‘Club Kid’ Trailer: A24 Reveals First Look at Jordan Firstman’s Cannes Hit

Firstman writes, directs, and stars as a party promoter whose life gets upended by a son he never knew existed. In theaters November 6.

A24 has released the first trailer for Club Kid. One of Cannes‘ biggest acquisition stories into focus ahead of its theatrical release this fall.

Jordan Firstman writes, directs and stars in the comedy-drama as a hard-partying New York City promoter. Who has reached the point where the lifestyle that once defined him is beginning to look considerably less glamorous.

His unsustainable lifestyle gets completely upended when he discovers he has a 10-year-old son.

The film marks Firstman’s feature directorial debut. It follows years spent building a following through viral sketch comedy and supporting television roles. Cara Delevingne, Diego Calva, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Reggie Absolom and Colleen Camp, round out the cast. Miss Benny, Vicki Pepperdine, and Eldar Isgandarov play supporting roles. A24 opens Club Kid in theaters November 6.

Club Kid premiered in Cannes‘ Un Certain Regard section in May. It earned a standing ovation lasting roughly six minutes and quickly became the buzziest sale of the festival. Firstman’s shift from internet comedian to feature filmmaker caught distributors off guard, in the best way. What followed was a genuine bidding war. Netflix, Focus Features, Searchlight Pictures, and MUBI all circled the film. Warner Bros.‘ new label Clockwork briefly engaged before dropping out. A24 closed the deal for a reported $17 million, one of the first major sales of this year’s market.

The film’s festival run hasn’t stopped at Cannes. Club Kid heads to the Toronto International Film Festival next, screening in Special Presentations for its Canadian premiere. From there it moves to the New York Film Festival’s Spotlight section, alongside Cristian Mungiu’s Palme d’Or winner Fjord. Three major festivals in one year is a serious run for any film. For a directorial debut, it’s a clear signal of how much confidence A24 has in this one heading into awards season.

A Familiar Setup, Told Differently

The trailer keeps Firstman’s comic sensibility intact while making the film’s central tension clear. His character has built an adult life around nightlife, avoiding every expectation typically attached to growing older. Arlo’s arrival forces a collision between the identity Peter has spent years cultivating and a responsibility he never saw coming.

That premise could easily drift into familiar “irresponsible adult learns to grow up” territory. Critics out of Cannes suggested the film finds something stranger and warmer instead. Variety’s Guy Lodge called it a “sweet, surprisingly old-fashioned heartwarmer” despite its queer nightlife setting. He noted the opening evokes Sean Baker’s style. His full review put it more bluntly: “Come for the arch, bitchy humor promised by the title… leave with the distinct sense that there’s more to Firstman than his online persona.” IndieWire called the film “brazen, funny, and surprisingly earnest.” One write-up out of the festival simply pitched it as “A24 meets Big Daddy.”

A Real Production Behind The Internet Persona

Firstman shot the film on 35mm, an ambitious choice for a directorial debut on a modest budget. Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra shot it, a recent Emmy winner for The Studio and Blink Twice. Cristobal Tapia de Veer, the composer behind Smile and The White Lotus, scored the film.

Topic Studios financed the production, with Stay Gold co-financing. Anora Oscar winner Alex Coco produced alongside Galen Core, Michael Bloom, and Ryan Heller.

Cannes’ own profile of Firstman cited several influences: Martin Scorsese’s After Hours and The King of Comedy, Andrew Haigh’s Weekend, and the work of Olivier Assayas and Agnès Varda.

Topic’s Heller, reflecting on Firstman’s readiness behind the camera despite the directorial debut label, said: “He was coming with a level of experience that was distinct from what you might think of as a first-time director.”

A Voice and an Ensemble That Deserve Recognition

Firstman moved from online impressions and sketches into acting, with roles in Rotting in the Sun, English Teacher, Hacks, and I Love LA. 

Club Kid now hands him control of the entire frame as writer, director, and lead performer.

He’s also been vocal about elevating the cast around him. Following the A24 deal, Firstman told Variety that including the queer cast fully in press events, travel, and accommodations was non-negotiable in every buyer conversation.

That instinct tracks with the film itself. Its real subject seems less about abandoning nightlife than reconsidering what community and adulthood can look like once the party stops being enough.

A24 has a track record of turning festival discoveries into genuine cultural conversations. The price tag alone signals how much potential the distributor sees here.

Whether Club Kid becomes a real awards contender depends on how it plays with wider audiences. But between the Cannes reception, the competitive sale, and now a trailer of its own, Firstman’s debut has already moved past curiosity status.

The party promoter may be washed up. The filmmaker is not.

Club Kid opens in theaters Nov. 6, 2026.