gray premiered in 2020 — and then also played theatres in Melbourne and Adelaide — it didn't just give Oscar Wilde's gothic-literature masterpiece a fresh spin; it turned it into a brand-new stage sensation. Not only does the show feature just one performer playing every single character but, to make that happen, it uses video to help. It's the work of writer/director Kip Williams, it's groundbreaking, and it's been understandably earning audiences raves and winning accolades. On the page, The Picture of Dorian Gray is exceptional, as well as astute and unnerving, as it follows the selling of its namesake's soul in order to keep indulging every corporeal whim, urge and desire. There's a reason that it just keeps getting adapted for the screen and in theatres, after all. But there's never been a version like Sydney Theatre Company's, which Broadway patrons now get to experience. "It was a singular privilege to bring The Picture of Dorian Gray to life in London and I am thrilled we will be able to share this astonishing production with audiences in New York," said Sarah Snook about the news. "From Oscar Wilde's timeless words to the masterful reinterpretation Kip Williams has created, this tale of virtue, corruption, vanity and repercussion is an electrifying journey for me as much as for the audiences, and I am filled with anticipation as we continue on this ambitious creative endeavour." "I was so humbled by the response from audiences in London to The Picture of Dorian Gray, and I could not be more thrilled to be bringing this work to Broadway. It has been extraordinary to witness the way Oscar Wilde's story continues to resonate with people today," added Williams. "I am so excited for audiences in New York to experience our show and to see the tour-de-force performance Sarah Snook gives in bringing to life the many characters in this new adaptation of Wilde's remarkable story." Check out the trailer for the Broadway season of The Picture of Dorian Gray below: The Picture of Dorian Gray will play Broadway in New York from March 2025 — for more information and to join the waitlist for tickets, head to the play's website. Images: Marc Brenner.
While an indulgent night of pasta and wine can be an absolute treat, who doesn't love a quick, affordable bite to eat? After nailing the former for the past decade with his restaurant group Totti's and the beloved Pinbone before that, chef Mike Eggert has turned his attention to the latter with his new CBD restaurant Oti'. Open in the former Lorraine's Patisserie shop just off George Street, Oti' specialises in two beloved staples of the quick, no-fuss culinary experience — pizza by the slice and sandwiches. Sambos start from $15, while pizza are available from $12 a slice. A welcome addition to the CBD's late-night feed options, Oti' is keeping the kitchen firing until midnight Thursday–Saturday each week (if stocks last until then). The menu is ever-changing, but you can expect plenty of classic Italian ingredients loaded between slices of schiacciata or piled on top of the thick, fluffy Roman-style pizza basses. Prosciutto, salami, mortadella, olives, capers and plenty of vegetarian-friendly fillings will be making appearances — as well as a range of eight different kinds of cheese, including Totti's signature burrata. If you want to browse the day's menu before heading in, head to the Oti' Instagram page for its daily offerings.
Sydney's love affair with gelato is no secret. And while the bigger players dominate much of the attention, the smaller businesses, like Redfern's Ciccone & Sons, are harbouring some of the city's most lickable delights. Things are more pared back here; less chaotic than the brightly-lit cousins with the laundry list of flavours. Ciccone's menu, displayed on an old-school red felt letter board, is limited to ten flavours that change depending on what is in the on-site churner. It is serious about quality ingredients; the creamier flavours like stracciatella, honeycomb and chocolate use jersey milk from Sungold Milk (part of Australia's oldest dairy company). Pepe Saya provides the dairy behind popular flavours mascarpone and strawberry and buttermilk. In summer, things lean a little more to the fresh and fruity side with coconut and watermelon granitas and sorbettos making an appearance. The gelataria has also started experimenting with unique soft-serve flavours, including lemon cheesecake and Eton Mess. The store has limited seating — wooden benches along each wall — and is filled with whimsical items like vintage posters and hand-stitched bunting. From the product to the service, the entire operation is honest and no-nonsense. When asked whether the store has a family name (seems like a legitimate question, right?), co-owner Sean O'Brien gives the dead-pan answer: "No, it's Madonna's surname". Fair enough. Images: Kitti Gould
We can't think of a much better way to launch into the sunny season than a day spent on an island, gorging on delicious food and wine. With that we say bring on Wine Island 2018, which will take over Sydney's Clark Island for an indulgent weekend of wine tasting from November 2–4. As always, the well-loved food and wine festival promises a packed lineup, starting with the glass of Italian bubbly you'll enjoy on the boatride over. The island itself is set up as the ultimate boozy adult playground, between the Pimms Garden Bar, the Gage Roads Brewing Co. Beer Garden, and Archie Rose's gin cocktail bar. There'll also be a swag of masterclasses curated by the team at Wine Selectors, covering everything from the art of music and wine matching, to a dessert session helmed by 12 Micron's Ashley Smith. Swing by the chill-out zone to pair some top-notch vino with even better views, or cruise the various wine stalls sampling a huge array of local and international drops. And, to keep you fuelled for that big day of wine appreciation, expect food options galore, from oysters and cheese platters, to buns from your mates at Chur Burger. There are three Wine Island ticket packages available, starting with the $99 'five-star experience', which includes ferry transfers, five tastings, a souvenir tumbler and a glass of bubbly. If you're feel extremely opulent you can pay $399 and experience the whole thing from a superyacht.
Head chef of the iconic Icebergs Dining Room and Bar, Alex Prichard is bringing his expertise (and two hats) from Bondi to Potts Point on Saturday, April 13. Prichard will pop up at Snack Kitchen for the venue's first event to bring you a perfectly decadent and nostalgic menu of innovative small plates. From wagyu arrosticini to 'Party Pies' filled with kangaroo tail ragu and even a Fairy Bread gelato macron for dessert, think classics with a twist. [caption id="attachment_949865" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied[/caption] The Snack menu allows you to sample every one of Prichard's creations and return for more. So be sure to head down to Snack Kitchen, 1/95 Macleay St, Elizabeth Bay, this Saturday. If you do miss out, the pop-up specials will be on the menu for the following week. [caption id="attachment_949867" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Photo: Jason Lucas[/caption]
At one point or another, you've probably found yourself in the Sydney CBD at 3am — but, we're certain you haven't been at Mr Wong at witching hour. Well, at least not in the building's current iteration. The Merivale dumpling master is throwing it back to the venue's former life as Tank Nightclub, hosting an adults-only, after-dark party this winter. Running from midnight till 3am on Friday, June 11, Midnight Feast will see the Bridge Lane restaurant come alive with DJs, entertainment, cocktails and, of course, dim sum until the early hours. This is sure to book out fast, so get tickets while you can.
A veteran of Bondi Road, Sam's was one of the suburb's first fully organic food distributors over 20 years ago, and it remains a trailblazer of the health-conscious meat movement that provides for the best Bondi barbecues. The owner himself is always behind the counter, ready to chat, and accompanied by a gorgeous selection of hanging meats; he has an intimate knowledge of the produce in-store and is happy to guide you. This pristine, white-tiled butchery has a surprisingly warm feeling to it, with crowded tables stacked to the max and everything from artisan foie gras to honeycomb tripe. Locals trust Sam to always stocks the best — so come with an open mind (and an empty stomach).
The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through raw visual journalism and storytelling. The organisation was founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their work to an international audience. Since then, the contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition and global travelling exhibition. The 67th edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition has hit Sydney for 2024 at the State Library of NSW, displaying from until Sunday, July 7. The winners from this year's contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed 61,062 photographs by 3851 photographers from 130 countries — and while the exhibition only showcases a selection, get ready to peer at the best of the best. [caption id="attachment_961797" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The Gay Space Agency © Mackenzie Calle.[/caption] At the free exhibition, attendees can spy eye-catching images in a heap of categories, including contemporary issues, the environment, general news, nature, portraits and sports. No matter which corner of the earth these photos are capturing, or what's filling the frame, both the winners and other highlights comprise a stunning bunch of imagery — some arresting in their beauty, some hauntingly striking, many pivotally important. Two Australians feature in this year's winners, too, with Eddie Jim from The Age and Sydney Morning Herald and Aletheia Casey both recognised in southeast Asia and Oceania. [caption id="attachment_961796" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Saving the Monarchs © Jaime Rojo, for National Geographic.[/caption] Top images: A Lost Place © Aletheia Casey // Red Skies, Green Waters © Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, for The New York Times.
