The Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) today announced a series of public and industry events to accompany the Game Masters Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition opening Thursday 28 June 2012.

From Tuesday 26 June, ACMI will provide opportunities for fans and industry to hear from international game developers in town for the official opening of the exhibition.

International guests Peter Molyneux OBE (Populous, Dungeon Keeper and Fable series’), Tim Schafer (Psychonauts, Brütal Legend) and Warren Spector (Deus Ex, Disney Epic Mickey) will take part in a series of public programs going on sale this Friday 18 May at 10am AEST.

Between Tuesday 26 and Friday 29 June, Molyneux, Schafer and Spector will each feature in their own In Conversation event, designed to give audiences an insight into their craft, career and inspirations. To coincide with this announcement, ACMI today released an extract from a newly commissioned video interview with Molyneux to be shown within the exhibition.

Commencing on the opening day of the exhibition, ACMI and Film Victoria present Game Masters: The Forum, a two-day industry symposium designed for professionals and budding game developers. The forum will provide a rare opportunity for industry to convene in Melbourne with some of the world’s leading practitioners in attendance. Game Masters: The Forum will open with a keynote presentation by Molyneux, followed by a panel discussion with key industry figures on the future of the games industry. Other sessions will cover topics such as the role of storytelling, the relationship between creativity and commerce, the independent development landscape, the state of the Australian industry, and the roles that cultural institutions and collectors play in the gaming world. A full program is available on the ACMI website from today.

Together with Film Victoria, ACMI presents Re:Play, a monthly event curated by ACMI and Freeplay that brings together game developers, critics, journalists, academics and other industry experts to explore aspects of gaming culture, with sonic contributions from house bands. The July event will focus on adaptations and videogames and in August, Re:Play will focus on the role of character in gaming.

The Game Masters exhibition opens in time for the school holidays. Each weekday for two weeks from Monday 2 July, ACMI will present the Kids in the Studio workshop, Adventures in a Videogame. The free program will allow children between the ages of 4 and 12 to learn about green screen technology by featuring as a character in a videogame. For kids aged 9 to 12, the school holiday program offers a three-day intensive film making workshop, Make a Movie: Games on Frames. In small groups, participants will script, storyboard, act, direct and edit their own film based on a video game. The budding filmmakers present their films at a screening on the final day.

Throughout the exhibition, ACMI will present Game Masters Intermix, a series of free workshops for teenagers. The July event will be a Chiptune workshop allowing participants to work with Australian sound artists to create their own 8-bit game soundtrack. In August, the Game Masters Intermix session caters for young women passionate about games featuring some of the most dynamic female industry professionals to inform and inspire.

The workshop program throughout the exhibition is designed for rich hands-on experiences. Wintery weekends in August will feature a Machinima workshop, The Art of Virtual Filmmaking, as well as a free drop-in activity, Games: A Family Affair, designed for families to enjoy together.

The public program also includes curator talks though the exhibition on select dates.

ACMI will soon announce a late night entertainment program to coincide with the extended hours of the exhibition and a game-themed film program.

More public programs to run throughout September and October will be announced in the coming months.

ACMI’s Game Masters is a highly interactive videogame exhibition, showcasing the work of leading local and international videogame designers from the arcade era through to the latest console and mobile game technology. Over 30 game designers who have made a significant impact in the field will be profiled throughout the exhibition, including well-known international, independent and Australian game designers. The designers’ work will be explored through 125 playable games and a combination of rare concept artwork and newly commissioned interviews in a spectacular gaming universe designed for all ages and abilities. The exhibition runs until 28 October 2012.

Tickets to the public programs go on sale to the general public on Friday 18 May via acmi.net.au. For full information on the Game Masters public and industry program, please visit acmi.net.au

Dave Griffiths

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Brian Mannix is the hottest elimination favourite of the Dancing with the Stars season

Shannon Noll’s injury-enforced withdrawal saved Dancing with the Stars struggler Brian Mannix but the Uncanny X-Men singer’s reprieve is likely to be a short one with him odds on to go next week.

Indeed, Mannix is the hottest elimination favourite of the show’s 12th season so far, with the online betting agency of former Dancing with the Stars contestant Tom Waterhouse installing him at $1.60.

