It would be easy to breeze through this collection, which takes in collages, installations, short films and sculpture and simply be stunned into submission by her Wangechi Mutu's maximalist aesthetic and singular style. Look closer though and there's a strong vein of political commentary in Mutu's work and a sense of lingering disquiet beneath the shiny veneers. Born in Kenya, and based in the thriving contemporary art scene of Brooklyn, Mutu has compiled a completely distinctive body of work which focuses on the themes of exoticism, representations of the female body and the bloody legacy of colonialism and slavery in Africa. The stunning large-scale Perhaps The Moon Will Save Us is a good representation of her modus operandi, being a fantastical creation which closer inspection reveals is made of mundane materials. What initially looks like scattered stars are mere holes smashed in the wall, while a sagging moon hangs over mountains made from packing tape and a makeshift fantasia of fake fur, thrift shop jewellery and ripped felt blankets. One of Mutu's many works to draw on African influences is Black Thrones where handsomely carved chairs sit atop empty thrones lavishly decorated with feathers, hair and horns. It's a piece grounded both in realism and fantasy. The striking visuals have a certain fairy tale quality, but also act as a reference to the hush harbours, where African slaves would gather out of sight of their imperial overseers to congregate, practice religion and sing. The piece also touches the idea of loss in its invocation of absent royalty, a theme which runs through much of Mutu's work. Enclosed in a shipping container where light pierces holes in the wall, Exhuming Gluttony: Another Requiem is another visually striking, but somewhat queasy, installation where a collection of animal pelts hangs on the wall like a hunting trophy, looking out over a banquet table and a series of suspended red wine bottles which drip slowly, like blood from a wound. There is a sense the scene has been abandoned, while the tufts of hair on the floor add a gruesome touch. Mutu is perhaps best known for her mixed media collages, and this side of her work is well represented with a number of works showcased. Feathers, plastic jewellery and explosions of glitter jostle for position with pictures of snakes, and images cut from motorbike magazines. Another highlight is Suspended Playtime, which features shiny black garbage bags rolled up into hanging baubles, in a work both sinister and playful. The hour-long looped film Amazing Grace, which features the famous spiritual sung in Mutu's native Kikuyu, has a bewitching, dreamlike quality, though many of the other short films feel anonymous among such distinctive work. Overall, though, it's a vital exhibition, from an artist literally capable of fashioning treasures out of trash and creating sobering political rhetoric out of the most abstract of mixed media collages. Wangechi Mutu, Perhaps the Moon Will Save Us (detail).
Music lovers, here's news you've been waiting for for quite some time: pilgrimages to the Supernatural Amphitheatre for Golden Plains are back on. Keen? Oh-so-eager to make the trip after a few Golden Plains-free years? Then mark Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023 in your diaries and go enter the just-opened ticket ballot right this second. "The space-time continuum wobbles our way once again. A panoramic long weekend in the greatest of outdoors. Afternoon all day, sun like honey on the trees, back in the Amphitheatre Supernaturale. Night falls, and giant spikes of excitement send everything everywhere," the Aunty team advised, announcing the news to its email list. The online ballot for Golden Plains XV will remain open until 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 17, which means that clicking ASAP is recommended. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, the fest has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. And, like Meredith Music Festival, its sibling, Golden Plains is also known for the Aunty crew's star-studded bills. There's no signs of that lineup just yet, but watch this space — in past years, it has been announced in October. Back in 2021, Golden Plains revealed that it wouldn't return in 2022, shifting focus to 2023 instead; however, now those big comeback dates are locked in. Meredith is also returning, as announced in August, with Caribou, Yothu Yindi and Courtney Barnett leading the lineup from Friday, December 9–Sunday, December 11, 2022. Golden Plains will return to the Meredith Supernatural Ampitheatre from Saturday, March 11–Monday, March 13, 2023. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ballot before 10.15pm AEDT on Monday, October 17. Images: Steve Benn / Theresa Harrison
The late, great Jim Henson gave the world many things, including the Muppets in general, Sesame Street's loveable puppet characters, Kermit the Frog's memorable voice and all things Fraggle Rock. He also turned filmmaker three times, creating three of the great puppet movies of the 1980s — The Great Muppet Caper, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. While Labyrinth still earns plenty of attention for plenty of reasons — David Bowie being one of them, obviously — The Dark Crystal also deservedly holds a place in fans' hearts. Co-directed with his Muppets colleague Frank Oz, the fantasy-adventure flick follows a Gelfling called Jen, who is trying to bring back balance to his own world by finding and returning a broken shard from a powerful gem. Henson and Oz also worked their puppeting magic on the movie, of course. Over the years, a sequel has been mooted more than once, including one with Australian Daybreakers, Predestination and Winchester filmmakers Michael and Peter Spierig at the helm. No follow-ups have ever come to fruition, but Netflix is doing the next best thing: reviving the beloved film for a ten-part series. Releasing at the end of August, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is a prequel to the movie — and yes, it uses puppets for its protagonists, not CGI, as both the first teaser and the new full-length trailer both show in stunning detail. Set years before the events of the film, it steps into the world of Thra, which is home to The Crystal of Truth. Both are under threat by the evil Skeksis, with illness thwarting the land as a result. It's up to three Gelfings to reveal the truth, stage a rebellion and fight for the planet. Directed by Louis Leterrier (The Incredible Hulk, Now You See Me), Age of Resistance also boasts quite the cast, with Rocketman's Taron Egerton, Glass' Anya Taylor-Joy and Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel voicing three elf-like Gelflings. They're joined by a hefty list of names, so prepare to hear the vocal tones of Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Lena Headey, Eddie Izzard, Theo James, Toby Jones, Shazad Latif, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, Alicia Vikander, Mark Hamill, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, Benedict Wong, Awkwafina and Sigourney Weaver as well. Check out the new trailer below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_owZfYVR8 The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance hits Netflix on August 30. Image: Kevin Baker.
What starts with one of the most acclaimed movies of the year, showcases a glorious award-winning performance and features the trashy erotic drama to end all trashy erotic dramas (plus a documentary about the latter, too)? That'd be the 2019 Queer Screen Film Fest, aka the film fest that the folks at Queer Screen put on each September to help bridge the gap between last year's Mardi Gras Film Festival and next year's. Hitting up Event Cinemas George Street between Wednesday, September 18 and Sunday, September 22, QSFF will kick off with sumptuous period romance Portrait of a Lady on Fire, the latest film from Girlhood's Céline Sciamma — and it's all winners from there as well. Spinning a story about a queer filmmaker battling work and health issues, Pedro Almodóvar's semi-autobiographical Pain and Glory nabbed Antonio Banderas the best actor prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. And both lurid Austrian effort Nevrland and Argentinian drama End of the Century have picked up gongs at other overseas fests. Something that hasn't ever scored the right kid of the awards is multiple Razzie recipient Showgirls, and QSFF is screening it in all of its gyrating glory. Prepare for some of the worst sex scenes in the history of cinema, very little in the way of clothing (or acting chops), plus a conversation about eating dog food. The Paul Verhoeven film will be paired with doco You Don't Nomi, which explores the cult status that's surrounded the Las Vegas-set flick since its first release back in 1995. Other highlights include documentary Killing Patient Zero, about the man accused of bringing AIDS to North America; Seahorse, which follows a gay transgender man's decision to get pregnant; and Vita & Virginia, starring Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki as Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf. There's also Benjamin, which is directed by British comedian, actor and TV presenter Simon Amstell, in QSFF's closing night slot.
Sydney's 120-year-old Queen Victoria Building has long been a haven of decadence, but it's taking things up a notch with with the launch of not one, but two new luxurious bars. From this Friday, the CBD shopping precinct will house a Champagne bar, Reign at the QVB, with bar-restaurant Esquire Drink + Dine to follow the week after. And in a win for that part of the city, they'll both be open late, right up till 2am. A vision of marble, brass and musk pink, Reign is a regal sort of spot, taking over the space once home to the level one ABC store. It'll be pouring a sprawling selection of over 150 Champagnes and sparkling wines, with plenty of bubbly tasting flights on offer, alongside signature cocktails like the De Nonancourt: a blend of vodka, fig liqueur, cucumber and Champagne syrup. The snack menu is very broad and covers all bases, from the refined (plates of oysters, duck liver mousse and steak tartare) to the two-handed (meatball and cheese sliders and an okonomiyaki burger) to the straight-up late-night eat variety (dumplings and pork fried rice). If you're looking for more of a sit-down meal, head one level up to Esquire from March 28. The venue, which is just as opulent, takes its cues from the supper clubs of New York, with an old-world fit-out of oak, leather and parquetry flooring. It's a moody, dapper backdrop for settling in with a fittingly expansive offering of whisky, cocktails and wine. [caption id="attachment_711151" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The interior at Esquire.[/caption] From the kitchen comes a sophisticated spread of reimagined comfort food. Think gruyere-stuffed jaffles with fries and a pork jowl schnitzel sided with mustard, radish and burnt lemon. You can also choose from four cuts of steak and a whole roast chicken for two, which is used across two courses. Both venues are open from 11am each day, surely to cater to post-shopping snacks and business lunches. Best of all, they're both kicking on late, open for eats and drinks right up until 2am Thursday through Sunday. Both will be overseen by a team of hospitality guns, including Matthew Beaumont as Group General Manager of Beverage (The Star, Merivale), Damien Worthington (QT Hotels, The Winery) in the role of Executive Chef and Fabio Nistrio (Sokyo at The Star, Bambini Trust Restaurant & Wine Room) heading up the tightly curated drinks program. Find both restaurants at the Queen Victoria Building, 455 Druitt Street, Sydney. Reign at the QVB will open on level one (best accessed via the Druitt Street entrance) from Friday, March 15 and Esquire Drink + Dine will open up on level two (best accessed via the Market Street entrance) two weeks late on Thursday, March 28. Both will be open from 11am–midnight Monday to Wednesday, and 11am–2am Thursday to Sunday. UPDATE: MARCH 18, 2019 — Esquire was previously slated to open on Friday, March 22, but it will now be opening on Thursday, March 28. The article has been updated to reflect this.
Technology has made many of the household items we once relied upon redundant. The Yellow Pages, CD players, and shopping lists are all rapidly becoming relics of a pre-smart phone, pre-digital era. And if designer and inventor, Andrey Kokorin has anything to do with it, the kitchens of the future will also replace knives with electromagnetic lasers. The 'Innovative Laser Device For Cutting Of Foodstuff' uses a series of rotating rings fitted with electromagnets and controlled by an internal microprocessor to slice food into whatever shape your appetite desires. Simply place the food in the spherical pod, customise the shape and size of your slice (with anything from spirals to smily-faces available) and press 'Go'. This groundbreaking, and ecologically friendly, creation was submitted by Kokorin for the James Dyson Award, an internationally renowned competition for young innovators to come up with problem-solving inventions. For Kokorin the inspiration came from a study of kitchen knives and discovering that they can be a hotbed for infectious disease. Peer into your kitchen of the future with this video of the pod in action.
After making one of the absolute best films to reach Australian cinema screens in 2021, Promising Young Woman filmmaker Emerald Fennell is back with Saltburn — and she's repeated the feat in 2023. Swapping the US dating scene for Britain's upper class, the writer/director spins a satire about privilege and desire that's devastatingly well cast and devilish overall. Haven't caught the end result yet? You'll be able to do so from your couch before Christmas. Add Saltburn to the list of movies that've enjoyed pandemic-era swift leaps from the big screen to the small, with the film getting fast-tracked to home entertainment while it's still in cinemas. Barbie did it. Everything from Dune, The Matrix Resurrections and Everything Everywhere All At Once to Elvis, Nope and Don't Worry Darling have before that, too. In this case, you'll be watching the Barry Keoghan (The Banshees of Inisherin)- and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria)-starring thriller from Friday, December 22 on Prime Video. Keoghan plays Oliver Quick, who arrives at Oxford University as part of the future class of 2006, but finds himself stuck as an outsider among his well-off classmates. Enter Elordi as Felix Catton, the charming campus favourite who gains a helping hand in Oliver, then invites his new pal to his family's eponymous estate for the summer. Fennell won a rightly deserved Oscar for her Promising Young Woman script, and reteams with Carey Mulligan (She Said) again here. Also demonstrating the actor (The Crown)-turned-filmmaker's knack for casting: 2023 Academy Award-nominee Keoghan, aka one of the screen's most interesting and talented rising stars, plus Elordi, Rosamund Pike (The Wheel of Time), Richard E Grant (Persuasion) and Lolly Adefope (Miracle Workers). As Felix's sister Venetia, Conversations with Friends' Alison Oliver is similarly excellent — as is Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story's Archie Madekwe as fellow Oxford student and Catton cousin Farleigh. If you not only haven't seen Saltburn yet, but you've avoided having its twists, surprises and bold moves spoiled for you, you'll want to keep it that way until you can see this mix of Brideshead Revisited, The Talented Mr Ripley and Cruel Intentions. Check out the Saltburn trailer below: Saltburn will be available to stream via Prime Video globally from Friday, December 22. It's also still showing in cinemas Down Under. Read our review.