After months of sticking to a comfort-first uniform of trackies and activewear, it's time to start thinking about our wardrobes again. Restrictions are lifting and we're preparing for a season of long-awaited catch-ups, rescheduled events and all-round good times. In a case of perfect timing, one of Australia's biggest fashion events is back to help us return to our social lives in style. This year, the annual shopping extravaganza Vogue American Express Fashion's Night Out is going virtual to become Fashion's Night In, with a bunch of online experiences and shopping offers. From October 15–24, you can expect style masterclasses and deals galore — including an incredible exclusive offer for eligible American Express Card Members at participating retailers. Plus, we've picked out some other deals that you shouldn't miss during this ten-day online event. SNAG A FRONT-ROW SEAT TO THE SHOPPABLE RUNWAY SHOW Fashion fiends will know the agony of falling in love with an item on the runway and then having to wait forever for it to become available in store. Well, not this time. To kick off this ten-day shopping event with a bang, Vogue and American Express will host an online runway show at 1pm on Friday, October 15 in which you can shop any look you love directly from the event live-stream. A bunch of Aussie designers and retailers are taking part, and there'll be looks available for all your upcoming summer events — from balmy beachside hangs to steamy date nights. GET PREPPED FOR PARTY SEASON Spring and summer have always been chock-full of social events, but we suspect this year will be busier than ever. Alongside the usual stuff — end-of-year work bashes and festive celebrations — there'll also be a tsunami of rescheduled birthdays, weddings, gigs and more. If you're in need of some style advice ahead of this party season, sign up for the free Vogue American Express Party Dressing 101 Workshop on Sunday, October 17 at 7pm. Vogue Australia's Director of Digital Strategy and E-Commerce Francesca Wallace will be joined by Sydney fashion influencer Nadia Fairfax-Wayne to chat about everything from upcoming trends and how to dress for certain events to the brands you should have on your radar and pieces worth investing in. STAY AHEAD OF THE SEASONAL TRENDS Forgotten how to dress for the outside world? Fallen behind on the latest trends because you couldn't really take part while stuck at home? No stress. On Tuesday, October 19 at 1pm, join American Express and Vogue Australia's Kaila Matthews (Fashion and Market Editor) and Alice Birrell (Fashion Features Director) for The Hit List: Summer Trends Masterclass. The duo will be giving you the lowdown on the clothes and accessories that you'll be seeing everywhere in the next few months. SPLURGE ON SOMETHING NEW FOR YOU — OR GET A JUMP ON CHRISTMAS GIFTING In addition to the excellent style advice that Fashion's Night In will be dishing out, it's also got you sorted for the next step: the shopping. More than 150 Australian and international brands have signed up to offer special deals and discounts across the ten-day event which you can find the details of on the website. Plus, a bunch of brands are part of the exclusive Amex Card Member offer. You can refresh your wardrobe by buying some new threads from the likes of Aje, Myer, David Jones, Calvin Klein, Ben Sherman, French Connection, Lacoste, Peter Jackson and Saba. Or, if it's your pad that needs a spruce after spending so much time in it over the past few months, check out Jo Malone, Sheridan, Tiffany & Co and Hermes, which are included in the Amex Card Member offer. Vogue American Express Fashion's Night In is taking place October 15–24, 2021. For more information on the exclusive Card Member Offer, head to the American Express website. Top image: We Are Kindred, Cassandra Hannagan
Sometimes an exhibition gets gallery patrons exploring one artist's work. Sometimes it pays tribute to a specific person, heads back to a certain chapter of the past, or fills walls and halls around a theme. A particular object might be in the spotlight, or a movie franchise. Then there's The NBA Exhibition, which will celebrate hoop dreams and all things basketball when it makes its first-ever Australian visit. After premiering in Warsaw, Poland in 2021, The NBA Exhibition will bounce into Brisbane from Thursday, November 9 — and bound through basketball history at the same time. Catnip for fans of Air and Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, this sports-focused showcase is big in scope and size, surveying the culture of hopping onto the court and the lifestyle that goes with basketball, too, in a hefty two-level display. Visitors will traverse 1000 square metres and make their way through 20 themed sections. Created with the National Basketball Association, The NBA Exhibition aims to lure in b-ball diehards, casual followers and folks that haven't thought about the sport since their school PE lessons alike — and attendees of all ages. Looking at basketball memorabilia is part of the presentation, but so is throwing a ball around yourself and, thanks to the virtual and augmented reality aspect of the showcase, taking snaps with your favourite NBA players. So, you can get a photo with the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, too — aka the coveted prize that each year's NBA Finals' winner receives — and shoot hoops, see how far you can jump and test your reflexes as well. Fancy a picture showing that you can slam dunk, even if you can't? There's a section of The NBA Exhibition for that. Eager to watch NBA highlights using VR goggles? That's also on the agenda. Keen to get surrounded by iconic NBA moments? That's what the infinity room is for. With names like Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal obviously featuring — and Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as well — other elements of The NBA Exhibition include a heap of balls and shoes on display; footwear and hand prints from past and present players; art that was commissioned for a pop-up NBA Gallery exhibit in Sydney in 2022, featuring Australian and First Nations artists; and celebrating NBA players that've made the jump from Australia, which is likely to feature Patty Mills, Ben Simmons, Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze and more. Brisbane's Queens Plaza will host The NBA Exhibition's debut Aussie stop — just as it did with The Art of Banksy: Without Limits, which also hails from entertainment platform Fever, earlier in 2023 — with details of any future stints elsewhere around the country not yet revealed. The NBA Exhibition will display at Queens Plaza, 226 Queen Street, Brisbane from Thursday, November 9 — head to the exhibition's website for further details and to join the ticket waitlist.
When asked about casting her mother, The Power of the Dog filmmaker and two-time Oscar-winner Jane Campion, in a cameo in her directorial debut Bad Behaviour, Alice Englert gives a playful answer: "a star is born". Given that Englert's leap from acting to helming her first feature focuses on a mum and daughter both working in the film industry, there's much that's impish about the movie anyway. This isn't an autobiographical picture. Among the many things that Bad Behaviour is, however — an exploration of mother-daughter relationships, clearly, plus a dive into spiritual retreats, the quest to find oneself and fulfilment, grappling with whether anyone is ever enough, passive aggression, trauma and stunt performers, to name a few of its threads — is a musing on stories. It straddles two worlds where everyone tells tales: screens and wellness. It knows that we're all just spinning narratives to get through the day, too, and it has fun digging into that truth. There's an easy tale behind Campion taking to the screen for Englert: when the Ginger & Rosa, Beautiful Creatures, Them That Follow, Ratched and You Won't Be Alone star first stood in front of a camera herself, it was in Campion's 2006 short The Water Diary. "Yeah, I did want her in the film. I don't really know why. She always was putting me in stuff and I wanted to get her back," Englert jokes. Again, Bad Behaviour isn't a dramatisation of their relationship, but that's still a fitting answer for this film. So is this: "I liked working for my mum when I did because it was a time where I could just do what she said — and that's all she wanted anyway so, well, now I'm doing it," Englert continues. Bad Behaviour builds its story around actor Lucy (Jennifer Connelly, Top Gun: Maverick) and stunt performer Dylan (Englert herself, who not only directs and acts but also wrote the feature's script). The former came to fame as a child star decades back and is far from content with where that fact has led her, while the latter has followed her mother into the industry in her own fashion. They're apart when the film begins — Lucy is checking herself into an Oregon retreat called Loveland Ranch, while Dylan is shooting a movie in New Zealand — but more than geography has separated them for some time. Amid a complicated connection, plus the type of acts and attitudes that the movie's title references, searching for inner peace isn't limited to Lucy's time under guru Elon Bello's (Ben Whishaw, Women Talking) guidance, then, and nor is unburdening life's struggles, troubles and disappointments. Viewers are meant to see where Englert is riffing on her own history, using it as scaffolding to construct a wholly different tale. Bad Behaviour's audience is also meant to connect to similarities between making meaning on-screen and seeking it away from the lights and cameras, as Lucy and Dylan are both navigating. The playful nod that casting Connelly brings as an ex-child actor stepping into the same fictional shoes isn't something that Englert went looking for, though. That fact tells a tale itself: this is a movie that just kept finding ways to examine