Eight emerging musical acts from across the country have been selected to play on the main stage at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music this November.

As winners of the country-wide Passport to Airlie competition, these impressive musicians are the best of their home regions and will now be performing in a special show ahead of the main festival weekend.

This year's list of finalists include The Neo (Darwin), Abi Muir (Cairns), Weathered (Mackay), Perry Street Park (Brisbane), Karly Jewell (Melbourne), Dande & The Lion (Newcastle), Sunday Lemonade (Byron Bay) and Owls of Neptune (Sunshine Coast).  

Festival ambassador and celebrity judge The Superjesus front-woman Sarah McLeod said that playing on the main stage of a large venue is very different to playing in bars.

"Playing on a big stage with a big PA is a game changer," she said.

"Most artists are used to hearing very little on stage in pubs - to play on a stage with a big PA and have all the instruments heard and the vocal loud through the wedges is something that’ll blow their minds if they're not used to it!"

Excitement is already building with the winning acts who are thrilled to be on their way to Airlie Beach.

Perry Street Park's front-man Benny said the opportunity to play at Airlie is huge.

“Not only the chance to be in this competition up against acts from all over Australia, but just to be a part of Queensland’s festival of the year,” he said.

“For an up and coming band to be a part of a festival this size is a huge opportunity to get exposure and build the chops for a career in the industry."

Nicholas from Dande & The Lion said his band are beyond excited.

"We are absolutely stoked!” he said.

“It looks like a really good setup that the organisers have worked hard to put in place, and we're looking forward to getting amongst the Airlie Beach vibes, seeing some amazing musicians, and of course playing."

The Passport to Airlie grand finals will be held on the main stage at the Whitsunday Sailing Club and kicks off on 6pm on November 3.

Entry will be free for all 3-day ticket holders for the festival and $10 (on door only) to all other spectators, the event will also be all ages.

The main event starts the following day with headlining acts including Rogue Traders, Ben Lee, The Animals, Eskimo Joe, Mi-Sex, Jon Stevens and many, many more incredible acts.

WHAT: Passport To Airlie Grand Finals

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club, festival main stage

WHEN: Thursday, November 3

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The winning acts from eight different regions across the country

The creative culinary masterminds behind some of Airlie Beach’s biggest and best hospitality experiences are embarking on a new and exciting expansion just in time for Christmas.

Whisper Catering sees the union of two passionate event gurus.

Geoff Small (Smally) from KC’s bar & grill, Whisper Restaurant & Gin bar and Whitsunday Food Garden has just announced a new Executive Chef, Zibby Deca, who created menus for many high-quality restaurants and has extensive experience in high volume catering operations.

Utilising the multiple venues, equipment and staff from across Smally’s business venues, the pair are perfectly placed to organise special events for up to 1000 people, offer provisioning for white boats or create an unforgettable experience for smaller groups.

From Christmas parties to wedding receptions, corporate functions to milestone birthdays – Whisper Catering can tailor any style of event including sit-down a la carte, finger-food canapes, gourmet buffets and banquets.

Book your Christmas party at Whisper Gin Bar, book a food van for your backyard session, hire out the showgrounds for a community event or indulge in a private dinner with a small group of your favourite people – the choice is yours!

Whisper Catering can arrange a dining experience at almost any venue, with any type of cuisine, styling and live entertainment to suit your event.

“We have a modern approach to catering, and we are really flexible,” said Zibby.

“There is nothing too small and nothing too big!” said Smally.

Whisper Catering are now taking bookings for Christmas parties and any other event your heart desires.

Tucked away in the quiet tropical garden setting in the centre of Airlie Beach is the unique open air food court that locals love – could you be the next popular vendor to join the team at the ever-growing Whitsunday Food Garden eat street experience?

Did someone say one more Smally Special?!

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Geoff Small (Smally) from KC’s Bar & Grill (right) with his new Executive Chef, Zibby Deca (left). Photo credit: Rachael Smith

We also have the walk for a kinder world event kicking off this month. Funds raised will go towards providing kindness and wellbeing resources to our local schools. WSPN partners with the b kinder foundation (flyhighbillie.org) to deliver wellbeing programs to schools in the Whitsundays.