Summertime at Crown Street staple The Winery is all about picnics in the venue's lush garden, and every Aussie knows that a picnic isn't complete without a little (or a lot of) bubbly. Happy to oblige, The Winery has just launched bottomless prosecco picnics, on offer every Friday through Sunday from now until January 28. And the restaurant isn't simply offering the standard two hours of bottomless booze, either. Instead of table service, patrons have unlimited access to an antique-looking stone fountain, which comes complete with a carved lion that has a prosecco tap for a mouth. You'll be able to pour-your-own bubbly from that tap throughout the two hours, while enjoying an extensive picnic spread. Nab a colourful picnic blanket and nestle among plush cushions while enjoying the grazing menu — it includes the restaurant's signature pork and veal sausage rolls with spicy tomato relish, along with chicken parfait, cheese and assorted salumi. Sides include chickpea dip, fresh fruit and a range of roasted nuts, plus a selection of bread and crackers. Depending on how you and your mates are sorted for cash, this could very well be the setting for this year's Friendsmas. The Prosseco Picnic costs $79 per person, with sittings at noon and 2.30pm every Friday through Sunday until January 28. Bookings are essential and can be made through the website. Updated: December 26, 2018.
"It was the month before we had to shut our doors that was probably the scariest," PS40 Owner Michael Chiem says of the start of Sydney's COVID-19 epidemic. "I was looking into getting an insurance job, getting a 9-to-5 work-from-home gig." Luckily for Sydneysiders, Chiem didn't. Despite just signing the papers to become the sole owner of the highly lauded CBD cocktail bar, a bar that was suddenly forced to close its doors — and lose its main source of income — Chiem decided to stick with it and try his hand at the delivery game. "I'd seen it work pretty well in New York and Melbourne before we started doing it in Sydney, and we pretty much started straight away," says Chiem. Two days after the bar closed, PS40 Sofa Series, a nod to a now-appropriate, then-unfortunate autocorrect in one of the bar's first reviews, kicked off. For what Chiem calls "a pretty crazy two months", the team was bottling, labelling and delivering — sometimes all in one day — a selection of the bar's greatest hits, alongside a few classics. Housebound epicureans could order a coffee bean-spiked breakfast negroni, a spicy corpse recliner or a the blueberry bomb straight to their couch. In fact, they still can. [caption id="attachment_654873" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Alana Dimou[/caption] While the CBD bar has reopened to dine-in customers — albeit only 25, just over 40 percent of its maximum capacity — it's keeping some of its COVID-19 changes around for the time being, if not permanently. "There are a lot of people that can make it into the city to drink at bars, but there are also people that want a nice cocktail but for different reasons can't make it into the city — whether or not they have kids, they live a little too far away or it's little too complicated to get out — so it's a really nice option to have delivered cocktails." As well as the Sofa Series, PS40 has launched a Booze Cage (yes, in an actual cage) filled with takeaway alcohol. You can stop by the bar and pick up a bottle of Das Juice or Good Intentions Co, both from South Australia, for less than $30, or spend a bit more on a Gut Oggau — an Austrian wine label that's developed a bit of a cult-like status Down Under. While the CBD isn't short on nice places to drink wine, it's not overflowing with places to buy it to-go, so Chiem hopes the Booze Cage will remain popular well after Sydneysiders all return to work. [caption id="attachment_728683" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Wes Nel[/caption] Because of the bar's locality, many of its patrons are of the city-worker variety. With many businesses still working from home, though, the CBD isn't the hive of activity it usually is — and neither is the bar. As a result, the bar is now operating just four nights a week and it's producing a smaller menu. The way the team is designing this newly compact menu is smarter, too, and more cautious of waste. "We're looking into our cool room and seeing what needs using each day, which has made us creatively come up with things differently," says Chiem. "We have a smaller list, but we're making those ones even better." While the list rotates often, there are two drinks you're likely to catch if you head in this winter. One is a bar favourite, and a drink that Chiem says should be at the top of your list if you haven't tried it, called the Africola. Described as an upside-down irish coffee, it's warm on top, cold down the bottom and made with warm coconut foam, a really cold shot of Mr Black coffee liqueur and a splash of PS40 wattle cola. The second looks like a tart and tastes like a tart, but is cold and liquid — and is made with rum, rhubarb and lemon curd. Just exactly how Chiem manages to create this physics-defying drink, however, is best learnt in person. Find PS40 on Skittle Lane, Sydney. It's open from 4–11pm Wednesday–Saturday. PS40 is the first bar in Concrete Playground's new series 52 Bars in 52 Weeks, exploring COVID-19's impact on the city's bars and encouraging Sydneysiders to pull up a seat, every week. Top image: PS40 by Alana Dimou
Yum cha literally translates to 'drink tea' — though for many Australians who are smashing yum cha while feeling a little dusty on a Saturday morning, the tea is secondary to the delicious dumplings. If you want to do yum cha right however, book in for a tea appreciation workshop at Zensation. It comes with a full yum cha meal, but here the focus is on the five or six different Chinese teas that are matched to your food — sort of like a tea degustation. The space is small and intimate and the staff are just totally delightful. If you ask nicely, they might also do a calligraphy demonstration for you.
Since 2005, Jodie Van Der Velden and her team at Josophan's Fine Chocolates have been perfecting and expanding their craft as talented chocolatiers in the little town of Leura in the Blue Mountains. It was only a matter of time before visiting Sydney-siders begged the team to move closer to home. It's easy to rush past this little store hidden on the corners of King and York Street. Just like its signature ganache-filled gourmet chocolates, the tiny store is deceptively discreet but full of delicious surprises inside. Josophan's fine chocolates are made on base in Leura with sustainable fair trade certified Callebaut Belgian couverture chocolate, along with French boutique manufacturer Michel Cluizel's single plantation chocolate. They have made a name for themselves as a pioneer in matching usual fresh ingredients with scrumptious results. Forget plain white, milk and dark chocolates. Customers can choose from a range of combinations such as strawberry and balsamic, honey and saffron, mango and chilli or caramel, pineapple and coconut ($1.90 each). They even have a dairy and gluten free chocolate on offer; a hazelnut praline with caramelised crunchy cacao nibs, dipped in dark chocolate. If you must choose only one handcrafted chocolate, make it the award-winning basil and lime encased in rich dark chocolate. There is a wide range of chocolate goodies on offer to take home also. The staff always have a sample of one of their chocolate blocks or slabs on offer and don't even mind if you go in for seconds. Bags of chocolate covered homemade honeycomb (45g $4.75, 95g $7.95), almond and orange crunch (80g $7.95) as well as a range of drinking chocolates (250g $16.95) are displayed on silver cake stands or French cabinets under a glistening chandelier. The self-proclaimed best ice cream topping in the world, a chocolatery, crunchy mix of deliciousness to sprinkle over ice cream, in original, caramel, orange and strawberry flavours might just live up to its name (250g $19.95, 125g $9.95). At the very least, it will make the ideal dinner guest gift. On Friday September 28 the Australia Pastry Team, fresh off a win at the Asian Pastry Cup competition in Singapore, will be remastering their winning chocolate showpiece live in store. If you've ever wondered how a section of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House sails with the obligatory fireworks can be made from chocolate, there's no better time to wander by and marvel at the chocolate on hand.
Circular Quay welcomes a new rooftop bar into its ranks as the Salt Meats Cheese team opens Bar Ombré on the top level of the Gateway Dining Precinct. The bar boasts house-made cheese, a dedicated spritz menu, a daily happy hour, free bar snacks and sunset views across the Harbour Bridge. And it has opened just in time for Vivid. Expect a bright fit-out with heaps of greenery and colourful furnishings to greet you as you enter the bar on the third level. Inside, you'll find stretched cheese —made onsite daily — along with antipasto plates of cured meats, burrata and wood-baked focaccia. Share plates include marinated white anchovies with tomato, fried calamari with crumbed zucchini and prosciutto with grilled eggplant, basil and rocket pesto. If these snacks don't quite touch the edges, you can head downstairs for a heartier meal — woodfired pizza or a big bowl of pasta, for example — at the Circular Quay outpost of Salt Meats Cheese, which is located on level two of the dining precinct. To drink, the European-inspired cocktail menu includes the likes of the Forget Me Not (gin, lychee and elderflower liqueurs, egg white and plum bitters) and the Smokin' Nights (amaro, mezcal, Angostura bitters, cream and cinnamon), as well as a pear and maple old fashioned and a vanilla and grapefruit barrel-aged negroni. You can also choose from five different spritzes and a drop off the wine list, which focuses on Italian drops and local biodynamic, vegan and organic labels. [caption id="attachment_723368" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kitti Gould[/caption] We recommend stopping by after work to catch the sunset and the daily happy hour, which runs from 4–6pm. Nab $5 beers, $10 spritzes and $20 cocktail carafes (including Aperol spritz, sangria and margarita jugs). Then, from 6–8pm, punters can enjoy free bar snacks — similar to Venetian cicchetti. Expect truffled pecorino, roasted peppers with salsa verde and wood-fired crackers with pesto, plus smoked olives, cured pancetta and truffled popcorn all on offer (for free). This is the 13th venue for Salt Meats Cheese co-founders Edoardo Perlo and Stefano de Blasi, with other recent openings including SMC outposts in Dee Why and Brisbane's South Bank. Bar Ombré is now open at Level 3 Gateway, 1 Macquarie Place, Circular Quay. Opening hours are Monday through Saturday from 11.30am until late. Images: Kitti Gould
Here's your chance to thank a major enabler of your binge TV habit. The man responsible for bringing you 3720 hours of glee, revulsion, frustration and satisfaction, Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, is coming to Australia. He'll be making one exclusive appearance at the Sydney Town Hall as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival (an early part; he's here May 1 while the rest of the festival kicks off May 19). The discussion will zero in on Gilligan's creative process and presumably provide a platform for all your Better Call Saul-related questions. Even though Gilligan might be the most 'read' writer at the festival, there's plenty else in the program announcement to warrant attention and ticket-getting. Big international names include that other confounding New Zealand prodigy, 2013 Booker Prize winner for The Luminaries Eleanor Catton (who is, we're constantly being reminded, 28). There's also right-of-passage author Irvine Welsh, journalist/press freedoms fighter Jeremy Scahill, Super Sad True Love Story writer/famous blurbist Gary Shteyngart, and Eimear McBride, who in 2013 threw out the laws of grammar and emerged with the bizarrely comprehensible A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing. The Sydney Writers' Festival is on May 19-25 (apart from lone wolf Vince). Tickets are on sale from 9am on Friday, April 4, via the festival website. Update 11 April: After selling out the first Vince Gilligan event within two days, the Sydney Writers' Festival have added another, to take place directly after the first (9.30pm) at the same venue. The second event will be in-conversation between Gilligan and Benjamin Law; 7pm attendees get Adam Spencer. For tickets, go here.