Johnny Ruffo is the $2.75 favourite to win the title with online bookmaker tomwaterhouse.com, the Cleo Bachelor of the Year runner-up just ahead of Zoe Cramond ($3) and Danielle Spencer ($3.25).

Dancing with the Stars celebrity winner
$2.75 Johnny Ruffo
$3 Zoe Cramond
$3.25 Danielle Spencer
$9 Kerri-Anne Kennerley
$15 Brendan Fevola
$34 Jessica Watson
$67 Brian Mannix

Dancing with the Stars next eliminated celebrity
$1.60 Brian Mannix
$3.25 Jessica Watson
$7 Brendan Fevola
$13 Kerri-Anne Kennerley
$34 Danielle Spencer
$41 Zoe Cramond
$51 Johnny Ruffo

Dancing with the Stars top scorer – 20 May 2012
$2.50 Zoe Cramond
$2.50 Danielle Spencer
$4.50 Johnny Ruffo
$12 Kerri-Anne Kennerley
$15 Brendan Fevola
$34 Jessica Watson
$41 Brian Mannix

Dave Griffiths

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Guy Sebastian’s kid brother is odds on to be among the casualties when The Voice live rounds begin on Monday and two singers from both Team Delta and Team Seal are voted off the competition.

Chris Sebastian is $1.85 with tomwaterhouse.com to be one of the contestants eliminated from Team Seal, with the voting public and the coaches able to save two singers per team apiece.

“According to the betting, Seal has the strongest team and that’s not good news for the chance of Sebastian Junior progressing,” said Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director of tomwaterhouse.com.

“On the other hand, punters have backed Rachael Leahcar from $8 fourth favourite into $6 joint favourite because she looks head and shoulders above every other member of Team Delta.

“Each of the teams will provide one of the finalists and Rachael’s path to the decider looks much more straightforward than those of the singers being coached by Seal, Joel and Keith.”

Dancing with the Stars continues on Sunday, with Johnny Ruffo the $3 favourite to win the show’s 12th season and Brian Mannix odds on at $1.90 to be the next eliminated celebrity.

The Voice individual winner
$6 Karise Eden
$6 Lakyn Heperi
$6 Rachael Leahcar
$9 Darren Percival
$10 Brittany Cairns
$13 Emma Louise Birdsall
$15 Ben Bennett
$17 Prinnie Stevens
$21 Fatai Veamatahau
$26 Sarah De Bono
$26 Sam Ludeman
$26 Diana Rouvas
$26 Carmen Smith
$34 Laura Bunting
$34 Glenn Cunningham
$34 Danni Da Ros
$34 Ben Hazlewood
$34 Adam Martin
$34 Chris Sebastian
$41 Michael Duchesne
$41 Taga Paa
$51 Jimmy Cupples
$51 Matt Hetherington
$67 Viktoria Bolonia

Team Delta next two eliminated contestants
$1.30 Viktoria Bolonia
$1.70 Matt Hetherington
$2.50 Glenn Cunningham
$2.50 Danni Da Ros
$5.50 Ben Bennett
$15 Rachael Leahcar

Team Seal next two eliminated contestants
$1.40 Michael Duchesne
$1.85 Chris Sebastian
$2.10 Sam Ludeman
$2.60 Fatai Veamatahau
$5 Emma Louise Birdsall
$11 Karise Eden

Team Keith next two eliminated contestants
$1.40 Jimmy Cupples
$1.70 Taga Paa
$2 Adam Martin
$2.75 Diana Rouvas
$8 Brittany Cairns
$9 Darren Percival

Team Joel next two eliminated contestants
$1.75 Laura Bunting
$1.75 Ben Hazlewood
$2.20 Sarah De Bono
$2.20 Carmen Smith
$3.60 Prinnie Stevens
$13 Lakyn Heperi

Team Delta winner
$1.60 Rachael Leahcar
$3.75 Ben Bennett
$10 Glenn Cunningham
$10 Danni Da Ros
$15 Matt Hetherington
$21 Viktoria Bolonia

