As a proud Arrernte–Arabana man, actor Aaron Pedersen believes that through his work and profile he can make inroads into uniting Australia. “We’re the only country in the Commonwealth that doesn’t have a treaty. It’s ridiculous. What are they scared of?”

Ben Mendelsohn, currently seen in the harrowing drama Una, has adapted to life in the US, where he has become an in-demand film actor. But his teen years spent living there were more tumultuous. “The cultural shift was profound and deeply weird to me. I couldn’t make any sense of who those strange beings were.”

Erin Helyard’s fortepiano performances referencing Schubert’s sexuality and syphilis reveal the harpsichord virtuoso and leader of Pinchgut Opera’s strong belief in historical context and personal experience informing musical expression.

Somersault director Cate Shortland’s latest film Berlin Syndrome, a disturbing kidnap thriller, is her second examination of Germany’s postwar psyche. For her next work she returns to the Snowy Mountains for a postcolonial true crime series.

Budget cuts to the National Film and Sound Archive have left it struggling to complete critical restoration work and in need of new purpose.

Jacobus Capone’s performance art often finds him undertaking feats of endurance, such as his trans-Australia walk carrying a jar of water from one coast to the other. For his latest work, he found inspiration in the melancholy of Portuguese fado music.

From stage to television to film, Adelaide-born Sarah Snook is an actress in high demand. Her choices are proving as shrewd as they are diverse.

Filmmaker Rachel Perkins stays true to her activist upbringing in Jasper Jones, even as she avoids overt political messages.

After conquering Hollywood, Rose Byrne returns to Australia to take on Mamet for the STC.