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ELECTRIC AVENUE Paulini & Tim Campbell celebrate the neon nostalgia of the ‘80s in new tour Page 16

Stay up to date on my work for the Community and in Parliament at alexgreenwich.com

TANYA PLIBERSEK FEDERAL MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

Sharing the benefits of abundant, cheaper solar power With rooftop solar on more than 4 million homes, we want more households and businesses to benefit from this abundance. Our Solar Sharer program means you don’t need rooftop panels to reap the rewards of renewables. All you will need is a smart meter to plug into cheaper power.

From July 2027, our Solar Sharer program will require retailers to offer free electricity to households for at least three hours in the middle of the day when solar generation is at its peak and prices are very cheap.

We’re also taking action to stop energy retailers who rip-off consumers. We’re banning unfair fees and card surcharges, stopping sneaky price hikes, and acting to ensure hardship customers receive the best plan their retailer has to offer.

Protecting children We’re backing Australian families, parents and kids by delaying access to social media until the age of 16. From 10 December 2025, social media platforms will be subject to the social media minimum age law. By delaying access, we are protecting young Australians at a critical stage of their development, giving them three more years to build real world connections and online resilience.

Our payday super legislation builds on our reforms that make super fairer including: introducing super payments on government paid parental leave; boosting the Low Income Super Tax Offset; and increasing minimum super payments to 12 per cent.

Protecting Australian artists and their creative works The Albanese Government is strengthening copyright laws to protect creatives and their works from being used without permission and without payment to train artificial intelligence.

We have ruled out a Text and Data Mining Exception in Australian copyright laws.

Fairer work contracts for low paid and young professionals Imagine being a health worker or a graduate engineer earning under $80,000, only to discover that if you quit, your contract stops you from working in the same occupation – indefinitely.

Traditionally used for senior executives, non-compete clauses now cover around 1 in 5 Australian employees, or more than 3 million Australians including teachers, tradespeople, technicians, babysitters and carers.

We are banning non‑compete clauses for Australian employees who earn less than the Fair Work Act’s high-income threshold of $183,100. Australians deserve the chance to earn more and to move forward in their careers.

Ensuring Australian screen producers can tell Australian stories We have Australian content requirements for Free to Air and pay television, but there are no obligations for streaming services to show us our own stories.

For more information about the ban visit: Payday Superannuation Most employers do the right thing but the Australian Taxation Office estimates that in a recent financial year, $6.25 billion of super was unpaid.

From 1 July next year, employers will be required to deposit their employees’ super into accounts within seven business days of payday.

For the average 25‑year‑old worker’s retirement balance, more frequent and earlier super contributions amounts to an extra $6,000 in today’s dollars.

1A Great Buckingham Street Redfern NSW 2016

The Albanese Labor Government will introduce an Australian content obligation on streaming services. Those with more than one million Australian subscribers will need to invest at least 10 per cent of their total expenditure for Australia on new local drama, children’s, documentary, arts and educational programs.

This will give vital support to our domestic screen sector and arts workers by ensuring quality local stories continue to be produced in Australia.

(02) 9379 0700

Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au

Authorised by T. Plibersek, ALP, 1a Great Buckingham Street, Redfern 2016

WENTWORTH PARK PLAN UNVEILED 7000+ new homes & 20 sporting grounds planned for Pyrmont & Ultimo (See p.11)

HubNEWS

Margot Robbie to lead Tropfest jury for festival's landmark return

BY CHRISTINA MUTTAVANCHERY

HUBARTS: SYDNEY FESTIVAL

Director Kris Nelson takes the helm as festival turns 50 (See p.19)

Published monthly and freely available throughout the Inner City.

Copies are also distributed to serviced apartments, hotels, convenience stores and newsagents throughout the city.

Distribution enquiries call 9212 5677.

Published by Altmedia Pty Ltd. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of content, we take no responsibility for inadvertent errors or omissions.

ABN 52 600 903 348 Group Editor & Publisher: Lawrence Gibbons Publisher’s Assistant: Mal Moody National Sales Director: Greg Topalian Ph: 0455 120 404 Advertising Manager: Mal Moody Ph: 0484 042 615 Advertising: sales@altmedia.net.au Managing Editor: Chloe Sargeant News Contributors: Christina Muttavanchery, Lydia Jupp, Naomi Lawrence, Sofie Rasmussen, Will Thorpe Arts Contributors: Angus Sharpe, Coffin Ed, Josh Kerwick, Mark Morellini Cover Image: Andrew Raszevski Designer: Nadia Kalinitcheva Mail: PO Box 843 Broadway 2007 Email: news@altmedia.net.au, arts@altmedia.net.au Ph: 9212 5677 Fax: 9212 5633 Website: www.cityhub.com.au PUBLICATION DATE: 18 DECEMBER 2025

If you have a story, or any comments you’d like to share with us: news@altmedia.net.au

@CityHubSydney

A

ustralian actor and Barbie star Margot Robbie will help relaunch the Tropfest Film Festival as the 2026 jury president, marking its return to Centennial Park after six long years away.

The short film festival began unintentionally in 1993, when founder John Polson hosted a screening for 200 people at the Tropicana Caffé in Darlinghurst.

It eventually evolved into showcasing 16 finalist films to an audience of up to 100,000 attendees.

The 2026 event will transform the park into the beloved free outdoor cinema event, screening their work of filmmakers from around the globe.

Queensland-born Robbie, now one of Hollywood’s top actors and producers, has shared her enthusiasm about getting involved with the film program.

“Tropfest has long been an important launchpad for filmmakers. It’s where creativity meets opportunity, and I’m incredibly excited to help celebrate and support the next wave of storytellers,” she said.

Across 29 main events in Sydney, as well as satellite festivals in the USA, China, South-East Asia, New Zealand, and the UK, Tropfest has hosted events with live crowds of up to 100,000 people, and millions more online.

Tropfest has helped launch the careers of filmmakers and actors like Joel Edgerton, Rebel Wilson, and Emma Freeman, and has attracted judges and supporters including Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, and Samuel L. Jackson.

“It’s a true privilege to welcome Margot Robbie home to lead the Tropfest jury in 2026,” said Polson. “Her remarkable body of work, both in front of and behind

Photo: Evan Agostini / AP

the camera, perfectly reflects the creativity, courage and ambition we’re championing in Tropfest’s next chapter.”

THE NEW TROPFEST FOUNDATION Polson has shifted the 2026 event into a new not-for-profit foundation chaired by Sarah Murdoch, with NRL and Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys, producer and actor Bryan Brown, Terrace Tower CEO Richard Weinberg, and Polson himself on the board.

The new Tropfest Foundation will also run a year-round program of workshops and storytelling talks, giving filmmakers access to mentors and industry connections.

Before the festival’s opening night, the revived Tropfest will run two days' worth of workshops for up-and-coming filmmakers, with the main event livestreamed worldwide through YouTube.

To qualify, local filmmakers must create a new short film of seven minutes or less that incorporates the 2026 Tropfest Signature Item, Hourglass.

International filmmakers can still enter through an out-ofcompetition stream, giving them the chance to have their films screened to the huge Tropfest

audience, but they’re not eligible for the main prize rewards.

