Month: April 2018

21st Spanish Film Festival

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FROM JAVIER BARDEM TO PACO LEÓN AND MARIBEL VERDÚ: THE 21st SPANISH FILM FESTIVAL SHOWCASES THE BEST SPANISH CINEMA AND THE GREAT AUTEURS Screening nationally from 17 April exclusively at Palace Cinemas, the 2018 Spanish Film Festival (SFF) will open with a fiesta and screening of street dancing musical comedy THE TRIBE (La Tribu). The twenty-day festival, which showcases 25 films, will close with Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece PAN’S LABYRINTH. The visionary Mexican director recently took home four Academy Awards including Best Film and Best Director with a further nine nominations for his whimsical and spellbinding underwater romance The Shape of Water. To celebrate this incredible achievement, we’re bringing his beloved dark fairy-tale back to the big screen to close the 21st Festival. Special event screenings of the film that has skyrocketed to the top of the 2018 Spanish box-office – NO FILTER (Sin rodeos) – will take place nationally with drinks and music before the film. In NO FLITER, one of Spain’s most popular comedic talents, Santiago Segura, directs Maribel Verdú as a woman …

Join the ultimate celebration of jazz

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An elegant event for our East siders this April. Join the music and jazz lovers to the highly anticipated Jazz Greats Weekend on Saturday, 28 and Sunday, 29 April 2018 at Monash University’s Robert Blackwood Hall. This year’s ultimate weekend of jazz kicks off with ARIA award winners Vince Jones and Megan Washington joining a 17-piece orchestra to revisit “Come In Spinner, ” Australia’s most successful jazz album. Through celebrating the soundtrack of the popular 1990’s television series, the evening promises to blast a fresh and surprising energy into beloved jazz standards courtesy of all-new arrangements by Steve Newcombe. The Jazz Greats Weekend culminates with The Edge of Reality – The Elvis Presley Songbook  where the talented Joe Camilleri and Vika Bull will unite with six-time ARIA winner Paul Grabowsky to bring a radical new perspective to the music of the “King”. Filled with not-to-be-missed Elvis classics, the concert promises a highly enjoyable night of inspired musical alchemy. The evening begins with a mesmerising performance by the hugely passionate, soulful powerhouse, Mojo Juju. Following the success …

MICF Review: Gerard McGowan “Only Getting Funnier”

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Gerard McGowan has been gracing the stages of Australia’s best RSL’s and pubs for over seven years now, and it shows in his rapid fire approach to jokes. McGowan lays them on hard and fast, leaving the audience feeling they’re getting good bang for their buck. He’s used to competing with Keno and drunken hecklers for his punchlines. From stories about his day job colleagues in civil construction (read: unskilled labouring) to his terrier like inability to let go after being swindled out of a pizza McGowan uses his dry wit to disarm and entertain. I was lucky to catch him on an almost sold-out night, McGowan was fresh from an appearance on FM radio but appeared stunned that we’d all shown up without hearing his spruiking. He says the 50 minute solo show is not his favourite medium but he delivered admirably despite that. You do get a sense that he is used to filling in ten minute sets on variety nights, with his stories all lasting about that long. He managed to tie …

WIN: 1 x double pass to Dog Lovers Show

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-competition now closed- There’s no better way to celebrate the Year of the Dog than by bounding down to the multi-award-winning Melbourne Dog Lovers Show returning to the iconic Royal Exhibition Building from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 May. The theme of the 2018 Show will be ‘Dog Sports’ and feature the inaugural COMMON WOOF GAMES presented by Farmer Dave Graham and his band of canine superstars. Boasting Track & Field and Ball-sport events in the Royal Canin Arena, alongside the outdoor aquatic program in the Black Hawk DockDogs® pool, brings the pinnacle of Australia’s sporting dogs together in spectacular competition. Dr Katrina Warren & the Wonderdogs will also be presenting the Opening Ceremony to kick off 3 days of dog sports! Here is your chance to win 1 x double pass to watch dog competitions, pet some smoochy fur friendly pals and get to know how to be a better dog owner (if you are one)! How to enter 1. Share this link on your Facebook or Instagram 2. Tag us with #weknowmelbourne and …

WICKED DESSERT FESTIVAL 2018

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YOU BETTER LET YOUR INNER SWEET TOOTH KNOW ABOUT THIS ONE! We are super excited to announce Prahran Market’s annual Wicked Chocolate Festival has expanded to include all things sweet and delicious and is now our Wicked Dessert Festival! Showcasing the very best in all things sugary and delicious,  the Festival will again have fantastic and exciting demonstrations, live entertainment, kids activities and more. Elizabeth Street will become a dessert lover’s dream, with stalls selling everything from doughnuts to cream pastries, luxury chocolates to crêpes. Prahran Market’s speciality traders will take visitors on a delicious culinary journey with offerings to tempt and delight. Demonstrations will be held at the Omega & Neil Perry Kitchen every hour from 10.30am, including Tobie Puttock, Christy Tania, and the expert chefs from Bibelot, Luxe bite and That’s Amore! Have a go on a DIY dessert smoothie bike, all for a good cause (all proceeds go to Very Special Kids).  Have a boogie with the amazing talented Bearded Bakers from Knafeh Bakery, try a dessert cocktail from Prosecco Queen and eat a hell …

