Mismatched travelling companions reveal long-held secrets, broken hearts and unexpected connections during an eye-opening drive to Melbourne in this understated drama – an independent debut feature from local director Adrian Ortega.

Introverted, coping with obsessive compulsive disorder and chasing a memory from the past, Alex is determined to drive cross-country to Melbourne. Planning on only having the winding highway for company, he reluctantly picks up Lily, a high-spirited hitchhiker running from something with as much determination as Alex is running to something.

Ortega has crafted Cerulean Blue into an engaging, keenly observed road trip. As well as boasting stunning cinematography and spirited performances, this nuanced two-hander astutely questions and undermines familiar gender clichés; adding some extra fuel to the leisurely and melancholic film’s tank.