They're taking the hobbits to Isengard at the Hayden Orpheum this March and the Randwick Ritz this April, with one movie marathon to rule them all. Round up the Fellowship, stock up on lembas bread for sustenance and hide your finest pipe-weed from the Southfarthing for one sitting of all three of Peter Jackson's beloved OG Tolkien film adaptations. Kicking off with The Fellowship of the Ring and ending with The Return of the King, this cave troll of a marathon clocks in at over nine hours plus intermissions — with the journey starting at 11am on Sunday, March 14 at the Orpheum and 10.30am on Saturday, April 3 at the Ritz. If you make it through breakfast and second breakfast to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest person on your way home (note: do not actually screech at people). Tickets are the precious and come in at $25–30 for the whole ordeal. And, you'll be watching all three films in remastered 4K versions — so expect to see Middle Earth in more detail than you've seen in before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_WZxJpHzEE
Prepare yourself, folks — this year, Australia's launching into summer with the help of a huge new music festival. The brainchild of industry big guns Onelove (Stereosonic), Live Nation (Splendour in the Grass, Falls Festival) and Hardware (Piknic Electronik, Babylon), Festival X will hit Sydney on Saturday, November 30. The large-scale music party is pulling no punches when it comes to its debut lineup, headlined by international heavyweights including Scottish DJ Calvin Harris, the Grammy-nominated Armin van Buuren, Steve Aoki and our own Alison Wonderland. Spanning multiple stages, it's set to deliver a world-class serve of hip hop, pop and electronica.US rapper Lil Pump will make his own Aussie debut, joined on the all-star bill by the likes of British DJ duo CamelPhat, Ohio-based rapper Trippie Redd, Denmark's Kölsch and German techno king Paul Kalkbrenner. Meanwhile, there'll be plenty flying the flag for the local scene, with sets from favourites including bass and dubstep star Godlands, Australian-raised trance DJ MaRLo, Sydney act Sunset Bros and singer-songwriter Thandi Phoenix.
Natasha Khan, aka Bat For Lashes, is a willowy enigma wrapped in feathers and furs. The musical world of the Brighton-based singer-songwriter is one of full moon's, fairytales and sparkling things, all composed with the kind of delicate intensity that inspires obsessive devotion from people sitting in their bedrooms wearing headphones around the world. Nominated for a collection of Brit Awards and Mercury Prizes, Bat For Lashes' reputation rests on two albums — Fur And Gold and Two Suns — a handful of cover-versions, including The Cure's 'A Forest' and Depeche Mode's 'Strangelove,' and 'Let's Get Lost', a collaboration with Beck, which is the one solitary thing that convinces me the Twilight franchise can't be as bad as all that. Although frequently likened to Kate Bush, Bjork and PJ Harvey, the similarities are drawn mostly because her powerful voice and echoing melodies mark her out as completely unique amongst other contemporary female artists. Which is why Bat For Lashes is one of the most highly anticipated acts set to perform during this year's Vivid Live Festival. Bringing with her a modest orchestral contingent to accompany her, and a whole lot of creative energy from the new album she's currently working on, you can count on Bat For Lashes to deliver the sort of magical performance to match the kaleidoscopic sails of the illuminated Opera House. https://youtube.com/watch?v=n1wnOUH2jk8
Still sad because you missed The Avalanches much hyped comeback show at Splendour? Well, start saving your pennies because they're back for the Falls Music & Arts Festival. They're just one of the artists who have just been announced in the full 2016 lineup, alongside Childish Gambino, London Grammar, Grouplove, Broods, Jamie T, Parquet Courts and heaps, heaps more. As always, Falls will be heading to Lorne in Victoria for four nights, and Marion Bay in Tassie and Byron Bay on the NSW coast for three nights over New Year's Eve. They'll also be setting up shop in Fremantle for the first time with Falls Downtown, a two-day city festival slated to take place over the weekend of January 7-8. If you're seriously strapped for cash, it's time to warm up those vocal chords because The Falls Festival folks are giving you the chance to win VIP tickets for you and three mates. All you have to do is serenade the world with your favourite song from the 2016/17 lineup and upload it to Instagram with the hashtag #fallskaraoke. Get cracking. FALLS FESTIVAL 2016 LINEUP Childish Gambino (No Sideshows) London Grammar (No Sideshows) The Avalanches Violent Soho Matt Corby Alison Wonderland* Catfish and the Bottlemen* Fat Freddy's Drop* Ta-ku The Rubens* The Jezabels Ball Park Music Grouplove Bernard Fanning* Jamie T Broods Tkay Maidza Grandmaster Flash Illy MØ Hot Dub Time Machine DMA's AlunaGeorge Booka Shade Client Liaison Vallis Alps Parquet Courts City Calm Down LDRU* Modern Baseball Tired Lion* Remi* RY X Marlon Williams* Lemaitre Shura *Not Playing Fremantle Tickets for Falls Festival 2016/17 will go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 30 via their website.
It's been two years since Gelato Messina first introduced its cookie pies to the world, much to the delight of tastebuds across Australia. Over that time, the dessert chain has kept bringing the OTT dish back, too, especially when we all needed an extra dose of sweetness during lockdowns. It has whipped up different flavours as well, including choc hazelnut, fairy bread and red velvet. And, in addition to its one-off specials that are designed to share — whether or not you do is completely up to you, of course — Messina started serving up one-person versions last winter. That's all well and tasty, and it's about to be again — because those single-serve cookies pies are back. But, there's a caveat this time around: as well as only being available in stores on Mondays and Tuesdays, this round of pies is popping up at different Messina joints each week. No wonder the gelato fiends are calling it Le Tour De Cookie. Hang on, a cookie pie? Yes, it's a pie, but a pie made of cookie dough. If you're new to the concept, that's all you really need to know. And, yes, this cookie pie really is just for one person — and not just because you're not willing to share. The smaller-sized desserts come ready to eat as well. They're also topped with a scoop of gelato, because of course they are. To pick up one of these single-serve desserts, you'll need to keep an eye on the Messina website, which will list the stores dishing them up each week. To start things off, the Rosebery outpost in Sydney will be doing the honours on Monday, June 20–Tuesday, June 21 — and the Fitzroy shop in Melbourne will get the nod on Monday, June 27–Tuesday, June 28. Don't worry about pre-ordering, as that isn't required. With these small desserts, you just need to show up. Expect to pay $12 with a scoop, or $10 if somehow you don't want gelato on top. Gelato Messina's single-serve choc chip cookie pies are available on Monday and Tuesday nights at select stores during winter. Keep an eye on the Messina website for further details.
As part of the flurry of streaming services always competing for our eyeballs, FanForce TV joined the online viewing fold during the COVID-19 pandemic as a pay-per-view platform. The service runs all year round, of course, but it goes the extra mile for both National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week, which is when it hosts the First Nations Film Festival (previously known as the Virtual Indigenous Film Festival) — yes, twice each year. In 2023, the fest enjoys its second run between Sunday, July 2–Monday, July 31, stretching the celebrations across almost an entire month — all solely online. The returning event will show six features that you can view whenever you like, plus three shorts, pairing the latter with a live discussion on one specific night. On the features bill: Ella, a powerful documentary about Ella Havelka, the first Indigenous dancer to be invited into the Australian Ballet in its half-century history; The Saltwater Story, following Bundjalung canoemaker Kyle Slabb taking a group of men to North Stradbroke Island by sea; and Homeland Story, which heads to the small Indigenous community of Donydji in northeast Arnhem Land. Or, there's also Etched in Bone, Angels Gather Here and Journey West. The first focuses on Washington DC's Smithsonian Institution returning stolen human bones, and the Aboriginal elder who crafts a ceremony to restore his ancestors' spirits afterwards; the second charts Jacki Trapman's trip to Brewarrina for her parents' 60th wedding anniversary; and the third sees a walk that hadn't happened for almost three decades reenacted. 2023's NAIDOC Week theme is 'for our elders, which drives this film fest's selections as well. Viewers can tune in on a film-by-film basis, or buy an all-access pass to tune into everything. And for the First Nations short film program, it livestreams at 8pm AEST on Wednesday, July 5, with actor, broadcaster, comedian and musician James Williams chatting with The Fred Hollows Foundation's Director of Social Justice and Regional Engagement Jaki Adams afterwards. Top image: The Australian Ballet Production Vitesse with Ella Havelka and Christopher Rogers-Wilson. © Jeff Busby
Bondi Beach is set to become home to another killer restaurant, with Finland's biggest celebrity chef Tomi Bjorck to open Blanca Bar & Dining. You may not have heard of Bjorck, but everyone in Finland has. Aside from stints in the kitchens at both Quay and Longrain, he's been head judge on MasterChef in his native Finland and owns four restaurants in Helsinki and one in Sweden. Late last year though he relocated to Sydney, and has since partnered with chef Samuel Cole (ex-Dinner by Heston Blumenthal) to bring the new restaurant to life. The pair will join Bill's Bondi, Da Orazio Pizza + Porchetta, A Tavola Bondi and Gelato Messina Bondi in the Hall Street dining precinct little known as The Hub. Blanca won't be riding on the success of Noma and 'Nordic' food though; Bjorck told Good Food that the new Australian venture will feature more than "just Nordic cuisine" with a wide-ranging menu and "strong pastry" (whatever that means). Some of Bjorck's other ventures include the Soil Wine Group, a company that imports quality wines for fine dining restaurants and designs menus for Finnish airline Finnair. The celebrity chef is currently in Europe launching LIQ, a line of liquorice with flavours including salted caramel and orange and black pepper. As for other details on Blanca, Bjorck and Cole have remained tight lipped about the project, but have said that 80-seat venue will open sometime towards the end of this year, or the start of 2017. For more developments, we suggest keeping an eye on the Blanca Instagram. Via Good Food. Image: Bjorck's Helsinki restaurant, Boulevard Social.
Does the bulk of comedy lie in the gutter? Comics guru Scott McCloud thinks the magic of comics sits in the gutter-like spaces between panels. With the brain bridging the gap between the before and the after, ideas are spliced together into a single thing that lives and writhes, shocks and excites. Comic Dave Gorman taps into a similar mechanism to make you laugh, with Microsoft's best/worst information tool in Dave Gorman's PowerPoint Presentation, on as part of Just for Laughs 2012. In Gorman's hands, PowerPoint (the devil's presentation software once identified by the US Army as a great way of putting journalists to sleep — they call it 'hypnotising chickens') becomes a way of taking complex things and making them funny. Not unlike current fan favourites This American Life, Gorman describes his style as a 'true story show', proving that the star moments of his comic narratives actually took place. But, believe it or not, this should be an evening of comedy with more than you can cram into a few bullet points of dependent clauses.