2017 was an action-packed couple of months for scripted storytelling. As we are wont to do, we made sure you knew what international and Australian films to watch before the end of the year, and we've just put together our list for the best films of 2017. But what about television? We may have gotten through the past 12 months on a steady diet of Stranger Things, the return of Twin Peaks, a dollop of BoJack Horseman, regular portions of Brooklyn Nine-Nine and late-night benders of Margaret Atwood-inspired dystopia. But how much Australian television do you remember watching? If none come to mind straight away, we're here to cure that case of pop cultural amnesia. So fire up your local streaming services, prepare your stash of Zooper Doopers, put your phone on Airplane Mode, get into your cosiest staying-in-for-the-summer outfit and settle in for some top-notch Australian-made series. Here's ten to get you started. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oZaOr5v9So KIKI AND KITTY What if your new best friend was also the human embodiment of your vagina? For some, that's a rhetorical question. For Nakkiah Lui, it's the beginning of a brand new series. Written by and starring Lui (who plays the lead role of Kitty), and directed by Catriona McKenzie, Kiki and Kitty is modern-day absurdist comedy at its best. Launched as one of the new short-form series for ABC Comedy earlier this year, each episode explores what it's like to be "the good black girl in a bad white world". It's fierce, funny and unapologetically explores the politics of race and gender in a way that few Australian television shows would dare. Available on: ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5HSsrjoedk RONNY CHIENG: INTERNATIONAL STUDENT You may recall Ronny Chieng from his day job as a correspondent on Comedy Central's The Daily Show. Based on his real-life experience of being a university student in Melbourne, Chieng plays a version of himself on the show. Cultural stereotypes are both exploited, and interrogated, for laughs but also for thoughtful reflections on what it means to be a young person who switches countries, and cultures, full of hope and expectation. This is perfect viewing for anyone who appreciates a story from an outsider's perspective with a sharp comedic edge. Available on: ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1UXO2uLH-s ROSEHAVEN Daniel and Emma are fictional best mates. So are real-life comedians Luke McGregor and Celia Pacquola, who also happen to be the co-creators and writers of the show. Exploring what happens between moving back home to help out with the family business and a failed marriage, this Tasmanian-made series is deeply endearing. Both seasons play like a love letter to rural life, and what happens when we decide to give up on ambition. Daniel/McGregor and Emma/Pacquola are about propping each other up just as much as they're about mocking the hell out of each other. For those of us who prefer to find gentle humour through genuine friendships. Available on: ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swTlbwspBaE GLITCH Set in the fictional country town of Yoorana, Glitch explores what happens when seven people rise from the dead with no memory of who they are, or how they died. Sitting somewhere between supernatural mystery and sci-fi, the series was created by Tony Ayres (producer of The Slap) and Louise Fox (previously a writer on Broadchurch). If you were previously a fan of the 2012 French series Les Revenants, the first two seasons of Glitch offers an Australian gothic take on small town urban legends and unfinished business. Available on: Netflix Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjuXTD0m9Lc ROUND THE TWIST Totalling four magical seasons, Round the Twist was definitive in making strange the new normal on 90s Australian television. Galore with monsters, werewolves, human ice cream machines and the haunted lighthouse that started it all, the series is the equivalent of audio visual comfort food for old fans. Also guaranteed to be a cornucopia of oddball amusement for the yet to be initiated. It's now all on Netflix. Available on: Netflix Australia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pSChPGBFD4 THE OTHER GUY If modern break-ups and heartache need to be key story ingredients for your summer viewing, consider The Other Guy. In the long tradition of male comics playing versions of themselves on screen, comedian and Triple J life member Matt Okine is AJ, an aimless breakfast radio host who has just split up with his longtime girlfriend (Valene Kane). The show deals less with the heroics of finally accepting adulthood, and more about the funny, sad and inane aspects of getting older anyway. Give it a go if you loved Master of None, Love or Please Like Me. Available on: Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAKZYp9-MoM NO ACTIVITY Two cops on a nighttime stake-out, a methamphetamine shipment that never arrives, and mindless conversations form the basis of the first season of this slapstick improvised comedy. And if you want more, there's a second season to devour as well. For fans of Mike Schur's American workplace comedies (The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation), No Activity is Australia's equivalent of the nothing-ever-happens type of comedy. Expect some sincere moments among the sly laughs too. Available on: Stan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoH1z7JetiM THE FAMILY LAW Adapted from Benjamin Law's book-length series of personal essays on his family, The Family Law deals with the aftermath of a family's breakdown in the wake of a divorce, and what it's like to grow up on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland as an Asian kid who dreams of starring on Home and Away (spoiler alert: it's no walk in the park). It's rare that a series can be awkward, hilarious and heartbreaking all at once, but The Family Law manages to fictionalise Ben's coming-of-age without forgetting to look at weighty issues too, like coming out as a Chinese-Australian teen, the deportation of extended family, and the unexpected death of grandparents with grace and warmth. Available on: SBS On Demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tsh_hVbkkcQ&t=25s OTHER PEOPLE'S PROBLEMS Boasting an all-female creative team (from the co-creators and writers to the starring roles), Other People's' Problems is a dramedy about reluctant copywriter Florence and the ever-enterprising Ann, who team up to ghostwrite letters for people in exchange for clothes. In a misguided attempt to prove they're both great at helping people, acting as agony aunts leads them to wondering if they're actually just rubbish at dealing with their own problems. As with all the best stories, this one is based on writers Penelope Chai and Jane Dickenson's experiences of starting a bartering project called Clothing for Correspondence (pen to paper in exchange for clothes from your wardrobe). A perfect snack of a series for the heartfelt snail mail letter writers and op-shop fiends among us. Available on: ABC iView. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bIpoZKt6Gs GET KRACK!N Kate and Kate, the co-creators of ABC's The Katering Show, are back to take on the world of Australian breakfast television. You can be guaranteed two things for every 30 minute episode in the series: these two do not know how to host a breakfast TV show, and it is too damn early in the morning (we're talking go-to-air-at-3am.-early) to have maintained one's A-game. For anyone who is resistant to the real thing, cosy up to this eye-wateringly hilarious time on the grey green couch of never-ending awkwardness. Available on: ABC iView.
Documentary film, reckon Antenna founders David Rokach and Alejandra Canales, is a robust and awesome genre. As such they've lined up a selection of documentary films long and short, by directors emerging and established, and put them together in a four-day celebration and investigation of this mode of filmmaking and what it can tell us about our world and our lives. This is the first time the festival has run, and it's the first Australian film festival to let non-fiction take the front seat in all its creepy, quirky, devastatingly revelatory and endearingly weird glory. It's also hosting the inaugural Walkley Documentary Award , which is kind of an exciting thing to exist, and has a dedicated Young People Program in the interactive Doc_Next program, a move toward engagement with the bright young things that seems honestly set to work with and learn from the different ways in which a new generation understands and makes media. We are all documenting all the time now, in ways that are ever more readily mass-communicable, and this festival is both a state of the nation on what documentary is and does now and a space for consideration of what it can be and do in the future. https://youtube.com/watch?v=wJ_Icrwu30Y
Maybe you hop on the ballot the moment that it opens each year. Perhaps you wait to find out who'll be behind the mic before trying to nab tickets. Either way, Golden Plains dropping its lineup is always big news. In 2025, get ready to see PJ Harvey, Fontaines DC, 2manydjs and Kneecap — and also Wet Kiss, Durand Jones & The Indications, Magdalena Bay, Osees and Thelma Plum. And yes, that's just the beginning. Come Saturday, March 8–Monday, March 10, 2025, it'll be time to dance among the autumn leaves in regional Victoria again, at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre in the same place that Meredith Music Festival also calls home. And now that the lineup is here, you still have the chance to put your name down to get tickets. This round of Golden Plains will mark the fest's 17th year. The ticket ballot has been a part of the event since its debut — and this year's is now open until 10.17pm AEDT on Monday, October 21, 2024, which means that clicking ASAP is recommended. Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, the fest has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. And, like Meredith Music Festival, its sibling, Golden Plains is also known for the Aunty crew's star-studded bills. [caption id="attachment_976058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theo Cottle[/caption] Golden Plains 2025 Lineup PJ Harvey Fontaines DC 2manydjs Wet Kiss Durand Jones & The Indications Magdalena Bay Osees Kneecap Thelma Plum Grace Cummings Bahamadia Hermanos Gutiérrez Ela Minus Bonny Light Horseman Adriana Mulga Bore Hard Rock CCL Teether & Kuya Neil Skeleten Zjoso Jada Weazel Elliot & Vincent Storytelling with Uncle Barry Sun Ra Arkestra Golden Plains images: Chip Mooney and Ben Fletcher.
What begins with a look behind the glossy facade of Italy's superstar footballers, ends with a wide-ranging homage to one of its biggest-ever stars, and also features everything from sordid political tales to striking crime dramas? This year's Lavazza Italian Film Festival, which tours Palace Cinemas' sites around the country from September 17. For over a month, it'll showcase Italy's latest and greatest flicks — and a few old favourites — to Australian cinephiles. In the fest's 20th anniversary event, 26 new hits and classic gems will light up the big screen. Whether you're keen for a hearty laugh at a comedic delight, or can't wait to pay tribute to an Italian filmmaker like no other, they're on this year's festival bill. For all that and more, here are our top six picks. THE VICE OF HOPE Whenever a film peers at everyday existence, exploring the reality of life among average, working-class and/or struggling folks, it owes a debt to Italy. As the Second World War came to an end almost eight decades ago, the country's filmmakers turned their attention to the plight of ordinary people, sparking the birth of Italian neorealism. Set in Caserta, north of Naples, and using dialogue largely in the dialect of the region, Edoardo De Angelis' crime drama The Vice of Hope carries on social realist traditions as it tells the tale of a woman (Pina Turco) caught up in the child trafficking trade. And, after De Angelis' 2017 Lavazza Italian Film Festival hit Indivisible, it continues the writer and director's spate of sensitive but powerful features. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXLo5bUvw18 I'M NOT A KILLER Across his two-decade career, Ricardo Scamarcio hasn't just become one of Italy's biggest cinema stars. He has also popped up in Netflix's Master of None — in its Italy-set scenes, naturally — and dallied with none other than John Wick in Rome-set sequel John Wick: Chapter 2. Now, he dabbles with a murder mystery, all thanks to the Lavazza Italian Film Festival's I'm Not a Killer. Scamarcio plays Deputy Police Superintendent Francesco Prencipe, whose best friend (Alessio Boni) is found dead the morning after the pair reunite for the first time in nearly two years. There's no prizes for guessing just where fingers start pointing. However, ranging beyond the obvious and questioning clues that seem to point in a clear-cut direction is what a good thriller is all about. I'm Not a Killer also marks the second stint behind the camera for Andrea Zaccariello, who switches genres after his 2013 comedy Ci vediamo domani. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STdwYovczVg DON'T STOP ME NOW Mid-life malaise meets the spy game in Don't Stop Me Now, an Italian comedy that promises something different within two well-worn genres. Films about folks wondering if this is all there is to life are as common as big-screen espionage escapades — that is, very — but director Riccardo Milani and actor Paola Cortellesi offer a new twist as the real-life couple bring the two together for their latest collaboration. Cortellesi plays Giovanna, an accountant and mother who seems stuck in a rut. At their reunion, her high-school best friends all seem caught in similar situations as well. But, despite her mild-mannered appearance, Giovanna is actually a secret agent, which means she knows how to bring a little spice (and disguises, country-hopping and all kinds of anarchic antics) to her pals' routine existence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6zPO_jpIJI THE CONFORMIST Catching a classic film on the big screen is hardly a rare treat these days, but it's not every day that you get the chance to see Bernado Bertolucci's The Conformist in a cinema. First released in 1971, set in the 1930s and based on Alberto Moravia's 1950 neo-realist novel, the political drama follows the cowardly Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) as he navigates life in Italy under the spread of fascism. When Clerici is tasked by the government with killing a political refugee, he agrees to the deadly deed, even though the target is his former college professor. In a movie that's equally smart, unsettling and expressive — and rightfully called a masterpiece — Bertolucci ponders just what kind of person blindly conforms to such a cruel regime, with ample assistance from his superb star Trintignant, as well as from acclaimed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s69O1G1ZRAM BANGLA When Bangla premiered at this year's Rotterdam International Film Festival, it earned comparisons to huge 2017 crowd-pleaser The Big Sick, and it's easy to see why. Phaim Bhuiyan, a 23-year-old first-time feature filmmaker, not only writes, directs and stars in this cross-cultural rom-com, but has drawn its honest and perceptive story from his own experiences as an Italian-born Muslim from a Bangladeshi family. When his on-screen character, who is also called Phaim, meets Asia (Carlotta Antonelli), their attraction is both instant and mutual. But his background — and, specifically, Islam's strict decree against sex before marriage — throws more than a few obstacles in the path of romance. The result is a keenly observed tale of multi-cultural life in Italy today, as told by someone who hasn't just been there and done that, but is still living through it. The Lavazza Italian Film Festival tours Australia from September 17, screening at Sydney's Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona, Palace Central and Chauvel Cinema from September 17–October 16; Melbourne's Palace Cinema Como, Palace Westgarth, Palace Brighton Bay, Palace Balwyn, Kino Cinemas and The Astor Theatre from September 19–October 16; Brisbane's Palace Barracks and Palace James Street from September 25–October 16; and Perth's Palace Cinema Paradiso and Luna on SX from October 2–23. For more information, visit the festival website.
Home meal delivery providers HelloFresh and Youfoodz are in hot water with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), with the popular services accused of misleading customers over their subscription and cancellation terms. With legal proceedings underway, the ACCC claims that both HelloFresh and Youfoodz breached Australian Consumer Law by advertising that consumers could easily cancel subscriptions using their online account settings before a specified cut-off time. However, the watchdog suggests the reality was much different, with consumers only able to cancel the first delivery if they spoke with a customer service representative. Meanwhile, the ACCC statement says many customers were still charged for their first delivery after they'd attempted to cancel. "Despite what HelloFresh and Youfoodz represented to new Australian subscribers, tens of thousands of consumers were charged for their first order, even though they cancelled their subscription before the cut-off date," said ACCC Commissioner Luke Woodward. There were also widespread complaints about customers unknowingly signing up for subscriptions. Here, the ACCC alleges that HelloFresh required consumers to provide payment details to view the service's meal selection. When consumers visited the page, they were unaware they had entered into an ongoing subscription and were charged for a first delivery. Following the Australian government's recent announcement of a crackdown on misleading cancellation policies and so-called subscription traps, draft legislation is expected to arrive in early 2026. In the meantime, the ACCC is seeking compensation orders for affected consumers from HelloFresh and YouFoodz. For more information, head to the ACCC website to read the full statement.
