The Weekender: November 3 – 5
Madman Anime Festival 2017
Saturday, November 4 – Sunday, October 5 (10.00am – 6.00pm) | Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre (1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf)
Calling all otakus! Spend your weekend at the Madman Anime Festival and enjoy all it has to offer!
From cosplay competitions, anime goodies, and special guest appearances from legends in the anime industry like Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo), Madman Anime Festival offers students a chance to take a break from their studies and revel in the fun that anime offers.
Anime fans will also be able to experience other unique parts of Japanese culture including witnessing idol performances and experiencing a maid/butler cafe dining experience. Exclusive screenings of new films like the live-action version of hit series, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and the highly anticipated debut film from Studio Ponoc, Mary and the Witch’s Flower, will also take place at the festival.
And don’t forget about the video games too – at MadFest, you’ll be able to preview Dragon Ball FighterZ! What a treat!
More on this year’s Madman Anime Festival can be accessed can be found on our event write-up, written by Wing Kuang.
Mr Black Festival of the Espresso Martini
Friday, November 3 – Sunday, November 5 (Various times) | Meat Market (5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne)
Photo: John Hope via Flickr
Returning to the Meat Market this year is the Mr Black Festival of the Espresso Martini.
As you might be able to guess, this festival is dedicated to the espresso martini – the cheeky drink that combines the rich textures of the espresso with the alcoholic delights of a martini.
The Meat Market will be transformed into a six-bar cocktail village where you can try different coffees, try a White Russian slushie or an Espresso Martini topped with a donut! If coffee isn’t your thing, the festival will also have a Gin and Tonic bar on hand too!
As for food, expect names like Fancy Hanks, That Arancini Guy, Zeus Street Greek and more to offer up their delicacies throughout the evening!
For more on the Mr Black Festival of the Espresso Martini, hit up the festival’s official website.
Docklands Sunday Market
Sunday, November 5 (10.00am – 5.00pm) | NewQuay Promenade Docklands
Photo: Stephen Beaumont via Flickr
What’s a Melbourne weekend without a market?
This Sunday, venture down to Docklands and enjoy a variety market right along the river on the pedestrian sidewalk. What can you expect from the market? Here you’ll be able to find hand-made jewelery, books, recycled kids designer clothes, soft toys and much more!
The market’s eclectic offerings will be accompanied by a variety of food options including tasty Spanish churros, food from the Village Bakery and coffee to power you through the market! If that’s not enough hit up New Quay nearby for more food options.
Learn more about the Docklands Sunday Market by visiting the Melbourne Market’s homepage.
Palestinian Film Festival 2017
Thursday, November 2 – Sunday, November 5 (Various times) | Cinema Nova (380 Lygon St, Carlton)
It also wouldn’t be a Melbourne weekend without some kind of film festival too!
Celebrate the wonders of Palestinian film this weekend at Cinema Nova and see shorts and features you mightn’t otherwise see again.
There’s Ghost Hunting, a gripping and award-winning documentary about a group of ex-prisoners who re-enact the traumatic interrogation processes they were subjected to; Junction 48 which centres its story around a Palestinian rapper and his singer girlfriend struggle to make ends meet in Tel Aviv’s hip-hop scene and From Under the Rubble, a high-impact documentary that examines the personal, emotional and psychological toll of armed conflict on defenceless civilian populations.
Learn more about the Palestinian Film Festival by visiting its official website.