Entries for filmmakers opened on 1 December 2025, and submissions must be uploaded to YouTube. Film entries close on 8 January 2026, and a shortlist of finalists will be announced later that month, before their films premiere in the park.

 Tropfest has long been an important launchpad for filmmakers. It’s where creativity meets opportunity Filmmakers who participate have the opportunity to win substantial cash prizes. Aspiring creatives will compete for a share of $100,000 through the new CommBank Tropfest Emerging Filmmakers Fund, with $50,000 awarded to the first-place winner, $30,000 to the second-place winner, and $20,000 to the third-place winner. Tropfest and CommBank are encouraging winners to reinvest the money in their careers and future projects.

The Tropfest Film Festival takes place on Sunday, 22 February 2026 at Centennial Park.

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HubNEWS

Inner West residents weigh in on $500 million infrastructure fund

BY WILL THORPE

Photo: Callan Park / Facebook

T

he Inner West Council wants input on how to spend its newly-announced $500 million infrastructure fund – and locals have many ideas.

It is proposed that the money be spent over 15 years. The fund is associated with a new ‘Building Our Community’ campaign to identify infrastructure investment priorities over the period of its expenditure.

The Council has also related it to the recently-adopted ‘Our Fairer Future’ plan to build more homes. Funds will be drawn from both the existing infrastructure budget and development contributions paid by developers through the housing plan.

Mayor Darcy Byrne said that the infrastructure fund “will allow for the biggest investment in Inner West facilities ever undertaken.”

“We want to include our whole community in planning for the infrastructure needs of local people over the long term.”

Byrne announced a “largescale community consultation campaign” which will involve “teams out on the streets talking to thousands of locals about how we can make the Inner West an even better place to live.”

RESIDENTS EAGER TO SUGGEST INVESTMENTS City Hub found that many locals were extremely eager to opine on how the fund should be spent. Many suggestions were put forward, with conflicting views expressed.

“One common issue raised with new development is the increase in traffic – but we don’t have to have more traffic when more people move to an area,” said Ellis Bou-Harb.

“We only get more traffic if we have more cars, and more trips taken by car.”

Bou-Harb would “love to see a proper network of cycleways built, 4

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

so that people of all ages and ability levels can independently travel to school, work, shops, et cetera, without being forced to drive.” He pointed to the development of cycle paths in the neighbouring City of Sydney.

Not all agree. Peter Skirlis wants to “get rid of bike lanes” on the basis that they cause traffic and are insufficiently used.

 We’re all for community ideas and consultation, but this feels more like a distraction from the massive impact of [the Fairer Future Plan]

“The infrastructure fund, I feel, is a lame attempt to get existing people in the area excited about the Inner West Council going high-rise. Mental health services and hospitals are already strained and have been crying out for more funding, yet that won't be covered in this $500 million fund, a piece of the puzzle we desperately need now and into the future.”

Tempe is located on the southern edge of the Council area. Local resident Anne-Marie Allen said that it “used to have a great dog park, but this was moved to Tempe Reserve as an interim measure during the build of the Gateway.” Now that the work is complete, “the old dog park sits like a wasteland.”

Caroline Buckingham said that more community carparks “would be a good start, both to replace the current well-used amenities being flogged off to developers, and for the tens of thousands of new residents moving in.”

LOCAL ASSOCIATION CRITICAL OF ‘IMAGINARY FUND’ The Better Future Coalition, an association of community groups critical of the Council housing plan, is sceptical of the fund.

“That $500 million doesn’t exist yet. It is an imaginary fund that will arrive in dribs and drabs over

the next 15 years,” the group said.

“It’s projected future revenue from developer contributions tied to the 35,000–40,000 new apartments from stage one of the Fairer Future Plan, which is overwhelmingly concentrated in Leichhardt, Ashfield, Marrickville and Dulwich Hill.”

The Council says that its housing plan aims to protect heritage and community character which would be threatened by state-led development.

The Coalition asked, “why are they calling for how to spend the money across the entire LGA, instead of supporting the communities that are being asked to absorb 50–100% population growth?”

“We’re all for community ideas and consultation, but this feels more like a distraction from the massive impact of this plan, rather than a genuine engagement with affected communities to help them cope with what’s coming."

The public has until March to submit feedback.

HubNEWS

141 arrested after successful blockade of world's largest coal port

BY LYDIA JUPP

A

t the annual on-water blockade organised by environmental group Rising Tide, 141 people were arrested after successfully blocking three ships from entering the largest coal port in the world.

Thousands of people gathered at the Port of Newcastle for the activist group's second "protestival", with the Port Authority of NSW cancelling all shipping movements for three hours after hundreds took to the water in kayaks and other vessels.

In a statement, NSW police said they had made 141 arrests, with 121 adults charged with various offences under the Crimes Act and the Marine Safety Act, and 18 juveniles under the Young Offenders Act.

Three Greenpeace activists also attached themselves to the anchor chair and the side of a ship, the latter unfurling a fivemetre-long banner reading "phase out coal and gas".

‘ORDINARY PEOPLE STEPPING UP’ The protest was also attended

by Greens leaders, Larissa Waters and Mehreen Faruqi.

 Chris Minns needs to learn that you cannot arrest your way out of a climate crisis "Ordinary people are stepping up where governments continue to fail and when people rise together for climate justice, no coal port, no government, and no fossil

Photo: greenleftonline / Instagram

fuel giant can stand in our way,” Senator Faruqi told City Hub. "It’s disgraceful that NSW police arrested almost 150 peaceful climate defenders while they let neo-Nazis and white [supremacists] spew their hate outside NSW parliament. They need to seriously examine their priorities."

Last year, 170 protestors, including 14 children, were arrested after taking part in the successful blockade, following

NSW's radical expansion of protest laws.

Legal experts are urging police to drop 129 charges against protesters, after a Newcastle court found four people involved in the 2024 event not guilty.

“These laws were designed to silence political dissent and protest, but Chris Minns needs to learn that you cannot arrest your way out of a climate crisis," said group organiser Zack Schofield at the time.

Thank you and best wishes for the summer As 2025 draws to a close, I wish to thank all of you who live in the Newtown electorate for the trust you put in me to represent our vibrant, progressive community.

GET IN TOUCH IF WE CAN HELP: Ph: (02) 9517 2800 E: newtown@parliament.nsw.gov.au W: jennyleong.org 383 King St, Newtown NSW 2042

SIGN UP FOR UPDATES:

This regular column is authorised by Jenny Leong MP. Funded using parliamentary entitlements.

Over the past decade as the Member for Newtown, we have worked everyday to bring the community campaigns on the streets - whether it’s for housing justice, for climate action, or for workers rights or a free Palestine - to the NSW Parliament.

This year we continued to provide individual support to people in our community in need of assistance - from public housing maintenance to transport and education needs, while working collaboratively to progress significant reforms in Parliament.

All of these achievements, and the many other acts of solidarity and small wins during this year were only possible with your support. On behalf of the Newtown electorate office and the entire NSW Greens team, I would like to wish you all a very restful holiday break (if you get one, and good penalty rates if you don’t!), and a happy new year.

