Set in Sydney’s iconic Northern Beaches Palm Beach is a heartwarming story which sees a group of lifelong friends with a lifetime of history reunite for one very special occasion.

The good times roll in one of Australia’s most idyllic settings, with loads of laughter, lavish meals, flowing wine and music. However not all is smooth sailing as slowly tensions begin to mount and deep secrets arise, posing questions about the rich history this group once shared.

Palm Beach is set to simmer on Australian cinema screens July 25, 2019!
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

‘Just Let Me Go’ is the first taste of what to expect from the forthcoming album, with the single being premiered on Double J and featured on The Music with an exclusive ‘behind the scenes’ take from the making of the track. Rolling guitar riffs, the unmistakable vocals of Vika and Linda Bull swim with Darren’s distinct vocal as he sings a tale of loving those that will inevitably do you no good.

“I started writing ‘Just Let Me Go’ for a film but decided to hold onto it for myself. Basically, it’s a story of falling for someone when you know you shouldn’t. Deep down, you know they are going to hurt you but you can’t help yourself. I wanted to go for a dirty, old sound for this song, something that trudges along, both pushing a wheelbarrow of possibility but dragging a chain of history” said Darren.

Co-produced by Davey Lane (You Am I) and recorded straight to tape, in full takes, to capture evolution in the music, the error and the brilliance, finally bought together in the mix by inimitable producer Steve Schram (Paul Kelly, San Cisco, Cat Empire).

Searching for the perfect co-producer, Middleton teamed up with Davey Lane to help navigate the album in a new direction, touching on the purpose of making music to connect, to build and share bridges.

Enlisting an all-star Aussie line-up including Vika and Linda Bull and Kelly Lane on backing vocals, with Graeme Pogson (The Bamboos), Luke Hodgson (Meg Mac), Xani Kolac and Louis Macklin (JET) handling the rhythm of the album, Tides is a lot grittier than past releases with a sound that is organically shaped and reminiscent of a different era.
www.facebook.com/DarrenMiddletonMusic

The trailer features ‘Storms’ a track from Powderfinger’s lead guitarist and songwriter, Darren Middleton.

The film’s plot follows a group of civilians after their small Australian country town is annihilated by an overwhelming airborne attack as they evade capture and discover they are now among the last remaining survivors of an extraterrestrial invasion engulfing the entire planet.

As humanity falls under world-wide occupation, they form a home-grown army to fight back against vastly superior enemy forces. On the frontlines of the battle for Earth, they are our last hope.

Occupation features a stellar ensemble cast of local and international talent including; Dan Ewing (Red Billabong, Home and Away), Temuera Morrison (Star Wars, Once Were Warriors), Stephany Jacobsen (Revenge, Battlestar Galactica), Rhiannon Fish (The 100, Home and Away), Jacqueline McKenzie (The Water Diviner, Romper Stomper) and Bruce Spence (Star Wars, Mad Max 2).

Production was completed in just six weeks on the Gold Coast in late 2017, which involved local crew and a supporting cast of more than 300 people.

Occupation is produced by the same team behind the feature film Red Billabong: Writer/Director Luke Sparke, and Producers Carly Imrie and Carmel Imrie.
www.facebook.com/occupationthemovie

Set in the summer of 1959, when the impact of European migration and the rise of women’s liberation is about to change Australia forever, a shy schoolgirl (Lisa) takes a summer job at the prestigious Sydney department store, Goode’s. There she meets the “ladies in black”, who will change her life forever.

Beguiled and influenced by Magda, the vivacious manager of the high-fashion floor, and befriended by fellow sales ladies Patty and Fay, Lisa is awakened to a world of possibilities. As Lisa grows from a bookish schoolgirl to a glamorous and positive young woman, she herself becomes a catalyst for a cultural change in everyone’s lives.

Based on Madeleine St John’s best-selling novel The Women in Black, and featuring a brilliant ensemble cast, Ladies in Black will release in cinemas on October 18, 2018.
www.ladiesinblackfilm.com

Due to popular demand, Pinnacle Films and Monster Fest are pleased to announce an ENCORE Screening of OCCUPATION on Friday May 25th at Event Cinemas Myer Centre.

With the first screening having sold out in 3 days be quick and don’t miss your last chance to be the first in the world to see Occupation ahead of its general release. Both sessions will include a Q&A with special guests from the film!

After their small Australian country town is annihilated by an overwhelming airborne attack, a group of civilians evade capture and discover they are now among the last remaining survivors of an extraterrestrial invasion engulfing the entire planet. As humanity falls under world-wide occupation, they form a home-grown army to fight back against vastly superior enemy forces. On the frontlines of the battle for Earth, they are our last hope.