We've all been there: hankering for a bite to eat after a few drinks, a gig or a show, but unable to find anything that isn't fast food. Yes, Sydney's lockout laws might be behind us, but the city's dining scene isn't always able to serve up something satisfying when it comes to late-night meals — or, sometimes, even somewhere to grab a beverage. During Vivid, however, that's changing at a number of restaurants and bars around Circular Quay. During the huge citywide celebration of arts, music, culture and oh-so-dazzling lights, 12 spots are staying open later than usual. On the list: Bistecca, Lana, Besuto, Tapavino, Grana, Londres 126, Bar Mammoni and Bouillon l'Entrecote, all of which will trade till midnight Wednesday–Sunday throughout Vivid. And, if you'd prefer a late-night sip, Double Deuce, Mary's Underground, Apollonia and Maybe Sammy are doing the same — but until 2am. All dozen venues are expanding their trading hours across those five nights per week — so, every night except Mondays and Tuesdays — throughout the entire festival, which kicked off on Friday, May 27 and runs through until Sunday, June 18. That means that you can pair your plans to see talks, shows, concerts and luminous installations with an 18-course omakase experience, bistecca alla Fiorentina, steak frites, mezcal, burgers, cocktails inspired by The Godfather and mini martinis. The initiative has been badged Vivid Sydney Later, and is part of the event's efforts to make its first festival since 2019 (thanks to obvious reasons) as big as possible. Across its opening 2022 weekend, 435,000 folks already hit up the fest. So, wherever you're now planning to head for a drink or bite after checking out the Vivid program, expect to have company. Vivid Sydney Later runs from Wednesday–Sunday until Sunday, June 18. For further information, head to the Vivid website.
Public art has the power to express ideas and stories that we might not otherwise be exposed to. And it's with this sentiment that Sydney-based artist and researcher Astra Howard created her Surry Hills installation Village Voices. Part of the City of Sydney's public art collection, the work was first installed in the tight alleyway between Crown and Wilshire streets in 2016. Having volunteered for many years with a variety of homeless and community organisations within the suburb, Astra focused on incorporating the voices of those within the community who often go unheard. She held workshops in the suburb, where people came together to tell and craft their stories. Using signage inspired by the marquees of bygone theatres and church messageboards, the interactive project displays excerpts of these writings, which share histories and experiences through poetry and prose. Here we talk to Astra Howard about her artwork and the importance of giving a voice to all who live in our city. PAINTING A PORTRAIT Astra has been involved with public art for the better part of two decades. Initially studying graphic design at Queensland College of Arts, she relocated to COFA (now UNSW Art & Design) and soon began positioning her design work around public spaces. Conducting guerrilla-style public art projects — like a 24-hour performance project inside a Randwick telephone booth and an entire week at a dilapidated Kings Cross tobacconist — Astra's work has generated great interest from the public. Using her affinity for public art to give a voice to marginalised communities within Sydney, the artist held writing workshops in Surry Hills, alongside organisations such as the Mission Australia Centre, Northcott Community Centre, Milk Crate Theatre and Oasis Youth Support Network, for those in need from the local community. The workshops helped craft the prose that now features in Village Voices. With contributors either writing specifically for the artwork, dropping work in Astra's submission box or adapting longer texts for the condensed format, the essence of their stories explores the lived experience of Surry Hills. Changing every two months or so, the words come from people aged 15 to 95 and from various walks of life. Showcasing the sentiments of all those who reside in the area — on the streets and in residences — each text contributes to an intimate portrait of the suburb. SOUNDS OF THE SUBURBS Village Voices gives viewers an opportunity to reflect on their immediate surroundings and the people they may rarely hear from. With the installation providing a space for people to come together and discuss issues, Astra says it creates important dialogue among residents and businesses. "Often there's a statement that one person might not agree with, but it creates a catalyst for discussion between people who wouldn't normally be having that conversation," the artist says. "So in that way, I think the work is important as a way to communicate ideas that you might not otherwise see in a public space because of advertising or the dominant voices of any area." Having discussed the work herself with many passersby, Astra says that while people might start at polar opposite ends of an issue, by the end of their conversation, a greater sense of understanding is often achieved. OPEN FOR ART Active in the Sydney art scene in the late-1990s, Astra remembers the difficulties of producing public artworks in the city. But 20 years later, she believes the city has grown by leaps and bounds, encouraging and supporting would-be public artists. While Astra's guerrilla projects in Kings Cross and Paddington attracted negative attention from both the police and government rangers, these public works have prompted the City of Sydney, alongside many other Australian and leading international cities, to adopt the thinking of prominent urban theorists like Richard Florida and Charles Landry who argue creativity is crucial to cities. Helping to draw out the aspirations and creative thinking popular throughout Sydney's suburbs, Astra believes these public projects have a variety of positive impacts — from a cultural, tourism, as well as a business standpoint. "There's been a real turnaround since many of my early projects that I was doing in a sort of guerrilla fashion," explains Astra. "It's fantastic that there are many opportunities across Sydney and Australia for people to experiment with artwork." https://youtu.be/3-_bpadbDFg See Astra Howard's Village Voices in the laneway between Crown and Wilshire streets. Images and video: Silversalt.
Think about Broken Hill and movies, and one of three films likely comes to mind. Mad Max 2 is one of them. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is another. Wake in Fright should be the third. Before road warriors and drag queens helped bring the outback city to the big screen, this stone-cold classic got there first. It was back in 1971 that the iconic Australian page-to-screen thriller turned the remote patch of New South Wales — well, the fictional Bundanyabba in the narrative — into a hotbed of small-town small-mindedness, toxic masculinity and a dim view of outsiders. If you've never thought that ochre soil as far as the eye can see could be a vision of claustrophobia, then you haven't seen this, which sits on Canadian director Ted Kotcheff's extremely diverse resume alongside everything from First Blood to Weekend at Bernies. Here's your next change to redress that: a Hear My Eyes session at the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival, where the movie-and-music series will give Wake in Fright a new soundtrack. For Hear My Eyes first-timers — so, those who've missed Hellraiser, Good Time, Pan's Labyrinth, Chopper, Two Hands, Drive, Girlhood and Suspiria sessions in the past, to name a few prior shows — the event brings a must-see flick back to the big screen accompanied by a live, all-new and completely original score that's played while film lovers sit, watch and listen. Doing the musical honours for Wake in Fright is Surprise Chef, who'll be playing to a freshly unveiled 4K restoration of the feature. Hitting up Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, August 16, the MIFF Hear My Eyes screening will mark the world-premiere of the 4K version of the film. Whether they pop up as part of festivals or on their own — and no matter the movie, too — these events are always popular, so getting tickets quickly is recommended. There's no word yet if other cities outside Melbourne will get the chance to see Wake in Fright receive the Hear My Eyes treatment, so this is a prime excuse to head to the Victorian capital. So far, before it drops its full 2024 lineup on Thursday, July 11, MIFF has also announced Adam Elliot's new stop-motion animation Memoir of a Snail, which'll open the fest, alongside 23 other flicks — including Sundance sensation I Saw the TV Glow from We're All Going to the World's Fair's Jane Schoenbrun, Hunter Schafer (Euphoria)-starring thriller Cuckoo, the Sebastian Stan (Dumb Money)-led A Different Man and restaurant-set dramedy La Cocina featuring Rooney Mara (Women Talking), plus heaps more. [caption id="attachment_963205" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963203" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963204" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simon Aubor[/caption] [caption id="attachment_963206" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Izzie Austin[/caption] Hear My Eyes' Wake in Fright screening with Surprise Chef will debut at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne on Friday, August 16. Head to the Hear My Eyes website for tickets and further details. The 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival runs from Thursday, August 8–Sunday, August 25 at a variety of venues around Melbourne; from Friday, August 16–Sunday, August 18 and Friday, August 23–Sunday, August 25 in regional Victoria; and online nationwide from Friday, August 9–Sunday, August 25. For further details, including the full program from Thursday, July 11, visit the MIFF website.
Remember that age-old aphorism, "Don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, bear that in mind when en route to Eating World and don't let the 'cover' of this food court shy you away. Within its unassuming four walls, you'll find a utopia of Asian cuisine; a world that's all about, well, eating. Menus are overloaded with options and all manner of diner is catered for — whether you like things spicy, sweet, savoury or salty, there'll be a dish to suit your proclivity. You can't go past the whole fish, crispy skin and all, from At Thai. And the suitably saccharine Vietnamese coffees — hello, condensed milk — are a must. But, really, we could sit here all day listing great dishes. It's better you make Eating World your new go-to lunch spot and work your way through the endless array of eateries. The best part? It's probably going to be cheaper than your packed lunch.
Seeing movies get the TV treatment isn't a new trend. From Buffy the Vampire Slayer and What We Do in the Shadows to Fargo, plus everything from Irma Vep and Dead Ringers to A League of Their Own and Interview with the Vampire as well, there's no shortage of examples (and that's before getting into Marvel's and Star Wars' shows). But when Baz Luhrmann's Australia hits the small screen, it'll be doing a few things differently. Firstly, it has a new name. Secondly, it's been fashioned out of originally shot footage back when the flick was made — so it's turning the film into television quite literally. That series: Faraway Downs, a six-parter that was first announced in 2022, is closing the first-ever SXSW Sydney Screen Festival and is destined for Disney+ Down Under from Sunday, November 26. Wondering how that might turn out, even if you've seen Australia? There's now a Faraway Downs trailer. For 15 years, Australia has inspired a particular train of thought when it comes to Luhrmann's movies: they can't all be good ones, even if almost all of them are. Australia is the one outlier on his resume — the one film that doesn't live up to the spectacular Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis — so that's where the tinkering and reimagining as Faraway Downs comes in. "I was inspired to re-approach my film Australia to create Faraway Downs because of the way episodic storytelling has been reinvigorated by the streaming world," said Luhrmann. "With over two-million feet of film from the original piece, my team and I were able to revisit anew the central themes of the work." Combining two of the nation's biggest actors with one of its biggest filmmakers, Faraway Downs still stars Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, of course. If you need a refresher on Australia's plot — and therefore the new episodic version's plot, too — it follows English aristocrat Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman, The Northman) after she comes into possession of an Aussie cattle ranch. To save it from cattle barons, she enlists the help of a drover (Jackman, The Son). That's just the overall gist, however, given that the sprawling movie also spans World War II and its impact, as well as the country's historical treatment of Indigenous Australians. Fittingly given the OG name — and as usually proves the case with Luhrmann's flicks — the cast includes a who's who of homegrown talent. As well as Kidman and Jackman, plus Brandon Walters (Mystery Road) as Nullah, everyone from Essie Davis (Nitram) and Bryan Brown (Hungry Ghosts) to Ben Mendelsohn (Secret Invasion), Jack Thompson (High Ground) and David Wenham (Elvis) features, as does the now-late David Gulpilil (Storm Boy) and Bill Hunter (The Cup). Check out the trailer for Faraway Downs below: Faraway Downs streams in Australia and New Zealand via Disney+ from Sunday, November 26 — after closing the 2023 SXSW Sydney Screen Festival on Saturday, October 21.
Returning once more to Tumbalong Park, this verdant green space is hosting the Greek Festival — a day-long experience celebrating Greek-Australian culture. Between more than a few circle dances, you're invited to indulge in non-stop food, music and good times as part of Darling Harbour's Culture Alive series for 2026. Against the backdrop of frequent opas, the music and dancing program is jam-packed with traditional and contemporary Greek performances. Yet all eyes will be on acclaimed Athens-born singer, Ioulia Karapataki, who'll take to the stage to perform her captivating brand of Greek folk music, including her famed rendition of 'To Glenti'. It wouldn't be the Greek Festival without a huge feast. You'll have plenty of delicious food to choose from, with lamb souvlaki hot off the grill, honey-soaked loukoumades and barbecued octopus just some of your options. Once you're fueled up, it's probably time to break into a raucous sirtaki with friends and fam. Taking place from 10am to 10pm on Sunday, March 1, the Greek Festival also has lots for little ones. For instance, the kids can sharpen their soccer skills alongside the pros from the A-League's Western Sydney Wanderers. Meanwhile, a thriving market will feature local stalls spruiking clothing and jewellery for young and old. Ready for an unforgettable glendi? Don't miss this day out by the waterfront.
Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) had a big year in 2021. In just twelve months the company launched a digital education program, announced its new theatre would be named after ATYP ambassador and alumna Rebel Wilson and underwent a company rebrand — all before announcing its unmissable 2022 season. Next year, ATYP will showcase five incredible productions at its new digs, The Rebel Theatre, in Walsh Bay. Plus, it's offering theatregoers the opportunity to purchase season tickets for the very first time. From world premieres to new takes on classic texts, there's something to suit all theatrical preferences in this thrilling season of shows. Just make sure you secure your season subscription before December 20 so you can go in the running to win two jam-packed prize packs. [caption id="attachment_836014" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Luke Stambouliah[/caption] THE DEB February 16–March 27, 2022 Regional teens will feel incredibly seen in this coming-of-age story that takes place at the biggest event on any small town's social calendar — the annual Debutante Ball. Join Durburn mega-dork Taylah and her hyper-cool inner city cousin Maeve on a quest for social redemption on this regional town's night of nights. Created by the 2019 Rebel Wilson Comedy Commission winner Hannah Riley and multi-ARIA award-winning musician and songwriter Megan Washington, The Deb is a show that'll be filled with fake tan, loads of lace and tiara topped up-dos. [caption id="attachment_836012" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Luke Stambouliah[/caption] M. ROCK May 5–29, 2022 Ever wondered what it'd be like to see your grandma clubbing in Berlin? If you went missing on a European holiday, it's likely she'd do whatever it takes to find you — including hitting sweaty European dance floors. After a sell-out season in 2014, Lachlan Philpott's shimmering odyssey M.Rock will return with Valerie Bader shining bright in this life-affirming production for both the young and young-at-heart. [caption id="attachment_836010" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Luke Stambouliah[/caption] THE RESISTANCE June 28–July 24, 2022 Do you think teens have what it takes to save the world from the climate crisis? Us too. Join Miro, Marlee and Pepper to find out how powerful one trio can be as they strive for climate justice in this interactive co-production with Auckland Theatre Company. The Resistance is part play, part climate justice protest and invites you to celebrate in the power of collective action online and IRL. [caption id="attachment_836011" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Luke Stambouliah[/caption] A CLOCKWORK ORANGE: A PLAY WITH MUSIC August 16–September 11, 2022 You've read Anthony Burgess' 1962 novella, you've seen the Stanley Kubrick film and now you can catch a reimagining of this dystopian classic courtesy of ATYP's Artistic Director Fraser Corfield. A Clockwork Orange: A Play with Music is a collision of Shakespearean prose and bad behaviour that tackles questions of free will, violence, power and the pains of growing up for a 2022 audience. [caption id="attachment_836013" align="alignnone" width="2560"] Luke Stambouliah[/caption] PAST THE SHALLOWS October 11–November 6, 2022 Although Harry and Miles technically live with their dad, his life as an abalone diver often leaves the brothers home alone. And, when Harry strikes up an unlikely friendship during the school holidays their world is tilted. Past the Shallows is a gut-wrenching exploration of mortality, family mysteries and the nuances of brutality and tenderness within masculinity. Adapted from Favel Parrett's award-winning debut novel by playwright Julian Larnach, Past the Shallows is an homage to brotherhood. For more information and to book your season ticket, visit the website.
