Deep space and chilling dystopias will dominate the screen at the third annual SciFi Film Festival. Taking place at the Ritz Cinema in Randwick, this year's program features a striking selection of new release science fiction, featuring Kristen Stewart, Mark Strong, Kate Mara and more. The festival opens on Wednesday, October 19 with the Australian premiere of Equals, a futuristic drama starring Stewart alongside Nicholas Hoult, Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver. Other standouts in the four days that follow include Approaching the Unknown, a one-man space epic that offers a more "intelligent, meditative answer to the bombastic feel-good blast of The Martian," as well as the latest film in the Purge series, the appropriately titled The Purge: Election Year. The program also features a number of short films, plus Star Trek documentary For the Love of Spock that should pair nicely with a retrospective screening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Cosplay is highly encouraged, FYI.
Did you wear out many VHS tapes re-watching your favourite movies as a kid? Don't worry, you're not alone. There's a type of fanatical viewing that comes with childhood, as we immerse ourselves again and again in the stories that we love most. For Owen Suskind, however, this rite-of-passage ran even deeper. Diagnosed with autism at the age of three, Owen threw himself into Disney flicks. For him, they weren't just entertainment. They were a way of learning how to process the world. That's the real world narrative that Life, Animated explores — and the heart-warming details are worthy of an animated musical. When the documentary begins, Owen is 23 and getting ready to leave home, an achievement that family members credit to his singular obsession. As he grew up, titles such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Peter Pan helped him understand those around him, giving him the tools he needed to forge a life of his own. Taking his cues from the best-selling book by Owen's father Ron, Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams (short documentary Music by Prudence) recounts this moving story, combining home video with new footage in order to chronicle both Owen's childhood and his big move into his own assisted-living apartment. As the film unfolds, Ron and his wife Cornelia step through their two-decade journey, while Owen offers his own thoughts on his favourite films and the role they played in his coming-of-age. Unfortunately, while there's plenty of emotion to be felt here, Williams doesn't trust the audience to feel it on their own. His filmmaking tactics are as heavy-handed as they are steeped in easy emotion, and as repetitive as Owen's own viewing habits. Not only that, but by including countless moments from the movies that Owen loves, Williams trades far too heavily on viewer nostalgia, rather than actually focusing on the true tale he's meant to be telling. As a result, Life, Animated also struggles with tone, wavering between compassionate and self-congratulatory. Interestingly, the documentary's most effective sections aren't the interviews or Disney clips, but animated recreations of the Suskinds' lives provided by artist Mac Guff. These moments convey the underlying sentiment with much more subtlety than you'll find elsewhere. A cautious comment by Owen's older brother Walter, worried about someday having to take responsibility for his sibling's care, also stands out. As magical as Mickey Mouse's output may be, reality still leaves a stronger impression.
The Black Arts Market has a new home at Carriageworks this November, featuring a huge 55 stallholders and 93 Aboriginal artists from Australia's southeast region. The two-day market is a showcase of the cultural heritage of southeastern Aboriginal Australia. The market showcases artists who have transformed their traditional knowledge and skills into contemporary artworks and products of wonderful and inspiring diversity. Artists include shell artist Esme Timbery (whose work earned her the inaugural Parliament of New South Wales Indigenous Art Prize back in 2005), Aboriginal florist Flannel Billy, who will be creating native floral arrangements on-site, and Uncle Greg Simms, who'll demonstrate wood carving techniques and Tasmanian artist Netty Shaw, who creates baskets woven from kelp (seaweed). The market is co-curated by Hetti Perkins (former senior curator of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art at the AGNSW) and Sydney-based Aboriginal artist Jonathan Jones, who recently presented barrangal dyara (skin and bones), a vast sculptural installation in the Royal Botanic Gardens. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with the artists and learn about southeast Australian Aboriginal cultural practices, as well as purchase works, which will include homewares, ceramics, weavings and contemporary visual arts. The Black Arts Market will run from 9am-5pm on Saturday November 12 and 10am-6pm on Sunday November 13. Image: Esme Timbery, Sydney Harbour Bridge, 2002. Photo by Jenni Carter.
Seven years ago Dustin Hoffman, himself a former chemist, issued a stinging rebuke of the increasingly 'dumb' science fiction movies making their way onto our screens. Laziness was at the heart of his complaint, as he accused writers of opting for meaningless techno-babble instead of taking the time to invent intelligent solutions to their characters' scientific problems. Hoffman even went so far as to help sponsor the Science and Entertainment Exchange in order to promote films deemed to respect scientific principles and debunk those which are unrealistic. It wasn't that sci-fi movies couldn't have action in them, he explained, they just needed to ensure the sci remained the prevalent part. Arrival, the new film by Sicario and Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve, is a movie of which Hoffman would be proud. Beginning conventionally in the vein of an Independence Day or The Day The Earth Stood Still, the film opens with the sudden arrival of twelve mysterious alien spaceships in various locations around the world. Yet rather than launch an attack, they sit curiously idle, as the humans debate their origin and intent. Rather than focusing on action, Arrival instead veers much more towards the themes of Sphere (which starred Hoffman) or Contact, in that the world's scientists, rather than its soldiers, form the core team around which the story revolves. Fronting the US team are Dr Louise Banks (Amy Adams), America's foremost linguistics expert, and Ian Donnelly (Jeremy Renner), a theoretical physicist. Their goal is singular, yet phenomenally complex: figure out how to communicate with the aliens and convey one simple, critical question: "what is your purpose here on earth?" What follows is a fascinating study in language, history and non-verbal communication, where variables and complexities in even the most rudimentary grammatical expressions become seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Add to that the paranoia of military and CIA liaisons (Forest Whitaker and Michael Stuhlbarg, respectively) whose focus rarely extends beyond fears of an invasion, along with the vicissitudes of international diplomacy wherein sharing and cooperation are considered hallmarks of weakness, and you find in Arrival an intensely engaging, cerebral and often gripping sci-fi thriller. Based on the cult novella "Story of Your Life" by Ted Chiang, Arrival blends sumptuous cinematography with weighty abstractions that, for the most part, land with an assured touch. Glimpses into Louise's personal life raise questions about time and our linear perception of it, and only rarely does the script indulge in the kind of corny musings traditionally found in freshman philosophy essays. Adams's performance is the clear standout, around which her supporting cast plays it with impressive reserve. The score by Jóhann Jóhannsson, meanwhile, shifts effortlessly between beautiful and bombastic. Intelligent and restrained, Arrival is a welcome addition to the sci-fi canon that wows you with its brains rather than simply its special effects. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFMo3UJ4B4g
Whether you're wanting to stock up on ahctivewear that's not completely boring, or you're getting early for Christmas presents for your sporty loved ones, P.E Nation's new Bondi pop-up store is a timely offering from the gym-going gods. Opening last week in Bondi Junction, this pop-up marks the label's first bricks-and-mortar store, set to turn out those new season styles and exclusive in-store offers until the end of January. The brainchild of Pip Edwards (General Pants Co. design director) and Claire Tregoning (former senior designer at Sass & Bide), P.E Nation has taken the athleisure concept to a luxe new place, the label proving a hit with fitness fiends and stylish multi-taskers alike. With its retro-luxe detailing and focus on functionality, this is gear that works hard, and looks darn good doing so. Find the P.E Nation pop-up on Level 4 of Westfield Bondi Junction, until the end of January. Edwards and Tregoning will be in-store from 6-8pm on December 8 and 15, for anyone wanting help styling those newly purchased co-ordinates into their current wardrobe.