Team Seal winner
$1.85 Karise Eden
$4 Emma Louise Birdsall
$7 Fatai Veamatahau
$9 Sam Ludeman
$11 Chris Sebastian
$15 Michael Duchesne

Team Keith winner
$2.25 Darren Percival
$2.50 Brittany Cairns
$8 Diana Rouvas
$11 Adam Martin
$13 Taga Paa
$15 Jimmy Cupples

Team Joel winner
$1.75 Lakyn Heperi
$5 Prinnie Stevens
$8 Sarah De Bono
$8 Carmen Smith
$11 Laura Bunting
$11 Ben Hazlewood

The Voice individual winner gender
$1.60 Female
$2.20 Male

The Voice team winner
$3.20 Team Seal
$3.40 Team Joel
$3.60 Team Keith
$3.75 Team Delta

Dave Griffiths

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Extensive touring of the country and slots on some of Australia and New Zealand’s leading festivals has seen Brisbane six-piece KINGFISHA earn their badge as one of the finest acts in the reggae/dub scene.

KINGFISHA have taken Jamaican rhythms and infused them with honest songwriting and strong melodies to create their own sound… genuine, Australian Reggae.

In early 2010 KINGFISHA won Triple J’s Unearthed Fuse Festival Roots competition. Now their long awaited self titled debut long player is due for release on May 14. An album that is highly anticipated by their many fans.

The self titled debut was recorded and produced by Pauli B (Beautiful Girls, George) at the Tanuki Lounge in Brisbane’s West End. It features some of Australian Reggae’s smoothest sounds. Outstanding musicianship and strong songwriting has put Kingfisha on the map and now, they deliver with this debut.

The new album KINGFISHA will be released through Uppercut Records/Vitamin on May 14, 2012.

KINGFISHA will be hitting the road on an album tour from June 8 – See tour dates below. Taking the new tunes to the masses, it is sure to be one hell of a ride…

KINGFISHA ALBUM TOUR

June:                        

Fri 8th              The Heritage Hotel, Bulli

w/ The Strides

Tickets $10 available @ the door

 

Sat 9th             Blue Beat, Double Bay

w/ The Strides and Foreigndub

Tickets $15+bf available @ bluebeat.com

 

Fri 15th             The Soundlounge, Currumbin

w/ Kooii

Tickets $15+bf availble @ thesoundlounge.com

 

Sat 16th             The Buddha Bar, Byron Bay

w/ Kooii and King Krazey

Tickets $15 available at the venue

 

Fri 22nd             The Hi-fi bar, Brisbane

w/ Kooii, The Strides, Bullhorn & Integer

Tickets $15+bf available at moshtix.com

 

Sat 23rd             The Coolum Civic Centre

w/ Kooii.

Tickets $16+bf available at lighthouseparty.com

 

Sat 30th             Kuranda Roots Festival

Tickets $60 available at kurandaroots.com

 

July:

Fri 13th             The Thornbury Theatre, Melbourne

w/ King Charlie’s School of Dub, Simmer & Lotek (Dj mode)

Tickets $12+bf available at thornburytheatre.com

Dave Griffiths

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Well here’s a band line-up change with a difference. Tom Gabel the lead singer of Florida based punk rock outfit Against Me! has told Rolling Star magazine that he plans on under-going hormone therapy and electrolysis so he can live as a woman.

31-year-old Gabel says he believes that he has suffered from gender dysphoria and says that while he will be changing his name to Laura Jane Grace he will be staying married to his wife Heather (whom he has a two-year-old daughter with) and certainly isn’t attracted to men.

While his wife supports his change, there is no word on how the band will be affected.

Dave Griffiths

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Karise Eden, the Central Coast teenager who turned all four chairs in a nanosecond and beat a highly rated singer in the battle rounds, is the $6 favourite to win The Voice with tomwaterhouse.com.

As the hit television singing competition prepares to enters its live rounds, during which the public will ultimately determine the winner, online bookmaker tomwaterhouse.com has framed betting markets on the individual winner, the team winner and the gender of the individual winner.

Eden heads the individual market at $6, with iTunes sensation Lakyn Heperi ($6.50), star of last night’s show Brittany Cairns ($7) and vision-impaired Rachael Leahcar ($8) also among the favourites.