Walk for a kinder world is about walking with a purpose. You could go for a walk and leave a letter in someone’s letter box, give a compliment to a stranger, help an elderly person go for a walk, walk someone’s dog, or pick up litter along your walk.

“The world could certainly use a little more kindness so the walk for a kinder world is all about connecting, being inclusive and being kind,”  said Danny Mayson-Kinder from the b kinder foundation.

“One small act of kindness could change someone's life so we are encouraging everyone to participate, to think of others and connect with families, friends and their community.”

WHAT: Walk For A Kinder World

WHERE:  You decide where and how far you walk

WHEN: October 13 to November 13

REGISTER: fundraise.flyhighbille.org

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This month Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network (WSPN) is excited to announce that they will be re-launching their community breathing sessions by partnering with Ashley and Matt Lade from Evoprime Fitness to facilitate the classes.

Matt and Ashley said they are excited to be collaborating with WSPN to facilitate the Breathing Sessions as it is one of the many things they incorporate into their own daily health habits for mental resilience and well-being.

“It is such a powerful and simple strategy that anyone can use anytime and we can’t wait to teach these skills in a way that everyone can enjoy, not only at the sessions but anytime and anywhere,” they said.

“Somewhere along our lives we all experience mental health issues whether ourselves personally, a friend, or family member.

“Having a tough time dealing with daily stressors in life isn’t uncommon.

“Knowing when and how to incorporate breathing patterns for preventative health as well as reducing stress, supporting immune systems, recovering physically and mentally, supporting our nervous systems, sleep, and the list goes on, is priceless.”

WHAT: Free Weekly Breathing Sessions

WHERE: Evoprime Fitness 1A/11 Shute Harbour Road Cannonvale

WHEN: Weekly starting Monday, October 10 from 6pm

COST: FREE (donations welcome)

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To kick off November head to The Pub for a Live Music Weekender with four unique acts performing across six shows in a back-to-back showing for the ages.

The Airlie Beach Hotel is bringing back three fan favourites and a new band to the Bar Top Stage in its November 4 to 6 live music spectacular.

The Live Music Weekender is brimming with fanfare as some of The Pubs’ fan favourite acts return.

Geed Up will put the festivities in gear on Thursday and Friday, followed by the sultry sounds of soulstress Lisa Hunt on Friday and Saturday nights. There’ll be the bombastic Official Blues Brothers Revue for Saturday afternoon, and finally Jeff Duff and The Great Southern Band with the music of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears for the Sunday climax.

Geed Up will set the tone for the Weekender in their Thursday night shows from 7pm to 10pm. They’re an act like no other – they’ve rocked out at the Airlie Beach Hotel to blissful applause time and again – and they’ll be doing it twice this time! On Friday arvo, they’ll get the crowd pumping from 2pm to 5.30pm.

Then it’s all the headliner: Lisa Hunt and her show Forever Soul – a Motown mashup of soul, funk, disco, and R&B in the evening.

Last time the beautiful and bodacious performer graced the Bar Top Stage, she tore down the roof.

Her undoubted stage presence has lured enormous crowds to the Hotel on numerous occasions – and this time it will be no different. The now Byron Bay-based singer will be returning to treat the seaside town again with her powerful voice born from the great African American tradition of gospel music.

A storied career with countless compilations around the globe, both as singer and songwriter, Hunt has sold more than a million records.

She’s an ‘80s soul sensation who’s kept the music pumping all that time, sharing the stage with music greats like Eric Clapton, James Brown, and even Andrea Bocelli, and now she’s back at the locals’ favourite local, and the crowds are going to be loving it.

She’ll bring down the house on Friday and Saturday nights from 7pm to 10pm, but, before her, the Official Blues Brothers – endorsed by Dan Akroyd himself, as well as the late legend John Belushi’s wife, Judith – will bring the jazz.

The upper echelon show brings the boys to the Airlie Beach Hotel on Saturday, 2pm to 5.30pm before the headlining Hunt’s pitch-perfect performance on Saturday night.