Every year, Japan comes to Australia — or, as far as movies are concerned, it does the next best thing. Since starting with three free film screenings back in 1997, the Japanese Film Festival has kept bringing the nation's many cinematic delights down under. And of course they're going to do so again for their 20th birthday. Travelling around the country with a hefty lineup of movies so new, many are coming straight from the Tokyo International Film Festival this month, JFF embraces the vast array of big screen treats its filmmakers have to offer. Sometimes, that means a poignant drama about a family banding together as a typhoon bears down. Sometimes, live-action adaptations of popular manga series are part of the equation. In fact, the 2016 lineup has both — check them out when they screen at Event Cinemas George Street and the Art Gallery of NSW's cinema from November 17-27.
When you consider the conventional response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster, one of impassioned environmental outrage, you almost feel like director Peter Berg accepted his latest film as a dare. "Hey Pete, here's one for ya. You know that Deepwater thing that happened back in 2010? Worst oil disaster in US history? 4.9 million barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico? 11 workers missing and never found. Millions upon millions of marine animals wiped out and a $100 billion company doing everything it could to avoid liability? Yeah, well…make that an uplifting story". Impressively – and to Berg's definite credit – he's done a more than solid job of it. Deepwater Horizon does indeed find its heart by telling the story of the 'roughnecks' who kept the rig running right until it didn't: the engineers, the riggers, the crane operators and the cleaners. BP executives feature too, but you'd better believe they're the bad guys, especially in the eyes of the Deepwater team. Penny-pinching and regulation-bending, the BP/Transocean head honchos (led by John Malkovich) come across like comic book villains, delivering silver-tongued insults and making unyielding demands of their subordinates through toothy, moustachioed grins and deep-south Louisiana drawls. If Deepwater Horizon were a cartoon, Foghorn Leghorn would be the first one cast ("I say, I say, I say, I do protest sir that this here rig be nigh on 43 days past delivery date, yiiiih-ha!!") Squaring up against the suits is a solid ensemble cast of hard-arses and hillbillies from the Transocean team responsible for keeping the Deepwater rig afloat. At the helm, Mark Wahlberg plays Mike Williams, a straight-talking electronics technician, husband (to Kate Hudson) and father who tells his buddies how to fix their cars and his superiors how to fix their floating oil station. Alongside his boss Mr Jimmy (Kurt Russell), Williams has no difficulty in seeing that BP's determination to complete the drilling project and advance to the next site as quickly as possible puts at risk not just the oil reserve but all the crew members responsible for drilling it. Greed and gross negligence, in the film's frustratingly simplistic estimation, explain what happened next. We say frustrating, because in Deepwater Horizon there existed an opportunity to delve deep into the specifics of what precipitated the massive blow-out and subsequent explosion on that fateful evening. Sadly the script, based on the New York Times article "Deepwater Horizon's Final Hours", rarely advances beyond repeated mentions of a 'cement bond log test' not being performed. Berg's focus is clear from the beginning: this is a human story centred on a very specific couple of hours from within a much larger tale. But whatever the movie lacks in narrative depth, it does its best to make up for in action. As with any real-world disaster movie, the inevitable cataclysmic conclusion endows it with an inherent suspense. Berg's job is to simply build the pressure until its explosive release can be held no longer – and he's happy to take his time. As in Clint Eastwood's recently released Sully, the film's patience in delivering the heart-thumping disaster moment means its eventual arrival is almost overwhelming, aptly showcasing the horrors endured by those on board, and the heroism of the few whose actions saw so many others survive. An intense and gripping piece of cinema, Deepwater Horizon ultimately resonates more than one might have expected for a film of this type and subject matter, offering at once an earnest tribute to the men who lost their lives and a solid rebuke to those who were responsible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-UPJyEHmM0
Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema is back for another year. Inflating their giant screen overlooking Bondi Beach from Thursday, January 19, the organisers have once again put together a program that mixes the best Oscar contenders, special event screenings and retro classics. Setting up on Dolphin Lawn overlooking Bondi Beach, Ben & Jerry's Openair Cinema shows new releases and cult classics including Hollywood blockbusters Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Assassin's Creed, Allied, A United Kingdom and Passengers, Golden Globe winner La La Land, and old favourites Clueless, Dirty Dancing and Anchorman. The team are keeping their tried and true formula intact — live music and free ice cream on Sunday nights. There'll also be a fully-licensed bar and gourmet food stands. You can also hire deckchairs, beanbags and blankets, or go all in for a VIP Star Lounge ticket with lounger, a blanket, seat-side service and a glass of wine. For the full program or to buy tickets, head to the website. Check out CP's roundup of Sydney's best openair cinemas over here.
Been dreaming and scheming about taking Vivid Sydney next level this year? We've got your plans sorted. Hint: they involve front row views of the illuminated Harbour Bridge, a water taxi and dinner literally in the middle of Sydney Harbour. Yep, we're talking Fort Denison. This year, the lonesome, mid-Harbour outpost is inviting you — and up to 140 of your friends, give or take — to join its Vivid celebrations. Dubbed Dinner De-Lights, the evening starts with you wandering around Circular Quay, before jumping in a water taxi for a giddy, wind-in-your-hair-lights-in-your-eyes ride to the island. Along the way, check out Vivid's famous boat parade up close. Once you're there, you'll take a mini tour of the Martello Tower before settling into your seat, to ooh and aah for epic views of the Circular Quay's Dress Circle display, as well as the Harbour Bridge, taking breaks only to tuck into a delish dinner. Dinner De-Lights is happening every night throughout the festival. Couples and small groups can book on Friday and Saturday evenings for $112.50 per person, which includes a two-course dinner, the tour and the ferry ride there and back. Huge groups (between 40 and 140 people) can book the whole place on weeknights, and from $150 per person you'll get a three-course dinner, drinks, a tour and the ferry. So if you're contemplating a Vivid wedding...
Movie versions of best-selling young adult literature have become an exercise in taking the good with the bad. For every aspect book-to-film adaptations get right — presenting an intricate vision of a dystopian future, and championing strong female protagonists, for example — there are just as many elements that fail to hit the mark. The trend of splitting final instalments into two features typifies the latter, resulting in more screen time but less satisfaction. With The Divergent Series: Allegiant, the series' penultimate chapter proves its worst to date. Indeed, it's little more than filler. Having cottoned on to the manipulated, artificially manufactured status of her closed-in, factionalised Chicago society, series protagonist Tris Prior (Shailene Woodley) is now determined to discover just what lurks beyond the city's imposing walls. With her trusty band of rebels by her side, including her boyfriend Four (Theo James), brother Caleb (Ansel Elgort) and the duplicitous Peter (Miles Teller), Tris hatches a plan to find the real puppet-masters behind the only way of life she has ever known. Cue a battle between the past and future, right and wrong, and any other opposing forces that returning director Robert Schwentke can throw into the mix. Allegiant endeavours to place its feisty heroine in the grey zone between two sides and mindsets, as illustrated not only by the rift between the crusading Evelyn (Naomi Watts) and the kindly Johanna (Octavia Spencer) back in Chicago, but also in the machinations of controlling newcomer David (Jeff Daniels) out in the wider world. Yet it does so in as blunt a manner as possible. The film is loaded with obvious clashes, be it between the bonds of love and family, moving forward or retaining the status quo, or spaces of dusty desolation and shiny innovation. These conflicts are designed to liven up a narrative that is largely treading water while waiting for the final film, but they're ultimately unsuccessful. Equally problematic are storylines about superior DNA strands, child soldiers and Truman Show-like surveillance, all of which add complication but are never especially compelling. Ramping up the bickering and the subplots also comes at the expense of the series' already tenuous sense of character. If Tris and her pals felt thinly drawn in Divergent and Insurgent, and more than a little similar to their counterparts in the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner franchises, then this time around they're positively flimsy. Once again, that leaves Woodley to act grim and concerned, James to fulfil the eye-candy quota, Elgort to do very little, Teller to steal all the best lines, and all four to look very bored while doing so. Three films in, they're going through the motions, which may as well be the movie's motto. Of course, a big finale is due to be delivered by 2017's The Divergent Series: Ascendant. However with Allegiant's trying aspects clearly outweighing any lingering sense of intrigue about the underlying concept, an important question springs to mind. No, it's not whether the franchise can be redeemed, but rather if we should even care either way.
