Club Kid charms Cannes and lands A24

Presented in the Un Certain Regard section of the 79th Cannes Film Festival, Club Kid was double-awarded at the American Film Festival of Deauville. The comedy, which follows an unexpected father-son relationship in the New York night scene, quickly attracted distributors' attention. A bidding war followed, before A24 acquired it for $17 million, a record. Jordan Firstman, 35, wrote, produced, directed and starred in his first feature. "I learned to fight for my vision," he says, recalling the rejections that marked his career. He adds he changed his mindset midway through writing, shifting from drama to a comedy where humor remains rooted. AlloCiné interviewed the director for this portrait.