Baby Reindeer, The Bear and hot rodent men: it has been a ferocious (and sometimes feral) year for pop culture, and it seems that we’re not slowing down any time soon.

This event is free / pay-what-you-wish to attend, but please RSVP via the ticketing portal below to secure your seat.

On the occasion of the 2024 Melbourne International Film Festival, host Brodie Lancaster is joined by guests including Vulture and New York magazine film critic Alison Willmore, disability advocate and star of the new Australian film Audrey Hannah Diviney, and cultural critic and journalist Jared Richards to discuss the most influential and popular films, TV shows, podcasts and books of the past 12 months. Expect hot takes served with a dash of frenzy and a healthy dose of reality check.

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Hannah Diviney is a writer, disability advocate, actress, screenwriter and author. Her disability advocacy has garnered global attention thanks to both a viral petition encouraging Disney to create a disabled Disney Princess and a successful campaign encouraging both Lizzo and Beyoncé to change ableist lyrics. She is the author of the book I’ll Let Myself In, and her writing has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Mamamia and The Guardian. As an actor, Diviney appeared in the groundbreaking SBS Digital Originals series Latecomers and makes her feature-film debut in the MIFF Premiere Fund–supported Audrey, screening at this year’s festival.

Jared Richards is an entertainment reporter at the ABC. Previously, he has written for The Guardian, The Big Issue, NME and more. He also runs Queeries, a Sydney reading night – most recently held as part of Vivid.

Alison Willmore is a film critic at Vulture and New York magazine. In past lives, she has been a culture writer at BuzzFeed News and the TV editor at IndieWire, and with Matt Singer, hosted the Filmspotting: SVU podcast. She lives in Brooklyn with her dog, Sammo, who also has strong opinions about cinema but prefers to keep them to himself.

Brodie Lancaster (host) is an author and essayist from Melbourne. Her work has appeared in publications including the New York Times, Vogue Australia, The Guardian and New York magazine. Her first book, the pop culture memoir No Way! Okay, Fine, was published by Hachette in 2017, and she co-hosts the podcast See Also.

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CO-PRESENTED BY

Please note: This event will be Auslan-interpreted.