Like many a great singer-songwriter before her (cue Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits), Kate Tempest began as a dealer in words. In 2013, she became the first ever person under 40 to win the Ted Hughes Award for innovation in poetry. In 2014, she attracted a Mercury Prize nomination for her hip hop-driven debut album, Everybody Down. Now she's published her debut novel, The Bricks that Built the Houses, so she's back for her second visit to Sydney Writers' Festival — opening the whole festival, in fact. Billy Bragg loves her. Chuck D is a fan. She was one of Sydney Festival 2016's biggest hypecards. Check out her fresh, authentic freestyling for yourself. Kate Tempest will open Sydney Writers' Festival on May 17, discuss her novel on May 21 and at the SWF Gala: The Book that Saved Me panel on May 20.
In his 82 years on the planet, jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter has made good use of his time. He's been crucial to some of the most important bands of the past century, including Miles Davis's many ensembles, Weather Report and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. He's played on ten of Joni Mitchell's albums and he's won ten Grammys. Now, he's returning to Sydney for the first time in six years to close Vivid with an epic concert, featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and Brian Blade on drums. Expect to hear decades of jazz influences — from old-school standards to '60s avant garde to fusion.
Hakawati is an Arabic/Lebanese word meaning storyteller. This event at Sydney Festival takes us into the Middle Eastern tradition of sharing a meal and a story over a meal. The National Theatre of Parramatta is teaming up with the institution that is the El Phoenician dining room to lay on dinner and a show that transports you deep into a world of mythical tales with a distinctively Sydney flavour. Hakawati was the major form of entertainment in many Arabic communities before television arrived, so ditch your TV for the night and get old-school with some storytelling. This program is one of ten Sydney Festival events happening in unexpected places. Check out the whole list.
Since silent discos first came to prominence back in the '90s, strapping on a pair of wireless headphones and strutting your stuff has become a favourite pastime of, well, just about everyone. In fact, soundless dance floor displays have popped up everywhere from Glastonbury to the Sydney Film Festival over the years — and now a Sydney event is taking the concept on the road. Or, along the coast, to be exact. Think of the Pop-Up Coogee to Bondi Roaming Silent Disco Party as a dancing trek between five of the city's best beaches, or five silent discos in one. It's an idea that's so great, it's taking place three times: on October 15 and 29, and November 19. Here's how it works: attendees will meet in a secret spot, grab their headphones and start boogeying. Exact locations are yet to be revealed, but Coogee, Clovelly, Bronte, Tamarama and Bondi will all feature on the itinerary. In bad news for anyone wanting to silently dance their way around town at the event's three dates, tickets have already sold out. If you're keen on showing off your fancy footwork sans noise, keep your fingers crossed they release more tickets.
SoCal Neutral Bay is taking over its sister restaurant Bondi Hardware across the bridge to bring you food and drink specials at both venues throughout September. Bondi Hardware was converted into a bar from a hardware store in late 2011 and pays homage to its rustic DIY roots with exposed brick, timber and a tool display wall. Its normally Italian-inspired menu will be complemented by SoCal's, which evokes the food you'd find on HWY 101 in Southern California. That means $4 tacos on Taco Tuesdays and $1 wings on Wings Wednesdays will be on offer at both Bondi Hardware and Neutral Bay, and both venues will go head-to-head on the final Wednesday of the month in a Wings Competition – where you could win free wings for a year. Hit up the SoCal/Bondi Hardware collab on Mondays for $12 margaritas, Negronis, old fashioneds or mezcal cocktails, or try Thursday for a $10 margarita. They have your weekends covered too, with $35 bottles of wine on Saturdays, and $8 bloody Marys and $30 rosé sangria carafes on Sundays. What a way to welcome spring.
Looking to start your summer as soon as humanly possible? We have the perfect excuse. Bannisters Pavilion, which you'll find in the stunning South Coastal settlement of Mollymook, is inviting two Sydney stalwarts down for a day — Young Henrys and Mary's. And you're invited to get in on the action. Kicking off at midday on Saturday, September 17, this ten-hour extravaganza will combine three of life's finest things: craft beer, tasty burgers and rooftop views. It'll take place in Bannisters Pavilion's Rooftop Bar and Grill, where the chef is planning on lighting up the brand new Yoder BBQ, bringing you piled plates of smoky deliciousness. Claim yourself a cosy couch and while away the afternoon with barbecue and booze. Or, make up your mind to get active, by taking swims between swigs or conquering your mates in the games provided. Should you be tempted by one too many Young Henrys brews, there's no shortage of lush hotel rooms.
They're the scenes every dog owner pictures when they leave their beloved pooch home alone. Maybe their loyal canine sits by the door, pining for human company. Maybe the crafty critter jumps on the furniture and makes a mess. Maybe it does a bit of both. With an excellent understanding of the bond between people and their furry companions, The Secret Life of Pets turns these imaginings into an animated adventure. If Toy Story swapped kids' playthings for the dogs, cats, birds and bunnies (and assorted other animals) that people of all ages adore, this highly entertaining movie would be the end result. Terrier Max (voiced by Louis C.K.) is the apple of his owner Katie's (Ellie Kemper) eye. Or least he is, until she brings him home a shaggy rescue mutt as a brother. Not only is Duke (Eric Stonestreet) bigger, he's determined to take Max's bed, his food bowl, and – the smaller dog worries – his place in Katie's heart. Before long, the tussle between the unhappy new housemates spills onto the streets during their daily walk, with the duo soon finding themselves scooped up by dog-catchers. Enter former magician's rabbit Snowball (Kevin Hart) and his motley crew of discarded beasts, who not only prove skilled at escaping to their secret underground lair, but are also plotting to overthrow humanity. There's knowing humour in everything Despicable Me director Chris Renaud and his co-helmer Yarrow Cheney assemble in this jovial animal jaunt, with the script from fellow Despicable alums revelling in anarchic but endearing comedy that trickles down to the smallest details. And it really is the little things that help The Secret Life of Pets showcase its modest charms, as demonstrated by the supporting characters. Both nodding to and twisting stereotypical traits and behaviours, the film features everything from a hamster (voiced by Renaud) who can't find his way out of a building's vents, to a pampered Pomeranian (Jenny Slate) who turns feisty when she discovers that Max is in trouble. More quirky creatures pop up, sporting recognisable celebrity tones, including Lake Bell as a cat, Hannibal Buress as a dachshund and Albert Brooks as a grumpy hawk. Each inspires a few funny sequences and sight gags, in a film that's otherwise content with the usual pop-friendly soundtrack, pop culture references and riffs on other movies. Indeed, with an action-packed homewards trek that's reminiscent of Finding Dory, and a wiener-oriented musical number that's better than anything in Sausage Party, much about The Secret Life of Pets feels familiar. There are no Zootopia-like musings about diversity and acceptance here — but there is a whole lot of awww-inducing love. Such fuzzy feelings will no doubt help viewers in overlooking the film's flaws. This is a movie that's as swift as a dog chasing a ball, as light as a budgie fluttering around an apartment, and as cute as an over-fed cat lounging in the sun. And, for its brief 87 minutes, that's mostly enough. Just make sure you leave time to visit a pet store after the movie, or scurry home to hug the four-legged friends you already have.