a "meta world of pretend", as Englert puts it, including both on-screen and -off. As a filmmaker, Englert takes to her job as someone who has clearly soaked up a lifetime's worth of on-set knowledge; growing up when your mum is making The Portrait of a Lady, Holy Smoke, In the Cut and Bright Star — and then having her cast you in Top of the Lake and The Power of the Dog — will do that. She also pens Bad Behaviour's script with certainty and boldness, all while using Caravaggio's Medusa as inspiration. Watching her film about two women who are screaming even when they're not, it's easy to see how the evocative 16th-century painting provided a spark. Raw emotion beats at the heart of this movie, and within the famed artwork that helped Englert start to mould it. Mother-daughter dynamics, Medusa, the stories we tell, being "obsessed with Jennifer", giving difficult characters a realistic path, being influenced by Buster Keaton — along with how directing Campion "was so fun", Englert chatted through all of this and more with Concrete Playground. ON FINDING INSPIRATION FOR BAD BEHAVIOUR IN ART, CHILDHOOD NIGHTMARES AND COMPLEX CHARACTERS "There's this Caravaggio painting of the Medusa head, and there's something in her expression — I'd seen it somewhere when I was a kid, and it was one of those things that I would really try not to think about before I fell asleep because it just had this really compelling and repulsive nightmare quality that seemed to demand my attention, and also just rivet me with fear. The older I got, the more I wanted to know what that woman feels like now. And the more I felt like I could see these embedded rage shrapnels in the swirlings of people around me, I was just fascinated by it because it felt internalised and embedded, but it didn't feel like it belonged necessarily in those people. I wanted to talk about the kind of narratives that people are carrying in their lives that they need an exorcism from, and how difficult it actually is to do that in a kind, clean way. And I wanted to see what it looked like for someone who was not really redemptive to still have a cathartic moment. I think a lot of villainous characters or antiheroes maybe exist a lot more in a superhero realm — or a villain will turn right at the end of the story, just in time, but then they'll also get killed conveniently. And I love hero's journeys. I love adventure. I want life to be really stimulating all the time. But I also want it to be real. I kept trying to go against myself, I guess — my instinct is to just want to be good and want to be heroic, and want things to work. I can feel that this doesn't [always prove the case]. It's not real. There's always going be a time where you're the villain in someone else's story, where you you play the full spectrum. I wanted to spend a lot of time with a character that was just incredibly in the wrong in what they do and still see what's there, because I think that's actually important." ON DIGGING INTO WHY BEHAVING BADLY AND MAKING MISTAKES DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE A BAD PERSON "I wanted to only dig as deep as the story could allow, because one of the things I've experienced in trying to write things — and in being in stuff — is that when you try to solve every issue, or if you try to solve the whole world, you get too heavy-handed and you you start to make things up. You sort of do bad science. And I really wanted to leave it where Lucy and and Dylan, where those characters were capable of going in this story. And I think it's not even that far. There's a lot more work. This is really the beginning for them. But it's the first taste of the depths of how much they could have compassion for themselves and each other." ON SETTING BAD BEHAVIOUR WITHIN THE FILM AND WELLNESS WORLDS "I feel like the film world and the enlightenment industrial complex frontier line, they're actually kind of similar, and also opposite. Like film is — you're suddenly off with this little cocoon of people, and you have these deep experiences and closeness and you feel really seen, but you're also seeing them without context. What you're seeing, there's a performance of who you are in the realm of the set, and there's then also the performance of what you're doing. It's also somewhere where a lot of people who do film in that part of the job, I think, maybe feel like they can express themselves in a way in which they feel maybe is a stronger language for them. Growing up, I always thought my mum was super fluent in her film world. She was a master linguist. They're [Bad Behaviour's characters] also in the film world, creating stories, creating all of the legends and the lore — and then in the spiritual retreat, they're all trying to get out from it, they're trying to get out of the stories and finally let it go, and experience the intimacy of not knowing each other or not being anybody. I wanted the tension of those two worlds. I like Buster Keaton and physical comedy, I just find it endearing. And I felt like Lucy and Dylan were just doing a classic [bit] — they've sort of got an elastic band around them, and they're both pulling away and then get slapped back together in a heap." ON EXPLORING EXISTENCES SHAPED BY FILMMAKING, INCLUDING ENGLERT'S OWN "The meta world of pretend has just been something that I've been fascinated by, and it not just in the film world — it's everywhere. Everyone's an actor, because just believing something is true — we believe all kinds of different things, but believing it is true doesn't make it true. It makes you act like it's true, and we're all in different levels of it. And I don't know exactly what is true, but I'm on my own path with it. I love that play aspect that film has, and that I think everybody has. I definitely feel like it was influenced by that for me. And everyone, we all like stories. It's how we make the world go round. It's how we manage to walk down the street and be like 'people on the street, I'm on the street'. Some of our everyday stories are not written extremely well, like 'off to the shop now', but it's still a story —'I'm a shopping person'." ON NOT SETTING OUT TO CAST A FORMER CHILD ACTOR TO PLAY A FORMER CHILD ACTOR "Actually I didn't, because also I would have felt a little heavy-handed if I did. But I feel so incredibly lucky because I think that experience is really specific. I was more of a teenager when I started. But you experience grown-ups and what they want from you, you're meant to do what grown-ups say, and then suddenly they're treating you like one — or suddenly they just blur all the lines and you don't know where your role in it all is. There's really great people. I've had great experiences as well. But I know that there's lot of really good conversation around what we expect of our legends. Sometimes when you just think about the way people end up having to be attached to the idea of themselves, it's more like they're following the idea of themselves around than they are getting to be themselves. It's like everybody else has already created such a mythology around who someone is. I'm obviously not — I'm a low-level player in all this, but I've seen it and it's just a weird thing. It's just weird, and I think lots of people really maintain it and look after their life by having a sort of secret life with just people who they love. I just think Jennifer's such a massive talent and incredible person as well — just extremely smart and kind, and from the inside out I really love her. I really love her. Yeah, I really love her." Bad Behaviour is currently screening in Australian and New Zealand cinemas. Read our review. Behind-the-scenes images: Rebecca McMillan / Marc Weakly.
Sydney Festival is back for the summer of '24 and it's setting up a waterfront arts precinct at Walsh Bay. This physical strip of the program is called The Thirsty Mile. On offer there: theatre and art, cabaret and dance, bars and speakeasies, and also a late-night club Moonshine Bar. As part of The Thirsty Mile's program, dance music and party-throwing legends Astral People are doing a series of parties — and here's one worth bookmarking immediately. Head to Moonshine Bar on Saturday, January 13 and you'll be treated to a performance from genre-bending multi-instrumentalist Nabihah Iqbal. Fans of pop-tinged rock music in any shape or form just need to listen to Iqbal's track 'This World Couldn't See Us' and you'll be immediately hooked on the fast-rising British musician. Iqbal's first-ever show Down Under will be presented by Astral People as well as local South Asian creative collective Kerfew. The Sydney-based group explore stories of the Australian South Asian diaspora through music and art, and will be continuing the party outside Iqubal's performance via the DJ decks.
Since starting up in 2017, Sydney's first vegan market has held countless successful events. Luckily for all of Sydney's vegans, it's back post-COVID-19. Returning from Sunday, October 18, the socially distanced market has over 100 stalls selling cruelty-free food, drinks, homewares, arts and fashion. Conscientious consumers can wander through the stalls at the Entertainment Quarter on the third Sunday of each month, completely free to sample, sip, browse and buy, without having to worry one iota about flesh or leather . For the most part, is all about food. Across the stalls, you can expect to see Sydney's most popular vegan brands, peddling everything from vegan sausage rolls and vegan fried chicken snack packs to vegan cinnamon scrolls and fluffy doughnuts. When you're done eating and drinking, you can spend time perusing fashion and homewares or kicking back to live entertainment. As usual, the market is free of single-use plastic and marketgoers are encouraged to BYO containers and cups. Plus, it's dog-friendly — so your four-legged friend can enjoy a day out, too. Sydney Vegan Market runs from 9am–4pm. Images: Milad K.
