Author: Meg Kennedy

#BlackLivesMatter activist Kwame Rose on how the movement is changing the entertainment industry

The Black Lives Matter movement was a direct response to the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2013. Since then it has grown into a global network, holding protests and rallies that bring awareness to racial injustices. The move not only made an impact in America, but has also made waves in Australia….

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First Impressions: Netflix’s Seven Seconds is a confronting drama, disturbingly grounded in reality

Dark, confronting, haunting. Although Netflix‘s new anthology series Seven Seconds is based on 2013 Russian film The Major,  the grim themes of this crime drama are deeply and uncomfortably reflective of prevalent issues in cities within the United States today. Seven Seconds begins in the misty backdrop of Jersey City, as Peter Jablonski (Beau Knapp),…

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Opinion: Yes, Wonder Woman is a creation of “male Hollywood”, but her film is anything but “the same old thing”

It was only recently that I was walking into my local cinema, almost shaking with excitement, as I sat down to witness the feature film debut of one of the most iconic characters in modern history – something I had been anticipating for the better half of two years. It was an event that had…

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Screen Australia reveals almost half of successful funding applicants are female-led projects

A landmark figure was revealed last week at the Melbourne International Film Festival, as Screen Australia has announced that female-led titles made up 47% of projects that successfully received funding over the last two years. Although it’s excellent news that gender parity is becoming a foreseeable goal within Australian film and TV, Screen Australia COO…

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ACMI announces celebration of Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli in August

A month-long film season dedicated to the studio behind some of the most beloved Japanese animations will be screening at ACMI from August. Celebrate! Studio Ghibli will screen 23 titles from the animation company, which ACMI states will “give audiences the chance to delve into the beautifully realised worlds and uniquely imaginative storytelling of Studio Ghibli”…

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Seven things we learned from director Edgar Wright at the Melbourne Q&A screening of Baby Driver

Unless you’ve been living under (a very big) rock, you would be aware that Baby Driver, a music-based crime film by cult director Edgar Wright is absolutely taking the world by storm. Having currently visited the country for a press tour, Edgar was part of a Q&A session at Melbourne’s Cinema Nova this past Thursday, for the…

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Gary Oldman is unrecognisable as Winston Churchill in the Darkest Hour trailer

Winston Churchill has been a popular character of late, with his ferocity represented by John Lithgow in his critically acclaimed performance in The Crown, to Brian Cox‘s interpretation in Churchill. Now “The Father of the Nation” is in the hands of veteran Gary Oldman – if you are even able to tell it’s him –…

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See the first trailer for new Stan original comedy series The Other Guy

A brand new Stan original comedy series is set to hit the streaming next month, both starring and created by former Triple J Breakfast host and all round cool guy Matt Okine. The Other Guy follows successful radio host, AJ Amon, finds himself unexpectedly back in the dating pool for the first time in a…

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See the stunning first images from upcoming Disney sci-fi film A Wrinkle In Time

The buzz surrounding Disney‘s upcoming reboot of A Wrinkle In Time has been strong, but the internet has exploded overnight as the first images of the film have been released exclusively via Entertainment Weekly. A Wrinkle In Time follows Meg Murry (Storm Reid) and her genius brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), who along with their friend…

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Outlander Season 3 promo teases Jamie and Claire’s divide as a premiere date is released

Outlander, the historical/sci-fi/romance/drama series (basically, this show gives you all the feels) that has taken the world by storm has teased its long-awaited return, as new promos have been released for Season 3. Following from Claire’s (Caitriona Balfe) return to the modern world in the Season 2 finale, the new poster and teaser video shows…

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It’s happening again! Netflix has released the first teaser and release date for Stranger Things Season 2

The worldwide phenomenon and modern cult-classic Stranger Things has finally teased its return, and OH MY GOD are we excited. Netflix has just released a mysterious teaser video on Twitter, as well as a brand new poster with the release date. The creature pictured is another look at what we saw in the teaser for…

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Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan to headline ACMI’s Series Mania

The Australian debut of the prestigious television festival Series Mania will be coming to ACMI in Melbourne later this month, with special guest Vince Gilligan (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) to headline the festival. Vince will be appearing at an “In Conversation” event, where he will be discussing his experience as the mind behind two of…

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Watch the intense trailer for the Australian one-shot indie film Watch the Sunset

It’s an Australian Sons of Anarchy, as the trailer for Watch The Sunset – filmed in just one take – has been released. Premiering at the Revelation Perth International Film Festival next week, the project by BarrLipp Productions is a gripping drama and thriller that looks at the extremely prevalent issue of crystal meth or “Ice”…

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The Rock and Roll Cinema Festival kicks off at Golden Age Cinema & Bar

Kicking off last night with a screening of the seminal Rock’N’Roll High School, Golden Age Cinema & Bar in Sydney is featuring rock stars on screen – from triumphant concert films to tragic turns, turned up to eleven. From the new Whitney Huston documentary, Talking Heads live in concert, to cult classic Dogs In Space, there…

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The run down on the new Netflix tax, and how it will impact your streaming

In case you haven’t heard, our Netflix prices are on the rise this week as the new “Netflix Tax” comes into effect on Saturday. But before you go ahead and cancel your subscription (or ask your parent/SO/friend whose Netflix account you’ve been leeching off the whole time to do so), here is everything you need…

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Last call pitches: The Bellas reunite one last time in the Pitch Perfect 3 teaser trailer

Pitch Perfect, a comedy film about an all-female university acapella group, became a surprise hit at the box office back in 2012. As well as it’s sequel becoming the highest grossing movie-musical of all time in 2015, the franchise is most notably responsible for catapulting home-grown star Rebel Wilson into international stardom. The Borden Bellas…