Girl Asleep, by director Rosemary Myers, has been touted as an Australian version of Napoleon Dynamite. It's an obvious comparison, but while there are many similarities, Girl Asleep will leave you feeling something much deeper than mild amusement and confusion (sorry Napoleon, but it's true). For a start, it's a coming of age film starring actual teenagers, and that awkwardness translates beautifully to the screen. Greta (Bethany Whitmore) is 14, very shy and starting life at a new school. On her first day there she meets the geeky Elliot (Harrison Feldman) and they develop an unlikely friendship. Her life and all its inherent confusion stays private until her parents (played so very well by Amber McMahon and screenwriter Matthew Whittet) throw her a massive 15th birthday party and all her internal chaos spills over. The narrative is well-paced and comfortingly predictable, until the third act when Greta is plunged into a surreal, sexy world of Abject Men, Frozen Women, vaguely sinister forest creatures and lessons about sisterhood. It's a brusque transition but not unexpected, since the whole film has a touch of the surreal about it. There's an air of awkwardness that at times that goes beyond the script, although thankfully the two young leads are supported by a fluid and confident supporting cast, who lend the whole production a professional veneer that keeps your faith intact. Myers originally developed and executed the story as a stage play, and you can see fragments of the stage in the two-dimensional composition and the all-singing, all-dancing dramatics that give the film its signature look. And what a look! Girl Asleep is worth the ticket price alone just for the attention to detail in the props, costumes and sets. It's all so glamorous, so coordinated, so excessive and so 70s – a visual smorgasbord of big hair, tight shorts, flares and loud patterned wallpaper. And yet, behind the glamour and theatrics, viewers will find a remarkably relatable protagonist. Greta deals with her questions of identity, gender, sexuality and feminism in a way that will catch you by surprise, right in the feels. The writing hits a subtle emotional frequency that offsets and works well with the zany visual antics, helping to set Girl Asleep apart from the pack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lJSjVbTvDs
There's something secretive and special about slipping into an art gallery after hours. Add a few laughs and a glass of wine, and it's pretty difficult to imagine a more seductive reason to get out of your house for the night. Kicking off on 7 September is the latest of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' late night events, Late Night Laughs. Some of Australia's best comedians will put their spin on one of Australia's most-loved art honours, the Archibald Prize. There are four nights of Late Night Laughs: catch Becky Lucas, who recently debuted on ABC's Comedy Up Late, on 7 September; triple j breakfast co-host Matt Okine on the 14th; Andy Saunders, who killed Youtube in 2012 with Coz I'm Aboriginal on the 28th; and 2016 Barry Award winner Zoe Coombs Marr on October 5. Drop in after the comedy – or on Sundays – for film series Me, Myself and I. If you've been wondering who you are, where you came from, what you stand for and what your life means of late, the films on show will either help you clarify or make matters more delightfully confusing. Expect tales of crime, espionage and love, filled with mistaken, false and imagined identity, along with forgetfulness and gender-bending. Live music from Arabesk and Microwave Jenny will play after the comedy on selected nights. Late Night Laughs runs on Wednesday, September 7, 14 and 28, and October 5.
Tea lovers and naturalists should save some funds this pay day for the next venture by Table (formerly Nourish Talks). The not-for-profit runs a variety of social outreach projects focused on bringing organic food and likeminded people together and is best known for its inspiring and delicious talk series. In their newest collaboration, Anthia Koullouros (founder of Ovvio Organics) will run a herbal tea appreciation class in St Canice's Kitchen Rooftop Garden, followed by an outdoor tea ceremony. The two-hour introductory class will teach you how to blend your own herbal teas — but Koullouros won't simply help you make great tasting tea, she'll also provide an understanding of its visual, aromatic and therapeutic properties. Plus, there'll be wholefood snacks and of course, plenty of tea tasting. All ticket proceeds will support Table's upcoming horticultural GROW therapy program, in partnership with the Mental Health Unit at St Vincent's Hospital. The seven-week program helps people with mental illness learn the fundamentals of gardening and herbal medicine in an effort to foster independence and socialisation. This means your funds won't only help you find a sense of calm for the evening, but also go toward helping others achieve the same. Now that's bang-for-your-buck.
For one magnificent spring day, Surry Hills will turn itself over to its beloved annual festival this Saturday, September 24. You can expect the usual explosion of creativity and music, with pop-up spaces, laneway experiments and hidden pop-up bars complementing all-day live music and markets in Shannon Reserve and Ward Park. And it's all free, free, free. Heading the music lineup are Brisbane band Hey Geronimo, who'll be playing in Ward Park at 5pm. Over at Shannon Reserve after that, producers Lanks and Wishes will take the stage, followed by Sydney outfit Castlecomer. When you're not kicking back to the music, you can get active on guided tours of Surry Hills' creative spaces and architecture, along which you'll meet all kinds of local artists and creatives. Plus, there'll be heaps of other things happening to keep you entertained, including roving art performances, projections and plenty of food stalls.
Run, jump and roll your way into the Sydney Opera House this September to see a brand new stage work from the champions of Western Sydney's underground parkour scene. Straight from the streets of Fairfield, Jump First, Ask Later combines the fluid movement of free running and contemporary dance in an explosively physical performance that explores "violence, migration, redemption and the collective freedom these artists discovered by mapping their city through dance". On stage at the Opera House's Studio Theatre from September 22 to October 2, this troupe of six young performers from one of the most culturally diverse parts of Australia will traverse the theatre, springing and vaulting over obstacles in a 50-minute performance produced by the Powerhouse Youth Theatre and dance company Force Majeure. Expanding your understanding of both athleticism and dance, the show shapes up as a must-see for fans of either. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekt4QkjKnEw
The Manly Jazz festival is kicking back into town this October, bringing its blend of New Orleans jazz, gospel, Latin and roots to the beach suburb for the thirty-ninth time. So perhaps this is the year you should make the effort, get on the ferry and get over to Manly beach. Held in a variety of venues dotted along the beach, you're in store for a simultaneously calm and noisy time. Carl Lockett is flying in from the US to croon out some groove, and Darren Percival, Louise Perryman and Vince Jones are all on the bill. There's also nine-piece reggae band The Strides bringing some afro-beach-beat. There will also be representatives from surrounding senior schools and their bands, no doubt with talented kids making you wish you hadn't given up your trumpet lessons all those years ago. Sounds like the perfect day for a dose of sun, nostalgia and smooth sounds. Visit Manly Jazz for tickets, venues and times.
If you're even remotely tuned in with the world around, you'll have a skerrick of curiosity as to how it all works. Sydney Science Festival is your best opportunity to get down to the nuts and bolts of our big wide world and beyond, from 3D printing to subatomic particles and into deep space — and have a few beers with real scientists while you're at it. To find out how makers across New South Wales are drawing inspiration from science, get along to the Sydney Mini Maker Faire at the Powerhouse on August 13-14. Expect to meet game-changing, 3D-printing designers, genius coders and, hopefully, a return of last year's interactive brain light. The festival's rock star exhibition is Collider. It'll take you on a behind-the-scenes journey through the discovery of the 'God particle', the subatomic particle also known as Higgs boson that is responsible for giving mass to matter. You'll learn all about the Large Hadron Collider, a 27-kilometre long ring of magnets with superconducting powers that can force particle beams travelling nearly at the speed of light to crash into each other. Another exhibition worth checking out will be Winning Sky Photos, showcasing top-notch entries in the David Malin Awards, an annual photo comp for amateur photographers and astronomers. The talks component of the program is headlined by celebrated professor Brian Cox's 'A Journey Into Deep Space'. He'll be delving into questions we've been trying, unsuccessfully, to answer for thousands of years, like are there aliens? What happened before the Big Bang? How did life start? Meanwhile, at 'Biohacking: Why should we care?' Genspace co-founder and director Dr. Ellen Jorgensen will be chatting with a bunch of experts. Then, at BAHFest, a series of wannabe scientific theorists will compete for glory, presenting their 'Bad Ad Hoc Hypotheses' to a panel of scientists, hosted by Alex Lee (The Chaser's Election Desk and The Checkout) and featuring science-loving favourite Dr Karl Kruszelnicki. Opening night shenanigans will take place at the Powerhouse on Thursday, August 11, with a free, adults-only launch party, hosted by Lisa Harvey-Smith, starring festival ambassador Dr. Alan Duffy and filled with music, performances and presentations. Image: Greg Rakozy.
