The Melbourne International Film Festival 2010 has just commenced and is showcasing films from around the world. Documentaries, black comedies, international short films and all that is in-between there are so many films to choose from. Films are located in various cinemas throughout the CBD such as ACMI, The Forum, Greater Union and Palace Cinemas. Book your tickets now before the festival ends on the 8th of August. Go on, get cultured! 

Portable is a daily online channel catering to the needs of fashionistas, musicians, movie buffs and art lovers! Operating out of New York and Melbourne these video posts are the perfect way to follow the latest in culture. Portable have also worked with big name brands such as Josh Goot, Akira, and Arnsdorf to create digital experiences and online video campaigns. So clever!

The Icon team's resident photographer Rom Anthonis has just returned from a recent trip to India. Rom spent a week in Goa shooting some colourful images of an Indian Wedding. When asked what his highlight was he said, "Photographing a bride wearing something other than white!".

To view more photos head to Rom's Flickr page.

The buzz surrounding eBooks and Tablets dominating 2010 and saving the magazine and newspaper industries grows each day. The latest fictional "demo" looks damn fine, but as Fast Company points out, raises immense issues surrounding the re-design of existing content. Check out Swedish publisher Bonnier's great video and FC's brief but concise response here.

7ft Woman from the US is formally known as Amazon Eve or Babezilla. Featured in this week’s issue of Zoo weekly Magazine, Eve has created an up roar with people questioning her true gender. Honestly there is only so much a bikini can hide about your gender! I think some people are just jealous that she can look a basketball player in the eye!  

Its that time of year again! The roof top cinema 09/10 is now in session. There is nothing better than on warm night sitting amongst the sky scrapers in deck chairs! Rooftop Cinema has always been about showing great movies in a cinematic setting because films are affected by the environment in which they’re shown. So, while their program will host current releases, this season will continue to present the best classic and cult films with the knowledge that they will always reveal something new. It is a great idea for beer o’clock, after work, or even a date, something a little different! To find session times head to tp://www.rooftopcinema.com.au/program 

On November the 9^th, I went to see Bell Shakespeare’s performance of Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare at the Playhouse in Sydney Opera House.  Director Marion Potts wished to remove the meta-theatrical ideal of having men playing male characters on stage and have the audience overcome the obstacle of gender when engaging with such a chauvinistic play. To do this, she used an all-female cast. But her radical ideas didn’t stop there - mixing early-modern English language with a karaoke bar, gambling and disco balls. This aesthetic and the song choices confused the text alongside Kate (Lotte St Clair) and Bianca’s (Emily Rose Brennan) costumes – dressing gowns, UGG boots and slippers. It did not fulfil Potts’ original argument about overcoming the chauvinism in the text by providing a target for female ridicule in Bianca.  It looked a mish mash of themes, Bianca being particularly over childish and stroppy in her fluffy pink slippers and dressing gown singing flamboyantly down a microphone to 70’s, 80’s and 90’s songs, which became an embarrassment at times. 

Ah Britney, oops, you did do it again! Another mime show . . . when will you learn?

Last night was Britney’s first concert in Melbourne and well she did bring the circus. She had clowns, acrobats, little people, a woman missing the lower half of her body and a ringmaster who had lost control. Although we knew she was going to lip-synch the entire show she didn’t even try to mouth it in time with the pre recorded music. It was one of the most aesthetically pleasing shows I have ever been to. The costumes were beautiful; the set was creative and there was a hell of a lot of gyrating. Let me tell you with all her costume changes and two kids, she is not that innocent! Look ,its Britney, we love to hate her. I guess this concert proved that she was just a product of the record companies, no talent-sex sells. There were 12 back-up dancers who, were given a 1-minute opportunity to strut their stuff during the concert and were not even dancing to Spear’s music. But rather Jay-Z and Rhianna proved to be more favourable to dance to. Britney honestly looked like a tortured soul. She seemed so unenthused and exhausted. I think for everyone’s sake its time Britney left the circus of the music business. 

A Kindle is the latest invention from Amazon.com. This nifty little gadget is thin as paper and lightweight. Its 3G wireless network lets you download books within minutes. It holds up to 1500 books and you can read for days without recharging. Kindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays. As a result, Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room or out on the beach. The best part is that we no longer have to carry five heavy books whilst going away! Now you take all the reading material you like and it wont take up any space!

They say a picture paints a thousand words. National Geographic snaps can make you look at your world a little differently, making you appreciate all the things you have in life that others may not. It’s moving, its provocative and beautiful.