Vivid Sydney is about to kick off, and while you're planning which talks to see, figuring out where to catch a glimpse of the lights and checking which parties still have tickets going, you're probably figuring out a strategic drinking and dining plan too. The bulk of the light installations will again be set up around Circular Quay and The Rocks, and a market dedicated entirely to desserts will also run for three nights of the festival. Setting up shop in the Overseas Passenger Terminal for the third year running, the Milk 'n' Sugar Market will be on-hand for revellers craving something sweet for the first weekend of Vivid. Running from 6–11pm on May 24, 25 and 26, the market will be hocking award-winning gelato from Cow & the Moon, soft serve-filled watermelon, rainbow bagels, light-up doughnuts and a fairy floss ice cream Froot Loops 'burrito' (that's a thing) and more. You should probably skip dinner. As well as food, the market will also feature DJs and towering installations made from a range of desserts. Entry is free, but you'll need to get there early before it fills up. Milk 'n' Sugar will run from 6–11pm.
Like most major cities, there are some well-known must-dos when you visit Canberra for the first time. The Australian War Memorial? Check. The National Gallery of Australia? Obviously. A paddleboat on Lake Burley Griffin? Of course. But once all those major attractions are ticked off the list, what's next? Well, there is more to Canberra than meets the eye. The capital is teeming with hidden gems — think social enterprise cafes, farmers markets and teeny tiny galleries — that locals love to frequent on their days off. And now you can, too. Make the most of your next Canberra adventure with this list of lesser-known spots. Please stay up to date with the latest ACT Government health advice regarding COVID-19.
Art galleries don't just showcase great works by renowned talents on their own walls. They also loan out their collections, touring them to other sites around the globe. That's great news for Australians, who've been able to check out pieces from London's Tate Britain and New York's Museum of Modern Art in recent years, all without leaving the country. Come 2021, you'll also be able to feast your eyes on two big collections of European masterpieces from two different overseas institutions: from New York's The Met, which is heading to Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art, and from London's National Gallery, which'll take over the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The latter, called Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London, has just been announced — and will hit the Australian Capital Territory from March 5–June 14, 2021. If you were looking for a reason to take a local holiday interstate next year, the NGA has not just one but 60, because that's how many works this huge exhibition will feature. The gallery isn't joking about the showcase's title, either. When you'll be exhibiting Van Gogh's Sunflowers, you can throw around the word 'masterpiece' as much as you like. Other high-profile works include Rembrandt's Self Portrait at the Age of 34, plus Vermeer's A Young Woman seated at a Virginal. And, artist-wise, Titian, Velázquez, Goya, Turner, Renoir, Cézanne, Botticelli, El Greco, Constable, Van Dyke, Gainsborough and Gauguin are all also on the bill. [caption id="attachment_792837" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers 1888, National Gallery, London, Image courtesy the National Gallery, London[/caption] When peering at the exhibition's pieces, art aficionados will be taken through seven important periods in Western European art history, from a range that spans 450 years. That means exploring work from the Italian Renaissance, checking out the Dutch painting of the Golden Age, and feasting your eyes on British portraiture — as well as scoping out pieces from the 17th- and 18th-century Grand Tour, Spanish art from the 17th century, works that focus on landscape and the picturesque, and examining the birth of modern art. When Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London hits our shores, it'll mark a big milestone, too — as the largest batch of works to venture beyond the United Kingdom in National Gallery's 192-year history. Announcing the exhibition, National Gallery of Australia Director Nick Mitzevich mentioned exactly what you're probably now thinking — that is, that the showcase is a nifty way to see the world in a period when we can't venture far physically. "At a time when Australian audiences are unable to travel overseas, we are thrilled to be able to welcome visitors to Canberra to see this exclusive showcase of world-class art," he said. Botticelli to Van Gogh: Masterpieces from the National Gallery, London exhibits at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra from March 5–June 14, 2021, with tickets on sale now. Top images: Installation view, Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, The National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London; installation view, Anthony van Dyck, Lady Elizabeth Thimbelby and Dorothy, Viscountess, The National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London; installation view, Giovanni Giralomo Savoldo, Mary Magdalene (far left), The National Gallery, London © The National Gallery, London.
The Entertainment Quarter Village Markets are back. There are some new, ambitious operators at the helm and they're creating the eastern suburbs' fresh outdoor shopping centre — under a canvas and without a chain shop or fluoro light in sight. So, get to the EQ on a Wednesday or Saturday between 9am and 2pm, ready for more fresh produce, meat, fruit, vegetables, artisanal products and gourmet goodies than ever before, and prepped with questions for local makers and growers. There's also an entirely new section dedicated to health and wellbeing, showcasing the latest and tastiest wellness products, from raw nuts and kombucha tea to gluten-free bakery treats and Egganic eggs. The EQ provides two hours' free parking, allowing you to stick around for leisurely coffee, brunch or morning tea. Plus, there's live music. "We're bringing country to the city in the most direct and exciting way," said Lindsay Frazer, who's taken over the market alongside business partner Phillip Taylor. The duo has won awards for The Beaches Market.
It's a classic wine-lover's dilemma: you're keen on a restaurant's rare drop, but you can't get a sip without paying up for the whole bottle. P&V Wine + Liquor Merchants is looking to solve this quandary, at least temporarily, with the launch of a month-long tasting series presented at its P&V Paddington location. Teaming up with wine tech innovators Enomatic from Friday, June 27–Sunday, August 3, this series features the brand's wine serving system, where each glass is presented at the ideal temperature and freshness long after the cork is popped. With this specialised equipment at hand, P&V will delve into their deep cellar to pour ultra-rare, cult and small-batch wines. Without needing to stress about doing major damage to your wallet, this is your chance to sample highly coveted vino, with weekly in-store tastings and special appearances throughout the month. Expect scarce by-the-glass pours featuring Italy's barolo legends Rinaldi and Cappellano, jura icons Ganevat and Overnoy, and Australian wineries Sami-Odi and Wendouree. If you get involved, you're invited to settle into L'Avant Cave, the cosy wine bar attached to P&V's Paddington store. Here, the tasting experience is taken to even greater heights with a menu of snacks and small plates paired with these exquisite wines. With tastings available during regular store hours, guests will get a heads-up on the weekly wine lineup via the store's Instagram.
Art enthusiasts, collectors and creators, we have news for you. The Other Art Fair is returning to Sydney this December, closing out its 2022 world tour. From Thursday the 1st to Sunday the 4th, you'll find the fair in The Cutaway, Barangaroo. This super-sized concrete void of a venue boasts immense ceiling height, acoustics and ample natural light – perfect for an event that historically pulls in thousands of visitors daily. If you aren't already in the know, The Other Art Fair is a roaming international art show that allows you to view, discuss and even purchase art directly from an emerging artist, rather than deal with the red tape and hurdles of buying through a gallery. It's an extensive roster of 135 talents, each selected by a committee of experts, so you'll be purchasing quality work and supporting the local creative scene. And there's more than just their work to expect – there'll be immersive installations, performances, live music, and a fully stocked bar. Need any more convincing? It should be a great night out for art-and-experience lovers alike, and you could walk away with a picture-perfect piece to hang up at home. Tickets are on sale now with a variety of options, including a 35% discount if you book before November 16. For more information on tickets or the artists, visit the website.
A major hotel rebrand and redesign has completed its first stage, as Courtyard by Marriott Sydney-North Ryde officially relaunches as Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park. Featuring a new guest experience, expect a host of modern updates – with more planned for the near future. More of a refresh than a revolution, this initial phase has seen rooms, various public spaces and the culinary offering given a thoughtful uplift. From the restaurant and bar to conference and event spaces, a light restoration has given these amenities a little more polish than before. Whether you're staying for work or leisure, a more refined experience awaits. The rooms have also received early enhancements like 55-inch Smart TVs, while organic and vegan skincare by Antipodes will soon be added to guest bathrooms. What comes next is more significant, with a second phase seeing guest rooms and public spaces transformed to reflect Crowne Plaza's upscale reputation. In the works is a complete makeover of the lobby and welcome area, with design changes bringing chic furnishings and a contemporary ambience. All 196 rooms will also undergo an update to create more comfortable and flexible accommodations, with both corporate types and holidaymakers in mind. Bistro, the on-site restaurant, hasn't been overlooked either. In the coming months, executive chef Sahil Sabhlok will unveil a gourmet dining experience, building upon the venue's modern-Australian cuisine. As a sneak peek, one dish on the menu is Sabhlok's signature slow-cooked beef short ribs with celeriac, pickled white onions and mustard. Now with sleeker decor and an al fresco dining area, Bistro will make for a refined feast. "This is an exciting time for the Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park as we start to welcome our first guests. Our vision for the hotel is to create a place that appeals not just to hotel guests, but also to the local community and business hubs in Sydney," says Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park hotel manager, Toby Paul. Making this aspiration a reality is undoubtedly possible considering the hotel's central location. Offering easy access to Sydney CBD, Sydney Olympic Park and Lane Cove National Park, the property is also easily within reach of several key business hubs, shopping destinations and outdoor attractions. In fact, Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park is just around the corner from the new Metro line, making a trip to the city a breeze. Crowne Plaza Sydney Macquarie Park is located at 7/11 Talavera Rd, North Ryde. Head to the website to find out more.
Each year we anticipate the arrival of December 25. Because of the day off, the promise of an afternoon spent dozing in a hammock — and the arrival of Gelato Messina's annual Christmas cake. This year, the gelato chain is bringing back its version of the quintessential Australian dessert: the trifle. Yes, we're talking Christmas desserts already. The Christmas Coma will return for its third year running — and this time it's more fruity than overly decadent. The epic ice cream creation will feature layer upon layer of everything that is good about Christmas — but instead of being soggy and slightly regrettable, this one will have you licking the glass bowl. So what's in it? Well, Messina has switched out the vanilla gelato for a mango sorbet, and will be slathering it with its house-made passionfruit mousse. Then it will be layered with — here we go — whipped guava jelly, coconut cream, sponge soaked in mango and macadamia crunch. Oh, and garnished with a chocolate coconut. Plus, it'll come with some Messina rum custard to douse all over the mess and a box of Christmas crackers for the table. The trifle, which serves 20–30 (or less if you really commit), costs $170 and can be pre-ordered from October 28. You can pick up your Christmas Coma between midday on Friday, December 20 and 6pm on Christmas Eve, from all Gelato Messina stores across Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane except The Star, Surry Hills, Richmond and Coolangatta. It comes in a Messina cooler bag and, if you keep it in there sealed, can survive for up to two hours. Last year, the trifle sold out super fast, too, so we suggest you don't wait on this one. The Christmas Coma available to order from Tuesday, October 29. Updated October 29, 2019.