In the most mathematical news since boffins discovered a pattern in prime numbers, the cast and crew behind of Adventure Time, the show that straddles generational gaps like it ain't no thing, are coming to town next March. It's going to be live, it's going to be loud and it's gonna be so flippin' awesome. Making quick trips to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, Adventure Time Live will be an interactive, audio-visual festival that includes Q&As with cast and crew, cosplay competitions, live reads of classic episodes and much more to be announced. It's not a show, it's an experience, man. The event hits Australia between March 10 and March 12 next year, which will probably coincide with the largest gathering of adults pretending to be children pretending to be adults that this country has ever seen.
If you've ever dined at Yellow, Potts Point, you'll know that the team is pretty damn keen on a veggie or two. In fact, in February 2016, the restaurant announced its lunch and dinner menus were going 100 percent vego. So, to usher in the beginning of summer, Yellow is visiting Newtown's Hartsyard to team up with the crew for an animal-friendly feast. Taking care of the menu will be Yellow's self-confessed plant nerds Gregory and Adam Wolfers. You can expect all sorts of weird and wonderful veggies, as well as a bunch of heirloom varieties. Meanwhile, Ned Brooks of Brooks and Amos will be coming up with a slew of matching wines. The banquet is just $90 per head (including drinks) and there'll be two sittings — at 6pm and 8.30pm. Either way, you'll be joining your fellow diners at Hartsyard's friendly communal tables. Bookings are essential.
Everybody on deck at Sydney's most glamorous floating venue for a New Year's extravaganza. After finally opening to the public after months of delays, Seadeck is gearing up for a big year next year – and what better way to start the next 365 days on the right foot than with the mother of all blowouts on Sydney Harbour? Sydney's hyped-up party ship is throwing their very first public NYE event. For a cool $595, ticketholders can enjoy astounding views of the New Year's fireworks while kicking back and enjoying the various amenities on board. With multiple decks, palm trees and cast iron fittings, it doesn't get much swankier than this – and that's to say nothing of the booze and roaming canapés. Live entertainment on the night (and into the early hours of 2017) will come courtesy of Kaz James, Kate Elsworth, Marc Jarvin and Jungle Snake.
Melbourne playwright Ross Mueller takes a knife to contemporary office politics and bureaucracy with his new work, A Strategic Plan. Under the tagline "failure is not on the whiteboard", the play follows Andrew, a former rock musician, as he sinks into, then begins drowning in, the bureaucratic swamp of running STACCATO, a youth music oufit. Justin Smith's Andrew doesn't have full Dude status, but there is something distinctly Lebowskian about him. The board smells blood immediately and begin a hellish barrage of acronyms, forms, legislation and snide remarks. A Strategic Plan promises a masterclass in how to kill a dream in the 21st century. The play is, on the surface, a comedy. But director Chris Mead says it would be a mistake to write it off as a 'funny play'. "There are great jokes in there but there's also a deeper emotional truth inside the play which is about how brave you're going to be to live the life you want to live."
The iconic Grounds of Alexandria is turning five years old and they're doing so in fairy-lit style — this year offering up a night of free live music on Friday, April 21. Their gardens will be taken over by DJs, bands and, of course, some quality food. The evening will begin with Soul of Sydney DJs spinning their funk collective tunes. The stage will then be taken over by enchantress Thandi Phoenix, whose raw vocals make her one of Australia's top new female electronic artists. While Phoenix and her band rock the stage, The Pizza Silo will be slinging their much-loved wood-fired pizzas and The Soda Barn will serve up beer, wine and cocktails all night. The event is free to enter but you'll have to purchase your food and drink, and seating will be limited so be sure arrive early to get a prime posi. This event will be first in a series of monthly music nights, with each month curated with a different vibe.
Sydney Carnival has again taken over Royal Randwick — this year with their greatest entourage of food trucks yet. If like us, you're always a tiny bit more interested in food than what actually happens at these events, head to the Truckstop. It has options to suit every palate and diet, from freshly shucked oysters at The Shuck Truck to South American street food by Caminito and Mexican classics by Cantina Movil. They've even got Nathan's Famous Hotdogs in tow, serving up original New York-style dogs. Whether you're looking for a dainty dish to keep your races outfit in tip-top shape or are looking to go all out with an over-sized burrito, Truckstop has you covered. All you need to access this delectable range of food trucks is a general admission ticket into the racecourse. If you'd prefer to hang around the bar rather than participate in watching the race, there are pop-up bars from Canadian Club, Heineken and Chandon open to all. If you're feeling a little luxe, the more exclusive Moët & Chandon and Makers Mark Whisky bars are reserved for members only. Tickets to The Championships are on sale via the Australian Turf Club website.
This play about the Iraq War shies away from WMDs, oil and 9/11. These considerations, after all, are somewhat abstract to a big cat. That's right — Rajiv Joseph has entrusted his commentary on George W. Bush's appalling expedition into Iraq to a philosophising tiger. Bengal Tiger..., as the name suggests, is set in Baghdad's zoo, where a large feline is trying to unravel the mysteries of human conflict. His musings are not helped by the constant planning of his guards, Kev and Tom, two disillusioned Marines. They're scheming to get rich by finding Uday Hussein's fabled gold toilet seat. Then the ghosts start showing up. Yet another in a long line of baseless, gung-ho military disasters for America (and Australia), the Iraq War was a sustained campaign of needless destruction. I've yet to find anyone who can make sense of it, except as an exercise in corruption and greed. Perhaps it's time to listen to the tiger. Image: John Marmaras.
A film about a man experiencing time in reverse shouldn't be forgettable. When it comes to The Death and Life of Otto Bloom, however, maybe it's somewhat fitting. The eponymous Aussie isn't Benjamin Button — in this curious case he ages normally, but was born with all of his memories, progressively losing them with each passing day. That means that he can remember everything that will happen, but not what has previously occurred. Alas, for viewers, this is a case of life imitating art, with the final film failing to stick in your mind for very long once the theatre lights come up. It's not that the underlying idea behind writer-director Cris Jones' first feature doesn't stand out. One of the great things about temporal trickery and mind-bending sci-fi is that new concepts just keep coming — and Aussie filmmakers have been heartily trying their hand at them recently, as the ambitious Predestination and the excellent The Infinite Man have shown. Sadly, Otto Bloom just doesn't do much with its premise other than wrap it up in faux-documentary packaging and attempt to tell a contemplative tale of life, death, love and loss. A cult figure who dabbles in art and gathers a following as a motivational speaker, Otto Bloom is called plenty of things over the course of his life. Jones begins the film with a whirlwind of news headlines and talking heads, and indeed, it seems there is no shortage of folks willing to offer their two cents about Bloom's strange existence. The most interesting and important of these is Dr Ada Fitzgerald (played by Rachel Ward in the interview segments and her daughter Matilda Brown in flashbacks). She first met Bloom in the '80s, named his unique condition "retrochronology", and swiftly fell for his charms. But romancing a man who only remembers your future, not your past or present, proves more than a little bit tricky. Both Ward and Brown thoroughly steal the show in their shared role, so much so that you may find yourself wishing that the film was more about Ada instead of Otto. When neither actress is on screen, we're left with Spin Out and A Few Less Men star Xavier Samuel, continuing his spate of underwhelming roles in similarly underwhelming local films. We're told over and over that his protagonist is supposed to be enigmatic. Unfortunately, he just comes off as dull. But that's The Death and Life of Otto Bloom in a nutshell: intriguing on paper, underwhelming in execution. Much of the film's struggles stem from its approach and structure, with the movie never making a convincing argument for pretending it's a doco. Well, maybe it does — without the repetitive to-camera chatter from the likes of the cop that first came across Bloom, his eventual manager, a fascinated philosopher and an art critic, the movie would've been even more short and slight. Either way, it's still thoroughly disappointing.
