Kirby Howell-Baptiste Shines as a Chaotic Party Girl in Jordan Firstman's New Film Club Kid

Actor Kirby Howell-Baptiste plays a wild party girl named Edison in Jordan Firstman's coming-of-age comedy drama "Club Kid." The film follows a hard-partying New York club promoter named Peter, played by Firstman, whose life changes when Edison arrives unannounced at his apartment with a 10-year-old child named Arlo in tow.

The Revelation

Wandering around the apartment with green braids and oversized sunglasses, Edison casually reveals that Arlo is Peter's son and has been brought from the U.K. to live with him. Peter, who is gay and states he has never slept with a woman, learns from Edison that he had sex with her friend Leonine a decade earlier while high on drugs at one of his club nights. Leonine recently died by suicide after struggling with mental health and rehab, prompting Edison to drop the news while searching for drugs and asking Peter to do a bump of cocaine.

Production Details

Howell-Baptiste shot her key apartment scene and a brief club scene in the fall of 2025. She based Edison's hoarse voice on former Spice Girl Mel B and even added the British slang term "tops herself" into the dialogue during filming. Firstman later messaged her while she was filming Season 3 of the British TV drama "Sherwood" to share that the movie was accepted into Cannes, where it became a breakout hit and sparked a $17 million bidding war won by A24.

Context

Independent films occasionally break out at major international festivals like Cannes and Toronto, where enthusiastic audience reception can drive competitive bidding wars among distribution studios. Such projects often rely on distinctive supporting performances and buzz to stand out in the crowded festival market.