A favourite among inner west locals, the annual Mardi Gras Courtyard Sessions take place at dusk in the relaxed grounds of the Seymour Centre. Championing both established and emerging LGBTQIA+ artists, it's all about kicking back with a cold drink, some food, good people and live music. And it's free to attend. This year, the series is wrapping up with a night co-hosted by Sad Grrrls Club on Friday, February 28. Guests are in for an evening filled with funk, beats and pop, starting with progressive soul band Kadimakara. The Sydney-based trio is all about jazz, soul, funk and alt-rock. Then, hailing from Melbourne, self-proclaimed Queen daddy will bring smooth beats and vocals — and lots of daggy 90s dad vibes. Finally, Triple J Unearthed artist RACKETT will deliver energetic, experimental electro-punk. In between sets, Sad Grrrls Club DJs will keep the vibes going with classic R&B and hip hop tracks, while an outdoor bar and vintage games will keep you hydrated and entertained. The free courtyard gig will run from 6-9pm, when the Seymour Centre's Mardi Gras Festival Club will kick off its final night for 2020, with DJs, pop-up performances and dancing late into the night.
"We shall fight on the beaches," Winston Churchill told British parliament on June 4, 1940, as World War II raged in Dunkirk. "We shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." His impassioned words came at the end of a heated speech, after a heated month of political debate, in the heated early days of the global conflict. Churchill had been Prime Minister of England for mere weeks, and spent that entire time caught up in arguments about the country's response to Hitler. His colleagues wanted to negotiate, but he refused. It certainly seems as though filmmakers have taken Churchill's words to heart over the past 12 months. They won't give up on bringing this tense period to the big screen, whether in movies about Churchill, the Battle of Dunkirk or both. With Their Finest, Lone Scherfig came at it with a light, romantic drama about morale-raising movies. With Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan delivered a stunningly immersive account of war at sea, in the air and on the shore. Australian director Jonathan Teplitzky took a slightly different approach, with intimate biopic Churchill focusing on the lead up to the D-Day landings in 1944. It's not hard to see echoes of the latter film in Joe Wright's Darkest Hour, however, which recreates the cigar-smoking, whiskey-swilling politician's other crucial moment in power. With Gary Oldman in the lead role, Darkest Hour steps through the turbulence that awaited Churchill when he took on the nation's top job in such troubled times. With colleagues Neville Chamberlain (Ronald Pickup) and Lord Halifax (Stephen Dillane) certain that a peace treaty with Nazi Germany is the only way to save Britain from bombing, mass casualties and catastrophe, he has a considerable fight on his hands. The film includes glimpses of the ordeal at Dunkirk, but speeches, rather than bullets, are the main focus. In between verbal scuffles, Churchill seeks support and advice from his wife Clementine (Kristin Scott Thomas), has cautious lunches with King George (Ben Mendelsohn) and initially overwhelms his young secretary (Lily James) with his erratic nature. While both Churchill and Dunkirk are clearly no strangers to cinemas of late, Darkest Hour has one particular weapon all of its own: recent Golden Globe winner Oldman. The veteran actor gives a captivating performance, even coming hot on the heels of Brian Cox's excellent work in Churchill just months ago. Lured out of retirement by Oldman, special-effects makeup artist Kazuhiro Tsuji creates flawless prosthetics; however it's the man beneath them who always commands attention. Rumbling through terse confrontations, showing Churchill's tender side at home and letting his anxieties seep out in brief, quiet moments, Oldman delivers a vibrant and complicated portrayal not only marked by its impressive imitation, but by the immense range on display. The film as a whole doesn't prove quite as consistent. Tackling Dunkirk for the second time following 2007's Atonement, Wright serves up several acutely judged and thoroughly engrossing scenes, as well as an array of inventively composed shots. Frustratingly though, he also wades into moments of easy comedy and unconvincing sentimentality — most egregiously in a sequence where Churchill takes public transport without his minders and receives some down-to-earth wisdom from his constituents. In his defence, the filmmaker is partly trapped by the straightforward script, with The Theory of Everything screenwriter Anthony McCarten checking all of the expected boxes. Thankfully, Darkest Hour can always rely on Oldman, whose performance stands out above the formula. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpKvpSr7p1g
Mungo isn't a lake, but it was one tens of thousands of years ago. And it's still one of the most important places to see in Australia because it's where the oldest human remains were found, being those of Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, who lived at least 40,000 years ago. If you're up for a road trip, take the 70-kilometre Mungo Track. There are also plenty of walking trails, including the ten-kilometre Zanci Pastoral Heritage Loop and a bunch of short strolls to lookouts and significant spots. Images: Destination NSW
It is from a painting that Belle springs, inspired by the study of Dido Elizabeth Belle and her cousin Elizabeth Murray. When the canvas was commissioned in 18th-century England, Dido's placing on equal footing defied convention. Though bonded by blood and brought up in privilege, Dido's heritage as the illegitimate daughter of Admiral Sir John Lindsay and an enslaved African woman coloured her as inferior to her relatives. In bringing the fictionalised story behind this important image to the screen, director Amma Asante and writer Misan Sagay infer the details of their subject's rallying against inequality. Within lushly staged period confines, they tell a tale of a sidelined but never surrendering heroine, blessed with freedom yet intent on navigating discriminatory practices and engrained racism in a time in which slavery was considered crucial to the country's continued economic prosperity. Dido is introduced as a child (Lauren Julien-Box), taken by her father (Matthew Goode) to his uncle, William Murray, Chief Justice and 1st Earl of Mansfield (Tom Wilkinson), upon the death of her mother. William and his wife (Emily Watson) are apprehensive on account of Dido's interracial status but agree to raise her alongside Elizabeth (Cara Jenkins), the other grand-niece in their care. As a young woman on the cusp of adulthood, Dido (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) watches as Elizabeth (Sarah Gadon) navigates the necessary courtship formalities to find a husband, wanting her own romance even when warned of its impossibility. Asante and Sagay set the scene for a Jane Austen-style depiction of social mores and romantic dramas, the restrictions placed upon women of the time and their need to marry to secure their futures on display. Dido's unique standing, immersed in the intricacies but set apart from their necessities, adds a different perspective to the seen-before antics. Her own love triangle with the social-climbing Oliver Ashford (James Norton) and idealistic vicar's son John Davinier (Sam Reid) is couched in her quest for fair treatment. The interweaving of the landmark Zong massacre trial, requiring an assessment of the worth of the enchained by William, adds historical weight. With its protagonist straddling two worlds with uncertainty, and its content endeavouring to combine melodrama and commentary into a cohesive whole, it is unsurprising that the film wavers in balancing its layers of duality. Though competing components are filmed with a handsome eye, assembled in the service of an affecting outcome, and performed with elegance and importance by a talented cast, dissonance lingers. The ideas reach for something more; however, the execution remains handsome yet standard. That discord is a minor trifle in an effort shaded with style and substance – but, for all its striving and success, Belle simply filters politics into a pretty portrait. https://youtube.com/watch?v=OuIwa3a1KVw
The Taste of Coogee Food and Wine Festival has quickly become a prominent weekend on Sydney's culinary calendar. Last year, over 40,000 attendees gathered at Coogee Oval to enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat by the ocean. This year's festival will coincide with the Father's Day weekend, running over two days on September 1 and 2. Across the weekend attendees will savour nosh from a growing list of over 100 contributors, including Mr Bao, Sofrito Paella, Turkish Gözleme, Dust Bakery and Frencheese, the latter who'll be serving up gooey, melted raclette. Beer, wine and spirit tastings will be conducted throughout the festival, too, by the likes of Batch Brewing Co., Yulli's Brews, Peterson Champagne House, Aperol, Pokolbin Cider House and more. There'll also be live entertainment — and entry is only a gold coin donation. Taste of Coogee will run from 10am–8pm on Saturday, September 1 and from 10am–6pm on Sunday, September 2.
Ordering a cocktail on Crown Street at 1am, stopping by a bookshop in the CBD at 4am, or partying and painting at a 24-hour Alexandria cultural precinct are all possibilities in the near future, thanks to the City of Sydney's new late-night trading plan. The plan, which was first proposed by council last November — and has since received feedback from over 60,000 Sydney residents — was unanimously endorsed at a council meeting last night, Monday, May 14. And it means big things for Sydney's late-night economy. As well as the above, the plan allows for 24-hour trading for unlicensed CBD businesses (currently most can trade until 5am), including bookshops, hairdressers and unlicensed eateries. Outside of the CBD, 'low impact' businesses — including bars, restaurants, shops, galleries and cultural institutions — located in areas such as Glebe Point Road, Crown Street, Unions Street and Redfern Street can have their opening hours extended from midnight till 2am. Some live music venues and theatres will also be able to score an extra hour of trading on the nights they have a gig or performance on. In addition to this, the City will establish a brand new 24-hour cultural precinct in a heritage warehouse in the industrial part of Alexandria, on the corner of McEvoy and Wyndham streets. This will house creatives and host exhibitions, parties and gigs, and service the growing population around Alexandria and Green Square. [caption id="attachment_648852" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Leticia Almeida.[/caption] Of course, the City of Sydney can't change the lockout laws — that's the job of the NSW Government — but these changes will allow businesses to gain at least a few more freedoms within the state's restrictions. The city hopes that, with these proposals, it can safeguard Sydney's nightlife culture for the future, whether the lockout laws stay in place or not, "It's time for Sydney to become a 24 hour city and we've now given businesses the opportunity to open around the clock," said Lord Mayor Clover Moore in a statement. "The City of Sydney is doing its part. I hope these changes encourage the NSW Government to reconsider the lockout laws and help Sydney regain its status as one of the world's premier late night destinations." The NSW Government has — surprisingly, with pro-lockout law Premier Gladys Berejiklian in power — recently changed two liquor licences, allowing Chippendale favourite Freda's to trade until 4am and long-standing Petersham pub the Oxford Tavern to play live music till 3am. Both of these venues, however, are outside the lockout zone. While a recent year-long parliamentary inquiry into the state of Sydney's music and nightlife economy found that the industry was in "peril" due to the NSW Government's history of neglect, and lack of funding, hopefully, we're about to see some of this damage (slowly) reversed. Next big steps to its revival would include the State Government winding back, or stepping down ,on the lockouts and introducing other late-night infrastructure, like 24-hour transport on weekends. For now, City of Sydney's new late-night planning rules will no doubt have an impact on Sydney's nighttime economy — but it won't all happen at once. Businesses in the CBD and surrounding villages that would like to extend their opening hours — inline with the plan — will need to have proven good behaviour and submit an application. We'll keep you updated as these start to progress. Businesses in the CBD and surrounding late-night trading areas can apply for extended licences through the City of Sydney. We'll keep you updated with these and the progress of Alexandria's 24-hour cultural precinct. To read more about the plan, head to the website. Top image: Frankie's Pizza by Katje Ford.