Welcome to the Wasteland: a first look at the long-awaited Fallout TV adaptation is here, ahead of the streaming series' arrival on Prime Video in April 2024. Almost three decades after first hitting computers back in 1997 — and after three released sequels, a fourth on the way and seven spinoffs — the gaming franchise is getting a live-action take starring Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (I'm a Virgo) and Kyle MacLachlan (Lucky Hank). HBO isn't behind this game-to-television series, unlike spectacular 2023 hit The Last of Us, but Prime Video is taking a similar approach by enlisting the creative forces behind one of the US premium cable network's past hits. Just as co-creator, executive producer, writer and director Craig Mazin made the leap from Chernobyl to a button-mashing favourite, so are Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy — who also executive produced Prime Video's own The Peripheral. Fans of the Fallout game will already know the show's setting: a post-apocalyptic future. The series takes place 200 years after everything went pear-shaped, with people living in luxe fallout shelters ever since. When some such folks leave their cosy confines, they find a hellscape filled with mutants, wild west vibes and plenty of violence. Purnell plays vault-dweller Lucy, while Twin Peaks great MacLachlan is her dad Overseer Hank, who — as his name suggests — oversees Vault 33. On the surface, Goggins is bounty hunter The Ghoul, who has a secret past — and Aaron Moten (Emancipation) also has a pivotal part as Brotherhood of Steel soldier Maximus. Expect to also see Moisés Arias (Samaritan), Sarita Choudhury (And Just Like That...), Michael Emerson (Evil), Leslie Uggams (Extrapolations), Frances Turner (The Boys), Dave Register (Heightened), Zach Cherry (Severance) and Johnny Pemberton (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story) on-screen as well — plus Rodrigo Luzzi (Dead Ringers), Annabel O'Hagan (Dear Edward) and Xelia Mendes-Jones (The Wheel of Time) — when this retrofuturistic dystopia starts hitting your streaming queue from Friday, April 12, 2024. As well as executive producing with Joy, Nolan directs the first three episodes. Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel) and Graham Wagner (Silicon Valley) are similarly among Fallout's executive producers, as well as the series' writers and co-showrunners. And yes, Bethesda Game Studios has a hand in finally bringing the games to the screen. There's no trailer for Fallout yet, but Prime Video have dropped a heap of pictures as an initial glimpse at what's to come — see above and below. Fallout will start streaming via Prime Video from Friday, April 12, 2024. Images: courtesy of Prime Video.
There are some things in life that are best left to the professionals. Brewing beer. Dentistry. Flying a plane. Also on the list? Replicating that fancy hairstyle you saw on social media for your next special occasion. Sure, you could try to do it yourself at home — check out our styling videos for tips and inspiration — but there's no better way to get in the party mood than a little pamper sesh. So, we've teamed up with Dyson to highlight a bunch of hair salons in and around Sydney to head to before a big event. The teams at these spots are absolute wizards with Dyson styling tools and will wrangle that mop atop your head in no time.
It's a very specific genre — that'd be documentaries about Britney Spears, her life over the past 13-plus years under a conservatorship and her efforts to free herself from the arrangement — and it's about to hit viewers one more time. After Hulu's Framing Britney Spears quickly became everyone's must-see doco earlier in 2021, Netflix's Britney vs Spears is stepping back into the case. And, it'll be doing so very soon. Block out Tuesday, September 28 in your diary, as that's when the Erin Lee Carr (How To Fix a Drug Scandal, Dirty Money)-directed film will hit the streaming platform. If you watched its aforementioned predecessor, or you've paid any attention to news stories over the years, you'll know that Britney vs Spears will cover quite the tale — and Netflix has just dropped a trailer for the doco as well. "I just want my life back," says Britney in the sneak peek's first seconds. "I've worked my whole life. I don't owe these people anything," she continues. Since early 2008, when she was first put under a conservatorship, the pop star's choices haven't been her own — and that's an arrangement she's been fighting against for years, and the whole reason that the #FreeBritney movement has sprung up. Drawn from investigative journalism over several years, Britney vs Spears will explore Britney's life — both public and private — and her quest to be rid of the conservatorship. It also promises new documents and interviews, some of which are teased in the trailer. And, with Carr working alongside journalist Jenny Eliscu to unpack exactly what the situation has meant for Britney, who has been involved and what the star has been doing behind the scenes, it also charts her path from teen stardom to battling for legal autonomy. This year marks 23 years since '...Baby One More Time' rocketed up Australia's charts, and made sure that everyone in the country knew who Britney was. Before then, she'd been in the spotlight since her time on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club in the early 90s; however, it was that blockbuster pop song that truly catapulted her to megastar-level fame. In the decades since, the singer has enjoyed a slew of other hits, thanks to everything from 'Sometimes', '(You Drive Me) Crazy' and 'Oops!... I Did It Again' to 'Toxic', 'Everytime' and 'If U Seek Amy'. Yes, you now have at least one of these songs stuck in your head (or, let's be honest, a medley of all them). Britney vs Spears will also arrive on Netflix a day before the next court date in Britney's ongoing quest to end the conservatorship. Just yesterday, on Wednesday, September 22, one of her lawyers told a Los Angeles judge that he expects her conservatorship will finish "completely and inevitably" during the American fall. Check out the Britney vs Spears trailer below: Britney vs Spears will be available to stream via Netflix on Tuesday, September 28.
Since 2011, DJ Tom Loud's travelling dance party Hot Dub Time Machine has ripped up stages the world over, offering a rolling crossfade of the last six decades of pop-music. And last year he launched Hot Dub Wine Machine, a series of al fresco get-togethers on some of the country's most-loved wine regions. The Hot Dub Wine Machine events were a success and the tour will return to Hunter Valley's Hope Estate for a second year on Saturday, March 10. The boutique event will run from early afternoon through to after dark, and feature a hand-picked smorgasbord of Australian talent, including The Kite String Tangle, Touch Sensitive and Sneaky Sound System. This will all lead into one of Hot Dub's signature sets, which will see audiences dancing their way from 1954 to today, as the DJ mixes an iconic song from each year. Backing up the tunes, expect a careful curation of eats, craft beer and, of course, some sensational vino from these iconic Australian wine regions. Safe to say, it's probably the rowdiest event these wineries will host all year.
As all at CP know — and passionately dedicate our work lives to — this city is much more than the iconic landmarks that first spring to mind when you hear 'Sydney'. Of course, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Bondi Beach are breathtaking, but there are places hidden in plain sight that visitors (and locals) tend to overlook when getting out and about. And more than a few that, unexpectedly, could see you flexing those creative muscles. Together with Archie Rose, the much-loved Rosebery-based distillery, we've uncovered life drawing nights in CBD pubs, watercolour classes in distilleries and jewellery-making workshops in art galleries that'll help you discover Sydney a little differently as you unleash (or hone) your artistic side. TAKE A CREATIVE CLASS IN A ROSEBERY DISTILLERY First up, why not head to Rosebery and lean into the right side of your brain with Archie Rose. The distillery — which boasts the likes of Lemon Scented Gum Gin and Eau de Bee Honey Spirit as well as its stand-out signature range — also hosts a variety of classes that bring out your inner artist in a deliciously different environment. There's the Dynamic Ceramics with Klaypots class, which tasks you with shaping your own ceramic pieces while drinking in your surrounds (and bespoke Archie Rose cocktails) over two hours. You'll be guided by ceramicist Karina Goudie and leave with three glazed pieces heading off to get fired. If painting is more your thing, Harvest Inspired Watercolour Painting will see you making a start on your portfolio. You'll also take home your paintbrush and watercolour pan, so you're sure to achieve master status in no time. And for those looking to add a festive touch to their home, the Spirited Christmas Wreath Making Workshop invites Peony Story's founder and chief designer Nikki Zeng to the distillery to guide you through the construction of a European-style Christmas wreath. Expect preserved foliage and everlasting blooms aplenty — the perfect serve alongside your welcome G&T. Once you're in the space, don't be surprised if the creativity firing in your brain ask you to take it another step further — and Archie Rose's Tailored Spirits offering allows you to do just that. Choose the botanicals for your own customised bottle of gin, or play creative director and design the label for your own bottled cocktail. And if you've ever wanted to create your own spirit, you can even have your own cask of whiskey made. Pick your base malt, spirit style, cask type and even the strength, before the resident experts carry out your orders and have your bottles on their way to you in two to three months. [caption id="attachment_877756" align="alignnone" width="1920"] @september___studio[/caption] THROW CLAY IN A DARLINGHURST FLORIST Just as we have actor-slash-musicians and editor-slash-writers, there are venue versions of the slashie. Head to Darlinghurst to find September Studio, a delightful florist-slash-ceramics-studio. Spend Sunday afternoon — or your after-work hours on a Tuesday, Thursday or Friday — in the Boundary Street corner spot for an introductory ceramics class. In just under 90 minutes, you'll have been shown the ropes of wheel-throwing and hand-building by ceramicist and September Studio owner Bryce Heyworth. By home time, you'll have two hand-crafted pieces — and for an extra $15 on top of the $75 class, those pieces can be trimmed and taken to the kiln. If one session isn't enough, $50 will get returning students an hour in the floral-filled space. You'll have access to the wheels, clay and Heyworth's expertise, all while surrounded by clay vessels carrying leftover stems. Darlo is a hot spot for some of the best bars in town, so make a night of it and nab yourself an after-class sip at Love, Tilly Devine, or catch up with your mates over Italian snacks at Fortuna. [caption id="attachment_877560" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Simi Eliott[/caption] TAKE UP GLASSBLOWING AMIDST THE MARRICKVILLE BREWERY PRECINCT It's time to branch out and familiarise yourself with a fascinating new skill: glassblowing. Nestled in the heart of Marrickville's brewery precinct, creative studio Among the Trees hosts contemporary glass artist Mark Eliott as he conducts classes that showcase the wonders of glassblowing. If you just want to dip a toe in, head to Class Bento and book a spot in the taster class. Over 2.5 hours, you'll get to try your hand at sculpting glass in the flame (after Eliott demonstrates and takes you through safety demos, of course) using a rainbow of borosilicate rods, before you take home two glass objects to show off at your next gathering. There's also a full-day masterclass that will give you more time to get creative and refine your stretching, blowing and creative techniques. And since you're in Marrickville, go grab a brewskie at one of the nearby breweries — The Bob Hawke Beer & Leisure Centre, Batch and Stockade are all within walking distance. SPEND A NIGHT NUDE LIFE DRAWING AT A CBD PUB Always wanted to have your own Rose and Jack moment and draw someone like one of your French girls? Head to The Attic — inside CBD fave ArtHouse Hotel — on a Monday night for a nude life-drawing session. Each week, models of all shapes and sizes get their kit off in the name of you getting artsy. The casual classes, ideally situated in close proximity to the bar, allow you to go with your creative flow or request guidance from the night's approachable host. You're free to use provided supplies or experiment with colour, textures and mediums by bringing along your own supplies. Entry is $7, vibes are high and the bar's fully stocked — the recipe for a cracking start to your work week. [caption id="attachment_877589" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Ash Durden[/caption] MAKE A PIECE OF JEWELLERY IN A NORTHERN BEACHES ART GALLERY If there's a class to truly induce a feeling of accomplishment, it's one where you can hand-crafted your own jewellery. One set in an art gallery near the ocean surely only adds to the allure. HAKE House of Art is the recently opened gallery in Dee Why that celebrates and supports artists while creating a place "where art comes to life and is breathed into our community". As well as regular exhibits — with local artists like Lucinda Jones and Neil Tomkins — the creative space hosts jewellery house The Fifth Lane's silversmithing masterclasses (which are accompanied by beer, wine and nibbles). Tommy Lane, the head maker and owner of the jewellery biz, fronts the $175 sessions and guides you as you make a piece of your choice — fine stacking rings, a chunky ring or silver bangle (you can even upgrade to 9ct gold, you fancy thing). You'll heat your metal, bend it into your desired shape, try your hand at soldering and then file and sand to achieve a lustre of your liking. There's no experience needed, just a desire to learn and willingness to get hands-on. In 2.5 hours, you'll have created your new wearable piece in a space dedicated to creative expression. FYI: The Fifth Lane runs classes on the Central Coast and North Coast and in other Sydney spots, too. RECORD THE NEXT HIT PODCAST JUST MOMENTS FROM PARRAMATTA ROAD Whether you've got the bones of a tip-top investigative piece in your back pocket or you rate your group chat's chat 10/10, timing's everything in the release of a podcast — so you should book this cosily furnished Camperdown recording studio, stat. Just far enough away from the bustle of Parra Road, this space is equipped with two kitchens, bathrooms, chill-out areas and space enough for 30 people. Recording equipment is provided, as is a whole host of instruments — vintage guitars, drum kits and a grand piano, specifically. At $150 per hour, and with a four-hour minimum, you'd best get your script drafted, your guests (or co-hosts) locked down and begin planning the release of what's sure to be the next hit poddy. If you're looking to get creative in Sydney, an arty masterclass at Archie Rose is an ideal spot to start. Head to the website to book your spot. Top images: Ash Durden (second); Simi Eliott (third, student is Ali Vandeness)
Aside from that time Bart Simpson called Australia and learnt that Australian toilets drain clockwise (and subsequently had to travel out 'ere to apologise), The Simpsons hasn't really uncovered many of our country's truths. But that's not true anymore with a new Simpsons short — which takes place outside the Sydney Opera House — released online yesterday. In the video, Homer manages to take down our accents, diss Rupert Murdoch, meet the Sydney seal and get attacked by seagulls in little more than a minute. It was created by Matt Groening ahead of his appearance at the Sydney Opera House for their GRAPHIC festival, which will run over one weekend in November. The fest celebrates pop culture and graphic storytelling, animation and music. Groening will be doing a keynote (which has already sold out), as well as a talk with fellow cartoonist Lynda Barry. Finally, the rest of the world can know the truth: the Australian animal to be afraid of isn't snakes — it's seagulls. Watch the full short video below. Video: THE SIMPSONS TM & ©2016 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.