Any time is a good time for a getaway in the Hunter Valley, though that statement is going to be particularly true this June. That's when the Cheese Lovers Festival returns for its second year, and you can try as much dairy as you can stomach for just $20 entry ($15 for early birds). This cheesy, cheesy festival will showcase over 50 cheese, wine and craft beer stalls with tasting opportunities. Tasting opportunities. There's an amateur 'fancy cheesecake' competition, cheesemaking classes and workshops with White Rabbit Brewery to help you pair beer and cheese like a pro. This year there will also be the opportunity to attend a special dinner or lunch with a three-course cheesy menu designed by cheesemaker and founder of Bruny Island Cheese Company, Nick Haddow. Basically, if you can't find a reason to make the trip, you're not looking hard enough. And that's just the official side of things. With more than 150 wineries in the area, taking a few detours is to be expected.
Drape yourself in your finest pastel apparel and don a pair of sandworthy shoes — you're heading to Bondi Beach for a Champagne-fuelled, seasonally-driven picnic. And when we say Bondi Beach, we mean literally — as in, on the sand. If you're thinking this is sounding a bit like one of those white dinner affairs, your antennae are on point. Named A Moveable Feast, this event, which debuted last year, has been dreamt up by none other than Antoine Bessis, event director of Diner en Blanc. But this time he's diversifying the palette — into pastel colours — and aiming to recreate the Riviera on Sydney's most famous beach. Your ticket will buy you top-notch food, wine and Champagne, as well as a curated entertainment program, finishing with barefoot dancing. The tickets are $165 per person to be purchased in pairs, and include your seats at a styled table and an eight-course feast designed by chef and restauranteur Luke Mangan.
This 20th Biennale of Sydney keynote address will be delivered by Boris Charmatz, director of the Dancing Museum, and one of the dance world's most fearless innovators. The museum's physical home might be Rennes, France, but, as Charmatz says, the concept of the museum is a "nomadic idea, which can move elsewhere, shelter time, void and talk, nudes, things political, discussions, works and fantasies, and sometimes even, all of it at the same time". To that end, he's spent the past twenty years taking dance across unexplored frontiers to public spaces around the world. And now, he's coming our way. Speaking at Carriageworks at 6.30pm on Saturday, March 19 to launch the 20th Biennale of Sydney, he promises to ask all the big questions, and explore the importance and evolution of street dance, permeable choreography and "contemporary stress about togetherness". Rather than telling crowds what to you think, he'll be offering ideas and possibilities. Afterwards, Charmatz will be joined by the 20th Biennale's artistic director Stephanie Rosenthal for a 20-minute chinwag, followed by the Sydney premiere of his 2014 work manger, which recently appeared at London's Tate Modern. Image: Boris Charmatz, ‘Manger’, 2015
Every few months or so, Hollywood throws a few of its stars into the sea. Whether they're forced to conquer towering swells or left to float and flounder until rescue, the end result is usually the same: men battle nature, treading the very fine line between sinking and surviving in the process. Favouring disaster over drifting, The Finest Hours relates the details of the SS Pendleton. To date, the US Coast Guard's mission to bring the ship's crew to shore remains the greatest small boat rescue operation in history. Like many such stories, the true tale behind the film stems from a combination of bad weather, bravery and luck both good and bad. On the day Massachusetts crewman Bernie Webber (Chris Pine) intends to ask his superior officer (Eric Bana) for permission to marry his sweetheart (Holliday Grainger), a storm strikes. Two tankers are ripped in half by the hurricane-force winds and giant waves. With most of their colleagues tending to one vessel, it's left to Bernie and a tiny band of offsiders (including Ben Foster and Kyle Gallner) to jump onto a modest 36-foot boat to try and aid the other. Sadly, daring and noble deeds don't always inspire films filled with the same spirit, even when they're made with the best of intentions. The Finest Hours is set in 1952 and looks the period part. Unfortunately, the '50s are currently plastered across the screen in everything from Brooklyn to Hail, Caesar!, and frankly those offerings provide richer old-school depictions of the decade, and not just in a visual sense. Here, director Craig Gillespie keeps his tone as flat as his images are dark. Given that he also helmed the tender Lars and the Real Girl as well as the remake of Fright Night, his lack of energy is both surprising and disappointing. What The Finest Hours lacks in liveliness, it attempts to make up for in CGI-enhanced thrills. But while the splashing and crashing spectacle of the second half provide decent entertainment, they can't quite gel with the more intimate, character-based moments. It's never a good sign when the killer storm seems more subtle than the bulk of the people caught in its midst. Thank goodness for the sections devoted to the men on the struggling ship, as anchored by Casey Affleck. In his second impressive outing in as many movies following his turn in Triple 9, he endeavours to save his fellow sailors and keep The Finest Hours coasting along. The on-board drama he's immersed in might cycle through as many cliches as the rest of the film and the wet-and-wild genre in general, but it's the only part of the action presented with any tension or urgency.
Alaska Projects is taking over Kings Cross and Paddington for two-and-a-bit glorious weeks for SafARI 2016. Prepare for installations, soundscapes, digital streaming and live performances, as well as three formal exhibition openings. On Friday, March 11, head to the William Street headquarters for the launch of SafARI x Runway: Ecologies, featuring works by Victoria's Jesse Dyer and Matthew Linde, alongside those by New South Welsh artists Grace Blake & Danny Wild, Claudia Nicolson and Hanna Hoogedeure. Then, on Wednesday, March 16, it'll be time for the launch of SafARI x ALASKA Projects, in the car park. This brings together pieces by an array of artists, plus a live performance of Pete Nelson's Grottspace, Megan Hales's Two to Toot scooter and, in the bathrooms, Akira and Nathan Lasker's Loo D'aisance (ease and release). The rest of the program is right here. Image: Lara Merrington/SafARI.
In the words of Tyrion Lannister, it's not easy being drunk all the time. Everyone would do it if it were easy. That may be true, but you can certainly give it a go, when Game of Rhones returns for another year. An epic wine tasting event inspired by the grapes of France's Rhone Valley and the works of George R. R. Martin, this year's Game of Rhones will visit all Seven Kingdoms – by which we mean Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Wellington and Auckland. Each event will welcome more than 40 different winemakers, including Shaw + Smith, Yarra Yering, Tarrawarra Estate, Olivers Taranga and Paxton Biodynamic Wine (although exact producers vary city to city). There'll also be a number of food vendors on hand as well to ensure you don't go hungry. In between goblets, ticketholders will get the chance to chat with sommeliers at the Rhone Bar, vote for their favourite vintages as part of the People's Choice Award, and take part in a blind tasting 'torture chamber' that we promise is more fun than the name makes it sound. It should also go without saying that dressing up as your favourite GoT character is highly encouraged. Zombie John Snow, anyone?