Just as NAIDOC week kicks into gear for 2019, Australia's Budj Bim Cultural Landscape has been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List — becoming the first Australian site to receive recognition exclusively for its Aboriginal cultural values. During its current meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation added the south-west Victorian site to its list of landmarks and areas that are legally protected due to their significance. Located on Gunditjmara country, the region spans the Budj Bim volcano, Tae Rak (Lake Condah), the Kurtonitj wetlands, and Tyrendarra's rocky ridges and large marshes. It also includes remnants of more than 300 round, basalt stone houses, which demonstrate the Gunditjmara people's permanent settlement in the area. Of specific interest to UNESCO, Budj Bim features a system of channels, dams and weirs, all made possible due to basalt lava flows that have been carbon-dated back to 6600 years. The complex network is considered one of the the largest and oldest aquaculture setups in the world, and is used not only to contain floodwaters, but to trap and harvest the kooyang eel. The listing comes after five years of work between Gunditjmara people and the Victorian and Australian governments to develop Budj Bim's World Heritage nomination, and marks Australia's 20th entry on the list — alongside the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, Fraser Island, the Tasmanian wilderness, the Greater Blue Mountains area, the Sydney Opera House and the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens, among others. [caption id="attachment_729904" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Tae Rak channel and holding pond,Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation[/caption] In total, UNESCO has added 21 new sites to the World Heritage List as part of its 2019 conference, which runs through until Wednesday, July 10, and will examine 35 nominations in total. In addition to Budj Bim, the new entries showcase spots in China, Iran, France, Iceland, Brazil, Bahrain, Canada, Germany, Czechia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Myanmar, Republic of Korea, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Burkina Faso and Iraq, including Babylon. The list of new cultural sites chosen so far is as follows: Migratory bird sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China — natural site. Hyrcanian forests in the Islamic Republic of Iran — natural site. French Austral Lands and Seas in France — natural site. The fire and ice of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland — natural site. The culture and biodiversity of Paratyand Ilha Grande in Brazil — natural and cultural site. Ancient ferrous metallurgy sites of Burkina Faso — cultural site. Babylon in Iraq — cultural site. Dilmun burial mounds in Bahrain — cultural site. Budj Bim Cultural Landscape in Australia — cultural site. Archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City in China — cultural site. Jaipur City, Rajasthan in India — cultural site. Ombilin coal-mining heritage of Sawahlunto in Indonesia — cultural site. Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group of mounded tombs from Ancient Japan — cultural site. Megalithic jar sites in Xiengkhouang — Plain of Jars in the Lao People's Democratic Republic — cultural site. Bagan in Myanmar — cultural site. Seowon, Korean Neo-Confucian Academies in the Republic of Korea — cultural site. Writing-on-Stone /Áísínai'pi in Canada — cultural site. Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří mining region of Czechia and Germany — cultural site. The landscape for breeding and training of ceremonial carriage Hhrses at Kladruby nad Labem in Czechia — cultural site. The water management system of Augsburg in Germany — cultural site. Krzemionki Prehistoric Striped Flint Mining Region in Poland) — cultural site. UNESCO also extended the heritage listing of the Natural and Cultural Heritage of the Ohrid region, to not only include northern Macedonia but also Albania. Prior to the 2019 meeting, the World Heritage List included 1092 different sites spread across 167 countries. Need some travel inspiration — or a reminder of just how wondrous our planet is? Browsing the full list will take care of that for you. Top images: Lake Condah, Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation / Tae Rak in flood, Tyson Lovett-Murray, Gunditj Mirring Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation.
Organic wines have been gaining more attention in recent years. Biodynamic wines, too. So have vegan wines — and if you're looking for all three in one drop, Lark Hill makes just that in the hills above Canberra, where it boasts one of the highest plantings in the region. Thanks to its lofty location, its shale and clay soil, and the fact that conditions are dry, Lark Hill is all about grapes that can thrive in hardy conditions. Think riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and grüner veltliner. Opt for the former, and you'll be sipping a tangy tipple that's big on taste but actually has less alcohol content than usual. Lark Hill's onsite cellar door sits within a stone-walled building and offers up $10 tastings for days a week. Restaurant D&K Kitchen is also part of the property, serving up charcuterie and cheese, as well as mains such as pumpkin ravioli, lamb shoulder and duck leg on cassoulet. Top image: The Lark Hill Wine Co.
He took home this year's best director Oscar thanks to his enchanting monster romance, and now he's in the spotlight at the Spanish Film Festival. That'd be The Shape of Water's Guillermo del Toro, with the fest celebrating his 2006 Academy Award-winner Pan's Labyrinth as its closing night selection. Of course, on its stop at Palace Norton Street, Palace Verona and Palace Central from April 17 to May 6, the country's long-running celebration of Spanish-language filmmaking has plenty of other delights amongst its 25-film program. Marking its 21st year in 2018, that includes opening night's The Tribe, a street-dancing musical comedy inspired by real-life Spain's Got Talent winners, plus No Filter, this year's Spanish box office smash about a woman who can't stop speaking her mind. Other high-profile highlights range from screenings of Pixar's gorgeous Coco — in case you missed it in cinemas late last year — to a who's who of Spanish talent in historical epic Gold; to Loving Pablo, which features Javier Bardem as Pablo Escobar and Penélope Cruz as the journalist who falls for him. Fans of both actors can also catch them in Jamón Jamón — which, released back in 1992, was actually Cruz's first film. It plays as part of a four-feature retrospective dedicated to filmmaker Bigas Luna, alongside his fellow hits Golden Balls and The Tit and The Moon. A documentary compiled from the late director's video diaries, Bigas x Bigas, will enjoy its Australian premiere to round out the program strand. Plus, in the kind of curation that every film festival could benefit from, the Spanish Film Festival will also showcase the work of emerging Spanish female directors. While Summer 1993 actually played at last year's fest as well, the charming delight is getting another spin, with Málaga Film Festival hit Julia Is, Spanish Civil War-focused The Bastard's Fig Tree and the Goya-nominated The Open Door also on the bill. In addition, Melburnians get an extra pick thanks to doco Singled [Out], which was partially shot in Australia by the Melbourne-based Mariona Guiu and Barcelona-based Ariadna Relea.
When an awards body has spent almost a century handing out high-profile gongs in a field that garners plenty of attention, it really should be past the point of smashing records and making history. But the Academy Awards hasn't been particularly inclusive or diverse over its 93-year run to-date — which is why 2021's big winner is still breaking boundaries. When Chloé Zhao was nominated for this year's Best Director Oscar for Nomadland, she already achieved an immense feat. Only five female filmmakers had ever even made it to the awards ceremony in the coveted field before 2021, and she joined Promising Young Woman's Emerald Fennell among this year's candidates. This marked the first time ever that two women had received recognition in the same year in the category, too, because when it comes to realising that yes, women are filmmakers, the Academy's track record has been nothing short of abysmal. Now, with the awards handed out and winners anointed, Zhao has become the first woman of colour to ever emerge victorious in the field. She's only the second woman to ever win as well. Zhao ended up with two awards, because Nomadland won Best Picture and she was one of the film's producers. But the importance of her win for Best Director really can't be understated. Zhao joins The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow, who nabbed the prize in 2009, as the only two women who've ever scooped the field. And, with their nominations, both Zhao and Fennell joined Bigelow, Lina Wertmüller (for Seven Beauties), Jane Campion (for The Piano), Sofia Coppola (for Lost in Translation) and Greta Gerwig (for Lady Bird) as the only women to even get the chance to win Best Director on Hollywood's night of nights. [caption id="attachment_796213" align="aligncenter" width="1920"] Director Chloé Zhao filming Nomadland. Image: Searchlight Pictures.