🎬 Daddy Issues

Maya (Madison Lawlor) is a 19-year-old queer artist living in Los Angeles who escapes her lonely routine through her vivid graphic drawings and social media stalking. Her world changes when she falls deeply in love with Jasmine (Montana Manning), a glamorous, bisexually adventurous fashion designer she has been admiring from afar on Instagram.

The two begin a passionate romance, but Maya soon discovers a complicated truth about Jasmine's secret life: Jasmine is also involved as a sugar baby with a wealthy older man named Simon (Andrew Pifko). The situation becomes increasingly tangled when Maya realizes that Simon is, in fact, her own estranged father. Caught in a web of double lives, father-daughter trauma, and romantic obsession, Maya must navigate her feelings while confronting her past.

💡 Did you know?
Festival & Outfest Circuit: Premiered at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Festival and screened across major LGBTQ+ film festivals worldwide, including Outfest and Toronto Inside Out.

Female-Led Production Team: Features a core creative team headed by female filmmaker Amara Cash, writer Alex Bloom, and producer Jenna Ceddenci.

Visual Art Aesthetic: Incorporates stylized graphic illustrations and pastel neon cinematography by Nico Aguilar to reflect the main character's internal artistic world.

⭐ Film Evaluation & Ratings 📈
⭐ Global Critical & Festival Consensus: 6.2 / 10 (IMDb / Outfest & Festival Circuit Archives)

Appreciated among indie queer cinema audiences for its bold melodrama premise, strong lead chemistry between Lawlor and Manning, and stylish visual approach.

🎨 Visual & Performance Craft: 6.8 / 10

Vivid neon lighting, atmospheric Los Angeles backdrops, and an expressive performance by Madison Lawlor anchor the dramatic story.

📝 Portal Recommendation:

A solid addition to LGBTQ+ Independent Cinema Archives, WLW Romantic Melodramas, and LA Indie Spotlights. Pairs naturally with titles like Below Her Mouth (2016), First Girl I Loved (2016), or Princess Cyd (2017).

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