And on Sunday, for the massive weekend’s crescendo, The Music of Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears will be played to perfection by musical journeyman Jeff Duff and The Great Southern Band.

One of Australia’s finest vocalists with seven of the hottest vocalists in the land, Jeff Duff brings some of the best of America’s horn-bands alive in this incredible new show – and, adding to the mix, Duff treats audiences to a little of his David Bowie covers to boot.

Don’t miss this massive weekend at the Airlie Beach Hotel.

WHAT: Live Music Weekender

WHEN: Various times across November 4 to 6

WHERE: The Airlie Beach Hotel

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Four separate acts – massive bands, big shows, and loud music – at the Airlie Beach Hotel in November

Songstress Lisa Hunt headlines The Pub’s Live Music Weekender event in a much-anticipated return to Airlie Beach

27 album veteran and Australian tenor Jeff Duff will end the weekend’s festivities with an incredible new show

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North Queensland’s hottest DJ will be blazing out the Balearica vibes this week on the beachfront dancefloor at the Whitsunday Sailing Club.

The expansive front lawn will once again be transformed from a yacht club into a chilled-out music mecca where attentive wait-staff will offer table service beverage and dining to the white sun loungers, chilled table settings and deck chairs.

Enjoy it your way at Balearica - dance on the sand as the sun sets beyond the horizon, get the party started right with your crew or lounge on soft seating and soak up the ambience.

DJ Madison is making a big name for herself right across the state and she will be backed by event founder Jamie Porteous who has just released a new single to great acclaim.

Picked up by Triple J and already snagged by Tuborg beer to feature as a commercial soundtrack, his song ‘Shut-Up Boi’ will play over the weekend.

Also new this time around is the popular Prosecco Archway, an Instagram opportunity with stunning ocean backdrop.

This hand-crafted Greek inspired arch is the picture-perfect way to enter the event along with a glass of Prosecco upon arrival.

Whatever you are doing this weekend, make sure you set aside time to soak up the cool beachside vibes of this Ibiza-inspired music-fuelled weekend.

WHAT: Balearica Beach Club

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club

WHEN: Saturday 15 - Sunday 16 October, 11am-9pm

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Chilled out beach vibes at Balearica

DJ Madison will be playing all weekend

One of Australia’s rising popstar songwriters is working her way down the east coast of Oz, set to arrive in November for a fast-selling gig in Airlie Beach.

Brisbane-born pop-star Grace Shaw, better known by her stage name Mallrat, is touring from Darwin to Hobart with a stop off at Magnums Airlie Beach on November 17.

Shaw has toured extensively both in Australia and internationally, selling out headline shows from London to New York and Sydney, and is now back on home soil for her new album tour.

Butterfly Blue, her latest album, sees the artist put her prized pop song writing talent on show, embodying the spirit of the album’s titular creature – but “without the delicacy that keeps you at a distance.”

Over a dozen clever and open-hearted tracks, Mallrat draws her audience in close and shows you her world through wide, hopeful eyes.

In an Airlie Beach show at Magnums, the intimacy will be dialled up to 11.

The show is another arrow in the quiver for Magnums, who in the last year have shown an extraordinary resilience to bounce back from the Covid pandemic – both in recording increased traffic from backpackers staying in its hostel, and in the live music scene.

It will be the second time a major show has arrived in the coastal town courtesy of the famed pub – the last being international superstars the Australian hip-hop group Bliss N Eso.

Mallrat has received over 300 million streams online for her music, with a regular 1.8m monthly listeners on Spotify, as well as a lucrative touring career at only the age of 24.

WHAT: Mallrat

WHEN: Thursday, November 17 at 7.00pm

WHERE: Magnums Airlie Beach

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Pop star and singer-songwriter Mallrat will play at Magnums Airlie Beach in November

Image: Supplied

If nothing else, director David O. Russell has assembled an ensemble cast for the ages in Amsterdam, his 1933, New York set film that mashes genres together like a fruit salad comprised of satire, comedy, romance, crime, and politics.

