Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls

As middle school is ending, Erin, the only out person in her grade, and Liz, fellow comic nerd and track star, find their friendship tested when Liz is accepted to private high school and Erin falls hard for new girl and ex child-star, Sydni. Erin believes the only way to save herself from certain doom next year is to ask Sydni to the big dance and get in with the popular kids, but the plan goes awry when she starts to lose Liz along the way. Erin’s Guide To Kissing Girls is a story of friendship, first loves, and deciding what’s important to you when everything is changing, all told through a queer lens.

  • Julianna Notten
    Director
    Fresh Blood, Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls (short), Earth To Avery
  • Julianna Notten
    Writer
    Fresh Blood, Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls (short), Earth To Avery
  • Claire Allore
    Producer
    WORK, Destruction Makes The World Burn Brighter
  • Brendan Whelton
    Producer
    Sebastian, Vertical Lines, Heavy Petting, Main Squeeze
  • Elliot Stocking
    Key Cast
    "Erin"
  • Jesyca Gu
    Key Cast
    "Liz"
  • Rosali Annikie
    Key Cast
    "Sydni"
  • Hayley Wong
    Cinematographer
    Gay Mean Girls, Fresh Blood
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Queer, Romance, Coming of Age, Teen, Comedy
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 30 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    360,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Arri
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • La Femme International Film Festival
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    Best Feature Film
  • Mill Valley International Film Festival
    Mill Valley, California
    United States
    October 14, 2022
    West Coast Premiere
    Audience Favorite - Family
Distribution Information
  • Aqute Media
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
  • Aqute Media
    Distributor
Director Biography - Julianna Notten

Julianna Notten (She/They) is a Toronto-based, award-winning, queer filmmaker and co-founder of Switch Hitter Films. Her work includes the shorts "Earth To Avery" (16), "Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls" (18) and "Fresh Blood" (21). Their debut feature "Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls" was chosen as one of 30 projects across Canada for Telefilm's Talent to Watch program. She is also currently working on her first scripted series "Well That's Just Super".

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This story was born out of the frustration I felt with the lack of positive coming of age queer stories and is deeply personal to me. I wanted to look beyond the coming-out narrative that, while still important, can sometimes feel like the only narrative available especially to younger queer folks. My goal is to show a queer girl confident in her identity without her queerness being sensationalized. A girl whose problems do not begin and end with her attraction to other girls.

Erin’s strong sense of self - including her sexuality - is a defining characteristic of the story. From the moment the audience meets her, they understand that she is extremely confident in who she is. This is not the kind of representation we're used to seeing on screen, and that is exactly why Erin’s Guide is absolutely necessary. When I was Erin’s age I didn’t even know my sexual orientation was an option. This film is a love letter to my younger self and to all the queer youth who've come after.