No matter how much time you've dedicated to learning Beyoncé's dance in 'Formation', chances are you can appreciate a good dance move here and there. But today's pop culture choreography didn't just appear on TV screens and dancefloors around the world by magic. Before they became a part of everyone's best routines, it is highly likely that they were conjured up by the next generation of contemporary choreographers and performers. In fact, we'd bet on it. Eight such artists are currently on display at the Melbourne semi-finals of the 2016 Keir Choreographic Award, which commissions and presents new choreographic works in a competitive context. In the biennial award's second edition, Aussie practitioners Sarah Aiken, James Batchelor, Chloe Chignell, Ghenoa Gela, Martin Hansen, Alice Heyward, Rebecca Jensen and Paea Leach will battle it out for the prestigious prize and a very tidy $30,000. On the jury is Brussells-based performance theorist Bojana Cvejić, curator and critic Pierre Bal-Blanc, US choreographer Sarah Michelson, the inaugural recipient of the Award Atlanta Eke and founder of the foundation, Phillip Keir. The four selected finalists will then travel up to Sydney to perform over three days at Carriageworks, with evening performances on May 5, 6 and 7, along with an afternoon performance on May 7. You can even get involved by voting for the Audience Choice, which awards one of the artists $10,000. So you won't just be witnessing trail-blazing performances of music and movement, you'll also be getting a glimpse of (and participating in) the future of dance. And it might just help with your Beyoncé moves. Images: Gregory Lorenzutti for Dancehouse.
With six years and seven Melbourne venues under its belt, it was only a matter of time before Melbourne's fun-loving Mexican restaurant chain Fonda made its way north. Owners David Youl and Tim McDonald knew their format would make an excellent fit for Sydney's dining culture, but it's taken a solid few years of searching to find the perfect spot to pull it off. Now, the latest addition to the Fonda family — the first outside of Melbourne — is set to open its doors in Bondi in a matter of weeks. If you've been to a Fonda in Melbourne, you'll know that Fonda does casual, affordable Mexican food in bustling bright spaces. But don't expect the exact same formula in Sydney. Not only is this newcomer breaking the mould with a rejigged cocktail list, an overhauled food offering and the introduction of table service, it's setting the blueprint for a roll-out of changes across all of its sibling stores. Welcome to Fonda 2.0. Fresh from West Hollywood's E.P. & L.P., L.A chef Mark Tagnipez is heading up the kitchen, armed with a new-format menu of signature tacos, vibrant salads, poke bowls and tostadas. These are house-made six-inch tortillas that are toasted, loaded with lively toppings like kingfish ceviche and then theatrically broken into pieces by waitstaff. Most exciting though, are the new taco sharing boards, designed to bring the fiesta to your table. They'll feature pull-apart meats like slow-cooked pork and braised beef short rib, along with fresh-pressed wheat tortillas and an array of fresh fillings, ready for guests to dig in and customise their own tacos. The Sydney venue also marks Fonda's first foray into desserts and a crafty lineup of signature cocktails, including the Tea With Freda: a blend of triple sec, lavender syrup and Earl Grey tea-infused gin. Fonda Mexican will open mid-October at 85 Hall Street, Bondi. For more info, visit fondamexican.com.au. Image: Fonda Collingwood, by Brook James.
Been dreaming of a cherry-blossomed-filled trip to Japan, but can't quite afford the cash or time? Surry Hills' Japanese dive bar Goros has you sorted. It's bringing cherry blossom season to Sydney with Cherry Bomb. For six weeks, the venue will be transformed into a pink wonderland, inspired by clubs all over Tokyo that do the same. As soon as you walk in, you'll be transported via pink installations, lanterns, karaoke and DJs. Equally pink is the cocktail list. Take a seat under cascading sakura blooms while sipping on a Momo Kitty (Nikka Coffey vodka, peach sake, yuzu and green apple) or an Ume Sour (Nikka Days whisky, umeshu, watermelon and lemon) – and sampling watermelon sashimi, tempura prawn bao and strawberry fried ice cream. But perhaps the real highlight is Goros Castle, happening during the first week of May. It's a chaotic contest where you get to prove yourself in a series of fun competitions — from eating giant ramen to wrestling in a sumo suit. Cherry Bomb is on from Wednesday, April 2, to Saturday, May 10. To get in on the action, head along any day from Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm.
Following on from this year’s historical blockbuster, The Photograph and Australia, the Art Gallery of NSW are presenting a comprehensive survey of the work of influential photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. This innovative 19-century photographer has become well known for her emotive sensibility. As an active artist in the 1860s, she attracted controversy for her unconventional techniques. Cameron picked up photography in her late 40s and was among the pioneers of soft-focus portraiture. She developed a unique way of capturing beauty, which resonated beyond her time. Drawn from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, this exhibition will feature over 100 of Cameron’s works, representing her early attempts through to her mastery of the craft. It will also include a series of letters, sourced from a number of Australian museums.
If you've got friends or family members with kids, you may have some insight into the havoc that can arise when they get bored. And after almost two years of on-and-off homeschooling and lockdowns, we bet many of the courageous parents in your life are utterly exhausted. So, this holiday season, what better gift to bestow upon them than a proper getaway? Experiences are the new things, after all. A family vacay needs to include a few key essentials: relaxation for the parents, opportunities for learning and active adventures that'll wear out small humans. To help you find travel adventures that hit the mark and make for ideal pressies, we've partnered with Tourism Australia to round up ten of the best family holiday experiences around the country that are a win for both parent and child.
While the Blue Mountains National Park is generally off-limits to your furry friend, there are some pockets of the region that allow pups. Set outside the national park in Lawson (near Wentworth Falls), the South Lawson Waterfall Circuit is a well-known hike for humans and their four-legged pals alike. The three-kilometre trail passes four waterfalls on the way — including Adelina Falls, the sand-lined Federal Falls, Cataract Falls and the epic cascades at Junction Falls. This trek is great in summer, as you and your dog can avoid the bulk of the heat with this high-altitude hike. Image: Destination NSW
With international travel still limited, jetting off to wherever you'd like around the globe isn't currently on anyone's agenda. But if you'd like to while away a few days or weeks at the best beach in the world, you can — because it's right here in Australia. In Tripadvisor's just-announced 2021 lineup of the planet's best beaches, which ranks 25 idyllic locations, two Aussie spots made the cut. In news that will come as no surprise to anyone, the Whitsundays' Whitehaven Beach took first place. It's the latest accolade for the picturesque Queensland favourite, which has placed second twice in Flight Network's list on the same topic, and was also named Tripadvisor's best Australian beach for travellers back in 2017. Turquoise Bay in Exmouth, Western Australia made the list as well, coming in at number six. And if you're wondering which overseas spots you should think about visiting when global travel begins to return to normal, Cuba's Santa Maria Beach placed second, Brazil's Baia do Sancho came in third, Grace Bay Beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands placed fourth, and Florida's Saint Pete Beach in the US was named the fifth best beach. Also in the top ten: Eagle Beach, Aruba; Spiaggia dei Conigli in Lampedusa, Italy; Ka'anapali Beach in Hawaii; and Baía dos Golfinhos in Brazil. Alongside the best beaches in the world, Tripadvisor also released a list of the ten best beaches in the South Pacific — with Whitehaven and Turquoise Bay in first and second spots. Places three, four and five all went to WA locations, with Cape Le Grand National Park in Esperance sitting at third, Greens Pool in the town of Denmark at fourth and Cable Beach in Broome coming fifth. After sweeping up the top half of the list, Australia gave way to Bora Bora's Matira Beach, Piscine Naturelle in New Caledonia, and Ohope Beach, Kaiteriteri Beach and Mt Maunganui Main Beach in New Zealand for spots six through to ten. [caption id="attachment_648438" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Damien Dempsey via Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The winners were chosen as part of Tripadvisor's Traveller's Choice awards, which is based on reviews and ratings left on the online platform — as well as the number of saves (where users bookmark places they like, or they'd like to visit) — across 2020. To check out the full list of top beaches for 2021, head to Tripadvisor. Thinking about taking your own trip to Whitehaven Beach? Check out our Outside Guide to the Whitsundays.
