BREAKING THE TIDE
Haleiwa, Hawaii | Film Short
Drama
Breaking the Tide is a coming-of-age surf drama set in Hawai‘i that dives into sibling rivalry, emotional silence, and survival. It reflects what many young people feel but rarely say. With your support, we can bring this story to the world with the care it deserves.
BREAKING THE TIDE
Haleiwa, Hawaii | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | Hawaii, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $14,150 for post-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
130 supporters | followers
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Breaking the Tide is a coming-of-age surf drama set in Hawai‘i that dives into sibling rivalry, emotional silence, and survival. It reflects what many young people feel but rarely say. With your support, we can bring this story to the world with the care it deserves.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On the North Shore of Oahu, siblings Jesse and Hunter are shaped by the unforgiving surf culture and their father's relentless pressure. What begins as playful dares escalates into a dangerous rivalry, pushing them toward a life-altering reckoning with their fears, their bond, and the powerful tides that control them both.
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The idea for Breaking the Tide came from a deeply personal place.
I grew up an artist in a family of athletes, where love was often tied to performance, and success felt like the only way to be seen. My younger siblings play professional hockey, and through that world, I had a close-up view of the emotional landscape inside youth sports. I watched how many parents (often with the best intentions) pushed their children to excel, chasing their own dreams through their kids. Some called it discipline. Some called it love. But underneath, I saw kids carrying pressure they didn’t have words for.
Now, living on the North Shore of Oʻahu and raising my own child here, I see those same patterns play out in competitive surf culture. Kids shaped by pride. Families seeking identity through victory. And the cost on emotional connection, self-worth, and mental health is often invisible, until it’s not.
When I began sharing the idea for Breaking the Tide, I didn’t expect how deeply it would resonate with others around me. Writer Joe Thayer immediately came on board. When we shared the script with Artem Savitckii (our DP, surf filmmaker, and my partner) it echoed his experience as a competitive swimmer. Then our local cast and crew began to connect their own stories to the film. Bobby Silva, who plays the father, brought a raw, lived-in honesty to the role, drawing from his own past.
This film is my way of redefining what it means to win. To break that current with tenderness, and with truth.
WHY THIS FILM MATTERS
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In sports, at school, and even at home, many young people are carrying invisible pressure to perform, to be strong, to make others proud, while quietly struggling with their own identity, anxiety, and worth.
Surfing is often seen as carefree and unstructured, but here on the North Shore, and in youth sports everywhere, the pressure to win and be seen can shape a child before they’re ready.
Breaking the Tide gives voice to what so many teens feel but rarely say. It’s not just a surf story. It’s a reflection of a culture that too often mistakes silence for strength, and achievement for love.
We’re not here to preach or fix anything. But we believe a story, told honestly and shared widely, can open space. For empathy. For recognition. For healing. And maybe, for a few conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
We’ve already wrapped principal photography, filmed entirely on location in Hawai‘i with a passionate team of local cast and crew.
This was a challenging shoot. We filmed in wild, unpredictable conditions: inside lava caves, along crumbling cliff edges, and deep underwater. At times, the ocean didn’t care that we had a schedule. Rain came when it wasn’t supposed to. Waves crashed harder than forecasted. But we adjusted, adapted, and kept going because we believed in the story.
Every frame was earned.
.png)
Now, the footage is in our hands, and what we need is your help to finish it with the care it deserves. Post-production will shape what we captured into the film it’s meant to be: sound design, color, original score, and more.
We’ve come this far. With your support, we can bring it the rest of the way.
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WAYS TO SUPPORT
- Pledge - every dollar supports the voices behind this film
- Share - with friends, coaches, educators, families, and fellow filmmakers
- Follow - instagram @breakingthetide.film
- Loan or donate skills - check our wishlist
- Start the conversation - this story is bigger than us
We believe in the power of film to shift perspective: to grow empathy where there was judgment, and open dialogue where there was silence.
If Breaking the Tide reflects something you’ve lived, witnessed, or want to understand better: we invite you to stand with us.
Let’s bring this story to life and create space for young people to feel seen, heard, and whole.
Thank you.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
FILM EDITING
Costs $5,000
A strong edit shapes the soul of a film. We’re teaming up with a top editor to refine pacing, emotion, and story—cut by cut.
Comprehensive Sound Design & Mix (including ADR, Foley)
Costs $2,000
The ocean is a character in this film, and so is silence. We’ve secured a pro sound designer to shape an immersive auditory landscape.
ORIGINAL SCORE
Costs $1,500
Film’s emotional heartbeat. Looking for a composer to write an original score that deepens the intimacy and inner world of our characters.
COLORGRADING
Costs $1,000
We filmed underwater, on rocky cliffs, in shifting natural light often in extreme conditions. Looking for an artist to unify these elements.
Festival & Marketing Prep
Costs $2,500
Filmed with real North Shore youth, surfers, & lifeguards - help us share our story through festivals, media & PR support worldwide.
Deliverables & Legal
Costs $1,000
DCP creation, closed captions, licensing — the behind-the-scenes essentials that make the film watchable, shareable, and legally sound.