Jenny Leong MP Greens Member for Newtown

Ending No Grounds Evictions for Renters After a decade-long campaign by tenants’ advocates, legal centres, unions, renters, and the Greens, NSW Parliament passed historic reforms to ban no grounds evictions in late 2024 - which finally came into effect this year. This came following a NSW Parliamentary Inquiry that I chaired, which heard that one renter in NSW was evicted for no reason every 18 minutes! A shout out to everyone involved in this campaign for over a decade - it’s been a pleasure working with you all that time to get this done!

Greens Bill to Improve Abortion Access Passed Following the successful campaign to decriminalise abortion in 2019, in May this year, the Greens Bill to improve abortion access in NSW passed with support across the political spectrum - led by Greens Health spokesperson and regional GP Dr Amanda Cohn. It was great to see MPs from across the political spectrum coming together to support this reform.

It’s time for a Human Rights Act for NSW In November, I introduced a Greens Bill for a NSW Human Rights Act. This followed months of close consultation with human rights advocates, legal experts, and civil society organisations. Be sure to keep an eye out for more about this campaign when we return in 2026 - we will need to increase community pressure to get the Government to act.

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

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HubNEWS

Premier’s Dept suspends musician over political messages on guitar

BY LYDIA JUPP

6

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

Photo: australian_poetry_slam / Instagram

D

ozens rallied outside NSW Parliament in support of Gomeroi and Ngiyampaa musician Jayden KitchenerWaters, who was suspended from his job in the Premier's Department after speaking out on censorship within the role.

The 25-year-old had been scheduled to perform at the Premier’s Public Service Awards on November 17, and was in the green room at Parliament House when staff members told him the messaging on his guitar was “too political” and that they didn’t want to be seen “choosing sides”.

The messages on his guitar included the slogans “FREE GAZA”, “FUCK THE IDF” and “NO PRIDE IN GENOCIDE”. KitchenerWaters offered to cover the swear words on his instrument, but staff members would only let him perform if he covered the messages entirely.

“They offered to tape over my messages with gaffer tape, [to] which I said, no, I won’t be performing now,” KitchenerWaters told City Hub last month.

“I just started walking away, and they said, ‘we really want you to perform’… You guys have a job to do, and I understand, but this isn’t something I can stand for.”

Kitchener-Waters worked as a Community Engagement Officer with the NSW Aboriginal Languages Trust, and is the founding director of Gambadul Aboriginal Corporation, an organisation dedicated to revitalising the Gomeroi language and celebrating Gomeroi people and culture.

He was also part of the Young Aboriginal Leaders Program earlier this year, where he learnt parliamentary processes, took part in leadership training, and met established Aboriginal leaders.

After posting a video about his experiences on Instagram, the Premier’s department said

he had violated their code of conduct, requiring employees not to act "in a manner or make or endorse a comment that would cast doubt on their ability to act impartially, apolitically and professionally".

After refusing to take the video down, Kitchener-Waters was suspended.

He explained to City Hub that he was simply “standing up for the rights of people that are brutally, brutally killed in this genocide.”

“If that results in the termination of my employment, then I actively welcome and encourage it.”

PUBLIC SERVANTS "SICK OF GETTING SILENCED" About 50 people gathered outside NSW Parliament on 27 November to show their support for Kitchener-Waters, including former and current public servants, who said the incident was representative of wider issues of censorship within the government.

The musician said that the

support was reassuring, but that his message would still remain as strong without it.

"What's important to note is all of the public servants that have reached out, both openly and [in] private out of fear, but lots of messages from public servants that are feeling the same way and sick of getting silenced," Kitchener-Waters said.

 Until [Chris Minns says there's a genocide in Gaza]… he's going to keep getting more and more grey hairs from this little Blackfulla Greens spokesperson for First Nations Justice & Heritage, Sue Higginson, questioned the Government about the matter in Parliament, asking whether it was the policy of the Premier's department the phrase "no McDonald's on that King St, Newtown, 1983. pride genocide" constituted Photo: in Janette Beard / City of Sydney Archives

taking sides, and if so, "what are the sides in support of genocide that the Premier's department is afraid to offend?"

He has also garnered support from Victorian Senator and Gunnai, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrung woman Lidia Thorpe, who said that Kitchener-Waters had "shown more courage this week than governments in this country have shown in their entire response to the genocide in Gaza."

Throughout his suspension, Kitchener-Waters has refused to keep quiet, but has offered the Premier an easy resolution to the issue.

"As soon as he gets in front of a camera and says there's a genocide in Gaza, I'm off his back," he told City Hub. "But until then, every day, he's going to keep getting more and more grey hairs from this little Blackfulla."

A spokesperson for the Premier’s Department said they were unable to comment on individual staffing matters.

HubNEWS

Architecture legend Frank Gehry passes away at 96 conversation. He leaves a legacy only Australian project, dividing of reshaping modern architecture. opinion on arrival.

Its rippling brickwork and rank Gehry, the worldSYDNEY’S ADORATION FOR warped silhouette commonly drew renowned architect behind FRANK GEHRY comparison to a crushed paper some of the world’s most While the world associated bag. Today, it stands among the striking buildings — including the Gehry with monumental works city’s most recognisable pieces of University of Technology Sydney’s such as the Guggenheim in contemporary design. landmark Dr Chau Chak Wing Gehry explained that “free Building — has passed away at 96. Bilbao or Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, Sydney association” led him to make Gehry passed away on occupies a distinct corner in a vertical “treehouse” that December 5 at his Santa Monica his portfolio. His 2015 UTS encouraged interaction rather than home after a brief respiratory building became his first and isolation. illness, according to his firm.

“Silo thinking is the basis in our Over seven decades, Gehry’s world,” he said at the unveiling. work spanned continents and “How do you break that down so mediums, from museums and people are interacting?” concert halls to furniture and even a sculptural hat worn by Lady Gaga. He received architecture’s Gehry’s landmark Dr Chau highest honour, the Pritzker Prize, Chak Wing Building turned in 1989 and continued shaping an unassuming corner of skylines well into his later years.

Ultimo into an international Gehry’s maximalist buildings Photo: Wikimedia often provoked strong reactions, architectural curiosity Commons and he rarely shied away from the

BY NAOMI LAWRENCE

F

Photo: Alexandra Cabri / PA

City of Sydney planning director Graham Jahn praised the design at the time as “one of the best masterplans around”.

The project turned an unassuming corner of Ultimo into an international architectural curiosity. Built on the former Dairy Farmers site beside the UTS Library and the ABC, it helped anchor the university’s billion-dollar redevelopment.

The building serves thousands of students and staff each year — and will now serve as a part of Gehry’s enduring legacy.

Has a stray kitty stolen your heart?

The Cat Protection Society of NSW can help you with affordable options to get them healthy & safe, and to become a part of your family.

Don’t delay, call the Cat Protection Society today on 9519 7201 or visit catprotection.org.au

Cat Of The Month Name: SUNDAY | Age: 1 year (est) Sex & Colour: Female Tabby & White DSH You’re in for a treat with Sunday! This cheeky cutie is looking for a companion to share her cuddles and adventures with. A curious kitty, Sunday can’t wait to explore every inch of her new forever home.

She loves to play and play then play some more and will need lots of stimulation and a stack of toys to keep her on her toes. This lively little girl can get a bit overexcited and carried away when playing and is best suited to an indoor-only home without any small children. Sunday is sure to keep you amused, she’ll have you in stitches with her funny shenanigans. Be ready for lots of galloping around the house when the fancy takes her. You’ll love spending all your days with sweet Sunday!