Daylesford is a haven of spa retreats, friendly pubs, roaring fireplaces and mountainous beauty. Nestled into the foothills of the Great Dividing Range and just a stone's throw from the healing powers of Hepburn Springs, it's lovely at anytime of year, but winter brings a special kind of magic. Rather than feeling like you should be out, relentlessly doing, you can shamelessly surrender to warm, cosy, heartening indulgences — from soaking in hot tubs filled with nutrient-rich mineral water to sipping craft ales by a roaring fire. Here's your guide to winter decadence in Daylesford and its neighbouring towns. Winter slips by quicker than you think, so make plans soon. WHERE BREAKFAST MEETS DESSERT The French sure know how to do a winter's breakfast: with hot chocolate. Follow their lead at the Chocolate Mill, a strawbale marvel 7km north of Daylesford that produces handmade chocolates. Peer into the open kitchen to witness the creators in action before claiming a table at the Hot Chocolate Cafe. Next stop, real breakfast. You'll get it with a stone fireplace at Moto Bean Coffee Roasters in Malmsbury, about 30 kilometres' north-east of Daylesford. Formerly a farmer's barn, this epic, industrial-inspired cafe is dotted with classic motorbikes and dedicated to roasting coffee beans. Tuck into an apple hotcake with whipped honey mascarpone, walnut crumbs and baby herbs. FUEL UP BY THE FIRE Come lunchtime, head to the Farmers Arms, where you can hide away in a booth or soak up some rays in the beer garden, accompanied by your dog. The menu is all about fancied-up pub classics, such as roasted pork belly with mash, broccolini, Harcourt apple cider jelly and red wine jus. Another spot where it's easy to while away a winter's afternoon is the Cosmopolitan in Trentham. This gorgeous 1866 pub, encircled by weatherboard verandahs, was rebuilt in 2009 following a 2005 fire. The extensive craft beer and local wine lists will keep you sampling for hours, plus, on Sundays, there's live music. Eats are gastropub-style — think smoked duck breast with grilled witlof, beans, kipflers, hazelnuts, sherry vinegar and maple dressing. If you want to treat yourself, then swing over to Kyneton – about 30km north-west – for dinner. At Source Dining, owner-chef Tim Foster serves up hatted creations, accompanied by a wine list that holds two Australian Wine List of the Year Glasses. Try the local beef tartare, with pickled farm beetroot, beetroot mayonnaise, cured yolk, fresh horseradish, salt and vinegar kale, and potato chips. Most produce comes straight from the kitchen garden. Alternatively, there are excellent woodfired pizzas at Olive Jones in Macedon. SOAK AND SINK INTO SPAS Every visit to Daylesford should involve a long, long soak in Hepburn Springs' warm, nutrient-rich mineral waters. Victorians have been onto this since 1895, when Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa was built. The complex, which scored a $13-million revamp in 2008, hosts two social pools, as well as private tubs for those keen to rejuvenate in peace. Once you've bathed, try drinking the waters: various springs are dotted around Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve. Alternatively, at Salus Day Spa at Lake House Hotel, sink into a deep tub in a treehouse, surrounded by blonde timber and lush greenery. Also in Hepburn Springs is Shizuka Ryokan, a Japanese wellness retreat, inspired by ryokans: ancient inns where samurai warriors would go to rest and reflect. Don a kimono and wander around the minimalist grounds before settling in for a spa treatment – be it a Geisha facial based on 1200-year-old techniques or a shiatsu massage. FINE INDOOR PURSUITS Now that you're thoroughly relaxed, it's time to get arty at the Convent Gallery, a mansion turned convent turned gallery. Or get your hands dirty with a sourdough-making workshop at RedBeard Historic Bakery, Trentham, where the results will be baked in a massive 19th-century oven. If that sounds like too much thinking, get even more relaxed with a wine tasting session at Passing Clouds' stunning cellar door in Musk, just five minutes' drive from town, before continuing to Daylesford Cider Company for mulled ciders, made with organic apples, by the fire. THE COSIEST SLEEP SPOTS One of the hands-down best things about winter is snuggling in bed, ensconced in doonas, woollen blankets and piles of pillows. Add a roaring fire, and there's no going anywhere. Luckily, Daylesford and its surrounds are packed with dreamy retreats. At the luxe end of the scale is Clifftop At Hepburn, where private villas come with spectacular views, spas, stone hot tubs, massage chairs and fireplaces. Another collection of beautiful villas surrounded by bushland is Kudos. These architect-designed wonders offer fireplaces and spa areas that open onto private decks. To step back in time, sleep over at Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel, built in 1935. There's a day spa onsite, with mineral water baths, heated to 37 degrees Celsius, stunning Italian gardens and Stuart Rattle-designed lounges, splashed with marble, leather and polished wood. Rooms vary from cosy classics to a four-bedroom villa built in 1864. For a stay in downtown Daylesford, book at Frangos. Think high ceilings, spa baths and quirky touches, such as hand-embroidered pillows, mirror walls and velvet bed heads. There's also an in-house Endota Spa. To explore more winter indulgences in the Daylesford region and get booking, visit the Wander Victoria website. Top image: Peppers Mineral Springs Hotel.
Throughout the history of Australian film and television, plenty of movies and shows have thrust their characters into the Aussie outback. That's exactly why the country's sunburnt expanse is so recognisable, with our dusty ochre-hued deserts common on-screen fodder. Upright follows the trend, but it also carves its own path through a crowded field — with Lucky Flynn (comedian Tim Minchin) trying to take his family's upright piano from Sydney to Perth, and crossing paths with runaway Meg (Milly Alcock) in his eventful travels. Minchin also helped develop Upright, co-wrote the eight-episode show and co-directed two episodes, so he's part of the series in a big way. He's in stellar company behind the scenes, too, with Upright created and co-written by Chris Taylor from The Chaser, and co-directed by Noise, Felony and A Month of Sundays filmmaker Matthew Saville.
Native is quite possibly the healthiest cafe on the south coast — and also one of the tastiest. Perched on Ulladulla's pretty harbour, this eatery serves up dishes loaded with superfoods and veggies grown by neighbours. If you're an early riser, you're in luck. Brekkie begins at 6.30am, which means it comes with incredible coastal sunrises. Spice up your morning with fried eggs, corn, chilli, guacamole, turtle beans, coriander and house-made flatbread. Or start sweetly with a mango chia pot, packed with passionfruit, coconut milk and roasted macadamias. Like a sleep in? You can also count on being looked after. Brekkie goes on all day, plus there's an additional menu. For a major health boost, tuck into the Red Salad, a mountain of mushies, radicchio, broccolini, freekeh, quinoa, pumpkin hummus and pomegranate dressing. Carnivores can swap the mushies for braised lamb. The coffee is Will & Co's Eight-O-Eight house blend, plus there are Mayde organic teas, turmeric lattes and a 'rosetta' latte: local milk infused with beetroot, hibiscus, ginger and maca.
Borambola Wines is a winery with history. Located in the Gundagai wine-growing region, it dates back 25 years to 1995, and it wraps around a homestead that was built in the late 19th century. Its paddocks were also once home to 1947 Melbourne Cup winner Hiraji, who was raised there, trained there and also spent its post-race life there as well. Given the latter fact, it's no wonder that one of Borambola's top drops is the Hiraji's Spell shiraz. Fruity in flavour, and with firm but light tannins, it's a flavoursome yet smooth wine. And, it's just one of the 100-percent estate-grown vinos on the company's list, with its range extending to chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, rosé, cabernet sauvignon and sparkling brut (and, to beer and cider as well). Wine lovers can make the trip to Borambola's picturesque site for tastings by appointment, with sips on offer seven days a week — and for tours as well. The venue also hosts events, functions and weddings.
This year, Australia's arts calendar is steadily making up for lost time, compensating for all of 2020's missed gigs, exhibitions and experiences with a slew of brand new large-scale festivals and events. And, plenty of them are arriving this winter — including Rising, Melbourne's latest addition; Sydney Solstice, which will take over Vivid's usual June slot this year; and Illuminate Adelaide, which has just unveiled its first program reveal. Kicking off on Friday, July 16 and delivering 17 jam-packed days of music, art and light, Illuminate Adelaide kicks promises to fire up all of the South Australian city's senses. On the bill: a diverse lineup of installations, collaborations, world-premiere works and tech-driven immersive experiences, which should help fill locals' calendars and also tempt folks across the rest of Australia to SA for a mid-year getaway. In total, there'll be more than 150 installations, performances and events, including 41 world premieres. Helping to launch the festival's inaugural Luminary Artists in Residence program, legendary electronic act The Avalanches will take part in five events throughout Illuminate Adelaide. They'll perform their debut album Since I Left You live with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, present an art exhibition exploring the works that influenced their most recent album We Will Always Love You and descend on the outdoor music stage for a massive DJ set to help soundtrack the closing block party. In between all of that, Robbie Chater and Tony Di Blasi will also chat about their career, and their residency will include Michaela Gleave and Fausto Brusamolino's sky-high Messages of Hope, Messages of Love as well. Innovative light shows and illuminated works feature heavily throughout the program, starting with Light Cycles — an Aussie debut from Canada's Moment Factory that's set to transform the Adelaide Botanic Gardens with two kilometres of light projections, lasers, sound and special effects across each night of the festival. Adelaide Zoo will come alive after dark with a series of enchanting interactive animal installations for Light Creatures, while Van Gogh Alive, a multi-sensory digital art immersion from the minds behind The Lume, will let you experience the works of Van Gogh like never before. And City Lights will see a range of acclaimed artists transform the CBD into an after-dark art trail, featuring over 40 free site-specific works from kaleidoscopic projections to a giant inflatable deconstructed rainbow in Rundle Mall. [caption id="attachment_806650" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Light Creatures, A Blanck Canvas[/caption] The Adelaide Film Festival has jumped on board, collaborating on two world premiere VR works to be screened in a specially designed dome inside Queen's Theatre. And Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute is set to team up with Music SA for Kinara — a free celebration of art and culture led by a cast of groundbreaking First Nations artists. You'll also catch freshly commissioned public artworks by the likes of South Australia's own Jason Sims, dig into unique music experiences from acts such as Paul Grabowsky AO and head to the reimagined Adelaide Festival of Ideas, too. And, on the final weekend, Illuminate Adelaide wraps up with a bang, dishing up a high-energy block party dubbed MAAD (Music & Art After Dark). Galleries and venues across the West End will come alive with gigs from a broad-ranging lineup of emerging and well-known talent, along with more exhibitions, short film screenings and light installations. The inaugural Illuminate Adelaide runs from July 16–August 1. Check out the festival's website for the full program and to grab tickets. Images: North Forest Lights at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Moment Factory; Airship Orchestra, ENESS.
