TIDES (2026): Cast, Story and Release Details

Prepared by Movies Dock Editorial

TIDES is a three-minute Australian drama about Mara, a grieving teenager confronting the loss of a loved one and the uncertainty of identity. Set against a beachside backdrop, the short film traces her movement from sadness and nostalgia toward anger, distress and an emotional breakdown.

TIDES is a 2026 Australian drama centered on Mara, a teenager coping with the loss of someone close to her. As she tries to understand who she is without that person, memories connected to the beach begin to return.

Written and directed by Elwyn Holley, the three-minute film presents grief as a shifting emotional experience rather than a single feeling. Its focus is intimate, with Mara’s struggle moving from sadness and nostalgia toward anger and distress.

TIDES movie details

Story without spoilers

Following the death of a loved one, Mara faces the difficult process of defining herself independently. The beach becomes the setting where buried memories resurface, forcing her to confront emotions she has not fully resolved. As the story progresses, grief becomes increasingly turbulent, leading Mara toward an intense emotional collapse.

The premise places coming-of-age concerns alongside bereavement. Mara is not simply mourning; she is also trying to establish an identity separate from the person she has lost. The film’s very short runtime suggests a concentrated portrait of that internal conflict rather than an expansive account of her life.

What to expect

TIDES is identified as a drama with coming-of-age elements, a beach setting, music-video associations and a mixed-media classification among its supplied keywords. Viewers can expect a compact, emotionally focused work built around grief, memory and questions of personal identity.

The synopsis describes a progression through sadness, nostalgia, anger and distress, culminating in a breakdown. That framing points to an intense emotional arc, while the three-minute runtime indicates a brief and tightly contained presentation.

Cast and creative team

JANINE SARMIENTO plays Mara, the grieving teenager at the center of the story. ELWYN HOLLEY is also credited in the cast as “?”, and serves as both writer and director. No additional cast or crew members are listed in the supplied information.

• JANINE SARMIENTO as Mara
• ELWYN HOLLEY as "?"

Release and production context

TIDES is a 2026 Australian production in English. It has a listed release date of October 1, 2026, and a runtime of three minutes. The film is classified as a drama, with supplied keywords including beach, music video, coming of age, mixed media and tides. No production company is listed.

Reported production figures:
Budget $55

Movies Dock view

With its brief runtime and tightly defined premise, TIDES focuses on one difficult emotional passage: a young person trying to live with loss while working out who she is on her own. Its beach setting, memory-driven story and movement toward emotional collapse give the film a concentrated dramatic scope.

Film data:
TMDB