There's never a bad time to head to the cinema, but Sunday, January 19 might just be a better day than most. Make a trip to the movies any time on that specific date, and $2 from your ticket will be donated to charities helping bushfire-affected communities. A joint collaboration between most Australian cinemas and distributors — aka the folks who show movies, and those that make them available to screen — the day-long event will support the Salvation Army Bushfire Appeal, the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery and the RSPCA Bushfire Appeal. Most cinemas in Sydney are participating — which includes all Palace, Event, Hoyts, Dendy and Readings locations, plus Hayden Orpheum and the Randwick Ritz, among others. Wondering what to see? Spend a few hours with standouts such as True History of the Kelly Gang, Little Women and 1917, enjoy the all-ages hijinks of Jumanji: The Next Level or see Guy Ritchie fall back upon his British crime caper ways with The Gentlemen. You can also experience the catastrophe that is Cats for yourself, travel to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker or watch a Californian couple try a different way of living in inspirational documentary The Biggest Little Farm.
Burger lovers of Sydney, rejoice — Harpoon Harry is back in business. After temporarily closing due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the Surry Hills spot is back doing what it does best. And, it's doing so with a mighty tasty deal, too. To celebrate firing up the grill once again, it's serving up burgs at $10 a pop all day every day in June. Usually, the special only applies on Wednesdays; however, as we all know, there's absolutely nothing usual about 2020 so far. That price applies to all three burgers on the menu, so you can take your pick — between the fried chicken burger with hot sauce, coleslaw, lettuce, tomato and pickles; the wagyu with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions and Harry's sauce; and the crumbed eggplant 'schnitty' with grilled haloumi, lettuce, tomato, pickles, charred onions and aioli. And, your tenner will also score you some fries — with the burgs and chips combo on offer daily from 11.30am. Bookings are recommended, but you can also just walk on in.
If you have a little (or a lot) of pent up rage after spending two months in lockdown, here's a safe outlet: Sydney's axe-throwing joint Maniax is reopening this Saturday, June 13, and it's offering a sweet deal for a limited time, too. The St Peters joint usually charges $60 a head for its two-hour public sessions — but, until June 30, you can get a public session plus pizza plus a beer, cider or non-alcoholic drink for $75. That's $15 for beer and pizza. At the moment, Maniax is accepting bookings of up to ten people. For the uninitiated, Maniax gives you the chance to very safely hurl a hunk of sharpened steel attached to a flimsy handle, and compete with your friends to see who has the most Viking blood coursing through them. Hurl those hatchets, sink a bullseye and calm down after all the axe-lobbing excitement with brews and pizza. You can continue the merriment by exploring the rest of Precinct 75, which houses a number of awesome designers and creators, as well as the Willie the Boatman tasting bar.
UPDATE: June 6, 2020 — On Saturday, ten minutes before the Stop All Black Deaths in Custody rally was scheduled to start, the NSW Court of Appeal overturned the Supreme Court's decision to prohibit the rally. The protest is now an authorised public assembly and will go ahead at 3pm. UPDATE: June 5, 2020 — On Friday, the NSW Police won a Supreme Court bid to prohibit tomorrow's Stop All Black Deaths in Custody rally. Justice Desmond Fagan said that the rally was "a very undesirable idea", according to the ABC, and "the exercise of the fundamental right of assembly … is not taken away by the current public health order, it is deferred." Organisers of the event have said the protest will still go ahead. This Saturday, June 6, rallies will be held across Australia in protest of Black and Indigenous deaths at the hands of police, both locally and in the US. Held in solidarity with the protests currently happening in the States — in response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis — and in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, the Sydney rally is also a call to action on the systemic mistreatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by police. Since 1991's royal commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody, another 432 Indigenous Australians have died in custody, including Dunghutti man David Dungay Jr, who's 2015 death draws many parallels to that of Floyd. Organised by the Indigenous Social Justice Association, Anticolonial Asian Alliance and USYD Autonomous Collective Against Racism, the Sydney protest is called Stop All Black Deaths in Custody: Vigil for George Floyd. It'll be held from 3–5pm, starting at Sydney Town Hall, and will also be live-streamed on Facebook and Zoom for those who can't attend (with links set to be posted on the event post on the day). While NSW's COVID-19 cases are declining, we're still in the midst of a pandemic and rally attendees are encouraged to practise social distancing measures, with the organisers suggesting everyone wears a mask, stands 1.5-metres apart and does not attend if they are feeling unwell. If you have even mild symptoms, it's strongly encouraged you go and get tested. If you can't attend, but would still like to do your part, you can donate to an Indigenous Australian charity or organisation — including to the family of Dungay Jr, who are currently raising money to cover legal costs — and educate yourself on Australia's Indigenous history. To help start with the latter, here are 13 films by Indigenous Australian filmmakers you can stream.
Sydney's intimate, boutique Golden Age Cinema is teaming up with Four Pillars Gin for a mini booze and film festival. Each Wednesday night in February, the 56-seat Surry Hills spot is hosting double bills paired with gin cocktails. It's quite the lineup, too, with a little something for everyone on the bill. The festival is called Hot Summer Nights, so that's the kind of tone it's going for — whether coming-of-age tales, love stories, thrillers or dramas are hitting the screen. First up on February 5 is 60s great The Graduate, followed by seminal 90s classic Reality Bites. Or, if you're heading along with your significant other, perhaps February 12's pair of True Romance and Romeo + Juliet will appeal. The next week, on February 19, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window will screen, accompanied by Spike Lee's iconic Do the Right Thing. Then, wrapping it all up on August 28 is countercultural romance Zabriskie Point and the adult film industry epic Boogie Nights. These dark cult flicks will all get a beverage to match, made with Four Pillar's juniper spirits. The first screenings each evening kick off between 6.05–6.15pm, then the second start at 8.30pm — but we suggest you get there a little earlier for the drinks. Tickets are $22.50 for each film.
Fans of aggressive trap tunes, get ready for NYC rapper A$AP Ferg's upcoming show in Sydney. Part of the lauded Harlem-based hip-hop collective A$AP Mob (which also includes award-winning artist A$AP Rocky), Ferg first got serious recognition with his debut solo album Trap Lord back in 2013, taking home the Rookie of the Year BET Hip Hop Award. Since then, he's released four more records, with the most-recent Floor Seats dropping late last year. The hip-hop heavyweight will be taking the stage at The Star Sydney's multimillion-dollar events centre on Friday, March 6. You'll also catch support act Triple J Unearthed artists Triple One, who hail from the inner west, plus Marquee DJs Sabio and K-Note. If you just want to catch A$AP Ferg perform, nab a general admission ticket for $65. Or, if you're keen to make a big night of it you can opt for a VIP ticket, which will set you back a cool $250 per person. You'll get express entry into the gig; access to the VIP lounge; a three hour food and drinks package; and express entry into Marquee afterwards to keep the good times going. Looking to take things to the next level? Round up 27 of your mates and grab a private suite for killer stage views — but prepare to splash some serious cash (pricing available on enquiry). There are only three available, each coming with a range of snacks — think sushi, sashimi, lamb cutlets and crispy pork belly. Drinks-wise, you'll be ordering from the VIP bottle service menu, which has an extensive range of OTT champagnes and spirits. And you'll get priority entry into the concert as well as into Marquee, naturally.