Picking something to watch is about to get harder, and Australian viewers are set to get even more spoilt for choice. The list of streaming services available Down Under is already hefty, but there'll be at least 50 more channels to choose from once the end of August hits. The reason: the launch of Pluto TV on our shores, which is coming via Network Ten's 10 Play platform. Up and running in the US for almost a decade, Pluto TV is completely free to watch. The catch: it's a FAST service, aka free ad-supported streaming television. So, just like in the days before anyone had even dreamed up Netflix and the like, or pay TV, you won't pay a cent to watch — but you will have to see commercials. Pluto TV's big drawcard is delivering its smorgasbord of content via channels, rather than just having audiences scroll through hundreds or thousands of shows and movies to decide what to watch. Basically, it replicates the linear TV experience on free-to-air, but via streaming. You'll still need to do some choosing, though, given that there's a lengthy roster of themed channels to choose from. And to watch, you'll be headed to the new Pluto TV area on 10 Play, rather than to a specific standalone service. Paramount, which owns and operates Pluto TV and also Network Ten, hasn't revealed the exact number of channels that'll arrive in Australia from Thursday, August 31 — other than it'll be 50-plus. And, while it also hasn't unveiled the full list of what each will show, it has named some specific options. Fancy only viewing South Park? I Love Lucy? Happy Days? Dynasty? MTV's reality shows? Nickelodeon classics? They'll all have their own channels. Whatever else Pluto TV adds to its Aussie offering — Hawaii Five-O, an MTV channel focused on Shores shows, and Nick Toons have also been announced so far — it'll be drawing from the Los Angeles-based company's partnerships with 400-plus international media outfits. And, it'll be expanding the service in yet another location, with Pluto TV already up in running in more than 35 markets. "These 50 Pluto TV channels represent our first step to engage with Australian audiences and we are happy to mark this milestone by partnering with 10 Play, demonstrating once more the strength of our Paramount ecosystem," said Olivier Jollet, Executive Vice President and International General Manager for Pluto TV. "As pioneers in the FAST industry, we are bringing a new and unique user experience through curated channels dedicated to this market. Our mix of local and international content which matches the needs of our local audiences is what makes Pluto TV so valuable for viewers, clients, and partners across the world," Jollet continued. August is clearly a great month for Nickelodeon fans — Network Ten also just added a free-to-air channel devoted to the brand, the first in Australia outside of pay TV, separate to the upcoming Pluto TV options. Pluto TV's channels will be available via 10 Play from Thursday, August 31.
Your novelty festival gumboots are going to get a big ol' workout this summer. Returning for its fourth year to the banks of the Murray River at Echuca-Moama, Riverboats Music Festival has announced their 2015 lineup — with Sarah Blasko, Dan Sultan and Tex Perkins at the top. One of Australia's most laidback riverside festivals just 2.5 hours from Melbourne, Riverboats is a three-day camping, indulging and dancing affair running February 13–15. Melbourne's Dan Sultan and Sydney's Sarah Blasko headline a super rootsy local lineup: Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses will showcase their new album, legendary Sydneysiders The Whitlams follow up their 2013 sold-out national orchestra tour while unmissable festival favourites The Bamboos are sure to be a Riverboats highlight. Also on the Australian artist-only bill is Adalita, Mick Harvey, Diesel, Fraser A Gorman, Matt Walker and The Lost Ragas, Sal Kimber and The Rollin' Wheel, Stella Angelico and The Switch and Raised by Eagles. Snuggled within the natural amphitheatre of Echuca's Aquatic Reserve, Riverboats is one of the Murray River's most anticipated music festivals. Festival producer David Frazer sees the event as a more chilled-out alternative for festival enthusiasts and hardcore foodies alike. "Riverboats provides festival-goers with an opportunity to experience a truly beautiful part of Australia without the queues, ticket prices and hassle of larger events," he says. "We are particularly proud of the fact Riverboats has remained boutique in both its size and philosophy, yet continues to attracts artists of the calibre of Dan Sultan, Sarah Blasko, Tex Perkins and the Whitlams." Riverboats isn't contained to the river bank; there's also a bunch of side quests you can buy tickets for alongside the main festival. If you're keen to get entirely thematic with the festival's name, punters can hop on a two-hour river cruise aboard a century-old paddle steamer — with locally-sourced brunch and live music from Sal Kimber and The Rollin' Wheel. One of the best (and tastiest) bits of Riverboats will also return for another year: the Beechworth Bakery will host Sunday's Official Festival Breakfast on the top floor of their bakery with a live set from alt-country Melburnians Raised by Eagles. Break out the picnic rugs and cheese platters, Riverboats is a solid summer option for punters wanting the camping music festival experience without the drunken drongos. RIVERBOATS MUSIC FESTIVAL 2015 DATES AND LINEUP: FRIDAY 13 FEBRUARY Raised by Eagles Stella Angelico and The Switch Diesel SATURDAY 14 FEBRUARY Fraser A. Gorman Mick Harvey The Whitlams Adalita The Bamboos Dan Sultan SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY Sal Kimber and The Rollin’ Wheel Matt Walker and The Lost Ragas Tex Perkins and The Dark Horses Sarah Blasko Riverboats Music Festival runs February 13 - 15 at Echuca-Moama on the Murray River. Tickets are on sale now from the festival website or call the Echuca-Moama Visitor Information Centre on 1800 804 446. Images: Riverboat Music Festival.
When June rolls around this year, Sydney's State Theatre won't be filled with cinephiles. Event Cinemas George Street won't welcome eager movie buffs either, and nor will other picture palaces around the city. Usually, they'd be teeming with Sydney Film Festival attendees; however the fest cancelled its 2020 physical event back in March, when COVID-19 restrictions started coming in. To the delight of film fans, however, SFF is moving online instead. After announcing the digital festival earlier this month, SFF has now revealed its first-ever all-online lineup, in what promises to be a once-off pandemic-only affair. If you're fond of film fests and you live somewhere other than Sydney, you'll be pleased to know that the 67th Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition is also streaming nationally, too. While SFF won't be showing hundreds of movies like it normally does, it has still compiled an interesting and engaging roster of flicks — specifically focusing on features by female filmmakers from Europe, Australian documentaries and an array of short films. Moving SFF's regular Europe! Voices of Women in Film program strand online, the digital fest will screen ten new movies by women directors from countries such as Germany, Finland, Switzerland, Sweden, Poland and Ireland. Highlights include Sea Fever, a tense and rather fitting sci-fi thriller that tracks a contagion on a fishing trawler; Force of Habit, an anthology film exploring women's everyday experiences; and Charter, following a mother's actions during a fraught custody battle — as well as documentary A Year Full of Drama, which charts a small-town competition winner who is enlisted to review every theatre production in Estonia in 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJxW46F0YQ From the Aussie doco selection, ten films will compete for Documentary Australia Foundation Award for Best Australian Documentary, with the annual SFF prize being presented via a virtual awards ceremony this year. Among the contenders, Morgana follows a middle-aged housewife's decision to start starring in her own sex- and age-positive erotic films, while Descent focuses on one of the world's only professional ice free-divers. There's also The Weather Diaries, which sees filmmaker Kathy Drayton charts the effects of climate change on her daughter, musician Lupa J, as she grows up over six years, plus A Hundred Years of Happiness, about a young Vietnamese woman forced to choose between staying in her rural home to care for her parents and moving to South Korea to get married. SFF's shorts range spans another 13 titles, including ten vying for the Dendy Awards for Australian Short Films. Three others specifically hail from screen practitioners with disability as part of the fest's returning Screenability strand. Available to watch for the fest's entire duration, all of the above films are ticketed, starting at $5 for the Screenability shorts package, then costing $14 for a single movie. You can watch everything in either the Documentary Australia Foundation or Europe! Voices of Women in Film package for $99, too, or view the entire lineup — shorts and feature-length flicks — for $199. SFF's virtual program also includes two free components, should you be interested in looking back on previous fest highlights. The festival is one of 20 worldwide events taking part in We Are One: A Global Film Festival, which screens on YouTube from Friday, May 29–Sunday, June 7. As part of the online fest, it's showing Aussie films Mystery Road and Mabo, which you can view at set times without paying a cent. Or, Aussie movie lovers can binge their way through the 40-film Sydney Film Festival Selects collection on SBS On Demand, available from Wednesday, June 10–Friday, July 10. It's a best-of lineup featuring plenty of top titles from previous SFFs, so get ready to revisit Studio Ghibli co-production The Red Turtle, Taika Waititi's Boy, the Greta Gerwig-starring Frances Ha, Aussie comedy That's Not Me and New Zealand's The Breaker Upperers. You can also feast your eyes on Palme d'Or winner The Square, Scandi thriller The Guilty, Turkish drama Mustang and Xavier Dolan's Heartbeats, among other films. The 67th Sydney Film Festival: Virtual Edition runs from Wednesday, June 10–Sunday, June 21. For further details — or to purchase tickets and view the festival's programmed films during the above dates — visit the SFF website. Top image: Sea Fever.
