Deauville Festival: “Club Kid” by Jordan Firstman wins the Grand Prix

Club Kid, Jordan Firstman's first film, which received an enthusiastic reception at the Cannes Film Festival in May, was crowned on Saturday September 12 with the Grand Prize at the 52nd Deauville American Film Festival, the latter announced in a press release.

Presented in the Un certain regard section at Cannes, this feature film tells the story of Peter, organizer of trendy parties in New York. He sees his life turned upside down by the arrival of his 10-year-old son, whose existence he did not know.

Revealed by his humorous videos on social networks during the Covid pandemic, Jordan Firstman, 35, plays the leading role in this film which also received the Audience Award from the city of Deauville. Model Cara Delevingne is also on display.

Thirteen films in competition

The jury of the Deauville Festival, which began on September 4 and ends on Sunday, was chaired this year by Roschdy Zem, surrounded by Simon Abkarian, Camille Chamoux, Cécile de France, Euzhan Palcy, Raphaël Personnaz, Lola Quivoron, Mohamed Mbougar Sarr and Laura Smet. Thirteen films were in competition.

The Jury Prize went to Méli-Mélo by Leah Nelson, an animated film that addresses Alzheimer's disease, which also won the Critics' Prize, and If I Go Will They Miss Me by Walter Thompson-Hernández, about a father-son relationship in a poor neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The Deauville American Film Festival was created in 1975 by Lionel Chouchan, who died last February at the age of 88, and André Halimi.

The prize list:

- Grand Prix: Club Kid by Jordan Firstman (in theaters November 4)

- Jury Prize: Méli-Mélo by Leah Nelson (in theaters January 20, 2027) and “If I Go Will They Miss Me” by Walter Thompson-Hernández (in theaters January 6, 2027)

- Revelation Prize: Mouse by Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson

- Public Prize of the city of Deauville: Club Kid by Jordan Firstman

- Canal+ Prize: Test by Sam McConnell

- Critics' Prize: Méli-Mélo by Leah Nelson