EXCLUSIVE: Sam Spruell, Honor Swinton Byrne and Jessica Madsen will topline Tidepools, a coming-of-age wartime feature from Marius D’Gasco. International sales will kick off at AFM.
The pic was filmed along Croatia’s Adriatic coast. Set during a time of escalating war in Europe, the story follow two boys from opposite sides of a modern-day conflict who form an unlikely bond.
Alongside Spruell (A Knight of the Seven Kingdom), Swinton Byrne (The Souvenir), and Madsen (Bridgerton), an ensemble cast includes rising stars Charlie Hodson-Prior (Dune: Prophecy) and Tom Mulheron (Black Mirror) as the two 13-year-old protagonists.
The film follows Pasha (Mulheron), a young refugee sent to live with his aunt (Swinton-Byrne). He befriends Misha (Hodson-Prior), the son of an enemy commander (Spruell). As real-world tensions close in, both families are forced to confront the realities of loyalty, nationalism and friendship.
Seth Boston is the writer. It is D’Gasco’s directorial debut. He said: “We wanted to tell a war story without armies, one that lives in the trickle-down fractures between the battle.”
A scene from Tidepools
Tastemaker Studios, Hall², 4 Film, Hero Squared
The team behind Tidepools said it “blends intimate naturalism with sweeping cinematic visuals, evoking the spirit of European arthouse cinema while resonating with the cultural divides of today.”
Charlie Hodson-Prior in Tidepools
Tastemaker Studios, Hall², 4 Film, Hero Squared
Tastemaker Studios, Hall², 4 Film and Hero Squared are the production labels behind the film. Producers are Jonathan Hall (The Pipes), Jonathan Halperyn (Cliffhanger 2026), Anita Juka (Infinity Pool), Kelli Kaye and Salomo Dshokow.
OneTwoThree Media will launch worldwide sales for Tidepools during the upcoming American Film Market. AFM runs Nov. 11–16 at the Fairmont Century Plaza. It is returning to LA after a 2024 edition in Las Vegas.