2016: what a year. We saw powerful figures do battle on more than one occasion, witnessed pop culture figures return (and unexpectedly flourish), explored multiculturalism in several western nations, examined the impact of unforgiving and inflexible government bureaucracy, and watched a fascist try to dispense with naysayers — and that's just in the realm of film. Many a superhero flick, plenty of remakes and sequels, and the likes of The Hateful Eight, Goldstone, I, Daniel Blake and Green Room can attest to that. We also experienced everything from alien attacks to bear maulings to ghosts needing busting, and we've still only just scratched the surface of the last year at the cinema. In short, it was a great year to be a movie buff. So what's worth watching? Well, Concrete Playground's film critics have been hard at work staring at screens for the past 12 months watching an insane amount of cinema. So here's our picks for the best films of the year — if you only have time to watch ten films this holiday season, be sure to choose these ones. AMERICAN HONEY As directed by Fish Tank and Wuthering Heights' Andrea Arnold, American Honey takes an almost three-hour road trip through the vast, bewildering, heartbreaking disparity between the have and have nots in American society. A streetwise teen looking for a different life proves our guide after she crosses paths with a smooth-talking travelling magazine salesman with an epic rat tail. The latter is the best work of Shia LaBeouf's career, however it's the revelatory efforts of first-timer Sasha Lane as the former — and Arnold's ability to make her film feel as wide-ranging as its roaming narrative, and as intimate as its boxed-in imagery — that packs the strongest punch. Well, that and the eclectic yet expressive mixtape-like soundtrack. — Sarah Ward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHOmrolJEiY THE HANDMAIDEN Dripping with sex, Park Chan-wook's adaptation of Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith is a pulpy, stylish delight. Transplanting the story from Victorian era England to 1930s Korea, the film follows a maid out to steal her mistress's fortune, only for the pair to end up falling in love. Of course there's a lot more to it than that, with the director of Stoker and Oldboy taking viewers on a ride that is both ludicrous and utterly compelling. Aesthetically speaking, every single frame feels perfectly considered, while the twisting narrative will keep you guessing until the end. — Tom Clift MIDNIGHT SPECIAL It's been a great year for showing affection for sci-fi from years gone by — and, before Stranger Things set '80s-loving, TV fans' hearts aflutter, Midnight Special did the same in the cinema. The fourth film from Take Shelter and Mud director Jeff Nichols not only marks his fourth collaboration with the oh-so-great Michael Shannon — and his latest exploration of folks trusting in something bigger than themselves — but also offers an awe-filled, ambitious effort that's also a road movie, a chase thriller, an intimate drama and an otherworldly adventure. — SW THE NEON DEMON Director Nicholas Wending Refn turns his lens on the LA fashion scene with extremely unsettling, occasionally nauseating results. Bringing the same sleek, detached style (punctuated with violence, of course) that he did to his previous films including Drive and Only God Forgives, the Danish provocateur intentionally apes the aesthetic of the world his film inhabits, in order to expose the ugliness underneath. The Neon Demon has its detractors, and understandably so — the last act especially seems designed to test the audience's boundaries. But even those who despise the film would be hard pressed to deny its artistry. — TC CAROL As an actor skilled at bringing complex roles to life, Cate Blanchett just keeps getting better. As a filmmaker fascinated by stories of yearning for a more fulfilling existence, Velvet Goldmine and Far From Heaven director Todd Haynes does too. Combine the two with Patricia Highsmith's ahead-of-its-time 1952 novel The Price of Salt, add a disarmingly delicate performance by Rooney Mara as a shy shopgirl instantly smitten witg Blanchett's glamorous but conflicted older woman, and slow-building romance doesn't get much emotionally resonant and visually radiant than this. — SW DOWN UNDER Although tragically underseen in cinemas, writer-director Abe Forsythe's pitch black comedy set around the Cronulla riots is one of funniest and most insightful Australian films of the decade so far. A satire in the vein of Team America and Four Lions in which the stupidity of the protagonists belies the film's hidden intelligence, Down Under holds a mirror up to the ugly parts of Australian society, while painting bigots and racists as the idiots they so clearly are. Hysterically funny one moment and deeply troubling the next, it's a must see film that feels distressingly relevant today. — TC LA LA LAND It starts with sunshine, colour and song, then often lurks in moody bars and clubs. It spirits aspiring actress Mia (Emma Stone) and avid jazz enthusiast Seb (Ryan Gosling) on a rollercoaster-like romance, and yet doesn't shy away from the pain and heartbreak of both following your passion and falling for someone. It references '50s musicals and '80s pop, but turns its influences into its own tale, proving nostalgic, celebratory and knowing all at once. Yes, Whiplash director Damien Chazelle's La La Land does many things, including bewitch audiences with its block-coloured, big crooning, bittersweet dream about life and love. The film has already been released overseas, but will officially hit cinemas here on Boxing Day. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8Xvsjy57X0 HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE Somehow outdoing his previous effort, the sidesplitting vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows, Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi delivered one of the funniest and most charming films of the year with Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Carried on the shoulders of veteran actor Sam Neill and his talented young costar Julian Dennison, this heartwarming indie about a pre-teen delinquent and his foster father on the run from the authorities in the New Zealand wilderness delivers big laughs and an even bigger emotional payoff, and will endear itself to you even further on second, third, fourth and fifth viewings. — TC THE WAILING Films about cops chasing killers are common. Movies about brutal murders and sinister forces with potentially supernatural elements aren't all that uncommon either. And yet, South Korean effort The Wailing well and truly stands alone within a crowded field — and not just because the slow-burn horror effort clocks in at two and a half hours. It takes its time and still proves packed with everything from gorgeously moody landscapes to an increasingly dark atmosphere, plus the undead, exorcisms, ghosts and the kind of nods to genre greats that most scary movies only wish that they could manage. — SW https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMqeoW3XRa0 HAIL, CAESAR! While it may strike some as a lesser entry in the Coen Brothers canon — lacking the obvious dramatic heft of something like No Country for Old Men or Inside Llewellyn Davis — this seemingly silly comedy about a blackmail plot in 1950s Hollywood is as ingenious and subversive as anything the siblings have ever made. Ostensibly a love letter to the golden age of movie-making, Hail, Caesar! is in fact a barbed satire about misplaced faith in artificial institutions, from politics to religion to tinsel town itself. Throw in an A-list cast hamming it up and having a ball, and you'd be absolutely screwy not to give it a watch. — TC These are our favourite films of 2016, but we've also put together a list of the best films hardly anyone saw this year — y'know, the ones that sort of went in and out of cinemas without much fanfare but definitely deserve a watch. Co-written by Sarah Ward and Tom Clift.
If you're an architecture enthusiast or get your kicks from discovering new and interesting spaces, get ready. Sydney Open 2018 is almost upon us — the weekend-long architecture extravaganza kicks off on Saturday, November 3. More than 60 of the city's most mysterious locations, normally privy to a select few, will be open to the general public and ripe for exploration. Thanks to Sydney Living Museums, some of Sydney's most treasured and architecturally significant buildings will open their doors to the general public, and you can be one of the first to traverse this highly coveted terrain. This year, you can step inside The Beehive, an award-winning architecture studio celebrated for its incredible use of found materials; go behind the scenes at Wynyard Station to see the motor room, wooden escalators and stunning Interloop installation by Chris Fox; or peek inside the usually off-limits Sydney Masonic Centre to see the building's intriguing brutalist features firsthand. With the Sydney Open Pass, you can plan your own adventure and explore more than 40 buildings at your own pace. Stroll through the newly built Arup offices at Barrack Place, or visit one of the most technologically advanced buildings in Australia at One International Towers Sydney. If you'd prefer a more in-depth experience, book a Focus Tour. These expert-led guided tours will take you through historic harbourside sites, acclaimed private residences and other rarely seen secret spaces. Talks will be held across the weekend (free with the Sydney Open Pass), and architects will be on hand to discuss the history, design and function of select locations. Check out the full list of buildings on show, pick your favourites, book a pass and get ready to bask in the beauty of our stunning city. All Sydney Open Passes purchased by Sunday, October 14 have the chance to win a Golden Ticket to the Tank Stream Tour. Images: Grosvenor Place, Brett Boardman; Chief Secretary's Building, Brett Boardman; Grosvenor Place, Brett Boardman; Sydney Masonic Centre, James Horan; The Beehive, Rafaella Rosselli.
If you're finding yourself with a decent amount of time on your hands this winter, you've come to the right place. Podcasts will keep you entertained through all of life's most mundane tasks (hello, cleaning) while also giving your brain a treat. So, here are the six best podcasts to listen to right now according to Concrete Playground's writers. SUZ TUCKER: Editorial Director, NBA obsessive (even follows summer league) Recommends: Ear Hustle. I've recently gotten very into this nonfiction series called Ear Hustle. It's not new but it's new to me. It's about the experience of being incarcerated in the US prison system, hosted by a former inmate of California's San Quentin State Prison and an artist from the area. Each episode is about life in or after prison, addressing topics like maintaining relationships while in the joint, solitary confinement, getting a job after jail and prison sex — all completely fascinating. It's a strange time to be listening to stories with confinement at the centre, but the show is always interesting and often surprisingly uplifting. MELANIE COLWELL: Branded Content Editor, performed in the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony Recommends: Sexy Stories. First things first: if you're not already following Melbourne-based sexologist Chantelle Otten on Instagram, go do it now, then come back. Done? Cool. On to her podcast, which she released in August 2020. Furthering her mission to empower people in all things sex (education, health, self-esteem, etc.), Sexy Stories sees Otten read erotic literature submitted by listeners. It's audio porn, quite literally. Less capable hands could've treated these tales as sordid but, with Otten on the mic, they are instead a celebration of every kink, fantasy and exploit. Plus, Otten has just about the sexiest voice I've ever heard. Listen with your partner, listen alone, listen to distract yourself from a really mundane task (trust me, you'll be very distracted). Just maybe don't save it for a long car trip with your parents or kids. [caption id="attachment_821096" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Supplied, photo by Jess Gleeson.[/caption] BEN HANSEN: Staff Writer, once had swine flu Recommends: Tough Love. As was the case with so many around the world, former Triple J host Linda Marigliano's world was completely warped by the pandemic. Plans to move to the US for her career and to live with her boyfriend were shot forcing her to reconsider everything. Marigliano takes us through a profoundly open and honest look at her life from her long-distance relationship and the process of freezing her eggs when faced with the uncertainty of when she will see her partner again, to her career, self-worth and moments spent with her grandma she may not have experienced if she had moved overseas. It's a touching and relatable look at life over the last year. COURTNEY AMMENHAUSER: Branded Content Producer, can crochet a jumper Recommends: Pieces of Britney. If you watched the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears earlier this year, the BBC Radio 4 series Pieces of Britney is excellent companion listening. Essentially, it's a fictional audio drama inspired by true events that is stitched together with facts. With Pandora Sykes at the wheel, the eight-part series weaves archival audio and interviews with fiction written by playwright Katie Hims to tell Britney's story. Hims' uses creative license to bring to life parts of Britney's past that have previously been described in interviews or have been alluded to in the past — some more fictitious than others — and somehow, this speculation works. Each part feels qualified and the subtle yet dynamic sound design keeps you hooked. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Culture (@theculture.pod) CORDELIA WILLIAMSON: Branded Content Manager, waited on Billie Eilish once when working in hospo Recommends: The Culture, The Teacher's Pet, The High Low, Dolly Parton's America. I wouldn't call myself a podcast buff, but when I like a series, I fall hard. I've soaked in the bath, with a glass of wine, listening to Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton's witty and oh-so-British pop-culture podcast The High Low; sat in the dark and binged The Teacher's Pet; and hit the highway with the nine-part exploration of the Dollyverse, Dolly Parton's America, blaring from the speakers. Now, with much more time on my hands (thanks COVID-19), I've been walking — a lot. And as I plod along, I've been listening to numerous podcasts. My top choice: The Culture. Hosted by Osman Faruqi, the show has only been around for a couple of months, so it's easy to make your way through the back catalogue. In particular, there are two episodes I recommend: 'How Western Sydney is redefining hip-hop' and 'How a four-year-old song became the biggest hit in Europe'. Whether you're deep in the Aussie music scene or just bop along to Top 40 tunes, both these episodes will hit close to home. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Casefile: True Crime Podcast (@casefilepodcast) NIK ADDAMS: Branded Content Manager, was taught the 1, 2 Step by Ciara herself (and has the video to prove it) Recommends: Casefile, My Dad Wrote A Porno, The Allusionist I probably don't make as much time for podcasts as I'd like to, but when I do listen I fall back on old faves. Casefile remains unmatched in its detail describing the most shocking true crimes from around the world, while The Allusionist is an utterly charming listen that never fails to put a smile on my face while exploring the intricacies (and idiosyncrasies) of the English language. I'm also super excited about binging the latest season of My Dad Wrote A Porno — Rocky Flintstone surely is one of the world's most misunderstood geniuses. Top image: Framing Britney Spears.
UPDATE: October 10, 2020: Bloodshot is available to stream via Amazon Prime Video, Foxtel Now, Google Play, YouTube Movies and iTunes. Vin Diesel as Frankenstein's monster? Vin Diesel reliving the same events over and over again, Edge of Tomorrow-style, to right a past wrong? Vin Diesel filled with tiny robots — including in a Terminator-esque scene where half his face is exposed, revealing the nanotechnology gleaming beneath his flesh? Throw in shades of Universal Soldier and RoboCop as well (and some speedy car chases, because Diesel sure does love getting fast and furious behind the wheel), and that's Bloodshot. Yes, as well as tasking Diesel with playing a US soldier brought back from the dead, Bloodshot attempts to revive a variety of parts itself — all cobbled and spliced together from multiple other science-fiction stories and action flicks. That makes it a Frankenstein's monster of a movie as a whole, and the seams show at every point during this patchwork affair. Indeed, the fact that Bloodshot is actually based on a comic book character dating back to 1992 doesn't seem anywhere near as important to first-time feature director David SF Wilson as nodding at a heap of other pop culture titles. The same proves true for screenwriters Jeff Wadlow and Eric Heisserer, with the former stuck in the derivative mode he demonstrated in this year's Fantasy Island (which he both wrote and directed), and the latter leaning more on his experience on remakes of A Nightmare on Elm Street and The Thing than on his screenplays for Arrival or Bird Box. Bloodshot's premise: after not only being executed by a terrorist (Toby Kebbell) in the line of duty, but watching his wife Gina (Talulah Riley) murdered in front of him first, Ray Garrison (Diesel) awakens in Rising Spirit Tech's lab. The company has resurrected him using cutting-edge tech know-how, as head honcho Dr. Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) explains, and the soldier is now its shiny super-enhanced prototype. At first, Ray can't remember anything from his past; however memories of Gina's untimely end weave their way back into his brain. And, although he's supposed to be working as part of RST's similarly tech-augmented team, he only has supremely violent vengeance at any cost in his sights. An unnecessarily prolonged scene featuring a psycho killer dancing to Talking Heads' 'Psycho Killer' aside, Bloodshot is initially economical with its storytelling, cutting to the crux quickly. But in what's designed to be an origin tale that kickstarts a new franchise — the Valiant Comics shared cinematic universe — the twists arrive swiftly as well. Actually, they hit even sooner if you're paying even the slightest amount of attention and you know your pop culture history. Bloodshot might be drawn from the page but, on the big screen, it's so generic and reminiscent of such a large number other works that it's devoid of any surprises, even if you've never read the source material. That been-there, done-that feeling also applies to Diesel, who, at this point in his career, could glare menacingly, growl threats in his gravelly tone and do whatever he needs to for his various on-screen families in his sleep. As previously seen in the Fast and Furious franchise, the xXx franchise and even in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (albeit without the stare given that Groot is 100-percent CGI), Bloodshot calls upon all those trademarks. And, like everything else in the film, Diesel just seems like he's borrowing from his past material. He's at his best when he's letting the smallest trace amount of humour sink in, as is the movie too, but that's not all that often. In fact, Bloodshot doesn't appear to know how far to ramp up its laughs or liveliness, primarily settling for serious, slick and oh-so standard rather than injecting any personality into proceedings. Elsewhere, Pearce wades through the feature's many tropes with more commitment than the film perhaps asks for, in what's still a boilerplate scientist role. Baby Driver's Eiza González effectively adds a dose of sensitivity, while New Girl's Lamorne Morris is the only actor who appears to be enjoying his work — although they too play parts that seem to have been written on autopilot. That's perhaps Bloodshot's biggest struggle. It's so wedded to slotting into a specific stitched-together mould that it squanders the very few highlights it manages to rustle up. In action scenes, standout moments are dwarfed by cartoonishness. Whenever the feature gains even a skerrick of big dumb action movie-style momentum, it attempts to get deep by pondering fate and free will. And, as is so often the case in flicks trying to spawn new franchises, it's more interested in setting up future instalments than the details at hand. Diesel might be looking for another big series to add to his resume, but absolutely nothing about this thin star vehicle screams for a follow-up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-7ACXBRP-g
While Sydney has no shortage of breweries — the inner west alone is brimming with them — a road trip to an out-of-town brewery offers something else. They offer beer enthusiasts what cellar doors have been providing wine connoisseurs for decades: a personalised experience with a bit of education, too. Located just one-to-three hour's drive from the city, these spots let you learn, taste and experience some smaller breweries producing some big-tasting beers. So, jump in the car and head on a road trip that'll land you with a fresh beer in hand. Here are the NSW breweries worth road tripping for.
