Month: May 2016

Interview with Michelle Carey, MIFF Artistic Director

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If you ask any Melbourne cinephile what their favourite months of the year are, it will no doubt be the months of July & August. The reason? The Melbourne International Film Festival, of course. Held over two and a half weeks and attracting over 200 000 visitors each year,  MIFF showcases the best of the best cinema from Australia and around the world. We took a moment to chat to Artistic Director, Michelle Carey ahead of the festival to find out more about what goes into making the festival so unique and pulling together such a giant program for it. Can you tell us a little more about  how you became MIFF Artistic Director and what your favourite part of being the artistic director is? It wasn’t a very straightforward path,  I have experience in my 20’s in music, working in radio on bands and events and that kind of thing, and then on a trip to Europe in  my late 20’s discovered film was my passion and so I just started volunteering. I worked …

Wine & Wildlife

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Healesville Sanctuary is teaming up with Yarra Valley icons to bring you a gourmet experience with a wild difference! Now in it’s 5th year, Wine and Wildlife will bring the finest wines from De Bortoli and Punt Road (to name a few), craft beer and cider from Napoleone, delicious chocolate from Kennedy and Wilson, gourmet cheese tastings and more to the sanctuary.  Graze your way through the four pavilions showcasing an exciting line-up of local wineries and breweries, along with a hearty winter menu by Sanctuary Harvest Head Chef Pascal. All the winter favourites will be on offer including slow cooked beef with winter root veggies, to pulled lamb rolls with mint jelly, to red lentil and pumpkin soup with crusty bread. There’ll be roaring open fires plus live acoustic music set against the backdrop of the Sanctuary’s stunning bushland setting. Keepers will also be roaming the grounds with some of our furry, feathered and scaly friends for serendipitous wildlife encounters! Just a one hour drive from Melbourne CBD through Victoria’s beautiful wine country, it’s the …

Melbourne Chilli Festival

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Set your taste-buds on fire at The Melbourne Chilli Festival on Saturday 4 June and help raise funds for the Prahran Mission. Think you can handle the spice? Take part in the chilli eating competition with 5 competitions held with 5 contestants each. The winner will be determined by the fastest time out of all the winners in total. Contestants must eat 12 x chicken wings marinated in the world’s hottest chilli extract, in 5 minutes or less. The chilli extract has a scoville reading (unit for measurement of heat) of 9.1 million. To put that into perspective a fresh jalapeno has a scoville reading of just 2,000. The hottest Melbourne food trucks will be also there on the night including Dos Diablos, Billy Van Creamy, Soul Kitchen Pizza , Little Mushroom Co and Hobba . All trucks will have a chilli element in addition to their existing menu. Entry by gold coin donation When: Saturday 4 June Where: 424 Malvern Road, Prahran Visit the Melbourne Chilli Festival website.  

CounterMove

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Sydney Dance Company’s CounterMove is an exhilarating double bill that will intrigue, move and entertain you. Featuring a laugh-out–loud funny piece, Cacti, by Swedish Choreographer Alexander Ekman and Rafael Bonachela’s deeply moving world premiere, Lux Tenebris.  Receiving rapturous reviews from around the world, Cacti is a brilliantly conceived, laugh-out-loud funny piece that dares to poke fun at contemporary dance. While Rafael Bonachela’s world premiere, Lux Tenebris explores light and darkness with fiercely physical movement and deep, electronic beats by composer Nick Wales (long-term collaborator of Sarah Blasko). Don’t miss CounterMove in it’s limited Melbourne season. We Know Melbourne exclusive: Quote SDCHOTEL online to receive $10 off tickets throughout the season. When: 25 May – 4 June Where: Southbank Theatre, Melbourne. Visit the CounterMove website.

The Winter Night Markets are back!

