Sunday Arts Magazine

Stalwart Rohan Shearn is back talking about the arts to David, Neil and Eve.

The 31st Melbourne Queer Film Festival (MQFF), Australia’s largest celebration of queer

film, will be held in Melbourne from Thursday 18 November to Monday 29 November

2021.

This is the first time that MQFF has moved its festival to November and follows the

success of its smaller festival MQFF Together in March 2021.

The festival will screen in ACMI in Federation Square, Cinema Nova in Carlton and Village

Cinemas Jam Factory in South Yarra.

MQFF Chief Executive Officer Maxwell Gratton says the move to November will create

new opportunities to showcase the breadth and depth of content for the LGBTIQ+

communities.

“MQFF is committed to bringing to the screen stories that cover all parts of the LGBTIQ+

communities from Australia and across the world,” says Maxwell.

“The move to the later part of the year gives MQFF the opportunity to capture content

coming out of the northern hemisphere festival circuit – and before they are taken up by

streaming services, which have started increasing their queer content.”

MQFF Co-President Molly Whelan says the move of the festival will also give MQFF the

opportunity to kick off Melbourne’s queer festival season.

“We know the start of the year is a busy time for festivals on the queer calendar and in

Victoria more generally,” says Molly.

“Whilst we will still have a smaller festival in March, our move to November will mean

that our community will have great films to look forward to coming out of the Melbourne

winter.”

MQFF Co-President David Micallef says he is looking forward to the change in the festival

calendar.

“We know that by the end of the year we are all ready to sit back and wind down with a

drink and your chosen family. What could be better than doing this with some great

queer content,” says David.

“All of us at MQFF are looking forward to making this time of the year a celebration of the

queer community through film.”

 

DEBORAH KELLY’S THE GODS OF TINY THINGS DEBUTS AT ACMI

ON 1 JULY

ARTWORK SYNOPSIS

The Gods of Tiny Things is an experimental collaborative animation considering

life in peril. At collage camp in beautiful Yuin Country in Southern New South

Wales, we dreamt and brought into being personifications of our fears, of failures

and wounds, of impossible appetites roaring with hunger.

Over an intense week of study, research, play and practice, we conjured these

figures and landscapes as heralds of grief and warning, using obsolete images cut

from old magazines and abandoned encyclopaedias. The Gods of Tiny Things

thinks poetically and urgently about the current array of threats to life; the shift to

the right across the political world, the tolls of colonialism, climate catastrophe,

human profligacy; and conversely the dynamic, kaleidoscopic pleasures and

desires of life itself, at all scales, in all its teeming, prancing, hectic, clamouring

fertility. We are dancing at the end of time.

Art @ The Thomas is an art space that fosters community

engagement in art conversation, critique, and creative

expression. The gallery is a temporary project space

supported by the generosity of Renew Australia, Renew

Fitzroy Street Project and the City of Port Philip. The

Gallery presents opportunities for local artists to engage

with local community, grow their audience and patronage

and exhibit their work.

In our first exhibition, Identity & Place, Robert Lee Davis,

Rebecca Garfield, Cinda Manins, Tanya Samuel, Tina

Wilkins and Cassie Williams explore relationship to place,

time and identity through the mediums of oil, acrylic,

paper, ceramic and collage.

Art @ The Thomas would like to acknowledge the Boon

Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation, the traditional

custodians of the land, on which we work and live, and

recognise their continuing connection to land, water, and

community. We pay respect to Elders past, present, and

emerging.

 

King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) is pleased to present the KWM Contemporary First Nations

Art Award exhibition at Melbourne not-for-profit gallery fortyfivedownstairs from 6

th to 29th July.

After conducting the 2020 Contemporary First Nations Art Award judging online, KWM is

delighted to host an in-person exhibition to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding

contribution made to Australian culture by First Nations artists in remote, regional and urban

areas throughout Australia.

Selected from more than 60 entries, 29 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists were

chosen as finalists, including eight artists from the Northern Territory, four from New South

Wales, eight from Queensland, three from South Australia, four from Victoria and one from

both Tasmania and Western Australia.

Winner of the 2020 KWM Contemporary First Nations Art Award, Michelle Woody’s (Tiwi

Islands, NT) artwork will be displayed at the exhibition, along with the finalists’ works. Woody’s

winning work, ‘Ngiya Murrakupupuni’, encapsulates her contemporary Tiwi style for which she

is gaining national recognition. In the long-standing tradition of her ancestors, Woody utilises

natural ochres sourced on country around Milikapiti that are collected, crushed and burned

into the three traditional colours of the island landscape: white, yellow and red.

Woody said, “I will use the money to conduct a Pukumani ceremony with my in-laws for my

husband, who was an artist, and who passed on about a year ago. Today Tiwi culture is

important – this will help me continue to participate in ceremonies to respect my relatives and

teach my grand-children. To pass on this knowledge, it makes me feel wonderful.”

KWM Chief Executive Partner, Berkeley Cox said, “The Art Award is one of the ways we

continue to strive for meaningful reconciliation with, and empowerment of Australia’s First

Peoples. We are very grateful for the opportunity to hold a live exhibition for the KWM

Contemporary First Nations Art Award to appreciate the rich culture and stories that are told

through the art, and learn from and celebrate the artists’ talent, voices and experiences.”

