Club Kid director Jordan Firstman has described the buzz around his debut film since its Cannes world premiere as “surreal and thrilling.”
Speaking at the Rome Film Fest, Firstman reflected on the months since the queer family drama was the subject of a heated Cannes bidding war before selling to A24 for a reported $17m global deal.
A24 has been building momentum for the film since, taking it to key festivals ahead of its US release on November 6. The film had its Italian premiere last night (October 22) at Rome Film Fest ahead of its launch in Italy next month through I Wonder Pictures.
Firstman’s debut film, Club Kid sees him play a washed up gay club promotor who suddenly discovers he had a 10-year-old son.
“I made a film that was very personal, that in many ways felt small but universal at the same time,” said Firstman. ”Of course I wanted success for this movie. I made this movie with the audience in mind. It wasn’t just like I needed to express myself, and I don’t care what the audience thinks. I made sure it was entertaining and funny, and that the story was compelling, and the characters were compelling.”
But he said he has been surprised at the age range of people that have connected with the film since it has been playing on the festival circuit.
“We went to Telluride Film Festival. It’s an older, predominantly white crowd there, and I saw 75-year-old men leaving the theatre with tears in their eyes. I did not realise that was going to happen.”
Firstman, whose Instagram videos went viral during the pandemic before he appeared in series such as I Love LA, said he has also enjoyed the reception that his Club Kid cast has had around the world.
“Seeing these three beautiful trans women on the red carpet at Cannes getting invited on yachts. This is not normal. It is not something that has happened before. I cast real people from the queer nightlife scene, and to see them thrive and shine like the stars I know they are and maybe the world doesn’t usually get to see has been a beautiful, beautiful part of the process.”
He also discussed the inspiration for the film, saying he wanted to reflect many of the feelings he had coming into his 30s. “The movie starts in 2016 right before Trump got elected. I feel like after that its has been pretty horrible. Since then we had the pandemic. A lot of my generation woke up one day and were like, “Oh my God, we’re in our 30s - are we supposed to be adults now? And what does even being adult in this modern society mean? I wanted to question that in myself.”
He explained that he also sought to strive for truth and authenticity in his portrayal of the New York gay club scene and its community.
“I’ve been partying in New York for 15 years, so I knew this community and these people. We were so lucky to be let into these spaces that are not easy to get into, even as a civilian. To get let in with a 35mm camera was such a blessing because often it takes movies a couple years to catch up with culture. But we were live. It was almost like we were live streaming the party because we were let into the actual parties that were happening in the moment.”
He also flagged the highly autobiographical nature of the film about someone who has stayed at the party too long. “I’ve had many nights where I have trouble literally leaving the party. It’s a hard thing for me to do. I think a lot of queer people feel this way. We don’t have the same pressures as straight people to get married and have kids, so you know we get into our 30s and 40s and even 50s, and it’s kind of like, what do we do?
“A lot of our spaces that we congregate are clubs, and a lot of the behaviours that happen at clubs can lead to other issues. The movie doesn’t give an answer on when it is good to leave the party, it gives the answer that for this specific character it had run its course and it wasn’t good for his growth anymore.”
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