From NME · · 1m 30s
Hayley Kiyoko's film journey
Hayley Kiyoko's debut film Girls Like Girls finds queer representation after 11 years of struggle.
In brief
Hayley Kiyoko's debut film Girls Like Girls finds queer representation after 11 years of struggle. Hayley Kiyoko's film Girls Like Girls, based on her music video, addresses queer representation after 11 years of effort. Originally reported by NME.
Hayley Kiyoko's film journey
Hayley Kiyoko's feature directorial debut Girls Like Girls tracks a teenage romance between two queer women.
11-year journey to film
Kiyoko spent 11 years convincing the world her story matters after fans called her 'Lesbian Jesus'.
Girls Like Girls plot
The film follows Coley, a grieving teen moving to Oregon with her estranged father, and Sonya, a sexually conflicted girl.
Authentic queer representation
Girls Like Girls features authentic queer representation with two young women of colour in a rural 2006 setting.
Music video origin
The film is based on Kiyoko's 2015 electropop single 'Girls Like Girls' with the hook: 'Girls like girls, like boys do, nothing new.'
“Girls like girls, like boys do, nothing new”
11-year pitch struggle
Kiyoko faced 11 years of rejections, including pitches about why Coley's father would accept her sexuality.
Book to film transition
Kiyoko published a young adult novel in 2023 to help greenlight the film after initial funding fell through in 2022.
Casting choices
Kiyoko cast Maya da Costa, a Canadian actress with Portuguese and Vietnamese heritage, as Coley.
Film release
Girls Like Girls opened in UK cinemas on October 2, 2024, with a streaming release coming soon.
The headline
Hayley Kiyoko's film Girls Like Girls, based on her music video, addresses queer representation after 11 years of effort.