When the Queensland Government reported a new community case of COVID-19 in Brisbane last week, other Australian states were quick to change their health advice and border requirements. Now that the Greater Brisbane region is heading into a new three-day lockdown from today, Monday, March 29 — and now that the area has seven local cases — authorities across the rest of the country are responding again. Brisbanites (which includes residents of the Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Ipswich, Redlands and Logan local government areas) can't travel anywhere until at least 5pm AEST on Thursday, April 1. But, if you were thinking of heading elsewhere after that — presuming that lockdown ends when it's slated to — you might need to change your plans. If you're located in another part of Australia and you'll soon be travelling to the Sunshine State, you might need to adjust as well — or prepare to quarantine upon your return. https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1376416282526949383 New South Wales hasn't changed its border rules, but it does have testing and quarantine requirements for anyone who visited specified Byron Bay venues over the weekend — as they were also attended by two of Queensland's new COVID-19 cases. NSW also requires anyone who has been in Greater Brisbane since Saturday, March 20 but returned south to comply with Brisbane's lockdown conditions for the next three days. In terms of travel, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian advises that the state's residents don't go north. "We are not shutting down our border. We recommend people who were considering going to Greater Brisbane: change your plans. And, also consider changing your plans if you were travelling anywhere in Queensland, because we understand there have been some cases or potential cases outside of Greater Brisbane and throughout broader Queensland," the Premier said. In Victoria, under its traffic light system, Greater Brisbane has been declared a red zone. That change will come into effect at 6pm AEDT today, Monday, March 29. Accordingly, non-Victorian residents will not be allowed to enter Victoria without an exception, specified worker permit, transit permit, freight worker permit or exemption. Victorian residents who are currently in or have been in a red zone can apply for a red zone permit to make their way back home, but you'll then have to self-quarantine for 14 days from the day you return. https://twitter.com/VicGovDH/status/1376391478109343745 Over in Western Australia, the state is putting its hard border back in place with the entirety of Queensland, effective 12.01am on Tuesday, March 30. The state will be designated a medium risk zone under WA's categorisation system, which means travel from Queensland will no longer be allowed if you've been in Queensland since Saturday, March 27 — unless you're deemed an exempt traveller (which applies to a very small list), then self-quarantine for 14 days and submit to testing multiple times. South Australia is implementing a hard border, too, but just with Greater Brisbane. Effective 4pm SA time today, Monday, March 29, only South Australians, essential workers or people genuinely relocating are allowed to enter the state from Greater Brisbane, and they'll need to quarantine for 14 days and get tested. The ACT has declared Greater Brisbane a hotspot, effective 6pm AEDT today, Monday, March 29. For non-ACT residents wishing to travel down from Brisbane, you'll now need an approved exemption from ACT Health. For residents coming back from Brisbane, you'll need to complete an online declaration form before leaving, and then quarantine for 14 days and get tested once you return. Tasmania won't allow entry from folks who've been to the Greater Brisbane area within 14 days of their arrival, except for people deemed essential travellers — and then you'll need to quarantine for 14 days. The Northern Territory now requires testing and quarantining under a number of circumstances, including anyone who has been in Brisbane or Moreton Bay since Saturday, March 20 (and from Friday, March 12 if you have any COVID-19 symptoms). If you've been in Ipswich, Logan, Redland City or Gladstone since Thursday, March 25 — or Toowoomba since Friday, March 26, or Byron Bay since Saturday, March 27 — the same applies. And, you'll need to quarantine until you receive a negative result. 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.
With every day that goes by, we get another day closer to Sydney WorldPride, and we discover more and more about the events we can look forward to. It's not just putting Sydney at the centre of the queer universe — it's also proving to be an excuse for some of the biggest parties this city has seen in years. We owe that to festival partners like Archie Rose Distilling Co. – they're partnering with venues across town to bring an extra kick to your Sydney WorldPride itinerary. First up is Hotel Ravesis. The Bondi mainstay is going all out with the first-floor Lounge Bar set to transform into a dedicated Pride bar – and they'll be slinging special cocktails seven days a week throughout the festival. Plus, there'll be plenty of glitter and gags at not one but two ticketed events: Drag superstar Philmah Bocks joins beloved Drag Race alum Jojo Zaho for weekly drag events at the Ravesis on Thursdays and Saturdays throughout Pride. Head over on Saturdays at 11am for Drag Brunch, where you can enjoy live entertainment from your fabulous hosts over Mediterranean-style share plates and signature Archie Rose cocktails. Plus you can enjoy a post-brunch dip if the weather calls for it. If you reserve that sort of energy for the evening, don't worry. Every Thursday from 6.30 to 9.30pm (February 16 to March 2) they'll also be hosting Drag Bingo, serving all the glitter, gags, entertainment and savage crowd work of the brunch, but this time you've also got to keep an ear out for your winning numbers. This is all complimented with Archie Rose cocktails — including a complimentary one on entry. [caption id="attachment_888351" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption] Meanwhile, across town, Archie Rose is also teaming up with Bar 83 for what could be the highest-altitude WorldPride celebrations of them all. If you're unfamiliar with Bar 83, it's the only bar in Sydney that sits 245 metres and 83 floors above street level in the Sydney Tower Eye. Throughout Pride you can enjoy signature Archie Rose cocktails and DJ performances from an international roster curated by Sydney rave royalty House of Mince every night of the week from Saturday, February 18 until Sunday, March 5. For more information on Sydney WorldPride, Drag Bingo, Drag Brunch or Bar 83 x Archie Rose, visit their respective websites.
Each week as Thursday night rolls around, the motivation to cook is difficult to find. The meals you prepped on Sunday are long gone and the weekend feels so close, yet so far. Luckily, Surry Hills' French bistro LoLuk is handling the cooking for you and rewarding you for making it through the week with all-you-can-eat moules frites for just $29 every Thursday. Enjoy endless fresh cooked mussels and crispy golden-brown fries until you're so full, you'll skip brekkie and lunch on Friday morning. The moules frites are served with your choice of three sauces: roquefort (blue cheese, cream and white wine reduction); provençal (tomato, garlic, white wine reduction, thyme and rosemary) or marinières (white wine reduction, cream, garlic, shallots and thyme). LoLuk also ensure that all the sauces come mixed with a healthy dash of love. The mussel feast kicks of at the Bourke Street bistro each Thursday from 6pm and continues until 10pm. Bookings can be made via Loluk Bistro website or by contacting the team at booking@loluk.com.au or on 7900 6251.
The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre is bringing in a very special guest for its ANZAC Day commemorative event. The Marrickville brewery will be hosting an intimate concert with one of Australia's most beloved songwriters as part of its April 25 program, alongside good beers, tasty snacks and, of course, two-up. You Am I's Tim Rogers will be hitting the Lucky Prawn Stage to perform hits from his nearly three-decade-long career, including tracks from the band's 12 studio albums and his five solo albums. In support, local singer-songwriter Babitha will be bringing her country twang to the stage off the back of her acclaimed debut album Brighter Side of Blue, which she released earlier this year. [caption id="attachment_854590" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Jessie-Ann[/caption] Tickets are $20 and only available for the first people to arrive on the day, with no passouts. Two-up will kick off at midday, so if you want to nab a spot, get down early and enjoy a couple of Patio Ales and snacks from the Lucky Prawn while you take part in the ANZAC Day tradition. Babitha will kick off at 4.30pm, followed by Tim Rogers at 6pm. All proceeds from entry fees will be donated to Legacy to support veterans' families. [caption id="attachment_570601" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Tim Rogers[/caption] Top image: The James Adams.
