Moonlight has already kicked off last week and has its last screening scheduled for Sunday 20 March, while Open Air starts on Wednesday 12 January and ends on Saturday 19 February. Screenings generally start about 8pm, but check the websites for more details like screening times, exact locations and ticket prices. Tickets are still available for many sessions for both outdoor cinemas, however if you’ve got your heart set on a movie, I’d suggest you be quick.

The American

Moonlight Cinema
Based on the novel by pulp fiction writer Jim Thompson, The Killer Inside Me, is a confronting psychotic thriller that won’t please the faint-hearted. Released earlier this year, the film is directed by Michael Winterbottom (Genova, A Mighty Heart, 9 Songs, 24 Hour Party People) and stars Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson and Jessica Alba. The Killer Inside Me screens this Sunday 19 December.

For anyone who missed Christopher Nolan’s complex and mostly confusing sci-fi thriller Inception, you have a choice of two nights to see it on: Thursday 30 December and Wednesday 16 February. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page and Ken Watanabe, earlier this week Inception was nominated for four awards at the 68th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture (Drama), Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score.

In the new year, Moonlight will be screening many new releases like: Oliver Stone’s 1987 Wall Street sequel Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Tuesday 4 January); the highly engaging story about the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, The Social Network (Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 January); Anton Corbijn’s impressive drama set in Italy and starring George Clooney The American (Saturday 29 January); Gainsbourg (Tuesday 8 February), the odyssey of the father of French pop; Sofia Coppola’s gorgeous new film Somewhere (Friday 4 March); Blue Valentine (Tuesday 8 March) starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams; Black Swan (Wednesday 16 March) with Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis and Vincent Cassel; and so on and on. A full list of features can be found here.

Highly acclaimed documentary Force of Nature: The David Suzuki Movie will be showing on Monday 28 February and the musical Burlesque with Cher and Christina Aguilera is scheduled for Tuesday 15 March. Classics like Pulp Fiction (Tuesday 1 March), The Godfather (Thursday 3 March) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Tuesday 22 February) to name a few, will also screen.

Desert Flower

Open Air Cinema
Open Air has decided to open the season in style with a premier of the very anticipated Burlesque musical (Wednesday 12 January). Also premiering will be the autobiographical Desert Flower (Sunday 16 January). This inspirational film is a true life story of the Somalian born Waris Dirie who fled to London aged 13, in order to escape an arranged marriage, becoming a supermodel and later a human rights activist – a UN spokeswoman against female circumcision, which she underwent in her native country at the age of three.

In February, Open Air will premier two outstanding features. A US drama Conviction (Tuesday 1 February) based on a true story of a working mother and her incredible commitment to save her brother from being wrongfully convicted of murder, and a beautiful French documentary about the life under water, Oceans (Sunday 6 February).

Other new releases worth highlighting are The Tourist (Tuesday 8 and 15 February), a spy thriller/drama set in Paris and Venice and starring Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp; the amazing 127 Hours (Monday 7 February) based on a true story of an adventurer’s efforts to survive; The King’s Speech (Wednesday 16 February) starring the exceptional Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Multi-award winning Australian drama Animal Kingdom will be showing on Australia Day, Tuesday 25 January, thus expect fireworks as a backdrop.

Pre-sale tickets to Open Air Cinema went on sale this morning, Thursday 16 December, and almost all have sold out. Check here for more ticket releases.

The National

Every year, New Year’s festivals like Falls and Southbound bring a bunch of really awesome bands to our far-away land. For those of us staying local over the summer, first half of January is loaded with sideshows by some really awesome international bands.

New York City indie rockers Interpol are touring their fourth self-titled album and aside from the New Year’s festivals, will also be making an appearance at the Enmore Theatre on Tuesday 4 January. Tickets are still available from the venue. The Californian four-piece Cold War Kids will also play at the Enmore Theatre. Limited number of tickets are left for their Thursday 6 January show.

Another American indie rock band I am super excited about is The National. Their fifth and highly acclaimed album High Violet has been a highlight of this year for me, so I just can’t wait to see them. They will play two sold-out shows at the Enmore Theatre, on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 January.