Today, Tuesday, February 22, 2022, the twos clearly have it — on your calendar and, thanks to Jetstar, in your wallet as well. To celebrate 22.02.2022 like only a low-cost airline would, the Australian carrier has dropped 22,000 $22 flights. You shouldn't need to be told twice that that's a bargain. The Twosday sale is a one-day-only affair, running until 11.59pm AEDT today — so, obviously, getting in quick is a must. In fact, by the time you're reading this, you might find a number of routes already sold out. Thankfully, Jetstar is slinging cheap tickets across a hefty range of flights, so you you should find a cheap holiday option on offer. Destinations include everywhere from Cairns and Hamilton Island to Hobart and Uluru, depending where you're departing from. You can head from Sydney to Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne to Hamilton Island and Launceston, and Brisbane to Mackay and Adelaide, for instance. Other spots covered span Townsville, Byron Bay, the Gold Coast and Darwin. And if this is the inspiration you need for a weekend somewhere you wouldn't have planned a getaway to otherwise, consider that a bonus. Tickets in the sale are for trips this coming spring, between various dates in October and November, with exact days varying in each region. And there are a few caveats, as is always the case. The discounted flights are one way, and they don't include checked baggage — so you'll need to travel super light, or pay extra to take a suitcase. Jetstar's Twosday sale runs until 11.59pm AEDT on Tuesday, February 22, or until sold out.
Double Bay is on its way to becoming one of Sydney's most talked about new precincts. Following the announcement of the revamped, reopened InterContinental Sydney Double Bay and Shaun Presland's subsequent new Sake chapter, there's a brand new eatery on the Double Bay planner that's sure to take the whole Gatsby thing next level. Shiny new hospitality company The Group — the teaming up of The Island operators Adam Abrams and Julian Tobias with The Lobo Plantation's Eddie Levy and Michael Hwang — will draw from the formidable foursome's 15+ years of running kickass Sydney venues to open a yet-to-be-named new bar and restaurant at the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay. Think Australia's first and only floating beach club meets Cuban colonial elegance — or more likely something entirely different and equally novelty. "As Eastern Suburbs locals, we're excited to be bringing a new restaurant to the area. We can't wait to share the new restaurant with our families and friends, the local community, and business professionals visiting Double Bay," said Adam Abrams from The Group. "We are often asked by friends and family for restaurant recommendations in the Eastern Suburbs, and soon we will be able to point them to our own restaurant, which is very exciting." Details of the revamped Ritz Carlton, set to reopen as the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay in November, are trickling through month by month. This new eatery is just the second offering to be confirmed by the luxury hotel, following Sake's July reveal. The ground floor precinct will also see a wellness centre and 24-hour gym open to both guests and locals, while the hotel's rooftop pool and restaurant/bar set-up is sure to be worth the room price with executive chef Julien Pouteau behind the wheel. "We are very excited to be bringing a collection of high-end dining and retail experiences into the iconic building, creating an exciting hub of food and entertainment and adding to the revitalisation of picturesque Double Bay village," said Peter Wilding, managing director of Royal Hotels Australia. The Island and The Lobo Plantation's new bar and restaurant will coincide with the grand opening of the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay in November. Find out more about Double Bay's newest and swankiest hotel over here.
It's getting hard to remember a time in Sydney when Carriageworks was just a railyard and not the cool and cutting-edge arts powerhouse of today. The venue was in the spotlight this year when it hosted Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia and the Sydney Contemporary art fair, the latter of which saw it bust open a new wing, doubling the existing physical space to an intimidating 12,000 square metres. Attendance is up four-fold since 2011, and now you can start tallying up the number of times you'll be visiting in 2014 (answer: many, so many), since next year's program has just been announced. "In 2014, Carriageworks unveils an artistic program that is ambitious, risk taking, and above all is artist-led and unrelenting in its support of artists," says Carriageworks director Lisa Havilah. "We remain committed to delivering distinctive, high-quality urban cultural experiences to our audiences." Carriageworks opens the year with the Sydney Festival in January, for which its hosting Christian Boltanski's Chance. Taking up the public space last year filled by Waste Not, Chance is a work of a similar scale. To walk through it is to reflect on the thin barrier between life and death, and it also gives you a chance to win a prize. The epic art continues in March, when Carriageworks become a Biennale of Sydney major venue partner for the first time, hosting multimedia works by the likes of Tacita Dean. Later in the year, the space also hosts Taiwanese-American artist Tehching Hsieh's durational performance art work Time Clock Piece, for which the artist punched a time clock in his studio on the hour, every hour for one whole year. It sounds like the worst Julie & Julia-esque blog project ever, but as art, it's been hugely acclaimed. MBFWA returns to make fabulous use of the industrial Carriageworks caverns from April 7-11, showcasing the latest collections from the Asia-Pacific's finest designers. This year, one fashion house is going especially arty, with Romance Was Born presenting a special exhibition. Working with multidisciplinary artist Rebecca Baumann, they'll be exploring their bold and unmistakable wonderlands beyond the textile. Other major events to make landfall at Carriageworks are design talkfest Semi-Permanent and a new creative summit called REMIX, which sounds positively Vivid-esque. The event is global, however, and set to be held in five "creative hubs" worldwide in 2014 — London, New York, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Sydney. Prefer to do your thinking over a bottle of red? Sustainable food and wine festival Rootstock is happening at the venue in February. Eclectic performances — especially those that may fall in the gaps between traditional venues — are at the heart of Carriageworks, and there's plenty on throughout 2014. Ganesh Versus the Third Reich is making its Sydney debut after winning the Helpmann Award for Best Play last year, and the local Ever After Theatre Company are producing an uber-relevant work called Social Network Stories to premiere at the venue. A new wave of opera comes via Sydney Chamber Opera, composer Michael Smetanin and writer Alison Croggon, whose Mayakovsky redeems Stalin's favourite poet. Dance-inflected works are many and exciting, including Lemi Ponifasio's spiritual and ceremonial Stones in Her Mouth, French contemporary dancers Compagnie Didier Theron in their first visit to Australia and a new solo piece by Byron Perry that is performed within a real, large-scale camera obscura. An intriguing hybrid work is Rizzy Maharajah's 18th Birthday Party, a live concert and film experience by Carriageworks' inaugural associate artist, S. Shakthidharan. To see the full program and get more information, check out the Carriageworks website. https://youtube.com/watch?v=VKndizmSGI4
If you're a dog person, being surrounded by wagging tails and beaming pooch faces is one of the happiest feelings in the world. Here's another: doing your part to assist animals in need. Each year — a pandemic hiatus aside — the RSPCA's Million Paws Walk combines the two, asking Sydneysiders and their puppers to go for a stroll to help raise funds for an obviously extremely worth cause. Come Sunday, May 28, this endorphin-sparking mosey returns for 2023, taking over Cathy Freeman Park within Sydney Olympic Park. Whether you're keen to dress up for the occasion — in a matching outfit to your four-legged bestie, of course — or just pop on your sneakers and usual workout attire, you can choose between a two- and four-kilometre walk from 10am. Entry costs $30 for adults and $15 for concessions, with the money raised going towards RSPCA NSW's work rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals. In addition to the exercise, you and Rover can browse a heap stalls afterwards, and enter raffles, shop for RSPCA merch, listen to live tunes and score prizes. There's also dog washing, doggy drinks and puppycinnos, and pupper photography. Can't make it to Sydney Olympic Park? Check out the full list of venues around NSW. Images: Call of the Wild Pet Photography.
There are a staggering array of activities you can do at Strike Bowling Bar these days, aside from the company's namesake attraction. Sure, you can throw a heavy ball down an alley, over and over again — highly recommended if it's your birthday and you're turning ten. You can sing Christmas Karoleoke, a great way to meet like-minded individuals that also find this kind of behaviour acceptable. Or, you can be locked up in a murderer's dungeon with 50 minutes to make an escape. Way to up the ante, Strike. Escapism is an interactive real life game where you and your team need to find hidden objects and solve riddles to escape a locked room. There are three puzzle rooms to choose from: The Garden, Butcher’s Burrow and Forensic, depending on your age, interest and perceived skill level. Our team signs up for Butcher’s Burrow (difficulty 8) because we consider ourselves a pretty bright bunch, an assessment which later proves incorrect. Another Concrete Playground team went for Forensic — a Se7en-meets-Zodiac style of investigator set-up, where you're trying to identify a serial killer before they find you. Pitched at difficulty 9, if you're good at code-breaking you'll love this one; logic and ability with numbers will be your best allies. But we signed up for the Saw-like scenario, of course. Let's set the scene: For Butcher's Barrow, "You’ve been kidnapped and chained up. You can smell the fear in the room. How did this happen? Why did you end up here? There’s a severed hand on a plate. You might be next. Now is not the time to be afraid. Now is the time to make your escape." I’m personally feeling quite confident, I've broken into my house without keys a number of times, so I’ve got this guys. Before we go in, we're frisked with a metal detector and our mobile phones are confiscated and locked away in a box. We're then blindfolded and led to our creepy prison. When the blindfold is removed it’s still dark, we’re alone, there’s blood on the walls and the sound of our evil captor who's just next door. An intense 49 minutes later (we wouldn't spoil the whole thing would we?) and we're on the final puzzle, trying to figure out the passcode to unlock the door, secure our freedom and save our dignity. We fail our challenge; in fact we're told that 80 percent of teams fail, which is kind of consoling. Kind of. What happens if you don’t make it? Our creepy captor, who is also a Strike staff member, does decide to let us go after all — and we get to keep all our limbs too. He's also nice enough to let us know where we went wrong. That final clue! It was right in front of us! You’ll kill yourself for missing it. Choose your escape scenario: The Garden (Difficulty 7, players 2 - 8) Butcher’s Burrow (Difficulty 8, players 2-6) Forensic (Difficulty 9, players 2-6)
Ladies, prepare to spend 5 glorious kilometres running through mud, being shot at by foam cannons, getting coated in colour and conquering obstacles at Miss Muddy. Since launching in March 2014, the female-only event has happened ten times. And on Saturday, September 26, its 11th incarnation is heading for Penrith Regatta Centre. Six thousand or so participants are expected. Miss Muddy's goal is to bring you a fun, fun, fun, judgement-free day out, while raising money for charity. To enter, you simply need to register online and then turn up on the day, ready to run, crawl, slip and slide your way to the finish line. The event is not about winning or proving your physical prowess, but about doing something different, getting active and catching up with friends, without giving a damn what anyone else thinks. While you're at it, you're encouraged to use the opportunity to raise money for a charity of your own choosing. "The Miss Muddy obstacle event attracts a wide variety of women from a wide range of fitness levels. We even have participants who are wheelchair bound and blind participating in the event, which is great to see," said Miss Muddy owner Adam McDonald.