The epic film is absurdly stacked: a single scene has the potential (and it literally does at one point) to contain a who’s who of modern megastars.

Its troupe of secondary actors includes Remi Malek, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert De Niro, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Michael Shannon, Matthias Schoenaerts, Timothy Olyphant, Zoe Saldaña, Alessandro Nivola, and more.

But, we mostly follow our main trio: long-time regiment buddies Burt (Christian Bale) and Harold (John David Washington) who become drawn into a murder investigation of their former commanding officers and now US Senator, Bill Meekins. Their sleuthing brings them back into the orbit of Valerie (Margot Robbie), a nurse who helped them back to health during WWI – a classic two-guys-and-a-girl setup.

At times freewheeling, Amsterdam’s idealistic outlook can become bogged down in the murderous plot that blows up to something bigger – an elaborate political coup - come the films second act. At times farcical, it’s the performers that can bring much of the joy to a story that loses itself in the surfeit threads of the messy tapestry it tries to weave.

Production, too, is what brings the film to life; a perfect recreation of ‘30s New York – in part thanks to costuming and cinematography – help to make the film feel ‘lived-in’ and worth the trip.

Amsterdam (MA15+) is showing now at the Bowen Summergarden Cinema.

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David O. Russell’s Amsterdam features a star-studded cast including Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington

Local culture queen, Karen Jocobsen has once again risen to the top and this time she casts her eye on equality, looking to change the narrative of exclusion by promoting inclusion across gender, race and ability.

Using Julia Gillard’s impassioned ‘Misogyny Speech’ from 2012, Karen delivers a politically-charged, heart-filled opus that brings together 70 inspiring individuals from right around the world to mime lyrics alongside her own beautiful voice.

Three of those inspiring people are local faces; Councillor Jan Clifford, Photographer Debbie Savvy and founder of the Just Saying Project, Fallon Drewett.

Karen recounts the moment she first thought of the idea when watching a show on the ABC entitled Ms Represented which discusses the history of women in Australian politics and was narrated by Annabel Crabb.

“I ran straight to my computer and searched for the transcript of the speech,” she said.

“I took it to my piano and started to compose – I was so compelled – I spent four hours on that occasion before bringing my head up for air!”

As soon as she did rise for air, Karen realised that this project was much bigger than she first thought.

She asked a few fellow creatives about copyright laws and eventually went directly to Julia Gillard’s media team who gave her the go-ahead to use the words as lyrics.

This gave permission for Karen to embark on a project that would take her over a year, pulling together 70 hand-selected individuals from all across the world, dividing the script into 14 and allocating each participant with their set words.

The result is a masterpiece of meaningful and spirited compassion that demands attention in a soft and invigorating way.

“It was important to have a representative and inclusive music video,” said Karen.

“There are different cultures, ages and levels of ability – it’s a really diverse mix.”

From Hollywood producer Lucy Arnaz to Channel Seven news reader Kim McGrath and Queensland’s first quadriplegic medical doctor Dinesh Palipana, the video features many celebrities and influential people from around the globe.

“My intention is to spark a conversation and empower all of us to act and talk in a way that is in line with humanity and equality,” said Karen.

“So many of our devastating societal issues are the result of one group thinking they are superior than the other – it’s so denigrating.”

“On a personal note, being female, I have been on the receiving end of it my whole life.

“It is in the micro-agendas, in the language and in the systems – so much can be done to stop it by bringing awareness.”

Karen’s song ‘Better Standard Than This’ was released last week and has so far been watched by over 20,000 people on YouTube.

The Misogyny Opus full pop-orchestral work will be performed live with Karen at the MECC this February.

Break out quote

"Misogyny Opus that marks a decade of the speech that rocked the world"

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International songwriter and professional speaker Karen Jacobsen uses famous speech for Misogyny Opus. Photo supplied

Next Friday at the outdoor movie theatre on the Airlie Beach Foreshore there will be back to back cinema magic with a showing of Nanny McPhee followed by The Man From Snowy River.

It’s time to grab your picnic blanket and invite your family and friends for a night under the stars in front of the 5.5 by 3 metre LED cinema screen.