Old school rock queen Joan Jett will be doing a very intimate sold-out sideshow at the Annandale Hotel on Friday 7 January. Canadians Hot Hot Heat will rock the Factory Theatre on Thursday 6 January. Tickets still available from the venue. Dance-punk New York City trio The Rapture will take on the Metro Theatre on Thursday 6 January, and tickets are still around.

Big Day Out will make sure our second half of January is also well spent. Sideshows not to miss are Grinderman, who play on Friday 28 January, and The Black Keys on Saturday 29 January, both at the Enmore Theatre. The multi-member Californian band Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros are back in the country and will bring their indie folk sounds to the Forum on Friday 28 January. Also on Friday, if you scored yourself some tickets already, you can catch the colourful British artist M.I.A at the Metro Theatre.

The sold-out St Jerome’s Laneway Festival, happening on the first Sunday in February, has some sweet, sweet international and local acts on the bill. A few of those partake in the Sydney Festival too, like Beach House and Gotye who will perform their sideshows in late January. See my previous post for dates. On Saturday 29,  you can also catch the American dream-pop trio Blonde Redhead at Sydney Opera House.

The rest of the sideshows are all pretty much lined up for the first half of February. Upbeat electro-pop Irish band Two Door Cinema Club are back with a sideshow at the Enmore Theatre on Monday 7 February. Brooklyn-based trio Yeasayer also play on Monday 7 February at the Metro Theatre. Atlanta (Georgia) four-piece Deerhunter will take on the Metro Theatre on Tuesday 8 February. New Yorkers Les Savy Fav will bring the house down on Thursday 10 February at Sydney Uni’s Manning Bar. Also on Thursday, catch the five-piece LA band Local Natives in action at the Metro Theatre. Tickets available from the venue.

Playground Weekender is on in the second half of February at the Wisemans Ferry, just under two hours north of Sydney. Manchester-based rock band Doves are headlining the festival, and you can also see them at the Enmore Theatre on Thursday 17 February.

Belle & Sebastian will be Down Under in March for the Golden Plains festival in Victoria and will do a side gig at Sydney Opera House on Thursday 10 March. If you’re lucky, you may still find good seats available by the time you’re finished reading this.

Little further down into the year 2011, you can anticipate more amazing sideshows courtesy of the Byron Bay Bluesfest, happening over the Easter long weekend, from Thursday 21 until Monday 25 April. The complete line-up is pretty incredible and if you’re heading up to enjoy it, well, lucky you. Bob Dylan, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Toots and the Maytals, ZZ Top just to name a few.

A sideshow for the king of blues, B.B. King, has been announced for Tuesday 12 April at the State Theatre. Tickets go on sale in a few days here. ZZ Top will take on the Enmore Theatre on Wednesday 27 April. Tickets to the show go on sale tomorrow. Stay tuned for more Bluesfest sideshows as they get announced closer to the date.

Update on Bluesfest sideshows: Bob Dylan’s sideshow is booked for Wednesday 27 April at the Entertainment Centre. Tickets go on sale on Monday 24 January from this website. Elvis Costello will take on the State Theatre on Tuesday 19 April, get your tickets from here. For the reggae fans, Toots and the Maytals are teaming up with some buddies for a night to remember at the Enmore Thetare. For more details and to get your tickets, go here. Also at the Enmore Theatre, the legendary Texan trio ZZ Top have booked two nights – Wednesday 27 and Thursday 28 April. For tickets, go here.

P.S. Not related to any of the summer festivals, Cat Power also returns to Sydney in January. Only one performance is scheduled for Sunday 30 January at Sydney Opera House. Tickets on sale Thursday 10 December. And Kings of Leon return to Australia in the new year as well. As expected, they will do stadium shows across the country and have scheduled Tuesday 8 and Thursday 10 March for Acer Arena in Sydney’s Olympic Park. Tickets are on sale now.

Beach House © Sydney Festival

My absolutely favourite time of the year is nearing and I thought it’d be nice to share with you my best-loved events for everyone staying in Sydney over summer.