Call it Red Light, Green Light. Call it Statues. Call it Grandmother's Footsteps. Whichever name you prefer, how good are you at playing the game that gets folks a-sneaking, ideally without being caught? Now, how would you fare trying to creep forward while avoiding being spotted when Young-hee is lurking? Squid Game fans, if you visit Luna Park Sydney from this summer, you'll be able to find out. The Harbour City tourist attraction has announced the next experience that's heading to its big top, which has been hosting the dazzling projections of Dream Circus since relaunching after a revamp in late 2023. From Monday, December 16, 2024, just in time for the Christmas holidays and Squid Game season two's arrival on Netflix on Boxing Day, Squid Game: The Experience will get everyone playing Red Light, Green Light with Young-hee — and also busting out their marbles skills, then walking over the glass bridge. Get your green tracksuit ready. Front Man will be there to dare you to take the Squid Game challenges IRL, which obviously won't notch up a body count like in the series — and won't be televised like reality competition show Squid Game: The Challenge. Some games will be inspired by the Netflix program. Others will be brand new. You'll only know if Squid Game: The Experience takes any cues from the thriller's second season, though, if you drop by after Thursday, December 26. With the experience running Friday–Sunday weekly, players can take part individually, or in groups of up to 25. As you work through the challenges, which get harder as you go along, you'll earn points. Another difference from the series: if you get eliminated from a game, you'll still be able to take part in the challenges that follow. Alongside Red Light, Green Light, marbles and more, Squid Game: The Experience includes a post-game night market with Korean snacks on the menu thanks to SOUL Dining. Fingers crossed that there'll be sugar cookies as a snack. You'll also be able to nab some merchandise, such as clothes and collectibles, to take home. And yes, Young-hee has popped up Down Under before, with a 4.5-metre, three-tonne recreation of Squid Game's eerie animatronic figure with laser eyes making its presence known also in Sydney back in 2021. [caption id="attachment_975032" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Netflix[/caption] Squid Game: The Experience arrives at Luna Park Sydney, 1 Olympic Drive, Milsons Point, from Monday, December 16, 2024. Head to the venue's website for more information and to join the waitlist ahead of ticket sales from Tuesday, November 4, 2024.
The world has gone green. With carbon trading, hybrid cars and alternative fuels dominating elections and dining table chit-chat across the globe, the choice to be green is not simply an environmental consideration but a way of life for many people. Some environmentally-minded folks, however, have brought new meaning to the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure", transforming scrap metal and old beer cans into functional and often stunning houses. Here are ten bizarre and beautiful houses made entirely of recycled materials. Junk Castle Where: Washington State It took one high school teacher, one artist, $500 and a pile of discarded filth to make the Junk Castle, with everything from car doors to rusting kitchen appliances replacing the usual bricks and mortar. Le Casa de Botellas Where: Puerto Iguazu, Argentina The 'House of Bottles' is made from thousands of disposable plastic bottles for the purpose of "promoting ecological and social responsibility", and includes a matching bottle playhouse. Earthship Where: Haiti After the devastating 2010 Haiti Earthquake destroyed thousands of families' homes, eco-architect Michael Reynolds constructed this 120-square-foot house from discarded car tires. Not only did it cost next to nothing to build, but it is also resistant to earthquakes and hurricanes and harvests solar and wind energy. Jardin du Coquillage Where: Northern France 'The Garden of Shells' was a labour of love for French war veteran Bodan Litnianski, who upon returning from WWII began decorating the exterior of his house with shells. Upon finishing the walls, Litnianski then roamed the streets in search of abandoned toys, puppets and anything else that caught his fancy, transforming his tiny cottage into a veritable maze of colourful and exotic junk. House Built from Glass Bottles Where: Prince Edward Island, Canada 25,000 bottles were used by Édouard T. Arsenault to build this eco-friendly home. One wasn't enough though, with Arsenault making three similarly cost-effective houses across the island. Costa Verde Resort Where: Costa Rica This multi-million dollar extravaganza is one of the more innovative hotel designs you are likely to see, constructed from a decommissioned Boeing 727 previously used by South Africa Air. The striking exterior is more than adequately matched by its ritzy interior, in which the inside of the plane has been refashioned into wood panelled hotel rooms that fetch up to $500 a night. The Phoenix Commotion Where: Huntsville, Texas Architect, environmentalist and innovator Dan Phillips (above) is the brains behind eco-friendly construction company, The Phoenix Commotion. Having constructed 14 houses from materials salvaged from junkyards, flea markets and street corners across Texas, Phillips believes the possibilities for The Phoenix Commotion are just about endless. "You can't defy the laws of physics or building codes," Phillips told the New York Times, “but beyond that, the possibilities are endless.” The Beer Can House Where: Houston, Texas That's right, a house made entirely from flattened beer cans, beer bottles and other beer paraphernalia. Houston resident John Milkovisch became a local icon when in 1968 he began converting his family home into a shrine to the amber nectar. His only explanation for the hordes of perplexed neighbours was "I got sick of mowing the lawn". While it is now a favoured tourist attraction, it is only worth a visit if you are particularly strong of stomach, as 50 years of fermenting beer has apparently given the house a rather rancid stench. Houses Made From Shipping Pallets Where: Chile and Austria Designers in Chile and Austria have used discarded shipping pallets to create houses that are both functional and beautiful. The strong hardwood material and large holes in the pallets lend themselves perfectly for house exteriors providing homes with natural lighting, cooling and ventilation. Grain Silo House Where: Woodland, Utah Penny-saving, environmentally-conscious architects have been known to convert just about anything into houses, from churches to shipping containers to bomb shelters. One such trend that has developed in the US is repurposing grain silos into some surprisingly stylish homes. While this double-silo mansion took several years of redesigning and recreating, silos can be renovated into houses for as little as $7,000.
With its iconic steps sequence and distinctive use of montage, 1925 Soviet-made movie Battleship Potemkin changed the way the world thought about film. Making enduring efforts such as Solaris and Stalker, Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky also achieved the same feat during the '60s and '70s. And in 2003, roaming historical drama Russian Ark did too courtesy of a single 96-minute take. Yep, this was more than a decade before Birdman tried something similar. They're just some of the highlights of Russian film history, and there's more where they came from. In fact, that's the domain of the Russian Resurrection Film Festival, which brings future classics and beloved greats alike to Australian cinema screens for an annual celebration of Russian movie making. In its thirteenth year, the fest has curated a collection of twenty efforts that showcase just what makes the country's film output so stellar. Whether you're keen on diving into a duelling epic, going swashbuckling with a beloved animated pirate, or catching a glimpse of uncompleted relics from the past, you'll find plenty to watch here — plus our five must-see picks, of course. FLIGHT CREW Flight Crew falls into the disaster film genre — on account of its content, not its quality or performance. In fact, it's the number one movie at the Russian box office this year, as well as one of the top six of all time. Audiences sure do love watching efforts about earthquakes, volcanoes and trouble on planes, after all, and this one has all three. It's actually a remake of a 1979 Russian blockbuster disaster movie of the same name, because constantly rehashing the past isn't limited to English-language flicks, but boy oh boy does it sound entertaining. THE STUDENT Not every film is going to appeal to every member of the audience, but most people can recognise ambition when they see it. And that's the case with The Student, which some viewers will love and others won't — but honestly, it's genuinely hard to not be enthralled by director Kirill Serebrennikov's visual, thematic and storytelling confidence. Adapting a controversial play, he tells the tale of a teenager who starts questioning everything from his classmates swimming costumes to his biology teacher's lessons as he becomes more and more immersed in religion. The end result certainly got Cannes talking, and it's completely different to any other high school-set film you're likely to come across. ICEBREAKER You can probably count on one hand the number of movies you've seen about a ship striking an iceberg. Actually, to be precise, you can probably count it on one finger. Without a floppy-haired Leo in sight (or Celine Dion's warbling in earshot), Icebreaker might just join the fold as it recounts the real-life exploits surrounding a boat in 1985. Or, it might skirt the obvious and plunge into other polar catastrophes. You'll have to watch to find out, however, the film is made by the same folks behind train-based disaster flick Metro from 2013. That effort was cheesy and cliched, sure, but isn't that what disaster flicks are meant to be? MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS An Irish filmmaker heads to Moscow with Moscow Never Sleeps — though that's the story behind the movie, rather than the movie itself. In his second Russian-made feature, writer/director Johnny O'Reilly dives into the nation's capital through the antics of five different people going about their daily lives over a 24-hour period. Yep, just about everywhere you can think of boasts a film like this (or a few), but there's a reason that they keep popping up. How better to get a glimpse into the reality of another city and country than through overlapping, intertwined narratives? ALEXANDER NEVSKY A word of warning: this historical drama clocks in at over three hours. But, unlike most lengthy efforts you see at the cinemas these days, there's not a superhero, hobbit or transforming car on screen. Instead, Alexander Nevsky hails from 1938, marks the first sound film directed by Battleship Potemkin's Sergei Eisenstein, is based on a real Russian prince, and has been named among the best movies ever made. As far as really getting a glimpse of the full scope of Russian filmmaking is concerned, there's nothing in the program like it. The Russian Resurrection Film Festival tours the country from October 27, screening at Sydney's Event Cinemas George Street Sydney and Event Cinemas Burwood from October 27 to November 5, Brisbane's Event Cinemas Myer Centre from November 2 to 9, and Melbourne's Australian Centre for the Moving Image from November 10 to 16. For more information, visit the festival website.