[/caption] Nomadland is Zhao's third film, after 2015's Songs My Brothers Taught Me and 2017's The Rider — and viewers can already look forward to watching her fourth later this year. Her next movie will see the director head into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Eternals focusing on an immortal alien race, and starring Angelina Jolie (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil), Kumail Nanjiani (Stuber), Salma Hayek (Like a Boss), Barry Keoghan (Calm with Horses), Gemma Chan (Captain Marvel), Brian Tyree Henry (Superintelligence) and Game of Thrones co-stars Richard Madden and Kit Harington. Zhao will be working on a far bigger scale than seen in her filmography so far; however, there's a sense of empathy and a knack for observation to her features that'll hopefully make the much-needed jump to superhero territory. If you're wondering who else emerged victorious at this year's Oscars, the full list of nominees and winners in every category is below. You can also check out our in-depth overview of ten of this year's winners that are worth watching ASAP. OSCAR NOMINEES AND WINNERS 2021 BEST MOTION PICTURE The Father Judas and the Black Messiah Mank Minari Nomadland Promising Young Woman Sound of Metal The Trial of the Chicago 7 BEST DIRECTOR Another Round, Thomas Vinterberg Mank, David Fincher Minari, Lee Isaac Chung Nomadland, Chloé Zhao Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Viola Davis, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Andra Day, The United States vs Billie Holiday Vanessa Kirby, Pieces of a Woman Frances McDormand, Nomadland Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Riz Ahmed, Sound of Metal Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Anthony Hopkins, The Father Gary Oldman, Mank Steven Yeun, Minari PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm Glenn Close, Hillbilly Elegy Olivia Colman, The Father Amanda Seyfried, Mank Yuh-Jung Youn, Minari PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Sacha Baron Cohen, The Trial of the Chicago 7 Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah Leslie Odom Jr, One Night in Miami Paul Raci, Sound of Metal LaKeith Stanfield, Judas and the Black Messiah BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Judas and the Black Messiah, Will Berson, Shaka King, Will Berson, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas Minari, Lee Isaac Chung Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell Sound of Metal, Darius Marder, Abraham Marder and Derek Cianfrance The Trial of the Chicago 7, Aaron Sorkin BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Swimer, Peter Baynham, Erica Rivinoja, Dan Mazer, Jena Friedman and Lee Kern The Father, Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller The Mauritanian, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani and MB Traven Nomadland, Chloé Zhao The White Tiger, Ramin Bahrani BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Da 5 Bloods, Terence Blanchard Mank, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Minari, Emile Mosseri News of the World, James Newton Howard Soul, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste BEST ORIGINAL SONG 'Fight For You', Judas and the Black Messiah (HER, Dernst Emile II and Tiara Thomas) 'Hear my Voice', The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Daniel Pemberton and Celeste Waite) 'Husavik', Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (Savan Kotecha, Fat Max Gsus and Rickard Göransson) 'Io Si (Seen)', The Life Ahead (Diane Warren and Laura Pausini) 'Speak Now', One Night in Miami (Leslie Odom, Jr and Sam Ashworth) BEST FILM EDITING The Father, Yorgos Lamprinos Nomadland, Chloé Zhao Promising Young Woman, Frédéric Thoraval Sound of Metal, Mikkel EG Nielsen The Trial of the Chicago 7, Alan Baumgarten BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Another Round Better Days Collective The Man Who Sold His Skin Quo Vadis, Aida? BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Onward Over the Moon A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon Soul Wolfwalkers BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Collective Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution The Mole Agent My Octopus Teacher Time BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Judas and the Black Messiah, Sean Bobbitt Mank, Erik Messerschmidt News of the World, Dariusz Wolski Nomadland, Joshua James Richards The Trial of the Chicago 7, Phedon Papamichael BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN The Father, Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Mark Ricker, Karen O'Hara and Diana Stoughton Mank, Donald Graham Burt and Jan Pascale News of the World, David Crank and Elizabeth Keenan Tenet, Nathan Crowley and Kathy Lucas BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Love and Monsters, Matt Sloan, Genevieve Camilleri, Matt Everitt and Brian Cox The Midnight Sky, Matthew Kasmir, Christopher Lawrence, Max Solomon and David Watkins Mulan, Sean Faden, Anders Langlands, Seth Maury and Steve Ingram The One and Only Ivan, Santiago Colomo Martinez, Nick Davis, Greg Fisher Tenet, Andrew Jackson, David Lee, Andrew Lockley and Scott Fisher BEST COSTUME DESIGN Emma, Alexandra Byrne Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Ann Roth Mank, Trish Summerville Mulan, Bina Daigeler Pinocchio, Massimo Cantini Parrini BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Emma, Marese Langan, Laura Allen and Claudia Stolze Hillbilly Elegy, Eryn Krueger Mekash, Matthew Mungle and Patricia Dehaney Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Sergio Lopez-Rivera, Mia Neal and Jamika Wilson Mank, Gigi Williams, Kimberley Spiteri and Colleen LaBaff Pinocchio, Mark Coulier, Dalia Colli and Francesco Pegoretti BEST SOUND Greyhound, Warren Shaw, Michael Minkler, Beau Borders and David Wyman Mank, Ren Klyce, Jeremy Molod, David Parker, Nathan Nance and Drew Kunin News of the World, Oliver Tarney, Mike Prestwood Smith, William Miller and John Pritchett Soul, Ren Klyce, Coya Elliott and David Parker Sound of Metal, Nicolas Becker, Jaime Baksht, Michelle Couttolenc, Carlos Cortés and Phillip Bladh BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT SUBJECT Colette A Concerto is a Conversation Do Not Split Hunger Ward A Love Song for Latasha BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM Burrow Genius Loci If Anything Happens I Love You Opera Yes-People BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM Feeling Through The Letter Room The Present Two Distant Strangers White Eye Top image: Frances McDormand and Chloé Zhao on the set of Nomadland. Image: Searchlight Pictures. © 2020, 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved
Were Picasso's Cubist portraits of women true to life? It would suggest there were a lot of chicks with displaced eye sockets hanging round Paris in the 1900s. Now a Spanish fashion photographer, Eugenio Recuenco, has reimagined Picasso's Cubist muses as live beings, styling his models in the same surrealist manner that Picasso painted them. Recuenco's portraits are weird, emotional and lovely in their own right. His women subjects mirror the poses of the originals, with elegant silhouettes, painted skin and outlandish costumery all projecting a moody atmosphere. Post-production by Recuenco gave the photographs the same feel as the paintings via color manipulation, while the mysterious spaces he used amp up the dreamlike quality. Recuenco has a large dossier of equally stylised art and fashion projects. Beside this project, which was published in the Spanish weekly SMODA, his website shows fairytale scenes and tableaux vivants that suggest their own narrative worlds channelling the work of artists Goya, El Greco and Zurbaran. Check out a selection of the Picasso-inspired portraits below. Via Flavorwire.
Cycle-fashion: most people consider the term an oxymoron, bringing to mind images of brightly coloured lycra, or even worse, cycling shorts worn so thin that they’ve become transparent. If you’ve been afraid of joining the cycling revolution for fear of committing a crime against fashion, then allow British fashion designer Paul Smith to put you at ease. His new collaboration with cycle clothing brand Rapha brings some style to the two-wheeled set. Their new spring/summer range blends Smith’s fashion sense with Rapha’s cycling nous to create cycle-wear with a stylish look, but maintaining the technical and functional elements needed to stay comfortable on a bike. Unfortunately, style comes at a price, so the hip pockets of hipster cyclists will be a little light if they’re sporting these threads. And of course, compulsory helmet laws in Australia mean you can’t legally look as cool as these models. [via Hypebeast]
If you know anything about the golden era of Hollywood, then you'll have heard of Edith Head. Today celebrated as the single most significant costume designer in the history of cinema, she spent nearly 50 years working at Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios, dressing the stars and starlets of the era in nearly 1000 movies. She also holds the records for the most Academy Awards won by a woman (eight, by the way — no big deal). The Costume Designer exhibition at Bendigo Art gallery draws from the archives of Paramount, the Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design and private collections, collating over 70 costumes designed by Head from the 1930s to the 1960s. You'll see designs from classic films like Vertigo and Sunset Boulevard and costumes worn by iconic performers including Veronica Lake, Gloria Swanson, Olivia De Havilland, Dorothy Lamour, Jane Russell, Hedy Lamarr, Fred Astaire and Yul Brynner. Costume lovers should definitely make the trip for this rare opportunity to see these seldom-displayed designs. Image: Edith Head and Hollywood, 2017, installation view, courtesy Bendigo Art Gallery.
After expanding south to Melbourne late last year, Camperdown's Acre Eatery has ventured north and opened a sprawling plant-filled restaurant on Sydney's lower north shore. Spread across 2000 square metres with 400 seats all up, Acre Artarmon is designed to educate and inspire its visitors, while putting them back in touch with the terroir of their food. That said, it's not just a restaurant, either. It's also a bakery, cafe, terrace bar and greenhouse-style functions space, surrounding by sprawling indoor and outdoor gardens. First up is the Atrium cafe and bakery, which is serving up all of the usual suspects — croissants, pastries, country-style pies and sausage rolls — alongside salads and baguettes for lunch. Cuppas by Sydney's Gypsy Coffee Roasters are also on offer, as is house-made gelato (in flavours like pavlova and banana dulce de leche). Italiano restaurant, which is opening this Friday, November 6, features dishes made using sustainably sourced produce. For starters, think local burrata, salmon crudo and peach prosciutto. There's also a pizza oven slinging a three simple Neapolitan-style pies — margherita, prawn and prosciutto — and a lineup of seasonal pasta dishes, which currently includes spanner crab linguine and bucatini carbonara with zucchini flowers. Larger plates feature whole john dory in a brown butter, lemon and caper sauce, spicy woodfired eggplant with pine nuts and ricotta, and a cotoletta to share, made using ethically raised chicken that's been stuffed with fontina and finished with burnt sage from the kitchen garden. If you want to try a bit of everything, the banquet menu will sort you out. The cocktail list is also Italian-inspired, with barrel-aged negronis and seasonal spritzes (think native flavours like lemon verbena) sitting alongside less popular tipples. Those include the garibaldi — which uses gin from neighbouring distillery Finders, plus Campari and freshly squeezed orange juice — and the sgroppino (vodka, prosecco, lemon sorbet and fresh mint). You can enjoy these drinks in the restaurant or the adjoining greenery-filled terrace. Designed by Sydney interior design studio Etic (Barangaroo House), the spaces are filled with curved planter banquettes surrounded by banana trees and a water fountain that doubles as seats, as well as greenery aplenty, with bougainvillea, fruit trees and vertical planters all making the cut. Apart from Acre's gardens, the space features a chicken coop, worm farm, community compost area and kids' playground. Guided tours, chefs' demonstrations, long lunches and meet-the-maker events will all be on the docket as well.