The 2020 finalists are: Amala Groom, Angkaliya Curtis, Ashlee Murray, Brian Robinson,

Carmen Glynn-Braun, Carolanne Ken, Dhuwarrwarr Marika, Fiona Foley, Gordon Hookey,

Helen Ganalmirriwuy, Ian Waldron, Jenna Lee, Joe Dhamanydji, Josh Muir, Judy Watson, Kait

James, Karla Dickens, Kaye Brown, Maree Clarke, Marina Pumani Brown, Michael Cook,

Michelle Woody, Patju Presley, Reggie Uluru, Richard Bell, Sally M Nangala Mulda, Samantha

Hobson, Timothy Cook and Travis De Vries.

Judy Australia 1964 relives the concert tour that made headlines around the world. Judy Australia 1964 tells the story of Judy Garland’s most memorable and publicised performances that took place at Sydney Stadium and Melbourne’s Festival Hall.

In 1964, the legendary entertainer Judy Garland was contracted to perform three concerts in Australia. After an illustrious career spanning four decades, audience expectations were high and whilst Garland’s two Sydney concerts were sensational; her Melbourne performance was disastrous.

Multi award-winning Nina Ferro, becomes the iconic star, and takes us on a journey that recreates one on the most controversial episodes in Australian entertainment history. Backed by a seven piece show band, Keegan is spellbinding as she performs many of the most loved of Garland’s songs, written by some of the great composers of the 20th century.

Melbourne-based multi-talented Ferro is a phenomenal soul singer, songwriter, session and recording artist with a powerful, evocative voice, impressive vocal range and captivating stage presence, considered by her peers and audiences alike to be one of the top vocalists around. An Australian and British citizen of Italian parentage, Nina has built an international following of fans and is in high demand both locally and abroad. Having lived in London for a decade, Nina divides her time between Australia, the UK and wherever else her superb voice is requested and as such, she has earned an enviable international reputation for her #vocalbadassery!  Here she channels her unique dramatic and vocal talents in a surprising new direction – playing Garland.

Stephen is back talking films to the Sunday Arts Magazine team…….

Explore 40 city laneways that are being transformed with stories, visuals and acoustic designs as part of the Flash Forward project.

Showcasing the work of more than 80 Melbourne creatives, the laneways include Bourke Place, Russell Place, Hughs Alley, Smythe Lane, Evans Lane, Drewery Lane, Finlay Alley, Corrs Lane and others.

Playwright Jen Silverman’s play The Moors was done at Red Stitch in 2017 and Melbournites fell in love with her writing. Still brings more of her work to our stages and is one of her earlier works

*   The majority of the cast and creatives associated with the production are female, continuing Heartstring’s company mission where at least 50% of the actors on stage are female-identifying or non-binary

*   The play shines a light on issues really never before seen on stage about stillbirth and the impact of that in the every day

*   The humour in the play is very clever and talks about grief through the characters without sentiment, making a very fraught subject engaging

*   Heartstring Theatre are partnering with the Stillbirth Foundation for the season

*   The show opens up a discussion on female health/fertility and the stigma attached to stillbirth

Jen Silverman (obviously) sums up her work best; “My work often has a queer, feminist lens. It often uses dark comedy to ask difficult questions. It’s always character-driven. It’s often absurdist. It tends to be a little strange, a little askew. It tends toward structural shape-shifting, moments of wild theatricality—songs, dances, rituals.”

The film that gave the world one of its greatest movie heroes, Indiana Jones, is back and better than ever before!   Relive the magic on the big screen with the original great adventure… Raiders of the Lost Ark… with John Williams’ epic score performed live to picture by The Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams.

 

The year is 1936, and professor of archeology and “obtainer of rare antiquities” Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is tasked by U.S. Army Intelligence to recover the legendary Ark of the Covenant before it falls into the hands of the Nazis.  Indy’s quest takes him to Nepal and Egypt, reuniting him with an old friend (John Rhys-Davies), an old foe (Paul Freeman), and an ex-flame (Karen Allen) who falls somewhere in between.  Armed with his hat, whip and wits, our intrepid hero must face formidable enemies – and impossible odds – to save the day and the world.

 

About The Metropolitan Orchestra

Under the baton of Founding Artistic Director & Chief Conductor Sarah-Grace Williams, The Metropolitan Orchestra (TMO) is recognised as one of Australia’s most versatile orchestras, delivering consistently vibrant first-class experiences.  Founded in 2009 and based in Sydney, TMO’s remarkable decade of music making boasts more than 500 concerts with a variety of events targeted at different demographics, including TMO’s highly acclaimed Met Concert series, family Cushion Concert series, free concerts, and national and international tours, as well as appearing on several album recordings and for numerous special events.   An impressive roster of performers have appeared with TMO including internationally renowned artists José Carreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Bryn Terfel, Sumi Jo, David Helfgott, Elaine Paige, Anthony Warlow, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, James Morrison, Kate Ceberano, Marina Prior, the Grigoryan Brothers and Todd McKenny.    In high demand as an orchestra-for-hire, TMO has shown their versatility working across numerous genres.  Performance highlights include concerts with film (BBC’s Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular, Jurassic Park, Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy), providing mid-field entertainment at the NRL Grand Final, appearances for Opera in the Vineyards in both the Hunter Valley (NSW) and Clare Valley (SA) and sailing the South Pacific annually as resident orchestra aboard Bravo Cruise of the Performing Arts for the past 6 years.  Additionally, TMO is regularly engaged for numerous Australia and New Zealand tours with international artists, recent tours including 2Cellos, Basement Jaxx, The Piano Guys, Hiphop act Horrorshow, Air Supply and Joy Division.