Sitting three storeys above its pizza restaurant, Paesanella's Food Emporium in Marrickville is a modern delight with a deep history. Italian Immigrant Umberto Somma arrived in Australia in 1956 and made a living selling his handmade mozzarella to the working class. More than half a century later and his legacy is encapsulated in the Paesanella brand, which sells their own buffalo mozzarella and ricotta made in its nearby factory. The Food Emporium has cookbooks, pasta, and imported goods, but the real treasures lie behind the gleaning glass cases that hold the freshly made Paesanella cheese packaged and ready to take home. If you find you can't wait until you get home to dig into a ball of mozzarella then grab a table at their restaurant downstairs where tables flow onto the street and a pizza bar dishes out gourmet pizza pies made exclusively with Paesanella cheeses. If you're ravenous you might find yourself overwhelmed by options — or ordering the entire menu. With one look at their Antipasto Italia ($35), a platter filled with burrata, fried pizza dough, buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, rocket, and mixed grilled vegetables you might have to sideline the mini ricotta and Nutella cake for next time. Or not.
If a cruisy Byron Bay getaway is your dream kind of getaway, you'll soon have a new place to stay at your favourite vacation spot. After welcoming Hotel Marvell in 2023, the beachside New South Wales town will next see the boutique Basq House join its accommodation options, complete with 32 rooms, communal spaces that encourage guests to hang out and a focus on wellness. Set to open in autumn 2024, with an exact date yet to be revealed, Basq House is pitching itself as an oasis for relaxing, rather than a base for being seen among the always-popular tourist spot's social scene. Accordingly, as well as a place to slumber, the hotel will feature plenty of inclusions for making the most of your accommodation — by the pool, at the bar and on the roof. If you're keen for a splash, the pool will sit in the centre of the property, flanked by sun loungers, cabanas and ample greenery. Some hotel rooms will look out over the glistening water, with others getting a Marvel Street or Fletcher Lane view. Eager for an onsite beverage? The hotel's reception will double as a bar, while there'll also be a lounge room that takes its cues from speakeasies. Prefer to while away your holiday with a book in your hand? That's where the library with its floor-to-ceiling shelves, sofas and fireplace for the winter months will come in. Head up to the rooftop and yoga, meditation sessions and sunset drinks will await, plus stargazing stints. Personal training classes with a view will also grace the hotel's top level, giving guests prime motivation to enjoy a workout while they're vacationing. For de-stressing elsewhere, a wellness centre will reside over multiple levels, featuring massages and floatation tanks as well as ice plunges and infrared saunas. Among the design features and decor, the staircase leading to the rooms will boast a skylight. In the suites themselves, expect high ceilings, natural textures and calming colours. "Our remit was to deliver an authentic hotel with soul and one that stays true to its location. With Basq House, we will place a significant emphasis on strong placemaking; hotel interiors; sensory inputs such as light, sound and smell; out-of-guest-room experiences' and the delivery of pre-emptive service," said David Jones, Director of Jeremy and Jones, which is operating the hotel. Find Basq House at Fletcher Lane, Byron Bay, in autumn 2024 — head to the hotel's website for further details.
Is your aesthetic still stuck in the greys and navy blues of winter? Well, you should hotfoot it to Precinct 75 — its upcoming design pop-up market will help you transition into summer. Across two weekends in November and December, the pop-up is returning to the St Peters creative precinct to celebrate local independent labels. Both Precinct 75 tenants and guest will be there, including homewares designers Pony Rider, Kate and Kate, Design Twins and MJG by Mr Jason Grant. Up your accessory game with finds from Uashmama and Bailey Nelson. Food stalls from Rice Pantry, Sample Roasters and Buttercream Bakery will keep you fed, while Precinct 75's Urban Winery and Willie The Boatman will be doling out the vino and beer, respectively. If you need a midway shopping break, there will be plenty of action to keep you occupied with live music, makeup tutorials hosted by Mecca Cosmetica and indoor plant advice available from The Plant Society. Even better, with free entry for you, your mates and the pooch — yes, pets are welcome — you'll have more money to spend on some new wares.
If you're keen to surround yourself with art in the most-immersive fashion on offer and you haven't yet visited The Lume, Australia's digital art gallery, then you'd better get organised: the Melbourne venue will close up on Sunday, June 1, 2025. News that the site was set to say farewell was first revealed in 2024, but with a January 2026 end date; however, those plans have now moved forward. Accordingly, The Lume will shut up shop when its present Vincent van Gogh showcase finishes. Art exhibitions are fleeting, of course, gracing walls and halls for just days, weeks or months at a time, then moving elsewhere or never being seen again. But when The Lume opened in 2021, you can be forgiven for thinking that it wouldn't be such a brief addition to Australia's cultural scene. The closure comes after Grande Experiences, the company behind it, decided not to extend its lease at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Whether you're an art lover based in the Victorian capital or elsewhere around the country, a last trip to the site means enjoying van Gogh delights, complete with The Starry Night projected large, taking over an entire room; the immersive Sunflower room, where golden petals stretch as far as the eye can see; VR experience Finding Vincent; a cafe inspired by the artist's Café Terrace at Night; and more. The Lume actually launched with the same exhibition. Also wowing audiences at the gallery since its opening: a celebration of Monet and his contemporaries, a huge showcase dedicated to First Nations artists and all things Leonardo da Vinci. Across its four-year run, The Lume has unsurprisingly proven popular, with 1.5-million visitors heading by to-date. "The Lume Melbourne has been a defining chapter in Australia's cultural landscape — a place where art, innovation and imagination came to life for millions of visitors. We are deeply grateful to our team, our partners and every guest who stepped through our doors," said Grande Experiences Founder and Chair, and The Lume Melbourne CEO, Bruce Peterson. "As we look to the future, we see an opportunity to once again redefine immersive storytelling. Rather than simply continuing, we are choosing to evolve — embracing new technologies that will take cultural experiences to even greater heights." "This was not a decision we made lightly, but one rooted in our ambition to push the boundaries of cultural storytelling even further. The landscape of immersive experiences is evolving rapidly, and we are seizing this moment to lead that evolution on a global scale. Our focus is now on creating even more groundbreaking, transformative stories through innovative new technology," Peterson continued. Melbourne's The Lume is one of two worldwide, with the other in Indianapolis in US, which is remaining open. Even as its only Australian site confirms its farewell, Grande Experiences hasn't ruled out more Aussie venues, advising that other states have flagged their interest in hosting the gallery — but nothing has been locked in so far. The Lume Melbourne will close at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, 5 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf, Melbourne on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Van Gogh at The Lume displays until then. Head to the venue's website for tickets and further information. Images: Grande Experiences.