Be the first in the world to see this movie – tickets are available here!

www.occupationthemovie.com

September this year saw Bliss N Eso bless fans with ‘Dopamine’, their first new music in over two years, which was premiered with an incredible live performance on the NRL Grand Final Footy Show.

The track features Sydney artist Thief and includes some of the most candid verses laid down on a Bliss N Eso track to date. It’s the first single from the group’s hotly anticipated sixth studio album, slated for release in early 2017.

MC Bliss describes the track:
“Dopamine is a powerful song, it reflects that feeling of someone pulling you from the darkness and leading you back to the light. Saying no to the demons and standing strong in the belief that life is a positive and beautiful thing.”

Late last week the band delivered the incredible video clip for ‘Dopamine’ via Facebook. Filmed at Melbourne’s Luna Park, the clip is a superb visual expression of the track clearly conveying the narrative and concept of the song.

The Dopamine Tour marks two years since their widely praised The Circus Under The Stars Tour which solidified the group as one of the most successful in the country and went on to break the record for the biggest local hip-hop tour Australia had seen with 55,000 fans in attendance across the 16 dates.

The tour celebrated Bliss N Eso’s #1 debuting, Platinum-certified album Circus In The Sky featuring the likes of Daniel Merriweather on ‘Can’t Get Rid of This Feeling’, Nas on ‘I Am Somebody’ and Ceekay Jones on ‘My Life’.

Bliss N Eso’s electrifying return signals an exciting new era for the hip-hop stalwarts and one of evolution for one of the country’s most beloved groups. With a host of #1’s, Platinum and Gold accredited albums and a swag of awards and nominations, we’re thrilled to be welcoming Bliss N Eso’s very own brand of lyrical genius back to airwaves and their high energy live show to stages with their most intimate tour in years. 2017 is Bliss N Eso’s!

Bliss N Eso – The Dopamine Tour
Friday 10 February – The Gov, Adelaide SA (18+)
Wednesday 15 February – 170 Russell, Melbourne VIC (18+)
Thursday 16 February – Metro Theatre, Sydney NSW (18+)
Thursday 2 March – The Tivoli, Brisbane QLD (18+)
www.blissneso.com

Featuring ensembles, accessories and archival material from the Museum’s collection and Dinnigan’s personal archive, this exhibition presents her signature lace and embellished designs in a series of striking themed sets.

Realised by Anna Tregloan, an award-winning stage designer and artist, the scenes bring into focus Dinnigan’s unique creative perspective; they highlight the romantic, feminine designs that have seen her work sought after by a star-studded clientele including Taylor Swift, Dita Von Teese and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

‘Dinnigan’s sense of adventure, determination and passion have led her to become Australia’s most recognised international fashion star. She is a dynamic, inspiring woman and her influence on Australian fashion is remarkable.’ – Edwina McCann, Editor-in-Chief, Vogue Australia

Collette Dinnigan: Unlaced Exhibition
5 September 2015–28 August 2016
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney
www.maas.museum

The story revolves around country life in a very small town and the often times negative effects of power and privilege filtered through gossip and innuendo. Kate Winslet is fantastic as Myrtle ‘Tilly’ Dunnage who returns to the town to address some long held secrets. Liam Hemsworth (brother of Thor) is also very effective as the love interest.

The film is unafraid to throw the audience and the characters themselves under the bus and as such there are some very genuine moments of emotion, both good and bad. This disregard for traditional character actions makes the film even more fun.

Australian cinema has a long history of the odd cinematic character and for films that delve into the unexpected. The Dressmaker belongs amongst the very best. It’s also easy to put it high on that list because of its impressive charm.

Rob Hudson
www.thedressmakermovie.com.au

Richard Brancatisano
Your performance was very well nuanced and your comic timing was excellent, how comfortable does comedy come to you?
“Thank you. Acting in comedy is fairly new to me. I love watching comedies so it was very exciting to finally be a part of one. In this film in particular I was playing more of the straight character with my family and students providing most of the comedy. I had to represent a normal point of view for the audience to relate to and for the other characters to bounce off. So keeping a straight face and maintaining normality amongst the chaos of comedy that ensued most days was quite a challenge for me. I would often break into laughter especially during scenes with Tony and George.”

The film plays out in a very unforced way, can you talk a bit about how the cast came together and what the shooting schedule was like.
“I knew that when I auditioned for the film, Andrea (Demetriades) who plays Eve, was already cast. So we had very skippy Skype sessions during the casting process trying to read the scenes together and sense weather the chemistry between us was a good match for the film. Having Andrea attached to the film made it even more of a project that I wanted to be a part of. The schedule was extremely hectic for Andrea and I. We shot for five weeks shooting pretty much every scene everyday. This left no room for second guessing and over thinking the performances.”