INTERESTED IN ADOPTING?

visit www.catprotection.org.au Rehoming Organisation Number: R251000224 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

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HubNEWS

City of Sydney denies Neo-Nazi leaves Australia Oxtravaganza funding after visa revoked over protest outside parliament for 2026 event

BY SOFIE RASMUSSEN

BY LYDIA JUPP

M

O

xtravaganza is asking for support after the festival was not granted funding from the City of Sydney for 2026.

Oxtravaganza runs during Mardi Gras, showcasing Oxford St and the Rainbow Precinct with performances, drag shows and brunches, retail deals, and more.

In response to Oxtravaganza’s application, City council said they wanted to see more “diversity” in programming they can "clearly attribute to Oxtravaganza", and a lower reliance on council funding.

"From day one, Oxtravaganza has been a grass-roots, community-led Mardi Gras festival," read an email to supporters, sighted by City Hub. "It’s been built on the belief that seed funding from the City allows us to curate programs that we know work for our neighbourhood and for local business."

 As soon as you sell out to a sponsor, you're working for the benefit of the sponsor, not the community The City of Sydney provides grants of up to $50,000 for events benefitting the community.

Oxtravaganza received $25,000 in 2024, and $20,000 in 2025.

Their 2026 application requested $40,000, but they say they weren't expecting more than previous years.

Photo: Supplied 8

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

Photo: City of Sydney

"Over the past 4 years we’ve spent $68,000… on performers and creatives," Lorraine Lock told City Hub. "We run a tight ship, all the money goes back into our community.”

"As soon as you sell out to a sponsor, you're working for the benefit of the sponsor, not the community," organiser Stephan Győry said. "We are community, wanting to do stuff for community."

Organisers are now turning to the community for support for the 2026 event.

"We are disappointed by the funding decision, absolutely.

But we’re also incredibly proud of what Oxtravaganza has become," organisers said.

"Let’s show… what happens when a community comes together, not because a major sponsor tells us to, but because we believe in this place and each other."

City council told City Hub they had supported Oxtravaganza since 2016, providing more than $316,000, and they could reapply for funding in winter 2026.

atthew Gruter, a South African man who participated in the NeoNazi protests in November, has left Australia, with his visa being revoked by NSW Home Affairs minister Tony Burke.

Gruter protested among 60 other men dressed in blackbloc, holding banners saying “Abolish the Jewish Lobby”. The

his wife and child. Gruter had worked in Australia as a civil engineer.

According to the Australian Migration Act of 1958, reasons for a visa being revoked include an individual not complying with visa conditions, or if they could be a risk to the Australian community, have been charged or convicted of an offence, or don’t otherwise meet the visa character requirements.

Photo: Supplied

protest was organised by the group ‘White Australia’ under the National Socialist Network.

The demonstration lasted about 20 minutes, including speeches repeating anti-Semitic tropes.

Neo-Nazi protest outside NSW Parliament called “a shocking display of hatred, racism and anti-Semitism” After being photographed at the protests outside the NSW Parliament buildings, Gruter was taken into immigration detention

by Australian Border Force officials and given the option of leaving voluntarily or challenging the decision with an appeal.

City Hub understands Gruter left of his own volition on the morning of 4 December, with

PROTEST SPARKS NSW LAW CHANGES The NSW police was criticised, as they authorised the protest despite the group’s clear anti-Semitic messages. The group submitted “Form 1” to the police before going ahead with the protest, said Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon.

Premier Chris Minns has called the protest “a shocking display of hatred, racism and antiSemitism.”

Following the criticism of the protests, the NSW government has amended the Crimes Act 1900. Police and courts now have greater powers to combat any public support for Nazi ideology — displaying imagery, characteristics, chants or slogans associated with Nazism in public without reasonable excuse is now banned in NSW. Displaying a Nazi symbol is already banned in most Australian states.

WENTWORTH PARK RETURNED TO OUR COMMUNITY

MY TEAM AND I ARE HERE TO HELP balmain@parliament. nsw.gov.au www.kobishetty.org (02) 9660 7586 201-205 Glebe Point Road, Glebe NSW 2037 Authorised by Kobi Shetty MP. Funded using Parliamentary entitlements. December 2025.

After years of sustained campaigning from our community, we have secured an end to cruel greyhound racing at Wentworth Park, and the return of this valuable parkland to our community when the current lease expires in 2027.

We know Wentworth Park can deliver so much more - from new sporting fields, to passive recreation space for dog walking, picnics, and play.

This is the vision for the future of Wentworth Park, and I’m excited to see it take shape in coming years. I’ll be working This win comes after thousands closely with City of Sydney of community members spoke out colleagues to make sure the and demanded action. Together, final plans deliver what our we held the NSW Labor community needs.

Government to account. We pushed back against their plans to extend the lease for cruel greyhound racing beyond 2027.

A huge thank you to the thousands of people who signed petitions, emailed Ministers and joined offline actions like our recent picnic - you helped make this a reality.

Thank you once again for all your support. This is the result of years of work from residents, local community organisations, animal welfare advocates, City of Sydney Council and The Greens.

Yours sincerely,

Kobi Shetty MP

Member for Balmain

At our community picnic to reclaim Wentworth Park - December 7 2025.

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HubNEWS

“New phase” for housing market forecasts price boom for Sydney Photo: Wikimedia Commons

BY WILL THORPE

T

he Australian housing market is entering a “new phase” with support for first-time buyers, lowered interest rates, modest real income growth and affordability ceilings slowing price growth, a forecast for 2026 has declared.

Domain predicts that, following “years of affordability strain and tight supply, 2026 is expected to deliver a more balanced, policydriven cycle” supported by greater confidence and easing financial conditions.

“Sydney is forecast to record the strongest house price growth, consistent with its tendency to lead the market in response to changes in interest rates,” the report from the property industry business outlet.

House rent growth in Sydney is expected to increase, “reflecting rising household incomes and still-tight rental supply.” Unit rents in the city are also expected to rise, slowing down during the second half of the year.

In all, the first half of 2026 should see greater momentum in both house prices and demand.

The second half should be characterised by slowing growth due to affordability pressures, particularly in cities such as Sydney, which have seen surging prices.

10 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

Despite this expected slowdown, economist Cameron Kusher opined that it is "seemingly inevitable" that housing affordability will continue to deteriorate.

Meanwhile, one expert told City Hub that there is considerable uncertainty which potential buyers should consider.

This inflationary effect is expected to fade beyond next year, as demand normalises.

“These estimated impacts seem sensible, though there is a high degree of uncertainty,” the report states.

SCHEME EXPANSION TO MAKE HOMES MORE ACCESSIBLE “Price growth across all capitals will be underpinned by the expansion of the First Home Guarantee Scheme, which enables buyers to purchase with a five percent deposit and no lenders’ mortgage insurance – removing key barriers to home ownership.”

The scheme was expanded in October by removing income caps, removing the limit on annual places and lifting property price caps – which in Sydney have risen from $900,000 to $1.5 million.

