Having played sold out shows in Melbourne and Sydney to great acclaim in 2014, these will be Marr’s first as a solo artist when he and his band roll in to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.

A founding member of cultural institution The Smiths and performer alongside the likes of Modest Mouse, Beck, Talking Heads, The The, Oasis, plus featured on the critically acclaimed album by John Frusciante, The Empyrean – Marr was already rock royalty before releasing his Top 10 debut solo album The Messenger in February 2013.

    ‘Each tune throws up a different style, creating a one-man compilation album that rifles through 25 years of lush or edgy genres, perfecting every one…The Messenger isn’t just a summary of everything worthwhile in contemporary rock music, it’s an insightful and informed dissection of life in 2013.’ – NME 8/10

    ‘One quick listen to The Messenger brings all his signatures rushing back — the intricate, intertwining arrangements, the insistent riffs finding a counterpoint in the elastic yet precise melodies, a romance with the past that doesn’t negate the present.’ – All Music 8/10

In a poll conducted by the BBC, Marr was voted fourth best guitarist of the last 30 years and Phil Alexander, Editor-in-Chief of Mojo magazine described him as “arguably Britain’s last great guitar stylist”.

Nothing if not prolific, Marr had begun writing sophomore solo effort Playland (out October 3 through Warner Music, watch the clip for new single ‘Easy Money’) almost immediately after The Messenger’s release “…I kept on writing. I liked that the band had a momentum going on tour and a connection with the audience, and I thought that energy would be good to capture on the new record.”

Energetic, post-punk song writing complemented by Marr’s characteristic guitar licks, engaging lyrical ideas and poised vocal phrasing. Playland is composed around the central theme that “songs that move at the speed of life” and captures much of the spirit that made his debut so memorable.

Marr collected rave reviews when last in Australia with critics spotlighting his ability to combine the best of his new material with select highlights from his epic back catalogue, including The Smiths and many others.

    ‘This was a man honouring his legacy while still creating in the present. As the T-shirts at the merchandise desk defiantly proclaimed… Johnny Fuckin Marr.’ – The Music

    ‘His playing is visually evocative, often invokes wide-eyed dopamine release and is always impeccably tasteful. Put simply, the man is a goddamn God-like genius.’ – Beat

He’s one the most celebrated guitarists in the world. Armed to the teeth with classics and his own lauded solo works, when Johnny Marr hits Australia and New Zealand in July 2015 the shows promise to be exhilarating displays of talent from a revered virtuoso.

Johnny Marr 2015 Australian Tour
Sat 18 July – Metropolis Fremantle, Perth
Mon 20 July – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Tue 21 July – The Gov, Adelaide
Wed 22 July – Forum Theatre, Melbourne
www.johnny-marr.com

Opening the season is the Australian premiere of And Then There is Naples (E poi c’è Napoli) (2014), in which director Gianluca Migliarotti travels to the epicentre of men’s tailoring. Bespoke Neapolitan trouser maker Salvatore Ambrosi guides audiences through the ancient city of style where he encounters local designers and commentators who offer rare insights into the art of tailoring. Other traditional crafts are explored, which lead to a captivating exchange with a 120-year old Portolano glove maker and a couple of even older luggage and shirt makers.

To complement the first screening of And Then There is Naples, ACMI Film Programmer, James Nolen will host Sartorial Saturday, a two-hour guided walking tour of Melbourne that uncovers the many exquisite products featured in the documentary. A short film by Noel Smyth, titled POP (4 mins) accompanies each screening of And Then There is Naples. POP is a finalist in the VAMFF Film 2015 competition and showcases the latest Melbourne-made menswear collection from Article by Courtney Holm.

In its Australian premiere, Fashion in the 1990s (La mode des années 90) (2014) pays tribute to the decade of stark fashion contrasts, from Helmut Lang’s revolutionary minimalism to Walter Van Beirendonck’s colourful techno tribes. Director, Loïc Prigent (Signé Chanel and Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton) delves deep inside the historical world of fashion, this time casting a spotlight on the 1990s – an era when designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Mugler and Christian Lacroix embraced excess.

Audiences are given extraordinary access to archival footage as Prigent beautifully illuminates a decade marked by important social change and fearless fashion. Fashion in the 1990s screens alongside Crystals and the Postman are a Girl’s Best Friend (3 mins), a short film from accomplished fashion photographer Ellen von Unwerth. Featuring the label Sister by Sibling and Swarovski crystals, the film is a finalist in the VAMFF Film 2015 competition.

Loïc Prigent’s new documentary, The Balmain Style (La Ligne Balmain) (2014) seamlessly interweaves historical footage of founder, Pierre Balmain with the modern day vision of designer, Olivier Rousteing as he lifts the Autumn/Winter 2014 collection from the pages onto the runway. At only 28 years of age, Rousteing has injected a revitalised energy into the hallowed fashion house of Balmain. Established after the Second World War by Pierre Balmain, the label has been worn by fashion icons such as Katherine Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rihanna.

Premiering in Australia, The Balmain Style illuminates how within only a few seasons, Rousteing has cemented his place in the new guard of fashion designers, re-energising the celebrated fashion houses of Paris. Accompanying the documentary is Julian Lucas’s and Jarred Osborn’s short film and finalist in the VAMFF Film 2015 competition, Aaizel(2 mins). Produced by prolific fashion filmmaker Hannah Bellil and starring models Adhiel Tuba and Nichola Jayne,Aaizel showcases the sculptural designs of Minhee Jo in her second womenswear collection.

Premiering in Australia, Pop Models (Les Mannequins, corps de la mode) (2014) is a documentary from director Olivier Nicklaus (Fashion Pack). It chronicles the transformation of the fashion model from the liberation of Paris after the Second World War, to the rise of the supermodel, through to the 21st century, when a boy from Broadmeadows stole the show.

Fascinating interviews with industry veterans, magazine editors, photographers and the models themselves capture the evolution of the model. Twiggy, Marisa Berenson, Jerry Hall, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Patitz, Cara Delevigne and Melbourne’s own Andreja Pejic are just some of the names that reign supreme. Pop Models screens with Cover Girl (4 mins), a short film by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, one of the international finalists in the VAMFF Film 2015 competition. Cover Girl follows Lena Dunham (of Girls fame) as she prepares for her first Vogue cover shoot.

Wrapping up the season is Mademoiselle Agnès and her partner in crime, Loïc Prigent as they round up the latest from the catwalk in the Australian premiere of Dressed up for Summer 2015 (Habillé(e)s pour printemps-été 2015)(2014). From the season’s major parades by Dior and Chanel, to the farewell marathon Miss France-inspired Ready to Wear runway show by Jean Paul Gaultier, these two have it all covered. Moschino’s creative director, Jeremy Scott offers his five cardinal rules of politeness during fashion week, whilst across the pond, 26 year-old Thomas Tait shares the hottest trends from British stalwart, Burberry. Mademoiselle Agnès also takes a look back at 30 years of fashion in her own unique way.

Dressed up for Summer 2015 screens with Palladian (3 mins), a finalist in VAMFF Film 2015 competition stunningly shot by Peter Ryle at Melbourne’s Abbotsford Convent. In filming the diaphanous womenswear of Melbourne label Kuwaii, director Tim White draws inspiration from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.

Fashion on Film
Saturday 21 February – Sunday 8 March 2015
acmi.net.au/fashion-on-film-2015