Between work and errands, who has time to visit art galleries during the week? Luckily, the Art Gallery of NSW is kind enough to invite us into their galleries every Wednesday until 10pm for their ongoing Art After Hours event. Art After Hours is art like you've never experienced it before and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, as it recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Think of it like an art party to help dispel the hump day blues. With live music, food, drinks, lectures, film screenings and a chance to view the museum's collections, you'll think you're at the most exclusive event in town. Scheduled for April's Art After Hours will be tours of Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul and contemporary art exhibits. Catch some Biennale talks and exhibitions after hours while you still can, including the States of Mind film series, with films that explore the themes of memories and time. https://youtube.com/watch?v=2gyu825_bYw
Walsh Bay hotel Pier One is dipping its toes into the Harbour City's ocean of oysters-on-a-budget dining options. The Sydney Rock oyster has been thriving in the waters of NSW for thousands of years. Today, they're a fine dining delicacy, and most have forgotten the history of the oyster as a historic food staple. Now, in partnership with oyster experts East 33, Pier One has set out to educate Sydneysiders about the rich past and versatile world of the Sydney Rock Oyster. This summer, Pier One will be serving Sydney Rock Oysters from its own dedicated oyster harvest area at Cape Hawk. East 33's network of 41 estuaries, stretching from Byron Bay to Wonboyn Lake, will provide Pier with a seasonally rotating selection that will be shucked freshly in the kitchen or even tableside for a touch of theatre. To demonstrate the oyster's versatility, Pier One will be serving its Sydney Rock Oysters in three variations: freshly shucked; charred with smoked wagyu fat and coconut vinegar; and torched at tableside served with yuzu custard. For those looking for a slightly more casual experience, Pier One's PIER Bar will be celebrating oysters during sunset hour with $2 oysters from 5–6pm, Mondays to Fridays. Keeping with the fresh, summer atmosphere, you'll be able to chase your oysters with new PIER Bar signature Mini Margarita Oyster Shooter Flights. For the cherry on top, the hotel will open the Oyster Hotline in homage to its namesake's aphrodisiac qualities. Overnight hotel guests will be able to order a half-dozen ($39) or a dozen ($79) oysters to be delivered to their room within thirty minutes, complete with a bottle of champagne. Orders from the oyster hotline are "for emergencies of a more romantic nature", says Pier One. [caption id="attachment_976645" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Anna Kucera[/caption]
It feels somewhat odd to use a graveyard as an interesting neighbourhood feature, but this verdant space offers not only beauty, but also insights into the history of Crows Nest from a time long forgotten. The first Christian burial ground to be established on Sydney's north shore, St Thomas Rest Park houses the graves of many notable historical figures from the area including Alexander Berry, after whom the nearby Berry Island Reserve (well worth a visit) was named. The sprawling parkland is dotted with graves of Victorian gothic grandeur as well as plenty of trees. Plaques and signage will be able to tell you more about those buried, but the spot is also popular with runners, dog walkers and just those seeking a leisurely stroll. Images: Mel Koutchavlis
Have you ever exchanged quips with Siri? Casually referred to your laptop by a gender-specific pronoun? If so, it's probably not a stretch for you to imagine the day when your devices become more than just your tools, they become your friends. It's not even that we need them to pass the Turing test and trick us into thinking they're human; we'll anthropomorphise at the drop of a hat. So with such a lovable bag of bolts as the robot in Robot and Frank, probably the first indie robot buddy heist movie, we stand no chance. The caretaker robot enters the life of retired cat burglar Frank (Frank Langella) when his high-flying son, Hunter (James Marsden), and humanitarian daughter, Madison (Liv Tyler), yield to the fact that they don't have time to visit their father in his wilderness home to give him the attention he now needs. Frank is showing signs of dementia, and although the curmudgeon resists this android imposition, he's stuck with it, as only Hunter knows the password to shut him off. However, Frank's opinion on the robot starts to shift when he realises it's been programmed to do just what's best for his health, with no limitations on the legality of those measures. He soon has the robot picking locks and sitting on stakeouts with him, spectacularly reviving his thieving career, all in the name of keeping his mind and body agile. As in any buddy movie, the banter between the two leads is key, and in Robot and Frank its magnificent. Grouchy Frank and the indefatigable robot, with the honey voice of Peter Sarsgaard, are a classic odd couple, with the twist that it's Frank's humanity that breathes 'life' into the strictly logical machine; his idiosyncrasies give it a constant puzzle to respond to. When Frank forces the robot into conversation with Mr Darcy, the robot assistant of librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), the two enquire after each other's functioning and then go into stand-by mode. Along with its hijinks, Robot and Frank has marvellous subtlety and grace of a kind that's almost rare in film. There's a parallel there between the erasure of human and hard-drive memory, questions of when identity begins and ends in each, but these are washed gently over the film by the controlled hands of director Jake Schreier and writer Christopher Ford, for who this is their first feature. Likewise, the film may be among the first to look at the effects of technological change without judgement or hyperbole, and that ends up being an affecting thing to see. Its robots resembles the current humanoid models you see coming out of Japan, more chunky Lego minifig than sleek automaton, and the world around it still looks familiarly lo-fi. Change, however, is coming to the library, where books are being removed as the institution reorientates to being "a place for community". That's not good or bad, the film says, but it is what's happening. And it is sad. It's unexpected, but by not being reactionary about the moral consequences of technology, Robot and Frank allows true mourning for the world we're leaving behind. https://youtube.com/watch?v=EiFqT5-6JQg
In absolutely epic news, The Lansdowne is coming back to life. It was a huge blow to the Sydney gig scene when the iconic Chippendale live music venue closed back in 2015 — and with so many venues since following suit (largely linked to the lockout law restrictions), its resurrection could not have come at a better time. The venue has been bought up and renovated by Jake Smyth and Kenny Graham, owners of Mary's Newtown and The Unicorn Hotel. Fans of the space won't have to wait much longer for the reveal, as they plan to open the doors for the Queen's Birthday long weekend this June. While details on the fit-out and menu have not yet been revealed, we do know that the entire top floor will be dedicated to live music and that they've worked closely with the producers of the new ICC to ensure top-notch acoustics. We're also hoping they'll give it a good scrub while still maintaining its dive-like appeal and cheap schooeys. The Lansdowne's revival is being supported by the many now-famous Aussie bands that first found their feet at the joint — including You Am I, The Living End, Hard-On's and The Preatures — and it will again act as a 'gateway venue' for the next wave of musicians to make their mark on the Sydney music scene. The highly influential Rule brothers of The Music and Booze Co. (previous owners of The Annandale Hotel) will look after all band bookings, so you know they'll be getting some seriously solid gigs in. Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore is stoked as well. "To see an iconic venue like the Lansdowne returning feels like it could be a real turning point for live music in Sydney...and we're looking forward to working with the new owners wherever we can," she said. With so much devastating closures over the past few years, this is a huge win for Sydney's culture and nightlife and we could not be more stoked about this news. Image: Jack Steel.
We had a feeling this might happen. Off the back of an appearance at an already sold-out Splendour in the Grass, Kendrick Lamar will also headline six Australian shows in support of his fourth album DAMN.. Lamar is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful hip hop artists of our generation. The Compton rapper most recently became the first ever artist to take out the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for contemporary music. He's also the beholder of 12 Grammys, has clocked up more than six million album sales worldwide, and was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. Lamar will return to our shores for Splendour on the weekend of July 20–22 and six headline shows: one in Perth on July 10, two in Melbourne on July 13 and 14, one in Adelaide on July 15 and two in Sydney on July 24 and 25. Having recently taken the DAMN. tour across the UK and Europe, set lists included his extensive catalogue, including good kid, m.A.A.d city (2012), To Pimp A Butterfly (2015) and his most recent effort DAMN..
Maybe you hop on the ballot the moment that it opens each year. Perhaps you wait to find out who'll be behind the mic before trying to nab tickets. Either way, Golden Plains dropping its lineup is always big news. In 2025, get ready to see PJ Harvey, Fontaines DC, 2manydjs and Kneecap — and also Wet Kiss, Durand Jones & The Indications, Magdalena Bay, Osees and Thelma Plum. And yes, that's just the beginning. "Something special in the soil this season. In the water, in the manna gum, in the air, the ether, the atmosphere, the troposphere. And it has all landed right here, in a wonderland designed and refined over 30-odd years for the sole purpose of hosting something truly remarkable," said the festival team, announcing the lineup. "Right size, same shape, ample time, abundant space." Come Saturday, March 8–Monday, March 10, 2025, it'll be time to dance among the autumn leaves in regional Victoria again, at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre in the same place that Meredith Music Festival also calls home. And now that the lineup is here, you still have the chance to put your name down to get tickets. This round of Golden Plains will mark the fest's 17th year. The ticket ballot has been a part of the event since its debut — and this year's is now open until 10.17pm AEDT on Monday, October 21, 2024, which means that clicking ASAP is recommended. [caption id="attachment_976058" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Theo Cottle[/caption] Catering to 12,000 punters each year across three days and two nights, the fest has long proven a favourite for its one-stage setup, which skips the need for frantic timetabling. And, like Meredith Music Festival, its sibling, Golden Plains is also known for the Aunty crew's star-studded bills. If you're wondering how the roster of talent has shaped up in past years, 2023's fest boasted Bikini Kill, Carly Rae Jepsen, Soul II Soul and Four Tet, while 2024's featured The Streets, Yussef Dayes, King Stingray and Black Country, New Road — and plenty more. [caption id="attachment_976059" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Kira Puru[/caption] Golden Plains 2025 Lineup PJ Harvey Fontaines DC 2manydjs Wet Kiss Durand Jones & The Indications Magdalena Bay Osees Kneecap Thelma Plum Grace Cummings Bahamadia Hermanos Gutiérrez Ela Minus Bonny Light Horseman Adriana Mulga Bore Hard Rock CCL Teether & Kuya Neil Skeleten Zjoso Jada Weazel Elliot & Vincent Storytelling with Uncle Barry Sun Ra Arkestra Golden Plains returns to the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre from Saturday, March 8–Monday, March 10, 2025. Head to the festival's website for further details, or to enter the ticket ballot before 10.17pm AEDT on Monday, October 21, 2024. Golden Plains images: Chip Mooney and Ben Fletcher.
Nicolas Cage is sorely missed in Five Nights at Freddy's, not that he was ever on the film's cast list. He starred in 2021's Willy's Wonderland, however, which clearly took its cues from the video-game franchise that this attempt to start a corresponding movie series now officially adapts. Willy's Wonderland wasn't great, but a near-silent Cage battling demonic animatronics was always going to be worth seeing. Unsurprisingly, he's mesmerising. In comparison, the actual Five Nights at Freddy's feature stars Josh Hutcherson deep in his older brother phase, bringing weary charm to a by-the-numbers horror flick that's as routine as they come no matter whether you've ever mashed buttons along with its inspiration — which first dropped in 2014 and now spans nine main games, a tenth on the way and five spinoffs — or seen everyone's favourite Renfield, Pig and Color Out of Space actor give an unlicensed take a go. Writer/director Emma Tammi (The Wind), the game's creator Scott Cawthon (Scooby Doo, Where Are You? In... SPRINGTRAPPED!) and co-screenwriter Seth Cuddeback's (Mateo) movie iteration of Five Nights at Freddy's doesn't just arrive after a Cage film got there first; it hits after season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia wreaked havoc on a comparable setting already in 2023. If you're looking for a pitch-black comedic skewering of eateries in the style of Chuck E Cheese, the IRL pizzeria-meets-arcade chain that Freddy Fazbear's Pizza is patently based on, that's the best of the year. So, the Five Nights at Freddy film lingers in multiple shadows. There's symmetry on- and off-screen as result: shining a torchlight around in the movie uncovers sights that its characters would rather not see, and peering even just slightly through recent pop culture shows that this picture isn't alone, either. The concept in Five Nights at Freddy's whether you've got a controller in your hand or you're watching a flick: at the once-popular Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which was big with families in the 80s, working the night shift at the restaurant's long-shuttered base has killer consequences. That's when the life-sized singing-and-dancing furry robots that performed shows for kids when the place was operational now go menacingly a-wandering, and also make their lack of fondness for visitors brutally known, causing a high staff turnover. Five Nights at Freddy's does explain why, but everything from what's going on to the reason behind it is horror movie 101. The film may take place in an eatery rather than a home — a creepy one, of course — but it's basically a haunted house affair, and happily ticks all of the most standard of genre boxes. Taking the gig from career counsellor Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard, Scream) reluctantly, Mike Schmidt (Hutcherson, Futureman) doesn't want to be anywhere but his own abode come dark, let alone in a dilapidated old funhouse restaurant with anthropomorphic animal figures as one of its main attractions. But he's in need of work after being fired from his mall security job because he wrongly thought that a dad scolding his son was a man kidnapping a child, and reacted violently — and he has his ten-year-old sister Abby (Piper Rubio, Unstable) to look after. They're all that each other have left since the death of their parents and the abduction of their brother Garrett (Lucas Grant, The Patient) years before that, which Mike feels responsible for, other than the overbearing aunt (Mary Stuart Masterson, Blindspot) who is maliciously suing for custody. Mike normally spends his evenings attempting to find out what happened to Garrett via his dreams, a task he continues at Freddy's, with his preoccupation elsewhere giving the animatronics free rein. The place is inherently eerie in a dusty, overlooked, caught-out-of-time way — and also if you just think that giant teddy bears like Freddy can be ominous anyway — but Five Nights at Freddy's lead hasn't noticed until local cop Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail, You) drops by one night while patrolling her beat. Fuelled by his tragic past and ignoring the key 'don't fall asleep' rule of his overnight gig, he's too busy yawning his way to some shuteye to put dream theory to work to unlock his memories of the incident that shattered his family forever. Constructing a film around an oft-snoozing protagonist can be a double-edged sword, and cuts the wrong way here, reminding viewers that they might prefer to be slumbering as well. All that's endeavouring to keep most of the audience awake is predictable circuitry, from horror's current obsession with examining trauma's impact (and the genre's undying love of overusing any trend in flicks great, average and terrible) to overt nods in Stephen King and Scooby Doo's directions. That Scooby Doo vibe is telling, though: rather than just trying to evoke nostalgia in viewers who can remember their days as kids in arcades, family-themed restaurants or combos of both, Five Nights at Freddy's is as much aimed at adolescents now. Accordingly, Tammi hasn't taken a Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey approach — not that that's a worthy example of blending cuddly critters with horror at all — with her film focusing on mood, anticipation, suggestion and jump scares over anything gory or terrifying. Younger audiences still deserve better than a movie this generic. Everyone deserves something other than a film where more time is expended on the build-up and backstory than with Freddy Fazbear, Foxy, Chica, Cupcake and Bonnie. Created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the mechanised mascots look the part, but are both under-deployed and then stuck going through the murderous motions. Winking casting that gives away too much is also part of the Five Nights at Freddy's film experience. So is the pointless aunt subplot, which couldn't be more cartoonish. Scenes that do nothing but gush exposition — and ensure that there's zero mystery around who knows more than they're letting on — similarly bog down the movie. Hutcherson and Rubio nonetheless do well enough with pixel-thin characters, especially in a feature that frequently seems as if it has spliced an unrelated flick about sibling trauma into the Five Nights at Freddy's premise. A picture based on the gaming series was always bound to happen, and Blumhouse adding another established well-known horror name to a stable that also includes Black Christmas, Fantasy Island, The Invisible Man, The Craft's sequel, three Halloween movies, Firestarter and the latest The Exorcist entry was just as likely, but it shouldn't play like everything within it and about it is dully inevitable.