It is predicted that the expanded scheme could lift home prices by 3.5 percent to 6.6 percent in its first year, “largely reflecting a pullforward of around 20,000 firsthome buyers.”

Removing lenders’ mortgage insurance “reduces the incentive for buyers to save a larger deposit and delivers an immediate boost to purchasing power, which enables buyers to stretch further in price negotiations.”

record the strongest

 Sydney is forecast to house price growth, consistent with its tendency to lead the market Analysis by Domain found that the scheme “could cut depositsaving times dramatically,” from more than 10 years to around three for Sydneysiders aspiring to own a home.

FUTURE INTEREST RATES UNCERTAIN Dr Song Shi is an Associate Professor of Property Economics at the University of Technology’s School of Built Environment.

He emphasised the “close relationship” between interest rates and the price of housing, noting that “in general, when the interest rate is going down, the housing price will be going up.”

He cautioned against making

assumptions about interest rates next year or future house prices.

Shi added that the Five Percent Deposit Scheme – formerly called the Home Guarantee Scheme – shifts risk from banks to buyers.

“A five percent deposit in any commercial loan is risky. If the house price dips more than five percent, then all your equity is gone.”

He advised those considering the purchase of their first home to ask “whether this is a good investment or not, to buy into the housing market at the moment.”

Recent research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute found that shared equity schemes are less effective in more expensive cities.

“Many schemes underestimate affordability challenges for homebuyers in major capital cities. This suggests the schemes are less effective at supporting aspiring homebuyers in larger cities.”

Despite the Albanese Government’s recent expansion of the program, the institute found that schemes with more stringent criteria “better target customers who would otherwise be unable to buy a home.”

Whether these findings will be borne out in Sydney following the Commonwealth reforms remains to be seen.

HubNEWS

New homes & sporting grounds planned for Wentworth Park & surrounds

BY SOFIE RASMUSSEN

T

he Minns Government has announced their plan for Wentworth Park and the surrounding areas of Ultimo and Pyrmont, which combines creating thousands of homes and community recreation facilities around the area.

The government’s plan includes a total build of 7,300 new houses in and around the whole area, including 2,500 new houses around Wentworth Park itself and 1,400 near the old Sydney Fish Market ground. 580 of these will be student housing exclusively.

Construction is set to begin in early 2027.

“This is more homes, more playing fields and better public spaces, alongside the infrastructure that makes neighbourhoods work,” said Premier Chris Minns. “This is homes and community facilities delivered together, not one without the other.”

“Right in the middle of Sydney and connected by rail, light rail, ferries and the future Metro, our plan for the future of Wentworth Park will deliver much-needed new housing.”

GREYHOUND TRACK SWAPPED FOR COMMUNITY SPORTS FIELDS Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said that the government will continue to support a “competitive, responsible and sustainable” greyhound racing industry, but have allocated $10 million towards the transition of the Wentworth Park racetrack into a site for community recreation.

When the current lease by NSW Greyhound Breeders Owners and Trainers Association ends in September 2027, the park will be converted into approximately 20 new community sport fields, which are required by 2031.

 An exciting new chapter that marks the end of an era for inner city greyhound racing Additionally, the park will now be available to host festivals and community events. “[This] is an exciting new chapter that marks the end of an era for inner city greyhound racing,” said Harris.

Photo: Mark Gerada via City of Sydney

“Not only are we unlocking thousands of homes and much needed community sporting facilities, we are laying the groundwork and ensuring we have the community infrastructure to deliver a vibrant precinct for everyone,” said Minister for Lands and Property and Sport Steve Kamper.

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COFFIN ED’S NAKED CITY

COFFIN ED'S PREDICTIONS FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD IN 2026

F

or many of us 2025 was a year to erase from our memory, but its consequences have made that almost impossible. Endless global conflicts resulting in massive civilian deaths, a skyrocketing cost of living and the sheer insanity of Donald Trump made it a year to look back with rancour.

It's around this time of year that the media trot out their ‘best and worst’ of the last 12 months.

Much of it is just opinionated tabloid trivia, but then again, some lists are based on genuine numerical analysis.

Google recently released its list of top trending personalities, those whose searches spiked significantly over a sustained period. Somewhat surprisingly, the top spot went to the newly elected New York mayor, Zohran Mamdani.

Even more surprising was the inclusion of UK adult film actress and provocateur Bonnie Blue in the top ten. It's no secret Bonnie was recently busted in Bali, on her global ‘Bang Bus’ tour during Australia's schoolies week — let’s give her the inaugural ‘I’ve Been To Bali (& Busted) Too’ award.

'Best Of' gongs can get very tedious — what interests me

12 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

more are the predictions various pundits like to make for the year ahead. Back in 2024, I made a few myself, including Donald Trump taking back the Panama Canal with old buddy Hulk Hogan leading the troops. Needless to say that hasn’t happened, but maybe the invasion is now destined for Venezuela.

Then again, I did suggest that Robert F. Kennedy Jr would abolish all vaccines in the US and evoke a medieval nostalgia with the return of polio, tuberculosis and leprosy. He hasn’t quite gone that far, but give him credit, he has warned that male circumcision can lead to autism.

So what the heck, let’s again take inspiration from the great American psychic Jeron Criswell King, and predict the future.

🎇

🎇 🎇

COFFIN ED’S PREDICTIONS FOR 2026

🎇 Donald Trump drifts into a permanent state of 🎇

narcolepsy, but with the help of AI is able to remain as President, his face artificially animated and a chatbot spruiking his usual nonsense.

RFK Jr announces a new children’s book, Willy The Worm, based on the

🎇

parasitic worm he claims once ate part of his brain.

Disney quickly secure the film rights and Trump acolyte Kid Rock signs to do the voice acting.

Australia Post is overwhelmed as thousands of Australian teenagers under sixteen turn to snail mail, sending each other millions of lewd and bullying letters each week.

Hundreds of overworked posties quit in protest.

Pauline Hanson attempts to climb Uluru (or Ayers Rock, as she still calls it) whilst wearing a burqa, as a protest against multiculturalism and Indigenous rights. It doesn’t end well!

Australian promoters announce a nationwide Black Sabbath tour with Ozzy Osbourne, only to later realise he’s been dead for over six months.

Under pressure from the Coalition, Anthony Albanese comes clean with his full collection of rock’n’roll t-shirts which include The Slugfuckers, The Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, Cigarettes After Sex, Barenaked Ladies and Gaye Bykers On Acid.

City Council issues 🎇 Sydney on the spot fines for buskers

caught singing Take Me Home Country Roads, Wonderwall and Down Under – with guitars impounded from anybody singing all three in the same set.

After failing to entice Trump to the opening match of the Australian Rugby League season in Las Vegas, the NRL move the first round matches to Leichhardt Oval.

No casinos or hookers, but Albo is bound to turn up in his Joy Division t-shirt. And he is guaranteed not to fall fast asleep during the first ten minutes of play.

With Israel’s participation in the tacky Eurovision Song Contest inflaming international tensions, the organisers insist that all songs be sung in Esperanto, the world's most widely spoken constructed language.

And finally: Bonnie Blue is eventually granted an Australian visa and invited to do three laps of the MCG in the ‘Bang Bus’ as part of the pre-game entertainment for the 2026 AFL Grand Final.

