Rose Byrne puts in an award-winning performance as a woman under pressure in the excellent If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. Glen Powell takes on an all-powerful media company in a dystopian future for the sake of his sick daughter in The Running Man. And Sergei Loznitsa returns to tragic flaws of the Stalin-era legal system in Two Prosecutors. Jason di Rosso from The Screen Show joins the team to talk through a film heavy week.  In music, Ce gives a full-throated endorsement for Rosalia's Lux, which features collaborations with everyone from Björk and Yves Tumor to Caroline Shaw and the London Symphony Orchestra. And Sky is excited for both the new Mountain Goats album, Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan, and the release of one of the band's rarities, Moon Colony Bloodbath. Plus the Australian Chamber Orchestra takes on Cocteau's Circle and Loznitsa's earlier documentary State Funeral on Mubi.

The Federal Government has announced plans for a local content quota for streaming video services in Australia. Any service with more than one million subscribers will be required to spend a percentage of their revenue on Australian content. Julianne Schultz and Guy Morrow take us through the details and consider whether the policy goes far enough. And Hungarian-British author David Szalay has won the 2025 Booker Prize for his latest novel, Flesh. We speak with The Book Show's Sarah L’Estrange about the novel and hear some of her conversation with Szalay. Our track of the week is Drawbacks by Dust

There’s a simple pleasure in seeing competent people doing their job well, which is one of the draws of The Diplomat, a show that follows in the tradition of the West Wing in balancing high stakes political drama with chaotic personal drama to great affect. As it enters season 3, and the chaos begins to overwhelm the competence, the team discuss whether it manages to keep meeting audience expectations. Ce and Hannah Story head to Dangerously Modern at the Art Gallery of NSW and are thrilled at this exploration of Australian women artists who went to Europe to find their acclaim and brought modernism, surrealism, and cubism back home with them. (For more, check out the Dangerously Modern podcast by Radio National's Rosa Ellen) Sky's enthusiastic about Jennifer Lawrence's performance in Die, My Love, but a little more muted about the film itself, and suggests that Predator: Badlands will appeal to action fans, even if some purists may take exception with the direction of the franchise. And in music, Ce shares Feel It Change by Stella Donelly, and Sky pitches The Ladder by The Veils.

The board of the Australian Design Centre has announced that the centre will close on June 30, 2026, unless additional funding can be secured. The call comes after the centre lost out on significant ongoing funding from both Federal and State governments. CEO Lisa Cahill discusses the ADC’s options going forward. Ahead of International Day for People With A Disability, we’re looking at accessibility in the arts - not just for audiences, but for performers and crew. How have things changed, what’s working, what isn’t, why oes it matter, and what exciting projects are on the horizon? Chaos Fae and Frankie Dyson Reilly from Vulcana Circus and Genevieve Clay-Smith from Bus Stop Films share their experience. Our track of the week is Rocking Horse by Lauren Tsamouras and Tom Avgenicos.

It's Halloween, so Ce and Sky are diving into horror films and exploring what they love about the genre alongside a few picks - some famous and some a little more niche. One horror film that's out this week is Bugonia, by Yorgos Lanthimos. It's a remake of the South Korean film Save The Green Planet, which is, if anything, better than the original and marks another chapter in the Lanthimos-Emma Stone-Jesse Plemons era. It's not for everyone, but Sky gives it his full-throated endorsement. Twinless, a comedy that traces the friendship between two men who meet in a support group for people whose twin has died gets two thumbs. And Sky rates Happyend, a new Japanese film by Neo Sora, as one of his favourites of the year so far. In music recommendations, Ce thinks West End Girl by Lily Allen is the perfect Halloween trick - at least for David Harbour, and Sky picks the remix version of A Fragile Geography by Rafael Anton Irisarri. And in quick notes, the team are looking forward to a condensed Melbourne season by Opera Australia, and the ACO's Cocteau’s Circle.

