Erin, a spunky twelve year-old, attempts to woo the coolest girl in school with the help of her best friend, Liz.

Interview with Writer/Director Julianna Notten

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thanks so much! I made this film because I’ve always been attached to coming of age stories, however most of the queer films I’d seen in this genre were often about coming out and/or rooted in tragedy. I wanted to tell a story about a confident young girl who had a crush on another girl and whose problems were not about being gay.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I think “Erin’s Guide To Kissing Girls” is a fun, light-hearted film that allows you to get lost in it while still pushing the boundaries of representation. Characters like Erin who are so confident and unburdened by their queerness are far and few between and therefore will feel like a breath of fresh air for any audience.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

In many ways I wrote this film as a love letter to my younger self, I wish I could have been as unapologetically myself as Erin is at that age. That’s partly why this story was so important for me to tell, so that young queer kids (or anyone for that matter) could watch this film and hopefully feel inspired by Erin to be their most authentic self.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

There’s always three stories when you make a film: the story that’s in the script, the story you shoot and the story you end up editing. I think a lot of the structure of the film stayed the same but casting the actors we chose changed the feel of the story in many ways. For example: Mila Tupy who plays Liz was a lot more sarcastic and edgy then I first pictured the character but she played off Kyria Ossa’s Erin so well that it worked! I even ended up changing some of her lines and the set dec of her room for her. There’s always little things you don’t anticipate but I think it’s important to be open to new ideas and being flexible to change.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback we’ve received so far has been very positive! People are hungry for different kinds of representation and even if you don’t identify as queer everyone can relate to that first awkward crush, being in a fight with your best friend or the feeling of rejection. Although we have targeted queer youth the story itself is very universal.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I’ve had a few people tell me they cried at the end, which is always a bit surprising, and honestly kind of flattering for me. In a 15-minute film it can be hard to get across the depth of your characters and what they are feeling so to know it was effective and touched someone in a very real way is all I could ever ask for as a writer/director.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

I would love for this film to reach as wide as audience as possible so that people from all walks of life can watch and hopefully see themselves in this story.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

Every bit of elevation helps as a filmmaker. Being in articles and other film festivals would really be a huge help for us as we move into our next phase of this project, which is turning it into a feature! And I mean of course we would never say no to any finical help!

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I would love to see this film having a really positive impact on queer youth and kids who can watch Erin on screen and see nothing wrong with the fact that the crush she has happens to be on another girl. More than anything I want to create a world where it doesn’t have to “get better” it can just be better.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

How is this film challenging both the queer and coming of age genre and why is that necessary in this day in age?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you so much for featuring our film! I hope people get the chance to see it and we’re just so excited to see where it will go next!

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

As I mentioned our team is currently looking into expanding Erin’s Guide To Kissing Girls into a feature so keep an eye out in the future for us!

Interview: June 2018

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Erin’s Guide To Kissing Girls

Erin, a spunky twelve year-old, attempts to woo the coolest girl in school with the help of her best friend, Liz.

Length: 14:50

Director: Julianna Notten

Producer: Claire Allore and Madeline Lemire

Writer: Julianna Notten

About the writer, director and producer:

JULIANNA NOTTEN (writer/director) is a queer, award-winning filmmaker born and based in Toronto. Her work often deals with everyday dilemmas and the impact of human relationships.

MADELINE LEMIRE (producer) is a Toronto-based English major-turned-film producer, with a history of getting involved with storytelling that is female focused and innovative.

CLAIRE ALLORE (producer) is a multi-talented film producer, with a focus on anti-oppressive storytelling. A jack-of-all-trades, she moves between producing, casting, editing, writing, and directing.

Key cast: Kyria Ossa, Mila Tupy and Belle Lemieux-Chan

Looking for: producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinkissinggirls/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/erinkissingirls?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinkissinggirls/

Funders: Kickstarter backers and myself

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Female Eye Film Festival in Toronto