🎇

🎇

🎇

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PAULINI AND TIM CAMPBELL ON LIONISING THE NEON NOSTALGIA OF THE ‘80S Paulini and Tim Campbell may have still been kids during the 1980s, but there’s no escaping the huge cultural impact the era had on them, or pop culture the world over.

BY LYDIA JUPP

“I

Photo: Andrew Raszevski

remember going and seeing Goonies, Gremlins, Footloose,” Tim told City Hub. “Whenever I hear Ghostbusters or The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth — all these songs, it just takes me back to such a fantastic time on my BMX bike riding the school.”

It’s this sort of nostalgia for simpler times that the pair are trying to tap into on their Electrifying ‘80s tour, travelling across Australia between March to June next year, celebrating an era that defied societal expectation and blended

16 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

sounds like never before.

“We want the audiences to enjoy themselves,” Paulini says.

“We want to take them back to that time where they were young and everything was great, because there's so much happening right now, today.”

A SETLIST OF ELECTRIFYING ‘80S TRACKS — WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN? But where do you even start?

Between Madonna, Bon Jovi, Donna Summer and Prince, the 1980s was so jam-packed with musical icons that it’s hard to decide which ones to focus on.

“We're still trying to figure out what to do at this point, because there's so many amazing songs,” Paulini laughed. “I'm definitely going to be performing Whitney Houston, because I basically grew up with her and Mariah Carey and Tina Turner.

“The Young Divas [had] two albums of ‘80s hits that were just remixed and redone.

I can't wait to get up and perform all those songs.”

The pair will be accompanied by an incredible live band, giving their performances that authentic edge, and allowing Tim and Paulini to work with the musicians themselves to

Photos: Supplied

fine-tune the tour, adding an extra special and unique flair to the shows.

“[1980s] artists were basically iconic in every way. They had powerhouse vocals, and they sang with such conviction “I know for me, nothing beats live music,” Tim said. “When we get together in a rehearsal, we'll find things, different drum fills and patterns, and we can change things up as well.”

SOUNDS OF THE ‘80S HAVE ENDURED AND EVOLVED So many of the songs and sounds of the eighties have endured through to today, with disco giving way to new wave influences and neon-tinted synth pop. It was the decade

that solidified the impact of some of the most memorable divas in contemporary music.

“These artists were basically iconic in every way. They had powerhouse vocals, and they sang with such conviction, and they lived it,” Paulini said. “And I think that's the amazing thing that lives on in that music. That's why we love it so much, because that type of storytelling doesn't quite exist these days.”

However, as much Tim and Paulini love the music of the era, they say there are a few aesthetics of the eighties that won’t be making it on stage with them – namely, the spiral perms and boxy shoulder pads.

“What we want to do is bring a fresh take to the ‘80s as well,” Tim said. “We've got some great images and videos that will bring back the eighties feel. But we want it to be a fresh thing. We don't want to make it a tribute show as such, but it's kind of more a celebration. Though we’re totally open to people who want to dress up!”

HubARTS

ETERNITY A charmingly old-school rom-com... about death (See p.21)

REVIEW

BY JOSH KERWICK thrilling modern update of a play made famous by Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 film adaptation of the same name, the Australian premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher’s take on Dial M for Murder at the Ensemble Theatre is a thrilling inverse of the whodunnit.

With a small, focused cast that delivers the sharply written '50s-era dialogue with real panache, this fresh staging of the material makes for a delightfully tense night of theatre.

After catching his wife Margot (Anna Samson) having an affair with crime author Maxine Hadley (Madeleine Jones), publishing

A

agent Tony Wendice (Garth Holcombe) begins plotting what he believes is the perfect murder to access her life insurance without implicating himself.

By hiring his old acquaintance Captain Lesgate (David Soncin) to strangle Margot in a painfully detailed fashion, he plans to duck suspicion and enjoy the rest of his life in comfortable wealth. Alas, there’s no such thing as a ‘perfect murder’ — after a mishap on the night, Tony works overtime to avoid becoming a suspect, even as the nosy Inspector Hubbard (Kenneth Moraleda) comes close to figuring it all out.

While a traditional whodunnit

Photo: Ensemble Theatre

DIAL M FOR MURDER would be told from the perspective of Margot or Inspector Hubbard, Dial M for Murder makes the fascinating choice to tell majority of its tale from the murderer’s point of view.

This isn’t a choice unique to this production by any means, but Tony is made such a wonderfully hateable character in the hands of Garth Holcombe.

The role of Margot is also greatly expanded here, and Anna Samson is more than fit for the task. The aforementioned Maxine

Hadley is played with a perfect serving of '50s New York wit by a sharply dressed Madeleine Jones, whose relationship with Margot hangs over the whole play.

And what fun Dial M for Murder is, a twisty crime thriller that makes the Ensemble Theatre air almost overbearingly thick with tension. Even if you've seen a version of this show or the film before, its new thematic framework and excellent performances make it well worth the trip to the theatre.

BORN ON A THURSDAY

BY JOSH KERWICK show that often feels more like being a fly on the wall in someone’s kitchen than watching theatre, Born on a Thursday is a frighteningly real drama about finding meaning in the mundanity of life.

A

Photo: Phil Erbacher 18 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

This new Australian play by Jack Kearney is a sincerely moving, affecting work that hits upon themes of family, trauma and the unbearable weight of memory and guilt.

Coming home from Denmark for the holiday season at the tail end of

the 1990s, it’s not going to be an easy homecoming for ballerina April (Sofia Nolan). In the years since she left, her mother Ingrid (Sharon Millerchip) has been left to care for her brother Isaac (Owen Hasluck) after a horrific footy accident.

Though their neighbour Howard (James Lugton) has been there to help, it’s evident a sense of resentment has been brewing.

As April’s stay becomes more extended than anyone planned, these quiet resentments begin bubbling to the surface while navigating the difficulties of daily family life.

It’s impossible to avoid noticing just how raw Born on a Thursday feels. The small, intimate theatre space of the Old Fitz is perfect for a show like this, especially because the set is a phenomenal recreation of a '90s Australian home.

With a working tap and stove, Soham Apte’s set design has an

REVIEW

unbelievably strong understanding of this time period’s architecture.

Director Lucy Clements also knows how to make Kearney’s characters and words occupy the space, with a careful sense of direction that makes the dialogue feel tangibly real rather than performed.

The show can be sincerely uncomfortable to watch at times thanks to this potent sense of realism, as if you’re genuinely intruding upon a family dispute as it happens.

Born on a Thursday is a little long, and there are times where it feels like scenes follow a certain formula of dramatic delivery that could be tightened a little bit. But that aside, Kearney’s play is an emotionally affecting, exciting new work that functions as a superb treatise on familial relationships and trauma that lives and breathes just as people do.

HubARTS

KRIS NELSON

Kris Nelson. Photo: Toby Burrows

STEERS THE NEXT ERA AS

SYDNEY FESTIVAL TURNS 50

with 2026 programming including works that spill into streets, art that aims to reframe the familiar landscapes we see every day.

Nelson also holds a deep respect for the festival’s long history of First Nations leadership and visibility. “Jake Nash… has made [the Blak Out program] that really celebrates Sydney’s First Nations people, but also has this really national outlook,” he says. “There’s artists from the Kimberley, from Naarm, from all over — I love that.”