The Federal Government has announced that it won't institute a Text and Data Mining exception on copyright, an idea raised as a possibility in the Productivity Commission's recent report. Arts organisations across Australia are hailing the decision, and Nicholas Pickard from APRA-AMCOS discusses the implications of the announcement for the music sector. A number of prominent Australian artists have expressed their dismay at their songs being used as part of recent anti-immigration rallies. Bob Brown, co-author of Give Me A Home Among the Gum Trees, shares his perspective. And Hector Aristizabal endured torture at the hands of the regime at a young age. He lost his brothers young, one to HIV/AIDS and one to the paramilitary, and left Colombia for his own safety. But rather than hiding away, Hector turned to theatre to tell his story and help other people tell theirs as part of the Theatre of the Oppressed. Hector takes us into that practice, a community based form of education that uses theatre as a form of healing and conflict resolution ahead of workshops across the country. Our track of the week is New Age by Sleepazoid

It’s 1982 and Bruce Springsteen is on the verge of super-stardom, but the Boss, unready to leave the past behind, holes up in a house in New Jersey and records Nebraska on a four-track tape deck. Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is a new biopic charts the making of this classic album, but the team have some serious concerns, beginning with the choice of this time period. Guillermo Del Toro has finally completed his long-term passion project, an adaptation of Frankenstein. It's a beautifully shot film that plays more in the register of fairy tale than horror, with excellent physical performances by Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi. There are some minor complaints, but this may be the ultimate screen adaptation (so far). Tender Comrade, at White Rabbit Gallery, is a great mixed-media exhibition, focused on queer Chinese art, and some stand-out video works. And in music, Sky recommends Hiromi, who's currently on tour, with a headline show at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival; and Ce is surprisingly taken by Keli Holiday's version of I'm On Fire for Like A Version.

After a three-year pilot program, Ireland has made a basic income scheme for artists a permanent policy, citing not only increased productivity and mental health, but a positive return on investment for the money spent. Moira Fleming, from Ireland's National Campaign for the Arts shares details about the scheme and Dr Jo Caust looks at the Australian context and why a basic income is worth considering, but remains unlikely here. And over the last decade, there's been an increasing demand on arts organisations to take a stand on matters of cultural policy, with several finding their way to the front line of the culture wars for reasons that have little to do with their actual artistic output. So how should these institutions handle this responsibility? Samuel Cairnduff shares lessons from his new book, Harmonising Cultural Leadership in Professional Orchestras. Our track of the week is Take Me To The River by Emma Donovan

Featuring troubled children in a small American town, an outsider who can sense that something is wrong, and hints of the supernatural, Wayward seems influenced by the work of Stephen King, but Ce argues that the new Netflix series fares a lot better than most of King's actual adaptations. The new Luca Guadagnino film, After the Hunt, is aiming for ambiguity, but lacks the strength of its convictions, with Sky calling it one of the worst prestige scripts of the year. In apology, he offers up The Beast, the latest film by Bertrand Bonello, which is new to streaming.  The Key's Under the Mat, the new Mick Hewson exhibition at The Tank in Sydney is a delight that shares its pleasures in person, rather than on social media. And Heide's combination of Man Ray and Max Dupain is a cleverly curated combination of surrealist photography and history. In music, Sky offers up Blight, the new album by The Antlers, while Ce is excited about Sam Fender taking out the Mercury Prize. And bonus offerings include Lesbian Space Princess, Bleak Squad's live tour, and Opera Australia's production of Rent.