The floristry team at Avalon Floral Art are local favourites, having been providing artistic arrangements for 20 years. It's worth giving the store's Instagram a follow for up-to-the-minute inspiration to help you decide what bunch you'll be after when you arrive. On offer are fresh posies, roses and native blooms from the Sydney Flower Markets and other local suppliers. You can also pick up a lovely new house plant like a peace lily or bromeliad — NASA has proven these help air quality, so it's not only good for your home but also your health. The store's Floral Art Club is free to join, and gives you discounts, floral advice and (very helpful) reminders, so you will never miss a birthday or anniversary again.
Fans of photography have the whole summer to scuttle into Joy Before the Object, a display of works spanning 150 years from 23 different artists at the Art Gallery of NSW. The gallery's own photography curators have selected their pick of the most arresting, interesting images in the collection from both Australian and international photographers. From what the photographer initially intends to say about the world through the captured object, through to its final transformation in the eyes of the viewer receiving the finished product, Joy Before the Object proposes to question the objectivity of the medium of photography itself. In what sounds like an exhibition full of contrast, you’ll be able to peruse artists ranging from Roger Fenton, founder of what is now the Royal Photographic Society and one of the world’s first war photographers, to Weimar-era German photographer Albert Renger-Patzsch, from whose writings the exhibition takes its title, to contemporary Australian photographers Emma White and Catherine Rogers. Drop by on Wednesdays at 5.30pm to hear talks from featured artists. View the full talks program here. Image: Catherine Rogers Cups (2007) from the series The culture of the table
The Kings Cross Hotel is about to be transformed into an immersive wonderland as part of this year's Vivid Sydney festival. As part of the truly epic Vivid Music program (which includes the world premiere of Björk's digital project), the hotel will be in full swing with a slew of live music, theatre and cabaret throughout the three weeks of the festival from May 27 until June 18. On Friday and Saturday evenings, some of Sydney's cabaret pros will be setting up shop in the Hotel's plush Red Room as part of Avant-Cabaret. Grab yourself an opulent cocktail and see some of Sydney's best take the stage, from burlesque beauties Zsa Zsa La Fine and Betty Grumble, award-winning Aussie cabaret star Tom Sharah, David Bowie Unzipped's Jeff Duff, the inimitable, unmissable and highly glittery Matt Format, tale spinners Mikelangelo & The Black Sea Gentlemen, King of Dance Moves Brendan Maclean and more. [competition]575107[/competition]
A New Year's Day tradition, Field Day is returning to The Domain to kick off 2023 and it's bringing an absolute slam-dunk of a lineup with it. Following an all-Australian program in 2022, the summer festival has enlisted some international heavy-hitters for its first full-strength lineup since the start of the pandemic. The festival will bring together a far-reaching mix of pop, hip-hop and just about all corners of the electronic music sphere, starting with Diplo, Denzel Curry, Kaytranada, Aitch and Dom Dolla atop the bill. On the dance-focused side of the lineup you'll also find Honey Dijon, Partiboi69, Charlotte De Witte, Holy Goof, SG Lewis, Patrick Topping and Bicep who will be performing their live show. Curry and Aitch will be joined by a host of fellow rappers including Shygirl, Tkay Maidza, JK-47, A.Girl and online sensations Yung Lean and Yeat. [caption id="attachment_864623" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Yeat[/caption] Also on the lineup: Benee, Remi Wolf, Cloonee, JNR Choi, Ninajirachi, Jennifer Loveless and teenage duo Glaive and Ericdoa on their first trip Down Under following a meteoric rise over the last three years. Over the years, Field Day has hosted the likes of Calvin Harris, Tyler, the Creator, Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino and Disclosure. In 2022, the local lineup included appearances from Peking Duk, Hayden James, Hot Dub Time Machine and Mallrat. Tickets always prove popular for the January 1 festival, with registrations for pre-sale — which kicks off at midday on Wednesday, August 17 — open now. [caption id="attachment_864398" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Denzel Curry[/caption] FIELD DAY 2023 LINEUP Aitch Benee Bicep (Live) Charlotte De Witte Cloonee Denzel Curry Diplo Dom Dolla Glaive & EricDOA Holy Good Honey Djon JNR Choi Kanine Kaytranada Partiboi69 Patrick Topping Pretty Girl Remi Wolf SG LEwis Shygirl Sofia Kourtesis Tkay Maidza YEat Yung Lean A Little Sound A. Girl Jennifer Loveless JK-47 Ninakirachi Waxlily Field Day will hit The Domain on Sunday, January 1, 2023. Pre-sale registrations are available until 7pm on Tuesday, August 16, with pre-sale tickets on offer from midday on Wednesday, August 17. Top image: Mitch Lowe.
Calling all architecture aficionados and design devotees — if you secretly nerd out on blueprints, buildings and basically all things construction, then you'll want to check out Sydney Open. Presented by Sydney Living Museums, this annual architecture event is set to spill out across suburbs from the harbour to Parramatta River on the first weekend in November. Take your pick from over 35 expert-led Focus Tours ($30–60), starting from 9am on Saturday, November 5. Discover the secrets and stories of over 50 of the most iconic spaces across both the CBD and Greater Sydney — including for the first time, Parramatta. Or, grab a City Pass (from $39) for Sunday, November 6. This multi-venue ticket gives you access to explore more than 25 buildings across the CBD at your own pace. Go contemporary and check out Quay Quarter Tower and 50 Martin Place, or lose yourself in the history and heritage of Government House and the Anzac Memorial. As a bonus, book your City Pass by Thursday, October 20 for the chance to win a Golden Ticket that'll unlock a range of exclusive experiences — including a luxurious night's stay and dinner at the Kimpton Margot Sydney. Sydney Open hits the city on Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6. For more information and to book your tickets head to the website.
In Time offers up one of the most fascinating and original movie premises in recent memory: It chronicles a future in which human beings no longer mature physically beyond the age of 25 years, their bodies forever frozen in time while their minds continue to develop. The promise of eternal youth, however, is far from assured, since the moment you come of age your life is governed by time, marked for death, as it were, by a glowing, neon-green countdown tattooed onto your forearm. Time has, quite literally, become the new currency of this future: it's earned, spent, stolen, donated or — for the lucky few — inherited. Those with bountiful stores effectively become immortal, while the poor simply hope to survive from one day to the next. If you're thinking it all sounds like a brutally inequitable system ripe for an Occupy Time Street kind of uprising, then you've cleverly spotted the subtle message director Andrew Niccol has attempted to slam into your brain with a sledgehammer. As far as Niccol's concerned: the financial system (sorry, time system) is unfair and in need of an overhaul. The majority of people, let's call them 'the 99%', have next to nothing, while the wealthy have more than they could ever need. It's all so cruel and unnecessary. Somebody really should do something — isn't that right, actor Justin Timberlake? Arise our hero: factory worker and all-round nice guy Will Salas (Timberlake). When fate drops a century of time into his otherwise empty hands, Salas seizes upon the opportunity to escape the desperation of the ghettos and live the high life amongst the time-wealthy elite of New Greenwich — an exclusive district separated by numerous 'time zones' for which the toll to cross is more time than the poor could ever afford. Once there he quickly catches the eye of epoch-heiress Sylvia Weis (Amanda Seyfried) and all seems well until 'Timekeeper' police officers (led by Cillian Murphy) spoil the show and take Salas into custody under the misapprehension he stole the time that was gifted him. From that moment forth In Time feels like one long, extended chase sequence separated by awkward flirting as Will and Sylvia embark upon a Bonnie and Clyde-meets-Robin Hood crime spree to redistribute the wealth to the people. The heavy-handed nature of both plot and script comes as a huge surprise to fans of Niccol, whose previous works, like Gattaca and S1mOne, were subtle and captivating philosophical musings on the increasing role science plays in our lives. Perhaps most frustrating of all is the manner by which In Time consistently glosses over or even entirely ignores the more fascinating elements of the world it's created. Who discovered the means by which humans could cheat death? Why was everyone subjected to it and why on Earth did they think neon-green digits glowing unceasingly in our arms would be anything short of maddening? The film, of course, is not without its redeeming features. The concept alone makes it almost worthwhile, and Niccol teases us with some wonderfully poignant moments, compelling characters and unsettling abstractions. https://youtube.com/watch?v=fdadZ_KrZVw
Are you a seasoned boatie who's happiest when the anchor's aweigh? Did you binge Below Deck and discover a thirst for the superyacht lifestyle? Or, do you just enjoy the finer things in life? Well, The Harbour Lounge at this year's Sydney International Boat Show is the event to add to your calendar, stat. The locale: a private VIP precinct aboard 60-metre superyacht The Jackson. The sips: bubbles at the Mumm Sparkling Bar, flights of Penfolds' best and cocktails laced with locally crafted spirits. To eat: Bites from the premium all-day grazing menu. Indulge in it all with your $399 ticket. How you enjoy the onboard experience is up to you. Lean in to the aquatic life and remain afloat, enjoying your vantage of Cockle Bay's luxe lineup of superyachts (some of which are making their international debut). Or, come and go as you explore the wider show — up your know-how at demos, check out the latest gear and enjoy live entertainment. It's time to grab your pool of pals for a lush day on the water, or invite your nicest clients and set your corporate catch-ups afloat. The Harbour Lounge moors in Darling Harbour from Thursday, July 18 till Sunday, July 31. Head to the website to book your ticket.
Last month, when the NSW Government announced that the South East Light Rail would be up and running by the end of the year, many a Sydneysider scoffed in disbelief. The CBD's The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room was among the most cynical — owner Fraser Short was so sure that the eternal construction that's been happening outside his George Street venue would continue into the new year, that he promised to throw a party if it was completed on time. And, in case you missed it, the long-awaited light rail route officially opened to the public this past weekend. So, keeping good on its promise, The Morrison is throwing a one big — and free — party on Tuesday, January 21. From 5pm, you'll be able to get a few drinks, snacks and, of course, the venue's famed oysters — all be on the house. You just have to RSVP here. [caption id="attachment_749345" align="alignnone" width="1920"] The light rail on George Street.[/caption] To summarise the saga that is the CBD and South East Light Rail project: it was first announced back in 2012, construction began in 2015 and, since then, it's faced legal stouches, cost blowouts (to almost $3 billion) and delays galore, due to everything from awry overhead wires and a discovery of thousands of Indigenous artefacts. Its prolonged construction has massively impacted businesses in the CBD, Surry Hills and Kensington — The Morrison is one of many businesses that have brought a class action against the State Government seeking compensation for loss of revenue. If you're heading to the party, maybe you can jump on the light rail — it will take you straight to The Morrison's door.
