Jordan Firstman premieres 'Club Kid' Cannes

Jordan Firstman brought “Club Kid,” his first feature as a director, to the Cannes Film Festival this week, where the film premiered in Un Certain Regard. Cannes lists the U.S. film at 126 minutes and describes it as the story of “a washed-up party promoter” forced to change course after an unexpected visitor arrives. (festival-cannes.com) Variety reported that the screening at the Théâtre Claude Debussy ended with a six-minute standing ovation, while other trade outlets put the ovation at seven minutes. (variety.com) The premiere matters mainly because it puts Firstman — previously better known as an actor, writer and online comic voice — into Cannes with a first film in the festival’s official lineup. (festival-cannes.com) Festival de Cannes said “Club Kid” is both a first film and part of the 2026 Un Certain Regard selection. The 79th edition of Cannes runs from May 12 to May 23. ### When did “Club Kid” actually premiere at Cannes? May 15, 2026 is the date attached to the trade coverage and the festival’s same-day materials around the film’s Cannes unveiling. Variety and The Hollywood Reporter both published their premiere reports on May 15, and Cannes posted “Club Kid” photocall material the same day. (festival-cannes.com) The festival’s official page identifies “Club Kid” as a 2026 Un Certain Regard title and Firstman’s first feature. That page also lists the production year as 2025 and the country as the United States. ### What is the film about, and who is in it? (festival-cannes.com) Cannes describes “Club Kid” as the story of “a washed-up party promoter” who is forced to turn his life around when an unexpected visitor arrives. A separate Cannes profile of Firstman gives a nearly identical synopsis and places the character in New York. The festival credits page names Jordan Firstman as director and screenwriter and lists Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Reggie Absolom, Kirby Howell-Baptiste and Colleen Camp in the cast. (variety.com) Variety previously reported that Topic Studios backed the project and that Firstman would write, direct and star in it. (festival-cannes.com) ### Why is this a notable Cannes moment for Firstman? Festival de Cannes said “Club Kid” is Firstman’s first feature film. In a festival profile published May 15, Cannes said Firstman had previously written for American comedy series, directed short films and built an audience on social media during the lockdown period before moving into screen acting roles. (festival-cannes.com) Variety’s earlier April report called the movie Firstman’s “buzzy Cannes debut” and said UTA Independent Film Group and Charades had boarded the project. That report also said the film came from producers linked to “Anora” and “Lurker.” (festival-cannes.com) ### What happened inside the screening room? Variety reported that Firstman cried during the ovation, kissed co-star Diego Calva and lifted up a younger co-star as the crowd responded inside the Théâtre Claude Debussy. The publication described the film as Cannes’ “first breakout hit of 2026,” which is Variety’s characterization. (festival-cannes.com) The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline separately reported a seven-minute standing ovation. Because the trades differ on the precise length, the clearest verified point is that the film received an extended ovation at its world premiere. (variety.com) ### What did Cannes show after the premiere? May 15 festival photos show Firstman appearing at a “Club Kid” photocall in Cannes. Getty Images captions identify Reggie Absolom and Firstman at the Palais des Festivals that day, and Cannes published an official photocall entry on May 15. (variety.com) The festival has also published official selection and screenings information for the 79th edition on its website. Cannes said the festival continues through May 23, 2026, when attention will turn to the remaining competition and sidebar screenings, jury decisions and distribution follow-through for titles including “Club Kid.” (festival-cannes.com) (gettyimages.com) (hollywoodreporter.com)