Yabun — which means "music to a beat" in the Gadigal language — is an annual festival featuring a wide range of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander talent. Held each year on January 26 in Camperdown, Sydney, on Gadigal Land, the festival consists of Corroboree, performances from First Nations musicians, a marketplace, discussions and speeches. After two COVID-impacted years, the festival is returning to its regular programming in Victoria Park. The musical lineup features a mix of up-and-coming and longstanding songwriters and performers. Heading up the musicians are Tia Gostelow, Aodhan, Denni and DRMNGNOW, who will be joined by Robert K Champion, Kyarna Rose and Matty Walker. In addition to the live music, there'll be traditional cultural performances, panel discussions and heaps of activities for adults and kids alike. There will also be a bunch of art, design and activist stalls for you to peruse. If you can't make it down, you can also watch via a live stream on the festival's website or tune into the yearly broadcast of the festival on Koori Radio 93.7fm. It all kicks off at 10am and will run until 10pm.
Returning for its fourth iteration, The Fork Festival sees top restaurants across the country offering sit-down meals for up to half the usual price. Yep, up to 50-percent off your total food bill, folks — think of it as the proverbial carrot luring you out of the house. Up and running as of today, Friday, April 22, the offer is a blessing for those feeling a little light-pocketed after Easter — or thanks to the spate of long weekends we're currently enjoying. To snag a half-price meal (or, in a few cases, 30-percent off), you just need to make a reservation through The Fork website or app at one of the participating eateries for any service (breakfast, lunch or dinner) during the six-week period. There are some great venues coming to the party, too. In Sydney, you'll find cheap eats at the likes of Kings Cross Distillery, Monopole, Sydney Brewery in Surry Hills, Diana at Potts Point, Bentley Restaurant & Bar in the CBD and Cirrus Dining at Barangaroo. You might want to revisit an old favourite or you could get a little adventurous and road-test somewhere new. Either way, there's ample time to squeeze in a fair few discounted feasts before the festival wraps up on Sunday, May 29. Top image: Diana.
Crime thrillers set against the Australian landscape. A monstrous figure terrorising a woman and her son. The return of a famed action franchise. An outback western as blistering as it is beautiful. They all rank among the best homegrown films of the past few years — but what'll join them in 2019? Perhaps it'll be one of these ten must-sees. The year ahead promises another diverse array of Aussie cinema, spanning local outlaws, dystopian sci-fi worlds and Northern Territory-set romantic comedies — and, of course, plenty in-between. Some, we've seen. Others, we can't wait to feast our eyes on. Either way, we have your Australian watch-list covered for the next twelve months. THE NIGHTINGALE Jennifer Kent's second feature is a film of darkness, visceral shocks and deep-seated pain. It's a movie that, from the moment its probing images start flickering across the screen, is impossible to forget. And yet, The Nightingale couldn't be more different from Kent's directorial debut, The Babadook. Set in 19th-century Tasmania and charting an Irish convict's (Aisling Franciosi) mission of revenge against a British soldier (an astonishing against-type Sam Claflin) — as well as the perilous trek, guided by an Aboriginal tracker (Baykali Ganambarr), to fulfil her furious task — Kent's exceptional sophomore film is a stunning statement about gender and race that hits hard, and often. Finally set to release in 2019, if the movie sounds familiar, that's because it made our 2018 list as well. Australian release date TBC. TOP END WEDDING After The Sapphires proved such an enormous success back in 2012, filmmaker Wayne Blair is once again joining forces with radiant star Miranda Tapsell — and this time, the latter's also co-writing the script. Premiering at Sundance this year before hitting local screens at a yet-to-be-revealed date, Top End Wedding follows couple Lauren (Tapsell) and Ned (Bohemian Rhapsody's Gwilym Lee), who are just ten days out from tying the knot. The hitch? They have to find Lauren's mother in the Northern Territory first, in this upbeat comedy set against a striking, sunny backdrop. In Australian cinemas May 2, 2019. I AM MOTHER Also headed to Sundance is dystopian sci-fi thriller I Am Mother, a film that seems familiar, story-wise, but definitely finds its own niche. Set to make a star out of its Danish lead Clara Rugaard, Grant Sputore's movie introduces viewers to a girl who has been raised in a high-tech underground bunker by a supremely intelligent robot she calls Mother (voiced by Rose Byrne). Then a stranger (Hilary Swank) arrives, and an already bleak and twisty effort delves further into its premise. I Am Mother screened as a work in progress at the 2018 Adelaide Film Festival to packed cinemas — and it's certain to garner more attention when it properly reaches Aussie theatres. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygfTbGmKRd0 HOTEL MUMBAI Primarily shot in Adelaide, and featuring an all-star cast of Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Jason Isaacs, Tilda Cobham-Hervey and Homeland's Nazanin Boniadi, Hotel Mumbai recreates the terrifying reality of Mumbai's 2008 terrorist attacks. Largely focusing on the plight of those inside the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel — guests, employees and assailants alike — it's an understandably tense experience. Anthony Maras' effort should also ring a few bells and not just from real-life events, with the film another holdover from our 2018 list. After premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, it's set to play at Australian theatres in March. In Australian cinemas March 14, 2019. RIDE LIKE A GIRL For her first feature as a director, Rachel Griffiths takes on a sport that the country has very mixed feelings about: horse racing. But while movies about galloping around tracks aren't that uncommon in Aussie film industry, Ride Like a Girl's focus is all there in its name. Starring Berlin Syndrome's Teresa Palmer, the movie tells the tale of Michelle Payne, the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. With Sam Neill and Sullivan Stapleton also among the cast, Griffiths hasn't wasted any time bringing the story to the screen, given that Payne emerged victorious in the race that stops the nation in 2015. Australian release date TBC. EMU RUNNER A small film with a big heart, Emu Runner steps into the world of nine-year-old Gem Daniels (Rhae-Kye Waites), whose quiet but happy life is torn apart by tragedy. To both her father (Wayne Blair) and the local social worker's (Georgia Blizzard) dismay, the girl starts skipping school and wandering around town — and, as often as she can, spending time in the presence of a wild emu that's forever linked to memories of her mother. Lovingly canvassing the outback landscape, writer-director Imogen Thomas crafts an affectionate film about a child trying to find her place in the world. But the film makes a sharp statement too, interrogating the clash between white and Indigenous Australian cultures, as well as the stereotypes perpetuated by the former towards the later. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_559597" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Goldstone[/caption] LOVELAND With Mystery Road and Goldstone, Ivan Sen gave Australia two fantastic outback crime thrillers. With Loveland, however, he's plunging into vastly different territory. Shooting in Hong Kong and starring Hugo Weaving and Ryan Kwanten (and, we hope, Aaron Pedersen in there somewhere), Sen's new effort is a sci-fi romance set in a futuristic Chinese mega-city. The details are sparse from there, but given the writer/director/producer/editor/cinematographer/composer's track record — including a barely seen 2009 film about UFO hunting called Dreamland — there's plenty of cause for excitement. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702900" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] For Those in Peril[/caption] THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG Two out of three is a fantastic hit rate for a filmmaker who has only been making features since 2011. And while the less said about Assassin's Creed, the better, here's hoping that Justin Kurzel's The True History of the Kelly Gang lines up alongside the simply stunning duo that is Snowtown and Macbeth. Working with Peter Carey's novel of the same name, the Aussie director has certainly assembled a stellar cast to help relay this bushranger tale. English talent George MacKay (11.22.63, Pride, For Those in Peril) plays infamous outlaw Ned Kelly, while he's joined by fellow Brits Charlie Hunnam and Nicholas Hoult, Leave No Trace's Thomasin McKenzie, and local standouts Claudia Karvan, Essie Davis and Russell Crowe. Australian release date TBC. [caption id="attachment_702905" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Puzzle[/caption] DIRT MUSIC Another year, another Tim Winton adaptation. After the success of Breath, 2019 sees fellow Miles Franklin Award-winner Dirt Music make its way to cinemas. Unsurprisingly, a small town and the sea both play a part, with the narrative exploring a woman's (Kelly Macdonald) strained relationship with a fisherman (David Wenham), as well as the stranger (Garrett Hedlund) that she starts an affair with. Gregor Jordan — aka the last Aussie director to take on Ned Kelly — sits in the director's chair, while Aaron Pedersen and Julia Stone (yes, that Julia Stone) also feature among the cast. Australian release date TBC. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BwO2I3-mRA&feature=youtu.be 2040 What will the world look like in just over two decades time? Let That Sugar Film's Damon Gameau inform you. He ate unhealthily for his last documentary, and now he's pondering the future in a film that's part doco, part visual letter. While the actor-turned-filmmaker hasn't picked up psychic abilities from all of that sugar, he has enlisted experts in climate, economics, technology, civil society, agriculture and sustainability to help with 2040. As with his last effort, it's a movie not only focused on telling a tale and educating the public, but also on making a difference. Australian release date TBC.
