The University of the Virgin Islands' Reichhold Center for the Arts (RCA) invites the community to attend the free world premiere of The Mother of the Tide, an original short film created, produced and performed by participants in the Summer 2026 Youth Movie-Making Workshop. The premiere will be held on Saturday, July 25, at 6 p.m. at the Elridge W. Blake Sports and Fitness Center on the Orville E. Kean Campus. Admission is free and open to the public.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of John Brewers Bay on St. Thomas, The Mother of the Tide is an original coming-of-age adventure that blends suspense, mystery, Caribbean folklore and heartfelt storytelling. The film introduces an original Caribbean legend in which a bullied young camper unknowingly releases an ancient sea spirit trapped inside a mysterious wooden box. As children begin to disappear, he and an unlikely group of friends must uncover a centuries-old secret hidden beneath the waters of the bay and confront their deepest fears before the spirit's loneliness claims every child at camp.
Inspired by Caribbean oral traditions and folklore, the film explores themes of bullying, mental health, family, identity, resilience and empathy through the perspectives of young people learning to trust one another.
The premiere marks the culmination of the Reichhold Center's seven-week Youth Movie-Making Workshop, where students received hands-on instruction in storytelling, screenwriting, cinematography, acting and film production. As part of the program, filmmaker John Wheatley also led a workshop exploring the growing role of artificial intelligence in the film industry.
"This premiere is a celebration of the remarkable creativity, dedication and growth of our young filmmakers," said Denise Humphrey, director of the Reichhold Center for the Arts. "Through this workshop, students gained valuable technical skills while discovering the power of storytelling, sparking meaningful conversations and inspiring their communities. We are proud to share their work with the Virgin Islands and invite everyone to support and experience this original story.”
The film features the talents of Ethan Bougouneau, Christian Clarke, Kaiden Dowe, Yasseem Joshua, Stephanie Miller, Joel Nganga and Zehira Williams, along with returning Youth Movie-Making Workshop students E'leyah Gordon, Kailey La Place, Nathaniel Moses, Anna Sophia Munzar and Gabriella Munzar. The Mother of the Tide is directed by Kaiden Dowe.
For years, the Reichhold Center for the Arts' Youth Movie-Making Workshop has introduced middle and high school students to the art of filmmaking through immersive, hands-on instruction in storytelling and film production. The program encourages young filmmakers to create original works that celebrate the culture, history and traditions of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The Reichhold Center for the Arts gratefully acknowledges the support of the St. Thomas Federal Credit Union,Virgin Islands Council on the Arts, Westin Hotels and Resorts, and the Rachel Hamilton Team Student Initiative, whose generous sponsorship helped make this year's Youth Movie-Making Workshop possible.
Community members are encouraged to attend the premiere and celebrate the achievements of the Territory's next generation of filmmakers.
For more information, visit www.uvi.edu/reichhold or contact Denise Humphrey, director of the Reichhold Center for the Arts, at dhumphr@uvi.edu or (340) 693-1552.