We are all well aware of the pervasive effect social media has on our lives in terms of connecting, conversing and sharing with others on an unprecedented scale. Yet there are a whole myriad of other uses that social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide, which can have immensely positive effects. Take a look at a few valuable uses for social media sites that you probably didn't expect. 1. Mapping Infectious Diseases Graham Dodge founded a cunning website called Sickweather which ingeniously uses Facebook and Twitter updates to track infectious diseases. Unlike Google Flu Trends, which launched in 2010 and is based off people's searches, Sickweather can actually track the occurrence and locations of specific ailments. Dodge is also optimistic that through the use of event schedules, travel and weather patterns and environmental data, social media will be able to predict the spread of diseases. He has already noted pertinent trends of the spread of disease throughout America, and now hopes to win a $21,000 prize in a government-sponsored competition for a new app, which uses Twitter to warn us about public health issues. So next time you feel a cough creeping up on you, do us all a public service and tweet about it. 2. Helping the Homeless find Equality A study conducted by the University of Dayton has discovered that Facebook provides a refuge for homeless people by making them feel more equal. Everyone on Facebook is equipped with the same services and benefits, whether that be liking, commenting, messaging or uploading photos. This, and the fact that people can't smell if they didn't shower yesterday, or even know that they are homeless, which, says one of the subjects of the study, makes them feel accepted. Facebook is also important in helping them establish community networks, and helping solve practical issues such as where to find social services, a meal or shelter. 3. Tracking Public Opinion Topsy released a new political index last week called Topsy Pro Analytics whereby we can use Twitter to gauge public opinion by searching particular topics or hashtags. The complex technology delves into two years of data from Twitter feeds and is updated in real time. The mass number of results from the search not only reveal the frequency and number of tweets about a topic over time, but it also measures the tone and actual content of the tweets and who is conversing most about it. 4. Getting Your Voice Heard Thunderclap is a new site, which allows users to send out a message. Once enough people tweet it or post it on Facebook (at this stage 500 messages over 5 days) the site reaches its threshold and all the updates are sent out at once. This not only increases the chance of the message becoming a trending topic on Twitter but it also increases chances of people seeing multiple updates on Facebook and paying more attention to it. The tool could be a dream for non-profit organisations and the like to help amplify their message. 5. Educating Conservative Cultures about Sex Social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are transforming the way youth consume their media, even in developing nations such as Ethiopia, Mozambique or Indonesia. Social media is also a great tool in educating young people about safe sex practices and the importance of condoms. Through Facebook pages, Twitter feeds and YouTube videos younger audiences can learn about condom use without the embarrassment of their parent's presence and remain anonymous if they wish to. Through these social media platforms it is significantly easier for youth in these lesser developed countries to access information about HIV protection and family planning and chat about sensitive issues. 6. Engaging a 3000 Student Class The thought of teaching a 3000 strong student cohort would surely be enough to plague any teacher or lecturer with terrible nightmares. But John Boyer at Virginia Tech seems to find this massive class a piece of cake. Boyer introduced a novel system of 'gaming principles' by which students can rack up points to determine their notes. On top of this, Boyer poses regular questions on Facebook and Twitter for his students to respond to and also holds office hours using instant messaging on Ustream so he can respond to his many pupils in real time. Skype is also utilised to host interviews with important figures in global issues, such as Kony2012 creator Jason Russel, or a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. 7. Sharing your Organ Donor Status Facebook has introduced a new status option in the United States and United Kingdom which allows users to proclaim their organ donor status. By openly advertising in their biographical information that one is willing to be or already is a registered organ donor, doctors and advocacy group leaders believe that this will have a domino effect and encourage many others to sign up to be an organ donor. As well as this, being able to view it on Facebook would most likely hasten the decision and make it easier for family members to approve their loved one's donation. The company is looking to expand the tool to other countries in the coming months.
Need to zhuzh up a spare room? Perhaps your new space needs a full makeover? Whatever your vision might be, the poised staff at Orient House can help select excellent interiors for your home. This rather fancy warehouse ships antiques, furniture and home decor from Africa, China and Southeast Asia right to the Bridge Road bend in Glebe. You can colour a room with African textiles, splurge on vintage furniture from far-flung Chinese provinces and peruse a huge collection of handwoven lampshades and baskets. Pieces come with a pretty hefty price tag, so budget-conscious shoppers might want to stick to just one or two statement pieces. Images: Elise Hassey
They're taking to hobbits to Isengard at the Ritz Cinema this September, 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 — in their extended forms. 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 686 minutes plus breaks, starting the journey at 11.15am and including two 30-minute meal breaks (breakfast and second breakfast, if you will). If you make it to the final handful of endings, you can pat yourself on the back and smash a ringwraith screech at the nearest Randwick resident on your way home (note: do not actually screech at the residents). Tickets are the precious and come in at $25 for the whole ordeal.
This Is Spinal Tap set the benchmark for mockumentaries way back in 1984 and has reigned supreme ever since. Now it may finally have an equal with What We Do In The Shadows, a collaboration between writer/directors Taika Waititi and Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement. Billed as "a couple of interviews with a couple of vampires", it's a fly on the wall 'documentary' about four vampires sharing a flat in present-day New Zealand and is, quite simply, hilarious. Key to its appeal is the way What We Do In The Shadows presents the needs, problems and activities of vampires as entirely commonplace. The flatmates cruise the clubs of Wellington seeking victims like others seek a one night stand, they jeer each other on when a back-alley argument descends into a 'bat fight', and they projectile vomit blood when they absentmindedly eat actual food. Yes, they've their share of 'vampire' problems (sunlight, vampire hunters, etc), but also more normal ones, like having to tell your best friend you're the undead and suppressing the unceasing desire to kill him. What We Do in the Shadows is in cinemas on September 4. Thanks to Madman Entertainment, we have a What We Do in the Shadows prize pack to give away, with a double in-season pass and DVDs of Submarine, Bernie and Prince Avalanche. Eight runners up will also get double in-season passes to see the film. To be in the running, subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then email us with your name and address. Read our full review of the movie here. Sydney: win.sydney@concreteplayground.com.au Melbourne: win.melbourne@concreteplayground.com.au Brisbane: win.brisbane@concreteplayground.com.au https://youtube.com/watch?v=Cv568AzZ-i8
Part of what makes travel so special is making friends with people from all over the globe. Yet staying in contact after you eventually return to the 'real world' is surprisingly rare. Think about the travel pals you follow: how many do you stay in contact with? It doesn't have to be this way. By putting yourself out there and going the extra mile, you can make these short but sweet connections into lifelong friends. This way, when you say 'keep in touch' as you leave for your next destination, it actually happens. Forging friendships on an epic adventure is easy when good experiences are had. Together with Intrepid Travel, we've curated this guide to making lifelong friendships while gallivanting across the globe. Put Yourself Out There You can't always expect friendship to find you. Instead, put in the effort to meet your fellow travellers and introduce yourself to your trip guide and other travellers in your group. You'll bond over new experiences and become closer with your group mates at food markets as you sample new foods. In rousing destinations like Cambodia, you'll find yourself surrounded by travellers from every corner of the globe at landmarks like Angkor Wat. Strike up a conversation with a friendly face; you might just become lifelong friends. Book a Group Tour Sure, taking an international adventure where every decision is made moment-to-moment is exciting. But sometimes, it's nice just to hang back and let someone else figure out the guesswork for you. This is where the beauty of group multi-day tours comes in. Best of all, these experiences are ideal for making friends, as you'll spend hours together roaming the sights and commuting between them. So, pass the time by getting to know each other. Before you know it, your travel bud becomes a close pal. Embrace the Unknown When you're travelling the world soaking up new experiences, finding a way to get out of your shell is essential. Although it might seem daunting at the time, saying yes when you're invited on an adventure by other travellers is the ideal way to form a tight bond. Similarly, inviting others to tag along when embarking on a trip is another way to kick-start friendships with those you meet on the road. In a vibrant country like Morocco, embracing the unknown is the best way to stave off culture shock. Bond Over Local Experiences The people you meet on your travels make some of the most striking memories. Although there's a good chance some just become hazy recollections from late nights on the town, others are a little more meaningful, especially when you connect over incredible experiences. For many, this means delving into local customs. Rather than sticking to what you know, exploring diverse food, art, and traditions means you level up your worldliness together. If you take a colourful journey to Mexico, getting your cultural fix is never far away. Stay in Touch Found a kindred soul on a trip to Turkey? Even the strongest connection won't last unless you commit to staying in touch. Once you're back home and the adventure is over, it's easy for real life to get in the way of lasting friendships. Fortunately, it's never been easier to keep in contact with your new friends. Add them on socials, tag them in pics and reminisce about the good times you shared. By keeping the group chat active, new adventures are bound to appear on the horizon. Plan Your Next Trip Don't wait for the next adventure to come to you. When you're looking to turn travel companions into forever friends, taking the initiative to keep everyone informed about your upcoming trips is the perfect way to organise an overdue meetup. Whether you've planned out a journey to the Southern Balkans or you've worked together with your pals to create an unforgettable itinerary, inviting travel friends near and far to join your adventure strengthens your bond and makes them companions for life. Get out, explore, dive into adventure and find your WOW with Intrepid Travel. Find out more on the website.