S

Reuben Kaye

One strand of that DNA, in his view, is Sydney Festival’s signature love of site-specific work, or “the city as a stage” — art that bends to the contours of the city and imprints itself on unexpected corners.

“Things that really make you add a new memory to a place as you walk by,” he explains. It’s a tradition he intends to nourish,

HONOURING THE DNA OF SYDNEY FESTIVAL

Nelson describes his approach to curating the program as an act of careful layering. “Festival direction is about the mix of the city DNA, the festival DNA… and then that overlay of my lens,” he says.

Garabari

A GLOBAL FESTIVAL FOR A GLOBAL CITY

For Nelson, Sydney Festival’s responsibility is not only to reflect the city, but to open it up to the world. “Sydney is such an international city… so we’ll see a lot of international work.”

Ma

BY CHLOE SARGEANT ydney Festival turns 50 this summer — a milestone that feels less like a birthday and more like a civic rite.

For half a century, the festival has sculpted the cultural life of the city, carved new artistic pathways, and left audiences with unshakeable memories that have become part of Sydney’s collective mythology and folklore.

Sydney Festival doesn’t just stage art — it imprints itself onto people. That’s something its new Festival Director, Kris Nelson, has been hearing non-stop in his first year on the job.

“Everyone’s keeps telling they’ve got their favourite Sydney Festival thing [from throughout the years], and you’re like, ‘wow, this festival has actually shaped the city for 50 years.’”

Nelson may only be a year into living in Sydney, but our home has worked its magic on him fast.

“I think [Sydney] has got a really exciting, vibrant, convivial cultural scene… the city itself is dazzling.

I don’t think I’ve ever loved a place so quickly,” he says — a sentiment that neatly mirrors the charge of stepping into the festival during such a pivotal year.

m

o aD

es D

erby

Nelson lights up when walking City Hub through the vast array of diverse works we’ll be able to experience this month; intergenerational and First Nations storytelling, experimental and contemporary dance, queer artistry, outdoor spectacle and intimate, unexpected gems.

The festival has the ability to push the boundaries because Sydney audiences, he says, are ready for it. “They’ve seen a lot,” he laughs. “They’re sophisticated and tough!”

And offering interesting new experiences and fresh new artists, for Nelson, is essential — because Sydney Festival should act as a generous and benevolent spring board for artists of all kinds. “We should be not just their harbour, but their launchpad for amazing things.”

As for what he hopes audiences feel when they walk into the 50th anniversary festival?

“I hope they feel a sense of pride,” he says, “that for 50 years their city has supported this festival that asks them to dare, to think, to connect.”

“I hope that it makes them feel connected across all the communities in Sydney. I hope it makes them feel like the whole world is happening and the whole city is happening right here, right now in the festival — and that they're a part of it.”

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026 19

HubARTS REVIEW

FLOODLIGHTS

BRING VISCERAL EMOTION TO NEW FRESHWATER VENUE

BY ANGUS SHARPE pparently someone was going to get married to this song.”

Floodlights frontman Louis Parsons made this statement matter-of-factly while tuning his guitar between songs at Bombies on Nov 28. Without a pause – the significance of these words hanging in the air – the Melbourne band then eased into a powerful rendition of 2023’s Things You Do. During this song, a couple before me were brought to tears. Turning to each other, they embraced. And until the final note – tears streaking their cheeks –

“A

they did not look away from the other’s eyes.

This love, for both a person and for music, perfectly summarises the effect Floodlights had on the audience that night.

It was the second-last stop of the beloved band’s regional Australian tour, though as they admitted, Freshwater is hardly regional.

To call the music that filled the room ‘euphoric’ would be taking away from the immense grief and anger bound to Parsons’ lyrics. Yet, as the band delivered songs from their ever-evolving catalogue, despite how anguished the frontman appeared, the end of each number would reliably leave

Photo: Angus Sharpe

the audience revelling in hope, love, and joy.

The euphoria came from the band’s ability to create and release tension –­ guitar refrains, trumpet calls, bass riffs, and steady drums growing with energy throughout each track. At times the music resembled an animal about to be let free to the wild. With increasing urgency, it waited. Then – with crashing cymbals and a dramatic statement from Parsons – it would leap forward into a watershed chorus.

Here, the entire room would erupt with chorused lyrics.

Strangers would embrace and arms would fly into the air. It was clear – by the grins and shouts of joy at the end of each song – that the opportunity to release such pent-up emotion was elating.

And, like that couple crying to Things You Do, it was also clear that every person filling the room in some manner loved the person dancing beside them.

Because that person too loved Floodlights.

TROPICAL FUCK STORM LAYS WASTE TO MARRICKVILLE BOWLO

BY ANGUS SHARPE alf a century, motherfuckers!”

Australian rock icon Gareth Liddiard grinned between gasps of air as remnants of You Let My Tyres Down – a Tropical Fuck Storm fan favourite – rang through the soldout Marrickville Bowling Club.

So far this evening, Liddiard and his Melbourne-based genre-

“H

Photo: Peter Lanigan

20 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

blending art-punk project had been relentless with their energy.

The frontman’s white button-up shirt was transparent with sweat, and the weight of his low-hanging guitar seemed to pull his body toward the stage.

Yet, standing before his pedalboard, barefoot and grinning, it was clear there was no other place he would rather

spend his 50th birthday than in this hot, intimate room playing music with his friends.

Despite a touching moment later in the performance, where adoring audience members and bandmates alike sang an abashed Liddiard “happy birthday”, this was one of the brief occasions the four-piece came up for air. Otherwise, for over an hour, Tropical Fuck Storm systematically laid waste to the bowling club, delivering a live sound that, since their 2017 inception, has grown to become celebrated within international rock circles.

It is a sound of uncompromising raw power. On stage, whether large or small, Tropical Fuck Storm makes improvisation look simple. Taking tracks from an ever-evolving catalogue, they consistently stretch, warp, and distort existing music into unique new works of loud sprawling

chaos. And this performance – in support of their recently released, and perhaps best album to date, Fairyland Codex – was no different.

Rare is it to have a band so dedicated to intimacy that rather than upgrading the venue to somewhere with a higher capacity – condensing the three nights into one – they were prepared to sacrifice their own exhaustion for the experience of the audience.

As Tropical Fuck Storm concluded with a splintering rendition of Paradise, it seemed each member wrenched whatever energy they had left to fuel the track’s ever-rising emotional climax. Amidst pounding bass, crashing cymbals, and loud whammy-barred guitar, Liddiard collapsed at the altar of his pedals, bending low over them to furiously bash buttons and twist dials until the track’s mighty conclusion.

HubARTS REVIEW

BY JOSH KERWICK oan (Elizabeth Olsen) is dead… She finds herself on a train to the Junction, where departed souls decide which version of paradise they want to spend eternity in.

But when she arrives, Joan discovers her recently deceased husband Larry (Miles Teller), and her husband who died 67 years ago, Luke (Callum Turner), are both expecting her to go with them. She must make an impossible choice: who does she spend her afterlife with?

