A woman, two men and a suitcase of money - a lot can happen in the middle of nowhere.

Pulsing with menace, writer-director Craig Lahiff's Swerve reorients the noir tradition, setting it within the quiet menace of the South Australian outback.

Driving cross-country to a job interview, Colin (David Lyons) opts for a shortcut and happens across a fatal car accident. One of the drivers (Emma Booth) is shaken but not hurt, while the other lies dead - leaving a briefcase full of money without an owner. Despite his best intentions, Colin quickly finds himself drawn into a deadly game of survival, where no one is quite what they seem.

An accomplished Australian detour into genre filmmaking, this tightly paced thriller features a cast packed with top-tier local talent, including Jason Clarke, Travis McMahon and Vince Colosimo.

Craig Lahiff is a guest of the Festival.

The Friday 5 August session at Cinema Nova features Open Captions

D/S Craig Lahiff P Helen Leake WS Moviehouse Entertainment UK TD 35mm/2011