AH Shop Salon, housed in the heritage-listed old Newtown Post Office building, is part salon, part store, and part co-working space for local creatives. It's easy to see why the community loves it. First of all: the stunning space is airy, open, and filled with natural light and greenery. Secondly, the salon, which was founded in 2015, is now filled with dedicated hairstylists and beauty experts who care about their customers first and foremost. Treatments range from hair cut, colour and keratin treatments to facials, custom intravenous infusions and lash treatments. The space also stocks dozens of top-tier beauty and lifestyle brands, including Helmut Lang, Murad, Christophe Robin and Maison Balzac. You'll find everything you need to look and feel good in one place. Images: Arvin Prem Kumar
What's Attica without Ben Shewry? The team at Gelinaz! are about to find out. The Melbourne-based head chef of 'Australia's best restaurant' is packing his bags for a huge global chef swap this July. Created by Gelinaz! — the international chef collective responsible for wild, collaborative cook-off stunts — the event will see 37 chefs from around the globe jump on a plane, travel to a new country and serve up their best in another chef's kitchen. They'll even be living in each other's houses, just like that terrible, terrible Wife Swap. It's called the Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle and it's going down on July 9. Shewry is joining one humdinger of an international chef lineup, repping our culinary nation alongside Adelaidean chef Jock Zonfrillo (of Orana). The pair will put their names in the hat with Parisian chef Alain Ducasse (La Plaza Athenee), Tokyo's Yoshihiro Narisawa (Narisawa), Copenhagen's René Redzepi (Noma), NYC's Sean Gray (Momofuku Ko), Charleston's Sean Brock (McCrady's) and San Francisco's Dominique Crenn (Atelier Crenn) to name a few. The chefs know where they're going, but ticketholders won't know which chef's delights they'll be enjoying until the day. So you could be dining on a Noma or Momofuku-style dish at Attica if you're lucky. Tickets are available to the public, so if you're keen to head to Attica or Orana on July 9 you'd better plan ahead. Tickets go on sale on May 13, but prices haven't been unveiled just yet. Check over here for more details. Here's all 37 Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle participants. Who'll be your chef for the night? Ben Shewry, Attica, Melbourne — Australia Jock Zonfrillo, Orana, Adelaide — Australia Danny Bowien, Mission Chinese Food, New York — USA Sean Gray, Momofuku Ko, New York — USA Sean Brock, McCrady's, Charleston — USA David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos — USA Daniel Patterson, Coi, San Francisco — USA Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco — USA Carlo Mirarchi, Blanca, New York — USA Blaine Wetzel, Willow's Inn, Lummi Island — USA Colombe Saint-Pierre, Chez Saint-Pierre, Le Bic — Canada Claude Bosi, Hibiscus — England Magnus Nilsson, Faviken, Järpen — Sweden Peter Nilsson, Spritmuseum, Stockholm — Sweden René Redzepi, Noma, Copenhagen — Denmark Paul Cunningham, Henne Kirkeby Kro, Henne — Denmark Kobe Desramaults, In De Wulf, Dranouter — Belgium Mehmet Gurs, Mikla, Istanbul — Turkey Yoshihiro Narisawa, Narisawa, Tokyo — Japan David Thompson, Nahm, Bangkok — Thailand Bertrand Grebaut, Septime, Paris — France Alain Ducasse, La Plaza Athenee, Paris — France Yannick Alleno, Le Doyen, Paris — France Inaki Alzpitarte, Le Cheateaubriand, Paris — France Mauro Colagreco, Mirazur, Menton — France Alexandre Gauthier, La Grenouillere, Montreuil/Mer — France Ana Ros, Hisa Franko, Kobarid — Slovenia Davide Scabin, Combal Zero, Rivoli — Italy Fulvio Pierangelini, Hotel de Russie, Rome — Italy Riccardo Camanini, Lido 84, Gardone Riviera — Italy Massimo Bottura, La Francescana, Moderna — Italy Massilmillano Alajmo, La Calandre, Venice — Italy Andoni Luis Aduriz, Mugaritz, San Sebastian — Spain Albert Adria, Pakta, Barcelona — Spain Alex Atala, D.O.M., San Paolo — Brazil Rodolfo Guzman, Borago, Santiago — Chile Virgillo Martinez, Central, Lima — Peru Via Grub Street.
Go buy a 3D printer right now, and show us what you can invent. Every industry is getting cooler thanks to this democratising technology, which is in the process of bringing us 3D-printed organs, 3D-printed cities, and 3D-printed sex toys (including a vibrator modelled on Justin Bieber's head). And what can it do for broken bones? One Victoria University of Wellington graduate has cleverly used 3D printing to reinvent the clunky, sweaty arm cast we all had to wear in primary school after a violent game of handball. Called the 'Cortex', Jake Evill's invention is breathable, eco-friendly and washable. Its polyamide can also be reused. Unlike the oh-so-analogue plaster casts of yore, the Cortex's structure has the potential to be digitally tailored to the injury. Computer software can receive x-rays and measurements of the limb, and via an algorithm, the printer produces (within a slightly lengthy 3 hours) a lightweight cast which protects and supports in all the right places. And excitingly, it can be worn under a long-sleeve shirt. While some would mourn the hallowed tradition of messy cast graffiti, it's our surmise that 3D printing culture will quickly come up with an upgrade for that, too. Via Gizmodo. Image from http://jakevilldesign.dunked.com.
Until the end of August, you can snag a free cheeseburger with every drink valued $10 or higher purchased at Will's, the pint-sized beachfront bar at the Coogee Pavillion. And these aren't just any burgers. This Oklahoma-style sandwich stars a Coppertree Farms wagyu beef patty on a cream cheese bun, finished with pickles and mustard. As Sydney barrels towards the warmer spring months, beach weather is tantalisingly close. So why not break your winter beach embargo early, enjoy a bracing dip at Wylie's Baths or a paddle in the surf before heading to Will's for a beverage and burger bargain? The offer is valid Wednesday–Sunday, midday–9pm, or until the supply of burgers is exhausted – so we suggest you plan a lunchtime visit to avoid disappointment.
This film suffers from a major case of false advertising. From the title you might be persuaded that Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro had passed their dysfunctional schtick along to the next generation, or that the film actually has something to do with the holiday season, when really it's just more of the same Meet The Parents shenanigans with an afterthought of a Christmas scene plonked on the end. That's ok, insofar as you're mostly spared little munchkins trying to do comedy, but why all the misdirection? Director Paul Weitz (American Pie) and his all-star cast seem more than happy to continue riffing on the same ole' chords. If you can believe, it's been a six years since Meet the Fockers (and ten since the original Meet the Parents), and in that time Greg (Stiller) has risen up the ranks of hospital administration and is now being courted by a smoking hot drug rep (Love & Other Drugs style) Andi Garcia (Jessica Alba) to make some quick cash spruiking for an erectile dysfunction drug. The extra income comes at an opportune moment, for the ever over-bearing Jack (De Niro) has decided to shift the patriarchal crown over to his son-in-law, and in doing so heavily suggests Greg should get his finances in order and his kids into private schools. This leads to all manner of miscommunication as Greg and Jack tour the comically named Early Human School, run by the fiercely free spirited Prudence, in a scene-stealing cameo by Laura Dern. But this is as much as the film has to do with the little Fockers, as the rest is just elbowroom for Stiller, De Niro and the reintroduced Owen Wilson as Greg's wealthy, worldly rival Kevin, to muck around on screen. And yet for all the telegraphed laughs and the mind-numbing obviousness of it all, there is actually something relatively fun about watching these guys chew the scenery with the likes of Harvey Keitel, Dustin Hoffman, Barbra Streisand and Blythe Danner. Everyone looks to be having a truckload of fun, newcomer Alba especially, so one can be forgiven for being swept up in the benign frivolity. But of course another way to look at the misleading marketing and Boxing Day release is as a blatant cash-grab, to which you can say 'Bah Humbug' and tell Stiller, De Niro and their Little Fockers to, well, you know. https://youtube.com/watch?v=y27IueXA8-E
Every small town needs a touch of higher-end fashion, and this boutique definitely meets that niche for Cronulla. On the quieter side of Surf Street, Meet That Store has a chic aesthetic that ensures it isn't crowded with racks and racks of clothing. Instead, you'll find carefully chosen pieces with the demographic of the beachside locals in mind. With every item of clothing on the rack, there is a selection of matching accessories to go with it. If you have a special occasion coming up, Meet That Store is definitely your one-stop shop to look and feel a million dollars. Images: Caitlin Morahan.
Do you struggle with the basic task of ordering in restaurants? Do you sometimes wish there was some kind of elaborate computer program that could just decide on a menu item for you? If your answer to both those questions is "yes", then consider paying a visit to a KFC in Beijing's financial district, where facial recognition technology is being used to pick meals for customers based on their age, gender and mood. According to a press release put out by Chinese tech giant Baidu, who collaborated with Colonel Sanders on the technology, customers stand in front of a machine which scans their face and then makes recommendations as to what they might like to order. For example, a male in his 20s would likely be recommended "a set meal of crispy chicken hamburger, roasted chicken wings and Coke," while a woman in her fifties would be encouraged to purchase "porridge and soybean milk." Already, this jumps out as pretty sexist/ageist — after all, who is this robot to say that I, a male in his 20s, wouldn't also like to order a delicious bowl of KFC porridge? Mmm... appetising. Perhaps more promising is the fact that the machine can recall the faces of returning customers, along with their favourite menu items. That's the theory at least, although it didn't remember Amy Hawkins, a reporter for The Guardian who tried the machine twice but failed to leave an impression. Hawkins also noted that a vast majority of people in the Beijing restaurant seemed to prefer ordering the old-fashioned way. According to one customer she spoke to, "if it knows in future what I want to eat that's great, but at the moment it's not very smart." Perhaps they're scared off by privacy concerns? Personally, I don't know that I want there to be a digital paper trail of how frequently I visit KFC, or how much I order when I do (spoiler: it's a lot). Nevertheless, KFC is reportedly planning to roll out the technology to 5000 stores across China. It's a brave new world we're living in folks. A brave, greasy new world.
