Club Kid triggers Cannes bidding war

Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” moved into the center of the Cannes market on May 16 after its world premiere in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section. TheWrap reported that A24, Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight Pictures and MUBI were among the companies circling the film, while Deadline reported multiple eight-figure offers. No buyer had been publicly identified as of May 17, and the terms under discussion were not disclosed. The film is Firstman’s feature directorial debut, and he also wrote and stars in it. “Club Kid” is set in New York City and follows a washed-up underground party promoter whose life changes when he is forced to care for a son he did not know he had, according to TheWrap, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. ### Which companies are in the mix for the film? (thewrap.com) TheWrap’s May 16 report named A24, Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight Pictures and MUBI as bidders in the Cannes market. The same report said the competition followed the film’s premiere and described the title as a buzzy Un Certain Regard dramedy. Deadline’s May 17 report said the film had attracted multiple eight-figure offers. (thewrap.com) That outlet did not, in the search result available, list a final distributor either. ### Why did “Club Kid” become a market title so quickly? May 15 was the date of the film’s Cannes world premiere, where it played in Un Certain Regard. The Hollywood Reporter said the 126-minute film received a seven-minute standing ovation, while TheWrap reported a six-minute ovation, a discrepancy that reflects differing trade accounts from the same event. (thewrap.com) (deadline.com) Jordan Firstman, speaking before and after the screening, told the Cannes audience he was “so fucking happy right now” and called the film “such a dream come true,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Reviews and early festival attention then fed directly into the sales conversation reported by the trades. ### Who made the movie and who is selling it? (hollywoodreporter.com) UTA Independent Film Group arranged the financing and is handling worldwide or North American and global sales, according to TheWrap and Variety. Variety also reported that Paris-based Charades boarded international rights ahead of the festival. Alex Coco and Galen Core produced the film, with Topic Studios financing and producing and Stay Gold co-financing, according to TheWrap and Variety. (hollywoodreporter.com) Adam Newport-Berra shot the film on 35mm, those reports said. ### Who is in the cast, and what is the movie about? Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Reggie Absolom and Eldar Isgandarov appear alongside Firstman in the film, according to TheWrap, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. (thewrap.com) The story centers on a New York party promoter confronting unexpected parenthood. IndieWire reported that Firstman described the project as a softer work than some of his earlier screen persona, and the publication framed the film as being about queer nightlife and learning how to be seen. (thewrap.com) That characterization came from IndieWire’s interview and should be read as that outlet’s description of the film and Firstman’s comments. ### What happens next in Cannes? As of May 17, Cannes sales talks were still ongoing and no distributor had been publicly announced in the trade reports reviewed. The next concrete step is a formal acquisition announcement from one of the named buyers or the sales team at UTA Independent Film Group and Charades. (thewrap.com) (indiewire.com)