Available screening types
Virtual
On-demand
In-person
Available until
Jun 04, 2026
Speakers Available
Available in
Canada, Greece, United States of America, Austria
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About the film
Genre
Documentary
Runtime
1h 17m
Released
2023
Director
Emily Packer
Producer
Emily Packer, Josh Margolis, Trey Tetreault, Ben Still, Liz Beeson
Writer
Emily Packer, Josh Margolis
Crew
John Marty, Lindsey Phillips
Awards & recognition
Chicago Reeling LGBTQ Film Festival 2024
Special Documentary Prize for Artistic Vision
Mimesis Documentary Festival
Best Documentary Audience Award
Feminist Border Arts Film Festival
Jury Award for Community Action Documentary
DC Environmental Film Festival
Official Selection 2025
DOCNYC
Official Selection 2023
Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival
Official Selection
Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival
Official Selection 2024
Monadnock International Film Festival
Official Selection 2024
Martha's Vineyard Environmental Film Festival
Official Selection 2025
Princeton Environmental Film Festival
Official Selection 2025
San Francisco Urban Film Festival
Official Selection 2024
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
Official Selection; Film Forward Competition 2024
What people are saying
‘A Film That Makes the Static Lives of Oysters Into a Wondrous Tale - "Holding Back The Tide" weaves facts and dreamy moments into an unconventional take on the nature documentary that very much affects humans.‘
Alissa Wilkinson
‘"speaks to our ever-changing cultural landscape and holds up a narrative both historical and environmental that speaks to lived queer experiences"‘
Luke Gorham
‘Social constructs like race and binary categorizations fall by the wayside, ultimately swept out to sea by the power of “we.” Or as the director themself optimistically puts it, “We took inspiration from the oyster, which thrives when connected and fails when isolated.”‘
Lauren Wissot
‘Grasshopper Film has acquired North American distribution rights to “Holding Back the Tide,” Emily Packer’s meditation on New York’s oysters and their transformations in the face of an uncertain future.‘
Christopher Vourlais
‘Holding Back the Tide is a testament to the power of cinema. It is only in this medium that an artist could explore such an initially wacky idea with this much boundless expression and visual precision. Few films are inspired by a conceit this bold, but even fewer films so gorgeously justify it. With this sophomore feature, Emily Packer has emerged as one of the industry’s most exciting new voices.‘
Larry Fried