Joyful, wise, sad and scary. These are the words a little girl used to describe The Book of Everything to me after the show. She was nine years old, as is Thomas Klopper, the hero of Guus Kuijer's acclaimed story. I asked her what she thought of it because I found it genuinely frightening in parts and deeply distressing in others. I was forgetting that children don't come to a show with the same emotional baggage as adults; they’re less concerned with the shades of grey in characters. The Book of Everything certainly tackles some big issues, like domestic abuse, postwar faith and paternal power, but it's ultimately an uplifting story about a scared boy who learns how to be brave. Even though his father has told him (in his stern pedant's tone) that the only important books are about God, Thomas Klopper is determined to write a book about — you guessed it — everything. Into the book go his wildest hopes, fears and imaginings: tropical fish swimming in the canal, a deluge of divine frogs during summer, the son of God strolling through suburban Amsterdam. Thomas also jots down his greatest wish: to be happy when he grows up. A humungous duplicate of Thomas’s diary dominates Kim Carpenter's set, and in it are Thomas's drawings of the Klopper home, the fishy canal, the forbidding church and Mrs van Amersfoort's witch’s lair. We (literally) get the picture that what Thomas really wants is for the people around him to be happy as he turns its pages with pride and pleasure. The rest of the stage is empty save for a wooden table and some chairs, and members of the cast skilfully manage the sound effects both on and off stage. This works splendidly in scenes where Thomas’s love interest — a beautiful girl with a creaky leather leg — tries to get close to skittish Thomas with varied success. Adapted for the stage by Richard Tulloch, this production is commissioned by Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image and directed by Neil Armfield. Set in postwar Amsterdam in 1951, the play has a certain old-timey, quaint quality that makes Thomas’s childish fantasies all the more enchanting. That said, the sometimes confronting subject matter hints darkly at the depth of understanding that children are capable of, and the violence, though stylised, is unsettling. We see Thomas retreat, again and again, into his imaginary life as all the wrong in the world overwhelms him. Maybe though, that’s the point — and what children know but adults tend to forget is that words, books and whimsy can provide strength and solace in the pursuit of happiness.
Films concerning cars and racing have often been less than fantastic (unless Ryan Gosling or Vin Diesel is at the wheel). However, Ron Howard may be about to add another option to that short list with Rush, a film for motoring and film enthusiasts alike. "You've seldom felt more alive in a movie theatre than you will experiencing Rush," was Variety reviewer Peter Debruge's verdict on the film, which is currently sitting at 100 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Rush explores one of the most famous rivalries in Formula 1 history — British bad-boy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) versus disciplined champion Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) — and their memorable 1976 season where Hunt and Lauda pushed each other to the limits of their sport, resulting in a horrific crash and legendary comeback that earned its own page in sporting lore. The events of that season in a sport that saw deaths occur annually at the time is the stuff of great human drama, giving Hemsworth and Brühl plenty of fuel to work with. What is set to push Rush to pole position on the grid though is the incredible realness created by Howard's camera techniques throughout production. He takes the audience deep into the thick of the action by integrating cameras directly into the cars themselves. The race sequences eradicate the boredom of watching cars go around and around and allow us to enjoy the action and the film's exploration of ego. Add in a Hans Zimmer score and this could be very busy come award season. We are holding a private advance screening of Rush on 2 October at Dendy Newtown, ahead of the film's national release on 3 October. To be in the running for one of 75 double passes, just subscribe to the Concrete Playground newsletter (if you haven't already), then click here. https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZKqB987FpMI
Whether you can't get enough of Euphoria, are a Succession stan or adore True Detective, streaming HBO's hits in Australia has meant making a date with Binge since 2020. The platform launched as an offshoot of pay TV service Foxtel — following past platforms Presto — with the slate of shows from the beloved US network as its number-one drawcard. Back then, it was Game of Thrones, Westworld, Chernobyl, Veep and Big Little Lies luring in subscribers; now, it's House of the Dragon, The Last of Us and The White Lotus, too. Whichever HBO series you adore — and how many of them are on your must-watch list — you'll be making a date with Binge for the foreseeable future. Or, with Foxtel if you still prefer. Either way, Warner Bros Discovery, which owns HBO, has just made a new deal with Foxtel and Binge to keep its series on those Aussie services. The Foxtel Group will remain the home of HBO, Max Originals, Warner Bros and Discovery programming as part of a multi-year partnership extension — and the only place you'll be able to see shows like all of the above. Other series involved include set-to-return programs such as Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Perry Mason, And Just Like That..., The Sex Lives of College Girls and Peacemaker. And, the deal covers newcomers like The Idol, political drama White House Plumbers, the Robert Downey Jr- starring The Sympathizer, The Palace with Kate Winslet and The Batman spinoff The Penguin. Plus, when they make their way from cinemas to streaming, upcoming flicks such as Dune 2, Barbie, Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom and other DC Extended Universe movies will also hit Binge and Foxtel. "This landmark partnership cements our position as the partner of choice to the world's largest entertainment studios. We are delighted Warner Bros Discovery chose us as we continue our long-standing partnership together with optionality at its core. A unique business model like ours that covers multiple platforms and brands means we can partner for the long term and together we will continue to entertain millions of Australians every day for years to come," said Foxtel Group CEO, Patrick Delany, announcing the deal. "Foxtel Group are a long-term, historic partner for Warner Bros Discovery in Australia, and we are thrilled to deepen this strong collaboration with a renewed agreement that reflects the scale and opportunity of Foxtel Group's growing suite of products and customer base," added James Gibbons, Warner Bros Discovery President and Managing Director, Western Pacific. In America since 2020, and rolling out through Latin America, the Caribbean and parts of Europe since, HBO streams its lineup of shows via its own platform, HBO Max, which hasn't yet made it to Australia. Based on the new deal with Foxtel and Binge, doesn't look set to anytime soon. "As we look to drive strategic growth of our business across all platforms locally, this deal also provides optionality for future collaboration, including for our future streaming service, that will ultimately offer Australians greater access to the world-class storytelling and much-loved brands Warner Bros Discovery is renowned for," said Gibbons. The Australian Financial Review reports that HBO Max won't make its way Down Under until at least 2025. For more information, head to the Binge and Foxtel websites. Top image: HBO.
While La Niña may be threatening hot vax summer, no doubt you still intend on living it up over the warmer months. After all, you've got mates to catch up with, new bars to check out and a swathe of live gigs to see. And, with all these social occasions coming up, you're probably keeping an eye out for some new summer threads. Lucky for you, top seltzer brand White Claw has teamed up with local fashion brand Barney Cools to bring you the ultimate wardrobe to cruise around in this summer. The brands are basically the epitome of summer, so the collab makes sense. And the best news? You can score it for free. The White Claw x Barney Cools all-white capsule collection includes three epic items: a terry cord party shirt, a breezy vintage-style tee and corduroy cap. Each limited-edition piece is designed to be genderless, too, so they'll suit anyone and everyone who's keen to make the most of summer. Oh, and did we mention that the prize also includes one White Claw variety pack? The new-release pack includes four flavours: watermelon, mango, lime and grapefruit. There are ten White Claw x Barney Cools packs to be won around the country. Should you win, you'll score some White Claws and all three clothing items, so you can don them to the beach, pub, park and just about everywhere else you plan to hit this summer. Keen to win some new summer threads? Enter your details below to go in the running. [competition]836217[/competition]
Fresh, nutritious food is the game at Golden Lotus, cementing it as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Sydney. David Nguyen's Vietnamese eatery promises the authentic flavours of Saigon without any animal products — making it vegan, too. Beyond tofu, there are a few soy meat options available across the menu of family recipes that includes stir fries, dumplings and noodle soups. Appetisers include tasty tofu rolls and mushroom fritters while the vegan duck pancakes are especially convincing. But if you prefer to start with a soup, try the tofu and cream corn. It's hard to belief this incredibly creamy concoction is totally vegan. Vegan chicken dishes are also plentiful at Golden Lotus, with the highlight being the fried "chicken" with Shandong sauce, served with salad and your choice of sauce. The fish menu is a bit more limited but no less delicious, with the vegan fried fish in clay pot with a peppery light sauce and onion the standout. If you're the type of vegan who's more into veggies than fake meats, you are also looked after. The eggplant in claypot and the fried mushroom with salt and chilli are our top picks. The food at Golden Lotus is so tasty that even the most vehement meat-eaters will be placated — that is, ff they can look past the glowing pink "Veganism is magic" sign on the wall. The set-up is cosy and familiar; the walls are bright green and tables are placed close together to give the place a buzzing, community atmosphere. Summed up, it's very Newtown.
Talk about dreams coming true, or ideas that you've probably fantasised about over a few glasses of vino actually becoming a reality. A town in Italy has installed what's certain to become a tourist attraction, at least with those fond of a grape-centric boozy beverage: a free, 24-hour wine fountain. Because you're probably already booking a trip to the European country, then Abruzzo is the place you want to head to. There, designed to provide refreshments to folks following the Cammino di San Tommaso pilgrimage from Rome to Ortona, inspired by a similar setup on the Camino de Santiago route in Spain, located at the Dora Sarchese vineyard and open to anyone who walks by, you'll find the fontana del vino dripping with the good stuff. Red wine that is, not white. Yes, this is a real thing. No, we'd never joke about something like this. It's better than anything Art vs Science could ever sing about, and up there with the cascade of youth-giving liquid spoken about in legends and nodded to in Darren Aronofsky's Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz-starring 2006 film. Forget bubblers spurting H20 — this is the true holy grail of public drink dispensers. You might recall similar concepts popping up around Italy in the past; however they were once-off affairs. This is permanent: no gimmicks, no time limit, just an all-day-round spring of vino that you can enjoy for zilch. The vineyard does warn that it's not for drunkards, though, so behave yourselves. Via Travel and Leisure.