Spring is the perfect time of year to enjoy the cool evenings and the expansive lawn on the foreshore offers a relaxing environment for all to gather.

There will be a host food vans on site and the children can also enjoy playing on the beach or at the play park before the movie starts, enabling you to make a night of it.

Nanny McPhee

A heart-warming family classic, this movie tells the story of a widower called Cedric Brown (played by Colin Firth) who hires Nanny McPhee (played by Emma Thompson) to care for his seven rebellious children.

Having chased away all previous nannies, the children do their best to get rid of Nanny McPhee too but are surprised when she uses mystical powers to instil discipline and eventually wins them over.

When the children's great-aunt and benefactor, Lady Adelaide Stitch (Angela Lansbury), threatens to separate the kids, the family pulls together under the guidance of Nanny McPhee.

The Man From Snowy River

An age-old classic featuring a combination of feel-good romance and heroic antics, The Man From Snowy River was released in 1982 and will be back for an exclusive screening at the Airlie Foreshore next week.

Cuddle up with a loved one and enjoy the nostalgia hit of this classic western.

The movie is about a proud young man called Jim Craig (played by Tom Burlinson) who sets out to become his own man following the death of his father.

He takes a job with a horse rancher (played by Kirk Douglas) and is treated poorly by the more experienced cowboys, but wins the heart of the rancher's daughter, Jessica (Sigrid Thornton), when he helps her break a high-strung colt and later saves her life.

When he's unfairly blamed for the loss of an expensive horse, Craig fights to restore his honour and prove that he's worthy of Jessica's hand.

WHAT: Movies Under The Stars

WHERE: Airlie Beach Foreshore

WHEN: Friday, October 14

Image 1: Nanny McPhee is a family pleaser

Image 2: The Man From Snowy River is a classic western

Craft Show This Weekend

A celebration of clever creations, the upcoming craft show at the Proserpine Museum will exhibit the intricate and expressive needlework and sewing from a host of local ladies’ groups.

From delightful doilies to quintessential quilts and natty needlework, all will be on display at the event which promises to both honour and celebrate our local skills and heritage.

For just $5 you will receive entry into the craft fair, and broader museum if you choose, plus tea, coffee and scone.

Correction: the wrong date was published last week, please note the correct date is Sunday, October 9

WHAT: Craft Show

WHERE: Proserpine Museum

WHEN: Sunday, October 9 from 1.30pm to 4.00pm

ADMISSION: $5 includes Devonshire Tea

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It’s Bowen Turf Club’s biggest race of the season this Saturday: the famed “Race That Stops The Whitsundays”.

The Bowen Cup, which has regularly hosted more than three thousand attendees annually, will gallop its way to Ben Bolt Park on Saturday, October 8.

One of the region’s biggest social events of the year will host five local races, complete with TAB and on-track bookmakers, a licenced bar, food vendors, and everyone’s favourite: Fashion on the Field.

Ladies (and gentlemen) will be out in their Saturday best for a race-day that’s promising to be one of the club’s finest.

Fashion on the Field will this year be run by Filby’s Motors, where there’s already been a great deal of interest from local ladies.

For those looking for a way to and from the races, The Grand View Hotel will run their free, authorised local courtesy bus, dropping off and picking up patrons at the main gate every half an hour.

From 11:00am at the Grand View Hotel, two buses will be leaving regularly, as well as taking patrons from the main gate back to town to continue the celebrations at the Grand View at the official afterparty.

Live music, courtesy of The Feels 4-piece band, begins at 8.00pm, in a perfect way to spend your race day evening.

The Feels will delve into their repertoire of feel-good songs, ranging from pub classics, soul and funk, and reggae all night long.

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For annual Queensland Mental Health Week (QMHW), a local organisation will bring together art and mindfulness in workshops across the region.

Stella Life Care will run ‘The Art of Wellbeing’ workshops in both Bowen and Collinsville to connect people and communities whilst “reflecting on the important factors that help people maintain positive mental health and wellbeing.”

The free painting workshops aim to teach the art of expression through painting, all with a mental health backing.

