K-I-S-S-I-N-G
2024 · 13m · USA
Directed by Becky Portman
Genres: comedy, coming-of-age, LGBTQ+
Tones: humorous, tender, whimsical
A queer coming-of-age rom-com that follows Ruthie through puberty and young adulthood as told through her first seven kisses, each one charting awkward, formative steps toward identity and intimacy.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
It's competent queer rom-com comfort food—exactly what you'd expect, which is precisely why it doesn't deserve the oxygen in the room.
Portman understands the episodic form as a classical constraint, each kiss-chapter echoing coming-of-age structures from *400 Days of Summer* backward through *My Own Private Idaho*, though the execution settles into genre convention rather than interrogating it.
The decision to compress Ruthie's entire identity formation into discrete kiss-moments forces such precise emotional calibration—one look, one breath between scenes—that the whole thing hinges on Portman's willingness to let awkwardness breathe without irony, and she absolutely nails it.
Reviews
An honest story crafted in a realistic way with charming details, humor, and good performances.
Festivals
- Tel Aviv Film Festival 2024
- Berlin Lift-Off Film Festival 2024
- Stockholm City Film Festival 2024
- The Festival of Short Film 2024, Best LGBTQ+ Short