2018 FAIR@SQUARE FESTIVAL

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Moral Fairground returns to Melbourne’s Federation Square with its annual Fair@Square Festival on May 5, 2018. Celebrating all aspects of an ethical, sustainable and morally responsible lifestyle, this festival is shaping up to be the biggest, busiest and best to date. Fashion Conscious fashionistas will enjoy Fair Fashion of the Future, an exhibition highlighting issues arising from the different stages of textile and fashion-supply chains and showcasing design-led solutions from local designers and academics. Garments from local fashion labels and social enterprises are displayed to showcase some of the ethical and sustainable clothing options consumers can now access. Food Of course, no festival is complete without great food and our Cooking Tent program, hosted by the Fair Food Forager, features cooking demonstrations by various ethical food brands, with discussions on issues such living a toxin-free lifestyle, using indigenous ingredients, and how promoting a vegan lifestyle can potentially lessen animal cruelty. Free Events and Workshops You can feed the mind as well as the body by attending some of the many free events and workshops, including …

All about the Cheese!

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After a successful inaugural 2017, MOULD – A Cheese Festival is back for 2018, returning to Melbourne for the second year running, and heading to Sydney for the first time. Presented by REVEL (the team behind cult wine event Pinot Palooza) in collaboration with cheesemaker and Milk Made author Nick Haddow of Bruny Island Cheese., MOULD is a celebration of the Australian cheese industry. The best artisan cheese producers from around the country – including Bruny Island Cheese Co., Yarra Valley Dairy, Shaw River Buffalo Cheese, Grandvewe, Stone & Crow and many more – will come together for tastings, conversations, demonstrations, and masterclasses. Demand from the cheese-crazed crowds was so high in 2017, that in 2018, MOULD will operate over multiple limited-capacity sessions. In Melbourne, session one will run from 5pm to 9pm on Friday 4th May, and sessions two and three will run from 11am till 4pm and 5pm till 9pm respectively on Saturday 5th May. In Sydney, two sessions – 11am till 4pm and 5pm till 9pm will run on Saturday 1st September. Alongside tastings of the …

MICF Review: Daniel Connell “Bit of Shush”

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Daniel Connell’s ‘Bit of Shush’ reaches out to all those who could use a bit more quiet in their lives. Whether you are seeking a break from hoons tearing up the streets, friends foisting foreign gourmet food on you or an increasing tide of political correctness Connell has you covered. Using some good ol’ Aussie self deprecating humour and delightful nostalgia he tackles some serious issues, like his Elon Musk induced existential crisis and Australian attitudes to refugees. If you’re a fan of TLC references and childhood favourite Allen’s Killer Pythons then this is the show for you (maybe not your kids though, it gets a bit bawdy!). A Bit of Shush is a great example of dry observational humour, with ‘No Scrubs’ allowed. 4 1/2 stars Reviewed and written by our guest writer –  Caitlin Carter Where: Melbourne Town Hall, Backstage Room, 100 Swanston Street When: 8:15 or 7:15pm, selected nights until 22 April. For more information and tickets check out the MICF website.

GABS Beer, Cider & Food Fest 2018

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Tasmanian jam, toasted marshmallows, rhubarb, Skittles, ice cream, dates, yuzu, gin, Bertie Beetles and even snails, crickets and oysters. These are just some of the more unusual ingredients you’ll find amongst the many unique ‘Festival Beers & Ciders’ to be served for the first time at the 2018 edition of GABS Beer, Cider & Food Fest presented by Dan Murphy’s, along with more than 500 of the very best craft beers and ciders from around Australia and New Zealand. Renowned as one of the world’s leading beer festivals, GABS (otherwise known as the Great Australasian Beer SpecTAPular) brings together the best breweries from Australia and New Zealand for a non-stop celebration of craft beer and cider. Craig Williams, GABS Event Director, describes the festival as the perfect launching point for those keen to try something new in a fun and exciting way. “For us, GABS is about sharing our love of craft beer and cider with as many people as possible through an unforgettable experience. Great beer is about skill, passion, creativity and most of …

Melbourne Russian Festival 2018

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Do-bro po-zha-lo-vat’ or Welcome to the inaugural Melbourne Russian Festival, a celebration of all the richness and diversity of the Russian culture. On 21 April, one of the most iconic places of Melbourne – Tom’s block (Kings Domain), will be turned into a traditional Russian village for a sensational day of delicious food, stunning performances, unique masterclasses concluded with an open-air Russian moonlight cinema. The event not to be missed! Things to do: Live performance The festival comes to life at 10 am when the performances kick off on the central stage. The stage will be filled with cheerful music and stunning performances that will make you want to dance. So, don’t be shy, you are welcome to join the dancers and learn some traditional steps. Masterclasses To heighten your experience and plunge right into the heart of the Russian culture, we encourage you to take part in one of our amazing masterclasses, featuring some of the well-known traditional folk crafts, many of which are centuries old and cannot be found elsewhere. They include: Khokhloma …