While more of us are working from home and practising social distancing, it makes sense that we're increasingly wanting a furry, four-legged friend by our sides. We understand your yearning for a new adorable pet, and so does the RSPCA. And, to find permanent homes for pups, cats, bunnies and guinea pigs surrendered into its care, it's calling out to the community to help look after its many animal during this tough time. So, if you've been thinking about adding a pet to your fam (and have considered it thoroughly), now might just be the time. Although shelters and care centres across NSW closed to public walk-ins from April 2, as a result of current federal and state restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19, that doesn't mean you can't adopt. Instead, RSPCA has launched 'Adopt from Home', where the entire adoption process is conducted over the phone or video call and, once approved, your new pet is transported to your house for a (socially distanced) meet-and-greet. Rest assured, too, that the usual procedures and standards still apply, so every animal will end up in a happy new forever home. Last year, the RSPCA found new homes for 2654 pets Australia-wide. Over the past couple of weeks alone, RSPCA NSW shelters and Petbarn adoption centres have seen more than 500 animals adopted across the state, which is a 28 percent increase compared to this time last year. In a statement, RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman said, "As this pandemic escalates, we are asking for your help to find forever homes for the animals in our care." To welcome in a new family member, you must fill out this form, then a RSPCA NSW will be in touch to arrange a time for the process to take place via phone or video call. Due to the new process, you'll also have to purchase a carry box, lead or car harness, too, so your pet can make it to you safely. According to the RSPCA, at present there is no evidence that you can contract COVID-19 from a companion animal. If you're thinking about adopting, you can check out all the good boys, kittens, bunnies and birds looking for new homes in NSW. For details about adopting animals, head to the RSPCA NSW website. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
Fancy yourself an editor? Don't let the insular hiring practices of big media stop you. Have a go at creating your own zine at the MCA Zine Fair, which is now in its sixth year. Apart from attending DYI workshops, zine aficionados will have the chance to browse and buy an array of zine classics. There'll also be a 'show and tell session' conducted by MCA curator Glenn Barkley, who's something of a zine expert. The MCA Zine Fair is on as part of the Sydney Writers' Festival. Find more gems in our round-up of the ten best things to do at the Sydney Writers' Festival.
Truffle season is nearly upon us and Sydney's top eateries are reminding us why every dish should have (at least) a touch of this luxe ingredient. From truffle-topped pasta and waffle fries to truffle-infused dumplings and gelato, you can find this decadent fungus all over the city this winter. There's even a few venues going all out with truffle degustation dinners, too. With so many tasty options to choose from, we've narrowed down the list to set your truffle priorities straight. Sweet or savoury, you won't be disappointed with these six dishes — they'll make you forget all about that winter chill. TRUFFLE EGG SANDO, DEVON CAFE At its locations in Surry Hills, Barangaroo and North Sydney, Devon Cafe is serving up a dedicated truffle menu this season. While the exact dishes vary from place to place, one item that caught the attention of our taste buds is the truffle egg sando ($20). Combining fluffy white bread, omelette, mushroom pâté and shaved truffle, this is a tasty a twist on a Japanese classic. It'll be available at both Barangaroo and North Sydney shops from June 2 through to the end of August. If you're keen on something sweet to end the meal, try the cafe's truffle sundae ($23) — truffle-infused soft serve, honey and sea salt, served in a waffle cone or cup and topped with frosted corn flakes and more fresh truffle. TRUFFLE AND FOIE GRAS GELATO, GELATO MESSINA HQ July is the perfect time to check out Gelato Messina's Creative Department — the gelato fiend is adding truffles to all of its dishes for a ten-day series of eight-course gelato degustation dinners. Head chef Remi Talbot has sourced elite perigord black truffles from nearby Parkesbourne Produce farm. Expect brioche and foie gras gelato with black truffle sauce; pistachio and black truffle gelato with matcha and white chocolate fudge; and grilled kumquat sorbet with koji cream, wattleseed and black truffle. Paired with each is an equally creative non-alcoholic drink, like the lemon myrtle and macadamia bubble tea, or the pineapple, white soy and shiitake sparkling. The degustation will only be available in Sydney from July 4–13 and tickets are $160 per person. These dinners are known to sell out remarkably quickly — with only eight seats per night — so grab yours here. BLACK TRUFFLE XIAO LONG BAO, NEW SHANGHAI New Shanghai is celebrating all things truffle across its Westfield Sydney, Chatswood and Ashfield venues with a dedicated menu of Chinese favourites — all given a truffle twist, of course. We're most excited to try the black truffle xiao long bao ($12.9 for four), which arrive in jet black dumpling wrappers. Think of that soup dumpling taste you know and love, then taken to the next level with that distinct truffle flavour. Other special menu items on the list include truffle and mushroom wonton soup ($14.9), black truffle pot stickers ($16.9 for five) and truffle fried rice $19.9). We reckon you should aim for truffle overload and order the lot. It's available from the start of June until the end of truffle season. FOUR-COURSE TRUFFLE FEAST, FRATELLI FRESH This winter, Fratelli Fresh will showcase the decadent fungus with a series of four-course truffle feasts. The tasting menu will cost you a pretty reasonable $69 per person and includes the likes of truffled potato veloute, ricotta agnolotti in a truffle butter and parmesan sauce and wagyu rump with truffle mash and braised leeks. Finish off with a particularly tasty sounding truffle-infused tiramisu. The truffle-fueled dinner will hit Fratelli Fresh Bridge Street on June 17, Westfield on June 18, Crows Nest on June 19 and Alexandria on June 20, starting at 6.30pm each night. To book, head here. [caption id="attachment_723666" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kimberley Low[/caption] TRUFFLE WAFFLE FRIES, THREE WILLIAMS One signature truffle dish that can be found throughout eateries this season is truffle fries. And Three Williams is putting its own spin on the popular menu item, using waffle fries as the base and topping them with a gooey three-cheese sauce, fresh truffle and chives ($22). It's part of the Redfern cafe's dedicated truffle menu, which also features truffle peking duck with angel hair pasta in a ginger-infused cream sauce ($38), truffle mac and cheese-stuffed croissant with jamon and poached egg ($35) and an especially decadent brioche french toast with truffle ice cream, gold feuilletine and chocolate brownie ($29). The new menu will launch on Saturday, June 1. [caption id="attachment_723663" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Nikki To[/caption] TRUFFLE-TOPPED HAM HOCK CARBONARA, OTTO SYDNEY Returning for its second year, Otto Sydney will again offer a special truffle service throughout the winter season. This means guests can add freshly shaved truffle to any dish on the menu. The kitchen staff will finish off your dish tableside— or, if you're really lucky, head chef Richard Ptacnik will come out himself to adorn your dish with truffle. Pictured above is the ham hock carbonara, lovingly topped with big ole' shaving of this delectable stuff. But you don't have to stop there. Truffle-topped beef tartare with horseradish and capers? Yum. Potato gnocchi with braised lamb shoulder and shaved truffle? Done. A non-traditional seared scallops with this black fungus? Go for it. The restaurant is expecting to start offering truffles mid-June and price will depend on the market. Last year, truffle service was $25 for five whole grams of the stuff. Top images: Truffle sundae, Devon; Truffle french toast and pasta, Three Williams by Kimberley Low.
New York, the 1960s. Sister Aloysius is a hard-bitten nun and principal of the St. Nicholas Church school. When she suspects Father Flynn, the parish priest of abusing a student, her pursuit of the truth is fearsome and unflinching. Flynn protests his innocence, but Aloysius is a scalpel in search of a jugular. As she tightens her grip, she begins to question not only her beliefs, but the institution she's served her whole life. Best known as a film adaptation starring Meryl Streep and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, John Patrick Shanley's Catholic paranoia party Doubt took the 2005 Pullitzer Prize for Drama as well as a Tony Award for Best Play. Shanley's script is precise and cold, the scenes brisk as the Bronx winter setting. This is a text steeped in bitterness and suspicion — the characters twisted and the ground frozen. Think on your sins before booking for this one. Image: John Marmaras.
It wouldn't be Good Food Month without the Night Noodle Markets — and it wouldn't be a Sydney food event without Gelato Messina. It should come as no surprise that the latter is popping up at the former, or that they've whipped up a few mouth-watering new menu items for the occasion. Commence drooling. Astutely taking inspiration from Asian cuisine, the dessert geniuses aren't holding back when it comes to tempting tastebuds across the 18-day event. And yes, you'll have to head to Hyde Park for these exclusive offerings; however given that everything from deep-fried gelato to caramelised puff pastry is involved, we're sure that won't be a problem. As far as quick-dipping cold, creamy confectionery is concerned, Messina is serving up a couple of dishes, so prepare to be spoiled for choice. Turron Not takes deep-fried banana and brown sugar gelato, wraps it in filo pastry and adds ube cream, kalamansi puree and coconut crunch. And then there's the smartly named Fryer and Ice, which features deep-fried caramel and coconut gelato, mango pudding and drizzled passionfruit caramel. Enjoying a different interpretation of an ice cream favourite is also an option, thanks to Only On Sundaes' concoction of salted coconut sorbet, black stick rice, lychee tapioca, caramelised puff pastry, lemon grass and white choc ganache. Plus, those after some good ol' gelato in an edible vessel — aka swirls of milk chocolate and green tea gelato, covered in white chocolate and pistachio crunch, and served in a green tea waffle cone — will want to want to try the Matcha Do About Nothing (and make a big fuss). Sounds delicious, doesn't it? When Messina is involved, of course it does. Fans after a more substantial dose of dessert goodness should also note that the gelato gods have just released tickets to this month's Creative Department Experience. It's going to be a sweet October. The Night Noodle Markets run from October 6 to 23 in Hyde Park as part of Good Food Month. Check out our ten tastiest events you can still get tickets to.
