Hayley Kiyoko's feature directorial debut, 'Girls Like Girls', arrived in UK cinemas last week on October 2. The film is described as a sweetly nostalgic coming-of-age drama that explores the developing romance between grieving teenager Coley and sexually conflicted Sonya.
The film is an adaptation of Kiyoko's 2015 electropop single 'Girls Like Girls' music video, which later inspired a young adult novel published in 2023. Kiyoko stated that the idea for a feature film originated from fans who saw screenshots of the music video on Tumblr and asked if it was a film.
Kiyoko, who has directed 12 of her own music videos since 2015, faced an 11-year journey to bring 'Girls Like Girls' to the screen. She turned the story into a novel to demonstrate public interest, especially for a romantic movie featuring two young women of colour. Focus Features came on board in 2024 to produce and distribute the film.
The director expressed her desire to dedicate her life to filmmaking and storytelling. Alongside the film, Kiyoko has released a companion album featuring collaborations with LGBTQ+ artists.