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See the Camp Firewood gang reunite in the new trailer for Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later

Back in 2001, a small-budget comedy from David Wain and Michael Showalter that parodied 80’s summer camp films was seen as a critical and commercial failure, but became a cult classic. Fast-forward to 14 years later, where some now-familiar faces reprised their roles in the Netflix prequel series Wet Hot American Summer: First Day at Camp, featuring…

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Cult classics to screen at Event Cinemas in Sydney, Innaloo and Brisbane as In The House returns this July

Kill Bill. The Matrix. Die Hard 2. Poltergeist. Your popcorn favourites are set to return to the big screen in July exclusively to Event Cinemas as part of the ‘In The House’ Festival, showcasing some of the greatest cult classics over the last 40 years. The event will run exclusively at the Sydney, Innaloo and Brisbane…

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First Impressions: GLOW (Netflix, 2017) is a glamed-up, feminist comedy in the vein of OITNB

From the first scene, GLOW‘s feminist message is openly clear. Aspiring actor Ruth Wilder (Community alum Alison Brie) is auditioning for a role as company boss “Mel”, opening the series by delivering a sombre monologue. After finishing, she explains that she is grateful for the opportunity because  “there are not roles like this for women”, yet…

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2017 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award presented to Indigenous filmmaker Leah Purcell

Acclaimed Indigenous  Australian director, writer and performer Leah Purcell has been awarded the 2017 Sydney-UNESCO City of Film Award at last night’s closing of the Sydney Film Festival. The award follows a huge year for Leah, from adapting and starring in the theatre adaptation of acclaimed Australian novel The Drover’s Wife, with which she won the…

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On Body and Soul wins the Sydney Film Prize as the 64th Annual Sydney Film Festival comes to a close

Last night’s Closing Gala for the 2017 Sydney Film Festival saw an array of diverse Australia films and talent receive distinctions, as well as the Australian premiere of highly-anticipated Netflix Original Film Okja as the 64th Festival came to a close. The prestigious Sydney Film Prize was awarded to Ildikó Enyedi‘s intriguing love story On Body and Soul, while…

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Groundhog Day has a dark side in the debut trailer for Happy Death Day

It’s nothing we haven’t seen before, from Groundhog Day to recent teen drama Before I Fall, a character wakes up to the same day repeated, every day, trying to convince everyone around them they’re in a time loop. But what if you woke up to the same day, straight after your murder? That’s the question…

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Screen Australia’s Doco180 initiative announces funding for upcoming female directors

Six female-led projects have now become funding recipients of Screen Australia and News Digital Networks Australia’s With Her In Mind Network‘s initiative Doco180, a new project aimed to promote social media-friendly documentaries designed to make the viewer ‘do a 180’ on a topic relevant to Australian women, in 180 seconds. The documentaries selected to be part…

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Australian celebrities pay tribute to Hugh Jackman for Logan‘s DVD release in heartfelt video

To celebrate the release of the critically-acclaimed and box office success Logan on Blu-ray & DVD, Australian icons from Bindi Irwin to Julie Bishop have paid homage to Hugh Jackman’s final run as Wolverine in a heartfelt video. Various celebrities, journalists, television personnel and politicians have come together to celebrate the great Australian who for almost 20…

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Kenneth Branagh’s star-studded Murder on the Orient Express gets first trailer

The classic Agatha Christie 1934 murder mystery novel has again been given to big-screen treatment, this time with Kenneth Branagh at the helm as both director and playing the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Set aboard the famous train in pre-World War II Europe, fingers are pointed when an unlikable billionaire is murdered on the carriage. As…

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Film Review: Baywatch (MA15+) (USA, 2017) is campy fun, but wipes out on the comedy wave early on

Ever since the first trailer was released, Baywatch has always been self-aware. The wind in a golden-blondes hair as she runs down the beach (obviously in slow motion) in the iconic red bathing suit is an image the new reboot has embraced, but it doesn’t fare well in a feature length film. To put it…

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See Judi Dench return as Queen Victoria in the first trailer for Victoria & Abdul

It was an unlikely friendship between the then-longest reigning English monarch and a young Indian man, but the true story of Queen Victoria and her worker Abdul Karim is to make its way to cinema in September. Continuing on with his streak with the British monarch, The Queen director Stephen Frears has again partnered with Philomena actress (and…

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Live Review: Ryan Adams + Middle Kids – Margaret Court Arena, Melbourne (26.05.17)

If there is a personification of the word “chill”, it’s US singer-songwriter, Ryan Adams. His hidden-eye mop hairstyle, mumbling presence and sizable discography took to a security-laden (and now-controversially named) Margaret Court Arena on Friday night and delivered a slick, calming performance. Supporting Adams were popular Australian up-and-comers Middle Kids, who were an absolutely killer…

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Comedian Damian Callinan’s live show The Merger green lit for film adaptation

A classic comedy film with added heart is about to hit the silver screen. Screen Australia and Create NSW have announced production investment funding for The Merger, about a country football coach who hatches an unorthodox plan to rebuild the local football team by recruiting recently settled asylum seekers. The film is based on Melbourne comedian Damian…

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St Kilda Film Festival announces 2017 nominees, in the running for $50,000 worth of cash and prizes

St Kilda Film Festival has just announced this year’s nominees for Australia’s longest-standing and publicly owned short film festival. The nominees are all in the running for more than $50,000 worth of cash and prizes across 17 categories, and the winners will be eligible for Academy Award consideration in the Short Film and Documentary Shorts…

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