About the Event

Presented in partnership with the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital, Holding Back the Tide is an impressionistic hybrid documentary exploring the life cycles of oysters in New York, once the world’s oyster capital. Through the lens of queer characters and ancient myth, the film uncovers the overlooked history and biology of the bivalves that shaped the city. As environmentalists work to restore oysters to the harbor, the film highlights the oyster as a queer icon, deeply entwined with nature, offering insights into resilience and survival. This film is presented as part of NMWA’s 2025 #5WomenArtists campaign on intersectional environmentalism, which explores gender equity and the arts alongside environmental justice and sustainability.

Following the screening, join us for a conversation with the film’s director, Emily Packer, and Kelley Daley, NMWA director of public programs.

About Emily Packer

Emily Packer (she/they) is an experimental filmmaker and editor whose work explores geography and hybrid formats. Her films have been screened at prestigious festivals and venues such as Anthology Film Archives, BlackStar, and DOC NYC. By Way of Canarsie (2019), co-directed with Lesley Steele, is streaming on the Criterion Channel. Packer’s Too Long Here (2020) has been lauded as a “fascinating, important work” and used in advocacy for park preservation.

About the Environmental Film Festival

The Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital is the premier showcase for environmental films, bringing the world’s largest green film festival to audiences in Washington, DC, each March since 1993. The 33rd Annual Environmental Film Festival runs March 20 to 29, 2025.