South Aussies Russell Ivanovic and Philip Simpson first burst onto the scene in 2008 with their debut app, Pocket Weather, and were well ahead of the game when they launched Pocket Casts in 2010. Pocket Casts sought to address the convoluted process of listening to podcasts on your phone, well before Apple or Android had developed their own listening apps.

Now, it's been acquired by four major US players in the industry (think NPR and This American Life), but Shifty jelly – Russell and Phil's development company – are finding a way to keep things local, while also ensuring the listeners and producers of podcasts interests' are prioritised.

His message is about marketing, 'talkability' and not being afraid of hard work.

#59 Russell Ivanovic - on going global through a podcast app and the future of the podcast industry

This week on the ON ART Podcast, we speak with Gillian Armstrong, one of the leading figures behind the surge of Australian talent that broke into the film industry during the 1980s.

Armstrong is best known for making films centered on complex characters and the choices that they make. Her debut My Brilliant Career (1979) was the first Australian feature film to be directed by a woman in nearly half a century and set the path for an outstanding international career. Shortly after, Armstrong had countless offers from Hollywood, but turned them all down to stay in Australia and make the deliberately small film Starstruck (1982) - a 'rock-musical' comedy starring Jo Kennedy.

Armstrong achieved her greatest Hollywood success in 1994 with Little Women, starring Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Christian Bale, Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst. The adaptation of Louisa Mary Alcott's novel was one of the most popular films of the year, and emphasises Armstrong's focus on portraying the intimate lives of strong female leads and their relationships with one another.

Portraits and costumes from Armstrong's film feature in the exhibition Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits, on now at the Samstag Museum of Art in Adelaide.

Only possible thanks to the partnership between the National Portrait Gallery and the National Film and Sound Archive, Starstruck explores portraiture in the world of Australian film and expands our understanding of what a single photograph - a portrait of somebody - can tell us.

ON ART: Episode 3 - Gillian Armstrong

Gillian Armstrong is a feature film and documentary director who's been at the forefront of the industry for over three decades. She became a director at age 27 and the first woman to direct an Australian feature film in almost half a century when she made her debut with My Brilliant Career in 1979.

Gillian's since been showered with awards, beckoned by Hollywood and an advocate for women's rights within the male-dominated sphere of film. She caught up with Nicole to chat about the exhibition that shares the name of one of her most poignant pieces - Starstruck, as well as the state of Australian film and the strong female protagonists that she's been known for.

#60 Gillian Armstrong - a luminary of Australian film

Graham Cornes is a household name in Adelaide and the other AFL-obsessed parts of Australia. But despite going on to be a prominent media figure after his decorated playing and coaching careers, not many people know what he's had to deal with on a personal level over the trip.

He grew up in a broken family that had next to nothing, lost touch with his mother for 30 years and spent two years in the army in his early 20s, serving a short stint in Vietnam just as his football career was getting started. He's had to come through his fair share of mental battles as a result, and he credits the Glenelg Football Club with helping him stay on the right track upon return. 

He's been married three times, has seen his two sons become football legends in their own right and is now raising teenage girls while he continues to stay involved in the media with FIVEaa's Conversations with Cornesy.  As you'll hear, he wasn't totally sold on the idea of being on the other side of the interview, but he has a story and mindset that deserves to be explored.

#61 Graham Cornes - Footy legend and media commentator on life, love and being a Vietnam Vet

Christine Manfield is a self-taught yet celebrated chef who originally began her career as a teacher. The talented home cook later decided to switch lanes and went on to head up three award-winning restaurants in London and Sydney from 1993. As she confesses to Nicole, however, there's been no 'game plan' involved despite her going from strength to strength in the culinary world.

Christine's released a successful spice collection, hosted plenty of gastronomic tours and continues to impart her knowledge on the next generation by mentoring young chefs and industry colleagues.

She recently launched an updated version of one of her eight book titles, Tasting India: Heirloom Family Recipes. It's the book that she calls her 'love letter to India', the culinary and cultural destination that she's been frequenting for over two decades.

Find out more at https://christinemanfield.com/

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#62 Christine Manfield - celebrated chef, author and gastronomic traveller

Once a week, award-winning radio host Nicole Haack delves into the life of an industry leader with a unique and enlightening story to tell. At the end of each chat, our guests leave us with a message for us to digest and keep in mind as we go about our lives. Nicole picks the brains of business leaders, scientists, sportspeople, celebrities and too many more inspiring individuals to single out.

The Message Pod

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