Spice Alley is set to expand its offering next week when Japanese diner Kyo-to joins Kensington Street's Southeast Asian foodie laneway. To celebrate the new stall's launch, head chef Jason Chan (Queen Chow, Papi Chulo and Felix) will be slinging his signature chicken katsu sandos for just $1 a pop. Or $5, if you pair it with a bottle of Asahi. The cheap eats are on offer November 26–28 from 5–7pm. The mini double-decker sando is piled high with crumbed chicken, shredded cabbage and Japanese mustard greens, all on a Hokkaido milk bun. As well as Asahi, surprise cocktail deals will be on offer on the Wednesday — with DJ Charlie Villas on the tunes, too. The wider rotating menu at Kyo-to will feature a range of ramen, including tonkatsu, truffle and charred duck varieties, as well as ramen noodles in XO sauce with pork belly, and a honeybug, scallop and roasted garlic ramen. You can also expect yakitori, karaage chicken and a range of dons and udons, such as clam udon noodles in kombu butter. The $1 katsu sando is on offer to the first 100 people each night and limited to one per person, so get in early or miss out.
I will admit to not knowing any astronauts or showjumpers or firemen, or even any cops for that matter, but I have met my share of ballerinas and marine biologists, and also this one thoroughly demoralising dude who worked for the U.N "on the strategic planning staff in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General," and some models and some people well on their way to qualifying as surgeons. On these grounds, I feel like the 'When I Grow Up' predictions of childhood do have a reasonable chance of playing out. And you absolutely do find people who are working actors, directors, musicians, writers or artists too, it's just that they more often than not have another job or three to keep them going. So how do you find the space and time and money to sustain a creative practice in Sydney these days? As part of Vivid Creative Sydney's fringe program, Queen Street Studio is holding a panel discussion on this very topic. Hosted by QSS director and co-founder James Winter, the evening will bring tips and tales of survival and strategy in visual arts, performance and the wonderful world of the ARI. Panellists are Fran Barrett, a member of Brown Council and current director of Serial Space; artist/performer/writer/curator Rosie Dennis; Sian McIntyre, who is a director of The Paper Mill exhibition space; contemporary artist and intervenor into public space Sebastian Goldspink; and Michelle Kotevski, independent filmmaker and Executive Producer of Urban Theatre Projects. Image by Leah McGirr
Conspiracy theories involving Shakespeare have been around for centuries. Mark Twain scoffed that the son of an illiterate tradesman couldn’t possibly have written such literary masterpieces, Sigmund Freud alleged that the Bard wasn’t the real author of all 38 plays ascribed to him, and Virginia Woolf shrewdly speculated that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman, adding that a woman with Shakespeare's gifts would have been denied the same opportunities to develop them. The historical facts about Shakespeare are few and far between, and scant documented evidence actually exists of him receiving an education, buying a book, or writing a play. Mankind is characterised by our great thirst for a good conspiracy theory — call it cynicism, call it curiosity; while Shakespeare’s masterpieces remain in our cultural consciousness, we’ll feel compelled to make sense of the man behind them. Part of the fascination with the Shakespeare authorship question is perhaps a strain of tall poppy syndrome – we simply cannot seem to accept that the greatest playwright who’s ever lived kept a life that was so, well, anonymous. Hence Roland Emmerich’s epic new period film. Set in Elizabethan London, it's historical melodrama of the highest order — well-coiffed royals conduct clandestine affairs while conniving courtiers collude in cramped chambers. It’s like Shakespeare in Love fused with The Da Vinci Code, or The Tudors filtered through Black Adder. Derived from a book written 90 years ago called "Shakespeare” Identified, Anonymous dramatizes the theory that the 17th Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, was the man who penned all of Shakespeare’s works. Most of the film’s action is concentrated in the years between 1598 and 1603, and pits the dashing blonde earl against puritanical noblemen and unscrupulous politicians. It’s filled with murder, sex, lies and incest — the stuff of true Shakespearean drama. It’s entertaining enough, but it serves better as a political thriller than an alternate history. Go see it if costume drama’s your thing — as Shakespeare himself said in Hamlet, “the play’s the thing”, and until the day that there is conclusive evidence to end the authorship conversation, we’ll continue to create conspiracy theories about how such an ordinary man wrote such extraordinary verse.
The second International Wall Ball Championship, where 160 men and women from across Australia compete for the Golden Hand trophy, is no laughing matter. Kind of. The trophy is essentially a life-size plaster mould of a hand covered in gold paint that the winner wears around their neck and the game involves a bouncy ball. Regardless, for a sport that will give you the most enthusiastic crowd around and take your childhood playground memories and cram them full of adult ambition and sweat, the Wall Ball Championship is something you've just got to see.
Strolls around the city have been much brighter in recent weeks, all thanks to the addition of some unexpected blooms. The CBD's grey, concrete streets have had a makeover as a part of the City of Sydney's twice-yearly Living Colour floral display project, taking over places like Martin Place, Taylor Square, King Street, Hyde Park Barracks, Castlereagh Street, Queen Victoria Building and Kings Cross. But as the flowers have been blooming since January, these babies need a new home. Want some more snapdragons and geraniums in your life? On Sunday, March 11 from 8am, Sydney Park will be the spot to snag some cut-price botanical beauties. You'll be able to take home everything from petunias to curly parsley — for free.
A neighbourhood dispute turns into all-out suburban warfare in Bad Neighbours, the raunchy, raucous, rapid-fire new comedy from director Nicholas Stoller (The Five-Year Engagement, Forgetting Sarah Marshall). Adding the word 'bad' to its title in Australia in order to avoid confusion with a certain iconic soap opera, the film marks another sure hit for one-man comic industry Seth Rogen, who slots comfortably into another role that basically amounts to playing himself. Yet it's Rogen's co-stars Rose Byrne and Zac Efron who are the movie's biggest standouts. Indeed, while the advertising material sells Bad Neighbours as a strictly Rogen versus Efron affair, the film is very much a triple act, with the more dramatically inclined Byrne clearly relishing the chance to cut loose. With a cast game for just about anything, Bad Neighbours accelerates from one over-the-top set-piece to the next. It's ridiculous, juvenile and very, very funny. Rogen and Byrne play Mac and Kelly Radner, a newlywed couple with a bouncing baby daughter, whose suburban peace is threatened when a college fraternity moves in next door. Chief dude-bro Teddy Sanders (Efron) seems agreeable enough at first, promising to keep the noise to a minimum and even inviting the couple to the frat's inaugural blowout, where a great time is had by all. But when the partying starts up again the following night and continues into the morning, the Radners decide to call the cops. From there, things escalate quickly. Teddy swears vengeance, and soon the two households are exacting increasingly crass and elaborate acts of sabotage in an attempt to bring the other side down. Screenwriters Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien pack a staggering number of gags into the film's tight 90-minute runtime, although arguably the more impressive feat is that the vast majority of them land. Stoller allows his cast ample room to improvise, but never to the extent that the movie loses momentum. Frankly, the performances are all the better for it. Byrne, in particular, seems to feed off the film's breakneck energy, the Australian actress frequently stealing the show from her more seasoned on-screen husband. Likewise, Efron exhibits great comedic instincts as the antagonistic Teddy, a villain who you simultaneously love to hate and actually genuinely kind of like. That's the other thing about Bad Neighbours: although the script is incredibly vulgar, it's very rarely mean spirited. As insane as their antics are, these characters feel like real people, and as the story careens towards its climax, a big part of you just wants to see Teddy and the Radners hug it out. The biggest part, however, knows that watching them fight is just too damn funny. https://youtube.com/watch?v=4zEUuzj3a2g
Petersham's newly revamped stalwart The Oxford Tavern is going full sour next month — and not just with its beers. The inaugural Rise 'N Brine festival will take over the pub on Saturday, November 16 with pickle-themed food, booze and even entertainment. To start off, the bar will offer a few pickle-flavoured beers, which have been brewed for the day by local craft legends Batch and Yulli's Brews. Other booze options include a full pickleback menu, which features the classic — aka a shot of Jameson chased with pickle juice — and even a slushie version of the drink. And the pickling doesn't stop there, either. The pub's Executive Chef Richard Price has also created a special menu of pickle-inspired barbecue eats to tuck into — think pickle-brined wings, fried pickle hot dogs and pickle pops. A honky-tonk band, pickle eating competitions hosted by local favourite McClure's Pickles and roaming pickle mascots are also on the docket. If you'd like to sign up for the comp, you'll need to email hello@theoxfordtavern.com.au with "Pickle My Pie Hole" (yes, really) as the subject. Entry is free, so just rock up and get stuck into the pickles.
It is easy to draw parallels between The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer and Kevin Costner's Waterworld. Both, for example, plunge the audience into a waterlogged land, drowned by past greed and arrogance. They also share a quest for dry land and feature a curious outsider as their protagonist. Here is where the comparison evaporates. Alvin Sputnik's creator, Perth artist Tim Watts, has developed a poetic, engaging future world using a low budget and a generous imagination. There is an elegance in how Watts shifts from one medium to the next, using animation, puppetry, song and live action to tell the story of Sputnik's tragic efforts to be reunited with his dead lover. His beguiling stage presence captures the audience's attention immediately, making it very easy to suspend disbelief and be moved to tears by a character built from a foam ball and a glove. At under an hour, and for a handful of dollars, this is exceptionally well-valued magic. Image by Michelle Robin Anderson https://youtube.com/watch?v=GK2QQxmE9jw
The family owned Five Barrel Brewing has been serving thirsty South Coast folk since 2015. With its philosophy of 'keeping it simple and doing it right', the brewery has quickly become an important part of the local community. Five Barrel features a taproom with eight craft beers, all produced on site, which usually includes four core beers and four rotating seasonal and limited-release beers. On the lineup, you'll find the likes of milk stouts, golden ale and hoppy ambers, as well as a super-refreshing brut rosé IPA, which is brewed with hibiscus flowers and floral hops. Pop in to the taproom for a tasting, down a burger or two with a happy hour schooner ($5 from 5–6pm on Friday and Saturday) or enjoy an impromptu tour of the brewery. The brewery's kitchen is open from midday till 8pm on Friday and Saturday. If you can't make it into the brewery itself, but you're keen to try its brews, head on over to the website to order yourself a 750ml bottle of barrel-aged cherry sour or a case of New England IPA. Some of the limited-edition brews — such as its milkshake IPA — sell out super quick, though, so you'll need to get in fast.
When Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival debuted in 2022, Louis Tikaram from Stanley in Brisbane was on the lineup. In 2024, the chef from the standout Sunshine State restaurant has curated the program. He has ties to the area, growing up on a 110-acre farm in Mullumbimby before hopping from Sydney's Tetsuya's and Longrain to E.P & L.P. in Los Angeles and then the Queensland capital's go-to Cantonese fine-diner — and he's now doing his part for this culinary fest's second event. Caper returns with a few changes. The festival has expanded its lineup from a four-day weekend to a ten-day run, and also moved from spring to autumn, taking place from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26. But its focus remains on celebrating food and culture in its seaside New South Wales home and the surrounding region, whether you're keen to eat, drink, listen to live tunes, or enjoy a drag night and trivia show. "Being part of the first-ever Caper Festival as a guest chef back in 2022 was a blast, and now I'm stoked to come back home to Byron Shire and curate," said Tikaram, announcing the 2024 lineup. "With heaps of mates in the chef and supplier scene, and top-notch produce at our fingertips, we've got some cracking events lined up. Can't wait to get stuck in and show off what we've got cooking." Tikaram's program is filled with fellow culinary names, including when the opening party takes over Three Blue Ducks. On the bill just for that night alone: Dave Moyle from Salty Mangrove (who organised the first Caper), Jason Saxby from Raes on Wategos, Ben Devlin from Pipet, Matt Stone from You Beauty, Mindy Woods from Karkalla, Karl and Katrina Kanetani from Beach Byron Bay, Pepsi Nakbunchuay from Bang Bang, Robbie Oijvall from Lightyears, Bruno Conti from The Hut, Marcello Polifrone from Harvest and, of course, Darren Robertson from the host venue. At the other end of the fest, the closing-night event will see Tikaram, Hawaiian chef Kanetani, Ross Magnaye from Serai Kitchen in Melbourne and Jedd Rifai from North Byron Hotel hone in on Hawaiian buffet-style snacks. In-between, long lunches, a yakitori party and a five-course smoke-fuelled feast are all among the fellow Caper highlights. Some meals will get you eating seaside. Other events are serving up an Italian-inspired aperitivo hour or a gin garden party. With Tikaram doing the honours again, you can also tuck into east-meets-west canapés at Byron Chinese restaurant Hutong Harry's. Whatever you're heading to, the North Byron Hotel is the fest's official watering hole, hosting tunes, cooking demonstrations, and cheese and wine tastings. If you've got a ticket to the fest, you'll score a drink coupon for a complimentary beverage, too. Caper Byron Bay Food and Culture Festival runs from Friday, May 17–Sunday, May 26, 2024 at various locations around Byron Bay and the Northern Rivers region. For more information, head to the festival's website. Images: Jess Kearney / Ella Dice.
The distinction between American and Australian cop dramas is about as close to black and white as you can get before literally stripping them of colour. Thematically, the US genre is driven by 'heroism' — brave (and usually maverick) police officers who go above and beyond the line of duty to save anything, from a family member to an entire city. Not so in Australia. Here, it is 'corruption' that most frequently forms the basis of plot lines, reflecting either a sorry state of confidence in our law enforcement agencies, or acceptance that action films don't really work in Australia (ie: Mission Impossible II). The latest offering, Felony, takes place in Sydney's inner west and was written, produced and starred in by Joel Edgerton. Edgerton plays Malcolm Toohey, a hero cop whose near miss during a drug raid (he's shot by a fleeing suspect in the film's frantic opening scene) leads to a heavy night of drinking alongside the other officers involved. Later, as he drives home (narrowly avoiding an RBT arrest thanks to a 'cop to cop' password), he accidentally knocks a young boy off his bike and makes the split-second decision to lie about how he came to be first on scene. From that moment on Felony becomes a story about the toxicity of deception and its capacity for infecting all those who are touched by it. It's one of those films that almost immediately registers in that part of your brain where uncomfortable truths reside, refusing to let you dismiss the story as 'mere fiction'. It's all very real, and human and confronting in its simplicity. One lie builds upon another so quickly that you soon find yourself gasping for air on behalf of the characters, and you can never shake the feeling that it will all eventually come crashing down. Worse, you can't quite decide if you want it to. Edgerton managed to pull together an impressive cast to star alongside him, including Tom Wilkinson as the senior cop spearheading the coverup, Jai Courtney as Wilkinson's eager young partner and Melissa George as Edgerton's wife; however, it's Edgerton who most impresses. He neatly captures his character's confusion, fear, conflict and self-loathing without ever threatening to overplay any of it, and his performance is strong enough to rise above the occasional misteps in the script. The ending is unnecessarily symmetrical, certainly, and there's a subplot that goes confusingly AWOL somewhere in the third act, but overall it's a solid film with an excellent turn from its lead. https://youtube.com/watch?v=qjHvfnB8SRI
You wouldn't expect much cohesion between pieces in an exhibition featuring 32 photographers put together by three curators, especially not one with as nebulous a theme as "the socio-cultural landscapes of Germany and Australia". But there is something drawing together a lot of the works in Hijacked 2. This is mostly Vice photo issue stuff, with a lot of slightly out-of-focus, snapshot-style photos eschewing technical virtuosity for (potential) immediacy, emotional connection or, at the very least, novelty. To be frank, that doesn't always work. Hijacked relies heavily on social networking and young photographers for its material, and the venue hails the show's resultant focus on "the young, the boundary-riding and the fringe dwelling". In more than a few places this devolves into some pretty grating portraiture of photographers friends' homemade tattoos, detached irony and comfort with partial nudity. Edgy. When the show does work, though — and more often than not it does — there's some rich, immediate work to see. Narelle Autio's lush, saturated overhead photos do some amazing things with shadows. Jackson Eaton's take on sex, casual eroticism and the confluence of intimacy and boredom is beautiful: a foreskin stretched between a girl's teeth, a TV remote held behind the same lover's back. A lot of the landscape photography, too, is very compelling. Joseph Schultz' prints of abandoned checkpoints/toll booths/guard posts are a standout. There's something to be said for the reaction brought on through juxtaposition of photos you love with those you hate. Given how subjective art 'n' stuff is, that may mean you'll love photos of leather jackets, panties and great parties while loathing another photographer's art that's actually good. Quite apart from the high quality of some of the shots, that makes Hijacked 2 worth seeing for the argument value alone.
The centrepiece of the 2018 Biennale of Sydney was Ai Weiwei's 60-metre inflatable boat, a critique and exploration of the global refugee crisis. This year, when the Biennale returns to art galleries across Sydney, the lineup of 100-plus artists will be examining another poignant issue close to the heart of Australia: First Nations sovereignty and intergenerational trauma. Running from Tuesday, June 16 until Sunday, September 6, the 2020 Biennale is entitled Nirin, which means 'edge' in the language of western NSW's Wiradjuri people. This year's theme is timely, for two reasons: the 2020 blockbuster falls on the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook's voyage to Australia — and it will be helmed by a new First Nations artistic director, famed Sydney-born, Melbourne-based interdisciplinary artist Brook Andrew. Andrew has selected an impressive lineup of artists and creatives — many of them First Nations — from around the world to exhibit at the Art Gallery of NSW, Woolloomooloo's Artspace, Campbelltown Arts Centre, Cockatoo Island and the MCA. The National Art School, which was originally part of the program, will remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future, so the Biennale is currently looking to relocate its works to a new space. On the just-announced program, you'll find the Southern Hemisphere premiere of Arthur Jafa's Golden Lion-awarded work The White Album, Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens's immersive work symbolising the disproportionate number of incarcerated Indigenous Australian women and a large-scale political protest piece by Pitjantjatjara artist Kunmanara Mumu Mike Williams (who passed away last year). [caption id="attachment_764834" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Hannah Catherina Jones, 'Owed to Diaspora(s)' (2020), courtesy the artist. Photo by Zan Wimberley. Installation view.[/caption] Cockatoo Island will be home to a wide range of works, including Ghanaian-born artist Ibrahim Mahama's sprawling installation of coal sacks; Tony Albert's interactive greenhouse, where you'll be invited to write and plant messages; and Tlingit/Unangax̂ artist Nicholas Galanin's excavation work that'll 'dig up' the land beneath the shadow of Hyde Park's Captain Cook statue. Elsewhere, Ahmed Umar's ceramic sarcophagus will be shown at the MCA; DJ Hannah Catherine Jones will perform an audiovisual work inspired by pop-culture, poetry and provocative imagery; Andrew Rewald's evolving community garden; and Leisa Reihana's multi-channel video installation and film will explore the history of Māori and South Pacific Islander peoples. Running at a later date will be Nirin Wir: a program of free and ticketed events taking place all over the city, from the Blue Mountains to La Perouse. You can listen to in-depth conversations between First Nations artists and other artists at the multi-location Aabaakwad, head to Cockatoo Island for 4ESydney Hip Hop Festival, watch an all-Indigenous Australian cast discuss Australia's 60,000-year history and debate the question "To cook Cook or not?" at Sydney Town Hall and join a performative walking tour of Parramatta Female Factory Precinct or a guided bushwalk through Dharawal National Park with Aunty Deirde Martin. Favourite events such as the Bankstown Poetry Slam and Sunday family day will also return for the festival. Dates for Nirin Wir are yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to keep you posted. Top images: Ibrahim Mahama, 'No Friend but the Mountains' (2012–20), Cockatoo Island, courtesy of the artist; Barbara McGrady, installation view, Campbelltown Arts Centre,c courtesy of the artist. Photos by Zan Wimberley.
Want to extend your hot spring adventure into a relaxing weekend (or week) away? Pack a tent and head for the Burren Junction bore baths and campground. Camping is $5 per vehicle, and there are barbecue facilities, filtered water and electricity. Otherwise, just head on down for a dip in the baths for free. Spend your days soaking in the circular pool's 41.5-degree waters and, once you've melted away the week's tensions, head into town for a beer and a meal at the bustling Junction City Hotel for a taste of country town life. While you're in the area, you may as well visit another natural bore bath in Pilliga, which is a half-hour drive from Burren Junction. Images: Walgett Shire Council