Also what was it like having some key scenes not rehearsed until the cameras were rolling?
“This made for a very exciting and unpredictable set. I love working this way provided we know we are playing in the right territory. It makes for a lot of happy surprises but requires the actors to understand their characters well so they can create within the character’s world. A lot of the time what you do in the rehearsal has to be balanced with a whole new approach due to the new environment, blocking and lighting constraints.”

I really enjoyed the teacher/student scenes (it reminded me of a few cool teachers I had) were all the cast members professional actors? And if not how was it working with them?
“A lot of the students were new to acting or had never done it before. Some of them were actually Alex Lykos’s actual students! They were all wonderful, generous, and passionate and made me feel like a respected and loved teacher. These were important scenes to get the tone right. So big thanks to them for making me feel so comfortable and providing me with the right mix of respect and rebellion.”

The family struggles in the film felt very real; did your home life mirror any of the circumstances in the film?
“Luckily for me it didn’t. My Mum and Dad have always been very open and accepting of all my choices. I’m very grateful for that. It allows me to feel supported and comfortable to make choices that I feel are right for me.”

Alex Lykos
Alex I must commend you on transferring Alex & Eve from stage to screen as it never felt less than a film and didn’t feel at all like an adaptation to another medium. How difficult was the transition?
“It wasn’t that difficult. The stage show had a strong narrative, a strong spine and it was just a matter of making the peace ‘breathe’ a bit more, making it more visual and adding some subplots to further highlight the central plot, like giving Alex an older brother (played by myself) and juxtaposing Alex’s life with the older brother’s.”

When you originally wrote the play did you ever envision it as a movie?
“No, not really. I may have dropped into a daydream a couple times but not really. It has been a struggle and for some reason, my writing doesn’t work on the page and therefore it is much harder for people to give it the green light.”

You captured the way normal people speak very well (even the family squabbles felt real) what is your technique for capturing everyday language. Do you find a cool café in a diverse section of town, hang out and just listen?
“No, because I am not cool. Uncool people don’t go to cool cafes. I am fascinated with people and I am always observing their mannerisms and nuances, how they speak etc. It’s something that I spend time studying every time I am out.”

Having Alex’s father and Eve’s mother be so alike was a clever touch, how did you arrive at that dynamic?
“The reality is that parents, despite their huffing and puffing, want one thing for their kids: they want the best for them. And that is the core of the two families and it just so happens that both parents definition of what they think their kids want, is very different.”

With the film’s end, did you ever envision it ending any other way?
“Actually, there are three stage shows and the ending is different. There is Alex & Eve, Alex & Eve: The Wedding, Alex & Eve: the Baby.  So I played with a variety of different endings and then settled with this one.”

Alex & Eve is in cinemas now.
www.alexandeve.com.au

In a two-hour show, Christine will perform the songs that drew in fans from around the globe and cemented her place as an iconic Australian performer. Audiences will be entertained with Christine’s hit songs Island Home, Party, Monkey and the Turtle, and Wanem Time as well as the full repertoire of songs from the album that started it all! Christine will also surprise audiences with other favourite tunes from her illustrious and successful career as one of Australia’s most well-known, loved and respected Indigenous artists.

It is no surprise that Stylin’ Up, released by Mushroom Music in 1995, set Australian music lovers alive. At the time it was one of the most influential albums ever released by an Indigenous artist, featuring a unique blend of Christine’s culturally diverse musical styles with David Bridie’s lush strings and cinematic atmospheres.

Stylin’ Up was so successful that Christine played all over Australia, with her performance at the Metro in Sydney being recorded for a live CD. The ABC also recorded the show to be part of a documentary on Christine’s career and heritage (Salt Water Soul); this documentary aired nationally on ABC TV. Not only did Stylin’ Up cement Christine’s place as a major player in the Australian Music Industry, but it paved the way for many other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contemporaries.

Christine is enthralled about the opportunity to revisit Stylin’ Up in a national tour and to reconnect with the fans who have made it all happen.

Christine Anu: Stylin’ Up 20th Anniversary Tour
May 09 – THE BASEMENT, Sydney
May 13-15 – Bennett’s Lane, Melbourne
May 16 – GPAC, Geelong
May 22 – Powerhouse Theatre, Brisbane
May 23 – The Armitage Centre, Toowoomba
May 29 – Albury Entertainment Centre, Albury Nsw
May 30 – Capitol Theatre, Bendigo
Jun 13 – The Street Theatre, Canberra
www.christineanu.com.au