Hayley Kiyoko’s Feature Film ‘Girls Like Girls’ Took a Decade to Make. Now That It’s Here, She Hopes It’s Just the Beginning for Sapphic Media

Hayley Kiyoko's feature film "Girls Like Girls" premiered on June 14, 2024, marking the culmination of a decade-long creative process. The film expands upon Kiyoko's 2015 music video of the same name, which became a significant anthem for the sapphic community and has garnered over 163 million views on YouTube. Kiyoko stated in an interview with Variety that the music video's success was a key motivator for developing it into a full-length movie. She also expressed a desire for the film to pave the way for more diverse representation of sapphic stories in mainstream media. The narrative of "Girls Like Girls" centers on a young woman navigating her feelings for her best friend's girlfriend. Kiyoko, who directed and wrote the screenplay, drew inspiration from her own experiences and observations within the LGBTQ+ community. The film's development involved extensive script revisions and securing financing, a process Kiyoko described as challenging but ultimately rewarding. She hopes "Girls Like Girls" will encourage other filmmakers to explore similar themes and contribute to a broader landscape of queer cinema.