Just like every January, Sydney Festival will light up our city with over 80 events across venues like the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Theatre, CarriageWorks and temporary venues like Beck’s Festival Bar and The Famous Spiegeltent. We will have the opportunity to see a very diverse and attractive mix of Australian and international artists covering dance, theatre, music, visual arts and more over three weeks of the festival.

Firstly, let me tell you how stoked I am about the Baltimore-based dream-pop duo Beach House hitting our shores this summer. With its atmospheric and dreamy marvel, the band’s third and highly acclaimed album Teen Dream has received outstanding reviews and won them a ‘band to watch in 2010′ tag from big industry guns. They are here for the sold-out St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in February and will do a few side gigs at the Sydney Festival. They play Beck’s Festival Bar with Parades on Wednesday 26 January and City Recital Hall Angel Place on Thursday 27 January.

Wire is a 70s English post-punk band whose live performances are said to be “full of urgency and vitality”. The band has been around for over 30 years and has over 10 studio albums, and has influenced the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party and REM. Wire will play with the Los Angeles four-piece HEALTH at the Beck’s Festival Bar on Thursday 20 January.

Catching Brooklyn-based Sufjan Stevens and Holly Miranda this time around would also be good. It’s their second visit to Sydney and both will be playing material from their new albums, The Age of Adz and The Magician’s Private Library, respectively. Set in the beautiful Sydney Opera House and backed by a large orchestra and video projections, Sufjan’s performance should be a treat for the senses. Dates to look out for are Thursday 27 and Friday 28 January. Holly Miranda will play at The Famous Spiegeltent on Saturday 15, Sunday 16 and Tuesday 18 January.

I am also very excited about seeing two of my favourite Australian acts, Paul Kelly and Gotye. Both will be on stage at the City Recital Hall Angel Place, Gotye with one show on Thursday 27 January, and Paul Kelly with a few from Thursday 20 to Sunday 23 January.

Live: An intimate video study of the art of performing is precisely that … a large-scale video installation showing a collection of performances of over 20 of the world’s best singers and musicians—Jarvis Cocker, Peaches, Róisín Murphy, Sarah Blasko, Warren Ellis, Rufus Wainwright to name a few. Its purposes is to create an intimate connection between the performer and their audience, and offer a profound, larger-than-life front row experience. Live will be showing from Friday 14 to Sunday 23 January at Sydney Town Hall.

Free Sydney Festival events are always great fun. For photography lovers like myself, Exposed will be a delight. It’s an engaging and diverse collection of images showing the role photography has played in capturing different interpretations of the classic nude. Works included are by some of the greatest photographers like Max Dupan, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Doisneau. Exposed will be on from Tuesday 4 January until Friday 11 March at The Nicholson Museum, University of Sydney.

And if you’re into large-scale picnics in the park with some form of music or entertainment in the background, then head to Festival in The Domain. Especially if you are fond of Latin beats and rhythms and don’t mind a bit of a dance to the late 80s hit La Bamba! Catch the East-LA Chicano rock legends Los Lobos and the Sydney-based mariachi band The Real Mexico for a true fiesta experience on Saturday 15 January, in the Domain.

If Latino isn’t quite your cup of tea, what about a Symphony in The Domain instead? Bring your picnic rug and set up camp early to get the best spot for a night of Sydney Symphony with Bell Shakespeare and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs under the stars. Relax to tunes from Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet. Then watch John Bell enact scenes from Shakespeare’s Henry V, accompanied by the mesmerizing Sydney Symphony and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. Symphony in The Domain is happening on Saturday 22 January.

Well, so much to see and do and so little … Enjoy!

Patti Smith with her Children, Jackson and Jesse, St. Clair Shores, Michigan 1996 Photograph © Annie Leibovitz

This summer, Sydneysiders will have a chance to see the work of one of my favourite photographers, the legendary Annie Leibovitz.

Leibovitz has been documenting American pop culture for over three decades. A lot of her work was done for popular magazines such as Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue. She is extremely good in making her subjects feel comfortable and at ease, and has no trouble persuading them to do even the most awkward of things.

Featuring prominent personalities from diverse genres such as music, cinema, art, politics, etc., her photographs are always surprising and original. Perhaps the most recognizable one of them all, is the photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, shot by Leibovitz for the cover of Rolling Stone magazine on the day of Lennon’s death.

