Big Girls Don't Cry (2026 film)
| Big Girls Don't Cry | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Paloma Schneideman |
| Written by | Paloma Schneideman |
| Produced by | Vicky Pope Thomas Coppell |
| Starring | Ani Palmer Noah Taylor Rain Spencer Beatrix Wolfe |
| Cinematography | Maria Ines Manchego |
Release date |
|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Language | English |
Big Girls Don't Cry is a 2026 New Zealand drama film directed by Paloma Schneideman.[1] The film premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Synopsis
The film is a coming of age film that focuses on a single summer in the life of Sid, a 14-year-old girl living in a small New Zealand town. Sid wants desperately to fit in with her older peers, particularly her crush Lana, so she begins to drink and smoke pot as well as flirt with boys despite a lack of interest on her part. Over time Sid also develops a crush on her sister's friend Freya, only to become heartbroken when she discovers Freya having sex with a boy. As the summer progresses Sid goes through a variety of events, both big and small, as she discovers more about herself.
Cast
- Ani Palmer as Sid
- Noah Taylor as Leo
- Rain Spencer as Freya
- Beatrix Rain Wolfe as Lana
- Ngataitangirua Hita as Tia
- Sophia Kirkwood Smith as Stevie
- Tara Canton as Adele
- Ian Blackburn as Kyle
- Emile Boyle as Andy
- Caleb Cameron Lee as Willy
- Poroaki Merritt-McDonald as Diggy
Production
Filming for Big Girls Don't Cry took place in Auckland, New Zealand and Ōmaha, New Zealand during March - May 2025 and marked Schneideman's feature film directorial debut.[2] Of the film, Schneideman stated that she wanted the film to feel discomforting because she believed that "there was a real responsibility for young women or young queer folk to not look away or not avoid those more difficult aspects of coming-of-age".[3] She also chose to have the film end on an ambiguous note, as the directors wanted viewers to project themselves onto the situation instead of telling the viewer how they should feel.[4]
Release
Big Girls Don't Cry had its world premiere at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival on January 24, 2026.[5][6]
Reception
Out Magazine praised Big Girls Don't Cry, citing Ani Palmer's acting as a highlight.[7] RogerEbert.com's Marya Gates also praised the film, noting that "what really makes this film special is the way Schneideman subtly indicates how painful it was in that era to grow up queer without any real support system, even if you never experienced any actual violence."[8]
Award
- World Cinema Dramatic Award at the Sundance Film Festival (2026, nominated)[9]
References
- ^ Kay, Jeremy. "Blue Fox Entertainment acquires sales on New Zealand feature 'Big Girls Don't Cry'". Screen.
- ^ "Local director sets coming-of-age film in Omaha". Local Matters. 2025-04-13. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (2026-01-27). "Filmmaker Paloma Schneideman Talks "Breaking Down Shame Around Female Sexuality" With Debut Feature 'Big Girls Don't Cry' & Takeaways For Young Viewers – Sundance Studio". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Mortensen, Parker (2026-02-03). "'Big Girls Don't Cry' is director's ode to the coming-of-age genre". Park Record. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ McNamara, Lauren (December 10, 2025). "NZFC-Supported Films to Premiere at Sundance Film Festival".
- ^ Kleinmann, James (2026-01-21). "LGBTQ+ highlights at Sundance Film Festival 2026". The Queer Review. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Rude, Mey. "Big Girls Don't Cry review: The beautiful gut punch of growing up | Out.com". www.out.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Gates, Marya E. (2026-01-26). "Sundance 2026: Big Girls Don't Cry, Hold Onto Me, Tell Me Everything". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ^ Mallorca, Hannah (2026-02-05). "'Filipiñana' bags Special Jury award at 2026 Sundance film fest". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2026-02-06.