A “compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art.” That’s how the jury for the Nobel Prize for Literature described the work of Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai, who was awarded the 2025 prize. For those of us who haven’t had a chance to dive into the novels, Julian Murphet, Jury Chair of English Language and Literature at the University of Adelaide, is here to give us the cliff notes.  And from funding decisions to censorship, we report a lot about how politics impacts the arts. This week, we turn our gaze the other way. How do the arts impact policy, politics, and the way we see the world. Freyja Gillard from the Environmental Film Festival, Claire G Coleman from The Centre for Reworlding, and Angharad Wynne-Jones from Creative Climate share how artists are working to change our perspective on the environment. Our track of the week is Track 3 from Gift - Our Breath of Life by William Barton and Omega Ensemble. Headlines include: Tasmanian government cuts funding to TAFE arts courses Human Rights Watch refuses donations from Riyadh Comedy Festival performers Creative Australia announces $1.6 million in new commissions Julia Gillard to chair the jury of the 2026 Prize for Women's Fiction Largest ever international touring exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art delayed by US Government shutdown Diane Keaton dies at age 78

Taylor Swift's twelfth album, Life of a Showgirl, has broken sales records and immediately jumped to the top of the charts across the world, but critical praise has been in shorter supply. Has a return to the production team of Max Martin and Shellback led to a reinvigorated pop star? Or are the lyrics to Wood a sign of things to come? Sky makes a pitch for The Invocations, a great YA novel that just won the PM's Literary Awards. And why does it seem so hard to make a successful mid-budget caper movie this year? The team take on one last job as they catch Play Dirty, Caught Stealing, and Eenie Meanie, but find their best laid plans don't lead to much of a payoff.

The Riyadh Comedy festival continues this week and while comedians like Louis CK and Bill Burr defended their decision to perform, many of their colleagues and fans have been forthright in their critiques.  The festival is one small part of a major investment in the arts by Saudi Arabia as part of their Vision 2030 strategy. Andrew Leber, assistant professor of Political Science at Tulane University explains the background behind Vision 2030 and explores whether the initial international response matters or whether the Saudi regime is playing a longer game. And, as part of mental health week, Beci Orpin and Maria Bradshaw talk about the workshop and series of murals at the Women's Recovery Network, a mental health ward in Melbourne. Our track of the week is Beautiful Strangers by Mavis Staples.

Bad Bunny is one of the biggest musicians of the 2020s, with multiple hit records and a massive worldwide fanbase. With the recent announcement that he'll be headlining the Super Bowl half-time show, we look back at his 2025 album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, and discuss why the announcement has raised the ire of some people on the far right of American politics.  Sky explains why The Lowdown, a Southern noir with a healthy dose of humour and a standout lead performance by Ethan Hawke, is making a play for best TV show of the year.  Ce sells the comforts of Sherlock & Co, a podcast adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's classic mysteries. Dwayne Johnson is getting serious praise for his performance in The Smashing Machine, a biopic about the MMA fighter Mark Kerr, but is the film visceral enough to support the acting, or does it pull its punches? Plus a stunning new jazz album from precocious Australian saxophonist Tessie Overmyer, and a tour from the Luminescence Chamber Singers, inspired by Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights.

Two major prizes — The Prime Minister's Literary Award and the Queensland Literary Awards — have announced their choices over the last week, adding an exciting new pile of books to the must-read pile that we're all trying to work our way through. We meet two of the authors who are being recognised: Krystal Sutherland, winner of the Prime Minister's Award for Young Adult Literature for The Invocations; and Laura Elvery, winner of the People's Choice Award at the Queensland Literary Awards for Nightingale. And what impact does sound have on the way we experience a generated world? Pete Ward is the Audio Director for MachineGames, who were behind one of the biggest games of the last year: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. He's also one of the guests at High Score, a conference at the Melbourne International Games Week this weekend. Our track of the week is Big Feet, Bigger Shoes by Abby Wallace.

With two major films launching this week, The Screen Show's Jason Di Rosso pops in to share his thoughts. One of Hollywood's major auteurs, Paul Thomas Anderson, brings us his second adaptation of Thomas Pynchon, turning Vineland into One Battle After Another, starring Leonardo DiCaprio in an alternate near future not too different than our own. It's a propulsive action film, with a healthy sense of absurdism, that's also an examination of political and state violence and what one generation leaves to the next - but the team is split on how effective it is on those themes. And Spinal Tap, one of the great mockumentaries, gets a sequel: The End Continues — but should it? Plus Ce Benedict recommends The Hack, a new TV show on Stan, and the new Neko Case album brings the team together.

