First Kiss (With A Girl)

A kitschy, low-fi, bubblegum-sweet glance at queer intimacy, and that special sort of 11pm-nightclub magic of late adolescence. There’s a phenomenon called “second adolescence”, where LGBTQ+ people tend to miss out on the classic teenage milestones (first kiss/first relationship/first sexual experience), and instead experience all of that in the weeks, months and years after coming out. So we often have our first kisses (with the same gender) in strobe-lit, sticky-floored basement rooms – meaning LGBTQ+ nightclubs often function as spaces of identity-consolidation. Often via snogging. So I wanted to make something which dug into this phenomenon a bit. And I wanted it to be fun! I took a lot of influence from chiptunes and ’90s video, and deliberately made the film a bit “Year 9 art” around the edges: so hopefully it gets at that feeling of being young(ish) and inexperienced, but has a real earnestness and self-awareness too.

Clodagh Chapman (US)
Clodagh Chapman is a Manchester-based filmmaker and theatre maker. Her previous work includes butterfly (VAULT Festival), which was dubbed “a brilliant show full of heart” [Guardian], as well as projects with Tramshed, The Loco Klub, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Chickenshed. First Kiss (With A Girl) is her debut short, and has made the Official Selection of BIFA- and BAFTA-qualifying film festivals. Previously, Clodagh graduated with an MA (Distinction) from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and was selected for a talent development scheme between Film London and the Young Vic Theatre. Currently, Clodagh is one of twenty artists on NSDF LAB 21/22: a development scheme for up-and-coming theatre makers.