'I didn't know my sexuality was an option': Canadian director creates queer film for younger audiences

A new queer film about to debut in Toronto focuses on the positive representation of younger people who are confident in their sexuality.

"Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls," a film focusing on the story of a young, queer middle schooler, debuts Friday.

The Canadian movie is director Julianna Notten's first feature-length film, and is breaking barriers in media by showing a much younger queer person than is typically portrayed, who is confident in her sexuality.

It will be featured at the Toronto Carlton Cinema starting Friday.

The film follows Erin through middle school as she falls in love with the new girl and navigates her friendships and her sexuality.

Notten said the film is a love letter to themselves.

"When I was 13, 14, I didn't even know that my sexuality was an option," Notten told CTV's Your Morning on Thursday. "So this film is sort of addressing all of these big feelings that I was having at 13, like being in fights with my friends for the first time, having crushes, navigating puberty… but telling it through a queer lens in a way that my younger self didn't get to experience back then."

Notten's inspiration for the movie focused on younger characters came from seeing less representation in other films. They said most of the queer stories seen in popular media follow older characters.

"It just felt like a shame to me that young people didn't get to see themselves represented," they said. "Especially with kids feeling more confident to come out at younger and younger ages."

Notten said most of the movies focused on characters coming out to people are "rooted in tragedy."

"That's why it was so important to have a character whose problems did not start and end with her attraction to other girls," Notten said.

Originally, the film was set to start production during the spring of 2020, but it was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It was a bit of a conundrum," Elliot Stocking, who plays Erin in the movie, told CTV's Your Morning on Thursday. " I got a call that said, 'OK, so we're pretty sure we want you for the film (but) you're not going to sign anything yet… Because there's this pandemic thing that might be a problem.'"

When Stocking finally did get the call confirming that they were chosen to be a part of "Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls," they jumped over the couch to hug their dad.

"A bit of shock, but a lot of excitement," Stocking said of the moment.

 

To hear more behind-the-scenes details of "Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls," click the video at the top of this article.