There is nothing to choose between Team Joel ($3) and Team Seal ($3), with the former featuring three of the top eight in the individual betting and the latter featuring the favourite in Eden.

With females dominating the top of the individual betting – eight of the top eight – girl power is $1.55 to rule, with a male winner trading at $2.30.  There are 12 of each gender remaining.

The Voice continues with its first show of the live rounds on Monday 14 May 2012.

 

The Voice individual winner
$6 Karise Eden
$6.50 Lakyn Heperi
$7 Brittany Cairns
$8 Rachael Leahcar
$11 Darren Percival
$15 Emma Louise Birdsall
$15 Prinnie Stevens
$17 Sam Ludeman
$17 Carmen Smith
$21 Sarah De Bono
$21 Ben Hazlewood
$21 Fatai Veamatahau
$26 Ben Bennett
$26 Danni Da Ros
$26 Diana Rouvas
$26 Chris Sebastian
$34 Laura Bunting
$34 Michael Duchesne
$34 Taga Paa
$41 Adam Martin
$51 Jimmy Cupples
$67 Matt Hetherington
$81 Glenn Cunningham
$101 Viktoria Bolonia

The Voice team winner
$3 Team Joel
$3 Team Seal
$3.50 Team Keith
$5 Team Delta

 

The Voice individual gender winner
$1.55 Female
$2.30 Male

Dave Griffiths

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Cinema Nova and Text Publishing will return the spotlight to great Australian literary classics and their cinematic adaptations, for the Text Classic Page to Picture series, commencing Wednesday 6 June for five events screening on the first Wednesday of every month.

Cinema Nova will screen movie adaptions of five popular Australian novels, followed by a discussion of the text and movie with a hand-chosen panel of film buffs, novelists, actors and academics that will be announced in the coming weeks.

The Text Classics Page to Picture series will commence on Wednesday 6 June, with a screening and discussion of the brilliant adaptation of Sumner Locke Elliott’s international bestseller, ‘Careful, He Might Hear You.’ Starring Robyn Nevin and Wendy Hughes, ‘Careful, He Might Hear You’ won 8 AFI Awards, including Best Film, in 1983.

The second event in the Text Classics Page to Picture series will be held on Wednesday 4 July, celebrating John O’Grady’s hit novel ‘They’re a Weird Mob’. ‘They’re a Weird Mob’ looks at the experience of an Italian immigrant and his comic and heart-warming observations of Australia and its people.

“This story has richness here in Carlton, given Italian immigrants are largely to thank for the suburb’s history and evolution that made Lygon Street the landmark it has become today,” said Cinema Nova Manager Kristian Connelly.

Wednesday 1 August’s event will focus on Kenneth Cook’s novel ‘Wake in Fright’: a terrifying journey into the heart of darkness of the Australian outback. The long-long 1977 film ‘Wake in Fright’ was re-released in 2009 after a chance discovery in the United States led to its digital restoration and re-release.

The adaptation of Miles Franklin’s ‘My Brilliant Career’ starring Judy Davis and Sam Neill, will screen on Wednesday 5 September. This was award-winning director Gillian Armstrong’s first feature film and has, along with the novel on which it’s based, established itself as one of Australia’s cultural treasures.

The Text Classics Page to Picture series will conclude with a screening and discussion of Shane Maloney’s ‘Stiff’ on Wednesday 3 October. Directed by John Clarke, ‘Stiff’ stars David Wenham as Murray Whelan – dogsbody for the Minister of Industry – who is called on to deal with a corpse found in the freezer of the Pacific Pastoral Meat Packing Works in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. From there he finds himself embroiled in the slapstick machinations of the Victorian Labour Party.

“Text is delighted to celebrate some of the wonderful highpoints of Australian filmmaking and writing with Cinema Nova,” said Michael Heyward, Publisher.

Text Classic Page to Picture series at Cinema Nova

Film screening followed by a panel discussion

·         Careful He Might Hear You Wednesday 6 June, 6:45pm

·         They’re a Weird Mob Wednesday 4 July, 6:45pm

·         Wake in Fright Wednesday 1 August, 6:45pm

·         My Brilliant Career Wednesday 5 September, 6:45pm

·         Stiff Wednesday 3 October, 6:45pm

 

Tickets are now on-sale: $23 Adult / $21 Concession: www.cinemanova.com.au

(Multipass available from the Cinema Nova box office: all five sessions for $21 each).