Located just outside the opal mining town of Lightning Ridge, these delightful baths are surrounded by remote bushland and are gloriously removed from all signs of civilisation — plus they're open 24 hours a day. You can soak in the hot waters at sunrise, sunset, or any other time your little heart desires. Night swims are particularly recommended as you can float in the 40-degree water while taking in the stunning expanse of the starry sky. A popular meeting place for Lightning Ridge residents, the baths are also a great place to get a feel for local life. Best of all? Entry is totally free. Top image: Destination NSW
Paddington's Piermarq Gallery is hosting the newest exhibition by Endcount, an Australian-based duo which takes a fine art approach to raise awareness about endangered species. A collaboration between French painter Aurelie Perthuis and UK-born engineer Joe Bramwell-Smith. Their artistic focus combines research, fine art, code, digital art, printing and painting to create a modern portrayal of the human impact on extinction rates. Endcount's second series focuses on endangered birds of Australia. Their complex process began with building an app which uses the the IUCN Red List — a source which documents the total number of a threatened species remaining in the wild — to create a digital image of these numbers. Once the digital version is generated, it is printed on a canvas and painted, providing an even greater depth to the pieces. The result is a morosely beautiful and thought-provoking body of art that depicts the fragility of these species while also appealing to our scientific reasoning. Through their multimedia approach, Endcount is able to aptly create data visualisation for these IUCN findings and evoke an emotional response to a problem that too often goes overlooked. The work will be on display until Saturday, November 5.
Two gigantic Australian billboards were hijacked this week, now sporting seriously gnarly tatts. Located in Sydney's George Street and Melbourne's St Kilda Junction, the 16m x 6m billboards have been emblazoned with giant tattooed lions by longtime team-up Aussie artists The Yok and Sheryo in collaboration with LYNX. The two artists were invited to use their own unique styles and expression to transform the men's brand's latest outdoor campaign. Marking phase one of LYNX's brand new 'Expression Series', the billboards were completed over four days; with a limited run of t-shirts and posters available through Facebook. This isn't the first time the pair have worked together; The Yok and Sheryo have exhibited and painted their fantastical creatures everywhere from Mexico to NY, Atlanta, LA, Miami, Africa, Belgium, London, Europe, Seoul, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and Cambodia. So why the massive lions? The Yok has seen his fair share of expression-fuelling travel, moving to Africa from Australia and finding an addictive freshness in his newfound environment (lions included). "I moved to Kenya when I was 25 and I lived there for a year and a half; I think that had a real dramatic effect, it was a really rewarding experience" says The Yok in the behind-the-scenes video. "I really value that feeling, so maybe I'm always trying to chase that feeling again. It's kind of like being a kid and everything's new. "I remember when I saw my first lion in Kenya. Such an amazing animal to see close up; they're just so powerful-looking. I can't really describe what it is to look at a lion in the face, but they're an amazing creature." https://youtube.com/watch?v=zNQyWPUqdF0 LYNX aren't stopping at two gigantic billboards; the next phase of the 'Expressions Series' will see typographer Luca Ionescu and a photographer collaborate on a mystery project to be announced later in the year. LYNX's project aims to help Australian guys express themselves authentically, supporting creators who stay true to their vision but might not always have the opportunity to do so. Check out LYNX's 'Expression Series' over here and stay tuned for the next project announcement later this year.
Silly season is right around the corner and to celebrate Ivy is throwing the four-day summer bender you've been dreaming of all year. So, buckle up for eight parties across four days at the George Street institution. The Ivy Weekender will kick off on Thursday, December 2 and run through until Sunday, December 5 at the Ivy Precinct in Sydney's CBD. Start your weekend early with Ivy's weekly Thursday night party where DJs will be spinning big dance tracks and crowd pleasers until the early hours. Back it up on Friday with the grand opening of the WAO Superclub, a new initiative from the CBD club. WAO takes advantage of Ivy's multiple levels, offering up several dance floors serving up RnB, EDM and Trance tunes. On Saturday, you can start your day off waterside at the Pool Club with Drag Brunch and its iconic drag hosts, pop DJs and 1.5-hours of bottomless mimosas. Or, catch international acclaimed party-starters Carl Cox and Eric Powell as they bring their Mobile Disco to Ivy for an eight-hour journey through funk, soul, disco and house music from midday until 8pm. Come nighttime, two more parties are taking over. Poof Doof is bringing its mix of forward-thinking house and timeless pop hits to the main dance floor and Snap Crackle and Pop room of the Ivy, with a Rainbow Hour drinks package available from 10pm. And, Boogie will pop up in the Pool Club for anyone looking for an open-air dance. Closing out the weekend is Ivy's two Sunday regulars, the poolside Marco Polo and Lost Paradise Festival's cutting-edge dance and electronic club session Lost Sundays.
Neil Perry did it, so Luke Mangan's going to try. Fine dining chefs have been trying their hand at the more casual fast food game, with new chains like Burger Project testing the takeaway waters for top tier hospitality figures. Now, lauded Mojo chef Mangan will launch his first foray into the ever-expanding burger bubble, opening a chain of burger joints dubbed (somewhat cringingly) Chicken Confidential in January. Announced this week, the new venture will focus exclusively on chicken (obviously), will be part of an expansive movement of chains that Mangan is looking to install across Australia and into Asia over the next couple of years. An exclusive preview of the menu is available for lunch at Mangan's CBD restaurant, Glass Brasserie, from December 7 until December 22. Mangan opened his first restaurant in 1999, and his entrepreneurial antics have proved to be as unstoppable as a Pringles can. Since 1999, he's opened joints all around Asia and Australia, crafted menus for P&O Cruises, cooked in the sky with Virgin Australia, written books, opened a providore and a whole host of other enterprises. Now he's got his eye set on Sydney's growing fascination with food that can't be good for you but who cares, it's delicious, where the two towering tyrants of this fascination are burgers and damn good fried chicken. The aim of Chicken Confidential is to blend the two, focusing on crafting incredible chicken burgers for a readily waiting public. At least, this is the niche that Mangan is hoping to exploit, but with so many excellent dedicated chicken joints already with deep roots all over the city, it's hard to predict if punters will flock (puts Box of Shame on self) to this new kid on the block. Only time can tell if the venture will be less secretive than the name would imply.
The very beginning of Nick Broomfield's new Whitney Houston documentary features voiceover from one of the singer's friends talking about how she died. We all know the story: one of the most talented voices of our time succumbed to substance abuse and drowned in a bathtub. But her friend posits that while drugs were involved, perhaps they weren't the root cause. Perhaps Whitney Houston died of a broken heart, she says. This sad idea settles over the rest of the film like a cloud, as Broomfield recounts the story of a supremely talented yet obviously troubled young woman surrounded by people unable or unwilling to get her the help that she needed. The Whitney we first see is so young that it's difficult for us to believe she'll become the woman in the bathtub. She's bubbly and bright, singing in her gospel choir at church (led by her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston). That trademark smile is instantly recognisable. She's just a kid with a huge voice, and she's happy. But that huge voice soon proves to be both a blessing and a curse. Signed at the age of 19, Whitney was thrown into the deep end of an industry that had its own plans for her, moulded into a pop princess by a team of men who worked at Arista Records. Interviewing some of them in the present day, it seems the muscle memory of their puppeteering is still fresh. Her old management team still talks about her like an object rather than a person, and there's little doubt that their level of control over Whitney contributed negatively towards her mental and physical health. You're left feeling sad and frustrated, wanting to call these men into account. Why didn't they help her? Whitney: Can I Be Me uses a large amount of footage from the singer's 1999 world tour, some of which is absolutely staggering. At this point in her life her voice was still in prime condition – the effort she puts into every single song leaves her drenched in sweat; her calling card "I Will Always Love You" works the audience up into a frenzy; while her ability to "caress notes", as the Arista representatives say, is unrivalled. In a time where there was no Beyoncé and certainly no Janelle Monae or Nicki Minaj, Whitney's music was a carefully crafted brand of pop, and was often sent back to the studio for being "too black-sounding". The movie's title becomes a sad realisation that hits you mid-way through. As much as this is a story about Whitney losing her life, it's also about her losing herself. The sweetest parts of the film come from home video footage of Whitney just sitting around eating takeaway and watching movies, or acting out silly scenes with her husband Bobby Brown. In these moments, we're reassured that she has friends and family who love her. And yet ultimately, these relationships all fall apart. Even Robyn, her childhood friend who stuck with her for years, eventually fades away. A lot is made in the film about Robyn and Whitney's relationship, and whether it was more than just a friendship. But regardless of whether Whitney was gay, or bisexual, we get the feeling Robyn is one of the pillars in her life. That they parted ways mid-tour seems to just weaken Whitney's grip on her voice, her health, and her increasingly unhappy marriage. The footage of her being interviewed by Diane Sawyer in 2002 about her addictions is especially moving. When asked what her biggest devil was, she replies that it is herself. Whitney: Can I Be Me paints a tragic portrait of a woman who didn't have the right people around her, nor the drive to get herself the help she required. To add to the grey cloud, Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina lost her life in 2015 in eerily similar circumstances. Sadly, the film feels more like a story about this pattern of unhappiness than it does a celebration of the singer's talent – a shame for a woman who had so much. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G2fY0xci_c
If it works for KFC and Moulin Rouge!, it can work for Christmas: that's Sydney fine-diner nel's approach in 2022. Earlier in the year, it served up a luxe 11-course degustation that riffed on the Colonel's finest. And, when Moulin Rouge! The Musical first arrived in town, it also went with a decadent nine-course array of dishes dripping with French nostalgia. Now, with the festive season upon us, the restaurant is getting merry. Nel is no stranger to Christmas spreads — or to themed degustations in general; see also: its Disney offerings — but it is celebrating 2022's jolliest time of year with a specific range of treats. The new menu takes its cues from the traditional story behind Christmas. It's also filled with festive culinary traditions, like roasts and gingerbread, but not as you know them. Available from Wednesday, November 9–Friday, December 23, the CBD institution's new Christmas menu features a turkey dinner in miniature stack form, for instance, plus a savoury gingerbread house and a spin on the Aussie favourite that is the shrimp cocktail. There's also a dish featuring lamb rolled in gold, leek hay, myrrh oil and smoked pea puree that nods to the nativity story — yes, it comes with gifts from three wise men — plus a flaming 'Santa's Beard' and a snowy 'Walking in the Air' scene. Nel's chef and namesake Nelly Robinson has found 11 ways to interpret Christmas food staples from around the world, while still giving them his usual creative spin. His menu heroes seasonal and sustainable produce, as always, and there's a matching wine journey with vino from nel's cellar to go along with it. Sydneysiders can tuck in for $165 per person, with another $165 each on top for the booze. Or, there's a non-alcoholic matching drinks selection for $85 per head. Nel will also be opening for lunch on Saturdays in November, and Friday and Saturdays in December, to give diners extra options.