The exhibition showcases over 200 photographs selected by the artist, ranging from commercial and documentary, to those which reveal the most intimate moments in the photographer’s life.

The entry to Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life 1990–2005 exhibition will set you back $15 (or $10 with consession). The exhibition is on now and runs until Sunday 27 March 2011. Don’t miss it! For more details check out the MCA website.

Alamar (To The Sea)

Hola Mexico Film Festival, the biggest Mexican film festival in the world, is back again with a splendid collection of feature films and documentaries. Kicking off in Sydney tomorrow, Thursday 3 November, it will be showing at Dendy Newtown and Dendy Opera Quays until Sunday 14 November.

2010 marks the centenary of the Mexican revolution, and to celebrate this important milestone, 10 leading Mexican directors have joined forces and produced a compilation of 10 short films under the title Revolucion. The short films explore the idea of revolution and what it means to young Mexicans today.

My picks Alamar, Año Bisiesto and Norteado are all multi-award winning films, promising captivating stories about love, solitude and hope. With a selection of colourful and inspiring characters, these features are fueled with diversity, energy and passion staying true to its Latin American roots.

For more details and a full list of feature films and documentaries and their screening times, check the festival website.

Baarìa

I know Sydney’s been spoilt for choice with film festivals recently, but there is a certain excitement and anticipation I reserve for the Italian Film Festival that is very different to any other collection of films. Having studied history of Italian cinema, this may just be a subjective (or a cultural) thing. But it could also be that Italy has given us some of the most influential film directors ever and that it has produced a potpourri of brilliant and inspiring films. Every year we come to expect an explosion of passion and drama which Italian cinema is so famous for. And this year, the festival organizers didn’t shy away in highlighting this, handpicking 26 films which had just taken part in prestigious Cannes, Berlin, Rome and Venice festivals.

My list of favourites is long, but I have picked a few which I think are absolute musts. The first is the festival opening night drama La Nostra Vita, with the award winning performance by Elio Germano. It is a story of a working-class man and his family living on the outskirts of Rome and it examines some of Italy’s current and most important issues. The aspect of this film I’m looking forward to most, is the soundtrack by the Italian rock legend Vasco Rossi.

Another festival film with a noteworthy soundtrack (and the biggest film budget in Italy ever!) is Baaria. Film director Giuseppe Tornatore and the prolific and influential Italian composer Ennio Morricone have a tendency of collaborating on some very interesting work. Baaria is a portrait of a Sicilian family depicted across three generations, from 1920s to 1980s, through the eyes of the main character, Peppino. It gives us an insight of what life was like in Sicily during the Fascist era and the second World War, the liberation by the Allies and the mafia-controlled community.

Draquila—Italy Trembles (L’Italia che trema) is a documentary by the well-known actress and satirist Sabina Guzzanti who also brought us Viva Zapatero! a few years ago. Her new docco is a clever examination of the April 2009 catastrophic earthquake of L’Aquila, which killed over 300 civilians and left most of the city’s population homeless, and how the Italian government used this disaster to gain political power.

And the list of really compelling and entertaining features goes on and on … The Double Hour, The First Beautiful Thing, Cosmonaut, The Front Line just to name a few. The 11th Lavazza Italian Film Festival is showing in Palace Cinemas from Thursday 23 September until Sunday 10 October. For all the details, hit the festival website.

The Last Summer Of La Boyita

It’s the film festival season, all right. To launch us into a warmer part of the year, Sydney Latin American Film Festival (SLAFF) is coming to town with over 60 exciting films from all over the South and Central American region. In its 5th year, this not-for-profit, 100% volunteer-run festival, will kick off with a multi-award winning Argentine comedy A Matter of Principles on Wednesday 1 September, at the Dendy Opera Quays. This opening feature is said to be a rather funny drama and a true crowd-pleaser.

Other multi-award winning comedies, both Mexican, are Crossing and Chilango Chronicles. Crossing is about two Mexicans and their hopeless attempt to illegally cross to the US, while the latter is a surrealist take on three ‘chilangos’ (inhabitants of Mexico City) and their lives as their stories intersect. Chilango Chronicles was Mexico’s official selection for the 2010 Golden Globe Awards.

