Akley Olton’s brief documentary Madulu, the Seaman continues to make waves throughout the worldwide movie circuit because it secures a coveted spot within the second season of IF/THEN Presents on the distinguished Criterion Channel, premiering November 1, 2024. This marks a historic second for the filmmaking group of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the broader Caribbean, because it’s the primary time a Vincentian filmmaker’s work will probably be featured on this famend platform.
Madulu, the Seaman has captivated audiences with its poignant exploration of Barrouallie’s whaling traditions, resilience, and group life in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Directed by Akley Olton, this deeply private movie has journeyed by way of quite a few worldwide movie festivals, together with Sizzling Docs, Canada, the Pageant Internacional de Cine de Gibara, Cuba (the place it received Finest Quick Documentary), Inexperienced Display screen Movie Pageant, Trinidad & Tobago, the Pianeta Mare Movie Pageant, Napoli, Italy (the place it acquired Particular Point out from the Jury), and the Hairouna Movie Pageant, amongst others.
The movie’s inclusion in IF/THEN Presents is a serious milestone for each Olton and Caribbean cinema. IF/THEN, a documentary program based by the famend nonprofit Tribeca Movie Institute, helps short-form nonfiction movies by empowering underrepresented storytellers by way of funding, mentorship, {and professional} growth alternatives.
Olton’s journey with IF/THEN started in 2021, when Madulu, The Seaman was chosen for the IF/THEN Shorts program in the course of the IF/THEN Hulu Workshop. This prestigious program offered invaluable assets, skilled growth, and financing to raise Olton’s imaginative and prescient. The expertise not solely empowered his artistic course of but additionally allowed him to sharpen his skilled profession growth, culminating on this momentous achievement.
Madulu, The Seaman highlights the energy of custom and the deep connection between the individuals of Barrouallie and the ocean,” says Akley Olton. “It’s an honor to have this story instructed on the Criterion Channel, because it brings the wealthy historical past of my homeland to a world viewers.”
This landmark second not solely showcases the expertise and storytelling energy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines but additionally underscores the rising affect of Caribbean cinema on the world stage. With Madulu, the Seaman now licensed by the Criterion Channel and featured as a part of the IF/THEN Presents sequence, the longer term appears brighter than ever for regional filmmakers pushing the boundaries of storytelling.
