The Neon Across the Ocean

Completed202091 min

In a near future shaped by the upheavals of 2020, Filipino Australian teenager Mandy approaches the end of school while her family begins to…Read more +Read less −

In a near future shaped by the upheavals of 2020, Filipino Australian teenager Mandy approaches the end of school while her family begins to come apart. Her parents’ impending divorce intensifies a feeling of uncertainty already present in the emptied streets around her. Attraction to her tutor Serena gives that uncertainty a more private focus, creating a longing that does not offer an easy escape from loneliness. Across the ocean, another girl’s voice introduces a different experience of distance and inequality. The film places Mandy’s search for identity within this wider separation between countries, families, and possibilities. Her unrequited feelings become one part of a story about trying to understand where she belongs when familiar structures no longer feel dependable.

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Drama

Sapphic characters & cast

Waiyee Rivera

as Mandy

Main sapphic character

Film/platform publicity image; rights holder review pending

Chi Nguyen

as Serena

Main sapphic character

Film/platform publicity image; rights holder review pending

YOUR FIRST LOOK

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Details & credits

Country: Australia, Philippines
Language: English, Tagalog
Runtime: 91 minutes
Director: Matthew Victor Pastor

Film/platform publicity image; rights holder review pending

Artwork source & permission status

Editorial review approved — rights not independently confirmed

Film/platform publicity image; rights holder review pending

Original publication ↗

Sources & editorial notes (9)

Last researched 2026-10-28. Editorially approved.

year: Lead eligibility and original story evidence
genres: Exact-film provider metadata; edition limitations retained
status: Exact-film provider metadata; edition limitations retained
country: Primary festival exact performer-character mapping, countries and91min
language: Exact-film provider metadata; edition limitations retained
directors: Lead eligibility and original story evidence
description: Lead eligibility and original story evidence
trailer url: Verified distributor/filmmaker trailer or exact provider trailer preview
watch links: Official full-film destination; territory and availability caveats retained
western cast: Primary festival exact performer-character mapping, countries and91min
runtime minutes: Primary festival exact performer-character mapping, countries and91min
classification note: Lead eligibility and original story evidence
representation type: Lead eligibility and original story evidence