Sydney Dance Company’s Triptych is, appropriately, organised into three parts. It involves three dance sequences set to three contrasting works from prolific 20th-century composer Benjamin Britten. Yet the triptychs extend far beyond the obvious. At every turn, a sublime trinity of elements can be seen: costume, orchestra, dancers. Katie Noonan, French poetry, sexual tension. Gutsy double bass, passion, conflict. These trios emerge, surge and intertwine, making an exciting work in which our senses are always engaged and almost always saturated. It's a dance work that’s not afraid to expose all the elements that make dance work. Triptych permits a cross-sectional view of the 17-strong string ensemble ACO2, alongside Katie Noonan's vocals, SDC artistic director Rafael Bonachela's choreography and fashion designer Toni Maticevski's costumes. In Triptych, the dancers are a mere part of the whole. Of course, the dancers performing Bonachela’s choreography are dynamic and enchanting. Part one, Simple Symphony, begins with innocence and play; the dancers absorbing the upward energy from ACO2, which comprises the string section of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. It is quirky and quaint like children's play; a homage to fawns and forests and the Provençal. It ends with a hint of the sensuousness to come — extensions, then sculptural stillness, in which the women dancers counterbalance and lift as readily as the men. Here, Fiona Jopp exemplifies the modern female dance body – straddling litheness and strength like an Amazon or demigod. Part two, Les Illuminations, is the cornerstone of the project. Katie Noonan arrives on stage with a voice seeming too pure at times to be human, and the dancers echo this otherworldliness with androgynous, knotted-seaweed costumes and cyborg-esque gestures. Les Illuminations is undoubtedly the highlight of Triptych, the music, voice and bodies moody and sexy. The performers are riffing on the unhuman aspects of dance: too nuanced and perfect to be earthly, with a mastery of anti-gravity. Within this, there is a male-and-male duet. Of romance? Or fraternity? It’s beautifully muscular and sensuous, and with Maticevski’s costumes, it’s a trick for the eyes across assumed gender zones, and so satisfyingly sensuous, I thought I might be pregnant just from watching it. With part three, Variation 10, the whole company converge on stage, and the brilliance of Maticevski's costumes is finally fully evident. Variation 10 is a never-before-seen work of Bonachela's, who describes this theme of Britten's "almost as if it were made to be danced". The dancers move quickly from grounded bodies to precarious suspensions. The repeated motifs performed by small groups are mesmerising. Triptych may seem like three 'old' art forms gathered on stage — dance, opera, orchestra — but it will surprise you with how these elements are reimagined and made sexy.
It's the end of the year, and it seems Sydney's galleries have been saving the best for last. This month will see both international and local art celebrated: Grayson Perry will arrive at the MCA for his first major survey in the Southern Hemisphere, and Sydney's emerging and established artists will be showcased around the city. Reflect on a year's worth of art and them go out with a bang at December's best art exhibitions.
Equal parts gin, vermouth rosso and Campari, the classic negroni cocktail is easy to make and its simple recipe means it's a popular go-to for aperitivo hour. When you're looking to shake things up, there are a number of cocktails created through the decades that take the classic Italian drink and give it a distinctive flavour transformation, from coffee combinations to bubbly versions that might appeal to your espresso martini and Aperol spritz loving friends. Together with Campari, we've picked out five easy-to-master cocktails that riff on a negroni — so you can introduce your favourite bittersweet cocktail to your pals, no matter the occasion. Once you've found your preferred tipple, head to the Campari website to download two recipe books that feature ten classic negroni recipes and 50 twists by leading Australian bartenders. Melburnians who are living with stage four restrictions are encouraged to bookmark this page for when you're ready to receive visitors once again. Until then, explore the recipes below and those in the Negroni Cocktail Book for inspiration. OLD PAL Is there a more fitting cocktail to serve to your besties? Aside from its endearing name, Old Pal is an elegant beverage that was invented in the 1930s and is traditionally served in a coupette glass. When you're having a couple of whiskey drinking mates over for dinner, this alternative drink brings in that full-bodied flavour profile into the mix. 30ml Campari 30ml Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey 30ml Cinzano Extra-Dry Lemon or orange Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for a few seconds to reach the desired dilution. Strain into a stemmed glass. Twist a peel of lemon to release the essential oils around the glass rim. If you prefer a rounder, smoother flavour, use an orange in place of the lemon. COFFEE NEGRONI When your preferred pep-me-up cocktail is an espresso martini, this coffee-flavoured negroni will give you a hint of the same smooth taste, but without having to faff with espresso coffee. The youngest member of the negroni family is easy to make and you only need four ingredients to get the party started. 30ml Campari 30ml London dry gin 15ml Cinzano Rosso 15ml coffee liqueur Pour all ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice and stir to mix. Garnish with an orange wedge and three coffee beans. Don't have coffee liqueur? Amero or hazelnut liqueur are good substitutes. CARDINALE When you're looking to show off your skills, there's a negroni-style cocktail that has the elegance of a martini. The Cardinale is usually served chilled in a coupette, or another stemmed glass, for slow sipping over good conversation. Its name comes from the colour of the gowns worn by Catholic bishops, and you can punch it up in strength with two parts gin for a robust nightcap. 30ml Campari 30ml London dry gin 30ml Cinzano Extra-Dry Pour Campari, gin and Cinzano into a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for few seconds to reach the desired dilution. Strain in a coupette or stemmed glass. Express the essential oils of a lemon and use as garnish (optional). MILANO-TORINO A key ingredient of any classic negroni is Campari, and another is vermouth. This 1860s-born drink honours the birthplaces of both Campari (Milan) and Vermouth (Turin) in its name, which you might know better as a Mi-To. 45ml Campari 45ml Cinzano Rosso Pour both ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. The trick is to use large ice cubes that don't dilute the drink too quickly. Once mixed, garnish with orange or lemon peel. If you want to stick to a traditional style, opt for a coupette glass and serve chilled, without ice in the glass. NEGRONI SBAGLIATO One for the Aperol spritz fans. In 1972, at Bar Basso in Milan, bartender Mirko Stocchetto accidentally poured prosecco into a negroni, instead of gin. We can barely believe it either, but the bubbly creation has since become the bar's bestseller and a celebratory one at that. The Italian word 'sbagliato' translates to 'mistaken' and its honest name is a reminder that accidents can lead to beautiful things. 30ml Campari 30ml Cinzano Rosso 75ml prosecco Pour all three ingredients into a rocks glass over plenty of ice. Stir to mix. Garnish with a wedge of orange. Serve in a wine glass, which is how Stocchetto would have wanted it. Negroni Week runs from September 14–20. Download the free Negroni Cocktail Book for 60 different negroni recipes to try at home. Remember to Drinkwise.
Hundreds of movies grace Sydney Film Festival's lineup each and every year. Even if you're among the most dedicated of cinephiles, you can't see them all during the event's 12-day annual run. Here's something that you can do, however: add four extra days to your fest experience in 2025, plus a heap of flicks along with it, because SFF sticks around after its official closing night. Splitsville may be the festival's closing-night pick on Sunday, June 15, but Harbour City's major annual cinema celebration isn't saying farewell until 2026 just yet. Extending the movie-watching fun into the following week is a SFF tradition. So, you can head along to an added 16 sessions at Dendy Newtown, Palace Cinemas Norton Street and Ritz Cinemas Randwick between Tuesday, June 17–Friday, June 20. These screenings have been dubbed SFF 2025 Back By Popular Demand, which explains right there in the name why the films on the lineup have been picked. Putting on a bonus session of 2025 Palme d'Or-winner It Was Just an Accident from Iranian writer/director Jafar Panahi comes after the filmmaker was revealed as a surprise SFF 2025 guest at opening night. Also picking up new screenings after hitting Sydney straight from Cannes: The Mastermind, which sees Josh O'Connor (Challengers) and Alana Haim (Licorice Pizza) in a 70s-set heist thriller for director Kelly Reichardt (Showing Up) — and Ari Aster's Eddington, starring his Beau Is Afraid lead Joaquin Phoenix (Joker: Folie à Deux) opposite Emma Stone (Kinds of Kindness ), Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us) and Austin Butler (The Bikeriders). Then there's The Secret Agent, as led by Wagner Moura (Dope Thief) for filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho (a Sydney Film Festival Prize-winner for Aquarius); Vie Privée with Jodie Foster (True Detective: Night Country); and Raoul Peck's (I Am Not Your Negro)'s Orwell: 2+2=5. The SFF 2025 Back By Popular Demand program also includes Berlin's Golden Bear-winner Dreams (Sex Love), the near-future Tokyo-set Happyend and Venice award-winning documentary Mistress Dispeller, alongside stepping inside the World Porridge Making Championship in The Golden Spurtle, exploring a music genre's origins via Move Ya Body: The Birth of House and Mr Nobody Against Putin's look at propaganda. Aussie effort Death of an Undertaker, the directorial debut of actor Christian Byers (Bump) — which uses an IRL Leichhardt funeral parlour as its setting — is among the titles scoring encore sessions, too.
What will start Together, then end with Splitsville? The annual midyear cinema celebration that is Sydney Film Festival in 2025. Title-wise, the event's opening and closing picks couldn't be more fitting for a fest that amasses movie lovers for 12 days to feast on as many flicks as they can, then gets everyone saying farewell until the next year. While Together was announced back in April, Splitsville has only just now joined the SFF program. Accordingly, when it comes time to say goodbye for 2025 on Sunday, June 15 — with the festival kicking off on Wednesday, June 4 — audiences will be catching the Australian premiere of a Dakota Johnson (Madame Web)-starring relationship comedy. Splitsville heads to the Harbour City direct from Cannes, where it debuted. Johnson plays Julie, who is in an open marriage with Paul (Michael Angelo Covino, Notice to Quit), news of which comes as a surprise to the film's protagonist Carey (Kyle Marvin, WeCrashed) when his own wife Ashley (Adria Arjona, Andor) asks for a divorce. Covino also directs, and co-wrote Splitsville with Marvin, reteaming after The Climb. Among its cast, Succession's Nicholas Braun and The Handmaid's Tale's O-T Fagbenle feature as well. The film's gala closing-night screening will span SFF's annual award ceremony, as is the case every year, anointing 2025's Sydney Film Prize winner, shorts award winners and other gongs. "We are delighted to close the 72nd Sydney Film Festival with the Australian Premiere of Splitsville. Michael Angelo Covino delivers a witty and well-crafted comedy with outstanding performances from a brilliant ensemble cast. We always want audiences to leave the cinema feeling like they've had a great time, so this is a joyous and fitting way to conclude this year's festival," said SFF Festival Director Nashen Moodley, announcing 2025's closing film. [caption id="attachment_938017" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Tim Levy[/caption] SFF's program for this year just keeps growing, after Vivid collaborations, including with music icon Warren Ellis, were revealed in March — and then a bunch of titles were announced at the beginning of April. After that came news of its Jafar Panahi retrospective, a prescient pick given that the Iranian filmmaker has since won the 2025 Palme D'or at Cannes, plus word of Together's opening-night slot. The bulk of the full program arrived to kick off May, followed by adding Free Solo filmmaker Jimmy Chin chatting about his work, DEATH STRANDING and Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima in-conversation with Mad Max and Furiosa director George Miller, and the Australian premiere of Ari Aster's Eddington. Sydney Film Festival 2025 takes place from Wednesday, June 4–Sunday, June 15 at various cinemas and venues around Sydney. For more information and tickets, head to the festival's website.