Erskineville's LGBTQIA+ haven The Imperial Hotel is doing it up big for Mardi Gras, boasting two straight weeks of parties, events and pop-ups. Coming up this Sunday, February 23 is a celebration of all things queer fashion when the Mardi Gras pop-up market takes over the main bar from noon–5pm. You'll be able to pick up everything you need — and so much more — for parade day on February 29. On the day, expect vintage and sparkly threads with a locally made, eco-friendly focus. A wide range of Aussie designers and LGBTQIA+ businesses will set up shop — you can nab swimwear from Frida Las Vegas, vintage dresses from The Crown Street Project, vegan beauty products from Sweet Cherry Soda and recycled plastic jewellery from Maraca Club. Plus, you'll find all-out festival wear from Nevada Clothing and handmade wooden accessories from Frank Wood. Alongside the market, there'll be a patch-making and embroidery workshop for beginners, which you can attend for a donation and by RSVPing to rowanyeomans@gmail.com. And from 1–5pm, the UK's Whitley Neill will be offering complimentary gin tastings in the Priscillas Glasshouse upstairs. Once you're all decked out, you can stick around for that night's downstairs Zodiac-themed dance party. For more details, check out the Imperial's full Mardi Gras program here. Top image: Trent van der Jagt
If you like tacos, tequila and views of the ocean, clear your Saturday. Campbell Parade's Panama House is serving up an extra salty twist on its regular brunch for World Margarita Day. And it involves bottomless margaritas. To eat, the regular brunch packages will be available. For $39 a head, you'll get smoky beef croquettes, chicken enchiladas, swordfish tostadas, fajitas, baked barramundi and lots of shoestring fries. If you're vego, a similar meat-free feast will set you back $35, and includes the likes of portobello tacos, avocado tostadas and roasted cauliflower with almond mole rojo. For another $54, you can add on two hours of endless Tecate, mimosas, bloody marys, palomas and rosé. Now comes the salty party. On Saturday, February 22, you can add two hours of bottomless margaritas onto one of these brunches for another $25. That's a lot of booze, friends. If you can't make it along to the brunch, but would still like to enjoy a couple of drinks, the bar will be serving up $12 margaritas all day. You can book into the bottomless margarita brunch between 10–4pm. Image: Richard Mortimer
Dumplings are great, but have you ever eaten bottomless bowls of them surrounded by koalas on a rooftop at sunset? No? Well, that's exactly what you can do at Wild Life Sydney's Koala Rooftop when it teams up with dumpling experts New Shanghai for a series of all-you-can-eat feasts. Coinciding with Lunar New Year, the dumpling sessions run at 6pm, 7pm and 8pm daily from Wednesday, January 22–Thursday, January 30. Tickets will set you back $50, which includes 30 minutes of endless dumplings and after-hours access to the zoo. Dumplings will include the likes of prawn and pork wontons, chicken and celery parcels, xiao long bao and vego numbers. It's suggested you get to the Darling Harbour zoo 45–60 minutes before your eating session, so you have plenty of time to visit the other animals — including kangaroos, crocodiles, wombats and platypus — and make your way up to the Koala Rooftop. You can also hang around after your eating marathon until the zoo closes at 9pm. As an added bonus, Wild Life will be donating $5 from each ticket to charities helping care for animals injured and orphaned during the devastating bushfires.
This weekend, a whole heap of Sydney's best chefs are joining forces — 30 of 'em, to be exact — and it's all in the name of bushfire relief. Cooks for the Bush will take over Nomad's temporary Surry Hills digs on Sunday, January 12 for one serious fundraising brunch and bake sale. While the brunch sold out in record time, the takeaway bake sale will see tasty treats created by the likes of Aria's Joel Bickford, Butter's Julian Cincotta, Kitchen by Mike's Mike McEnearney, Continental Deli's Michael Nicolian, Fred's Danielle Alvarez, Icebergs' Nic Wong and Alex Prichard and Alex Prichard and, of course, Nomad's own Jacqui Challinor. Head chefs from Rockpool, Biota Dining and Cho Cho San are also involved, as is Duncan Welgemoed from Adelaide's famed Africola. And this is just to name a very few. You can check out the full list below. All chefs and suppliers are giving their time and produce for free, so 100 percent of proceeds on the day will be donated to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. Also coming up is a silent auction, with many of the participating restaurants donating gift vouchers for special dining experiences. The auction page is still in the works, so keep an eye on the Nomad website. https://www.instagram.com/p/B692rQKJKQ2/ Image credit: Nomad Up the Road by Petrina Tinslay
With Vivid lighting up the skies of Sydney once again, the city is buzzing with ways to enjoy it. And, you can bet your bottom dollar that Belvedere, creator of the luminous bottle, is getting involved. The premium vodka label has partnered with a bunch of bars across to Sydney to serve up a slew of glowing cocktails that'll brighten up your Vivid visit. With each venue offering up something unique, you've got until the end of the festival to try 'em all. At the heart of the celebrations, the Sydney Opera House's Portside bar is offering up two fresh libations that'll make for great pre-drinks, before you dance the night away at a nearby live music event. First up, there's the Winter Tropical Warmer — a warming mix of honey, pineapple and bitters — and the Blinded by the Light, which features pear, lavender and lemon. If you'd rather be on the water than staring out at it, you can jump on a private (or shared) All Occasion Vivid cruise and see the harbour sights with a luminous cocktail in hand. Once you're back on land, head to the Shangri-La Hotel's Blu Bar or Helm Bar in Darling Harbour for an illuminated twist on a vodka spritz, featuring sweet vermouth, tonic and star anise, alongside an in-house light show. Staying around the CBD, you can still get a view of the lights from the leafy oasis of Taylor's Rooftop, while enjoying a simple Belvedere vodka and mixer for just $10 or a more exotic rose and lychee martini. Finishing up there, head down to Grain and try one (or all) of its three vibrant cocktails. And, if you live north (or just fancy a ferry ride to catch some lights), make tracks to Manly Wharf Hotel for some tasty pub fare and the Wharf Lights Punch shared cocktail carafe, featuring blueberries, mint, lemonade and Chandon. Belvedere's Vivid Cocktail specials will be available for the duration of Vivid, until Saturday, June 15.
It's no accident that you've never seen a big-screen adaptation of Cinderella in which the stepsisters hack off their own toes to try and fit into the glass slipper. Or that Disney's animated classic The Little Mermaid decided to switch the pitiable death of Hans Christian Andersen's protagonist for a happy ending. Over the last few decades, there has been a concerted effort in popular culture to de-fang fairy tales, replacing the blood-spattered morality of the Grimm brothers with a jamboree in which everyone gleefully walks away knowing a little more about themselves. Despite this widespread plot-wangling, there remains a fairytale that refuses to be brought into the mainstream stable. Oscar Wilde's The Happy Prince tells the story of a bird bound for Egypt who — spoiler — blinds a regal statue (at its insistence), before literally dropping off its perch. Then, a workman learns a heartbreaking lesson about the melting temperature of lead. There's more to it, but you can perhaps understand why Wilde's prince never made a cameo in the Shrek films. These idiosyncrasies, however, are what queer theatre company Little Ones thrive on. Its adaptation takes Wilde's brutally sad tale of Victorian-era inequality, punches up the eight-page plot and laces it with a love story between Janine Watson's glamour-dripping Prince and Catherine Davies' roller-skating Swallow. The Happy Prince played at La Mama in 2017 to full houses and fairytale reviews. Stephen Nicolazzo also took a Green Room Award for his direction. It's coming to Griffin, but not for long. So if Disney's latest live-action Aladdin has more shiny nostalgia-ridden sweetness than you can stomach, the dying ember of decency at the heart of this tale could be just the palate cleanser you're after. The Happy Prince will run at SBW Stables Theatre from Tuesday, June 25–Sunday, July 6. To purchase tickets, visit Griffin Theatre's website. Image: Pia Johnson.