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Everyone’s favourite night markets are returning this June. Grab a group of friends and cosy up under the market sheds for The Winter Night Markets with Melbourne’s hottest foodies, artisans and performers. This winter there’ll be over 30 street vendors including the likes of 400 Gradi, The Brass Coq, MJR TOM plus more.  Enjoy the evening next with a mulled wine in hand next to the  crackling fires, plus a revolving line-up of entertainers and live music to make it the perfect mid-week winter night out. When: Wednesdays, June 1 – August 2016 Where: Queen Vic Markets Visit the Winter Night Markets website.

Negroni Week

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Drink for a cause and celebrate the bittersweet orange tipple during Negroni Week. From June 6-12, various venues across Melbourne will be donating $1 for every Negroni sold to select charities.  Presented by Imbibe Magazine and Campari, Negroni Week initially launched in 2013 as a celebration of one of the world’s great cocktails and an effort to raise money for charitable causes around the world. Now in it’s fourth year, the week has raised close to $500 000 for charitable causes. We Know Melbourne tip: We recommend trying out Bomba or Añada who will be donating $1 for every Negroni sold to the Sacred Heart Mission. Visit the Negroni Week website.

Melbourne Tea Festival

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This May, the Melbourne Tea Festival will celebrate the specialty loose leaf tea. Wander through the tea market and discover some of the best artisanal teas around, grab a bite to eat from a food truck, indulge in a sweet treat or sit down and enjoy a cup of tea in the brew lounge. Participate in hands-on sessions and tasting with workshops hosted by leading industry specialists. The festival day will have two elements, a tea market – featuring dozens of stallholders; and a program of ticketed workshops – where you can immerse yourself in the world of tea with some of Australia’s leading tea specialists, as they host educational talks, tastings, demonstrations and hands-on sessions. When: 29 May 2016 Where: Melbourne Conference & Exhibition Centre (MCEC) Visit the Melbourne Tea Festival website.  

Fiesta Malaysia

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Fiesta Malaysia is back for another year! With more food stalls, an exciting line-up of performances, and tons of surprises in store for you, this year’s fiesta promises to be the best one yet. Experience a taste of Malaysia without the cost of a plane ticket. Best of all, entry is free which means more money to spend on curries, roti and nasi lemaks! When: 21 May 2016 Where: Federation Square Visit the Fiesta Malaysia website.

Explore the Melbourne Aquarium After Dark

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The Melbourne Aquarium are opening after dark. Experience an unforgettable start to the weekend with a group of friends or work mates and enjoy a fantastic night of great food, drinks and music as you journey through SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium’s zones of discovery, featuring one of the world’s largest saltwater crocodiles! All ticket holders will receive a welcome cocktail, plus you’ll be able to drink your way through unlimited sparkling wine, red and white wine, beer, soft drink, juice, mineral water. Finger food will also be served throughout the evening including cold canapés, hot canapés, hot grazing dishes, dessert canapés Experience the aquarium in a whole new light as you explore amazing displays, including the spectacular Fish Bowl exhibit! When: 6pm – 9pm,  27 May,  24 June, 26 August, 30 September, 28 October, Where: Melbourne Aquarium Visit the Melbourne Aquarium website.

Melbourne Truffle Festival

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Ah the truffles! They’re elusive, exotic, unique – and shrouded in secrecy and mystique. But come this June, you’ll be able to learn all about the delights of this  mysterious delight including its history, folklore, stories and people at The Melbourne Truffle Festival. There’ll be all sorts of shows from masterchef demonstrations to decadent dinners and a mini festival at Prahran Market. If you’re up for more of an adventure there’s also the Truffle Hunt where you can hunt for truffles in the cold morning mist with the truffle sniffing dogs. Highlights include: Truffle Melbourne @ Prahran Markets 17 -19 June: Live chef demonstrations by our hottest truffle chefs along with truffle tastings and free specialist food photography workshops on Saturday & Sunday Truffle Melbourne’s Craft Day Out Masterclass 10 July: A whole day of truffle discovery with passionate artisan craftspeople- learn how to make truffled cheeses, charcuterie, beer and spirits in an inspiring setting with a combination of workshops and hands on classes. Truffle Melbourne Pop Up weekend @ Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula: 15 – …