Impact Outreach
Costs $1,000
Funds to help host community screenings (especially in Hawai‘i), work with youth surf clubs, create educational materials around the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
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Filmmaker based between Hawai‘i and Alaska. Born in Siberia and trained in Los Angeles, she creates visually driven stories rooted in wild places and emotional depth. Her work spans narrative and documentary, including Girls Riding High an award-winning short focused on youth mental health, now touring festivals worldwide.
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Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On the North Shore of Oahu, siblings Jesse and Hunter are shaped by the unforgiving surf culture and their father's relentless pressure. What begins as playful dares escalates into a dangerous rivalry, pushing them toward a life-altering reckoning with their fears, their bond, and the powerful tides that control them both.
The idea for Breaking the Tide came from a deeply personal place.
I grew up an artist in a family of athletes, where love was often tied to performance, and success felt like the only way to be seen. My younger siblings play professional hockey, and through that world, I had a close-up view of the emotional landscape inside youth sports. I watched how many parents (often with the best intentions) pushed their children to excel, chasing their own dreams through their kids. Some called it discipline. Some called it love. But underneath, I saw kids carrying pressure they didn’t have words for.
Now, living on the North Shore of Oʻahu and raising my own child here, I see those same patterns play out in competitive surf culture. Kids shaped by pride. Families seeking identity through victory. And the cost on emotional connection, self-worth, and mental health is often invisible, until it’s not.
When I began sharing the idea for Breaking the Tide, I didn’t expect how deeply it would resonate with others around me. Writer Joe Thayer immediately came on board. When we shared the script with Artem Savitckii (our DP, surf filmmaker, and my partner) it echoed his experience as a competitive swimmer. Then our local cast and crew began to connect their own stories to the film. Bobby Silva, who plays the father, brought a raw, lived-in honesty to the role, drawing from his own past.
This film is my way of redefining what it means to win. To break that current with tenderness, and with truth.
WHY THIS FILM MATTERS
In sports, at school, and even at home, many young people are carrying invisible pressure to perform, to be strong, to make others proud, while quietly struggling with their own identity, anxiety, and worth.
Surfing is often seen as carefree and unstructured, but here on the North Shore, and in youth sports everywhere, the pressure to win and be seen can shape a child before they’re ready.
Breaking the Tide gives voice to what so many teens feel but rarely say. It’s not just a surf story. It’s a reflection of a culture that too often mistakes silence for strength, and achievement for love.
We’re not here to preach or fix anything. But we believe a story, told honestly and shared widely, can open space. For empathy. For recognition. For healing. And maybe, for a few conversations that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
We’ve already wrapped principal photography, filmed entirely on location in Hawai‘i with a passionate team of local cast and crew.
This was a challenging shoot. We filmed in wild, unpredictable conditions: inside lava caves, along crumbling cliff edges, and deep underwater. At times, the ocean didn’t care that we had a schedule. Rain came when it wasn’t supposed to. Waves crashed harder than forecasted. But we adjusted, adapted, and kept going because we believed in the story.
Every frame was earned.
Now, the footage is in our hands, and what we need is your help to finish it with the care it deserves. Post-production will shape what we captured into the film it’s meant to be: sound design, color, original score, and more.
We’ve come this far. With your support, we can bring it the rest of the way.
WAYS TO SUPPORT
- Pledge - every dollar supports the voices behind this film
- Share - with friends, coaches, educators, families, and fellow filmmakers
- Follow - instagram @breakingthetide.film
- Loan or donate skills - check our wishlist
- Start the conversation - this story is bigger than us
We believe in the power of film to shift perspective: to grow empathy where there was judgment, and open dialogue where there was silence.
If Breaking the Tide reflects something you’ve lived, witnessed, or want to understand better: we invite you to stand with us.
Let’s bring this story to life and create space for young people to feel seen, heard, and whole.
Thank you.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
FILM EDITING
Costs $5,000
A strong edit shapes the soul of a film. We’re teaming up with a top editor to refine pacing, emotion, and story—cut by cut.
Comprehensive Sound Design & Mix (including ADR, Foley)
Costs $2,000
The ocean is a character in this film, and so is silence. We’ve secured a pro sound designer to shape an immersive auditory landscape.
ORIGINAL SCORE
Costs $1,500
Film’s emotional heartbeat. Looking for a composer to write an original score that deepens the intimacy and inner world of our characters.
COLORGRADING
Costs $1,000
We filmed underwater, on rocky cliffs, in shifting natural light often in extreme conditions. Looking for an artist to unify these elements.
Festival & Marketing Prep
Costs $2,500
Filmed with real North Shore youth, surfers, & lifeguards - help us share our story through festivals, media & PR support worldwide.
Deliverables & Legal
Costs $1,000
DCP creation, closed captions, licensing — the behind-the-scenes essentials that make the film watchable, shareable, and legally sound.
Impact Outreach
Costs $1,000
Funds to help host community screenings (especially in Hawai‘i), work with youth surf clubs, create educational materials around the film.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Filmmaker based between Hawai‘i and Alaska. Born in Siberia and trained in Los Angeles, she creates visually driven stories rooted in wild places and emotional depth. Her work spans narrative and documentary, including Girls Riding High an award-winning short focused on youth mental health, now touring festivals worldwide.