Last week, ABC chose to suspend Jimmy Kimmel Live! from broadcast, after criticism from the Chairman of the FCC. The network has now reversed that decision and Kimmel will be back this week, but the decision has led to protests, boycotts, and a lot of concerns about the state of free speech in the US. David Dayen, executive editor of The American Prospect, explores why ABC initially folded so quickly in the face of the Administration's concern. And reporting emerged last week that Melbourne University Press had commissioned an independent report into the sustainability of Meanjin in February this year. In July, they received the recommendations, which did not include shuttering the publication. By September, it was announced that Meanjin would shut down at the end of the year. Nick Feik, who's been writing about the decision for Crikey, breaks down his reporting. Our track of the week is Wreck by Neko Case. Headlines this week include: Sally Rooney chooses not to collect literary award over concern of arrest Israeli Film Academy Awards Face Government Defunding After Anti-War Movie 'The Sea' Wins Top Prize France selects It Was Just An Accident as its Oscar entry

Claire Nichols from The Book Show joins the team to talk through the biggest name in comedy at the moment: The Studio. With a record-breaking 13 Emmys at the 2025 awards, we share our takes on what's made the show such a critical darling.  Sky makes the case for The Names, by Florence Knapp, a novel that hinges on a sliding door moment, but is actually a deep examination of the impact domestic violence leaves on a family and what it means to be a good person. Claire's had a chance to read the new Ian McEwen, What We Can Know, and says it may be one of his best. And Ce's thrilled to find 'the bigfoot of Bruce Springsteen recordings' finally surfacing after 40 years.  Plus a tribute to Robert Redford: actor, activist, and giant of the film industry.

The state of television and streaming is perhaps more precarious than it’s been since before the “streaming revolution”... so what do this year’s Emmys tell us about which way the industry is going? ABC News' Velvet Winter takes us through the stats and the pleasant surprises.  Arts Project Australia has been around for 5 decades now: the first full-time art studio in Australia for artists with an intellectual disability. It’s launched the careers of several internationally regarded artists. Now they’ve launched a big new commissioning series: Limitless.  This series allows APA artists to take on works of a major scale - with the first exhibition, Embodied, being a year in the making. Sky Kirkham headed out to APA headquarters to meet the team behind the project. 

Welcome to the Arts in 30 Weekender, where we're setting the news aside and sharing our tips on what to check out and what to skip from the world of the arts. With voting for the Radio National Top 100 Books well underway, we argue the case for genre fiction being among the best of the century and bring you some of our picks: China Mieville's The Scar and Terry Pratchett's Night Watch. Sky enthuses about Bleak Squad, a new Australian supergroup featuring members of The Dirty Three, The Bad Seeds, Magic Dirt, and Art of Fighting. And Ce urges everyone to check out the Mary Wallopers while they're on tour. Plus the joys of a fringe festival and In The Heights makes its way to HOTA, on the Gold Coast

Meanjin is set to shut down after 85 years, with the board of their publisher, Melbourne University Press, saying that it’s a purely financial decision.  But is financial viability the metric that a literary magazine should be judged against? Former editor Jonathan Green takes us into the finances of running a literary magazine, and Ben Eltham explains why he's organising a protest to save Meanjin. And Anthropic, the developers of a major generative AI model, have agreed to pay $US 1.5 Billion in a settlement with authors and publishers who brought a class action suit against the company: $3000 per work, for 500000 works. Jennifer Mills, board member of the Australian Society of Authors, explains what this will mean for Australian writers. Our track of the week is What Is The Reason For It? by David Byrne [Ft. Hayley Williams]