David Freyne’s Eternity is a charmingly old-school rom-com about death that’s paradoxically full of life. With a warm sense of direction, fantastic performances from its main trio, and a script

J

REVIEW

BY MARK MORELLINI uremberg is a post-WWII historical drama directed by James Vanderbilt and stars Rami Malek and Russell Crowe.

The story surrounds the Nuremberg trials, which were military tribunals to prosecute prominent Nazi leaders for war crimes against humanity. These trials were commonly regarded by civilians at the time as ‘the biggest circus in town’.

The date is May 7, 1945, and Adolf Hitler is dead. The atrocities committed by the Nazis are slowly surfacing, and the world needs to know the evil exploits of the Third Reich. The top ranking Nazis have been captured and should be put on trial for war crimes.

But the prominent barristers argue, there’s no international law to base these crimes on. Who do you put on trial? The soldiers responsible who were following orders or the higher hierarchy? Or should responsibility just fall on Adolf Hitler, who is deceased?

And, should those responsible be executed for their crimes? “An eye for an eye is not the answer,”

equal parts cuttingly funny and sincerely emotional, this is a genuinely wonderful and refreshing film that’s not afraid to embrace the genre.

With its stealthily beautiful 35mm photography by Ruairí O'Brien and a punchy David Fleming score, Eternity has the vibe of a conceptual genre classic from the '90s and early ‘00s. Written by Freyne and Pat Cunnane, the script trusts in its humour and ideas about love.

Olsen is a real standout in this regard, stepping into an unfamiliar genre for her, but showcasing her comedic timing and emotional gutpunches.

Teller and Turner are similarly great, each coming with a distinctive brand of

Photo: A24

ETERNITY charm, making Joan’s choice extraordinarily difficult. Compared to other love triangle movies where the choice seems obvious, Eternity creates much messier options for Joan through the worldbuilding and emotional stakes.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Da’Vine Joy Randolph and John Early as “afterlife consultants” who are responsible for many of the film’s funniest jokes.

The film’s more philosophical musings on who Joan should be with are compelling, given that

Photo: A24

she has good reasons to pick both of them. Larry has given her everything in life, but Luke represents the life that Joan could have had. Is it unfair for her to seek that life she lost in her own death?

Eternity doesn’t shy away from this meaty question. It sags a little between its second and third act, but I believe this sincerely delightful film is an absolute must-watch for any rom-com aficionados.



Eternity is in cinemas now.

NUREMBERG

N

Photo: IMDb

states the Pope, who strongly opposed their execution.

Malek plays the role of Douglas Kelley, a US Army psychiatrist who must judge the mental capacity of the Nazi leaders. He’s fascinated as to what makes the Nazis so evil.

Crowe portrays Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party and a war criminal who Kelly finds intelligent, charismatic, imaginative and extremely narcissistic. Did Göring know about the 'Final

Solution to the Jewish Question'?

Regardless, he believes he’ll escape the hangman’s noose.

The first act explores the judicial matters and Kelley’s developing obsession with the mind of Göring.

The second act follows the trial – silence can be felt in the cinema as real-life footage is screened, highlighting the heinous crimes committed in concentration camps.

The cinematography is breathtakingly seamless, and the

black and white footage adds depth and creates a sense of unease.

Nuremberg is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, and inescapably depressing.

With the Oscar buzz building, both Russell Crowe and Rami Malek should be emerging frontrunners for their commanding and memorable performances.

One of the finest films of the year!



Nuremberg is in cinemas now.

CITY HUB JANUARY 2026 21

HubARTS

MARKS 35 YEARS WITH PHENOMENAL 2026 PROGRAM

Photo: Supplied

FLICKERFEST’S BIG, BEAUTIFUL QUEER SHOWCASE The Rainbow Shorts program, curated by award-winning filmmaker Craig Boreham, continues to be one of Flickerfest’s 22 CITY HUB JANUARY 2026

There’s something about Flickerfest that feels threaded through the city’s cultural heartbeat.

Maybe it’s the salt in the air as you wander up Queen Elizabeth Drive, or the low hum of Bondi on a warm January night.

Bronwyn Kidd

most beloved nights. For him, the thrill is watching LGBTQIA+ cinema evolve.

“The big thing I have noticed… is really in the evolution of our storytelling itself,” he says. “The stories are really diverse and unexpected, and filmmakers have moved beyond a lot of tropes of the past that have inhabited queer cinema.”

This year’s lineup spans comedy, drama and animation. “Each of the films has a distinct point of view,” Boreham explains. Highlights include Bleat! — the first TamilMalaysian short invited to Cannes Critics’ Week — the “hilariously horny” Scottish short Sleazy Tiger starring Alan Cumming, UK animation Two Black Boys

in Paradise, and Spain’s Casi Septiembre.

As Boreham puts it, “There’s something special about sitting in a cinema with other LGBTQIA+ folk… sharing our stories together.

There is a real sense of community gathering that we don’t often get day to day.”

Craig Boreham

W

hatever it is, Flickerfest isn’t a run-of-the-mill film festival — it’s a Sydney summer ritual.

Festival director Bronwyn Kidd, who has led the event since 1997, says this year’s milestone is striking. “It’s exciting for Flickerfest to have reached a landmark 35 years of championing short films in Australia,” she reflects. “Becoming Oscar-qualifying in 2002 really saw the profile of Flickerfest grow at home and internationally… shining a spotlight on Flickerfest for the rest of the world.”

More than 3600 submissions arrived this year, with just over 200 selected. Kidd says the 2026 lineup is especially inventive: “I've been impressed by the incredible vision, craft and creativity that these short films have expressed… which I’m sure will delight our audiences.”

The Bondi Pavilion setting remains central to Flickerfest’s identity. After 29 years screening here, the beach has become part of the experience. “Our long history of screening under the stars, beside the beach — both unconventional and vibrant — allows us to celebrate two great Australian passions: beach culture and the arts,” Kidd says.

2026 FLICKERFEST SHOWCASES Across its ten sun-drenched days, Flickerfest’s 2026 program unfurls into a colourful tangle of premieres, audience favourites and beautifully curated showcases — each one designed to meet audiences where they’re at.

• EU Shorts Showcase — European gems spanning satire, surrealism and political drama.

Perfect for art-house lovers and global cinema nerds.

• FlickerKids — family-friendly fun with heart, whimsy and adventure. Bring the little ones, or bring your inner child.

• Love Bites — films about relationships in all their messy, tender, funny forms.

• Short Laughs — an entire program devoted to big belly laughs. A guaranteed crowdpleaser for anyone needing a serotonin bump.

• First Nations Showcase (Survival Day) — an essential, powerful program celebrating culture, resilience and community. A must-attend for anyone invested in First Nations storytelling.

Whether you prefer films that make you laugh, cry, question everything or simply sink blissfully into your seat, Flickerfest’s 2026 lineup is stacked with discoveries.

FLICKFEST LOOKS FORWARD Kidd hopes the anniversary edition leaves audiences buzzing: “I want audiences to leave feeling uplifted and inspired by the resilience, strength, humour and insight [in the] short films that will stay with them for years — or at least until the next Flickerfest rolls around.”

No one does summer cinema like this city — and no festival captures Sydney’s creative pulse quite like Flickerfest.

Flickerfest is on from 23 Jan – 1 Feb — you can learn more at flickerfest.com.au.

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