There are quite a number of very interesting documentaries this year, but these two stood out for me most: Sins Of My Father and Chasing Che. The former is a story of the infamous Columbian drug cartel boss Pablo Escobar told by his son Sebastian. It is an fascinating account of an extraordinary childhood and an intimate relationship with his father, Columbia’s public enemy number one. Chasing Che is a documentary made by an Iranian businessman who decides to venture into a four-year journey of South America and Europe in an effort to achieve a better understanding of Che and his vision.

The festival will run until Sunday 19 September at a number of venues. All proceeds from SLAFF will be going towards grassroots community development projects in Latin America. For more info and a complete screening schedule, visit the festival website.

Russian Resurrection Film Festival

What better way to celebrate the end of (what seemed a very long) Sydney winter than with a world-class selection of films from one of the coldest countries on this planet, Russia. In its 7th year, Russian Resurrection Film Festival brings a collection of 17 new films (plus a World War II retrospective) and is said to be the largest festival of Russian film outside Russia.

The multi-award winning features One War and How I Ended This Summer, which I failed to see at the 2010 Sydney Film Festival, are my top picks. The former is a captivating story of compassion set in World War II, while the latter is an uncanny exploration of human relationship with each other, time and space. How I Ended This Summer is set on a remote Arctic island, and is praised for its beautiful cinematography.

Two more features sparked my interest and I would be keen to see either the festival opening night romantic drama Man at the Window or Peter on His Way to Heaven, a film about a a mentally handicapped youth in a prison-camp town during Stalin’s Russia.

Russian Resurrection Film Festival opens on Thursday 19 August and runs until Wednesday 1 September 2010 at Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. A selection of films will also be shown in Burwood and Bondi Junction cinemas. For a full listing, visit the Russian Resurrection website.

Winterland @ CarriageWorks

Winter can be charming after all. Take advantage of the cold weather, rug up and head to one of the winter festivals around town after nightfall or on the weekend. Ice skating is this year’s centrepiece at both Winterland festival at CarriageWorks and the Winter Festivals in Sydney and Bondi. Spread across the forecourt of St Mary’s cathedral, Sydney Winter Festival is on until Sunday 4 July, and then it moves to Bondi, where it becomes Bondi Winter Festival from 16 July to 25 July. If ice skating is just not your thing, sit back and watch the fun on ice while sipping on a hot cup of mulled wine. Or hot chocolate. Also coming to town very soon, is the Winterland festival in the inner west. It will run from 5 July to 31 July.

Free gigs at the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi

Every Wednesday night Beach Road Hotel in Bondi showcases an up-and-coming local indie band or two for free. Last night I went along to see a Blue Mountains indie pop quartet Cloud Control. If you’re into your Jays, you’d know who I’m talking about as their debut album Bliss Release has been a feature record all this week. Just like every Wednesday night, the room upstairs (The Rex) was packed with hipsters in their early 20′s. If that’s your kind of crowd, get out there and support the local music scene.

Generally, the support band kicks off around 8.30pm and the main act starts around 10pm. Entry is free and beer is cheap. Upcoming shows (and more to be announced) are listed below:

The Dirty Secrets + The Protectors  + Royal Chant (9 June), Wolf & Cub + Kids Of 88 (16 June), Midnight Youth + Meow Kapow (23 June), Amy Meredith + Demon Parade (30 June), Tbc + One Jonathon (7 July), Tbc + The Chemist (14 July), Lost Valentinos + Alter Ego Mania (21 July),  The Joy Formidable + Jinga Safari + The Temper Trap Dj’s (28 July), Vasco Era + I Am Giant (4 Aug), Parades + The Laurels + Rushcutter (11 Aug), Sound Casino + Sticky Fingers (18 Aug) and Snowdroppers + Jack Nasty Face (25 Aug).

And an update: Ghostwood + Surf City (NZ) (8 Sept), Cabins + Alter Ego Mania + Step-Panther (15 Sept), The Jezabels + The Owls (22 Sept), The Holidays + We Are Fans (29 Sept) and Hungry Kids Of Hungary + Big Scary (10 Nov).