Text Publishing’s Australian Classics series (30 titles, each $12.95), are available at Readings Bookstores, find out more at www.textclassics.com.au

Dave Griffiths

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OUR LAST ENEMY (NSW)

Thur 10 May: The Cambridge Newcastle

Fri 11 May: The Wall Sydney

Fri 18 May: Revolver Upstairs Melbourne

Sat 19 May: Cavern Club Adelaide

Sat 26 May: The Basement Canberra

Supporting Mnemic

20th October – Sydney 

27th October – Canberra

 

THE OCEAN (Germany/CHR)

Thursday 17th: Melbourne @ The Tote

Friday 18th: Adelaide @ Fowlers Live

Sat 19th: Ballarat @ The Karava Lounge

Sun20th: Geelong @ The National Hotel

Tuesday 22nd: Canberra @ Anu Bar

Wed23rd: Sydney @ The Annandale Hotel

Thursday 24th: Brisbane @ The Zoo

Friday 25th: Sydney @ Tbc

Saturday 26th: Melbourne @ The Hi Fi Bar

Sunday 27th: Perth @ The Rosemount

 

THE POOR (Qld)
Sun 20 May – The Newport WA

GOATWHORE (USA)

Underground Legions Tour

Thursday 5th July – Beetle Bar, Brisbane

Fri 6th July – The Sandringham Hotel, Syd

Sat 7th July – The Corner Hotel, Melb

Sun 8th July – The Brisbane Hotel, Hobart

CANNIBAL CORPSE (USA)
Oct 4th Adelaide – Fowler’s Live

Oct 5th Melbourne – Billboard The Venue

Oct 6th Sydney – The Metro Theatre

Oct 8th Brisbane – The Hifi

Oct 9th Perth – Capitol

 

MNEMIC (Denmark)
Whiplash Festival

20th Oct – Sandringham Hotel, Newtown

21st Oct – Brisbane Hi Fi, Brisbane

26th Oct– Newcastle Cambridge Hotel,

27th Oct – Canberra Anu Bar,

28th Oct – Melbourne Hi Fi,

Dave Griffiths

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Relapse Records is extremely proud to announce the signing of NYC doom-dwellers SERPENTINE PATH (Tim Bagshaw – Guitars, Jay Newman – Bass, Darren Verni – Drums, Ryan Lipynsky -Vocals).  A true pedigree of the doom underworld, SERPENTINE PATH consists of current and former members of ELECTRIC WIZARD, RAMESSES, & UNEARTHLY TRANCE.

The band initially released their debut 7” Depraved, earlier this year via Parasitic Records and recently wrapped up recording their self-titled full-length debut, set for a fall 2012 release via Relapse.  Bassist Jay Newman commented on the signing:

“Serpentine Path is honored to announce that our debut album will be released by Relapse Records! The four of us aim for nothing but the most uncompromising and intense death/doom metal songs we can possibly create.”

 

Dave Griffiths

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Purified in Blood release their new album “Flight Of A Dying Sun” on June 15. An album with enough groove and heaviness to crush mountains. Check out the amazing album artwork on “Flight Of A Dying Sun” made by the incredible Jondix Mahashakti!

Two years after releasing «Under Black Skies», Purified in Blood is now ready to unleash yet another monster; «Flight Of A Dying Sun». Their previous album «Under Black Skies» got overwhelming critics and the band is widely known to deliver the goods live as well. If there’s one thing Purified in Blood looks forward to, it’s touring with these new, crushing songs. Destroying city after city with Norwegian metal.

Taking their sound to a new level, the band is very pleased with the outcome of this new recording. They have a newfound intensity inspired by their early days. Mixing the hard with the groovy this album has the variety listeners will find interesting and heavy. «Flight Of A Dying Sun» is recorded and produced by Danish juggernaut Jacob Bredahl and mixed and mastered by the metal legend Tue Madsen; the heaviest combo known to man.

Dave Griffiths

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