Participants can create their own masterpiece to take home while a credentialed mental health nurse discusses this year’s QMHW themes: awareness, belonging, and connection.

The free workshops are open to both adults and children and will be led by Counsellor Su Willmott.

Linked to National Mental Health Week and World Mental Health Day, held on 10 October every year, the workshops are in sync with QMHW’s yearly, week-long campaign.

The week of October 8 to 16 event hopes to have everyone think about their mental health and wellbeing, regardless of whether they have a lived experience of mental illness or not, and encourages help seeking behaviours, when needed.

Stella Life Care has been fortunate to receive support from the Queensland Mental Health Week Community Events Grant Program to partially fund the workshops.

Places are limited with bookings essential at the link below.

WHAT: The Art Of Wellbeing Workshops

WHERE: 39 Herbert Street, Bowen, and the Basketball Courts, Collinsville State School, Devlin St, Collinsville

WHEN: Bowen - Tuesday 11 October from 10am to 12pm, and Collinsville - Thursday, October 13 from 2.45pm to 4.45pm.

BOOKINGS: https://bit.ly/3Eizg8W

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It’s a big week for the Airlie Beach Festival of Music and the countdown to the 10th annual event has begun with day passes on sale now and the much-anticipated mainstage line-up announced.

Event organiser, Margie Murphy said that if budget and time allows, they recommend you purchase a weekend pass, however, if you can only spare a day, these new tickets will offer the flexibility to suit your needs.

“I know lots of people have been waiting for them,” she said.

“We’ve got some awesome acts spread out over the three days, so come for the whole experience if you can!

“You really don’t want to miss the first day with a stellar line-up to kick-off the festival.”

With jaw-dropping sea views from the main tent, the festival is a party like no other in a tropical paradise.

Experience Airlie Beach coming alive to the sound of music - with the entertainment being spread throughout multiple venues, the atmosphere is electric.

The Airlie Beach Festival of Music takes place at the Whitsunday Sailing Club from November 4-6, weekend passes are $300 and day passes are $140.

For more information head to: www.airliebeachfestivalofmusic.com.au

WHAT: Airlie Beach Festival of Music

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club

WHEN: 4-6 November

MAINSTAGE LINE-UP

Friday 5th Nov

Dallas Frasca

Niksta with Bill Chambers

The Re-Mains

Mi-Sex

Eskimo Joe

Jon Stevens

Saturday 6th Nov

Matty Rogers Band

Ben Ransom

The Badloves

Ben Lee

The Animals

Loonaloop

Sunday 7th Nov

Rick Price

Mardi Wilson

Lash 78

Matt Angell and the Gold Diggers

Lloyd Spiegel

Masters of Pop

Rogue Traders

Image: An incredible atmosphere awaits at this years’ 10th annual Airlie Beach Festival of Music

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Don’t Worry Darling

Olivia Wilde keeps things interesting in her first career foray into the director’s chair.

There’s been more real-world drama surrounding the release of Don’t Worry Darling than there is around some things that matter. It could have acted as a detractor for its cast, but it seems to have worked the other way around for some.

It wouldn’t be a Hollywood star’s debut directing gig if they didn’t give themselves an acting role, but it’s not Wilde’s on-screen chops that elevates Don’t Worry Darling.

It’s her protagonists.

Alice (Florence Pugh) has married Jack (Harry Styles), and the pair are living in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families.

Pugh is who really carries the film. She delivers such a roaring main performance that her fellow cast-mates pale in comparison. In a story where 1950's societal optimism is the rug under which misogyny is swept, Pugh elevates what can often be a predictable script.

She carries large chunks of the film more or less single-handedly.

While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the "development of progressive materials," their wives get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury, and debauchery of their community. It becomes a feminist parable – one which could easily have lost itself up its own bum if not for Pugh’s anchoring.

Life is perfect, with every resident's needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause. But when cracks in Alice’s idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, she can't help questioning exactly what they're doing in Victory, and why.

Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what's really going on in this paradise?

Don’t Worry Darling (M) is opening at Bowen Summergarden Cinema on Friday, October 7 at 6.45pm.

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