By S.Browne. Updated 1:48 p.m., Tuesday, April 14, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Vincentian documentary Madulu: The Seaman has been selected for screening at the Driftlines Ocean Justice Film Festival in the United States, hosted in collaboration with the University of Rhode Island and international partners including Ocean Nexus researchers and scholars from the University of Cambridge.
The festival explores themes of ocean equity, self-determination, and representational justice, and will feature the Vincentian production in its Shorts Programme II: Countering Colonial Legacies on Monday, April 27, 2026, at the Chafee Social Science Center in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Filmmaker Akley Olton is also expected to participate in a post-screening virtual Q&A session with audiences.
The filmmaker describes Madulu: The Seaman (2023, 24 minutes) as a documentary following young Amari Murray in the historic whaling town of Barrouallie, as he learns the ancient art of pilot-whale (“blackfish”) hunting and the sea shanty traditions passed down through generations from his great-uncle, George “Tall12” Frederick, one of the last Vincentians to carry the full tradition of these occupational songs.
Frederick passed away earlier last year. Through Madulu, his voice, songs, and deep wisdom are preserved, reminding audiences of the importance of knowing where you come from, the filmmaker noted.
Since its release, Madulu: The Seaman has screened at more than 15 international film festivals across four continents, including Hot Docs International Documentary Festival (World Premiere, 2023), Festival de Cine Gibara in Cuba (2024), Belize International Film Festival (2024), CARIFESTA in Barbados (2025), and the George Town Film Festival in Guyana (2025).
The film has also received recognition including a Jury Special Mention at the Pianeta Mare Film Festival in Italy (2024) and an Honorable Mention at the Barbados Independent Film Festival (2025).
The documentary is also available on the Criterion Channel, with the filmmaker noting that it is the first Vincentian production to be featured on the platform.
Filmmaker Akley Olton, who has worked closely with researcher and manager of The Barrouallie Whalers, Vincent Reid, said he sees the film as the beginning of something larger.
“George ‘Tall12’ Frederick was one of the last keepers of our traditional sea shanties,” Olton said. “His voice and songs now live forever in Madulu. Together with Vincent Reid and the Barrouallie community, we are committed to partnering with local authorities to develop the sea shanty tradition as a recognised product of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. We want to formally claim this music as part of our living cultural heritage, preserve it, and transform it into meaningful cultural and tourism offerings — including making sea shanties a major feature of the annual Bagga Fish Festival.”
Olton further stated that this vision aligns directly with the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ priorities in cultural policy, creative industries development, and TVET skills training.
“The film demonstrates how authentic Vincentian stories can achieve global reach while creating real opportunities for heritage preservation, tourism innovation, and youth training in film, animation, sound design, and cultural entrepreneurship,” he said.
The Driftlines Ocean Justice Film Festival runs April 27 and 29, 2026, bringing together filmmakers, researchers, and cultural practitioners exploring ocean governance, justice, and cultural memory.
For St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the selection of Madulu: The Seaman adds to growing international visibility for locally rooted storytelling grounded in heritage, identity, and community memory.
About the Filmmaker
Akley Olton is a Vincentian filmmaker and Cultural Ambassador. He describes himself as a leading voice in the emerging Caribbean film industry. An alumnus of the University of the West Indies and Cuba’s EICTV, he is a Prince Claus Seed Award recipient and serves as a Trustee on the Board of the SVG National Trust. He says his work explores aesthetics, ancestry, resistance, and the transformative power of storytelling.
END
The information was sourced from a press release sent to us by Akley Olton.
One News SVG 